World's No. 1 Swordsman-Chapter 409: Fading Silver

Xi Lian couldn't move.

With her enemies' qi locked together, if she moved even a little, the lightning formation that her opponent had long prepared would attack her.

By the lakeside, she held Wang Xiaomiao with her left arm. Dressed only in a thin slip dress, she hovered silently in midair, her phoenix eyes fixed on the deep, bottomless pit before her.

She had already assessed that the cultivators who had surrounded them, even those in the sky, posed no real threat. The two Tribulation Realm cultivators slowly rising from underground were the only dangerous ones.

Having survived heavenly tribulation, one was already at the peak of the Tribulation Realm. They were only a step away from transforming into an immortal and reaching the Grand Immortal-Ascension Realm. Even at her peak, Xi Lian would've still required considerable effort to defeat such an opponent. Facing two at once while protecting Xiaomiao was nearly impossible.

At that moment, she only had one thought running through her mind.

Escape.

Unfortunately, she couldn't find the right moment to act.

"Fei Yu, can you hear me?" she telepathically called out, holding on to a sliver of hope even though she knew it was impossible to contact Wang Sheng.

Moments later, she stopped contacting him. After all, Wang Sheng had just reached the middle stage of the Nascent Soul Realm two years ago. Even if his cultivation had skyrocketed since then, he would at best be at the late Nascent Soul or early Rebirth Realm. Calling him back would only send him to his death.

Well, I'm just glad he at least took Little Xuanxuan with him.

Noticing that Xi Lian had stopped moving, Xiaomiao whispered nervously, "Big Sister?"

"Don't fret. Their aura is locked on me," Xi Lian telepathically replied. "Quick, think of a way to distract them. And just think of what you want to say. We're close enough that I can read your mind."

"Mm..."

Wang Xiaomiao bit her lower lip and swiftly thought, Big Sister, try exposing their identities.

Meanwhile, the two cultivators finally floated out of the pit. Shrouded in gray mist, they appeared in the night like two shadows that devoured all light.

"How am I supposed to know who they are?"

What's their cultivation level?

"They're both at the Tribulation Realm. One has even reached its peak and survived heavenly tribulation. Since they've both formed their Primordial Spirits, it'll be extremely hard to hold them off."

Big Sister, didn't you say you knew seduction techniques?

"That was a joke. Although my true form is a snow fox, I've been cultivating Buddhist arts under Buddhist Master Santong all these years. I don't know any seduction techniques." Xi Lian tightened her hold around Wang Xiaomiao and enveloped them both in layers of enchanted power. She poured nearly all her defensive strength into protecting the girl in her arms.

Repeat after me, Xiaomiao thought as she forced herself to stay calm. We're all ancient cultivators from a thousand years ago...

Xi Lian's lips curved slightly. In a soft and alluring tone, she said, "We're all ancient cultivators from a thousand years ago. Why do we have to fight among ourselves?"

Her two opponents didn't respond. They seemed to be searching for weaknesses in Xi Lian's stance.

A strand of her silver-white hair turned crimson. She managed to hold her own against her opponents' overwhelming aura, but she had already unleashed as much controllable power as she could. Such a fragile balance would not last. With the other cultivators closing in, she would sooner or later reveal a flaw.

Xi Lian forced a smile. "Gentlemen, is your goal really to turn me into a devil just so you can take over the cultivation world?"

"Oh?" The shadowy individual on the left chuckled. "You're quite clever. We've only just revealed ourselves, yet you already know our goal. We seem to have underestimated—"

Swish!

The moment he was distracted, Xi Lian flickered backward, instantly breaking free from his aura lock.

Silver light burst from her side as he darted toward the small lake. She didn't even stop to consider which direction led to the Shu Sword Sect.

The shadowy figure on the right immediately threw two daggers with a violet glow, which flew faster than Xi Lian. Reacting half a beat later, the cultivator who had momentarily lost focus also took to the skies in pursuit.

Xi Lian reached the center of the lake just as the two daggers closed in from behind. They followed her relentlessly, as though bound to her shadow. No matter how many feints or evasive maneuvers she attempted, she couldn't shake them off. For a fraction of a second, she was forced to turn and face them. She reached into her hair with her right hand, drew out three silver needles, and flung them forward.

The slender needles met the daggers head-on. Blinding silver light exploded over the lake, followed by a thunderous explosion. The two daggers were blown backward, and Xi Lian used the recoil of the blast to propel herself forward at even greater speed.

However, just as she was about to clear the lake's perimeter, dozens of crescent-shaped lights fell from the sky, sealing every possible escape route ahead. The cultivator who had been distracted earlier descended swiftly from above, brandishing a gleaming treasured sword. With a swing, he sent waves of terrifyingly powerful sword radiance cutting through the night.

Xi Lian's expression darkened. A peak Tribulation Realm sword cultivator?!

She changed directions again, abandoning the fight completely and focusing only on escape.

I just have to reach the Shu Sword Sect to win!

The two ancient criminals closed in from both sides, relentlessly chasing her. Meanwhile, the other cultivators' encirclement at the lake's edge tightened into a complete circle. From the sky to the ground, all she saw were enemies forming battle formations and preparing to block her path, even if it meant using themselves as meat shields.

Xi Lian couldn't even spare any focus to gauge the cultivators' realms. Even if she could, it wouldn't have made any difference.

All over their dark surroundings, Xiaomiao caught sight of faint silver glimmers—the reflections of the cultivators' pupils. Her heart burned with desperation.

Powerless, Xiaomiao could only cling to Xi Lian's embrace. Due to her shallow cultivation, she couldn't do anything but be a burden. She wanted to tell Xi Lian to leave her behind, but she knew the fox too well.

Saying that would only make things worse.

All Xiaomiao could see now was the tight battlefield before them. Xi Lian carried her as she flew through the night, light flashing rapidly in her eyes. Whenever she stopped, even for a heartbeat, the darkness around them seemingly grew heavier. No matter how hard they fought, they remained trapped near the small lake.

Psh.

Along with the soft noise, blood burst from Xi Lian's shoulder. The little girl in her arms trembled, tears clouding her eyes. She was afraid. Terrified. And she hated herself for not realizing their enemies' true objectives sooner.

Xiaomiao had been following the Special Investigation Unit's case for over nine months, gathering and verifying bits of information on her own in her spare time. Finally, she pieced together their opponent's plan today. However, mere seconds after she uncovered the truth, danger arrived exactly as she had predicted.

If she had just reached the answer she sought five minutes—no, even just a minute earlier, she and Xi Lian would not have ended up like this.

This must be what despair truly feels like.

Several muffled bursts echoed. Sword energy hit Xi Lian again, covering her back with wounds. All Xiaomiao could see were droplets of blood scattering into the air.

Someone with an aged tone shouted, "Fox Fiend! Do you truly believe you can escape?!"

Xi Lian raised her head and roared, "Get lost!"

For an instant, blood patterns covered her face. She forced them down with a deep breath.

"Xiaomiao, think of something! If you can't, I'll have to handle this my way!"

"Big Sister..."

Wang Xiaomiao could feel Xi Lian's anger and frustration. She knew Xi Lian was on the verge of losing control.

The words "don't fall into devilry" rose to her lips but refused to come out. In a moment like this, with life and death hanging by a thread, she had no right to tell her to keep enduring.

Come on, think! Aren't there several military bases nearby? How have they not noticed such a huge commotion? The Hua Republic has invested enormous resources into its satellite monitoring system. Hasn't it reported anything to the Special Investigation Unit?

No, that's not right. The nearby bases aren't under the Special Warfare Unit. Their facilities are all along the borders. The ones here belong to regular forces, and they're quite a distance away. A few Golden Core Realm cultivators can easily enter them, cut the power supply, and destroy the detection instruments.

The enemy's plan was seamless. They wouldn't have overlooked such details.

The mastermind behind this has been orchestrating a series of incidents for the past two years just to force the Special Investigation Unit into a long-term disadvantage. If so, then the satellite system that monitors primal qi fluctuations is probably already under their control. It wouldn't be hard for them to temporarily hack the system from the inside.

They probably didn't make a move tonight based solely on the Hidden Earth Sect sealing its mountain. They had to have initiated other operations simultaneously!

Xiaomiao's mind raced.

If I were the one orchestrating this, I'd need to give the fifteen ancient cultivators a justification or enough great merit to clear their names. That's the only way they can take over the entire cultivation world. Turning a powerful fox fiend into a devil and making her rampage and slaughter mortals would give them the perfect opportunity to earn such merit!

The ancient cultivators have clearly broken the Celestial Master Sect's seals themselves. If they're chasing after status, dignity, and a cause great enough to grant them the prestige to command the cultivation world, then the nearby military bases are most likely already shrouded in the deadly poisons that were used in the southern border. The Special Investigation Unit's probably in chaos right now.

Once Big Sister is forced into devilry, the cultivators surrounding them would immediately retreat. Only a small group would stay behind to fight and lure her to the nearby town at the foot of the mountain. Over a hundred thousand civilians who cultivate using the Universal Cultivation Method live there.

After that, the situation would inevitably escalate until the ancient criminals were deployed. They would rush here, encircle Big Sister, and slay her in the name of protecting the civilians.

They would then make it look like the corrupt cultivators from the southern border had poisoned the nearby military bases as an act of revenge, forcing Big Sister to turn into a devil. They would leave behind enough evidence to make it convincing! That's gotta be their plan!

The fact that her location had been exposed would put all the blame on the Special Investigation Unit, framing them for negligence and dereliction of duty. That would be the final straw that would crush their leadership!

The enemy has such a brilliant strategist. By mixing open and hidden schemes, they'd hit three birds with one stone. If I were to die here, they would simply claim that Big Sister killed me in her rampage.

Once the fifteen ancient criminals killed her, all evidence would vanish with her. By the time Big Brother returns, the truth will already be buried. Those ancient criminals might even assassinate him and Senior Sister.

Despair filled Xiaomiao's eyes. Big Sister, I... I'm out of ideas...

"Alright, then." Xi Lian looked down at the girl crying in her arms. The harshness in her eyes softened. Calmly, she said, "Don't worry. I will get you out of here safely."

The wind around them suddenly picked up. Xi Lian's silver hair began to fade in color, replaced by a spreading crimson-orange hue.