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The Ghost Saint moved erratically, dodging and counterattacking with his Yin Wind Palm while shouting for help.
Although the Fiery Ancestor had a long-standing feud with the Ghost Saint, he understood the implications.
"Old Ghost is right. Let's attack together, first kill Huang Xuemei, then seize the Heavenly Demon Harp!"
Han Xun sneered upon hearing this and retorted loudly:
"Have you all lost your minds? She is the leader of the Four Seasons Envoys of the Azure Dragon Society!"
"Kill her? You really think you can live just by taking the Heavenly Demon Harp?"
"We previously agreed to capture only Lü Lin, and use him to coerce Huang Xuemei into exchanging the Heavenly Demon Harp. How can you go back on your word now?"
Before he could finish speaking, Mr. Six Fingers suddenly struck, killing him with a single blow.
"Cowards, to associate with us only bring shame!"
With Han Xun dead, the four had no more scruples. Dongfang Bai and Mr. Six Fingers joined forces to besiege Huang Xuemei, and the four masters fought together.
294 The Four Great Sect Leaders
The remaining four are all top figures in the martial arts world of the Han Dynasty.
The Ghost Saint is in charge of the Ghost Palace. His martial arts are unpredictable and sinister. He is skilled in sneak attacks and ambushes. He exudes a sinister aura. Although he holds a position of righteousness, he is more like a demonic tyrant. His cultivation has reached the mid-stage of the Supreme Myth Realm.
The Fiery Ancestor's palm technique is fierce and powerful, with raging flames that can transform the fire spirits of heaven and earth into his own. Each strike is like a torrent of molten lava, scorching the body. His realm has also reached the mid-stage of the Supreme Mythical Realm.
Dongfang Bai and Mr. Six Fingers have unusual backgrounds. Although they both belong to the Tianlong Sect, they harbor ulterior motives.
In the past, the Tianlong Sect was renowned throughout the martial arts world for its musical skills. Its former leader, Huang Zheng, roamed the land with the Tianlong Eight Sounds and the Heavenly Demon Qin.
However, Dongfang Bai colluded with his uncle, Mr. Six Fingers, to ostracize Huang Zheng and instigated four factions to attack him, ultimately leading to the upheaval in the martial arts world twenty years ago.
Seeing the Heavenly Demon Harp so close, the two unleashed their ultimate techniques.
Although Dongfang Bai had not mastered the Eight Sounds of the Heavenly Dragon, he incorporated the music into his palm techniques. With each wave of his hand, his energy materialized, silent yet incredibly sharp.
Mr. Six Fingers' finger techniques were cunning, each move aimed directly at vital points. Both of them were at the mid-stage of the Supreme Myth Realm, and their combined power increased by three points.
That invisible palm force contained hidden musical secrets, sometimes strong, sometimes weak, unpredictable and difficult to defend against.
This person's true strength surpasses even that of the Ghost Saint and the Fiery Ancestor. Six-Fingered Master lost the struggle for power in the Heavenly Dragon Sect to Dongfang Bai, and left in anger to establish his own sect in Wuyi Mountain. He integrated the principles of music into his martial arts, combined with his unparalleled poison skills, making him even more insidious and ruthless than Dongfang Bai.
The four masters each possessed unique skills and had all reached the early stage of the Supreme Mythical Realm. Logically speaking, Huang Xuemei should have been defeated without a doubt—she was only at the same cultivation level, how could she possibly fight four against one?
Huang Xuemei has undergone a complete transformation. She not only inherited Huang Zheng's Heavenly Demon Harp and Heavenly Dragon Eight Sounds, but also received guidance from Ximen Yu, the strongest man in the Nine Provinces. Her musical skills have surpassed those of her predecessors. The Heavenly Dragon Eight Sounds are no longer a medium to activate the Heavenly Demon Harp, but rather she has transformed the divine harp into a tool for performing martial arts.
Her slender fingers danced across the strings of the zither, preventing the four masters from getting close. Countless blades of energy condensed in the void, gradually forming an invisible sword array. Initially, the four harbored greed, believing that obtaining the demonic zither would greatly enhance their power; by the time they realized it, they were already in dire straits.
"Something's not right!" Ghost Saint was the first to sense something was amiss. He was the first to covet the Heavenly Demon Harp and had the deepest knowledge of the art of playing the harp.
The Fiery Ancestor slyly agreed, "Dongfang Bai, the situation is unusual. It would be best to retreat first." Before he finished speaking, he had already retreated.
He swept his iron staff across, tearing apart the still-unformed sword energy, and leaped away from the battle.
Without the restraint of the Fiery Ancestor, the remaining three were even more strained.
Mr. Six Fingers finally couldn't hold on any longer and gave Dongfang Bai a wink. The three of them moved in unison and withdrew from the battlefield.
Huang Xuemei's lips curled slightly, a cold glint flashing in her eyes. Did these guys really think this place was a place where they could come and go as they pleased?
The music suddenly changed, and the rhythm quickened abruptly.
"Listen up, everyone from the Blazing Fire Palace! Whoever can seize the Heavenly Demon Harp, I will take as my personal disciple!"
The Fiery Ancestor was truly cunning. As soon as he escaped, he heard something amiss with the music and immediately incited his disciples.
The attack on Huang Xuemei by the four people just now seemed intense, but in reality, there were undercurrents.
Without entering the realm of terrestrial immortals, one cannot discern any clues.
Although there are terrestrial immortals in the Fiery Palace, they are few and far between. Most disciples are only of first-rate level.
Upon hearing that they could become disciples of the patriarch, these eager-to-rise disciples were immediately filled with excitement.
In an instant, red-clad figures surged forward like a tide, with disciples of the Blazing Fire Palace rushing to the front.
Seeing this, the Ghost Saint's eyes darted around, and he immediately shouted:
"Disciples of the Ghost Palace, heed my command! Retrieve the Heavenly Demon Harp, or kill Huang Xuemei or Lü Lin—"
"I will immediately adopt him as my son; he is expected to inherit the Ghost Palace's legacy in the future!"
These conditions are even more tempting than those of the Fiery Ancestor!
The ancestor only wanted the zither, but the Ghost Saint considered even a human head as a contribution.
The Ghost Palace members' eyes turned bloodshot, and they charged forward in a frenzy.
The disciples of Tianlongmen and Wuyishan all looked at Dongfang Bai and Mr. Six Fingers with burning eyes.
The two sect leaders exchanged a knowing smile, understanding each other perfectly.
"Disciples of the Heavenly Dragon Sect, heed my command! A great reward will be given to anyone who kills Huang Xuemei, Lü Lin, or Lü Tengkong!"
"Whoever obtains the Heavenly Demon Harp can become the next sect leader!"
"The disciples of Wuyi Mountain are the same."
Mr. Six Fingers' words were concise and to the point.
Upon receiving the order, disciples from both factions cheered and surged forward.
The Fiery Palace, the Ghost Palace, the Heavenly Dragon Gate, and Mount Wuyi are the four major righteous sects of the martial arts world of the Han Dynasty.
Not only are there many masters, but there are also numerous disciples.
This time, in order to seize the Heavenly Demon Harp, especially to snatch it from the jaws of the Azure Dragon Society, the entire sect has almost exhausted its strength.
Encouraged by the four masters, disciples from the four sects surged forward like a tidal wave, fearless of death.
Their targets are not only the Heavenly Demon Harp, but also Lü Lin and Lü Tengkong.
The entire Flying Tiger Escort Agency was surrounded by disciples from the four major sects, as if it were submerged in the sea.
Only the rapid piano music grew increasingly sharp!
The four major sects have a large number of disciples, at least eight hundred.
Among them are many masters, and several have even reached the level of grandmaster.
The four major sects possess profound knowledge and have mastered exquisite combined attack formations.
"Hahaha! Even if Huang Xuemei used the Heavenly Demon Harp to kill these nearly a thousand disciples!"
"She will also run out of energy and die from exhaustion!"
The Fiery Ancestor was smug; in his eyes, these disciples were nothing more than pawns.
It doesn't matter if we all sacrifice ourselves.
Once the flag is raised again, people will naturally flock to the Palace of Blazing Fire.
"Old Liehuo is indeed shrewd."
The Ghost Saint also let out a sinister laugh.
"Once this girl is exhausted, we can sit back and reap the benefits—that would be perfect!"
Although Dongfang Bai and Mr. Six Fingers didn't say much, the victorious smiles on their faces betrayed their thoughts.
Just as the four major sects were besieging them and the situation was extremely critical.
Huang Xuemei suddenly changed the tune.
"A heartbroken song, where can I find a close friend in the world!"
The soothing melody flowed gently as these words echoed in everyone's ears, including the four sect leaders.
"What kind of music is this? It shouldn't be Tianlong Bayin, right?"
Dongfang Bai looked puzzled. As the head of the Tianlong Sect, he knew the Tianmo Qin and the Tianlong Eight Sounds very well.
He knew that the Heavenly Demon Harp could only unleash its power when used in conjunction with the Heavenly Dragon Eight Sounds.
Huang Xuemei's piano playing remained the same, but the melody was completely different.
What is the reason for this?
Before I could think further, I saw the Heavenly Demon Harp shoot out countless invisible blades of energy.
This time, the air blade has undergone new changes.
The previous air blades were invisible and intangible, making them difficult for ordinary people to detect.
The air blades have now condensed into various weapon shapes.
Swords, spears, and halberds come in various shapes and sizes.
Each blade of air was clearly visible.
The attack trajectory of each air blade has also become agile and unpredictable.
When blocked or dodged, these air blades, as if controlled, suddenly change their moves and attack again from tricky angles.
The disciples from the four major sects who were at the forefront fell to the ground one after another.
Chapter 156 Demon
However, the disciples continued to forge ahead, vying to be the first.
Even after witnessing their companions die tragically before them, the disciples of the four major sects still charged forward madly.
Huang Xuemei's fingers flew across the strings, the music flowing endlessly, and invisible blades of energy rained down like a storm. These sect disciples found it easier than harvesting wheat.
Before long, the disciples of the four major sects who had originally clamored to seize the Heavenly Demon Harp and kill Huang Xuemei and her brother were lying dead on the ground, their blood flowing like a river. Inside the Flying Tiger Escort Agency, most of the disciples had perished, and not a single one could get within ten feet of Huang Xuemei.
"This woman is a demon! I quit!"
Fear spread like a plague. Gazing at the mountains of corpses, some finally broke down and turned to flee.
Once there was a first, there was a second, a third... In the blink of an eye, most of the disciples of the four major sects, who were originally fearless, had abandoned their armor and fled in all directions.
"Fool! How dare you desert your post!"
The Fiery Ancestor was furious, and flames surged in his palm as he prepared to punish the deserter.
"Want to leave? It's too late."
Huang Xuemei's lips curled up slightly, but her smile was chillingly cold.
"Fiery Ancestor and Ghost Saint, your lives will be spared today!"
Before she finished speaking, she channeled her true energy into her ten fingers, and the strings of the zither taut like a full moon.
Alarm bells rang in the hearts of the four sect leaders, and they unleashed their deadly moves simultaneously.
Huang Xuemei's eyes turned cold, and her fingers suddenly loosened.
In an instant, countless invisible blades of energy roared out. The ordinary disciples paid no attention, assuming it was just the same old trick. But the four sect leaders' expressions changed drastically—they clearly saw that behind each blade of energy, a hideous ghostly figure vaguely emerged, like a procession of ghostly soldiers, roaring and charging towards them!
"Damn it! This woman is even more sinister than a ghost saint!"
The Fiery Ancestor was greatly shaken, gripping his iron staff as he fought against these ghostly, invisible blades of energy.
Unfortunately, these newly formed ghost soldiers not only had unpredictable moves, but their numbers were also overwhelming.
In the blink of an eye, the Fiery Ancestor had been stabbed more than ten times.
The three Ghost Saints were also in a sorry state.
While parrying, Dongfang Bai pondered to himself.
This is clearly not a world where martial arts are the main focus.
Where do these invisible, ghostly blades of energy come from?
Could it be that Huang Xuemei has broken through the shackles of martial arts and embarked on the path of cultivation?
The four sect leaders grew increasingly alarmed as the battle raged on, and the fleeing disciples were caught up by the ghost soldiers and slaughtered.
After a fierce battle lasting the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, the four sect leaders were nearly exhausted of their true energy.
Huang Xuemei continued to pluck the strings, determined to take the lives of the four people.
"Huang Xuemei, stop! I don't want the Heavenly Demon Harp anymore!"