On the other side, Qin Yun and Yi Xiao were also fighting with all their might to survive. The White Tiger demon was a tremendous threat, and if they delayed any longer, the thousands of demons rushing over from all corners of Mount Cangya would become an even greater danger.


    "We have to leave as quickly as possible. We can’t afford to be delayed. If we get surrounded by thousands of demons, it’s over. But to leave, we must at least drive off this White Tiger demon!" Qin Yun understood this clearly, and so did Yi Xiao. The White Tiger demon was too tenacious and adept at flying with the wind. If it kept pursuing them, escape would be impossible.


    Yi Xiao glanced at the darkening sky. The wind was picking up, becoming stronger by the moment.


    "Kill!"


    "Kill the female cultivator!"


    Demons surged in from all directions.


    Yi Xiao suddenly flipped her left hand, and five-colored lightning appeared in her palm, crackling violently before shooting out. The lightning split into five bolts, targeting the five closest demons charging toward her. These demons were reckless lesser demons, and her Five Elements Lightning Art was incredibly powerful. Even the White Tiger demon would suffer minor injuries from it, and ordinary demon leaders would be instantly obliterated.


    Though the spell was divided into five, it was more than enough to deal with the lesser demons.


    Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!


    Thunder roared as the five demons were instantly charred and lifeless. The nearby demons, terrified, retreated in haste.


    Earlier, when they fought Old Servant Qian Shu, they had believed his severe injuries made him an easy target, emboldening their ferocity. But they hadn’t expected him to unleash such strength even while grievously wounded, costing them over twenty lives. This had left fewer than a hundred demons in Misty Lake Gorge.


    However, the Five Elements Lightning Art was terrifying. Lesser demons couldn’t even dodge it, and those struck would certainly die.


    "Stay a hundred meters away from her. She can’t attack from that far," the White Tiger demon’s voice echoed through the gorge. "Flying demons, go up high and drop rocks on her! Archers, shoot her from a distance. Strong ones, hurl boulders and crush her!"


    "Yes, White Tiger King!"


    The demons obeyed at once.


    Whoosh!


    Six flying demons grabbed large rocks and soared high into the air. Once in position, they began dropping the rocks toward Yi Xiao.


    Among the demons, there were also a few naturally skilled with bows. Even ordinary demons, with strength equivalent to the tenth level of Qi Refinement, could exert over ten thousand pounds of force. While they could barely lift massive battleaxes weighing over three thousand pounds, wielding them effectively was impossible. Yet, paired with a strong bow and natural talent, their arrows could be devastating.


    There were only two demons armed with bows. Unlike Qian Shu, whose body was as tough as Old Demon Chuyong''s and impervious to such attacks, Yi Xiao was a human cultivator—fragile by comparison.


    Whoosh!


    An arrow shot through the air from one of the archers, tearing toward Yi Xiao.


    At the same time, several boulder-wielding demons—like bear demons and bull demons—stood at a distance of a hundred meters, hurling hundred-pound rocks with the force of catapults. The stones arced through the sky, hurtling toward Yi Xiao.


    …


    In an instant, falling rocks, arrows, and hurled boulders converged on Yi Xiao.The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.


    Qin Yun, locked in combat with the White Tiger demon, watched in alarm but was powerless to intervene. He was already exerting every ounce of strength to hold back the White Tiger demon, whose twin battleaxes could easily cleave a small mountain. The axes spun like the forces of yin and yang, leaving Qin Yun struggling to defend himself without inflicting any injury on the White Tiger demon.


    "Yi Xiao is a disciple of a prestigious sect. She should be able to handle these threats easily," Qin Yun thought to reassure himself.


    Yi Xiao, dressed in a pale green robe, stood calmly in place without moving.


    She stretched out her slender hand. On her wrist was a bracelet, now glowing with golden runes.


    Buzz!


    Three layers of invisible energy flowed outward, forming a protective barrier around her.


    Boom! Boom! Boom! Large rocks struck the outermost layer, causing it to deform slightly before losing momentum and falling harmlessly aside. The arrows failed to penetrate even the first layer, falling to the ground. The boulders, too, had no effect.


    "What!" The demons stared in shock from afar, utterly dumbfounded.


    "A magic treasure?" The White Tiger demon’s expression shifted. With his extensive experience, he immediately recognized the bracelet as a magic treasure.


    After all, no mere magical tool could provide such a powerful defense.


    Three layers of protection, and none of the attacks had even breached the first!


    Yi Xiao remained serene.


    Her lightning techniques were her forte, but her defensive skills were weaker. That’s why her sect had given her this life-saving treasure.


    "Top-tier sect disciples all have protective treasures," the White Tiger demon muttered bitterly. "That sword immortal is the same. He hasn’t even reached the Innate realm, can’t even use flying sword techniques, and still he has such a powerful treasure sword! I’d wager that sword isn’t ninth-grade—it’s at least eighth-grade, maybe even seventh."


    Little did he know, his own battleaxe was worth a hundred times more than Qin Yun’s divine sword.


    …


    Yi Xiao glanced at the darkening sky, where strong winds howled.


    "It’s time," she said softly, pulling out a talisman from her robes. She tossed it into the air. "Gather the clouds!"


    The talisman ignited without flame, glowing brightly as it summoned another force from the heavens.


    Boom!


    Dark clouds began gathering in the stormy sky, growing denser and heavier, seemingly pressing closer to the ground.


    The White Tiger demon felt a sense of dread. "How can this girl’s spell be so powerful when she hasn’t even opened the Immortal Gate?"


    "Kill her now!"


    The White Tiger demon swung his massive axes in fury, aiming to kill Qin Yun while simultaneously growing a long, bushy tail behind him. This white tiger’s tail, thick as a barrel and over three meters long, whipped toward Yi Xiao with tremendous force.


    Thwack!


    Qin Yun, blocking one of the axes, immediately turned his sword to intercept the tail.


    Roar! The White Tiger demon let out a low growl of pain. Though his tail was incredibly tough, Qin Yun’s sword light was sharp and ferocious, cutting a third of the way through. The tail quickly recoiled and disappeared from sight.


    "Even ordinary tigers have three great moves: pounce, swipe, and crush. You, a mighty White Tiger demon—did you think I wouldn’t guard against your ‘crush’ move?" Qin Yun said coldly, though inwardly, he was astonished. "What an incredible tail! Even my full-strength strike could only cut this deep?"


    He had already given it his all, holding back nothing.


    As for his ultimate life-risking move? That was reserved for situations where victory or death was certain, not to be used lightly.


    "Curse you!"


    The White Tiger demon, now enraged by his injured tail, roared in anger.


    Above, the dark clouds grew thicker and darker, as if about to descend. Of course, that was merely an illusion; the clouds were still far above the ground.


    Crackle! Lightning flickered faintly within the black clouds, accompanied by the roaring wind.


    "It’s ready!"


    Yi Xiao’s eyes lit up with delight.


    Harnessing the power of the heavens, she could now unleash the Heavenly Thunder Technique!


    She retrieved her final Heavenly Thunder Talisman, a talisman that took her five or six attempts to create a single successful one—a costly undertaking.


    "Five Elements, Five Directions!" Yi Xiao’s voice was clear and resounding. "Summon the Thunder Gods of the Five Directions! By the decree of the Lingbao Heavenly Sovereign, command the wind and clouds, strike down with thunder, and annihilate these demons! By the celestial order, let it be done!"


    Infused with her true essence, the talisman’s runes shone brightly, drawing upon the thunderous power within the black clouds.


    A thick, blinding bolt of lightning shot down from the sky.


    BOOM!!!


    The deafening thunder sent shivers through the nearby demons. The lightning was so fast that even the White Tiger demon couldn’t evade it. In desperation, he swung one of his massive axes, imbued with demonic energy, at the descending bolt.


    Boom! The heavens flashed white as the lightning struck the axe, blasting it away before slamming into the White Tiger demon’s body.


    His body charred, his flesh torn, the White Tiger demon reeled in pain.


    "Die!"


    Qin Yun seized the moment. With a glint of determination in his eyes, he leaped forward and unleashed his ultimate life-risking attack!


    A strike with no retreat! It was now or never!


    His sword flashed with blinding speed, aiming directly for the White Tiger demon’s neck to sever its head!