Chapter 36: She Was The Sword

"Get ready."

Tension hung thick in the air as forces from all directions prepared to strike. This was the moment they had been waiting for.

In truth, most weren't afraid of the Moon Embracing Sect itself—they feared their fellow opportunists. No one wanted to be the first to act, lest they become easy prey for others. But waiting indefinitely wasn't an option. Greed and ambition gnawed at them, and eventually, someone had to make the first move.

Hidden in the shadows, Liu Xun watched as figures crept toward the Moon Embracing Sect. He itched to join them, but the two family elders flanking him kept him in check.

"Are we really just going to watch?" he muttered.

"The family head has never been wrong in all these years," the elder on his left said calmly. "We follow his orders."

"Young Master," the elder on the right added, "you'll inherit the Liu family one day. You must learn to observe and think. Right now, most factions are too wary of each other to act recklessly. So why are these people charging ahead?"

Liu Xun frowned. "Because they're strong enough not to fear the others?"

"That's one possibility," the elder conceded. "The other is that they're too weak to even sense the hidden players around them. Or worse—they're simply fools who can't grasp the danger they're in. So… what do you think their fate will be?"

Liu Xun scoffed. "They have a first-level Mystic Finger Realm cultivator leading them. Taking the Moon Embracing Sect should be easy."

The elders exchanged glances. "We disagree. They're all going to die."

Liu Xun's disbelief was palpable. The elders sighed inwardly. Their young master still didn't understand. It was frustrating.

…..

Closer to the Sect, the Mystic Finger Realm cultivator led his group forward, flanked by several seventh-level Cave Heaven Realm experts. They moved swiftly, closing in on the Moon Embracing Sect in mere moments.

Then—BOOM!

Thunder split the sky.

On any other stormy night, it might have been dismissed as natural. But these bolts seemed to have eyes—each one streaked down with terrifying precision, striking the advancing cultivators.

The lightning was monstrous, the smallest as thick as a barrel, its power overwhelming.

"Look out!"

The group scrambled. Some activated defensive techniques, others dodged with body movement arts, and a few hurled magic treasures skyward to block the strikes.

None of it worked.

The thunder obliterated every defense. No matter how fast they moved, the lightning was faster.

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

Deafening explosions lit up the night, igniting the forest below in a blaze of fire and smoke.

Hidden observers gasped.

"What just happened?!"

"Did they really get struck by lightning?"

"Were their sins so great that Heaven itself couldn't tolerate them?!"

While thunder-summoning techniques existed, this didn't seem man-made. It looked entirely natural—as if the heavens had personally intervened to punish these intruders.

"One of them survived!"

As the smoke cleared, a charred figure staggered forward—the Mystic Finger Realm cultivator. His robes were scorched, his hair singed. When he opened his mouth, black smoke curled out.

Though the heavenly lightning hadn't killed him, the damage was severe. Gritting his teeth, he swallowed a healing pill and pressed on toward the Moon Embracing Sect.

…..

Inside the Moon Palace, Lin Fan and the others had gathered at the first peal of thunder. The injured Mystic Finger cultivator's aura was unmistakable.

"First-level Mystic Finger Realm," Su Xinghai murmured, frowning. He stepped forward, ready to intercept, but Wu Xingyun stopped him.

"Let me handle this," she said. "If the Supreme Elder acts now, what will we do when stronger enemies come?"

Xiao Ling'er and Fan Jianqiang exchanged startled glances. A Mystic Finger Realm expert, even wounded, was a formidable foe. Why was Wu Xingyun volunteering?

Su Xinghai studied her for a moment, then nodded. "Be careful."

Lin Fan and the other elders offered no objection, deepening the disciples' confusion.

Wu Xingyun smiled. "Understood."

In a flash, she streaked down the mountain like a comet.

"Teacher," Xiao Ling'er whispered inwardly, "the Second Elder… can she really win?"

Liang Danxia's voice was thoughtful. 'Her talent isn't bad. She should have reached the Mystic Finger Realm by now, but an injury damaged her foundation. Even so, crossing realms in battle is the mark of a true genius. She must be prepared to fight desperately. To sacrifice herself for the sect… If such loyalty can't make a sect thrive, what can?'

A pang of sorrow gripped her as she reflected on her own past.

Nearby, Fan Jianqiang fidgeted. "What do we do? What do we do?! The Second Elder is too reckless! How can she face such a powerful enemy alone…?"

Lin Fan shot him an exasperated look but said nothing. Everyone's attention remained fixed on Wu Xingyun's descending figure.

…..

The two closed the distance rapidly. Wu Xingyun intercepted the Mystic Finger cultivator just outside the Moon Embracing Sect's borders.

"Huh?" The man sneered, his fury from the lightning strike still burning. "A fourth-realm ant dares block my path? Die!"

He didn't waste time. Channeling the power of laws—the hallmark of the Mystic Finger realm—he summoned a colossal palm strike spanning miles, aimed to crush Wu Xingyun in one blow.

The difference between realms was stark. Cave Heaven Realm cultivators relied on physical enhancement and natural energy, but Mystic Finger Realm cultivators wielded the very laws of the world. Even a casual strike carried overwhelming force.

Yet Wu Xingyun stood firm.

"Pfft—!"

She spat a mouthful of blood onto her crimson spiritual sword. The blade glowed ominously.

"Skyrending Annihilation!"

With a slash, she became the sword—a streak of light that pierced through the incoming attack like paper. Before the Mystic Finger cultivator could react, she was upon him, her counterattack unleashed.