In Emei, start by obtaining golden attributes.

Chapter 221 Even if I die, I'll take someone down with me.
However, in the next instant, something unexpected happened!

The monk's fierce eyes narrowed sharply. In his perception, the condensed sword light that he had blocked with his powerful energy moved again after a moment of pause.

The sword light was no longer fierce and swift, but instead became extremely gentle and elusive, like a real willow catkin in spring, having lost all its footholds, and its trajectory became disordered and unpredictable!
Just as the monk was slightly taken aback by this strange turn of events, a "whoosh" sounded.

The sword light that he should have blocked seemed to be blown by a gentle breeze, passing through the gap in his claws without any hindrance and with utmost naturalness.

The strong wind it generated brushed against his dragon claws, as if real willow branches were gently sweeping across his hands.

"No! It's a feint!"

The monk instantly became alert, a warning screaming in his heart.

"drink!"

With a low shout, a thunderous roar erupted from the monk's body, and his true essence surged wildly like boiling water.

He withdrew his arms with lightning speed, crossing them in a cross shape.

Almost the instant the monk made his move to defend himself, a faint "hiss" sound rang out.

Immediately afterwards, a sword light, as silent as a spring breeze and willow catkins, arrived with the tip of the sword precisely touching his forearm, which was crossed to protect his head.

With his arms crossed, his sleeves slipped down, revealing the monk's bulging, steel-like bronze muscles.

As the sword tip fell, Zhou Zhiruo felt as if the sword had struck the hardest iron shield, and a powerful and overwhelming force of recoil surged forth.

The force of the impact caused Zhou Zhiruo's arm to go numb, and the web of her hand holding the sword felt somewhat uncomfortable.

On the other hand, although the monk's crossed arms successfully blocked the fatal blow, spots of blood instantly appeared on his exposed, bronze-colored skin.

Judging from the amount of blood, it was clear that the sword had only penetrated half an inch, wounding the skin but not the tendons.

Having successfully blocked Zhou Zhiruo's sword, the monk couldn't help but take a half step back, a hint of surprise in his eyes.

"What exquisite swordsmanship! This woman's internal energy is only at the level of returning to the innate realm, yet her sword moves almost fooled me."

As soon as the thought crossed his mind, the monk threw a punch, which brought with it a dull gust of wind.

Just as the monk raised his fist, Zhou Zhiruo was already prepared. She lightly touched her toes and her body swung backward half a zhang like a light feather.

Even so, as Zhou Zhiruo retreated, she still felt a gust of wind from a punch, which knocked the straw hat off her head.

Just as the monk's eyes flashed with murderous intent and he was about to rush towards Zhou Zhiruo, he seemed to notice something out of the corner of his eye and quickly turned his head to look.

Yang Yan suddenly picked up Mei Jiangxue with one hand and used her lightness skill to quickly pass by them, about two zhang away.

Upon witnessing this scene, the monk immediately turned around and tried to stop the person.

Just as he turned to the side, intending to use his lightness skill to block her, Zhou Zhiruo suddenly flashed and blocked his way again.

Her black hair swayed in the breeze, but her eyes were as cold as iron.

"Your opponent is me!"

The clear, cold voice, carrying an undeniable resolve, echoed across the empty official road.

Looking at Zhou Zhiruo, who had her back to her and was trying to stop all of them, Yang Yan gritted her teeth.

"Senior sister, be careful!"

As soon as she finished speaking, Yang Yan tapped her toes on the ground, and her body soared into the sky like a dragon, flying away at lightning speed.

The speed was no slower than when it was riding the horse earlier.

Seeing Yang Yan and Mei Jiangxue leave quickly, the other middle-aged man who had used a hidden weapon and was holding a curved knife spoke up through his true energy, saying, "It's only twenty miles from Emei Sect. Let's capture one as many as we can. Let's attack together."

The other lean man and the monk also stopped looking at Mei Jiangxue and focused their attention on Zhou Zhiruo.

Because of the delay caused by his fall from his horse, the dozen or so enemies behind him also caught up.

Through their exchange, Zhou Zhiruo had determined that the monk opposite her had reached the level of Qi Condensation.

Moreover, the martial arts he cultivates are superior body-refining martial arts such as the "Dragon Elephant Prajna Skill".

Even when Zhou Zhiruo used her strongest sword technique, she still couldn't defeat the monk opposite her.

With the addition of these dozen or so extra people, Zhou Zhiruo knew that with her current level of internal energy and strength, she wouldn't be able to hold out for long.

Zhou Zhiruo is no longer the naive child she was ten years ago. Naturally, she feels nervous when facing powerful enemies, and fearful of death and even the tragic fate that awaits her after being captured.

Similarly, there is the fear of no longer being able to be with Yang Yan, Abbess Miejue, and Gu Shaoan.

Fear is an instinctive awe and reverence for danger, and it is not shameful.

It is truly shameful to succumb to fear and abandon one's responsibilities and principles.

As a senior disciple, it was her responsibility to step forward and protect her fellow disciples in times of crisis.

Protecting the people she cares about is a principle that Zhou Zhiruo has steadfastly upheld over the years under the influence of Gu Shaoan.

As the thought crossed her mind, Zhou Zhiruo's heartbeat began to gradually calm down, and the hesitation deep in her clear, autumn-water-like eyes was completely quelled.

Instead, there was a kind of tranquility that was devastating to both sides.

Like an ancient well, it is bottomless, undisturbed, and only the cold of a thousand miles of ice remains.

He clenched his fingers, exerted force, and his knuckles made a slight "clicking" sound again due to the increased force, as if he were silently tightening the last spring of his will.

Breathing becomes long and deep.

She's just standing here, blocking the way.

But there was an invisible aura that seemed to suggest a death sentence, a determination to never retreat.

Like a rock, unmoving and unshakable.

Looking at Zhou Zhiruo standing with her sword, seemingly somewhat wary of the swordsmanship and strength she had just displayed, the middle-aged man holding a curved knife said, "I had heard that the Emei Sect has gained two disciples who are as beautiful as fairies in this generation. One is as pure and beautiful as a fairy, like an orchid in a secluded valley, and the other is like a peony shrouded in mist."

"Judging from the girl's appearance, she must be Fairy Zhou."

Zhou Zhiruo narrowed her eyes slightly and said in as calm a tone as possible, "I have just fired a signal flare. My elders will be here soon. If you don't want to die, you'd better leave now."

Upon hearing this, the man holding the curved sword said softly, "Twenty miles is a distance. Even if your Emei Sect has experts who have condensed their Qi into Yuan, it will take them quite a while to get here. Do you think Fairy Zhou can hold out until someone from your Emei Sect arrives?"

Finally, the man holding the curved sword clearly turned his head to look into the distance.

Then he clicked his tongue twice.

"Zhou Xianzi's two fellow disciples have almost disappeared, leaving only you here to fight for your life. Abandoned by your fellow disciples, why should you continue to resist?"

"Why don't you cooperate a little, Fairy Zhou, to avoid getting hurt later? What do you say?"

Faced with the words of the man wielding the curved knife, Zhou Zhiruo remained calm, her eyes as clear and cold as a winter pond.

Especially when looking at the man wielding the curved sword, his eyes were filled with obvious contempt and disdain.

Although he didn't say a word, his arrogant and disdainful gaze made the man holding the scimitar feel as if his self-esteem had been trampled on.

This caused the smile on the face of the man holding the scimitar to completely vanish.

He sneered and said, "You won't listen to reason, so you'll have to suffer the consequences."

Immediately afterwards, the man holding the scimitar seemed to have thought of something and suddenly chuckled.

"But it's good to have a fiery temper. Someone as good-looking as you would be missing something if you didn't have a fiery temper."

As she spoke, her gaze swept back and forth over Zhou Zhiruo, her eyes taking on a repulsive quality. When she finally caught sight of the man wielding the curved blade, Zhou Zhiruo's eyes grew even colder.

Staring coldly at the man holding the curved sword, Zhou Zhiruo said in a chilling voice, "Even if I die later, I will kill you. Do you believe me or not?"

As she spoke, Zhou Zhiruo slightly shifted the tip of her longsword, which she had been holding horizontally, so that it was now aimed at the man holding the curved knife instead of the monk.

The voice was devoid of any warmth, and the tone wasn't particularly strong, yet the firmness and chilling killing intent in the words were clear enough for anyone to feel.

Sensing the killing intent emanating from Zhou Zhiruo, and recalling the exquisite swordsmanship she had just displayed, the man wielding the curved blade stiffened slightly.

The soft ones are afraid of the hard ones, the hard ones are afraid of the horizontal ones, and the horizontal ones are afraid of death.

It's hard to say about other Emei disciples.

She could serve as a direct disciple of Abbess Miejue and Abbess Juechen.

Influenced by Extinction and Dust-Free, among others.

Whether it's Zhou Zhiruo or Yang Yan, they are both the kind of people who would risk their lives in crucial moments.

Even if I die, I'll take someone down with me.

Immediately afterwards, seemingly feeling somewhat embarrassed by being intimidated by Zhou Zhiruo's aura, the man holding the curved knife had a frighteningly gloomy expression.

"I'd like to see how long you can maintain this posture after I capture you."

"Go together!"

As the last three words were uttered, the man wielding the curved sword felt a surge of internal energy.

The burly man wielding the curved knife roared in anger, like sparks igniting dry tinder. A dozen figures moved in unison, swords and knives raised, and charged towards the lone blue figure in the center!
The monk's dragon-elephant claws struck first, creating a dull thud as they sealed off the central hall.

A cold glint flashed from the short man's sleeve as a vicious hidden weapon silently attacked Zhou Zhiruo's lower body.

The burly man with the scimitar grinned maliciously as he swung his blade, the arc of light like the moon, aiming straight for her vulnerable neck.

From all directions, several sharp blades of varying lengths wove together a cold web of death.

Zhou Zhiruo's eyes were deep and cold.

She spun rapidly, her clothes fluttering, and the long sword in her hand transformed into a shimmering blue light.

“Ding-ding-ding-ding-ding-ding!”

The sound of metal clashing was as dense as a sudden rainstorm.

As his inner energy circulated wildly, he exerted all his strength to push his movement technique to its limit, his steps shifting as if treading on plum blossoms.

His body is imbued with the special energy of the "Great Shift of Heaven and Earth" technique, which, combined with his longsword, allows him to strike, parry, block, or carry.

With all her might, Zhou Zhiruo's sword moved so fast that it was almost just a blurry blur.

Each parry precisely struck the weak point of the opponent's weapon.

Each sword move, combined with the special energy of the "Great Shift of Heaven and Earth," allows the seemingly soft and light longsword to carry a wondrous force that deflects and guides the opponent's power.

If the people in front of her were all martial artists who had returned to the Innate Realm, with Zhou Zhiruo's current strength and the martial arts she had mastered, she would not be without the power to fight even if she faced these dozen or so people alone.

However, the monk had reached the realm of condensing qi into essence, and he himself cultivated a superior martial art such as the "Dragon Elephant Prajna Skill".

In terms of strength, even Abbess Miejue or Abbess Juechen might not be able to gain much of an advantage.

The pressure on Zhou Zhiruo was immense.

The monk's dragon claw technique was so powerful it felt almost tangible. Every time it blocked, Zhou Zhiruo's wrist, which was holding the sword, felt as if it had been struck by a heavy hammer. The wound on her tiger's mouth burst open, and blood gushed down the hilt of the sword, quickly staining her fair wrist red!
The man wielding the curved sword, perhaps truly intimidated by Zhou Zhiruo's earlier words, did not actively engage in close combat when he attacked, instead choosing to move around and strike.

Just then, as Zhou Zhiruo deflected the weapon in front of her, a whooshing sound suddenly entered her ears.

Sensing the movement, Zhou Zhiruo instinctively turned to the side and raised her left hand. In the next instant, a plum blossom dart pierced directly into Zhou Zhiruo's left arm, penetrating more than halfway.

The pain instantly made Zhou Zhiruo frown.

Zhou Zhiruo glanced at the curved-blade man in the distance who was constantly launching hidden weapons, her eyes filled with murderous intent.

But in the next instant, a hand appeared from behind and slapped Zhou Zhiruo on the back, causing her to stagger and spit out a mouthful of blood.

Seeing this, Zhou Zhiruo could not care about anything else and could only raise her sword again in response.

However, the repeated injuries caused Zhou Zhiruo's strength to decline once again.

Faced with attacks from all sides once again, Zhou Zhiruo could only passively defend herself.

Her breathing became rapid, her chest heaving, and a sickly blush rose on her fair cheeks. The blood-stained wounds on her body added to Zhou Zhiruo's tragic beauty.

At this moment, Zhou Zhiruo was like a lone boat in a raging storm, stubbornly floating, but already beginning to be mercilessly submerged by the cold waves.

However, amidst the fierce battle and bloodshed, those cold eyes remained fixed on the man wielding a curved blade and constantly unleashing hidden weapons!

During each exchange of blows, Zhou Zhiruo would, like a venomous snake, proactively offer him her most lethal sword moves.

She made no attempt to hide her intentions.

Just then, Zhou Zhiruo turned around and suddenly deflected the hidden weapon the man had launched. Then, she used the second level of the "Great Shift of Heaven and Earth" technique to pull the blocked hidden weapon in front of her. With a flick of her longsword, the hidden weapon shot towards the monk beside her like a meteor.

Faced with a hidden weapon aimed straight at his face, the monk had no choice but to stop and raise his hand to deal with it.

Taking advantage of this opening, Zhou Zhiruo swung forward and instantly rushed in front of the man who was holding a curved knife in one hand and a hidden weapon in the other. The sword light cut through the air, bringing with it a flash of snow, and pierced straight into the heart of the man with the curved knife who was completely unprepared.

The man wielding the curved sword hadn't expected Zhou Zhiruo to be so vengeful, keeping her eyes fixed on him during the fight.

Seeing Zhou Zhiruo rapidly approaching, the man was greatly alarmed and quickly retreated, cursing her inwardly as a "madwoman."

At the same time, several flashes of cold light appeared, heading straight for Zhou Zhiruo.

This forced Zhou Zhiruo to draw her sword again to defend herself.

Just as Zhou Zhiruo had blocked the attacks from the surrounding area, the monk from before had already closed in on her again and struck her shoulder with a palm.

This palm strike came just as Zhou Zhiruo's previous move had ended and the force had not yet returned.

Timing is the benchmark.

At that moment, a figure shot out of the woods to the left of the group like a cannonball.

It was none other than the ancient Santong, which should have been located on Mount Da'e.

The moment he burst out of the woods, Gu Santong leaped into the air and instantly appeared above Zhou Zhiruo and the others.

His fist was clenched, and golden energy was already swirling around it.

"Buzz!"

However, just as Gu Santong's palm was about to strike, a peculiar aura suddenly emanated from Zhou Zhiruo's body.

"Ok?"

Out of the corner of his eye, Gu Santong seemed to sense something, raised his eyebrows slightly, and then his internal energy surged.

The next instant, Gu Santong's body twisted in mid-air at an eerie angle and landed three zhang away.

Throughout the entire process, none of the people in the room who were focused on Zhou Zhiruo noticed anything amiss.

　Please read on; there's definitely a reason why they sent people down the mountain at this time! I discussed the new chapter with friends in the group and made some revisions, so it's late! The next chapter will be around 10 PM!

　　
　
(End of this chapter)