Hahahaha! "Good! Good! Good! Our bond is severed, we are finished!" Xiao Xingyun roared with laughter three times, his gaze flickering again, the murderous intent in his eyes intensifying. Suddenly, he waved his hand and bellowed: "Men! Dispatch these rebels immediately, leave no one alive. Slaughter them without mercy!"

The circle of white-robed swordsmen behind him surged forward with a booming sound.

Han Feiyun, immediately after severing the bond, retreated swiftly, flashing to Mu Xuetong’s side. He whispered urgently, "(Don't speak of it now), the situation is perilous; I fear there is another traitor among the Seven Swords. Our chances are slim! Protect the Little Princess, watch for an opportunity, and break out immediately. Silver City may be close, but it is practically unreachable right now. We should turn tail at full speed, return to Tianxiang City, and find Jun Wuyi, and Jun Moxie! Right now, only they can truly help us! We will fight desperately to hold them off for a while—remember this! Remember this! The future of the Little Princess and Silver City depends on it; you absolutely cannot fail!"

He spoke these words quickly and urgently, and the surrounding silver-clad swordsmen had already encircled them, their faces grim, their gazes ferocious, showing no mercy as they drew their swords against these elders who had once been their comrades!

With a howl from Xiao Xingyun, five white-bearded elders led the charge, their swords splitting into dual colors, shooting forward like enraged dragons!

"Divine Profound Second Grade, Dual-Colored Snow Swordsmen!" Third Elder Han Feiyun exclaimed in shock, unable to stop the words from escaping.

These were five masters of extraordinary talent within Silver City. These five had simultaneously suffered Qi deviation during a cultivation accident, yet their wills were incredibly tenacious. They forged an unconventional path, using a bizarre and heretical profound art to force open an entirely new set of meridians within their bodies for circulating profound energy. The very day they succeeded, the meridians that had been completely blocked by the Qi deviation suddenly cleared and flowed unobstructed.

Consequently, although each of these five possessed only the cultivation level of Divine Profound Second Grade, each was equivalent to a dual-Divine Profound level of power. Moreover, they possessed a strange dual energy of cold and heat, interlaced with the chill of winter and the heat of summer!

But fifteen years ago, to compensate for the flaws in their technique, the five journeyed far into the great desert and had not been heard from since. Everyone in Silver City presumed these five had met a tragic end, buried in the yellow sands, never expecting their sudden reappearance here.

"Why?!" Elder [Name not specified in text] cried out in shock, quickly leaping backward, his eyes filled with bewildered uncertainty: "Why are you here? Didn't you all perish in the Gobi Desert fifteen years ago?"

The five showed no emotion, not recognizing the speaker at all. Their long swords wove into a colorful net of blades, carrying biting murderous intent, crashing down upon them!

The Seven Swords of Silver City roared in unison, their long swords weaving a splendid sword net, fiercely meeting the assault! This bought time for the Third Elder to arrange matters.

The Fifth Elder, his white beard flowing, darted his sword like a dragon, striking directly at Xiao Xingyun, the elder brother he had always revered! Though the sword light was venomous, tears glistened in his eyes!

Xiao Xingyun’s eyes were filled only with cruel malice. He suddenly guided his sword, the blade light surging, radiating cold light everywhere, attacking without reservation with his full strength!

Xiao Xingyun had brought a vast number, nearly a hundred people. Most were swordsmen at the advanced levels of Earth Profound or Heaven Profound, supplemented by himself and the six Divine Profound Grand Masters of the Dual-Colored Snow Swordsmen—it was clear he intended to kill the Third Elder’s entire contingent.

Conversely, the Third Elder’s group, rushing to return to Silver City, had endured long travel with little rest. In total, only he and the Fifth Elder, two Divine Profound experts, could still fight effectively. While the sword formation created by the Seven Swords of Silver City was powerful enough to barely hold against the previous five Divine Profound swordsmen, the enemy forces were simply too numerous. In an instant, they were swallowed by the surging tide of attackers.

Mu Xuetong held her long sword in one hand, pulling Han Yanmeng with the other, completely focused on parrying and countering, desperately searching for any sliver of an opening! Now, the lives of those around them mattered less!

The safety of Silver City was paramount!

As long as she and Han Yanmeng could break through, the day would come when Silver City knew the truth! The conspiracy of the Xiao family could not fully succeed!

At this moment, Mu Xuetong herself believed she was the best candidate to escape with the Little Princess. While the Third Elder escorting the Little Princess offered greater security, she knew she absolutely could not stop their pursuit. Moreover, Xiao Xingyun would certainly keep his eyes fixed on the Third Elder. Even if the Third Elder managed a lucky breakout, with the Little Princess as a burden, he wouldn't get far.

Therefore, only the strongest person needed to be sacrificed to delay them as much as possible, allowing her to flee quickly with the Little Princess!

This was no time for politeness. Thus, as soon as the Third Elder spoke, Mu Xuetong understood instantly!

Han Yanmeng watched the deadly combat raging around her, her heart filled with sorrow! Every face here was one she was familiar with. Here, everyone had previously cherished her like a jewel, held her when she was small, and kissed her. To the little girl, every person here was practically family!

But now, one side of her family had betrayed them, and they were locked in a desperate struggle with those protecting her! Born of the same root, why the haste to harm each other so deeply!

Tears welled in Han Yanmeng's eyes, blurring her vision as they fell. In her innocent heart, she could not grasp the reason for all this... She only knew that the heavens had changed...

Over there, while fighting and retreating, the Third Elder hardened his resolve and began slowly backing away. The Fifth Elder and the Seven Swords of Silver City gradually absorbed the brunt of the attack. Just then, the Third Elder’s entire body suddenly burst forth with violent sword radiance… Like the sun suddenly appearing at noon in the deep, dark night! Ten thousand streams of sword light poured down like the Milky Way cascading! In this strike, the Third Elder had unleashed his utmost effort! A life-or-death struggle!

Mu Xuetong remained silent, pulling Han Yanmeng forward rapidly, charging toward the direction where the Third Elder’s sword light was struggling. She advanced at the speed of a whirlwind!

Xiao Xingyun sensed something was terribly wrong and roared: "Stop them! Capture that little slut!" Then, he suddenly roared in another direction, "(You there)! Make your move!!" As these words fell, the situation on the field underwent a sudden, drastic change. The last man among the Seven Swords of Silver City abruptly shifted his sword light and stabbed toward his own sworn brothers!

Brothers they had been for so many years!

Several sharp cries erupted. Among the Seven Swords of Silver City, three men stared with incredulous eyes, blood spurting from their chests. Slowly turning, they looked at their younger brother, their eyes filled with sadness, anger, and utter confusion...

The man’s eyes showed a flicker of guilt, his expression complicated, and he whispered, "I apologize! I am one of the Xiao family. My real name is Xiao Jianguang..."

The three men's eyes cleared with understanding, and then their expressions smoothed over as they collapsed sideways to the ground. Even at the moment of death, there was no resentment on their faces. Or perhaps, until their last breath, they still considered him "their brother!"

The final look in their eyes was one of infinite heartbreak.

"Ah!"

The Third Elder, shocked by the sudden shift in the field, roared. Even though he had vaguely anticipated this possibility, this predicted betrayal was still overwhelming. Blood sprayed from his mouth, dotting his white beard. Suddenly, his sword swept left and right, unleashing two vast, circular arcs of light. Wherever they passed, several men cried out, blood splattering their bodies, and two who couldn't evade were cleanly cut in half at the waist!

Third Elder Han Feiyun roared, his body enveloped in sword light, and he blasted through the encirclement with Mu Xuetong and Han Yanmeng like a whirlwind.

Once outside the ring, Han Feiyun immediately turned back, placing Mu Xuetong and Han Yanmeng behind him, adopting an impregnable stance. His hair bristled, and he bellowed: "Who dares approach! Face me in a fight to the death!"

Behind him, Mu Xuetong pulled Han Yanmeng and fled into the distance like a wisp of smoke without looking back. From far away, Han Yanmeng’s delicate, anxious voice drifted back: "(Third Grandfather...)"

But by now, the Third Elder could no longer hear her!

His gaze was fixed dead upon the eldest of the Seven Swords of Silver City, his eyes burning with such hatred he looked capable of devouring him alive! If looks could kill, this villain who had betrayed his brethren would have been subjected to a thousand cuts of lingering death a million times over!

"Why?!" The Third Elder’s body trembled slightly, tears glistening in his eyes, and with a voice touched by a profound, almost childlike pain, he slowly stepped forward: "Why? Wan Chengguang! Why? When you were half-frozen and starved beneath the snow-capped mountain, the Old City Lord took pity on you, brought you back to Silver City, nurtured you painstakingly, and even made you one of the personal Seven Swords. Why would you do this?"

This elder, nearing one hundred years old, had been driven to tears repeatedly in these few days. It showed how severe these successive blows had been. Even with the Third Elder's nearly century-long cultivation of spirit and mind, he could not bear it!

Under his scornful gaze, Wan Chengguang’s face turned somewhat pale, and he instinctively stepped back, his eyes filled with apology as he murmured, "I... I didn't want to do this either, Third Brother, I..." He paused. "Actually, I was originally from the Xiao family. My real name is Xiao Jianguang! What happened back then was..."

"Hahaha! Han Feiyun, have you been wondering how I received my information? Now you understand, don't you?! Hahaha! This is one of the most crucial hidden agents of our Xiao family, and our Xiao family has far more than just this single hidden piece! Han Feiyun, your Han family is utterly finished. Step aside immediately. Considering our past relationship, I'll grant you a complete corpse!"

"Hahahaha! Xiao Xingyun, do you think that’s possible?" The Third Elder had chosen his position at the narrowest point of the valley—one man, one sword, brow tightly furrowed in defiance! It was clear he was resolved to die here!

"Kill! Kill quickly! We must capture those two escapees, or the consequences will be unthinkable!" Xiao Xingyun waved his hand, his face thick with murderous intent!

With several sharp sounds, the three remaining members of the Seven Swords of Silver City and the Fifth Elder, covered in blood, dropped down through the air. They staggered slightly and stood shoulder to shoulder with the Third Elder, their gazes resolute, their expressions cold.

They did not spare another look for the traitor who had turned sides in the fray! He was no longer worthy of their gaze!

The crowd surged forward. The Third Elder roared: "Block them with our lives! Do not let them cross this line!" The four agreed instantly, their eyes determined, their swords shining like snow and silver, fiercely cleaving through the encompassing bloody mist!

Sacrifice today was inevitable! But they would not surrender lightly! As long as one breath remained, they would fight to secure one more moment for the Little Princess! One more minute meant one more sliver of hope! For the future of Silver City! For the tomorrow of Silver City!

The two sides violently clashed like a whirlwind... Blood slowly stained the ground in spots like plum blossoms, gradually merging into pools, and then slowly forming tiny streams.

【Ti: Dear reader, the current chapter has reached the final page of this book】