The Zealots extended their lightsabers from their arms, surrounding the two masked figures, with six Zealots converging on each opponent.

The two Bái Yuán Cultists were instantly aghast at this bizarre turn of events, their eyes wide with confusion, but they reacted swiftly. With a furious roar, they activated their light staves (an alternate term for the double-bladed lightsaber) and met the charging Zealots, deflecting several incoming strikes.

Although they couldn't fathom the origin of these twelve anomalous entities, they could sense that all twelve were Awakened, their psionic strength only slightly less than their own, a gap entirely closed by sheer numbers.

Furthermore, as soon as the fight began, the two Bái Yuán Cultists realized these Zealots possessed formidable combat techniques. Utilizing the flexibility of their dual swords, they struck from unnervingly strange angles; with such skill, even a one-on-one confrontation would not favor the cultists.

Within two exchanges, the Laughing Ape Mask realized his fate was sealed. Gritting his teeth, he completely abandoned defense, abruptly redirecting his light staff toward the antenna emitting the interference barrier. He intended to destroy the screen and expose everything happening here, ensuring Yang Ying paid dearly.

Yang Ying, however, had anticipated this. Wielding his silver lightsaber, he moved with practiced speed, positioning himself precisely beside the antenna to intercept the blow.

At that moment, the Laughing Ape Mask was cleaved at the waist by a Zealot behind him. His upper torso flew upward, only to have his arms hacked off by another Zealot's raised sword. The light staff, along with the two severed hands clutching it, tumbled away as the light died, rolling a couple of times nearby.

"This device is highly useful; I intend to keep and study it for replication. How could I let you destroy it?" Yang Ying addressed the torso still twitching on the ground.

A torso bisected at the waist doesn't die immediately; lingering for a few minutes is standard. If blood loss is slow, they could last for hours. In this instance, the cauterizing effect of the lightsaber sealed the blood vessels, leading to a clean, bloodless wound. Left unattended, it wouldn't be unusual for him to suffer for an hour or two before finally expiring, given the significantly superior physical resilience of Awakened individuals.

"You wait!" The Laughing Ape Mask fell away, revealing a Western face. His eyes were bloodshot, looking savage and filled with hatred. "The Bái Yuán Cult will not let this rest. Our people will find you again!"

"Just a procession of willing sacrifices. You dare come, and you think I dare not kill?" Yang Ying remained utterly unimpressed by such deathbed threats. "Enough. I have no interest in listening to your death rattle. I'll grant you mercy."

Yang Ying thrust his sword into the man's heart, ending his life, and then shifted his attention to the other side of the battlefield.

The other fight had also concluded. The Raging Ape Mask spun his light staff like a windmill, trying to create distance from the Zealots, but two Zealots rushed in from front and back, jamming their dual swords into the staff and halting its rotation. A third Zealot seized the opportunity, plunging his twin blades into the Raging Ape Mask’s chest.

The Raging Ape Mask collapsed instantly, not even managing a final word.

Yang Ying strode over and pulled off the mask, revealing another Western face beneath. He snorted, "No wonder you showed up during the Spring Festival. You people aren't celebrating; you came to ruin mine!"

He turned to the squad leader, Tairuot, "You did well."

"Battle is the desire of our hearts, Leader. We are eager to draw our swords for you. Thank you for your praise." Tairuot and the Zealots deactivated their lightsabers and snapped into formation, awaiting orders.

Yang Ying nodded, recalling the Zealot unit.

He searched the two corpses thoroughly, retrieving two communicators, two identification cards, two recently arrived plane tickets, two tickets for departure shortly after, and several thousand yuan.

"It seems these two found my location immediately after landing. They clearly know my movements very well. I cannot linger at Wudang Mountain; I need to slip away and return only when the Sword Master qualification exam begins."

Yang Ying settled the matter in his mind. This incident served as a stark warning: his whereabouts were compromised by the Bái Yuán Cult. The enemy was striking from the shadows while he was exposed—a situation he could not tolerate.

From the words and actions of these two cultists, it was clear the Bái Yuán Cult were die-hard loyalists of the Ancient Legion. When they uttered, "Your hands are stained with our blood," Yang Ying knew these two viewed themselves and the Ancient Legion as one entity.

The Bái Yuán Cult operated as deep-cover agents within human society. That data chip containing the spy roster from last time was very likely stolen by this organization from the Intelligence Department, intended for the Ancient Legion, only to be seized back by Yang Ying. This affair was clearly exposed, making Yang Ying their thorn in the side, a target they needed to eliminate swiftly.

Having figured this out, Yang Ying took the antenna that had been broadcasting the barrier into the Floating Continent, handing it over to the Research Institute for cracking. When he returned to the real world, the barrier had vanished.

Yang Ying left everything he found at the scene, taking nothing. He then walked to a nearby public phone booth. Although personal communicators were nearly universal, public phones still held value for those unable to use personal devices for various reasons.

He picked up the receiver, dialed the external liaison department's emergency line for the Nian Neng Temple, and simultaneously deactivated the visual feed.

A few seconds later, a female voice answered, "Hello, Nian Neng Temple External Liaison Department, how may I help you?"

"There are Bái Yuán Cultists here. Send someone immediately to deal with it," Yang Ying replied.

The voice on the other end immediately grew tense. "Please state the location and the number of Bái Yuán Cultists!"

"This is at the foot of Wudang Mountain. I am a tourist and unfamiliar with the exact address; you can trace this phone's location."

"Understood. The number?"

"Two. They are dead."

"Dead?"

...

Yang Ying gave a brief summary of the situation but avoided answering questions about his identity. Once he finished, he placed the receiver down and walked away directly.

Behind him, the receiver echoed with, "Hello, hello, sir, please respond..." The Nian Neng Temple handled all matters concerning Awakened individuals globally and had long worked to suppress the Bái Yuán Cult; leaving this cleanup to them was the most appropriate course. Yang Ying himself had no desire to be involved further.

It was already past midnight. Firecrackers exploded throughout the city, the crackling sounds signifying the arrival of the Lunar New Year.

Yang Ying walked through the streets, enjoying the city's lively atmosphere, only to see more than a dozen police mag-lev vehicles screeching past, heading toward the phone booth he had just used. Dozens of officers spilled out of the vehicles and dispersed, searching the area.

Shortly after, a voice echoed from the alley where the fight had occurred: "Found something!"

Immediately, cordon lines were established, sealing the site completely. Yang Ying knew these police were merely the vanguard, meant to keep ordinary citizens away and prevent contamination of the scene. The real investigation would only begin once personnel from the Nian Neng Temple arrived.