What impressed Lei Dong somewhat was that even at this juncture, the music she played flowed like running water, utterly exquisite. A cascade of notes transformed into streaks of azure light blades, shredding the attacking fierce ghosts one by one. But Lei Dong’s fierce ghosts were too numerous to be easily annihilated. Whenever one found a gap, it would fiercely pounce onto her translucent light shield, desperately biting and gnawing, content even if it meant expending the slightest trace of her power before turning to ash. Ghosts that had absorbed Netherworld Ghost Qi were especially ferocious, a single tear or bite causing her protective barrier to ripple violently. One fierce ghost might not make much difference, but when the horde attacked together, her barrier was depleted at an astonishing rate.

Qi Feifei naturally did not look kindly upon Tantai Bingyun. Without needing Lei Dong’s summons, she too surged forward. As swirling crimson mists drifted about, somewhat tattered crimson sashes relentlessly attacked Tantai Bingyun, coiling or striking—a technique remarkably similar in principle to Tantai Bingyun’s cloud sleeves. Her delicate form floated and shifted, resembling a beautiful dance.

Do not underestimate Qi Feifei's contribution. In a one-on-one duel, she certainly was no match for Tantai Bingyun. However, coordinating with Lei Dong's attacks, she proved exceptionally effective. The crimson mist condensed from her Sù Nǚ Dà Fǎ was not strongly destructive, but if an enemy merely inhaled or brushed against the slightest wisp, regardless of gender, they would become drowsy, their focus scattered, perhaps even stirring the most primal urges of affection buried deep within their hearts.

Even Tantai Bingyun, aware of the fog's insidious nature and concentrating her breath, found the crimson mist gradually seeping through her protective barrier and into her skin. Consequently, Tantai Bingyun had to dedicate a considerable portion of her divine sense to fiercely resisting the mist's intrusion, thereby suppressing any burst of her combat potential.

The battle was fiercely intense, and Lei Dong was not idle.

He would occasionally unleash a Netherworld Ghost Claw or a Nether Fire Pellet. It didn't matter if they were shattered by several azure light beams midway; he treated them merely as harassment and attrition. The engagement had now devolved into a war of attrition, testing who could endure longer. Yet, Lei Dong was inwardly shocked by Tantai Bingyun's strength; how she could remain unfazed under such a massive siege. He had initially dismissed her claims of having fought her Senior Sister to a draw as bragging, but now he conceded she might genuinely possess the caliber to match her Senior Sister.

Tantai Bingyun was also inwardly lamenting her predicament. After receiving Jie Chen's urgent distress signal, she had rushed over without the slightest delay. Her true essence had been heavily depleted over the two-day journey. Who knew that upon arrival, she would be ambushed by both Qi Feifei and Lei Dong. Qi Feifei's strength was manageable, her various techniques all within Tantai Bingyun's expectations. But Lei Dong truly surprised her. His two peak Third-Tier Ghost Guards, coupled with the unexpectedly high number of fierce ghosts, made handling them extremely strenuous. Moreover, his combat awareness and perception were excellent; the Netherworld Ghost Claws and Nether Fire Pellets were invariably struck when she was struggling for breath. To counter his ceaseless harassment tactics, Tantai Bingyun constantly needed to expend far more true essence just to barely neutralize his attacks. She knew that if this continued, the outcome would inevitably be mutual devastation.

However, Lei Dong's subsequent perfidy then challenged her psychological limits. With a mere flick of his hand, he launched another Nether Fire Pellet, but this time, the target was explicitly Jie Chen, who sat cross-legged atop a massive stone. The chilling, eerie green fireball, trailing a long flame tail, howled toward him.

"Shameless," Tantai Bingyun’s reason for rushing to aid Jie Chen was twofold: firstly, the Heavenly Sound Palace and the Vajra Temple maintained an excellent strategic alliance, evidenced by their mutual exchange of male and female disciples. Secondly, their respective masters held an excellent relationship and frequently visited one another. It was for this reason that upon entering the Heart Demon Hall, her sect had provided her with a special communication talisman, usable for summoning Jie Chen in a crisis. Likewise, Jie Chen possessed one. But both had been supremely confident before entering, believing they would never need such talismans.

Due to these myriad connections, Tantai Bingyun could not stand by and watch Jie Chen be blasted to death; otherwise, accounting for it to her Master upon exiting would be difficult. With no other recourse, she expended tremendous effort again, unleashing several wisps of musical notes. Flashing with azure light, they shielded Jie Chen, forming a constantly spinning cyan protective shield.

Boom...

The Nether Fire Pellet struck the cyan shield. In the fierce explosion, both vanished into nothingness.

Seemingly discerning Tantai Bingyun's hesitation and weakness, Qi Feifei followed suit. Her gorgeous crimson flying sword ceased its assault on Qi Feifei and instead executed a turn, stabbing directly towards the heavily wounded and still-healing Jie Chen. Tantai Bingyun, pushing her utmost effort, spent considerable energy to intervene once more. This distraction and divided focus allowed Lei Dong to seize an opening; with a Netherworld Ghost Claw, he captured her, shield and all.

Though the effect lasted barely less than two breaths, in a battle between masters of this caliber, even one or two breaths could suffice to turn the tide or inflict fatal damage. Critical Strike and Cold Ice were Lei Dong’s bonded ghost servants, connected by blood. With just a fleeting thought from Lei Dong, they instantly surged forward. The Cold Ice Guard immediately cast an Ice Curse, while the Critical Strike Guard glowed crimson all over, unleashing its Bloodthirsty Wood as its Phantom Strike slammed viciously against her white light shield.

Immediately following, the Ice Curse and the entangling embrace of Qi Feifei's crimson sashes arrived in timely succession.

For six or seven breaths, Tantai Bingyun could not maneuver or move. A barrage of varied attacks converged upon her; not only was her white barrier shattered, but her chest was also brutally cleaved by the Ghost Guard’s blade. Even though her protective aura and inner armor absorbed the majority of the force, the blade still cut into her flesh, sending a spray of scarlet blood surging forth.

Wooooo... Lei Dong’s Nirvana Dharma Wheel emitted a series of mournful sounds as it shot forward. Tantai Bingyun proved truly extraordinary; her expression remained calm. Her cloud sleeves coiled around the closing Ghost Guard while her hand struck the zither strings hard, unleashing vibrating sound waves that blasted away the surrounding fierce ghosts gathering to capitalize on the moment.

Simultaneously, her right hand continuously plucked the strings, the melody fierce yet imbued with an indescribable, melancholic sorrow. Her complexion instantly turned utterly pale.

Whoosh whoosh whoosh. Countless azure energies vibrated forth from her zither strings, miraculously forming dozens of semi-transparent, sharp cyan swords. These cyan blades slowly revolved around her body like a beautiful azure lotus. Each petal of the lotus met the Nirvana Dharma Wheel. Ding, ding, ding—a sequence of crisp, pleasant clashing sounds erupted. With every impact against the Dharma Wheel, its speed decreased by one increment. After more than ten strikes, the Dharma Wheel’s cyan light dimmed, ultimately being swept away by the sword lotus.

Not only that, the dozens of cyan sword lotuses traced countless dazzling afterimages. As the afterimages retracted, the light dissipated, condensing into a single massive sword several zhang long. It swept across the air in an arc, cleaving down heavily towards Lei Dong, the kinetic force tearing through the atmosphere, bursting forth with scorching radiance.

"Azure Lotus Sword Chant!" Qi Feifei's face went white, and she cried out in horror, "Senior Brother Lei, beware!"

Understanding the powerful spells of the major sects was mandatory curriculum for disciples of any top-tier sect. Lei Dong had heard whispers of the Azure Lotus Sword Chant; it was one of the Heavenly Sound Palace’s most potent offensive sound-based magical arts, versatile and infinitely profound. He dared not be careless now. He retracted his Netherworld Ghost Qi, shrinking the tens of zhang radius of black qi into a mere few zhang square, dense and concentrated. Inside this space, Lei Dong seemed invisible.

In the blink of an eye, the giant Azure Lotus Sword descended. Lei Dong's condensed Netherworld Ghost Qi surged out, countless dense black threads wrapping around and dissipating even the slightest power of the Azure Lotus Sword. However, the sword's might exceeded Lei Dong's imagination. Although it was momentarily stalled by the mass of dense Netherworld Ghost Qi, the moment Tantai Bingyun’s music reached a crescendo, the giant sword’s cyan brilliance flared intensely, slicing through the ghost qi as if it were tofu, the blade heading straight for Lei Dong himself.

Lei Dong's expression tightened abruptly. Sensing the impending danger, he rapidly tapped his feet. His figure dissolved into a chain of afterimages. Beneath the heavy ghost shadows, stepping on the Netherworld Ghost Qi, he moved evasively, desperately dodging the giant Azure Lotus Sword. Yet the sword clung to him like maggots to bone, refusing to relent until it had cleaved him.

Concurrently, the Cold Ice Guard and the fierce ghosts attacked Tantai Bingyun with all their might, attempting a strategic diversion. But Tantai Bingyun seemed resolved to destroy Lei Dong. With a shake of her cloud sleeves, she first cast aside the Critical Strike Guard. Then, with a flick of her slender hand, a sheer, silk-white veil floated out, resembling a spring bed curtain, enveloping her. The gauze shimmered faintly, clearly no mundane item. The Ghost Guard’s weapon strikes only managed to tear tiny slits, and the fierce ghosts were completely blocked outside, tearing uselessly at the fabric. Although the veil was visibly degrading at a rapid pace, whether she would die first or Lei Dong would be cleaved first remained uncertain.

Although the Azure Lotus Sword was not overly agile, its turns during pursuit were clumsy, its speed remained terrifyingly fast. Each time it missed its mark, it would immediately pursue again with even greater velocity.

Qi Feifei's face dramatically shifted in horror. It wasn't that she had developed profound feelings for Lei Dong in just a few days; rather, if Lei Dong died, she, Qi Feifei, could not survive alone. Smarter than the Ghost Guards, she gritted her teeth, letting her crimson mist surge as she slapped towards the monk. The condensed crimson mist formed a giant palm. If this strike connected solidly, the monk would at least be crippled, if not killed.

"Senior Sister Tantai, ignore this humble monk, kill that fiend!" Jie Chen’s face showed a flash of ruthlessness. Using the true essence and spiritual power he had forcefully recovered slightly, he spat out a mouthful of blood, his figure transforming into a golden streak, shooting away like a meteor toward the distance.

Tantai Bingyun’s expression changed. Knowing that Jie Chen’s forced escape likely meant disaster, she snarled in frustration, her eyebrows lifting: "Lei Dong, die!"

"In your dreams, you bitch!" Lei Dong, thoroughly angered by the relentless pursuit of the Azure Lotus Sword, roared back. His aura suddenly surged; on his forehead, the Imperial Demon Seed flickered intermittently, like a third eye, utterly demonic.