His heart settled, and he fully unleashed his swordsmanship. The flash of his blade shot out an extra foot, its power surging significantly. Seeing this, the other three also found their spirits greatly lifted, leaving the four elders in black with even fewer options.

Jing Zhiguang, amidst the four, felt remarkably composed. Witnessing the situation ignite a spark of hope within him, he said in a deep voice, "Boss Bai, you handle one of them first, don't worry about me. It's either they die or we die!"

Bai Da pondered for a moment, then decisively commanded, "Fourth Brother, protect Boss Jing. Second and Third Brothers, let's use the Three Kills Formation to take them down!"

"Good!" The three responded in unison.

"Kill—!" Bai Da roared, soaring into the air. Li Er and Hu San followed with perfect coordination, their three blades descending like silver dragons toward one of the black-clad elders.

The elder in black sneered, meeting them with a palm strike, intending to shatter their combined formation.

"Hiss!" The long saber sliced across the elder’s throat. He stared wide-eyed, looking at Bai Da’s retreating back in disbelief, slowly collapsing with unconcealed reluctance.

The trio of Bai Da instantly lunged toward another elder in black. This man refused to believe it, roaring in anger and wildly swinging both palms, sending a sky full of palm shadows to meet the three attackers.

Bai Da and his two companions remained in the air, neither dodging nor evading, allowing the palm shadows to strike their bodies. With a series of dull thuds—bang, bang, bang, bang—their forms remained unchanged, as if their bodies were not their own. Yet, their blade light surged out another full foot in an instant, slicing through the elder.

"Hiss—" The clear sound of blood spraying from the throat was distinctly audible.

The trio of Bai Da once again flew toward another elder in black. This elder dodged with uncanny agility, recognizing the sinister nature of their blade techniques. Their movements were deceptively simple, revealing little overt power… yet when combined, they exerted a strange force that compelled obedience.

Unable to defeat them, the other two elders tried to evade, instead pouncing on Zhao Si. Zhao Si let out a fierce shout… the light of his blade flickered, coalescing into a silver dragon that coiled protectively around him, simultaneously shielding Jing Zhiguang.

With a cascade of ringing sounds—ding, ding, ding—Zhao Si’s blade light dimmed slightly, the silver dragon it formed appearing lethargic.

In terms of individual cultivation, he was still a step behind the black-clad elders. Although the cultivation method given by Li Muchen was exquisite… their progress had been rapid, the elders had decades more experience, and those decades of accumulation could not be negated in just a year or so.

But in that brief moment… Bai Da and the others arrived, leaping to surround Zhao Si, then forming the Four Symbols Formation, once again resembling an impenetrable tortoise shell.

Faced with their blade light, the elder in black could do nothing but leave one behind to hold them off while the other floated away to slaughter the surrounding crowd.

By now, the people below had formed their own arrays, assisting one another. The elders in black could no longer act with the casual impunity they possessed earlier.

Bai Da muttered darkly, "Damn it, these scoundrels from Phoenix Island actually mean to wipe us all out?"

Jing Zhiguang responded, "It seems Leader Li saw through the plot… that's why he sent you. It was our own curiosity that brought about this mess. I wonder if we can escape!"

"Unlikely," Bai Da shook his head. He glanced around; although they had killed two elders, the rest of the black-clad group remained unharmed, suffering no losses.

The crowd around them was unreliable, lacking any truly formidable martial prowess. Escape still depended on the four of them… but even heroes cannot withstand sheer numbers. There were fifty or sixty of the enemy, and every single one possessed cultivation equal to or greater than their own.

Jing Zhiguang offered, "Boss Bai, stop protecting me. It looks hopeless now. While there are still many of us, let me take one or two down with me for good measure!"

"Absolutely not. You are the Young Master's friend; you cannot suffer harm!" Bai Da refused.

Jing Zhiguang tried again, "How about this: I'll fake my death and lie down, and you can fight to your heart's content!"

Bai Da shook his head. "That won't work either. What if someone sees…"

Zhao Si urged, "Third Brother, hurry up and think of something."

Hu San pondered, "If all else fails, we can only attempt a brute-force charge!"

"This is clearly a trap, and the Young Master warned us that those wearing red carry divine weapons, which our body defenses might not withstand," Bai Da stated.

Hu San sighed helplessly, "We must break out. If we can't, we're dead for sure. They will keep sending people; I suspect the exterior is surrounded as well!"

Bai Da cursed, "So, even if we break out of here, it's useless!"

Hu San replied, "At least there is a sliver of hope…" He paused. "There is one other option: kill everyone here, then join forces with the rest to charge out, like a flood breaking a dam. That gives us a better chance of escape!"

Bai Da considered this. "Alright then, the three of us will go kill. Fourth Brother, you protect Boss Jing!"

Zhao Si nodded. "Don't forget the hidden weapons!"

Bai Da paused, then chuckled. "I almost forgot! This makes killing them much more certain!"

The three suddenly shot forward, lunging at one of the elders in black. The elder saw them coming and began to evade, having witnessed the sinister nature of their blade techniques.

"Hiss!" Three sharp whistles sounded, and three throwing knives shot out in a triangular formation, swift as meteors. The elder tried to dodge but found no space; he could only strike out with both palms. Unexpectedly, the force behind the flying knives was immense; his palm strike only managed to deflect them slightly before they continued their trajectory.

Forced to evade again, his lightness skill shone brilliantly. He moved laterally by a full foot, replenishing his breath even while moving, narrowly avoiding the attack.

But in evading the knives, he could not avoid the three blades. With a hiss, blood erupted from his chest. This blade strike cleaved diagonally downwards, splitting his heart open.

The trio followed the same pattern. When they reached the next elder, even just the thrown knives wounded him. Unable to move freely due to his injury, he was swiftly cut down by the blades.

In this short time, they killed four elders in black. However, the main hall had descended into chaos; various groups were fighting off the elders, making it difficult for the attackers to secure easy kills as everyone fought with full commitment, unconcerned with their surroundings.

The three lunged forward, quickly dispatching four more elders in black.

The last elder let out a long cry, drawing attention. The remaining black-clad elders glanced over, saw the eight fallen comrades on the ground, and immediately let out furious roars. Ten howls merged into one, a wave of sound that shook the vital energy of everyone present.

"Unite the bodies!" Bai Da commanded grimly.

The other three moved, aligning themselves in a "Z" shape, their left palms pressed against the backs of the person in front of them. Their internal energy surged, instantly merging into a single, unified entity.

Bai Da roared, "What are you howling about!"

This furious roar was like a solemn drum or a morning bell… everyone’s bodies and spirits jolted, and the discomfort vanished instantly.

Bai Da roared again, "They are few in number! Everyone, surround them and kill until not a single piece of armor remains!"

"Not a single piece of armor remains!" the crowd roared back, putting their plan into action. Groups merged into formations; even those who usually disagreed or held grudges paid no heed to anything else in the moment.

Bai Da proclaimed, "There is only one path for survival: kill them all first… then charge out together. The outside is surely surrounded too, and only a unified charge has a chance. Charging out alone will allow the enemy outside to easily dispatch us!"

His internal energy now surged, as the limitless internal power from the three flowed into him, giving him no room to hold back. His voice resonated like a great bronze bell throughout the entire hall.

The elders in black changed expressions drastically and charged toward Bai Da and his companions, determined to silence him. Now that Bai Da had become the undisputed leader of the group, they knew they had to crush his morale first by killing him.

Bai Da laughed maniacally, "Come on, come on! I want to see who dies first!"

An elder in black sneered and rushed forward, pushing out forcefully with both palms… Bai Da simply resheathed his saber and pushed out with a single palm strike. With a dull peng, the elder in black was sent flying backward, slamming against the wall, causing the hall to tremble slightly.

Bai Da laughed wildly, as if possessed, "You pack of curs, thinking you could scheme against your grandpa! Come on, come on, let's see who dies first!"

All four elders lunged simultaneously. Bai Da completely ignored the force of their palm strikes, allowing them to hit his body. He swung his long saber, and a blade light a meter long manifested as if it were solid.

The four elders in black hadn't expected this turn and couldn't change their moves in time. The blade light swept across their throats, silently.

"Pfft!" Bai Da spat out a jet of blood. The four elders in black fell straight down, their heads separating and rolling far away. Blood jetted forth from their necks like arrows.

The metallic tang of blood intensified dramatically. Everyone present had blood on their hands, yet they felt a chill in their hearts; decapitation was a horrifying death.

Bai Da’s mouth was full of blood, yet he laughed maniacally, "Exhilarating! Exhilarating! Come on, see if you can kill your grandpa!"

Li Er, Hu San, and Zhao Si channeled their internal energy into Bai Da continuously. Their cultivation method was peculiar, and their internal energy was equally strange; during its circulation, it possessed healing properties.

Bai Da appeared to be bleeding profusely, looking miserable, but in reality, after spitting out that mouthful of blood, his injuries healed by seventy to eighty percent. Protected by the vast internal energy, the palm strikes from the elders had been largely neutralized. The remaining fraction was further neutralized by that spit of blood by another seventy to eighty percent. The injuries he sustained were minimal, and after a few cycles of internal energy circulation, he was almost fully recovered.

Bai Da laughed madly, pointing his long saber at the elders in black. "Come on, why aren't you coming? You pack of turtle bastards!"

The elders in black wore grim expressions. With their deep cultivation, they had always been invincible and had never encountered such a berserk opponent. This kind of taunting significantly boosted the morale of the others.

They exchanged glances, and one elder in black said gravely, "Let's go together!"

The rest nodded slowly, then flashed, simultaneously charging toward Bai Da and his companions.

Bai Da shouted sternly, "The chance is right here! Everyone, surround them!"

The crowd seemed to awaken from a dream. They were stunned by Bai Da's performance, chilled to the bone—he truly was a lunatic, and a supremely skilled one at that. Better to avoid provoking him!

Bai Da's words possessed the power to shake people's resolve. They instinctively obeyed. The elders in black surrounded Bai Da and his group, and in turn, the others surrounded the elders in black, forming three layers—inner, middle, and outer—a pincer formation. "Kill them all—!" Bai Da roared, making his long saber tremble slightly, unleashing a two-meter blade light. The light was as solid as substance, and as he brandished it, the elders in black could not get close.

They struck out with palm forces from a distance, which landed harmlessly on Bai Da, only inciting his frenzy further. His sword techniques, cycling through the same three moves, were infuriatingly effective.

The surrounding people attacked the elders in black frantically; they were too engrossed in the killing frenzy to worry about their own defense.

An elder in black stated sternly, "Turning Wheel Formation!"

Their figures became ethereal as they formed two circles, one clockwise and one counter-clockwise, instantly neutralizing the situation. Although the crowd was numerous, the circle they formed was small, meaning only a dozen or so could attack at any one time, unable to make headway against the elders in black.

Eight elders in black formed an inner ring specifically to deal with Bai Da and his group. Their footwork was swift, their movements unpredictable. A saber strike aimed at one person would find that the target had shifted by the time the blade light arrived, and simultaneously, palm strikes from the side would be incoming.

One or two palm strikes posed no threat, but eight converging palm strikes held astonishing power. One blow sent Bai Da vomiting blood, and the second strike forced out another jet of blood.

"Damn it…" Bai Da ignored his injuries and swung his saber with all his might. With a hiss, the blade light extended another foot, slicing across the throat of one black-clad elder, reducing the eight-man formation to seven.

The elders in black went into a frenzy. The seven spun faster, forming a black ring where no distinct figures could be seen. But Bai Da gave a cold laugh, slicing his saber, sending the blade light straight into the dark shadow.

With a continuous series of clear rings—ding, ding, ding—the long saber endured dozens of palm strikes, yet it remained firmly in Bai Da's hand, a testament to his body-tempering skills; otherwise, the tiger's mouth would have torn open, and the saber would have flown away.

Hu San shook his head and sighed. They were finished… He remembered the Young Master saying that to truly exert martial power, one needed to reach the extreme—either immovable as a mountain or swift as lightning. These opponents’ footwork was too fast… Once they formed this array, the weakness in their stances was covered up. The four of them were fated to fall here!

"Kill—!" Bai Da roared, his blade light flashing again, and immediately one black-clad elder fell, his head rolling away.

The elders in black were also maddened by the killing and attacked relentlessly, regardless of their own safety. Palm strikes rained down densely, surging toward everyone, not just Bai Da.

However, the four maintained a unified flow of internal energy, indistinguishable from each other. Standing in the "Z" formation, they had effectively established the Four Symbols Array. A gentle wave of the saber produced a two-meter blade light, successfully blocking the furious assault from the elders in black.

"Six more men!" an elder in black commanded sharply.

Six more withdrew from the outer ring to join the inner one. With their addition, Bai Da and his group could no longer hold steady. The palm strikes were too dense, continuously landing on them. While they could endure it for a moment, the relentless pressure caused minor injuries to gradually worsen.

"Damn it, we're really going to fall here today!" Bai Da roared in defiance. "Use the secret technique!"

The other three agreed. They touched several acupoints on their chests with the pommels of their sabers in sequence. Zhao Si struck first, followed by Hu San, then Li Er, and finally Bai Da, executing the secret technique without halting their actions, maintaining the simultaneous swing of their blades to form a tight defense.

After the pommels made contact, their bodies suddenly contracted, appearing as if they had thinned by a whole size. Their movements abruptly accelerated, and the blade light surged another full meter, reaching over three meters long—equivalent to the height of two men, making it indistinguishable from a spear.

Four elders in black were caught completely off guard and were instantly swept by the blade light. Their bodies separated silently, some severed at the waist, others cut in half—none were spared.

The scent of blood became extremely rich. The elders in black, now bloodthirsty, struck several points on their own bodies in quick succession—peng, peng, peng—and their forms abruptly shrank, growing leaner. Their movements became exceptionally agile, swift as ghosts, leaving only an illusion of motion.

However, their sabers were dense, forming an inescapable net. No matter how fast the elders in black moved, they could not break through the blade light.

Amidst an unending chorus of ringing—ding, ding, ding—Bai Da and the five others (the text seems to imply the four plus the healed members, or perhaps a typo, maintaining the number of combatants mentioned) were locked in a stalemate with the twelve elders, determined by whose internal energy reserves ran deeper.

But the elders in black had a rotation system; they could swap out those whose internal energy flagged. If Bai Da's group ran low, it meant certain death.

Jing Zhiguang asked, "Boss Bai, can't we call for help from Leader Li?"

"Boss, we should ask the Young Master for help!" Zhao Si urged.

Bai Da said grudgingly, "I truly have no face to see the Young Master! … We failed to share the Young Master's burdens and now require him to save us!"

"Boss, this is an emergency! Hurry up!" Li Er snapped impatiently.

In the end, their curiosity was the root of the disaster. They hadn't followed the Young Master’s order to leave immediately but insisted on attending the banquet, leading to this predicament!

Bai Da reluctantly pulled a jade pendant from his robes and crushed it forcefully. It immediately turned to dust. Jing Zhiguang asked, "Leader Li can make it here, right?"

As he spoke, the situation abruptly shifted. The elders in black attacked like a violent storm; when Bai Da crushed the jade pendant, they sensed danger.

Bang, bang, bang, bang—Bai Da and his group took successive hits. Their blade light dimmed considerably, shrinking by a foot, leaving it only about two meters long.

As the blade light retracted, the elders in black pressed closer, their palm strikes growing stronger, hitting the four harder. Bai Da's group’s blade light shrank another foot, falling short of two meters.

The elders closed in even further, their palm strikes becoming more ferocious. This created a vicious cycle: as the blade light weakened, the palm force strengthened; as the palm force strengthened, the blade light weakened. At this rate, they would be annihilated quickly.

"Boss Bai, why hasn't Leader Li arrived?" Jing Zhiguang shouted loudly. "Forget about me! You guys go first!"

Saying this, he charged outward, running toward an elder in black, waving his saber and roaring, "I'll take one down with me! See you first!"

"Boss Jing!" Zhao Si called out hurriedly and threw out a hand. A potent force pulled Jing Zhiguang back, once again shielding him under the blade light. But in that moment of hesitation, several palm strikes slipped through the gap and struck Zhao Si in the chest.

Bang, bang, bang, bang! Zhao Si spat out a jet of blood, but he kept waving his saber without pause, seemingly unaware of the wound.

Jing Zhiguang furiously slapped his own face, then retreated behind Zhao Si, daring not to move again. He was moved yet ashamed, forcing a bitter smile. "Old Fourth Zhao, why did you have to do that!"

Zhao Si spat another mouthful of blood. "He is the Young Master's friend; we must protect him!"

"Alas…" A soft sigh echoed, and Li Muchen’s clear voice sounded, "You people…"

"Young Master!" Bai Da and the others rejoiced, turning to look. Li Muchen was standing gently behind Bai Da, lightly tapping the backs of the four men with a palm strike each.

"Pfft!" They each spat out a stream of black blood. Instantly, their bodies felt light, as if ready to fly, and a vast wave of internal energy surged, seeking an outlet.

Immediately, their blade lights surged an extra meter. The dozen or so elders in black were completely unprepared; they never imagined that the four who were nearly spent would suddenly manifest divine power.

Wherever the blade light passed, four elders in black were decapitated.

Jing Zhiguang roared with joy, "Well done, Leader Li! You're finally here!"

"Boss Jing, I apologize for alarming you," Li Muchen said with a smile.

He stood there in a flowing green robe, his expression relaxed and at ease, as if the chaotic hall were nothing more than a pleasant, grassy meadow where he was enjoying an outing.

"If Leader Li hadn't come, we wouldn't have met again!" Jing Zhiguang said with a bitter smile. "Thanks to Boss Bai and the others fighting desperately to save me, I can see you alive!"

Li Muchen laughed. "Mere clowns."

The four men under Bai Da suddenly changed their saber techniques, unleashing a set of movements so complex and exquisitely refined that their blade light became several times denser. The elders in black were forced back step by step, unconsciously retreating toward the hall entrance. Bai Da and his men were equally bewildered; they clearly did not know these moves, yet they were executing them perfectly, with profound mastery, as if guided by an invisible force.

Within a ten-zhang radius, this was Li Muchen's domain; in this space, Heaven and Earth were unified with him.