But since it was a bloody battle, deaths and casualties were inevitable!
Both sides soon had nearly one hundred dead, and the men outside the fortress were gradually reduced. Most of them were now gathered near the entrance, but it was the same for the people inside the fortress. They were also in a perilous situation.
At that moment, a group of people suddenly rushed out of a house in the fortress. There were more than twenty of them, and each of them was dressed as a Sword Sect disciple. They were incredibly eye-catching.
"Break out!"
Even though the Sword Crafting Hall disciples inside Heaven Shaker Fortress were very shocked and taken aback by the new group of Sword Sect disciples, they did not dare recklessly attack them.
They could only watch them flip over the wall. The twenty or so people rushed out with an astonishing speed. Their sword qi traveled freely, and they left behind a bloody path with their slaughter. The group of Moksha Realm disciples stayed to fight against the men in armor, while the three Inaction Realm martial artists fled with injuries on their bodies.
"Save me!"
"Bastards! Break out!"
The twenty or so Moksha Realm Sword Sect disciples obviously did not have the ability to break out of the encirclement created by the men in armor. Their attempt to break out through the front failed, and they were so agitated that they began to curse up a storm.
A few people were instantly cut down.
All the people from Heaven Shaker Fortress regarded this indifferently.
At that moment, another person shot out from the fortress!
Under the surprised gazes from the Sword Crafting Hall disciples, the young man dressed up like a Sword Crafting Hall disciple rushed out. He wore Golden Gloves on his hands, and with two palm strikes, he forced back the man in armor who was at the forefront of the charge before he rushed into the crowd.
He did not hesitate, and neither did he turn his head around. He just chased after the Sword Sect disciples who had already left into the distance.
*****
Happy's act of breaking out of the encirclement might have shocked the people from Heaven Shaker Fortress, but it also reduced quite a lot of the pressure. While the attention of the men in armor was diverted and quite a number of them got injured, the people from Heaven Shaker Fortress attacked at full force and instantly killed dozens of people, reducing the pressure faced by the people at the back gate.
*****
The battle at Heaven Shaker Fortress continued.
But Happy managed to break out of the encirclement. Then, he tore down Mu Li's human skin mask, switched to a white set of snow-travelling gear, fused together with the snow around him, and went after the three Sword Sect disciples as quickly as a phantom.
He chased after the three Sword Sect disciples for more than three miles before he circ.u.mnavigated a huge cedar forest. The area in front of him suddenly became wide and clear, and a semi-encircled col showed up before his eyes.
"Old Qi, it's me."
"Why are you here so early? Is there anyone else? Why are there only the three of you?"
A strange voice reached Happy's ears. Then, a snow wall shuddered and revealed a black cave. A group of people came out of it one after another. They stared at the incredibly pathetic looking trio with extreme surprise.
"Let's not talk about it. We ran into people from the Four Cloud Range Immortals. I think they're the paragon's underlings."
"The paragon…"
The pupils of the people who came out of the cave shrank as if they had just heard a name that brought great wariness and fear.
The young Sword Sect disciple who was also the leader spoke without any regret. "Heaven Shaker Fortress is encircled. We saw that the people from the mighty northern clan and the Nangong Clan have their attention diverted. That's why we left first. The others did not make it out of the encirclement when we attempted the breakthrough."
"Is that so?" the first speaker asked in a dull voice.
Happy noticed that those people did not have the intention of continuing to hide their tracks once they heard that Heaven Shaker Fortress was attacked. They built a bonfire in the col to get rid of the cold.
The group surrounded the bonfire. They did not say anything, and neither did they show any intention to leave.
Questions popped up in his head again.
'What's going on?'
Since they chose to stay around, it meant that they had something to do with Heaven Crystal, which was still in Heaven Shaker Fortress.
The Sword Sect Master had told them to stay, so they had to be waiting for another team.
But would Heaven Crystal fall into Sword Sect's hands just because they had been planning for it for a long time?
Happy was not certain of it.
However, compared to the mighty northern clan and the Nangong Clan, it was clear that the Sword Sect Master had been planning for years, so he had a higher chance of getting Heaven Crystal! The only surprising factor was Four Cloud Range Immortals. Their arrival caused a few more variables to appear in the quest.
If Heaven Crystal ended up in the Four Cloud Range Immortals' hands, Happy could be said to have absolutely no chance in getting it back. It would be better for him to keep an eye out on the people from Sword Sect and see whether he could get a few more clues.
The clock continued ticking.
Cold wind blew beyond the col.
Happy withstood the chill and buried himself in a snow pile under the cedars. He made sure that he did not move while he paid attention to the movements around him without daring to relax even in the slightest.
"That's all there is to you, Four Cloud Range Immortals."
"Hmph, what can the two of you do to me?!"
"You can't retrieve Heaven Crystal. When the elites of the Nangong Clan arrive and work together with the mighty northern clansmen and those from Sword Sect, do you actually think that we won't be able to vanquish all four of you?"
"Hahahaha!"
Malicious Spirit moved with ease while under attack from the two people who seemed to be united, even though they were actually foes. When he heard their words, he laughed madly and endlessly.
"If we don't manage to win against you even after a long time has passed, do you think that the paragon will not send reinforcements over?"
The expressions of the Sword Sect Master and the old monster from the Nangong Clan instantly turned incredibly sour. Even Bei Xiao and the others outside Sword Crafting Hall grew solemn.
"Four Cloud Range Immortals, if anything happens to Heaven Shaker Fortress, I will definitely behead you no matter where you run!" Bei Xiao swore in extreme anger.
The response to his declaration was even more furious attacks from the Four Cloud Range Immortals.
"Sect Master Luo, looks like if we do not work together, that Heaven Crystal will end up as someone else's prize," the old man from the Nangong Clan suddenly said in a deep voice.
"And what do you propose we do? Do you want me to attack Malicious Spirit with all I have while you take Heaven Crystal?"
"Tsk!" The expression of the old monster of the Nangong Clan turned cold. "We're already at this point. Even if I have Heaven Crystal, do you think I will be able to take it with me alive? You saw how harmful Heaven Crystal is! Whoever has it will just die!"
"Good. You will hold back Malicious Spirit with all your power while I retrieve Heaven Crystal! Perhaps we'll be able to get rid of Malicious Spirit with Heaven Crystal in hand."
"You—" The old monster from the Nangong Clan did not expect that Sword Sect would be so obstinate. He gritted his teeth. "Fine! We'll talk about the ownership of Heaven Crystal in the future. We'll work together to kill Malicious Spirit before anything else!"
There was nothing else the old man from the Nangong Clan could do about the situation, and he agreed to the Sword Sect Master's suggestion.
The atmosphere in Sword Crafting Hall suddenly changed.
A spark that wa
s barely noticeable burned in the Sword Sect Master's eyes. While Malicious Spirit was forced to a corner, he shot to Heaven Crystal at the speed of lightning and grabbed it without fear! A layer of silver powder was pushed against the handle.
Then, he s.u.c.k.e.d in a deep breath and looked at the sky above Sword Crafting Hall with a solemn gaze.
Chapter 671 - Heaven Crystal Shows Its Power!
Shick!
A barely audible sound of air being torn rose. Since it was extremely quick, it gave people the feeling that it was fake. When the people heard the swiftly leaving sound, quite a number of them who were fighting fiercely at the back gate of Heaven Shaker Fortress saw a silver light in the horizon.
It seemed like a star that vanished the next moment!
"What is that?"
The people at the front door of Heaven Shaker Fortress noticed the speck of light that looked like an illusion, but they could not see it clearly, and it did not seem real as well.
But a few angry shouts that were incredibly exasperated and sounded like a clap of thunder rose from the direction of Sword Crafting Hall.
"Luo, you bastard!"
"You're so despicable! How could you use Ward Sword Art to throw Heaven Crystal away?!"
The people who shouted in anger were Malicious Spirit of Four Cloud Range Immortals and enshrined elder of the Nangong Clan!
They had thought that the Sword Sect Master would use Heaven Crystal to kill Malicious Spirit. Malicious Spirit was even prepared to face him by retreating slightly further away.
He did not expect that the Sword Sect Master would throw Heaven Crystal away at full force. It shot into the horizon like a flash of lightning. Its momentum was astonishing, and the speed was shocking to behold.
They were stunned. When they reacted to the situation, they charged out of Sword Crafting Hall, but they only saw a silver layer of sparkles in the distance. They simply could not see the specific location of where Heaven Crystal went to.
The Sword Sect Master, who was injured by Heaven Crystal, laughed loudly.
"Clan Master Bei, this time, you owe me one! Remember it!"
Once he finished speaking, he turned around and shot out of Sword Crafting Hall, then ran in the opposite direction at the speed of lightning.
"Bastard!"
"Don't you dare run!"
"Don't let that bastard Luo run!"
Malicious Spirit followed tightly behind him. With a shout, the other three of the Four Cloud Range Immortals forced back their enemies without hesitation and ran to the front gate of Heaven Shaker Fortress.
Bei Xiao and the others chased after them for a while. When they saw those fiends run out of Heaven Shaker Fortress without turning back, their eyes became fierce, and they looked toward the numerous men in armor outside the fortress.
"Kill them!"
*****
Thud!
A faint sound of air being sliced reached Happy's ears. It was the sound of an object that was cutting through the air decelerating.
Within the area of his spiritual senses, he saw an incredible light that was accompanied with an exceptionally domineering sword qi stabbing into a wall of the col. It brought about great shock to Happy.
Even though it lasted only for a short while, the clear and sharp sound of air being pierced, along with the domineering sword qi that was unique to Heaven Crystal still caused Happy to immediately register what was going on.
*****
"It's here!"
"The sect master succeeded!"
"Take action now!"
The group of Sword Sect elites surrounding the bonfire while they meditated in the cold were the first to notice Heaven Crystal's arrival. Their faces were filled with excitement, and they got up quickly before they ran to the wall where Heaven Crystal was stuck.
"Damn it, it's too deep."
Since the strength with which the Sword Sect Master's had thrown Heaven Crystal was too great and the weapon was sharp, it buried itself deep into the wall. The group even lost sight of it.
Since they were not too far away from Heaven Shaker Fortress, the group did not dare to be idle. Sword qi raged in the air while they madly cut away at the small hole where Heaven Crystal had buried itself.
When a few Inaction Realm martial artists attacked together, stones flew everywhere from the wall. Soon, they dug out a hole that was several feet deep.
"We have to hurry."
"Have two people go outside to scout. Don't let anyone come here."
When the hole was thirty-two feet deep, the wall suddenly collapsed, destroying most of their work. One of the men became so frustrated that he became incredibly gloomy. He quickly turned his head around to give some orders.
"Alright!"
Two young Inaction Realm martial artists quickly dashed out of the col and passed by the place where Happy had buried himself to head to the cedar forest.
Thud!
Thud!
Sword qi, earth, and stones flew everywhere in the col. The group of elites did not care about the depletion of their qi but just dug at the collapsed wall madly. The blinding sword qi from Heaven Crystal finally shot out from the earth and stones.
"Found it!"
They surrounded the huge pit where the sword handle of the divine weapon could be seen, but they were not in a hurry to get the sword.
"The sect master mentioned that when a divine weapon is repaired, it will possess a fierce nature that will make it brutal and injure people. We have to hide the light from the divine weapon as well. Use Sword Concealing Casket to hide it."
One disciple quickly brought out a long, narrow, and black sword casket from the pit. When Happy saw the heavy object, he knew that the materials used to make it were definitely extraordinary.
Whoosh!
A person brought out a Recondite Steel Hook and bound the sword handle.
He exerted force.
Whoosh!
The light grew brighter when Heaven Crystal came out of the ground. It shot straight into the sky.
But before the light from the divine weapon could break through the heavens, the person accurately threw it into the sword casket, and the lid was shut with a thud.
*****
"Ding!"
At the moment the dazzling sword light from Heaven Crystal came out of the ground, Happy's gaze became heated. He also heard the clear and pleasant sound from the system in his head.
"Will you kill all Sword Sect disciples in the area and seize Heaven Crystal?
"If you successfully seize Heaven Crystal without leaving a single person alive, you will obtain Ruthless Heaven Crystal. If you fail in killing all of them, you will be chased down by Sword Sect every day you carry Heaven Crystal with you."
Happy fell silent.
He had wanted to take action, but when he heard the system notification, he immediately felt a chill crawl down his spine, and he frowned. He was suddenly a little hesitant.
But the hesitation only lasted for an instant before Happy gritted his teeth and shot out of the snow pile.
"Who is it?!"
No matter what, the people in the col were Inaction Realm martial artists. When they heard the movements outside, they became alert all at once. They turned around and drew their longswords. A ghastly chill came crashing into Happy's face.
He resolutely appeared in front of the group of people and surveyed the seven Sword Sect martial artists in front of him, but he showed no sign of fear. He voiced his intentions with a cold tone. "Leave Heaven Crystal behind, and I will spare you."
"You're thinking of killing us with your skills?"
When they saw that the person who showed up was a young man whose qi realm did not seem high, the people from Sword Sect relaxed their guard, and cold expressions appeared on their faces.
"I'm enough."
After saying those words, Happy tapped against the ground and rushed to the area before him with an indomitable spirit.
"How arrogant! But you're up agai
nst the wrong foes. Remember the person who killed you. I am Luo Batian of Sword Sect!" A ghastly sword qi shot out from the group, and a black figure came before Happy at a speed that did not lose to his.
W.h.i.n.e!
His longsword shuddered.
The second swift palm strike from Happy struck Luo Batian's arm at lightning speed. The roar of the dragon sounded nonstop, and it struck Luo Batian's c.h.e.s.t even faster than before.
The mighty Inaction Realm martial artist did not manage to last even a few blows from Happy. He was struck repeatedly at the c.h.e.s.t, and the blows shocked him so much that he coughed up blood and was sent flying away.
"Eighteen Dragon Subduing Palms!"
When the group of Sword Sect martial artists saw Luo Batian being sent flying back right when they crossed blows, shock appeared on their faces.
Happy said nothing, and his momentum did not decrease!
In the face of the six people's sword glares, he circulated Nine Yang Divine Skill. His robes instantly puffed up before they were torn. With a loud rip, the tight-fitting snow-white clothes were torn, and the pieces flew everywhere to reveal the nearly perfect Golden Armor underneath. Happy activated Golden Bell Cocoon, and the dazzling light instantly blinded the group's eyes.
Chapter 672 - Destruction
Ever since the matter with Towering Palace ended, Happy used the chance to practice the mastered Nine Yang Divine Skill. He focused on training various martial artists, and he was halfway through mastering them. Right then, his qi had reached 620 points, and he was only fewer than ten martial artists away from the requirement of mastering one hundred martial arts, which the Murong Clan had set for him.
With powerful qi, strong gear, exceptional body fortification, and Nine Yang Divine Skill, Happy no longer needed to be as cautious as he was when he was at Sky Demon Secret Cave. Besides, there were no martial artists at the peak of Inaction Realm before him right then.
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