"Quick, form the Five Elements Defensive Battle Array according to your squad!"
Amidst the rumbling, Lü Yan shouted loudly, reminding his junior brothers.
However, the disciples of Qingfeng Mountain Villa had lived too comfortably under Yang Hong's protection. While not entirely devoid of combat, their encounters were mostly duels amongst their own sect members.
This was incomparable to the life-and-death struggles among rogue cultivators.
After two screams, two more Qingfeng Mountain Villa disciples were reduced to bloody mist.
"Hahaha~ Rookies, surrender obediently and this grandpa will spare your lives!"
"That's right! Surrender, and this grandpa will take good care of you."
"Brothers, be gentle. These rookies are tender and delicate; it would be a shame to break them. We can have fun with them for a few days if we capture them."
"Heehee~ Young master, why don't you just give in? Sister loves you oh."
The ambushing rogue cultivators stood up in twos and threes, continuously casting spells while provocatively "persuading" them.
Lü Yan wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, gritting his teeth in hatred, but he still tried his best to calm himself and guide his panicked junior brothers.
"Vajra Talisman, Stone Armor Talisman, Golden Light Talisman, bolster the defense!"
"Everyone, get closer to me, full defense, no counter-attack!"
Lü Yan had experienced defeat in his previous battle against Buddhist cultivators, which left him with a mental scar. To overcome it, he had gone out for six years of training, enduring numerous battles, and thus possessed considerable experience.
His commands were proving effective.
While directing, Lü Yan's array flags continued to be deployed.
*Hum~*
With a hum, an earth-yellow defensive array shield enveloped thirty zhang around Lü Yan, a radius sufficient to protect all his nearby fellow disciples.
*Puff~ puff~ puff~*
The third-tier supreme-grade array, the [Xū Tǔ Hòu Yán Array], was a practice piece crafted by Yang Hong when he was refining array discs. Even as a practice piece, it was not something anyone could easily break.
The attacks of over three hundred rogue cultivators merely caused ripples on the array shield, failing to inflict significant damage.
"Quickly take medicinal pills to heal yourselves. Junior brothers with medical skills, tend to the injured ones."
Looking at the remaining disciples, Lü Yan's face turned ashen.
Twenty-three people~
Including himself, there were only twenty-four left. Twelve junior brothers had died upon entering; that was one-third!
He could already imagine that after leaving the [Mù Chán Secret Realm], he would likely be torn apart by Ye Yudong himself!
"No, I must remain calm, proceed steadily, and absolutely no more deaths!"
With that thought, Lü Yan quickly searched his storage bag for useful treasures.
"Fortunately, fortunately, I didn't discard these array discs."
He pulled out a pile of array discs and began to quickly group and deploy them.
Lü Yan had a bit of an obsession with collecting array flags and discs, a lingering effect from that battle with the Buddhist cultivators. During his six years of training, he had accumulated over sixty sets of array discs and flags.
He had used all his sect's contribution points to exchange for array flags.
Lü Yan was quite rational; he only threw in the array discs he had collected during his training, not using the high-quality array flags of Qingfeng Mountain Villa.
They had only just entered the [Mù Chán Secret Realm], and who knew what dangers lay ahead? He had to keep some life-saving items!
Only after finishing the deployment of the array discs did Lü Yan take out medicinal pills and begin to heal.
Outside the array, the group of rogue cultivators was starting to get frustrated!
After attacking continuously for almost the time it takes an incense stick to burn, they still couldn't break through the defensive shield. All the rogue cultivators had ashen faces and looked distressed!
In the time it took an incense stick to burn, they had not only consumed a large amount of spiritual energy but also quite a few talismans and medicinal pills. Yet, after half a day of attacking, they still couldn't breach this turtle shell. This was going to be a huge loss.
"Boss Wang, are we still attacking? The time for the incense stick is almost up."
"Attack! Everyone conserve some energy. Once the next sect is teleported here, we retreat immediately. If they don't teleport here, everyone, use your full trump cards and break this turtle shell!"
"Alright."
The rogue cultivators outside the array discussed loudly as if no one else was present. Inside the array, Lü Yan's face was ashen. Although it was frustrating, he had to endure!
This was because the array flag of the [Xū Tǔ Hòu Yán Array] was already showing cracks.
He quickly and quietly instructed his nearby junior brothers, "Everyone, recover from your injuries quickly and prepare to break out."
"Mm~"
The junior brothers, their faces covered in blood and grime, hadn't even cleaned themselves. Though their eyes still held terror, their expressions were determined as they nodded. They turned to look at the rogue cultivators outside with anger and hatred in their eyes!
Then, they lowered their heads and popped another healing pill into their mouths. It was a life-saving moment; there was no need to worry about pill toxins.
"Hahaha~ No new sects are landing here!
Brothers, let's move! Kill these rookies!"
Before Lü Yan and the others could fully recover, the arrogant laughter of Boss Wang, from among the rogue cultivators, rang out from outside the array shield.
"That's right! Everyone, use secret arts if you have them, use secret treasures if you don't. Kill these people, otherwise all our previous investments will be wasted."
"Kill! Brothers!"
"Secret Art: Fury of the Fire Dragon!"
"Secret Art: Gale Sword Slash!"
"Watch my Mountain Breaking Talisman!"
For a moment, a dazzling array of spells mixed with various talismans, more violent than the initial surprise attack on Lü Yan, rained down!
*Crackle~ Crackle~*
Amidst the cracking sounds, the [Xū Tǔ Hòu Yán Array] was the first to be broken.
A third-tier array that withstood the continuous attacks of over 300 third-tier fusion realm cultivators for the time it takes an incense stick to burn was indeed quite remarkable.
After the [Xū Tǔ Hòu Yán Array] was broken, a continuous series of cracking sounds followed. The sixty-odd defensive arrays formed by the defensive array discs and flags that Lü Yan had prepared were rapidly shattered.
"Form ranks, divide into two teams, the Twelve Yuan Chen Array!
Use three Stone Armor Talismans, prepare the Thunder Beads!"
Seeing that the defensive arrays were being broken much faster than expected, Lü Yan stood up and shouted sternly.
The disciples of Qingfeng Mountain Villa no longer bothered to continue healing; they quickly formed two oval formations, each holding a third-tier Thunder Bead the size of a little finger.
In Qingfeng Mountain Villa, the disciples' most abundant disposable items were not talismans but various Thunder Beads refined with the Gu You Gourd.
When only four layers of the defensive array remained, and the outside attacks slightly weakened and paused, Lü Yan's eyes lit up as he shouted:
"Now is the time, towards the southeast, I'll lead, follow me!"
As the words fell, Lü Yan, staring at the general direction from which Boss Wang's voice had come, hurled out an array of ten Thunder Beads.
The disciples in Lü Yan's group immediately hurled their Thunder Beads as well.
*Rumble~ Rumble~*
As soon as the Thunder Beads passed through the defensive array, they were activated by the array's spiritual energy, and a barrage of blue lightning shot out.
The disciples threw their Thunder Beads with varying strength and at different distances, but the sheer quantity of Thunder Beads was more than enough, instantly clearing a three-zhang wide and ten-odd-zhang long path of vacuum.
"Charge! Keep throwing Thunder Beads! Mou Chaojun, follow!"
With a command, the unified Twelve Yuan Chen Array, with its sharp spiritual energy, surged forward like a restless rooster, scattering Thunder Beads as they went.
Mou Chaojun's team, with their steady spiritual energy, was like a fat pig, charging forward with sheer bulk.
However, they held onto their Thunder Beads without throwing them; they were tasked with providing rear guard support!
At this moment, Boss Wang's exasperated voice rang out again from the rogue cultivator crowd.
"Stop them~ Quick, stop them! Use your artifacts, quick, use your artifacts!"
"Damn it! That bastard is still alive!"
Hearing this voice, Lü Yan's heart tightened. With a gritted jaw, he took out another of his trump cards!