Chapter 355: Clashing Stances

When those words were spoken, the Mountain King's golden eyes narrowed slightly, its movements slowed, and it suddenly lifted its head to stare toward Yuan Yao.

The Ghost-faced youth also dodged its attack.

The Mountain King flashed forward, closing in on Yuan Yao, and asked hastily, "What did you say?"

Ying Wuji immediately moved to protect Yuan Yao, pointing the Heavenly Mandate Sword at the Mountain King.

Yuan Yao spoke at lightning speed: "Yue Liu said you have guarded these treasures for many years; he is very grateful to you. He believes all the treasures are less important than your life."

The Mountain King stared at her, bewildered and uncertain.

At the same time, Yue Liu's voice echoed from Yuan Yao's sea of awareness: "Young friend, you have found the array eye of the sealing formation, showing your profound array cultivation. If you can protect Tian Xue's life, I will tell you where my treasured array manual is hidden."

Yuan Yao thought, "I cannot protect its life."

Xie Yan was intent on obtaining the Mountain King's beast pill.

Even if it could let the Mountain King escape the crisis temporarily, Xie Yan would not let the Mountain King go.

"Ten volumes of Saint-tier array manuals." Yue Liu's voice said.

Yuan Yao felt a stir in her heart.

She indeed wanted those Saint-tier array manuals, because she had already completed the advanced array technique "Heaven and Earth Array Diagram."

Now, she truly needed the Saint-tier array manuals.

But—

At that moment, the Second Elder of the Heaven One Sect suddenly ambushed the Mountain King.

Boom!

The Mountain King was lost in thought, momentarily unaware, and was pierced through its body by the Second Elder's sword. It cried out in pain, then violently thrust its twin horns to fling the Second Elder away.

Its sharp twin horns instantly pierced the Second Elder's abdomen.

"Ah!" the Second Elder shrieked.

"Second Elder!" the young disciples of the Heaven One Sect gasped in shock.

After being struck, the Mountain King trembled uncontrollably, its body swayed, and it could barely keep its footing.

Its gaze fixed rigidly on Yuan Yao.

"Master… will you return?" As it spoke human words, more fresh blood spurted from its mouth, dripping onto the ground.

Staining the snow crimson.

Before Yuan Yao could answer, the Seventh Elder of the Heaven One Sect, his face grim, said, "Everyone, if we don't eliminate the Mountain King now, when will we?"

With those words, almost everyone stared at the Mountain King with murderous intent, poised to strike.

Seeing this, Yuan Yao said gravely, "If you kill the Mountain King, the treasures will cease to exist! There is an additional seal inside; if the Mountain King dies, the seal will explode, and everything you seek will vanish!"

"How do you know?" the Seventh Elder asked coldly.

Yuan Yao replied without answering, "I can break through the first layer of the sealing formation."

The others' expressions shifted upon hearing this.

At this moment, the Second Elder, lifted by the Heaven One Sect disciples, was pallid to the extreme, missing a hand and with his abdomen pierced; he looked utterly disheveled, his gaze gloomy as he stared at Yuan Yao: "You'd better not be playing tricks!"

"Give me a moment." Yuan Yao said calmly.

Suddenly, the Ghost-faced youth sneered.

"Wait?"

When his voice rang out, everyone's attention returned to him.

The crowd showed guarded and wary expressions.

The Ghost-faced youth's gaze swept coldly toward Yuan Yao, "Didn't I say the Mountain King's beast pill is mine?"

He twisted his left wrist slightly, and his long sword flashed a cold light.

Immediately, he swung toward the Mountain King!

Yuan Yao conjured a dazzling multicolored long sword, darted past Ying Wuji with blinding speed, and closed in on the Ghost-faced youth.

Clang!

The two swords clashed!

At the same time, their gazes met.

The Ghost-faced youth sneered, "You think you can stop me from taking the beast pill?"

"You can't have the beast pill!" Yuan Yao retorted.

Seeing Xie Yan and Yuan Yao locked in a standoff, Lu Xiangxiang's eyes brightened slightly, and she felt a surge of joy.

Yuan Yao dared to provoke the madman Xie Yan.

That's wonderful!

If Xie Yan goes after Yuan Yao, she would surely be worse off than death!

Meanwhile, Yuan Yao swiftly rejected Yue Liu with a thought: "Sorry, I lack that ability."

Yue Liu said, "I possess a Celestial-tier array manual. If you master the Celestial-tier array, no one in the cultivation world can match you."

"Advanced arrays can break Nascent Soul and Transformation Spirit power; Saint-tier arrays can break Refining Void and Fusion power; Celestial-tier arrays can break Great Ascension power. When the Celestial-tier array is unleashed, it can subdue myriad spirits, shatter the void, and reach countless realms!"

Yuan Yao's heart fluttered at those words.

But she quickly thought of something, "How do you have a Celestial-tier array manual?"

Although she rarely leaves the Carefree Sect, she knows the cultivation world scarcely has Celestial-tier artifacts or techniques.

Yue Liu paused, then said, "When you later enter Tian Jiaocheng, you will understand."

Before she could ponder, the Ghost-faced youth swept a sword, blasting her away.

Ying Wuji appeared behind her, supporting Yuan Yao's back with one hand.

The Ghost-faced youth only then realized his mind had drifted while fighting her; he had intended to swing a sword to draw her attention back, but unexpectedly…

The youth's sinister gaze fell on Ying Wuji's hand supporting Yuan Yao.

Ying Wuji said to Yuan Yao, "Just do what you want to do; I'll deal with him."

Yuan Yao snapped back to her senses; before she could say anything, her youngest senior brother drew his sword and swiftly lunged toward Xie Yan.

The two began fighting fiercely.

And the Mountain King was still waiting for Yuan Yao's answer.

Yue Liu's voice sounded again.

"Tell Tian Xue, I'm dead."

"Don't let it wait for me any longer."

Yuan Yao conveyed the original words to the Mountain King.

Although the Mountain King had already guessed, when it faced the truth, its beastly eyes still couldn't help shedding tears.

It raised its head and let out a long cry.

"Wuu wuu wuu—"

Yuan Yao's heart stirred; she immediately told Yue Liu, "The only way now is for me to form a master-servant contract with the Mountain King."

Yue Liu paused, then said, "You need to ask its willingness."

Yuan Yao said to the Mountain King, "Are you willing to form a master-servant contract with me?"

The Mountain King immediately bared its teeth at her, seeming emotionally agitated; its gaze toward Yuan Yao was filled with strong wariness.

She slowly opened her mouth.

"If you are willing, I will protect you completely."

"If you are not willing, then leave now."

Everyone present heard this and were startled.

She actually wanted to form a master-servant contract with the arrogant Mountain King?

The Mountain King is at least a sixth-rank spirit beast, equivalent to the human Void Refinement Realm.

Lu Xiangxiang saw this, her heart sank sharply; she could not allow Yuan Yao to gain such great assistance!

She had just opened her mouth to speak.

But she saw the Mountain King turn its head and flee swiftly.

Lu Xiangxiang saw this and let out a sudden sigh of relief.

Fortunately.

Yuan Yao did not get her wish.

At this moment, Yuan Yao watched the Mountain King's retreating figure and sent her thoughts to Yue Liu: "It seems I have no fate with that formation's secret manual."

If she had contracted the Mountain King, then Xie Yan would at least, out of respect for her, refrain from killing the Mountain King to take its beast core.

But if she had no relation to the Mountain King, then according to Xie Yan's temperament, he would certainly not show mercy to it.

"Youngest senior brother! I'll lend you a hand!" Yuan Yao drew her sword and shouted.

Yuan Yao swiftly joined the battle, together with Ying Wuji charging toward the ghost-faced youth.

The corner of Xie Yan's mouth beneath his mask twitched upward, but when he saw them, the brother and sister, so tacitly dealing with him, the corner of his mouth pressed down.

His gaze also turned colder by a few degrees.

"I'm coming too!" Cang Li came forward with his spear.

The more Xie Yan fought, the more his chest felt suffocated; he suddenly thought of something and slowly spat out three words from his lips: "Little trash."

"I, Cangaotian, am certainly not some little trash!" Cang Li thought he was insulting himself, and shouted, "Take this spear strike!"

Xie Yan: "……"

Yuan Yao glared at the ghost-faced youth, "Xie dog! I'll slash you to death!"