Chapter 550: Strength Overwhelming, Any Strategy is Useless

"The Clear Water Sect is merely a second-rate sect; how could they possibly withstand the elite of our Heavenly Sword Sect? Sending three Golden Core Stage Elders for this is truly using a butcher's knife to slaughter a chicken."

However, when they arrived at the mountain gate of the Clear Water Sect, the scene before them left everyone feeling surprised.

The vast Clear Water Sect was unexpectedly devoid of people, the mountain gate was tightly shut, and the mountain-protecting Dharma Array had not been activated. The entire sect looked as if it had been abandoned, exuding an eerie aura.

Elder Qinghong frowned and activated his Heavenly Eye Technique to observe carefully: "Strange, why is there not a single person? Could it be that they have already fled?"

Elder Bixia sneered: "Hmph, these cowards ran away in advance knowing we were coming. But one can run from the monk, yet one cannot run from the temple; let us destroy the buildings of the Clear Water Sect first, then go pursue them."

"Wait," Elder Ziyun felt something was not quite right, "Things might not be so simple. If they really had fled, why not activate the mountain-protecting Dharma Array to stall for time? Giving up the mountain gate without any resistance like this does not conform to common sense."

But Elder Qinghong had already grown impatient: "Never mind what schemes or tricks they have; our strength is overwhelming, and any strategy is useless. All listen to my order: enter the Clear Water Sect and search every corner!"

The Heavenly Sword Sect's assault force charged into the Clear Water Sect's mountain gate and began searching through the various buildings. However, the deeper they went, the more they felt something was wrong.

The entire Clear Water Sect was indeed empty, but the buildings were perfectly preserved, and there was even hot tea and warm rice, indicating that the people here had left only a short while ago. Even stranger was that some important classics and Golden Treasures were still in their original places, with no signs of having been taken away.

"Senior Brother, I feel there is a problem here," a disciple whispered, "If they were truly fleeing, how could they not even take the sect's important items?"

No sooner had the words fallen than the ground suddenly began to shake violently. Countless vines emerged from underground, instantly entangling the legs of many Heavenly Sword Sect disciples.

"There is an ambush! Be on guard!" Elder Qinghong shouted loudly and immediately drew his Dharma sword.

But it was too late. The ground of the entire Clear Water Sect began to churn, and earthen walls rose from the ground one after another, dividing the assault force into several small segments. In the sky, dense icicles suddenly appeared, falling like raindrops.

"This is a Nature Dharma Array!" Elder Bixia exclaimed, "That girl Xiao Yuan set up traps here!"

Just at this moment, three figures appeared in the sky above the Clear Water Sect from different directions. They were none other than Lin Xuan, Xiao Yuan, and Muerxiu.

"Welcome, everyone, to the Clear Water Sect," Lin Xuan's voice echoed throughout the entire valley, "but this uninvited way of visiting is perhaps a bit too rude, isn't it?"

Xiao Yuan gently stroked the emerald bamboo flute in her hand and said calmly: "Three Elders, the sisters of the Clear Water Sect are indeed not here, because we knew long ago that you would come."

Muerxiu walked through the Void, each step causing subtle fluctuations in space: "Now that you have penetrated deep into our encirclement, leaving will not be so easy."

Elder Qinghong was burning with rage: "Junior, stop with your glib tongue! Even if we have fallen into your ambush, so what? How could the strength of us three Golden Core Stage Elders be something you brats can withstand?"

"Is that so?" Lin Xuan smiled slightly, "Then let this junior witness the seniors' brilliant methods."

As soon as the words were spoken, Elder Qinghong had already attacked with his sword. This strike condensed all his cultivation of the Golden Core Stage; the sword light was like a rainbow, and the power was astonishing.

However, Lin Xuan merely raised his hands calmly, and a Taiji Pattern emerged beneath his feet. The moment that fierce sword light touched the Taiji Diagram, it unexpectedly began to slowly change direction.

"Impossible!" Elder Qinghong shouted in shock, "How could Foundation Establishment Stage cultivation possibly neutralize my full-force strike?"

"The senior's sword technique is indeed exquisite," Lin Xuan said while neutralizing the attack, "but it is too rigid and lacks variation. The Taiji Dao emphasizes overcoming rigidity with softness and controlling motion with stillness."

Saying this, he pushed his palm lightly, completely rebounding Elder Qinghong's attack. Caught off guard, Elder Qinghong was struck by his own sword Qi and flew backward.

On the other side, facing Elder Bixia's attack, Xiao Yuan displayed a completely different combat style. She did not meet the opponent's spell head-on, but instead blew her emerald bamboo flute, and a melodious sound of the flute arose.

Following the flute sound, the plants throughout the Clear Water Sect began to grow wildly. Vines, thorns, and trees, as if they had gained life, densely wound themselves toward the Heavenly Sword Sect disciples.

"What kind of demonic art is this?" Elder Bixia looked at the changes around her in horror.

"This is not a demonic art, but the power of Nature," Xiao Yuan explained gently, "All things have spirituality; as long as one communicates with heart, they will become the most loyal partners."

Elder Bixia tried to use Fire Department spells to burn these plants, but soon discovered that the growth speed of these plants far exceeded her destruction speed. Not only that, those burned plants would soon grow back, and become even more lush.

Muerxiu faced Elder Ziyun, and the combat style was another scene entirely. He did not clash head-on with the opponent, but instead used the Void Path to constantly shuttle through space.

Whenever Elder Ziyun's attack was about to hit, Muerxiu would instantly disappear, then launch a counterattack from an unexpected angle. Even more terrifying was that he could use Void Cracks to transmit Elder Ziyun's attacks to other places, or even to the side of other Heavenly Sword Sect disciples.

"Fighting like this is not a solution," Elder Ziyun felt anxious in his heart, "We must join forces to deal with them!"

However, when the three Elders wanted to gather their strength, they discovered that the distance between them was constantly widening. It turned out that Muerxiu had already set up multiple teleportation points in space, dividing the battlefield into several independent areas.

Even more shocking was the diversified combat system displayed by the Reform Alliance.

The disciples of the Qingfeng Sect were skilled in wind-control techniques, providing support for other sects in the air; although the female cultivators of the Clear Water Sect were not strong in combat, their auxiliary spells were extremely practical; the disciples of the Thousand Leaf Sect were proficient in the way of plants and trees, perfectly cooperating with Xiao Yuan's power of Nature; the rogue cultivators each had their own specialties, some skilled in Talismans, some proficient in artifact refining, playing a unique role in the battle.

"This is the true power of 'Harmonious Symbiosis'," Lin Xuan said while fighting, "It is not the strength of any one person, but the unity of everyone. Everyone plays a role in the position they are best at, forming a complete and powerful system."

The battle lasted for a full hour, and the Heavenly Sword Sect's assault force retreated steadily under the siege of the Reform Alliance. Those once-proud elite disciples were now exhausted, and many had scars on their bodies.

What was even more fatal was that Muerxiu's Void Path had completely sealed the entrance and exit of the battlefield.