As they moved Wu Long took out an 8th-tier Mortal Grade sword so graciously provided by the Grand Elder of the Phoenix Sword Sect.

“Hmm, you’re not going to leave all of the ones on our way to me?”

Hua Ziyan noticed his actions and asked with a little worry. These Demonic Beasts did not pose any threat to her with her strength, but were quite useful for target practice and training.

Because they were independently moving in animalistic, tricky patterns it required quite a strong level of control over each Spiritual Qi fist she sent out to accurately hit all the time and not waste any strikes.

“Haha, don’t worry, I just want to test out a few moves myself”

He chuckled, expressing no contest to her share of the Demonic Beasts as she slightly shyly smiled.

As they passed through the blizzard in between the giant rocks, slaying any Demonic Beast they could see, Wu Long sent a few attacks to the passages on the sides that they passed by and thus were not in the zone of Hua Ziyan’s attack.

These attacks sent by him were unleashed with droplets of water running along the edge of his sword and then being sent out instead of Sword Qi he would have used for ranged attacks before.

This proved quite potent as well as efficient. It required quite the concentration of Spiritual Qi to create Sword Qi that could have physical damage, but much less Water Qi as water already had a physical form to begin with. Not to mention that the cutting ability of water under the right speed generated by pressure proved to be quite powerful.

“Didn’t you use your water attacks without any weapon just before?”

“Haha, indeed, but they would not harm someone in the Core Formation Realm and higher. That Prime Disciple was only in the Revolving Qi Realm so his Protective Qi was quite weak”

Wu Long nodded to Hua Ziyan’s question, as she nodded since it made sense that effortless attacks like the ones he displayed before must have had flaws, in this case being the strength of the attack. It was good for dealing with less powerful foes, but against anyone who he normally had to take out a weapon to fight they would be nothing more than tricks.

The attacks he sent out now, however, were different as they were imbued with the sharpness of his actual attack, mimicking how Sword Qi was the continuation of one’s sword.

Though of course, the first ones he demonstrated did not quite live up to the standards as he continuously improved them on their way.

“Are you doing something else at the same time?”

“Haha, you noticed my aura fluctuate again?”

“Mm”

“I’m trying to see if I can use lightning to fasten my body’s functions and thus increase my speed”

“What?!”

“Hahaha, don’t worry, it is a part of the Body Tempering technique I told you I am working on, and I am containing any damage I make”

“That does not make me any less worried”

Hua Ziyan shook her head incredulously as she looked at him and could indeed see small arcs of electricity flash on the surface of his skin from time to time.

“Haha, truly good things are never easy to obtain, Ziyan. I may struggle a little while creating this technique but the payoff should be quite the bargain”

“Mm”

Wu Long chuckled, and Hua Ziyan nodded in understanding, remembering the whole phrase she once heard from Ye Ling, as Wu Long did not mention the second part.

‘If something truly good is indeed easy to obtain, someone else had to work very hard to get it for you’

She knew he told her only half the phrase in consideration, and possibly to avoid self-aggrandizement as he never once shown self-praising behavior as long as she knew him, but she also knew just how lucky she was, as were all of his women who received fruits of his hard work with no hesitation or expectations to get something in return.

The very technique she now used that made her such a formidable fighter was given to her in such a light manner it could be thought that it could be found anywhere when in fact it was something he likely had to go to great lengths to obtain.

A light of determination appeared in her eyes as she focused on her technique, increasing her efforts.

As they traveled the maze of ice and stone, they passed several groups holding defensive positions, circling around them to not clash.

And because they moved at relatively lower speeds, it took them almost the entire day to go through the stampede and approach the frontlines where the members of the younger generation of the Five Great Sects held a united front against the hordes of Demonic Beasts.

The visibility at night should have dropped even more, since the scattered light of the moon should have been completely obscured by the weather conditions, but was the opposite as it became even brighter than when Wu Long, Hua Ziyan and Xue Bing were at he sect.

The disciples of the Five Great Sects held position at a huge passage which was at one end of the canyon, leading into the crevasse in the side of the giant mountain.

It was the place the tide poured out from into the canyon, and they were taking on around half of it as the other half circled around through the few smaller channels to then face the disciples of the other sects. There was also a small portion that slipped through from their sides.

They could hear the sounds of the battle from afar as it was a large scale defense with many Zithers playing a vigorous melody, resounding through the surroundings.

Adept at large-scale long-ranged attacks, Music Dao practitioners were the core of their combat power, as the others displayed their different skills in dealing with those they let through and defending them.

Wu Long and Hua Ziyan took a moment to arrive on top of a slightly shorter rock, overseeing the battle from above.

The disciples of the Profound Music Palace were in the center on a slightly elevated ground which looked like a natural platform, as all four other sects were lined up in front and to the sides in a semi-circle.

The ones at the forefront were the Brilliant Sun Temple and the Cloud Piercing Sect, with Frozen Garden Palace and Profound Martial Arts Valley supporting them.

“So this is how they do this event usually… but doesn’t it lack…”

“Publicity?”

Wu Long chuckled finishing Hua Ziyan’s words and she nodded in response with a slightly puzzled look. For an event that was supposed to be part of a friendly competition between the five sects it did not seem to have any audience to comment on and appreciate the performance of the respective sects.

“Haha, the Formation in this place is slightly different as it has a Viewing Formation embedded inside which shows this scene to the representatives of the Five Great Sects who remained in the Frozen Garden Palace.

There is also a small local gallery on that rock over there”

Wu Long explained, at the end pointing at a rock wall to the side of the big channel the disciples were fighting in which was shorter in height. Hua Ziyan could not see the top because of the blizzard that blocked even her spiritual perception but understood that there were likely Elders and Sect Protectors from the five sects there monitoring the situation.

“…are they really going to start today? The tide would be pouring for three days so they would have two more to hold out…”

“Haha, they are not worried about the tide, quite the opposite actually as they are counting on a massive disruption it would cause. They should start quite soon if my estimations are correct” .𝒎

Wu Long chuckled, his eyes on the disciples fighting the horde in a steady way.

Suddenly, a man in a blindfold standing among the disciples of the Cloud Piercing Sect sensed something, turning his head back and slightly up.

“Heh, truly interesting”

Wu Long, on the other hand, spoke with visible amusement as he saw that.

𝑖𝘦.𝑐𝘰𝘮