Chapter 120: The Nine-Ritual Sword Formation

"Huh? It's actually the most basic spiritual artifact flying sword?" Yang Xiao murmured, his face filled with suspicion.

If the attacker had truly intended to kill him, they would never have used such an inferior weapon. Given his current cultivation level, he could easily deflect such a blade; even at close range, it would be impossible for such a sword to pierce his protective true energy.

It is human nature for a Qi-Condensation cultivator to instinctively maintain a layer of true energy outside the body for protection, a standard precaution that ensures safety. Under such circumstances, a simple spiritual artifact flying sword could never pose a threat to a Qi-Condensation cultivator. Unless the attacker possessed an extremely high cultivation level, they could not possibly harm Yang Xiao. Yet, it was clear the attacker's strength did not exceed his own; otherwise, Yang Xiao could not have so easily caught the sword in his hand.

"This is interesting. It seems the person wasn't aiming to attack me after all. But then, what is their goal?" Yang Xiao pondered, filled with doubt.

"Junior Brother Yang, are you hurt? Who on earth was that, being so bold as to openly antagonize us? Could it be the Demonic Path again? Truly outrageous! If I catch this person, I will tear them limb from limb!" Chen Tong said, appearing deeply concerned for Yang Xiao before gritting his teeth in fury.

"Senior Brother Chen, it seems that person hasn't gone far. If we head out now, we should be able to track them," Yang Xiao said, his figure flickering as he darted out the door first.

Chen Tong followed closely behind, leaping out of the hall.

In the distance, they spotted a faint black shadow moving rapidly across the horizon. It was clearly the person who had launched the attack with the flying sword.

"Senior Brother Chen, stay here. I will go and pursue this person myself. I must find out who exactly this is," Yang Xiao said, preparing to take flight.

"I cannot rest easy with you going alone, Junior Brother. Let us go together. We can surround them and capture them in one fell swoop," Chen Tong suggested.

"I observe that this person's cultivation level is not particularly high—at most, they are on par with us. I am fully capable of handling such an opponent. Senior Brother, have you forgotten that I was even able to put up a fight against a late-stage cultivator like Tang Bi? Therefore, I can manage this alone. My current concern is whether this is a ploy to lure the tiger away from the mountain. If we both leave, the marketplace’s defenses will be left vacant, providing an opening for other enemies. The best course of action is for you to remain here and strengthen the various restrictions and defenses of the marketplace. That way, we won't fall into the enemy's trap," Yang Xiao analyzed.

"What you say makes sense, Junior Brother. But letting you go alone still leaves me uneasy," Chen Tong said with worry.

"Do not worry, Senior Brother. I have a plan. Given the attacker's cultivation and methods, I can certainly handle it. I will pursue and investigate; if there is any danger, or if I am drawn too far from the marketplace, I will prioritize my own safety and return immediately."

"Since you insist, then be doubly careful. I will reinforce the marketplace's barriers, and then I will come to support you." Concerned about the safety of the marketplace, Chen Tong heeded Yang Xiao's advice.

Yang Xiao then channeled his internal energy, which lifted him into the air, and he sped off in the direction of the black shadow.

Chen Tong immediately began organizing the men to reinforce the marketplace's defenses to prevent any opportunistic sneak attacks. Fortunately, the group of Heavenly Sword Sect disciples stationed at the marketplace were well-trained. Within moments, they had activated several layers of defensive arrays. Although their cultivation levels were not very high, each held a formation flag, and they set up the arrays in an orderly, tight, and robust manner.

Under these conditions, even a Zhou-Tian realm cultivator would have to struggle significantly to break the barrier. For a Qi-Condensation cultivator, it would be nearly impossible.

The eye of the formation was guarded by early-stage Qi-Condensation cultivators, who coordinated with the Spirit-Perception disciples, making the entire array exceptionally sturdy. These formations had been personally taught by True Man Duan Jian, ensuring their immense power.

Watching his subordinates quickly establish the defensive array, Chen Tong could not help but smile. His constant training had paid off; it seemed the marketplace could withstand a fair amount of pressure. Unless a sect master or elder from a major faction intervened personally, the array could never be broken.

"Master's Nine-Ceremony Sword Array is truly as legendary as they say. If it were me, I would have absolutely no way to deal with it," Chen Tong muttered to himself with satisfaction. The entire array was covered in a faint cyan light, within which countless tiny sword auras pulsed, ready to erupt. These auras appeared weak, but if anyone attacked the formation, the array would unleash its true power, causing countless sword lights to surge and surround the intruder. The power of these auras was equivalent to the combined strength of several late-stage Qi-Condensation cultivators. Moreover, if one point was attacked, the sword auras from other areas would converge to support it. As long as the opponent was not a Zhou-Tian realm cultivator, breaking this formation would be an arduous, if not impossible, task.

While Chen Tong remained to manage the array, Yang Xiao pursued the black shadow.

Yang Xiao exerted his true energy to the fullest, pushing his flying speed to an incredible level, moving as swiftly as a gale. This was due to the purity and vastness of his internal energy, bolstered by medicinal elixirs.

As a result, Yang Xiao quickly closed the distance, even catching a glimpse of the figure's features. However, the person's nose and mouth were covered by a black cloth, so Yang Xiao could only determine that the individual was a young man; he could not identify him.

At this moment, the person noticed Yang Xiao closing in. He glanced back, then turned and continued to fly frantically, slapping his waist as he did so. Instantly, his speed surged, matching Yang Xiao's and perhaps even slightly surpassing it.

In the blink of an eye, the black-clad figure had once again widened the gap.

Yang Xiao was taken aback and even considered giving up the chase to return to the marketplace, as it seemed unlikely he would catch his quarry. Whatever secret technique the stranger was using, their speed was certainly no less than his own.

However, just as Yang Xiao was about to give up, the stranger's speed slowed down again, allowing Yang Xiao to close the distance once more.

Yang Xiao scanned his surroundings, finding nothing amiss. Setting his jaw, he pressed on, determined to uncover the stranger's identity.

Whenever Yang Xiao drew close, the figure would suddenly accelerate, only to slow down again after creating a slight buffer.

After this happened two or three times, Yang Xiao finally cornered the person near a small hill and intercepted them.

Seeing no further chance to escape, the person landed on the hill. Yang Xiao landed a few meters away.

"Who exactly are you, and what is your purpose in luring me here?" Yang Xiao asked calmly as soon as he landed, his eyes scanning the area with extreme caution.