Yun Qiuyue, an elder of the Tianshan Sword Sect, was one of the two individuals responsible for managing the sect's protective mountain array. The other was Yun Hantian, the sect leader.
Their division of labor was clear: if one of them descended the mountain, the other had to remain to oversee the protective array.
Currently, Yun Hantian was occupied with causing trouble for the Long family elsewhere, leaving Yun Qiuyue in charge of the protective array.
In fact, even if Yun Hantian were present, Yun Qiuyue would still manage the array. After all, the sect leader was constantly bogged down by worldly affairs and wouldn't have the time to act as a gatekeeper.
"Someone!"
As soon as the words left his mouth, a disciple of the Tianshan Sword Sect appeared before Yun Qiuyue.
"Ancestor, what are your orders?"
"Go tell Yun Hai and Yun Luo to come see me immediately!"
"As you command!"
Before long, two men, both around thirty years old, arrived before Yun Qiuyue.
"Greetings, Master!"
These two, Yun Hai and Yun Luo, were Yun Qiuyue's personal disciples. Their martial arts were exceptionally profound, and they were masterful in controlling flying swords. They were also being groomed to become future venerables of the Tianshan Sword Sect.
However, they were not direct blood relatives of Yun Hantian. They were simply orphans chosen for their exceptional talent, which was why they were not eligible to become the sect leader of the Tianshan Sword Sect.
Yun Qiuyue raised his eyelids, glanced at the two, and then said, "I just sensed someone trespassing on the mountain. He has already broken through the first layer of the array and is about to reach the second layer, the illusion array.
I am unsure if this person has the strength to break through all the arrays, but I still do not wish for him to proceed further and trigger the final sword array.
I want you two to go to the illusion array and eliminate this person! Even if this person has strength, if he resists the invasion of the illusion array, he will have to expend considerable mental energy. This is your opportunity!"
"As you command, Master!"
Yun Qiuyue said, taking out two jade pendants tied with red strings and handing them to the two. These jade pendants were adorned with intricately drawn patterns.
The two, familiar with the process, put on the jade pendants. These pendants served as temporary passes within the great array.
With these jade pendants, they would not be attacked by the array while inside it.
Of course, the spiritual energy stored within the jade pendants was limited, only enough for them to use for about two hours.
To keep them effective, one had to inject true essence or spiritual energy into them.
However, with their current cultivation, even injecting all their existing true essence would only allow for less than half an hour of usage.
The two left the meditation room, checked their equipment, and quickly exited the mountain gate, rushing towards the direction Yun Qiuyue had indicated.
Both of them carried twin swords on their backs, the standard attire for most disciples of the Tianshan Sword Sect. One of these swords was their refined flying sword, while the other was their weapon for close combat.
Their Qinggong was also extremely outstanding. They moved with agility through the mountain forest. Having arrived here before they were five years old, they had lived here for years and were very familiar with the terrain.
Soon, they were getting closer to their target.
Ling Tian had already entered the illusion array. Under the array's influence, a person's brain would generate various hallucinations, amplifying their current emotions infinitely.
However, for Ling Tian, this had no effect whatsoever. Ling Tian's soul had undergone multiple refinements in the Soul Refining Furnace. An array of this magnitude would only cause him slight mental pressure and nothing more.
Nevertheless, Ling Tian still applied two Mind Calming Talismans to himself to reduce his mental energy expenditure.
As Ling Tian walked through the forest, a sense of alarm suddenly surged in his heart!
The next moment, two beams of white light shot out from the bushes in the woods!
Ling Tian had activated his Heavenly Eye divine ability, so he clearly saw that they were two flying swords!
Moreover, these two flying swords were not arriving simultaneously but one after the other, creating a staggered attack!
This way, even if Ling Tian could dodge or block the first flying sword, it would be difficult to evade the attack of the second flying sword!
It was important to note that flying swords were the foundation of the Tianshan Sword Sect's existence. For a thousand years, they had invested a vast amount of time and effort into researching how to make flying swords even more powerful.
Through their explorations, the predecessors of the Tianshan Sword Sect discovered that the power of two flying swords was naturally much greater than that of a single flying sword.
However, it was already difficult for one person to master a single flying sword. Those who could master two were as rare as phoenix feathers and unicorn horns. Therefore, they compromised and opted for coordinated attacks!
These two brothers, Yun Hai and Yun Luo, had practiced together since childhood. Although they were not twins, their tacit understanding was no less than that of twins. Their combined flying sword techniques were practiced to perfection. Even Yun Hantian, the sect leader of the Tianshan Sword Sect, and the sect's venerables found it somewhat challenging to deal with their coordinated attacks.
Seeing the first flying sword about to pierce the back of Ling Tian's head from behind, Ling Tian suddenly vanished on the spot. The two flying swords passed through where Ling Tian had been standing, and the next moment, Ling Tian reappeared out of thin air!
However, all of this happened in the blink of an eye. The Yun Hai and Yun Luo brothers had not clearly seen how Ling Tian disappeared in that instant. They merely saw a blur before their eyes and then discovered that their flying sword attack had missed.
Ling Tian drew his Crimson Flame Treasure Sword and extended his right hand. Instantly, a book of ten talismans appeared in Ling Tian's hand.
"Haste!"
Ling Tian shouted, injecting his true essence into the ten Fire Talismans. These ten talismans instantly transformed into ten fist-sized fireballs, each flying towards the two individuals in the bushes!
Ling Tian's Bursting Fire Talismans had been further improved. His original Bursting Fire Talismans, after activation, produced fireballs the size of a human head.
However, Ling Tian later discovered through use that if the energy of the flames was compressed into fist-sized projectiles, the fireballs would fly faster, explode more violently upon hitting their target, and even have an increased range.
On the other hand, fireballs the size of a human head were too conspicuous, allowing opponents ample time to prepare and dodge.
Fist-sized fireballs, with their increased speed, offered better concealment and could catch opponents off guard.
The Yun Hai and Yun Luo brothers were no ordinary individuals. Upon seeing the string of fireballs rushing towards them, a sense of alarm immediately surged in their hearts. This was the instinct of martial artists, a subtle intuition for approaching danger.
Do not underestimate this intuition, which seemed to last only a fraction of a second. In critical moments, such intuition could save a life!