Chapter 957: Chapter 957

When masters exchange blows, a single detail can often determine the outcome of the battle.

At this moment, Gui Zhen noticed an opening in Zhang Shanlian's defense. How could he possibly let this opportunity slip away?

Gui Zhen's figure flickered, and his longsword slashed directly toward Zhang Shanlian's left arm.

Gui Zhen's sword was exceedingly quick. In the blink of an eye, the longsword had already reached Zhang Shanlian's side.

Yet at this moment, not only did Zhang Shanlian show no sign of panic, but a barely noticeable smile seemed to flicker at the corner of his lips.

Swish, swish, swish...

Just then, Zhang Shanlian's sword path abruptly shifted, and the sword beam enveloped Gui Zhen.

Gui Zhen had been convinced that Zhang Shanlian's left arm was within his grasp, but now he realized he'd been deceived.

Zhang Shanlian had clearly used his own weakness as bait to lure Gui Zhen in, only to turn the trap against him.

A single arm, exchanged for Gui Zhen's life...

However, Gui Zhen's exceptional cultivation saved him at the critical moment. As the shadowy sword beams closed in for the kill, he rolled swiftly on the ground.

The sword beams managed to nick Gui Zhen in a few places, but not enough to end his life.

"Zhang... Zhang Shanlian..." Gui Zhen rolled a dozen meters away before slowly propping himself up.

Blood seeped from a puncture wound on Gui Zhen's chest, inflicted by Zhang Shanlian's longsword.

His eyes, filled with murderous intent, bore into Zhang Shanlian across the battlefield.

Although Gui Zhen had narrowly avoided losing his arm by changing his move at the last second, Zhang Shanlian's arm had still been injured by Gui Zhen's sword qi.

Zhang Shanlian looked at the wounded but still alive Gui Zhen and felt a pang of regret. Such a perfect opportunity, yet he hadn't managed to finish Gui Zhen off.

"Today, I'm going to kill you." Gui Zhen pronounced, each word laced with venom.

Zhang Shanlian said nothing but raised his longsword, his gaze resolute as he faced Gui Zhen once more.

All of a sudden, an overwhelming surge of energy emerged from behind Gui Zhen.

"Gui Zhen, the game ends here. Let me handle this old man from the Spirit Sect." A long-faced elder stepped forward as he spoke.

Gui Zhen glanced at the newcomer.

The man was a skilled martial artist from the Ghost Sect.

His name was Gui Sen, and his cultivation was on par with Gui Zhen's. In terms of seniority, the two could even be considered peers.

But Gui Zhen and Gui Sen were far from friends. The two constantly competed against one another. Given Gui Sen's arrival, Gui Zhen was naturally displeased.

The notion of stepping aside for Gui Sen made it seem like Gui Zhen was incapable, and Gui Zhen found this utterly unacceptable.

Just as Gui Zhen contemplated chasing Gui Sen away, a cold, detached voice echoed from the void, finally reaching his ears.

"Let Gui Sen finish off Zhang Shanlian quickly..."

Gui Zhen frowned slightly. He recognized that voice instantly—it was none other than the Ghost Sect Master's. No matter how arrogant Gui Zhen might be, he wouldn't dare defy the Ghost Sect Master's orders.

With that, he turned and retreated into the Ghost Sect formation.

"Zhang Shanlian, I won't be as soft as Gui Xing. When I kill, I'll ensure the Spirit Sect is annihilated!" Gui Sen sneered, brandishing a blue-hued longsword that appeared in his hand.

Zhang Shanlian used his telekinesis to probe Gui Sen's cultivation and quickly discerned its depth.

His expression grew heavy.

Gui Sen's cultivation was no less formidable than Gui Zhen's. Though Zhang Shanlian had successfully injured Gui Zhen, it had come at great personal cost. Now, his left arm was completely immobile.

Facing Gui Sen in his current state, Zhang Shanlian knew he had no chance of victory.

After a brief pause in thought, Zhang Shanlian turned to Zhao Shanhe. "Junior Brother Zhao, don't forget you are a disciple of the Spirit Sect. If I fall, I hope you'll lead the Spirit Sect disciples back to safety."

While retreating to the Spirit Sect might mean being permanently sealed away by the Ghost Sect, it was still better than facing total annihilation.

Zhang Shanlian truly had no one else he could depend on. The Spirit Sect Master was absent, Luv Shanqi was attending a Hidden Sect auction, Feng Shanxing was under house arrest, and Zhao Shanhe, being a selfish and timid man, hardly inspired confidence.

Were there anyone else he could entrust with this task, Zhang Shanlian wouldn't have turned to Zhao Shanhe.

Zhao Shanhe's expression was conflicted, as though he wanted to say something but ultimately kept silent...

Zhang Shanlian no longer paid attention to Zhao Shanhe; he had no choice but to place his faith in him. There were no alternatives.

Swish... Zhang Shanlian twirled his sword into a sword blossom, then coldly glared at Gui Sen.

"Heh heh..." Gui Sen let out a sinister laugh before suddenly launching forward.

Swish, swish, swish... In just the blink of an eye, multiple sword beams slashed toward Zhang Shanlian, enshrouding him entirely.

With his extraordinary cultivation, Zhang Shanlian managed to dodge at the critical moment as the sword beams descended upon him.

Even so, the stray beams struck the ground behind him, carving meter-deep sword scars into the earth...

Seeing this, the Spirit Sect disciples grew anxious. They knew Zhang Shanlian was the pillar of their hope. If he fell, they would truly be lost.

"Heh heh... I didn't expect you to have some skills," Gui Sen remarked, accelerating as his sword slashed at Zhang Shanlian once more.

Gui Sen's swordsmanship was incredibly fast. Even someone as experienced as Zhang Shanlian had rarely encountered such speed in battle.

With his injured left arm and his current opponent's overwhelming strength, the odds were stacked against Zhang Shanlian.

After carefully deflecting Gui Sen's relentless attacks, Zhang Shanlian was ultimately struck in the chest by a powerful kick.

As he fell to the ground, blood surged from his mouth.

"Zhao Shanhe... Protect the Spirit Sect disciples... Retreat to the Spirit Sect..."

Even in his severely injured state, Zhang Shanlian managed to utter these words with his last ounce of strength.

"Heh heh... Do you still think you have a chance?" Gui Sen sneered, raising his sword with a menacing smile. "I'll kill you first, then slaughter the rest of your Spirit Sect disciples."

With that, Gui Sen's figure flickered forward, immediately closing in on Zhang Shanlian.

Resigned to his fate, Zhang Shanlian closed his eyes, ready to face death...

But just as Zhang Shanlian prepared for the end, a Wind Blade tore through the air and lashed toward Gui Sen.

Gui Sen hadn't anticipated anyone stepping in. As the Wind Blade approached, he scrambled to dodge, narrowly avoiding its deadly strike.

Two figures landed in front of the Spirit Sect formation.

"It's him!" Gui Xing's eyes narrowed within the Ghost Sect ranks.

Back in the forbidden desert outside Yis City, this very man had delayed Gui Xing, allowing a female Immortal Sect disciple to escape.

Gui Xing had endured no small amount of scolding for that incident.

He never expected that the same young man would appear here now.

The two newcomers were none other than Ding Fan and Luv Shanqi.

Upon hearing of Ghost Sect's designs against the Spirit Sect, Ding Fan had used Sword Control to bring Luv Shanqi back just in time. When they arrived, they saw Gui Sen poised to kill Zhang Shanlian.

At the critical moment, Ding Fan had intervened with a Wind Blade, saving Zhang Shanlian's life.

"Sect Master... Senior Brother... You've returned..." Zhang Shanlian's eyes reddened as he saw Ding Fan and Luv Shanqi.

Shouldering the weight of the entire sect alone had been too much to bear.

"Senior Luv, please tend to Senior Zhang. Leave the rest to me," Ding Fan said to Luv Shanqi.

Luv Shanqi nodded, supporting Zhang Shanlian back to the Spirit Sect formation.

"So, they made a callow youngster the Spirit Sect Master. I doubted it before, but now I see it's true," Gui Sen scoffed. "Looks like the Spirit Sect has truly run out of people."

Ding Fan ignored Gui Sen, briefly using his Divine Sense to survey the area.

The Ghost Sect had brought numerous strong warriors. Dozens of Heavenly Level Martial Artists were present, along with five or six Profound Level experts. One of them had even concealed their presence.

Ding Fan surmised that the hidden figure was likely the Ghost Sect Master.

By comparison, the Spirit Sect had only two Profound Level warriors left—himself and Luv Shanqi. Zhang Shanlian, despite being a Profound Level Warrior, was too gravely injured to continue fighting.

This was by far the most perilous situation Ding Fan had faced since his rebirth.

"Boy, did you not hear me talking to you?" Gui Sen snapped, annoyed by Ding Fan's disregard.

Without waiting for a reply, Gui Sen lunged forward, his longsword striking straight at Ding Fan's chest.

Ding Fan's gaze sharpened. "Courting death!"

Before Gui Sen's sword could reach its mark, an unknown moment passed when Ding Fan's sword manifested in his hand.

It was none other than the Nine Profound Iron Sword!

With the sword in hand, Ding Fan's counterattack erupted, the sword beam slashing toward Gui Sen's chest.

Ding Fan's sheer momentum and oppressive sword qi promised devastation. If this strike landed, Gui Sen would be gutted on the spot.

Gui Sen was caught off-guard.

Though renowned for his swift movements and quick swordsmanship, Gui Sen suddenly found himself outpaced.

Zhang Shanlian's earlier defeat was due in no small part to Gui Sen's overwhelming speed.

Yet now, Ding Fan's sword was faster, turning the tables completely with a delayed but superior strike.

Forcing himself to block Ding Fan's first attack, Gui Sen desperately attempted a counter-strike, only to be met with Ding Fan's unrelenting second blow.

Gui Sen was now on the back foot, with Ding Fan pressing forward relentlessly. The momentum had decisively shifted.

Cheered by the sight, the Spirit Sect disciples erupted into applause, their fighting spirit rekindled.

Since the battle with the Ghost Sect began, Spirit Sect had suffered defeat after defeat. The only exception was Zhang Shanlian's pyrrhic victory over Gui Zhen. Fresh chapters posted on 𝙣𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙡•𝙛𝙞𝙧𝙚•𝙣𝙚𝙩

For the first time, they saw one of their own dominating the battlefield.

"Sect Master! You can do it!"

"Sect Master, fight on!"

The Spirit Sect disciples voiced their support, emboldened by Ding Fan's display.

Turning to glance at the revitalized Spirit Sect ranks, Zhang Shanlian noticed the sharp contrast with their earlier despair.

His eyes shifted to Ding Fan.

It was all because of this man...