Seeing the sword array form, its sword-shadow light curtain surrounding her, Concubine Mingyue couldn't help but be taken aback.
She quickly took out a handkerchief-shaped Heavenly Spirit Treasure and placed it on her head.
With the infusion of mana, the handkerchief spirit treasure emitted bursts of blue light, enveloping her in a blue glow.
However, Concubine Mingyue was still uneasy. She reached into her storage ring and pulled out a golden shield. The shield glowed with a golden light, forming a protective dome around her.
Having released two defensive Tongtian Spirit Treasures in quick succession, Concubine Mingyue still felt uneasy. But there was little more she could do.
A cultivator's mana is limited, and activating multiple magic weapons at once was no easy feat. After a long battle with Litian, most of her mana had already been consumed. Forcing two powerful defensive treasures into action was the absolute limit of her current capacity.
As the Nine Heavens Mixed Yuan Sword Formation surrounded her, Zhang Yuhe showed no sign of pity.
After all, this beautiful woman was merely an incarnation of another. He even felt a slight sense of disgust.
Zhang Yuhe pinched a magic technique with his hand, and the Nine Heavens Mixed Yuan Sword Formation flared to life with a dazzling light.
In the center of the sword array, a vast sea of invisible sword qi rose from the ground, swirling and coiling like an ocean of blades.
"Go."
With a simple gesture, Zhang Yuhe directed the sword qi. The dense, invisible blades rushed toward Concubine Mingyue within the sword array.
The golden shield, unable to withstand the force, shattered almost immediately under the onslaught of sword qi.
Seeing one of her defenses fail so quickly, Concubine Mingyue's despair deepened.
She urged the remaining handkerchief spirit treasure with all her might. The blue light from the treasure grew even brighter, but it was not enough.
The Nine Heavens Mixed Yuan Sword Formation unleashed more and more sword qi, relentlessly sweeping toward her. The sword qi rose higher, stretching infinitely toward the heavens.
Just as the golden shield disintegrated, the handkerchief spirit treasure also shattered.
Concubine Mingyue let out a miserable scream before being reduced to ashes by the overwhelming sword qi.
Zhang Yuhe casually stretched out his hand and retrieved a delicate ring from the battlefield.
As for the handkerchief and shield spirit treasures, they had already been destroyed by the sword qi.
Zhang Yuhe didn't look down on such items; after all, he could refine them himself, and his version would likely be even better. For him, rare materials, special supernatural powers, or valuable books were the true treasures.
"When it's done, we'll head back and see if there's anything of value left."
Zhang Yuhe waved his right hand, and the nine flying swords instantly returned to their position in front of him.
At this moment, Litian, who had just been knocked back by Concubine Mingyue's attack, rushed over from a distance.
He glanced around and, not seeing Concubine Mingyue's figure, asked with uncertainty, "Senior Brother, where is that woman?"
"Dead."
Zhang Yuhe responded with a smile.
Though Litian had suspected this outcome, hearing Zhang Yuhe's confirmation still left him in disbelief.
He was well aware of Concubine Mingyue's strength. As an incarnation of the Demon God Sect Master, she had countless magic weapons and formidable powers. Litian had fought her for a long time without being able to overcome her.
Yet, she had been wiped out so easily by Zhang Yuhe.
This was difficult to accept for someone as proud as Litian.
However, the facts were in front of him, and Litian had to believe them.
Litian, always confident in his own strength, had reached the Great Perfection of God Transformation. He believed that, aside from the elders in the sect, there were few who could challenge him.
But he had fought for so long with Concubine Mingyue without gaining an upper hand. Then, to see her fall instantly to Zhang Yuhe—it was a bitter pill to swallow.
Litian's discomfort grew, and he thought to himself, No, once this matter is settled, I need to retreat immediately and break through to the Refining Void Realm as quickly as possible.
His sense of identity as senior brother now felt somewhat shaky.
He resolved that once he broke through to the Refining Void Realm, he would ascend to the status of an elder within the Dao Holy Sect, at which point the title of "senior brother" would no longer matter.
"Yes, that's it."
Zhang Yuhe, unaware of the deep impact his actions had on Litian, asked with some confusion as he watched Litian continue to bombard the light curtain around Mirror Sky City.
"Senior Brother, was that woman just now an incarnation of the Demon God Sect Master?"
Litian stiffened at the mention of "senior brother," feeling the weight of the title that no longer felt earned in comparison to Zhang Yuhe's growing strength.
Nonetheless, he responded seriously to Zhang Yuhe's question.
"That's right. Zhao Mingyue, the leader of the Demon God Sect, has countless incarnations. Hundreds of years ago, I encountered another one of her incarnations, and her aura was almost identical. I'm sure of it."
"Thousands of incarnations? And each one with the power of the God Transformation Realm? How can they possess such powerful magic?" Zhang Yuhe asked, his curiosity piqued. If he could obtain such a magical power, he could become a one-man army.
Litian, aware of Zhang Yuhe's thoughts, shook his head.
"Don't get too excited, Senior Brother. Zhao Mingyue's magical power has its flaws. Each incarnation carries a part of her divine soul, and when an incarnation falls, a piece of her divine soul is permanently lost."
"That's a significant weakness," Zhang Yuhe mused. "Losing a part of her soul each time... no wonder her cultivation won't progress."
Litian continued, "Exactly. So far, three of her incarnations have been killed. If we eliminate a few more, Zhao Mingyue may lose control and go mad. It'll be the end of her."
Zhang Yuhe nodded thoughtfully, surprised by the information. It seemed that the Demon God Sect Master, Zhao Mingyue, was on the verge of ruin. Losing so many incarnations would be a devastating blow.
"Let's go. Let's take a look at Mirror Sky City."
The two quickly made their way to the vicinity of Mirror Sky City.
A massive curtain of light enveloped the entire city.
However, after several lightning strikes, the nine giant python phantoms on the light curtain began to slow, their movements less fluid.
Once the python phantoms vanished, the city's defensive formation would collapse.
From a distance, Litian and Zhang Yuhe could see the chaotic scene within the city.
The demonic energy was in disarray, and occasional screams echoed in the distance.
As for the altar in the center of the city, it was completely shrouded in demonic energy, rendering it invisible.
"Senior Brother," Zhang Yuhe asked, "Why are there screams in the city? Are they fighting each other?"
Zhang Yuhe was puzzled. Based on what he knew, the city was home to the He family's children, along with a few Yuan Ying monks from the Li family. It didn't make sense for them to turn on one another.
"Are they attacking their own?" he asked, bewildered.