PCJ – Chapter 565 Injury

“This is outrageous!” Hua Zhaoyang slammed his hand on the table. “Quickly summon all the elders for a meeting! This is the life-or-death moment for the Xiyun Sect. If anyone still wants to hold back now, by this time next year, it’ll be the Xiyun Sect’s death anniversary!”

The steward rushed out in haste.

Outside, Zhang Jiaohua relentlessly activated and hurled talismans at the mountain-protecting array. He had brought along all his stock this time, fully anticipating such a confrontation.

After more than ten minutes of continuous assault, over half his stock was used up, and Zhang Jiaohua was beginning to lose patience.

“This is really like a tortoise shell—why is it so hard to break?” Zhang Jiaohua frowned.

Suddenly, there was movement from the Xiyun realm. The protective array trembled, and a large group of people appeared before Zhang Jiaohua.

Hua Zhaoyang stood at the front. “Zhang, don’t push things too far! I’ll give you a chance: if you return my son Hua Shaobo, I might spare your life!”

“Is your brain fried?” Zhang Jiaohua didn’t waste time talking. The moment they met, he launched his attack. Several talismans flew from his hand, and fierce attacks rushed at Hua Zhaoyang and his people.

Hua Zhaoyang scrambled away awkwardly. “Despicable! You dare ambush me!”

“I came to kill you fair and square. Who told you to blabber so much? Cut the crap—show me what you’ve got. I’m not here to chat.” Zhang Jiaohua kept throwing talismans as he spoke. Whether it was Hua Zhaoyang or the Xiyun Sect elders, they were in complete disarray. None of them had a stockpile like Zhang Jiaohua, nor could they afford to burn through resources like him. So even with superior numbers, they were driven into chaos by his relentless barrage.

Zhang Jiaohua also released Fat Monkey, Fat Cat, and Leopard to coordinate with the talismans and deliver brutal strikes against the enemy.

“Stop hiding your cards! Bring out everything you’ve got!” Hua Zhaoyang was furious. These old guys who were pampered with salaries were now cowering when it was time to fight. No wonder Hua Zhaoyang was livid.

He summoned a spiritual sword artifact and slashed through several talismans, neutralizing them before they could activate.

The elders, scolded by Hua Zhaoyang, didn’t dare hold back any longer and unleashed their own powers. Various magical artifacts and secret techniques exploded into action.

Now Zhang Jiaohua started to feel the pressure. Talismans clashed from every direction. They only had to deal with him, while he had to handle all of them. It was inevitable he’d be at a disadvantage. Fortunately, he was still stronger than they were, so their attacks didn’t cause him serious harm.

Even alone, Zhang Jiaohua had greater flexibility. His superior cultivation allowed him to exploit the lack of coordination among the Xiyun Sect members and take them down one by one.

Using his Meishan Movement Technique, he flashed toward an elder of the Xiyun Sect in a sudden ambush.

The elder panicked, retreating in haste. “Help me! Help—!”

But the others couldn’t reach him in time. Zhang Jiaohua killed the elder in a single strike and kicked the body toward Hua Zhaoyang.

Hua Zhaoyang’s eyes nearly burst with rage. “Be careful! Don’t let that Zhang sneak up on you again!”

But when facing someone several levels stronger, no matter how carefully Hua Zhaoyang arranged things, they were always a step too slow. Zhang Jiaohua kept pulling off surprise attacks, each one successful.

At first, Hua Zhaoyang could rely on numbers to hold out, but now his people were falling fast. The situation was clearly turning against him.

“Fellow Daoist Zhang, I admit our Xiyun Sect was at fault initially, but we never harmed you directly. Yet you’ve caused us heavy losses. Isn’t this enough? Can you let us go now?” Hua Zhaoyang pleaded.

Zhang Jiaohua shook his head. “Eliminating evil must be thorough. If the roles were reversed, would you spare me? The Xiyun Sect brought this on itself!”

“Fine! If you insist on wiping us out, then we’ll fight you to the end!” A resolute gleam appeared in Hua Zhaoyang’s eyes.

Zhang Jiaohua could tell he was preparing a powerful move, but he didn’t worry.

“Form the array!” Hua Zhaoyang shouted. He and the remaining elders made strange gestures. Whatever sinister method they used, their eyes began to bleed. The sight was horrifying. But their aura spiked dramatically, and their attack power surged severalfold.

Zhang Jiaohua immediately felt the immense pressure. It was difficult to fend them off.

“What kind of secret technique is this? It’s that strong?” Zhang was shocked and began retreating under the assault.

“Woooo!” Leopard let out a blood-curdling cry—his leg had been slashed, blood spraying everywhere.

He had taken the hit meant for Zhang Jiaohua. Without him, Zhang might have been injured.

Hua Zhaoyang sighed. He had been saving that attack for a fatal strike, only to have it blocked by a beast.

Seeing Leopard gravely wounded, Zhang Jiaohua’s rage exploded. He charged, bombarding Hua Zhaoyang with a fierce counterattack.

But by then, Hua Zhaoyang and the elders had completed their formation. Zhang’s sudden assault failed to hurt them and instead placed him in danger.

“Meowwrrr!” Fat Cat let out a piercing screech.

Suddenly, Hua Zhaoyang and the elders felt a jolt in their heads—the formation faltered for a split second. Zhang seized the opportunity and took down two elders. Unfortunately, Hua Zhaoyang evaded.

With two fewer members, the array weakened, and the pressure on Zhang lessened.

Hua Zhaoyang stomped in fury. “That Fat Cat is no ordinary beast—it can launch psychic attacks. Be careful, don’t fall for its tricks!”

Now on alert, the elders neutralized Fat Cat’s mental assault.

The two sides were now evenly matched, but momentum was shifting in Zhang’s favor. The elders’ earlier strength came from a secret technique—with a cost and a time limit. The longer the battle dragged on, the more advantageous it became for Zhang Jiaohua.