"Hurry, boy! Before it's too late!" Master Sekte's voice, strained and hoarse, cut through the din of shattering Qi and desperate screams. The colossal defensive barrier, shimmering like a fragile, stressed eggshell, pulsed around the Grand Hall, groaning under the relentless onslaught of the Sky Sword Sect's attacks. Outside, the air was a tempest of roaring spells and clashing steel.
Li Chen held Yueling tighter, the glowing Pedang Awan Roh still warm in his grasp. Her body trembled against his, a delicate anchor in the maelstrom of destruction. He looked at Master Sekte, his heart a frantic drum against his ribs. The old man, usually so composed, was white-faced with exertion, a thin stream of blood trickling from the corner of his mouth. He was pushing his Qi to the absolute limit, ho
