### Chapter 186: The Crow Disaster
The next day, it was another beautifully sunny day.
Yun Zhonghe had a delightful sleep and felt far more energetic than yesterday; his spiritual energy was filled to the brim, courtesy of the dan pills that compensated for the wool Snow Cloud Sword had practically sheared off him yesterday.
He glanced again at the Snow Cloud Sword by his bedside. In the sunlight, the blade shimmered as if coated in frost. He picked it up again, feeling that soul connection, and a smile spread across his face.
“What a good sword! Absolutely a good sword!”
Holding the sword granted Yun Zhonghe a buff that enhanced his perception, making his mind clearer and his thoughts sharper. And that was just the passive effect from wielding the sword; he hadn’t even tapped into the active assistance from the sword spirit yet!
Previously, Yun Zhonghe thought that having a sword spirit was just an extra chatting buddy, but now that he actually possessed one, he realized just how special a sword spirit was. It was no wonder countless people in the Cultivation Realm were battling for this kind of treasure.
“But speaking of, did Snow Cloud Sword mention that there are many sisters buried where she was? Are there a bunch of spiritual swords with sword spirits scattered in the world?”
Yun Zhonghe’s mind began to wander.
If he could collect all those treasures, wouldn’t he be unstoppable? He felt like he should just switch to artifact cultivation.
But shaking his head, he reminded himself that Snow Cloud Sword was discovered through Huang Aotian’s luck—there’s no way he could be so lucky as to find a whole batch.
He set that thought aside and focused. This time, he concentrated, pouring his spiritual energy into every inch of Snow Cloud Sword, ensuring it was intricately immersed.
At last, he sensed the existence of the sword spirit—only to find her still fast asleep, snoozing away like she was recharging her batteries.
“Looks like I need to prepare more Xuan Iron to nourish her.”
Yun Zhonghe was smitten.
Cautiously, he sheathed the sword, got up, and prepared to join up with Mu Jixue and the others.
Outside the inn, five lovely ladies had been waiting for a while.
Compared to Yun Zhonghe’s peppy demeanor, they seemed like they hadn’t slept well at all.
Tao Jiu’er wore a face full of melodrama, with thoughts echoing the sounds of last night’s water. She was definitely suffering.
Qin Hongye clearly depleted herself; she didn’t even know when she had fallen asleep—only remembering a wave of intense electrical energy before she lost consciousness, meeting Yun Zhonghe in her dreams.
As for Mu Jixue, Lin Zhongyu, and Su Xiaoxiao, they were all sporting dark circles under their eyes too.
But Su Xiaoxiao was looking around like she was on a treasure hunt.
That hopeful gaze of hers resembled a lost little duck searching for its mother.
Noticing her expression, Mu Jixue had a gut feeling: Su Xiaoxiao was looking for Yun Zhonghe.
For a moment, Mu Jixue didn’t know what to say—fate’s green thread seemed to be tangled around her, even tying itself into a knot.
Just then, Yun Zhonghe finally appeared beside the five ladies.
“Sorry to keep you all waiting!”
Yun Zhonghe smiled as he approached, his warmth could melt away any unharmonious ice.
Mu Jixue and Su Xiaoxiao’s hearts both skipped a beat.
Yun Zhonghe vaguely sensed that the ladies were looking at him a bit oddly.
But before he could ponder further, a commotion suddenly broke out inside the inn.
A swarm of mercenaries stationed at the inn came rushing from the forest, their faces painted with urgency—something big was happening!
Just as Yun Zhonghe and the others were trying to grasp the situation, a dark mass unexpectedly breached the inn’s barrier and burst through the protective formation, attacking the inn!
A closer look revealed that it was a horde of crows with bloody red eyes!
The crow swarm was back?!
And they seemed even more furious than before!
“Quick! Notify all cultivators—demonic birds are attacking! Demonic birds are attacking! Ah—!!”
Just as one mercenary burst through the woods and sprinted towards the inn, he was surrounded by a swarm of crows, lifted off the ground, and then let out a bl**d-curdling scream.
The scene was utterly horrifying, like something out of a disaster film. Yun Zhonghe and his party felt their hearts drop, all worries and entanglements swept away, as they stared blankly at the chaos unfolding before them.
As for the other young cultivators who had spent the night in the inn, they too stood frozen in shock.
What was happening?
What were these crows?
More and more crows poured through the breach in the barrier, frenziedly attacking everything in sight, as if hell-bent on annihilating all living beings!
In mere moments, dozens of cultivators were injured. Individually, these crows were weak—just like regular birds—but the sheer numbers were overwhelming, far more than Yun Zhonghe and his friends had encountered yesterday.
Even though the young and talented cultivators at the inn were mostly at the Foundation Establishment Stage, they fell apart against the onslaught of crows.
What’s worse, these crows seemed to have an uncanny ability to resurrect; even if one got blasted apart, they would swiftly reform, their mantra being “you can’t k*ll what won’t d*e.”
It was utterly exasperating.
In just a few minutes, another group of people collapsed, bl**d spilling across the inn.
“These damned beasts,” Yun Zhonghe gritted his teeth.
He drew Snow Cloud Sword, and with a thought, eight spectral golden swords manifested, prompting him and the five ladies to retreat quickly into the inn.
But the number of crows was simply overwhelming, flooding into the house like a tide that wouldn’t stop, even trying to squirm into people’s mouths.
Fortunately, everyone on Yun Zhonghe’s side was exceptionally skilled. Apart from Mu Jixue’s strong area damage, Qin Hongye was also adept at area attacks and had learned spells to wield her spiritual energy more effectively.
In an instant, a tempest raged as fire and ice swept through the crows.
However, the dead crows would soon be reborn again.
Watching the sudden chaos unfold, Su Xiaoxiao was left stunned.
Yun Zhonghe wanted to scream in frustration—hadn’t they just left Cangzhou City? Why were they running into such huge trouble now? Did Huang Aotian have to meet her doom halfway?!
They hadn’t even entered the sect gates yet.
Although Yun Zhonghe had been mentally preparing for whatever plot twists came their way, hoping to empower Huang Aotian to push the story forward, the current situation made him worry that she might just vanish at any moment.
If Huang Aotian fell, the whole world would crumble.
In a panic, Yun Zhonghe tugged Mu Jixue, who was bravely fighting at the front, behind him.
“Be careful! Don’t push too far ahead—stay behind me!”
Mu Jixue was taken aback. “You…”
At this life-and-d*ath moment, Yun Zhonghe’s first instinct was to protect her?
She hadn’t even had time to process it before Yun Zhonghe firmly shielded her behind him, his tall figure standing protectively in front of her.
This scene made Mu Jixue’s eyes widen in astonishment.
—To me, you’re the most important.
The words Yun Zhonghe had casually said in the forest resurfaced in her mind.
At the time, she thought he might’ve been joking or just trying to console her, but seeing Yun Zhonghe’s instinctive actions now sent a wave of emotion through her.
He truly placed her first.
This made Mu Jixue feel even more upset, realizing she had been petty, caught up in comparisons with Su Xiaoxiao.
Clearly, that wasn’t who she was.
Taking a deep breath, Mu Jixue looked at the smallest, weakest, most panicking Su Xiaoxiao.
“Little sister Xiaoxiao, just stay behind me.”
Mu Jixue said these words.
At that moment, both Yun Zhonghe and Su Xiaoxiao, as well as Lin Zhongyu, were momentarily stunned.
Though the situation wasn’t ideal for joy, Yun Zhonghe couldn’t help but feel elated inside—Huang Aotian was doing splendidly!
This was what the destined protagonist should do: protect the female lead!
The yellow-haired guy protects Huang Aotian; Huang Aotian protects the female lead, and the female lead will eventually become a shield for the yellow-haired guy…
Wait? Had a weird closed loop just formed?
“This won’t do, there are too many. We shouldn’t stick around here; we need to leave immediately.”
Qin Hongye was laser-focused on combating this strange crow tide. She even summoned her own innate spiritual fire, unleashing a fierce sea of flames that devoured crows, yet still, more and more were pouring in from the forest.
Besides, the crows would revive once killed, so the growing numbers at the inn threatened to overwhelm everyone.
Yun Zhonghe glanced towards the distant helipad, where some cultivators seemed poised to escape on a Spirit Boat.
However, just halfway into lifting off, the boat was engulfed by the crows and ultimately crashed down.
Seeing this, everyone fell silent.
Was there truly no way to escape?
In a critical moment, Yun Zhonghe took command: “Gather everyone together to resist the crow tide, minimizing casualties, then we need to find the mercenary leader. He’s a Yuan Ying Stage powerhouse—he must have a plan.”
At this point, it was the only option they had.
No one hesitated any longer and immediately began to execute the plan.
Yun Zhonghe handed all of his reserved dan pills to Mu Jixue, while Qin Hongye, being well-stocked with her own pills, didn’t require his.
In this endurance match, those two were the main forces.
Yun Zhonghe led the charge, with Mu Jixue and Qin Hongye flanking, swiftly clearing the incoming crows.
As for Lin Zhongyu and Tao Jiu’er, they were in charge of rallying and comforting the other cultivators. Both were exceptionally skilled communicators.
Su Xiaoxiao? Well, she was designated as the mascot.
The six moved slowly, gathering more cultivators.
Many were close to despair, but when Yun Zhonghe and the others cleared a path to rescue them, they greeted them like they were saviors: “Thank you, fellow cultivator, for your help!”
“Thanks so much! We really appreciate it!”
“I’ll remember your kindness! If you hadn’t shown up, I might have lost my life here!”
They all gushed with gratitude, clearly feeling that without Yun Zhonghe’s leadership, they wouldn’t have fled this catastrophe.
Yun Zhonghe responded, “Not at all! As fellow cultivators, it’s our duty to help one another in difficult times.”
His noble demeanor inspired admiration.
It even affected Su Xiaoxiao.
Last night, she had heard Mu Jixue and Lin Zhongyu talk about Yun Zhonghe extensively, particularly Lin Zhongyu, who always described him as a person of great integrity. Now, she felt it first-hand.
Strength commands respect; a noble character also commands respect.
As a wave of passion surged through her, Su Xiaoxiao felt herself being painted with Yun Zhonghe’s colors.
His spirit, his image, his figure—all shining bright, making her forget her insecurities and regrettable past, as she found herself chasing after that glorious path.
“I… I want to help too!”
When she proclaimed this, everyone turned to look at her.
In that moment, Su Xiaoxiao felt a surge of shyness; her gaze trembled, making her feel distant, worrying that she had spoken out of turn. Did anyone expect her to do anything?
As long as she didn’t mess things up, she’d be doing well.
But…
My fate is mine to decide.
That phrase echoed in Su Xiaoxiao’s mind, and looking at Yun Zhonghe, she saw his kind face glowing with anticipation and approval.
In that instant, her heart froze.
“I can help too!”
This time, her voice carried conviction as she raised her eyes, peeking out from under her bangs, becoming proactive.
She, Su Xiaoxiao, craved respect from others.
While her current strength was lacking, and she couldn’t match Yun Zhonghe’s prowess, she could start with small contributions.
Gifted with wood-element spiritual energy, which was full of vitality, she could restore life force to the injured and help heal them.
These crows were particularly strange—they didn’t just inflict physical wounds but seemed to sap the cultivators’ life force as well.
She was painfully aware of this after getting battered by the swarm yesterday.
But as she prepared to act, she hesitated.
Being a body cursed with misfortune—would treating others cause issues?
“You’ll be fine, believe in yourself.”
At that moment, Yun Zhonghe’s encouragement reached her.
He was so certain because he trusted that Huang Aotian’s and Lin Zhongyu’s luck would counteract her misfortune.
This girl needed a success to step out of her psychological shadow.
“Okay!”
Su Xiaoxiao nodded vigorously.
Taking a deep breath, she pushed away distracting thoughts.
“Um… shouldn’t we ask for my opinion…?”
The injured cultivator being treated cautiously inquired, but no one paid them any mind.
