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The Li brothers eyed the three new Jindan stage cultivators on the opposing side, nervously licking their dry lips. Huddled together, they stayed alert to every movement.
With his Taoist robe set aside, Hei Wuchang stood with bloodshot eyes fixed on his fallen partner. Dark energy swirled around him, his murderous intent unmistakable.
Fu Yunzi, pale-faced, slipped his Taoist robe back on and called out, "Li Gambler, if you'd been any slower, you wouldn't have seen me again."
He greeted Nangong Wan and Daoist Meng from Huadaowu.
Li Huayuan, perched atop his silver-armored horned python, relaxed slightly when he saw Fu Yunzi still had the strength to joke. With a smile, he quipped, "If you'd died, I'd have claimed your estate and taken back the treasures I lost to you before."
Fu Yunzi's face flushed red, and he shot an annoyed glare at Li Huayuan before turning to Nangong Wan.
"Fellow Daoist Nangong, what now?" he asked.
Though one Jindan stage opponent had fallen, the remaining enemies were still formidable. A hard battle lay ahead.
The Vermillion Bird Ring hovered around Nangong Wan as she withdrew her consciousness, reassured that Qi Yuan was unharmed. As for the woman in his arms, she'd deal with that later.
"The demons have pushed us too far," Nangong Wan declared. "If we don't retaliate, Yue Country will appear weak, and others will look down on us."
Without hesitation, the Jindan stage cultivator from Huadaowu charged into battle.
Li Huayuan hesitated only a moment before summoning his massive silver sword. With the silver-armored horned python beneath him, he dove straight into the fray, slashing fiercely.
Nangong Wan and her senior sister, Nishang, exchanged glances before each chose an opponent, and the battlefield erupted into chaos.
"Hei Wuchang, what's happening? Weren't the others supposed to hold them back?"
"Shut up!" Hei Wuchang snapped. "My Taoist partner is dead, and I'll kill them to pay their blood debt."
The Li brothers shared a grim look. The situation was turning dire. If they fled now, they'd have no excuse when they returned.
Their only hope was to kill a Jindan stage warrior from the enemy's side and gain enough merit to save face.
"Fellow Daoist Yan," one brother called, "we have a combined attack technique that rivals a late-stage Jindan cultivator's power. We'll need cover while we prepare it."
The ancestor of the Yan family, hearing their plea, quickly agreed.
Relieved, the Li brothers knew Hei Wuchang's unstable state made him unreliable. They pinned their hopes on the Yan family ancestor instead.
The brothers pressed their palms together, one hand glowing red and the other blue, their combined aura steadily rising.
Nangong Wan, driving back Hei Wuchang with the Vermillion Bird Ring, noticed the Li brothers' maneuver and muttered a few words under her breath.
"Who's Junior Sister sending messages to?" Nishang wondered, sensing something strange.
The Yan family ancestor stood firm, facing three opponents alone. After enduring dozens of attacks, he remained standing, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth. His blue jade ruyi, undamaged, shimmered brightly as he spat a mouthful of blood onto it, strengthening its glow.
"Everyone, be careful," Nishang warned. "This attack will be powerful."
Li Huayuan and the Huadaowu cultivator both nodded solemnly.
"Go!" the Yan family ancestor shouted.
The jade ruyi shot forward, radiating dazzling blue light — only to veer abruptly and loop back.
"Old man Yan, what are you doing?"
The Li brothers, experienced in battle, hadn't completely lowered their guard. Their spiritual senses had stayed sharp.
Boom...
The jade ruyi struck a golden bell magic weapon, causing violent ripples. As the golden bell shrank in response, Nangong Wan's Vermillion Bird Ring spun rapidly and sliced through it, decapitating the Li brothers and destroying their souls in a single stroke.
Li Huayuan and the others froze in shock. The Yan family ancestor had betrayed them.
The Yan family ancestor swiftly roused Hei Wuchang from his rage. With his thirst for vengeance temporarily sated, Hei Wuchang knew there would be another chance to avenge his partner. For now, survival came first. A black mist enveloped him, and his figure vanished.
Outside Yanling Fort, Qi Yuan had been observing the battle. Watching the Yan family ancestor's actions, he realized Nangong Wan had orchestrated everything.
"Damn it," Qi Yuan muttered. "Even a prodigy like her, forming a Jindan at a hundred years old, has faced her share of scheming and deceit."
A voice rang out, interrupting his thoughts.
"Little guy, there's a fat little fish heading east. Don't just stand there — go catch it."
Damn, a direct order.
Fine. She commands me during the day, and I'll command her at night. Fair trade.
Qi Yuan secured Dong Xuan'er in a safe place and shot eastward on his Jiaolong Spirit Shuttle.
Tian Buque, clad in crimson robes, wore a tense expression. When Nangong Wan's group arrived, he'd sensed danger and fled with Wang Chan to avoid being caught.
He had expected the six sects to send cultivators to distract Yue Country's Jindan warriors. So why did they still have the manpower to come after him?
It felt premeditated — like someone knew his plan while he remained blind to theirs.
"Damn, there's a traitor," he muttered.
He activated a Thousand Mile Sound Transmission Note to alert his father, then continued his escape.
Sensing someone pursuing him, Tian Buque paused midair. When he saw it was only an early-stage foundation cultivator, he relaxed.
In no mood to show mercy, Tian Buque smirked. "Boy, I've disliked you for a long time. You've just delivered yourself to death's door."
Qi Yuan calmly unsheathed his Poison Jiao Sword. "So that murderous aura was yours. Good — this ends here."
Surprised that Qi Yuan knew his identity, Tian Buque suspected a traitor even more.
He played a note on his pink jade flute, summoning a dazzling pink peacock. The bird circled in the air and unleashed beams of light from its beak.
Qi Yuan dodged nimbly using his Cloud-Stepping Boots and Soul-Enchanting Steps. Defensive talismans could wait — his agility was enough for now.
Realizing this wouldn't be easy, Tian Buque scattered a dozen talismans, launching a fierce barrage.
Qi Yuan retaliated by throwing over twenty talismans of his own.
"Damn it!" Tian Buque cursed, adjusting his flute's tune. The peacock let out a deafening shriek.
Moments later, venomous pangolin puppets emerged from the earth, spitting streams of poison.
Qi Yuan's Poison Jiao Sword struck like a serpent, leaving a deep gash in Tian Buque's side.
"So you know the long-lost Reversed Five Elements Technique," Tian Buque sneered. "Interesting..."
Though weakened, Tian Buque smirked. The technique's mana drain would soon leave Qi Yuan exhausted.
He activated an Earth Escape Talisman and vanished.
Qi Yuan tracked him relentlessly, chasing him for an entire day and night.
When Tian Buque finally ran out of talismans, Qi Yuan cornered him beneath a tree.
"Need to borrow some talismans, Second Young Master Tian?" Qi Yuan taunted.
Moments later, Tian Buque's body fell, lifeless. The Poison Jiao Sword, still gleaming faintly, had struck true.
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