The maneuver caught her pursuer by surprise. Before he could adjust his trajectory, she was upon him, her small fist glowing with concentrated Qi as she delivered a precision strike to his solar plexus. "Sunburst Palm!"
The technique exploded outward on impact, sending the spearman crashing through several branches before he managed to stabilize himself. He hung in the air, one hand pressed against his chest where the technique had landed, his breathing labored but his eyes burning with renewed determination.
"Impressive, little girl," he acknowledged, his spear beginning to emit a high-pitched whine as he channeled Qi through it. "But playtime is over."
He launched himself toward her with newfound speed, his weapon becoming almost invisible as it thrust forward in a technique clearly designed to overwhelm defenses through sheer velocity.
Liang Nian'er's eyes widened slightly—the only indication that she recognized the danger of the approaching attack. Rather than attempting to block or evade conventionally, she clapped her hands together in a specific mudra. "Petal Dispersion!"
Her form seemed to explode into a cloud of glowing pink petals that scattered in all directions, allowing the spear to pass harmlessly through the space she had occupied. The petals swirled in complex patterns before reconverging behind the spearman, reforming into Liang Nian'er's physical body just in time for her to deliver a kick to the back of his head.
The impact sent him spiraling downward, though he managed to right himself before hitting the ground, landing in a three-point stance that cracked the earth beneath him. He looked up at her with newfound respect mingled with his anger. "Body transformation technique at your age... who are you people?"
Driver Mo's battle with the two Foundation Establishment bandits had escalated as well. Though outnumbered, his superior cultivation base and decades of experience kept him firmly in control of the engagement. His hands moved in precise patterns, each gesture leaving trails of golden light that formed complex symbols in the air.
"Ancient Earth Binding," he intoned, his voice carrying the weight of authority despite its quietness.
The symbols shot forward, expanding as they approached Han Zeming and Qiu Yanzhao. Before either man could evade, the symbols wrapped around them, constricting their movements and causing their weapons to grow suddenly, impossibly heavy.
"What is this?" Han Zeming grunted, struggling to lift his curved blade that now seemed to weigh as much as a mountain.
"The weight of earth itself," Driver Mo replied calmly, advancing with measured steps. "Few can bear it."
Yet these bandits proved exceptionally resilient. With synchronized movements that spoke of long partnership, they positioned themselves back-to-back and began a joint technique. Their auras, previously distinct, began to merge and harmonize, creating a resonance that caused the binding symbols to vibrate and crack.
"Twin Harmony Breakthrough," they called in perfect unison, their combined Qi exploding outward with enough force to shatter Driver Mo's technique and send the old driver skidding backward several paces.
His eyes narrowed slightly—the only indication of his surprise at their coordinated ability.
"Interesting," he murmured, settling into a new stance that suggested he was reassessing his approach to the fight.
Throughout this chaos, through the explosions of Qi, the clashing of weapons, and the reshaping of the forest itself, one figure remained conspicuously uninvolved.
Wudi Egun continued to sit calmly beside what remained of the campfire, occasionally turning his skewer of meat to ensure even cooking. His expression revealed nothing—neither concern for his companions nor fear of the violence surrounding him.
Several times, stray techniques or debris from the battle came dangerously close to his position, yet he made no move to protect himself. In one instance, a tree toppled directly toward him, only to crash to the ground mere inches from where he sat, as if some invisible force had adjusted its fall at the last moment.
The bandits, focused on the active threats, paid him little attention after initial assessments had marked him as a non-cultivator and therefore insignificant. His companions, engaged in their own battles, had no opportunity to worry about his apparent vulnerability.
Above the clearing, the battle between Liang Chen and Feng Juechen had reached new heights—both literally and in terms of intensity. They had ascended to nearly fifty feet above the ground, their clashes generating shockwaves that bent the tops of the surrounding trees as if they were caught in gale-force winds.
"Earthshaker Axe Technique: Mountain Splitting Fury!" Feng Juechen roared, his weapon growing to nearly twice its original size as he channeled massive amounts of Qi into it.
The technique lived up to its name. When Liang Chen blocked it with his sword, the impact created a shockwave that traveled downward, striking the ground with enough force to open a fissure nearly thirty feet long and several feet wide. The earth groaned in protest as layers of soil and rock were violently displaced, creating a miniature canyon that cut across one side of the clearing.
Liang Chen, though he had successfully blocked the technique, was driven downward by its force, his feet creating twin furrows in the earth as he skidded backward. He recovered quickly, launching himself back into the air with a powerful leap that left small craters where his feet had pushed off.
"Impressive power," he acknowledged, blood trickling from a small cut on his cheek where a fragment of his opponent's axe had broken off during their clash. "But power alone isn't enough. Azure Dragon Sword Art: Celestial River Flow!"
His sword began to emit a blue-white light that stretched and extended, transforming the weapon into what appeared to be a flowing river of pure energy. This luminous extension whipped and curved through the air with a life of its own, pursuing Feng Juechen with relentless determination.
The bandit leader dodged the initial attack, his bulky frame displaying surprising agility as he twisted in mid-air. "Hah! You missed, pretty boy!"
Liang Chen's smile was cold. "Did I?"
The energy river suddenly changed direction, curving back toward Feng Juechen from behind. Before he could react, it wrapped around him like a constricting serpent, binding his arms to his sides and causing him to drop several feet in altitude as his Qi circulation was disrupted.
"Damn you!" he snarled, his muscles straining against the binding as he channeled more Qi to break free.
The energy river began to crack under the pressure of his strength, but Liang Chen was already moving to capitalize on the momentary advantage. He closed the distance between them with blinding speed, his sword returning to its physical form as he prepared to deliver a decisive strike.
"It's over," he declared, his blade aimed directly at Feng Juechen's heart.
But the bandit leader was far from defeated. With a roar that seemed to shake the very air, he flexed his entire body, his muscles bulging as veins stood out on his neck and forehead. "EARTH BULL STRENGTH!"
The energy binding shattered completely, the fragments dissipating into motes of light that scattered across the night sky. His now-free hand shot up with impossible speed, catching Liang Chen's wrist before the sword could find its mark.
"Not yet, pretty boy," he growled, his grip tightening with bone-crushing force. "Not even close."
With his other hand, he delivered a Qi-enhanced punch directly to Liang Chen's midsection, the impact sending the younger man hurtling downward. Liang Chen crashed through the canopy of trees, branches snapping beneath his weight before he struck the ground with enough force to create a small crater.
For several heartbeats, he didn't move. Then, slowly, he pushed himself up onto one knee, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth and his breathing labored. His sword remained clutched in his hand, the knuckles white with the force of his grip.
"Is that... all you've got?" he called upward, his voice strained but defiant.
Feng Juechen descended slowly, his massive axe resting casually on one shoulder. "I'm just getting started, boy. Just getting started."
Across the battlefield, similar stalemates were developing. Li Meixia's spiritual swords had multiplied further, now numbering in the dozens, yet her opponents continued to fight through their injuries, their techniques growing more desperate and therefore more dangerous.
Tong Xin's Sword Intent had claimed one of her opponents, who lay unconscious or worse at the edge of the clearing, but the other two had adapted to her style and were now coordinating their attacks to limit the effectiveness of her techniques.
Liang Nian'er and her spear-wielding opponent danced through the air in a deadly ballet, neither able to land a decisive blow yet both accumulating minor injuries that would eventually take their toll. Driver Mo had gained a slight advantage over Han Zeming and Qiu Yanzhao, but their coordinated techniques continued to prevent him from ending the fight quickly.
The clearing itself had been transformed by the battle. What had been a peaceful campsite was now a landscape of destruction—fallen trees, fissured earth, craters, and trenches carved by bodies thrown with tremendous force. The campfire had been extinguished early in the conflict, leaving only the light of the moon and the occasional glow of Qi techniques to illuminate the chaos.
And still, Wudi Egun sat unmoved, now examining his perfectly cooked meat with the critical eye of a connoisseur rather than a man surrounded by life-threatening combat. He took a small bite, chewed thoughtfully, and nodded to himself as if satisfied with the result.
The battle had reached a critical juncture—a moment of balance where the next exchange would likely determine the ultimate outcome. Both sides had taken measure of their opponents, adapted to their techniques, and were now preparing for a final, decisive confrontation.
Feng Juechen raised his axe high, the weapon beginning to glow with an ominous red light that cast bloody shadows across his scarred features.
"Time to end this game," he declared, his voice carrying across the battlefield like a death knell.
Liang Chen struggled to his feet, his sword held before him in a guard position. Though battered, his eyes burned with undiminished determination.
"Couldn't agree more," he replied, his own weapon beginning to emit a blue-white glow once more.
As the two prepared to clash in what promised to be their most devastating exchange yet, a new presence made itself known—a subtle shift in the atmosphere that drew the attention of every cultivator present, regardless of which side they fought for.
It emanated from the seemingly insignificant figure still seated calmly beside the remains of the campfire.
Wudi Egun had finally set aside his skewer of meat and risen to his feet, his movements unhurried yet somehow commanding complete attention.
He brushed a few crumbs from his robe, adjusted his sleeves with meticulous care, and then—finally—raised his eyes to survey the battlefield. His expression remained as unreadable as ever, yet something had changed in his demeanor—a subtle shift from passive observer to active participant that sent an inexplicable chill down the spines of all who beheld it.
"I believe," he said, his voice carrying easily despite its measured tone, "that my meal has been sufficiently disrupted."
The simple statement, delivered without emphasis or apparent anger, nevertheless caused the ongoing battles to pause as all eyes turned toward him. Even Feng Juechen, poised to deliver what he had intended as a finishing blow, hesitated at the unexpected interruption.
In that moment of universal attention, with every combatant frozen in mid-action and the night air heavy with anticipation, Wudi Egun took a single step forward—a movement so ordinary yet somehow filled with such ominous purpose that it seemed to presage something far beyond the violence that had preceded it.