Everyone saw this scene. Li Yan had actually killed another cultivator of the same rank, and his methods were extremely brutal. He had practically hammered Chan Master Dajing's flesh off his body piece by piece.
At the same time, Hang Lin's somewhat urgent voice came through.
"He… he's just like Zhu Luan and Mo Gu, another high-level poison cultivator! Be careful!"
And from another side, the Sixth Sir's dissatisfied voice also rang out.
"Dajing, that idiot, he just ran away like that. A Nascent Soul using its divine abilities could have at least tied down some of the opponent's strength!"
His face was ashen with anger. With Chan Master Dajing's Nascent Soul escaping, the situation was completely altered. There was another sentence he didn't say aloud.
"The cultivators of the Desolate Moon Continent are just unreliable!"
But Hang Lin, the cultivator surnamed Ye, and many other traitorous Golden Core cultivators from the Desolate Moon Continent were still here, so he naturally wasn't foolish enough to say such a thing.
The Nascent Soul cultivators on both sides guessed that the moment Chan Master Dajing's physical body collapsed, his Nascent Soul had fled. Li Yan's attempt to completely annihilate him was naturally fruitless, as he could no longer find a trace of Chan Master Dajing's Nascent Soul.
Apart from the Sixth Sir's own growing hatred for the cultivators of the Desolate Moon Continent, the other four, including the two demon cultivators, were all thinking to themselves that if they were left with only their Nascent Soul, they would definitely flee as well. The Sixth Sir made it sound easy, but a Nascent Soul could only display sixty percent of its previous power at best. Moreover, if the Nascent Soul was injured again, that would be a truly fatal blow.
Another sudden turn of events. Not only did the demon cultivators' side not expect it, but even Wei Zhongran and his group were greatly shocked. No one could have imagined that Li Yan would kill one Nascent Soul cultivator and injure another in less than a hundred breaths. Now, the expressions with which both sides looked at Li Yan became exceptionally interesting.
And all of this was because the opponent had underestimated Li Yan and Li Yuyin. Otherwise, if they had used a mid-stage Nascent Soul cultivator to deal with Li Yan, or if Qi Jinghong had been exceptionally careful, Li Yan's specialty—sneak attacks—would not have been so effective.
But this was also Li Yan's greatest strength: his concealment methods. As long as one had not fought him, it was difficult to notice his true combat power. A talent for calculation was deeply ingrained in Li Yan's bones.
Furthermore, through this battle with Chan Master Dajing, the power of the Five Immortal Sects' cultivation methods was truly displayed at the Nascent Soul realm, revealing its grim fangs. Even its auxiliary cultivation methods were by no means simple. This was also one of the most important reasons why the Immortal Spirit Realm was searching for the Five Immortal Sects. With the existence of such a bizarre sect, many cultivators who had toiled their entire lives could be easily slain by them, leaving others unable to rest in peace.
The gazes of Hang Lin and the other four became exceptionally wary when they looked at Li Yan. After Zhu Luan and Mo Gu left, the Malevolent Spirit Sect had actually produced another Nascent Soul stage poison cultivator. This kind of poison cultivator was a top-tier one, in the same league as Zhu Luan and the others. They weren't the kind who just threw poison pills or sprinkled poison liquids, but possessed the means to destroy a peer in a matter of breaths.
What they didn't know was that Chan Master Dajing hadn't survived as a Nascent Soul; he had been blasted into a bloody mist by Li Yan at the very end. And Li Yan, ever the actor, had put on a convincing performance, making everyone believe that he was searching for Chan Master Dajing's departed Nascent Soul.
To consecutively kill two Nascent Soul cultivators without their Nascent Souls escaping was a feat that, unless one was a complete fool, would lead to the conclusion that Li Yan had a method specifically for suppressing Nascent Souls.
Thus, he pretended to heed Mo Qing's voice transmission, stopped "searching" for Chan Master Dajing's Nascent Soul, and flew rapidly toward Wei Zhongran.
At this moment, the ground was already littered with bones, and rivers of blood flowed. Golden Core cultivators were still continuously falling from the sky, screaming in agony!
Once the chaotic battle began, even if Golden Core cultivators were relatively difficult to kill, the moment you were severely injured or showed a single flaw, someone would immediately take advantage of the opening. There was no such thing as a sneak attack or a siege; there was no need for a fair fight. The sole purpose was to slaughter the enemy as quickly as possible...
Tens of thousands of zhang up in the sky, a large banner stood erect behind Gu Jiuqi, fluttering loudly. With a furl of the wind, it let out a "bang," blocking a three-toed giant claw that had reached out from a crack in the void behind him. Then, the great banner shook, and a wave of azure ripples spread out with Gu Jiuqi at its center. The three-toed giant claw dissolved into specks of black light!
"First Sir, your so-called three hundred breaths are a joke. Two Nascent Souls died so quickly. This time, I will make you all disappear completely from the Desolate Moon Continent!" Gu Jiuqi's aged voice rang in the First Sir's ear, a smile on his face.
The First Sir, however, was the exact opposite. His face was so grim that it looked as if water could drip from it. The two of them had been paying attention to the battle below. The goal this time was to kill as many of the opponent's mid-to-high-level cultivators as possible. But in less than a hundred breaths, not only had not a single one of Gu Jiuqi's Nascent Soul cultivators died, but their own side had suffered heavy losses.
With Gu Jiuqi and the First Sir's cultivation, how could Chan Master Dajing's Nascent Soul have escaped without them detecting it?
"A newly advanced Nascent Soul… Li… Yan. Good! Truly good!" A bone-chilling voice drifted from the First Sir's lips. The excellent situation had been ruined by this cultivator named Li Yan.
Originally, of all the current Nascent Soul cultivators in the Four Great Sects, the one he hated the most was that little fellow named Wei Zhongran. It was this person who had caused the final battle to lose its reinforcements. As for some Li Yan, he had never paid him any mind. Even if the news he received said that this person had also fallen into the Devil's Cliff Crevice and had successfully formed his Nascent Soul upon his return, so what? He could only be considered lucky. Before, in the First Sir's mind, Li Yan had only transformed into a slightly stronger ant.
He muttered Li Yan's name. At this moment, apart from his hatred for this child, he had also begun to entertain the idea of retreating from this operation. In the battle below, they had originally suppressed the opponent in terms of high-level cultivators. If they could have quickly killed another one of the opponent's Nascent Soul cultivators, the fruits of victory would have rapidly expanded within dozens of breaths. This time, they would have taught the Desolate Moon Continent a big lesson, and they would have had more buffer time to strengthen themselves.
"Lead everyone in a swift retreat. I will buy you another hundred breaths of time!"
Though the First Sir's heart was currently filled with soaring hatred, this expedition had yielded considerable gains. They had intercepted and killed a good number of Nascent Soul and Golden Core cultivators. All in all, they had come out with a slight advantage. Furthermore, they had now scouted out a good deal of the Four Great Sects' strength, especially the fact that this Gu Jiuqi was indeed still hiding in the sect. This point alone was enough to compensate for their losses.
He knew that there was little point in continuing this battle. He immediately sent a voice transmission to the Sixth Sir.
"Good or not, what can you do about it?" A cold light also flashed in Gu Jiuqi's eyes. Today, he would chase the First Sir to the ends of the earth to kill him. This man was truly an endless source of trouble. In just this one outing, not to mention the low-level cultivators of the Desolate Moon Continent, so many Nascent Soul cultivators had died. If this continued, the cultivation world of the Desolate Moon Continent would not be able to withstand such machinations.
He also withdrew his Divine Sense from below. In this battle, if Li Yan was an anomaly, then the key players here were actually Wei Zhongran and the little monk Yiye. These two had each fought two opponents, single-handedly holding back four Nascent Soul cultivators, which bought precious time for the others. Li Yan's strength was more in assassination; if he had to face two enemies head-on, the situation might not have turned out this way.
Of course, he would not deny that Li Yan had put on a remarkable performance, and his combat power was quite outstanding.
As Gu Jiuqi spoke, his actions did not cease. His finger, hidden in his sleeve, lightly tapped his gourd. Thousands of zhang away, two streaks of silver light suddenly appeared before the First Sir, striking at his face.
The First Sir held a short, dark spear horizontally. The spear's shaft was only three or four inches longer than a regular longsword. The shaft was curved like a verdant green snake, and the tip of the spear was like a sharp, single horn growing from the snake's head, exuding a chilling aura.
The short spear blurred and reappeared, blocking the two silver lights. In a silent clash, the two silver lights dissolved into droplets of water upon contact. In an instant, the aroma of wine filled the air. They were two streaks of sword qi condensed from wine.
In the distance, under the great banner, Gu Jiuqi was holding a pale-yellow wine gourd. He showed no surprise that the First Sir had broken his sword qi with a single spear thrust.
But just then, four more streaks of silver light appeared simultaneously behind the First Sir, slashing toward his head, neck, back, and legs. The short spear in the First Sir's hand bizarrely thrust backward from under his arm. A verdant arc of light shot out from the spear's horn-like tip. The arc instantly expanded to a dozen times its size behind him, like a green water curtain blocking his rear. The four silver lights struck it, still without a sound, and with hardly any spatial fluctuation.
However, the First Sir's body shot forward, blasted several hundred zhang away. Although there was no sound, a long crack appeared in the void where he passed. The crack was pitch-black, and powerful astral winds capable of dissolving flesh and melting bone blew out, causing the surrounding space to ripple and fold, like a flat blue cloth being grabbed by a corner and yanked. The long crack in the void flashed and then quickly closed and disappeared on its own.
Both were Spirit Transformation cultivators. With a mere wave of their hand, they could easily shatter the void. Even though they had restrained the power of their divine abilities to avoid being repelled by the rules of the lower realm, a casual strike from either of them could still shatter this part of the world.
At the same time, a change occurred below.
"Where do you think you're going?" Mo Qing shouted. Following his shout, the Sixth Sir and the other four had already begun to flee in different directions. The Golden Core cultivators from the Demon Clan's side also seemed to have received the message, and those engaged in battle abruptly scattered and flew off.
"Benefactor Mo, quickly activate the grand formation to trap them and keep them here!" Arhat Yiye shouted. At the same time, his body had already transformed into a streak of golden light, chasing in the direction the Sixth Sir had fled. Although his body was stained with blood, he was extremely valiant.
Mo Qing also transformed into a streak of light and pursued the cultivator surnamed Ye. At the same time, he sent a secret voice transmission to Arhat Yiye.
"This is not the time to activate the grand formation. We need to wait a little longer!"
They were fighting above Lord Lao Peak, the very core of the sect, where countless low-level cultivators resided. If they trapped these enemies in this core location, those cultivators who had previously disdained to trouble the low-level cultivators due to the different objectives of the battle would surely change their tune once trapped. A cornered dog will jump the wall; the idea of dragging a few more down with them would surely be on many minds.
Arhat Yiye clearly wanted to eradicate all the enemies on the spot, and this included the idea of an ant swarm biting an elephant to death. A Nascent Soul cultivator, no one would dare to surround, but if those Golden Core cultivators were swarmed by waves of Foundation Establishment cultivators, they would surely die. They could be worn down to death by sheer attrition of magical power.
But how could Mo Qing agree? If he activated the sect's grand formation, because of the presence of outside cultivators like Qiu Jiuzhen, he couldn't just launch an indiscriminate attack. At most, it would be a trapping formation. In that case, his own sect's low-level cultivators would not necessarily be able to escape unscathed. This monk Yiye's thoughts were not entirely benevolent.
Wang Lang stepped on his sword and sped off in pursuit of a traitorous cultivator from the South Sea. As he gave chase, three one-foot-long, crystalline small swords formed a triangular cone behind the fleeing cultivator, sticking closely to his back.
This South Sea traitor was a disciple of the cultivator surnamed Ye from the Twelve Dens Heavenly Island. Although he was a prodigy in his own sect, he was still a fair bit weaker than the elite disciples of the Four Great Sects, especially since he was being targeted by a Sword Cultivator from the Ten-Pace Courtyard, which was known for its aggressive and deadly attacks.
In the thirty-breath exchange just now, he had been targeted by Wang Lang and had one of his feet directly severed. Now, with a pale face, he fled rapidly.
The fleeing South Sea cultivator's Divine Sense quickly scanned the higher altitudes, where his Island Master Ye Fengsan had long since fled. At this moment, Wang Lang's hatred for these traitorous cultivators far surpassed his hatred for the demon cultivators and foreign cultivators. Those two were pure enemies; a meeting was destined to be a life-or-death affair. But these traitors were the most hateful and infuriating. They slaughtered their own kind and leaked information. Otherwise, it would not have been so easy for these demon cultivators and foreign cultivators to know their departure time and route. Martial Uncle Yuyuan would not have been seriously injured, and those fellow disciples would not have perished.
Wang Lang's Divine Sense also swept through the sky. He saw the figure that had been on the high platform before flash to the horizon and then disappear with another flicker, a speed he could not compare to.
'So this is a Nascent Soul!' he marveled to himself.
At the same time, Qiu Jiuzhen, in pursuit of her own target, also saw that figure.
'Li Yan…' a complex look flashed through her beautiful eyes.
Previously, due to her hatred for Martial Uncle Hang Lin's betrayal, she had been paying close attention to the battle of the Nascent Soul cultivators, hoping that this martial uncle would meet a terrible end to avenge her junior sister and fellow disciples. But when the demon cultivators and foreign cultivators emerged from the teleportation formation, her heart had sunk. A high-level combat power of seven against five, their side was in a very bad situation. She didn't believe the "Chimei Emissary" would be able to save them all at the last moment; he would surely save the members of the Malevolent Spirit Sect first.
Therefore, at that time, she had already thought of finding a way to escape. Qiu Jiuzhen was not resigned to dying here like this. She wanted to bring back the news of Hang Lin's betrayal. But because of Wei Zhongran's earlier declaration "...those who hesitate will be killed!" no one had dared to flee the battlefield. This was not a battle between sects; if someone dared to desert, their sect would immediately be branded a public enemy of the Desolate Moon Continent. Especially since this betrayal was mainly orchestrated by the Supreme Mystery Teachings, Qiu Jiuzhen's heart was even more bitter. If the few of them who survived didn't fight, it would only confirm their guilt.
It was only after Baili Yuan risked his life to save her that Qiu Jiuzhen stopped thinking about leaving.
'If I die, I die. Can we be weaker than the other three sects?!'
However, the subsequent development was something Qiu Jiuzhen had never expected. She could never have imagined that the division between life and death among Nascent Soul cultivators could be so swift. This was completely different from what she knew. And the ones who died were all from the demon cultivators' side. In an instant, the situation had been completely reversed, and all of it stemmed from Li Yan…
In a few breaths, Li Yan had flown nearly ten thousand li. Ahead of him was the initial-stage Demonic General. When Wei Zhongran saw him fly over, he had immediately blocked the mid-stage Demonic General and left the initial-stage one for Li Yan. But by that time, there was no need for Hang Lin's reminder; everyone already knew that Li Yan was a top-tier poison cultivator.
The initial-stage Demonic General had proactively put a distance of more than five hundred zhang between himself and Li Yan, fighting him with long-range attacks. But the two had only exchanged blows for less than three breaths before the Demonic General received the Sixth Sir's voice transmission.
Without hesitation, the initial-stage Demonic General turned and fled. This left Li Yan, whose methods were still somewhat lacking at this stage, helpless but to give chase.
The mid-stage Demonic General, however, was intercepted by Wei Zhongran. His surroundings were now also filled with ancient seal characters, descending upon him. This technique was almost identical to Li Wuyi's. The only difference was that Wei Zhongran didn't need a Magical Treasure to assist him. His ten fingers were like they were strumming a Pipa, and with a rapid flurry in the void, characters of green and black rained down like snowflakes.
The mid-stage Demonic General had wanted to fly away in an instant like the others, but he found that after flying less than a thousand zhang, he was already in a sky full of characters. He had no choice but to charge straight through. But he had fought Wei Zhongran for dozens of breaths and already knew that this little fatty's strength had actually reached the mid-stage Nascent Soul level, a few notches higher than his own. How could he dare to charge through recklessly?
Seeing his companion and the others fly off after receiving the voice transmission, he couldn't help but roar with anger.
"Wei Zhongran, don't force me to perish together with you!"
"Hehehe… back in the Devil's Cliff Crevice, many of your kind said the same thing. You can try to self-detonate now!" Wei Zhongran's eyes flashed with killing intent, but his tone was nonchalant.
"Since you've come all this way, you can just stay here!"
Wei Zhongran's dual hammers floated before him. Suddenly, he stopped forming hand seals with one hand and slammed his palm heavily on the handle of one of the hammers. The ebony hammer erupted with a monstrous, ferocious aura.