"I was a step late!"
A towering figure, broad and hulking like a bear, stood shrouded in darkness, his gaze fixed on the remnants of the Mi family estate. The air was thick with the stench of blood. Faint waves of spirit energy still lingered, gradually dissipating, yet enough remained to hint at the ferocity of the battle that had just taken place.
High above, it was as if echoes of fury and unwillingness still clung to the heavens, refusing to fade. The shadowed figure exhaled quietly and began to turn away.
Suddenly, his body stiffened. His head lifted slowly, his eyes meeting another presence in the sky, a cultivator floating silently above, studying him intently.
"A Jade Cauldron sword cultivator?"
The man's eyes gleamed like blades, sharp and penetrating, as if they held a thousand invisible swords ready to strike. Yet as he looked down at the figure cloaked in shadow, his expression faltered.
Is he human? Or a demon?
Below, the figure offered a respectful cupped-fist salute. His voice was low and calm, "You're late as well."
In the sky, the Jade Cauldron sword cultivator furrowed his brows. Was that man one of Mi Shuhua’s reinforcements? He had never seen such a figure in Dahe Market before.
The man’s cultivation was clearly at Foundation Establishment, and his energy was undoubtedly human and yet it brimmed with dense demonic energy. It didn’t make sense.
Forget it. This wasn't the time to dwell on it. The elder’s orders were the top priority.
"Late?" he muttered with a cold smile. "No. I’m right on time."
With a cold chuckle, he unleashed his sword light, his body turning into a streak of azure brilliance as he sped toward the sensed location.
***
Outside Crescent Moon Valley, the battle raged on!
With both Shan Xiu and Gao Tingyuan slain, the tide shifted in an instant. Luo Chen, Murong Qinglian, Duan Feng, and Gu Caiyi were no longer pressed on the defensive, instead they now surged forward, seizing the initiative.
Even though the Dajiang Gang had sent over thirty late stage Qi-Refining cultivators and sixty mid-stage ones. However, their leaders were killed and Duan Feng joined the fray, the tide of battle began to turn.
"Hall Leader, are you alright?"
"Luo Chen, are you okay?"
Luo Chen turned around to see Gu Caiyi, Zhou Yuanli, and the others looking at him with concern. That soul-wrenching cry he had let out earlier had echoed across the entire battlefield. It was no wonder they were so anxious about him.
He gave a faint smile. "I’m fine. Go support the others."
Without hesitation, Murong Qinglian summoned her enchanted artifact and charged toward the enemy. Gu Caiyi wanted to join the battle as well, but the moment she tried to summon her spirit power, she cried out in pain and staggered.
"The effects of the Laurel pill have worn off," Luo Chen said, pressing her by the shoulder. "Caiyi, stay back and heal your wounds."
Then, he turned to Zhou Yuanli and Liu Qiang. The two immediately understood Luo Chen’s intention, but just as they were about to move, a strange expression flickered across their faces.
"It’s... unlocked?" one of them murmured.
"It's gone?"
Luo Chen was caught off guard by their sudden change in expression. "What's wrong?"
Zhou Yuanli furrowed his brow in confusion. "The method the Gang Leader used to control me... it's gone?"
"Mine too!" Liu Qiang added, his face going pale as realization dawned. "Could something have happened to the Gang Leader?"
The three men looked at each other, a rush of conflicting emotions rising in their chests. Was it fear? Relief? Perhaps both.
But Luo Chen only gave a slight wave of his hand. "Forget it. We’ll sort it out later. For now, go take care of those Dajiang Gang bastards. They've crossed too many lines tonight."
Zhou Yuanli and Liu Qiang didn’t hesitate. With a grunt of acknowledgment, they rejoined the fray. Though the mental bindings that once compelled them were gone, their instincts still pushed them to follow Luo Chen’s lead.
With their return to battle, the tide turned decisively. The Dajiang Gang forces faltered, their momentum steadily crumbling.
Luo Chen, meanwhile, popped two Dust Transformation pills into his mouth. As his body absorbed the medicine, the Long Spring Art quietly worked to restore his drained spirit power. Slowly but surely, energy returned to his limbs.
He remained by Gu Caiyi’s side, sweeping his gaze across the battlefield like a hawk watching for weakness. From time to time, he flicked out jade essence beads, launched a Fireball, or hurled his jade blade with chilling precision. Mid stage Qi-Refining cultivators were struck down in an instant. Even those at the late stage, though capable of defending for a moment or two, quickly found themselves overwhelmed, left open to be finished off by others.
It wasn’t long before the enemy began to break ranks and flee.
But Luo Chen didn’t order a pursuit. His gaze had shifted, narrowing toward the spirit fields within Crescent Moon Valley.
A formation had been cast over the farmland, enclosing a large swath of it in glowing light. Inside, Min Longyu moved like a shadow, weaving fluidly through chaos, every movement laced with deadly intent. Compared to him, Granny Yuan was clearly struggling.
Her Crane Bill Hoe, her prized enchanted artifact, had lost its spirit light, dim and dull, as if on the verge of breaking apart.
Luo Chen narrowed his eyes. The others can be dealt with, but Min Longyu is the real threat. Back on the Debate Platform, even Han Dang, who had Perfected Mastery of Qi-Refining, died inexplicably under his formation flags. Never thought Granny Yuan could hold out this long.
Luo Chen’s eyes narrowed, a subtle flicker flashing through them as his lips moved in a barely perceptible whisper. The next instant, a tremendous surge of spirit energy burst forth into the sky.
Responding to the silent signal, Duan Feng leapt into action. Standing amid the waves, his longsword swung relentlessly, layering waves upon waves, stacking higher and higher before crashing down with an earth-shattering roar.
Inside the formation, Min Longyu’s expression contorted in disbelief.
"They found the flaw already?" he muttered. "Is there... a formation master among them?"
Without a second’s hesitation, he flipped his octagonal formation disc. Waves of golden light surged out in all directions, trying desperately to stabilize the faltering array.
But just as the lights spread, the formation twisted and crumbled entirely.
Min Longyu wasted no more time and shot off into the distance.
Granny Yuan’s face turned ashen as she drove her Crane Bill Hoe into the spirit field. "Leaving? It won’t be that easy!"
Her hands formed a flurry of seals, her old fingers—thin and claw-like—moving with surprising dexterity.
Her fingers flew into motion, weaving a rapid flurry of complex hand seals. Though gnarled and thin from age, her hands moved with surprising agility, honed through decades of cultivation.