Feng Qingping took the lead, pushing her array perception to its absolute limit.
She locked onto the faint but resilient fluctuation coming from the Soul-Sound Bell, guiding their direction. Her expression was grave, and her eyes were filled with anxiety. With Feng Weilan critically injured and at death's door, her heart felt like it was being twisted by a knife.
Jiang Yifan and Ling Suxin flanked her on the left and right, spreading their divine sense as far as possible to guard against any potential ambushes or interference.
Li Nanzhu and Duan Xianxing followed closely behind.
Li Nanzhu gripped her Fellow Daoist Sword tightly, her small face set in a serious expression. She constantly prayed in her heart for the safety of her second and sixth senior brothers.
Duan Xianxing had also dropped his usual playful grin. He looked tense, occasionally glancing at Feng Qingping, fearing any negative change in the Soul-Sound Bell's fluctuations.
They moved at an incredible speed, flying just above the ground. They bypassed obstacles directly, moving with efficiency and without a moment's delay.
"Almost there! The fluctuations are becoming clearer!" Feng Qingping suddenly spoke, her voice carrying a hint of excitement. "It's toward that cliff where the mist is particularly thick! The divine sense isolation there is very strong!"
Everyone's spirits lifted, and they increased their speed even further!
Just as they passed through a forest of jagged rocks and were about to reach the heavily misted cliff area, three figures emerged from the fog ahead without warning.
The leader wore the cloud-patterned robes of a direct disciple of the Beast Taming Sect, and his aura was profound and settled—the Nascent Soul stage!
Li Nanzhu's pupils shrank as she instantly recognized the newcomer.
Qin Lie!
The chief disciple of the Beast Taming Sect!
Behind Qin Lie followed two others.
The one on the left had a cold face and a sharp aura. It was another direct disciple of the Beast Taming Sect, Ye Gucheng, at the Golden Core stage!
The one on the right was also an inner sect disciple of the Beast Taming Sect at the mid-grade Golden Core stage, with a sharp, piercing gaze.
Three Golden Core cultivators, one of whom was actually at the Nascent Soul stage!
Not to mention, the opponents had contracted beasts that were at least at the Golden Core stage themselves!
This level of power was enough to crush the five of them!
The two sides met abruptly, and the atmosphere instantly tightened to the breaking point.
Qin Lie's gaze calmly swept over Li Nanzhu's group of five, lingering for a moment on Jiang Yifan before being replaced by cool composure.
Naturally, he also saw the faint spiritual light of the flags within their team.
Behind him, Ye Gucheng and the other inner sect disciple also showed a flash of surprise in their eyes, followed by... a subtle hint of greed.
Alarm bells rang loudly in Li Nanzhu's heart!
It was over!
Meeting Qin Lie in a place like this, there was no way the other party would let them go based on the shallow goodwill earned from defeating Mo Lin earlier!
The flags and points they had accumulated were a massive temptation for any sect!
"We can't fight them head-on! And we definitely can't lead them toward Second Senior Brother!" This thought flashed through Li Nanzhu's mind like a bolt of lightning!
Almost at the same moment Qin Lie's gaze swept over them, Jiang Yifan, as the team leader, reacted the fastest. He let out a sharp cry: "Retreat! In the opposite direction!"
Without any hesitation!
The five of them instantly reached a silent understanding. Their figures blurred as they retreated at high speed, racing in the direction completely opposite to where Zhu Yinxi was located!
They had to lead Qin Lie's team away!
Seeing this, Qin Lie nodded slightly and said in a low voice, "The Sect Competition is a matter of skill. My apologies."
Before his voice had even faded, he moved. His motion seemed slow, yet he crossed dozens of yards in an instant, appearing directly in front of Jiang Yifan!
His Nascent Soul stage cultivation was on full display!
Qin Lie raised his sleeve, and an attack shot out, instantly transforming into a massive light net that blotted out the sky. Fire dragons coiled around the net as it descended toward Jiang Yifan!
Jiang Yifan's face was grim, but his reaction was lightning-fast.
He flipped his hands, revealing a set of seven palm-sized bronze disks. He then violently threw them out!
The bronze disks instantly suspended themselves in the positions of the Big Dipper, erupting with a piercing green light to form a rotating starlight barrier. It stubbornly held against the descending lightning light net!
"Sizzle—!"
Fire and starlight collided violently, producing a piercing screech.
Jiang Yifan let out a muffled groan, his face turning pale, but he ultimately managed to temporarily block the attack. A flash of surprise crossed Qin Lie's eyes.
"Fourth Senior Brother!" Feng Qingping cried out. She reacted quickly, her hands forming seals. Several array disks flew out instantly, setting up a small spirit-trapping array and an illusion array around Qin Lie, attempting to interfere with his movements and buy Jiang Yifan a moment to breathe!
"Paltry tricks." Qin Lie's expression remained unchanged. The spiritual energy around his body shuddered slightly, causing the light barrier of Feng Qingping's array to shake violently and develop cracks!
The gap between a Nascent Soul and a Golden Core was like a celestial chasm!
At the same time, Ye Gucheng and the mid-grade Golden Core disciple also moved!
Ye Gucheng had a clear target, going straight for Ling Suxin!
Ling Suxin's face was grave as her lotus lamp radiated brilliance, forming several layers of light barriers to defend herself, but she was clearly at a disadvantage!
The mid-grade Golden Core disciple summoned a demonic beast which, surprisingly, had also reached the Golden Core stage. Between the two of them, they intercepted Li Nanzhu and Duan Xianxing!
The man and beast fought as one, their offense and defense perfectly integrated. Li Nanzhu and Duan Xianxing were forced into a purely defensive position, unable to strike back at all!
The battle instantly fell into an extremely unfavorable state!
Jiang Yifan was completely suppressed by Qin Lie, and Feng Qingping's arrays were barely holding on, on the verge of collapse!
Ling Suxin was being pinned down by Ye Gucheng, while Li Nanzhu and Duan Xianxing were being driven back step by step by the opponent's demonic beast!
"This can't go on!" Li Nanzhu was consumed with anxiety. She desperately dodged the demonic beast's attacks while her mind raced to find a countermeasure.
A head-on fight was a certain death sentence; they had to find a way to break through!
However, under the divine sense coverage of a Nascent Soul cultivator, where could they even run?
Just then, Qin Lie, controlling the lightning light net, looked calmly at the struggling Jiang Yifan and suddenly spoke. His voice was clear and carried an unquestionable power:
"Fellow Daoist Jiang, stop."
He did not continue to intensify his attack; instead, he slightly eased the pressure of the light net.
"We both know that the Sect Competition is not a struggle to the death. I, Qin Lie, have no intention of forming a blood feud with the Five Elements Dao Sect." Qin Lie's tone carried a hint of sincerity. "This secret realm competition is a matter of each for their own sect. You have no chance of winning. If you continue to put up a stubborn resistance, your magic treasures will be damaged and your foundations shaken. It is simply not worth it."
His gaze swept across the battlefield before returning to Jiang Yifan. "Hand over the flags and points you have obtained. I give my word as the chief disciple of the Beast Taming Sect that I will not harm you in the slightest and will let you leave immediately. What do you say?"
These words were not a bluff.
Qin Lie had not yet utilized his contracted beasts, and his cultivation alone was enough to suppress them.
Furthermore, the Five Elements Dao Sect had previously dealt with Mo Lin, who had brought shame upon him, effectively restoring some of his face. If not for the conflicting interests of their sects, he actually quite wanted to be on good terms with the Five Elements Dao Sect.
Therefore, he did not want to drive the other party to despair and create an unresolvable grudge here.
His goal was simply to seize the points and flags to complete his sect's mission.
Following Qin Lie's words, the attacks from Ye Gucheng and the other Golden Core disciple also eased in a synchronized manner. They formed a posture of surrounding without attacking, though their presence still remained firmly locked onto their respective targets, exerting immense pressure.
The battlefield fell into a brief moment of stagnation.
The pressure shifted entirely onto the five of them.
To fight or to surrender?
Rate on N.U.
