Under Suisui's elusive harassment and the restraint of Feng Qingping's exquisite arrays, Ye Gucheng and his demonic beasts were unable to break through for a time, instead finding themselves dragged into a quagmire of a struggle. This significantly relieved the pressure on Feng Qingping.
With Suisui's assistance, Feng Qingping's eyes flickered as she continued to manipulate her array disk to counter Ye Gucheng.
Qin Lie watched the battle below, his brow furrowed slightly.
He truly hadn't expected these Five Elements Dao Sect disciples to be so tenacious. Their cooperation was seamless, and their tactics were flexible. In particular, that Golden Core Great Perfection disciple, Jiang Yifan, seemed to possess an inexhaustible supply of magic tools, managing to temporarily hold off his Nascent Soul cultivation through sheer volume of artifacts.
Meanwhile, Ling Suxin's supportive abilities were exceptionally strong, and both Feng Qingping and Duan Xianxing had their own tricks. Coupled with that bizarre skeleton... it had actually prevented him from securing a swift victory.
'Hmph, I underestimated them,' Qin Lie snorted inwardly.
He did have concerns. His three life-bound beasts, which had been heavily injured by Mo Lin, were still recovering in his spirit beast bag. Forcibly summoning them to battle now might not only worsen their injuries but also hinder their future potential.
As the chief of the Beast Taming Sect, he understood the value of powerful beasts and was unwilling to take unnecessary risks.
However, that didn't mean he was helpless against this group!
Cold light flashed in Qin Lie's eyes as the pride and confidence of a Nascent Soul cultivator welled up in his heart.
Even without relying on his beasts, his own cultivation and magic treasures were enough to crush his peers!
So what if they were from the Five Elements Dao Sect? It would be the same even if the Sword Heart Sect were here!
"Since you were given a chance and didn't take it, don't blame me for being ruthless!" He hesitated no longer, deciding to end the battle quickly.
His hands formed seals, and the Nascent Soul level spiritual energy within his body erupted without reservation!
The massive Fire Dragon Net suddenly contracted. The light of intertwined thunder and fire grew even more dazzling, and the net's lines seemed to transform into physical chains of flame, closing in fiercely on Jiang Yifan and Ling Suxin!
Boom—!
The pressure intensified abruptly!
Jiang Yifan felt as if a volcano were pressing down on his head. The circulation of spiritual energy throughout his body became sluggish!
The effects of his enhancements were fading rapidly. The light from the bronze disks flickered violently again as cracks spread. Ling Suxin's face turned pale as well, the halo of the lotus lamp compressed to its limit and teetering on the verge of collapse!
"Fourth Senior Brother! Junior Sister Ling!" Li Nanzhu cried out, her heart leaping into her throat.
Jiang Yifan gritted his teeth, a look of ruthlessness flashing in his eyes. Just as he was about to activate a secret technique—
In that moment, Ling Suxin sent him a secret voice transmission: "Senior Brother Jiang, hold on for a moment longer! I've used a secret technique to call for help from Eldest Senior Sister Rong Yuying! She should be nearby and will arrive soon!"
Jiang Yifan was shaken!
Was Rong Yuying actually nearby? If she could arrive in time, even if they couldn't defeat the opponent, escaping would at least be no problem!
Once Jiang Yifan realized this, the speed at which he threw out magic tools increased even further, desperately resisting the steadily contracting Fire Dragon Net.
Ling Suxin also pushed the power of the lotus lamp to its limit. The soft yet resilient light acted as the final barrier, stubbornly holding firm.
Only Qin Lie was exceptionally frustrated. Was this Jiang Yifan's supply of magic tools truly endless?
He had already thrown so many; how were there still more?
...
Meanwhile, in the cave behind the waterfall.
Zhu Yinxi sat cross-legged at the entrance, his expression grave.
He had long ago sensed the intense and persistent spiritual energy fluctuations in the distance. Specifically, that powerful Nascent Soul aura made him extremely uneasy.
What worried him even more was that the soul-sound fluctuations of his fellow disciples, which should have been getting closer, had suddenly stalled at some point and become incredibly chaotic.
This could only mean one thing—they were intercepted by a powerful enemy and were locked in a bitter struggle!
'Fourth Senior Brother... Fifth Senior Sister... Little Junior Sister...' Zhu Yinxi gripped the jade flute in his hand, his knuckles turning white from the strain.
He wanted nothing more than to rush out of the cave and provide support.
But... he glanced at his sixth senior brother, Feng Weilan, who remained unconscious and weak beside him.
Leave his heavily injured brother alone in the depths of this danger-filled secret realm?
If a demonic beast or another cultivator discovered this cave... the consequences would be unthinkable!
Yet, if he didn't go to their aid, his other siblings might very well...
He was caught in a dilemma.
Beneath Zhu Yinxi's cold exterior was a roiling sea of anxiety and helplessness.
He could only desperately sense the fluctuations in the distance, praying that his companions could hold on or that a turning point would appear.
...
Just as the situation reached a stalemate—with Jiang Yifan and Ling Suxin struggling under Qin Lie's Nascent Soul pressure and Feng Qingping locked in combat with Ye Gucheng—
Li Nanzhu, who had been staying at the edge of the battlefield, caught an opportunity! She waited for the moment the inner sect disciple showed a trace of agitation from his failed attacks, leaving a microscopic opening in his offensive.
She immediately seized the chance, her body sliding backward abruptly. With a sudden flick of her right hand, the Wanxiang Brush appeared in her grasp!
Ignoring the fact that over half of her spiritual energy was already spent, she forcibly poured all her remaining energy and divine sense into the Wanxiang Brush!
The tip of the brush suddenly glowed with a piercing light. Her wrist trembled, yet she held it with extraordinary stability as she drew two seemingly simple yet profoundly mysterious strokes in the air—
Eight Principles of Yong: Nu and Ti!
They corresponded respectively to the most powerful elements: thunder and fire!
The moment these two strokes were completed, Li Nanzhu's face turned as white as paper. Her body swayed as if all her strength had been drained.
However, the two strokes formed from pure spiritual energy and divine sense erupted with startling power in mid-air!
The two strokes did not target the strongest, Qin Lie. Instead, as if possessed of their own sentience, they crossed each other and shot straight toward Ye Gucheng, who was currently fighting Feng Qingping!
Ye Gucheng was fully occupied with Feng Qingping's array changes and Suisui's harassment. How could he have anticipated this sudden assault?
The power of the laws contained within that single point and horizontal line caused his divine soul to shudder. He felt a genuine sense of threat!
Horrified, he abandoned his attack and activated his defensive magic treasures and demonic beasts for protection!
Boom! Boom!
The brush strokes slammed into Ye Gucheng's defenses, erupting with a thunderous roar!
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