Chapter 774: Border Battle (Part 2)

"It seems further discussion is pointless. You have no room for negotiation. Then it can only be a fight to the death. However, before that, let's engage in a wagered battle. Both sides should jointly send people to set up the protective barriers! Regardless of the outcome, once the wagered battle concludes, we will immediately launch into a full-scale war," the gaunt old man said straightforwardly.

He probably knew that at this point, persuading the three great cultivators to yield was utterly wishful thinking.

"A wagered battle is certainly acceptable, but what about the prisoners you promised? If we don't see them, heheh…” Old Devil Hehuan sneered, staring at the old man.

Hearing this, the old man was momentarily startled, but after a moment's thought, he moved his lips slightly, sending a few whispered messages to the rear.

Immediately, the ranks of the spellcasters behind them stirred.

Over a thousand unarmed cultivators, who had nothing but the clothes on their backs, were pushed out of the ranks.

Upon reaching the front of the formation, these cultivators displayed various expressions; some were flushed with anger, while others glared furiously at the spellcasters.

A slight stir also arose within the opposing cultivator army.

Naturally, many fellow disciples recognized these captured cultivators.

Upon seeing this, Venerable Zhiyang and the others exchanged glances, and only then did their expressions soften slightly as they nodded.

"Well? You've seen them. Are you at ease now? Let's start the wagered battle quickly!” The short man named Bi, one of the Mulan Divine Masters, grew a little impatient.

"Why are you in such a hurry, esteemed sir? Could it be that in this wagered battle, you plan to play some tricks?” Wei Wuya said unexpectedly.

"If you dare not engage in the wagered battle, we'll use these cultivators as a sacrifice to boost our morale, and then we'll start the war. What do the three of you say?” The short man's expression changed, and he began to threaten them.

"Are you threatening us?!” A cold glint flashed in Wei Wuya's eyes, and he said sternly.

"It's not really a threat," the gaunt old man said, his expression unchanged but his voice growing a little sinister. "But if you're unwilling to participate in the wagered battle, keeping these prisoners is useless to us. Using them as a sacrifice to boost morale is not out of the question.”

"We can agree to a wagered battle, but first, release these prisoners. Then we'll agree to the wagered battle.” Venerable Zhiyang said slowly after his eyebrows twitched a few times.

"Release them? Do you think we'd do something so foolish?” the short man said impolitely.

"But we don't trust you either! What if you don't keep your word after the wagered battle ends?” Wei Wuya said calmly.

"Even so, we…"

"Enough," the old man interjected before the short man could speak further, a fierce glint flashing in his eyes. "No more useless talk. Before the wagered battle, we can release half the prisoners. The rest will depend on your performance in the battle. You have no objection to this, right? If this is still unacceptable, then go back, and we'll start the war immediately.”

"Alright, let's proceed as such! You release the people, and we'll begin setting up the restrictions here.” This time, after exchanging a few whispered words with the other two, Venerable Zhiyang decisively agreed.

This condition was the maximum concession the other side could make. If negotiations broke down completely, they wouldn't be able to explain it to the cultivators behind them.

With the conditions settled, the six individuals returned to their respective camps and began making arrangements.

Han Li had already left his original position and hid among a squad of cultivators. Before the wagered battle began, he did not want to be noticed by the high-ranking spellcasters on the opposing side.

As for the conversation between Venerable Zhiyang and the others and the three Mulan Divine Masters, Han Li's powerful spiritual sense allowed him to hear everything clearly.

Then, a slight smile appeared at the corner of Han Li's mouth. Among the cultivators who had been pushed forward, a portion had their restrictions lifted by the spellcasters, and then flew towards the opposing side, filled with joyful surprise.

However, Venerable Zhiyang had clearly made prior arrangements.

Before these cultivators could fly into the main army, hundreds of cultivators had already come out to meet them, carefully inspecting the rescued cultivators. Only after confirming there were no spies among them and no tricks played on their bodies, did they feel at ease allowing them to enter the cultivator ranks.

"These fellows from Tiannan are truly cautious," the short man named Bi snorted discontentedly, watching the scene from afar. "Fortunately, we didn't make these cultivators take the Soul-Lost Pill back then, otherwise, it would have been difficult to get past this stage.”

"That is to be expected!" the scholar named Zhong agreed. "The three great cultivators of Tiannan are not easily dealt with. Such petty tricks are best left unused. To strike a snake, you must strike its vital spot! Otherwise, you'll only make matters worse.”

Hearing this, the gaunt old man's face remained expressionless. He merely stroked his sparse goatee, gazing at the opposing cultivator army, his body motionless.

Under Han Li's distant gaze, a group of cultivators and spellcasters flew out from their respective camps. Then, at ten different points in the middle ground between the two armies, they began to set up magic formations.

These individuals were array masters proficient in the way of formations among both cultivators and spellcasters. Although the restrictive barrier formations they were to set up were exceptionally powerful, they were not obscure or unusual formations. Therefore, with their level of array mastery, any tricks played by the other side would naturally be obvious at a glance.

Normally, setting up such restrictions would take a considerable amount of time. However, with so many array masters acting simultaneously, and not sparing any precious materials or pre-prepared array disks and flags for assistance, in just fifteen minutes, ten small magic formations, faintly glowing with white light, had already taken shape.

Immediately, the array masters from both sides jointly activated the formations, and ten white light barriers, each covering an area of seventy to eighty zhang, appeared between the two armies.

After these array masters re-inspected everything and confirmed there were no issues, they withdrew. In their place, ten Core Formation stage cultivators and spellcasters simultaneously stepped forward.

Precisely, one cultivator and one spellcaster jointly supervised the operation of each formation.

Among the Tiannan cultivators was the woman named Song from the Falling Cloud Sect. Dressed in flowing white robes, she walked to the second-to-last formation at one end.

Seeing this, Han Li showed no surprise.

The fact that this woman walked to that formation indicated that he would be participating in the wagered fight within that same formation. After all, only disciples from one's own sect could truly reassure these powerful cultivators.

Otherwise, if the chosen cultivator happened to be a disciple from a hostile sect, they might not intervene to rescue someone in danger or might not put in their full effort. That would be truly unfortunate.

Therefore, the appearance of the woman named Song was actually proposed by Han Li himself. After all, he didn't know much about the other disciples of the Falling Cloud Sect.

With the grand formations complete, it was naturally time for the combatants from both sides to make their appearance.

From the opposing spellcaster's camp, ten figures cloaked in black robes first flew forth. A pervasive sinister aura emanated from each of them, their demonic energy astonishing.

"Demonic cultivators!”

Han Li's pupils contracted, and he murmured under his breath. However, a flash of green light enveloped him, and he transformed into a streak of green rainbow, shooting out from the cultivator ranks.

Nine other Nascent Soul old monsters made similar moves. Han Li had already seen most of them, with only two or three unfamiliar faces.

True Person Soulbreaker, Old Devil Yunlu, and the woman named Bai were all among them.

These individuals flew to the formations they had chosen and slowly halted in mid-air.

As soon as Han Li arrived above the light barrier, he first nodded to the woman named Song who was controlling the formation below, then calmly looked at the black-robed figure opposite him.

"A bit strange! Why is their demonic energy so violent? Could they have taken a powerful pill like the Soul Return Pill beforehand?” Han Li remained calm on the surface, but pondered inwardly.

If it was merely this, he wouldn't be afraid.

The black-robed figure opposite him had an ordinary build, but both eyes gleamed with a cold green light, staring at Han Li without blinking.

Although he couldn't clearly see the other's face, it was indeed a Nascent Soul cultivator whose cultivation was at the peak of the early Nascent Soul stage, not yet having advanced to the mid-stage.

After observing, Han Li's gaze shifted, and he glanced sideways at the other black-robed demonic cultivators nearby. They all seemed similar to his opponent; even if there were differences, they were not significant.

Han Li's heart stirred, and his vigilance heightened considerably.

It seemed there was indeed something amiss with this wagered battle. These demonic cultivators... not a single one was a mid-stage Nascent Soul cultivator! But it didn't matter. As soon as the opponent used demonic cultivation techniques, he would immediately unleash the Evil-Dispelling Divine Thunder to instantly annihilate them. No matter what tricks the opponent had up their sleeves, it would be futile.

In an instant, a murderous intent surged in Han Li's heart, and he had already made up his mind.

Just then, the black-robed cultivator opposite him suddenly pulled out a storage bag from their waist, then gazed at Han Li with an emotionless look.

Han Li smiled slightly, and likewise took off a storage bag filled with wagered battle materials.

The materials in the bag were pooled together by the four great forces of Tiannan. Their value was so immense that even Han Li felt a touch of envy when he saw them.

The black-robed figure opposite raised a hand and directly threw the storage bag over.

Han Li's eyes narrowed, and he also threw his storage bag, exchanging them.

The materials in the opponent's storage bag were not as diverse as those in his own bag, but in terms of rare value, they were clearly superior. This was consistent with what was stated in their challenge letter; there was nothing amiss.

Han Li nodded, and without returning the materials, he directly fastened the storage bag to his waist.

The black-robed figure opposite made the same gesture.

Seeing this, the woman named Song below and the opposing spellcaster simultaneously chanted incantations, their hands constantly forming seals.

After a spell seal struck each formation, the white light barrier above it flickered a few times and then suddenly vanished.

Han Li and the black-robed figure moved almost equally fast; after a flicker of their forms, both appeared simultaneously within the formation.

This made both of them look at each other with a hint of surprise.

The white barrier reappeared, isolating them from everything outside.

The other cultivators and black-robed figures also entered the light barriers in pairs.

For a moment, the cultivator and spellcaster armies watching from afar fell silent. Everyone held their breath, nervously watching the ten somewhat blurry pairs of figures within the light barriers.

Once inside the light barrier, Han Li no longer paid attention to the battles of others. He simply gazed calmly at the black-robed figure opposite him, his body motionless. However, the green light circulating around his body grew increasingly intense, and the flying swords within him began to tremble on their own, ready to fly out and harm the enemy at any moment.

Naturally, his most potent magical treasure against demonic cultivators, the Evil-Dispelling Divine Thunder, had already converged into a fist-sized golden orb, located in Han Li's dantian, held gleefully in the hands of his Nascent Soul, ready to unleash a world-shattering blow at any moment.

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