Chapter 452: Wind and Blade

The strong winds lashed out, not merely as wind blades, but the hurricane itself seemed to solidify, spanning the night sky and stars with an overwhelming pressure that stole their breath.

The raging hurricane appeared intent on tearing this space apart.

Nothing could be heard but the continuous whistling in their ears.

The chaotic spiritual energy tugged at everyone's heartstrings. Faced with such a terrifying spectacle, the cultivators from the Minor Cold Domain were incredibly tense, their gazes grim.

Qin Sang did not look towards the Heavenly Alliance; instead, he kept his gaze fixed on the Qi blade he was manipulating.

The hurricane drew closer.

At that moment, the Qi blade finally moved.

The Qi blades moved in unison, their formation clashing head-on with the hurricane, radiating an intense brilliance.

To the naked eye, all the Qi blades appeared to merge into a single, elongated giant dragon, which, with a shrill shriek, hurtled head-on into the hurricane.

Rumble...

Heaven and earth shook.

The terrifying collision caused every cultivator's heart to skip a beat.

Even the battlefield of the Core Formation cultivators in the distance was startled, pausing for a brief moment as numerous gazes converged on the scene.

The fierce winds engulfed the Qi blades.

Blade light sliced through the wind blades.

At the very epicenter, spiritual energy churned chaotically, forming a terrifying eye of the storm.

Within the eye of the storm, wind and blades intertwined, tearing apart the spiritual energy of heaven and earth until nothing could be discerned.

The collision's aftershocks began to radiate in all directions, blasting a large hole directly in the water's surface, almost revealing the muddy bottom and aquatic plants.

Massive waves surged, and the water flowed turbulently, yet it failed to fill the large hole for a prolonged period.

The aftershocks impacted the two battle formations, and within the surging tide of spiritual energy, mixed with fragments of Qi blades and wind blades, there remained a terrifying destructive force.

A commotion rippled through the Minor Cold Domain's ranks. Without awaiting orders, everyone swiftly conjured their magic artifacts to repel the aftershocks.

Mu Yifeng positioned himself and his companions in front of Qin Sang, raising the Nine Flames Divine Edge.

Just then, Qin Sang suddenly let out a muffled groan, a sweet taste rising in his throat. His face paled slightly, and his body swayed, as if he were losing his balance.

Mu Yifeng noticed Qin Sang's sudden instability and, despite the urgency of the moment, turned to look.

Qin Sang shook his head slightly, signaling that he was unharmed.

The Qi blade he controlled had been destroyed, and such destruction usually caused a backlash. However, having served as a formation core many times, he was highly skilled. Recognizing the unfavorable situation, he immediately severed his connection with the blade, sustaining only minor, negligible injuries that would not impair his combat ability.

Hastily consuming a healing elixir, Qin Sang glanced at the encroaching aftershocks and immediately issued a command. Soon, another Qi blade materialized and, guided by Qin Sang, plunged back into the eye of the storm.

This collision persisted for approximately the duration it takes an incense stick to burn.

Both sides spared no effort. The eye of the storm shifted back and forth but never significantly deviated, generally remaining centered between the two battle formations.

In this struggle, it seemed neither side could gain the upper hand.

However, as time progressed, the destructive power within the eye of the storm clearly diminished. The most apparent change was that the large hole in the water's surface was nearly refilled.

Throughout this process, the distance between the two sides steadily closed.

The Qi blade was torn apart by the hurricane once more, but Qin Sang did not attempt to conjure another. Watching his steadily approaching opponents, he took a breath and declared in a low voice, "Prepare to engage!"

This was indeed the familiar procedure, and this time was no exception: close-quarters combat was about to commence.

With both armies deployed, the initial few engagements occasionally saw unexpected twists.

In the later stages, however, opponents became highly familiar with each other. Not only were petty tactics exhausted, but even if they existed, they would have little impact within a formidable battle formation.

Several large-scale engagements typically followed a similar course.

Whoosh whoosh...

Countless streaks of light crisscrossed as the formation abruptly shifted.

Having completed their role as the 'formation core,' Qin Sang and his group saw the surrounding cultivators return to their respective squads. The brilliance of countless magic artifacts illuminated the battle formation, densely packed and dazzling like stars.

The eye of the storm had not entirely dissipated, yet it could no longer impede the advance of either side.

Waves of battle cries echoed across the sky as the two swathes of radiant light finally began to merge.

However, beneath this breathtaking spectacle lay lethal intent!

At such close proximity, subtle differences finally became apparent. Although both the Heavenly Alliance and the Minor Cold Domain consisted of cultivators, distinct disparities existed between them.

These differences manifested not only in their magic artifacts but also in the cultivators themselves.

Although the Minor Cold Domain's formations had been honed by three years of warfare, compared to the Heavenly Alliance, they still appeared somewhat less cohesive. While individual squads demonstrated excellent coordination, the overall formation still showed a slight looseness.

When observing the entire grand formation, the disparity became even more pronounced.

Nevertheless, the overall strength of the Minor Cold Domain's cultivators was not inferior to that of the Heavenly Alliance, even though the Heavenly Alliance boasted a considerably larger number of cultivators and a grander formation.

Yet, in terms of the number of pseudo-Core Formation and late-stage Foundation Establishment experts, the Minor Cold Domain actually managed to outnumber the Heavenly Alliance.

Furthermore, the Minor Cold Domain's cultivators possessed a more diverse array of magic artifacts. Most of the Heavenly Alliance cultivators' artifacts were confined to types such as battle armor, spears, halberds, and swords, appearing remarkably similar in design.

Having engaged the Minor Cold Domain cultivators for an extended period, Qin Sang held no contempt for them despite their uniform magic artifacts.

For cultivators, magic artifacts are merely one component of their overall strength. Moreover, their specific type of artifacts was highly conducive to coordinated use, allowing them to unleash power exceeding their inherent quality.

"Senior Brother Mu, you lead the vanguard, and I'll provide support from the center," Qin Sang transmitted.

"Understood!"

Mu Yifeng, gripping the Nine Flames Divine Edge, with a fire dragon coiling around him, charged ahead.

The squad members arrayed themselves around Qin Sang and Mu Yifeng, poised for battle.

With a flick of Qin Sang's finger, the Cold Gold Sword, which had been circling him, shot forth to fly alongside Mu Yifeng. His other hand retrieved the Yin-Yang Compass...

"Charge!"

Battle cries shook the heavens.

Boom!

The battle formations of both sides finally clashed.

In that instant, Qin Sang saw nothing beyond the immediate vicinity; his vision was entirely filled with the wave of enemies before him.

This surge of enemies, like a sharp sword, plunged into their battle formation, piercing through it with irresistible force, directly confronting Qin Sang.

Similar scenes unfolded simultaneously at other points along the line.

However, the Minor Cold Domain's formation, though dispersed, maintained order.

Qin Sang had no energy to spare for other areas. After a swift scan of his surroundings and a silent assessment of both sides' strengths, he issued a command.

"Charge!"

Whoosh!

The Cold Gold Sword transformed into a pinpoint of cold light, advancing in tandem with the Nine Flames Divine Edge. Simultaneously, the squads surrounding Qin Sang, anticipating his movements, immediately provided support.

Instantly, magic artifacts surged forward in a tit-for-tat assault.

The opponents, unwilling to show weakness, maintained their momentum, with sword qi and blade light crisscrossing.

As expected, the opponents' charge briefly faltered after the collision.

However, Qin Sang did not press the attack.

"Give way!"

As the saying goes, "Spirit and strength fade after the first rush."

Qin Sang was not foolish enough to engage in a head-on clash; his objective was merely to blunt the opponent's initial momentum.