Chapter 126: Beaten and Injured Qin Family

A short while later, the battle subsided. The five mounts licked their wounds, and Lu Ye along with his four companions leaned against trees, some tending to their injuries, others recovering their energy.

Qin clan disciples' bodies lay scattered around. The fifth-realm cultivator had suffered the most gruesome death; having survived until the very end, he was ultimately surrounded and killed by Lu Ye and his group, his body hacked into several pieces.

In just half a day, the hunting party had fought three battles. They first encountered the enemy's hunting party, then joined forces with their own peak-guarding team to eliminate the enemy's assault team, and finally, with only five individuals, they wiped out half of the enemy's peak-guarding team. Their achievements were undeniably significant.

Despite these frequent and intense clashes, both the cultivators and their mounts sustained injuries, though fortunately, none were severe.

"Thanks!" Qiao Qiao'er said, her soft body leaning close to Lu Ye.

Earlier, during their joint assault on the fifth-realm cultivator, Lu Ye had the opportunity to deliver the killing blow but left the final strike to someone else. Qiao Qiao'er was fortunate enough to land the decisive hit, which earned her thirty spirit stones.

Across all three battles, Lu Ye undoubtedly killed the most enemies, single-handedly accounting for thirty percent of the team's total kills. When the fifth-realm cultivator made his desperate last stand, Lu Ye was also the one who held the front, blocking the attacks. Without him, even if their side could have eventually defeated the opponent, they would have paid a heavy price, with some potentially losing their lives.

Having already gained a significant amount, Lu Ye was naturally not overly greedy. Everyone was risking their lives in these battles, and no one had an extra life to spare. Therefore, when possible, he was willing to lend a hand to others.

Rogue cultivators truly had it rough.

"You earned it," Lu Ye replied casually, recovering his spiritual energy. He subtly shifted away; the woman's overt enthusiasm was a bit much for him.

Qiao Qiao'er edged closer again and whispered, "Tonight, I'll come find you."

"Roar..." A large, snowy-white head suddenly pushed its way between them, a pair of piercing tiger eyes fixed on Qiao Qiao'er.

"Never mind... forget I said that." Qiao Qiao'er quickly stood up, covering her behind with her hands, and moved to sit elsewhere. She had just recalled an unpleasant memory from last night.

This scene made Song Xie, who was tending to his injuries, burst out laughing, and he couldn't stop coughing as he did.

Qiao Qiao'er shot him a dagger stare: "Cough yourself to death!"

Rustling sounds and waves of spiritual energy emerged from nearby.

Everyone's expression stiffened. Xie Jin raised a hand and said, "Don't panic, it's our allies."

It was indeed their own people. The assault team, having already taken the peak and killed many, had rushed over as reinforcements. When the leading fifth-realm cultivator arrived, he was stunned: "Is the fighting over already?"

They had expected a fierce battle, given that the hunting party consisted of only five individuals, while the Qin clan had over a dozen. Even with mounts, the hunting party could at best delay the enemy. They had prepared for a significant engagement on their way, only to discover the battle was already over upon their arrival.

Seeing the number of bodies scattered around, the fifth-realm cultivator gasped, realizing the enemy had been completely annihilated.

"Our hunting party is this powerful? I never realized it before."

The fifth-realm cultivator stared at Xie Jin in shock. Xie Jin subtly nodded towards him, and the man instantly understood.

It wasn't that their hunting party was inherently powerful, but rather that a formidable individual had joined their ranks.

In the preceding charges, Lu Ye consistently killed at least one enemy cultivator each time, and sometimes two when he was lucky. No one else possessed such prowess.

After repeated clashes, this remnant of the Qin clan's peak-guarding team lost all will to resist. They tried to scatter and flee, but without mounts, escape was impossible.

The fifth-realm cultivator immediately felt annoyed. In their haste to support Xie Jin's team, they had allowed seven or eight Qin clan cultivators to escape. Had they known the battle here would conclude so swiftly, they could have completely annihilated the enemy on their end.

Nevertheless, the current outcome was not bad.

Xie Jin had a brief discussion with the fifth-realm cultivator, after which the assault team returned to the mountaintop to temporarily guard the peak.

Xie Jin then led Lu Ye and the others back towards their own territory. All five cultivators and their five mounts required medical attention, and the relentless battles had left everyone greatly exhausted, necessitating a thorough period of recovery.

After crossing two peaks, they arrived at the third, where numerous tents had already been pitched. This was a Qingyu Mountain peak, defended by over twenty cultivators.

Lu Ye, however, noticed Mu Ling there, along with two other individuals who also seemed to be medical cultivators.

He immediately realized that Qingyu Mountain had brought several medical cultivators to this location for their convenience in treatment. This was quite a dangerous move, as medical cultivators, despite possessing some self-preservation abilities, were generally weaker in combat compared to other cultivators of the same level. If this peak were to be attacked and captured by the Tai Luo Sect or the Qin clan, the medical cultivators would surely be unable to escape.

Inside the tent, Mu Ling meticulously tended to Lu Ye and Amber's injuries, a flurry of activity leaving her glistening with sweat.

In fact, neither the man nor the tiger was severely injured. With Mu Ling's treatment and healing pills, they were almost fully recovered by the following day.

The following day, Xie Jin once again led his group into battle. However, this time they had no opportunity to engage with the Qin clan's hunting party, as it appeared the Qin clan's hunting party was actively avoiding them, even merging their original hunting party into their peak-guarding teams. Lu Ye and the others could only cooperate with their own assault teams to capture enemy peaks.

They advanced like an unstoppable force!

Peak after peak fell.

In a mere three days, the Qin clan lost eight peaks. While they initially controlled twenty-five, having previously seized two from Qingyu Mountain, they not only relinquished those two but also conceded an additional six.

In the central peak's grand hall, Qin Wanli's expression was as grim as if he had lost a parent.

According to the Shadow Moon Disk, out of a hundred peaks, the Qin clan now held only nineteen. Qingyu Mountain controlled thirty-two, while the Tai Luo Sect commanded the largest share, a staggering forty-nine peaks—nearly half of the total. This figure was alarming, especially since even when Qingyu Mountain had held the advantage in the past, their highest tally was forty-six peaks.

This situation arose primarily because, over the past three days, Qingyu Mountain had been simultaneously capturing Qin clan territory while strategically abandoning its own. Whenever the Tai Luo Sect's assault teams advanced, their peak-guarding teams would withdraw beforehand, willingly surrendering their peaks.

This strategy allowed them to avoid unnecessary casualties and preserve the combat strength of their peak-guarding teams.

Tang Wu's objective was straightforward: first, cripple the Qin clan without engaging the Tai Luo Sect, then, once their hands were free, turn their attention to the Tai Luo Sect.

Qin Wanli was no fool; he clearly saw the strategy. But what could he do, even with that understanding? The rules were set: each peak represented a quota for entering the Dragon Spring, and the Qin clan simply couldn't afford to lose them all.

"Senior Brother Tang, isn't this going a bit too far?" Qin Wanli asked, his face etched with worry as he looked at Tang Wu.

"What's 'too far'?" Tang Wu replied coolly. "My Qingyu Mountain operates within the established rules and has not violated our agreement. How can you claim we're going 'too far'? If your Qin clan desires a share in the Dragon Spring, you naturally must pay the price."

Qin Wanli thought to himself that this price was simply too steep. In just three days of conflict, his clan's disciples had sustained over a hundred casualties. The Qin clan could not endure such relentless attrition.

On the Shadow Moon Disk, another cluster of blue light points moved towards the peaks garrisoned by red light points, clearly indicating an imminent attack. Comparing the numbers and cultivation levels of both sides, Qin Wanli sighed, certain they wouldn't be able to hold out this time. He wondered how many more lives would be lost.

His expression shifted several times before he spoke in a deep voice: "Senior Brother Tang, my Qin clan requests eighteen peaks."

Tang Wu glanced up at him, a slight smirk playing on his lips. "Agreed!"

Qin Wanli exhaled deeply and quickly activated his battlefield imprint to issue an order. Moments later, the red light points on that peak began to withdraw, and a group of blue light points swarmed onto the peak, occupying it effortlessly.

Qin Wanli secretly glanced at Han Zheyue and, as expected, found her glaring at him. He could only offer a helpless smile. The Qin clan simply couldn't endure any more. His proposal to Tang Wu for eighteen peaks implicitly meant, "Don't attack us anymore; we won't stir up trouble in the future."

Tang Wu accepted this request.

Thus, the remaining conflict was solely between Qingyu Mountain and the Tai Luo Sect.

This naturally displeased Han Zheyue. Yet, what good was her dissatisfaction? The Qin clan had been content to observe from the sidelines, but Han Zheyue insisted they intervene. This intervention not only caused numerous casualties among their clansmen but also left them with only eighteen peaks. Conversely, the Tai Luo Sect suffered almost no losses and even controlled nearly half of all peaks.

Han Zheyue clearly understood the Qin clan's concerns; a family that had only risen to prominence thirty years ago naturally lacked the deep foundations of the other two established clans. Thus, she had no intention of threatening Qin Wanli. She simply gave him a sharp glare before turning to Tang Wu and exclaiming, "Despicable!"

"An impotent roar!" Tang Wu retorted indifferently.

Han Zheyue's anger surged: "If you have the courage, come fight! What kind of men are you, constantly avoiding battle? Are all of you from Qingyu Mountain nothing but turtles?"

"You want to fight?" Tang Wu turned to her. "Then as you wish."

As his words faded, the situation on the Shadow Moon Disk abruptly shifted. Along the border between the two factions' territories, wave after wave of blue light points surged forward, attacking the peaks occupied by black light points.

A sarcastic smile played on Tang Wu's lips: "With such a vast spread, can you even manage it all?"

Each clan had a limited number of disciples, meaning that during the Dragon Spring Assembly, occupying more peaks was not always advantageous. Too many peaks meant thinly spread defenses. For instance, although Han Zheyue had done her best to strengthen the defenses of their front-line peaks, they remained somewhat vulnerable against the intensity of the enemy's assault. If Qingyu Mountain were to attack, the Tai Luo Sect's chances of victory would be slim.

"I'm willing, what business is it of yours?" Han Zheyue retorted, gritting her teeth. In her frustration, she issued a series of commands. Moments later, scattered black light points continuously moved towards the front lines, bolstering their defenses.

Observing this scene, Tang Wu's lips curved slightly. Qin Wanli opened his mouth to speak but stopped. He looked up, met Tang Wu's piercing gaze, and his mouth twitched. He dared not utter another word, fearing that if he did, those blue light points would shift direction and charge towards the Qin clan's peaks.