Chapter 129: Eating It Cleanly

The fifth-layer cultivator from Tai Luo Sect knew he was doomed this time. Since that was the case, he resolved to take someone down with him, no matter what.

On the other side, Qiao Qiao’er, receiving no response from Lu Ye, assessed the situation and decisively chose to assist Song Xie and Tao Tiangang. She felt that the two of them were somewhat outmatched by the fifth-layer cultivator; if she didn't intervene, Song Xie might escape relatively unharmed, but Tao Tiangang, already injured, would surely perish.

In the main hall of the central peak, Han Zheyue had lost her previous triumphant air. Her pretty face was so grim it could almost drip water as she watched the clash of the two hunting teams. Each black dot that flickered out was like a heavy slap to her face, leaving her disoriented and seeing stars.

"Hahahahaha!" Tang Wu, usually so impassive, was now laughing so hard he was nearly falling over, repeatedly patting the Shadow Moon Disk.

He truly hadn't expected this pre-planned ambush by Tai Luo Sect to unfold in such a way. He couldn't quite fathom how his own hunting team had achieved such a feat, but it was a fact: two enemy fifth-layer cultivators and one fourth-layer cultivator were dead, and the remaining two fifth-layer cultivators likely wouldn't survive much longer either.

The outcome was that his own hunting team had won! This made him the happiest. He vaguely sensed that this outcome was linked to the fourth-layer cultivator named Yi Ye, as no one else possessed such capability.

He increasingly felt that recruiting Yi Ye was the most correct decision he had made at this Dragon Spring Gathering.

Tang Wu's laughter only intensified Han Zheyue's fury, making her body tremble violently. Her eyes were fixed on the scene displayed on the Shadow Moon Disk, and as she watched yet another black dot, symbolizing a fifth-layer cultivator, extinguish, she couldn't help but close her eyes.

Out of sight, out of mind!

Her junior disciples nowadays were truly declining with each generation; all her careful arrangements had been in vain!

Qin Wanli subtly shifted his body, moving a little further away from Han Zheyue, fearing she would vent her anger on him later.

The battle continued, now a five-on-one situation.

Lu Ye, having previously teamed up with Xie Jin and dispatched his opponent, immediately rushed to support Qiao Qiao’er and the others.

This was the last fifth-layer cultivator. He had considered fleeing, but even as a fifth-layer cultivator, escaping from three allied fourth-layer cultivators was no easy feat. In such a situation, exposing one's back to the enemy was tantamount to suicide.

Now, facing one against five, there was no way out.

A dozen breaths later, the fifth-layer cultivator cursed furiously, attempting to take the injured Tao Tiangang down with him. Ultimately, he failed to achieve his goal; as he unleashed his last spirit talisman, he slowly collapsed into a pool of blood.

A major battle finally concluded. Their side sustained Tao Tiangang's severe injuries and Song Xie's minor injuries, while successfully slaying four enemy fifth-layer cultivators and one fourth-layer cultivator.

Between two teams with vastly disparate strengths, the weaker side ultimately achieved a decisive victory, a truly unbelievable outcome.

For a moment, the gazes of the four towards Lu Ye subtly shifted.

Everyone clearly knew that Lu Ye had single-handedly turned the tide to achieve this outcome. He was the one who first slew the enemy's fifth-layer body cultivator, and then, seizing the opportunity, killed a fifth-layer spell cultivator. Without Lu Ye, they would likely have perished in battle here.

"We still need to support the assault team!" Xie Jin remarked.

Lu Ye turned his head and glanced at Tao Tiangang. The man's injuries were severe; he had lost a lot of blood, and his face was exceedingly pale. He was currently leaning against a large tree, gasping for breath, looking as if he could perish at any moment.

"Junior Brother!" Xie Jin looked at him, a hint of shame in his eyes.

Tao Tiangang forced a smile and said weakly, "Don't worry about me; I'll go back myself."

"I've sent word for someone to come and meet you."

"We must win!" Tao Tiangang said solemnly.

Xie Jin nodded heavily.

When the five Tai Luo Sect members died in battle, two of their mounts were also bitten to death. This, of course, was Amber's doing; compared to the mounts seen in recent days, Amber's strength was the greatest, giving it an absolute advantage when engaging other mounts in combat.

The remaining three demonic beasts also vanished, fleeing after their masters' deaths.

The four of them mounted their beasts and, led by Lu Ye, charged towards the peak, where cultivators from both factions had already been fighting for most of the morning.

The situation somewhat favored Azure Feather Mountain, which was part of Han Zheyue's calculations, as it would make it convenient for her to deploy her hunting teams for support.

In her mind, her hunting team would utterly annihilate Lu Ye and the others, then turn to support her peak-guarding team. While their numbers weren't large, they had four fifth-layer cultivators, including a spell cultivator. Once they joined the battle, they could instantly turn the tide and catch Azure Feather Mountain off guard.

But the outcome was that their hunting team had been completely annihilated, causing an already unfavorable situation to worsen considerably.

When Lu Ye and his companions charged into the battlefield, the group of Tai Luo Sect cultivators guarding the peak were visibly stunned. They had received word that if they held on for a while, their own hunting team, including several fifth-layer cultivators, would arrive to turn the tide of battle in their favor.

But after waiting for a long time, the support that arrived was from the other side, which was truly disheartening.

The four individuals and their four mounts had just endured an intense life-or-death struggle, and everyone was greatly exhausted. Charging directly into the battle now would have had limited effect. So, led by Lu Ye, the four of them merely circled the edge of the battlefield, thundering in and thundering out, distracting the enemy while seeking opportunities to strike.

Qiao Qiao’er loved this fighting style the most because her spirit weapon was a long whip, offering the longest attack range. Enemy cultivators, if not careful, would be bound by her, either dragged to the ground and left disheveled, or pulled close to be jointly killed by Xie Jin and Song Xie.

Lu Ye didn't focus on securing kills; instead, using his spells, he sent large firebirds one after another into the enemy's formation. If lucky, he would get some kills; even if unlucky, he could still injure some unfortunate souls.

Under this strategy, the Tai Luo Sect cultivators, already in a disadvantageous position, experienced a sudden surge in pressure.

One cultivator after another was killed, and Azure Feather Mountain's advantage gradually expanded.

In the main hall, Han Zheyue powerlessly watched the battleground, seeing the black dots vanish one by one.

She also mobilized her own hunting teams to provide support, but not only would it take time for those teams to arrive, Tang Wu would also never allow them to pass unchecked.

Every hunting team sent to reinforce was intercepted.

Drawing manpower from nearby peaks was even less realistic, because Azure Feather Mountain was attacking more than just one peak this time; at least five or six peaks were experiencing fierce battles. However, none of them showed a clear distinction in strength, and the situation remained deadlocked with relatively few casualties, except for the peak where Lu Ye and his companions were.

She had already ordered a retreat, knowing that if they didn't withdraw soon, her incompetent junior disciples might all be left on that peak.

But retreating was not that simple. This was a life-and-death struggle; recklessly exposing one's back to the enemy in battle sometimes only led to a quicker death, especially with Lu Ye and the other three still hunting around.

The battle didn't end until nightfall. On the peak where both sides clashed, the scent of blood was so thick it was almost palpable, and the ground was strewn with severed limbs and minced flesh, the scene akin to a hellish Asura battlefield. The corpses of Tai Luo Sect cultivators could be seen every so often from the peak to the foot of the mountain, all killed while trying to escape.

In this battle, Azure Feather Mountain achieved a decisive victory.

Lu Ye and his companions were already exhausted. Their battle was over, and they were retreating towards the valley behind, led by Xie Jin.

But the confrontation between the two sects had not yet ended.

After taking that peak, Azure Feather Mountain didn't send anyone to guard it. Those who still had the strength to fight surged towards the nearby peaks, where the battles were still in a stalemate.

In the main hall, Han Zheyue was so enraged she almost smashed the Shadow Moon Disk. She turned, her eyes red-rimmed, and glared at Tang Wu, asking, "Do you really mean to exterminate us?"

Tang Wu snorted coldly. "I haven't seen your Tai Luo Sect show any mercy to my Azure Feather Mountain," he retorted. "Our factions are inherently opposed. Talking about such trivialities, aren't you afraid your subordinates will mock you?"

Han Zheyue gritted her teeth and looked up at Qin Wanli.

Qin Wanli's gaze flickered away, knowing in his heart that the Qin clan's days would likely not be easy from now on. It wasn't that he wanted to refuse Han Zheyue's plea for help; he simply didn't dare to get involved any further.

If he dared to send people to support Tai Luo Sect at this moment, Azure Feather Mountain would teach them a harsh lesson tomorrow. This was a bloody lesson the Qin family had learned through the lives of hundreds of their disciples.

If Han Zheyue's gaze wasn't so terrifying at this moment, he might even have tried to persuade her not to be too stubborn...

While offending Tai Luo Sect was indeed not ideal, his primary concern was the lives of his own Qin clan members.

"Very well!" Han Zheyue laughed in extreme anger, knowing in her heart that she was powerless to turn the tide at this Dragon Spring Gathering. Recalling all her previous arrangements and her battle of wits with that scoundrel Tang Wu, she realized she had made only one mistake, yet it had led to such an irreparable downfall!

She closed her eyes and raised a hand to press her battlefield mark, issuing an order that brought her great pain.

The next moment, on peak after peak, large numbers of black dots began to retreat backward, even from those peaks still engaged in battle.

As each black dot extinguished, representing the life of a Tai Luo Sect cultivator, she dared not look, fearing she would be unable to resist changing the order.

Her last shred of remaining rationality told her that now was the time for a desperate measure; otherwise, Tai Luo Sect would only sink deeper into this quagmire.

At this time, Lu Ye and the other three traversed mountains and ridges. Xie Jin sent a message to the rear to inquire, and upon learning that Tao Tiangang had already received treatment and was out of danger, everyone finally breathed a sigh of relief.

Though they had only known each other for a few days, through the life-and-death struggles of those days, they had undoubtedly forged a strong camaraderie.

Xie Jin continued to inform everyone about the various situations on the front lines. Hearing that Tai Luo Sect was making a large-scale withdrawal and Azure Feather Mountain was in hot pursuit, Song Xie and Qiao Qiao’er both cheered loudly.

Lu Ye was currently checking on Yi Yi's condition.

Yi Yi had been injured by that fifth-layer body cultivator while trying to help him. Lu Ye had seen this type of injury before: the first time they met, when Yi Yi went to retrieve the Obstruction-Breaking Fruit, her form had been significantly dimmer upon her return, and it had taken her a month to slowly recover.