Chapter 1347: Crow's Curse

Although he sensed the entire Eastern force had been deployed, Ye Chaoqun wasn't overly concerned. At that moment, his full attention was fixed on "Lu Ye," who was manipulating the sword light.

Among the Eastern forces, only Lu Ye was an opponent he needed to take seriously. The methods Lu Ye had just displayed proved this: a single burst had claimed three lives from their side, including a Mid-Star Constellation realm cultivator. Such power could no longer be judged simply by his cultivation realm.

Ye Chaoqun had long ago placed him on an equal footing with himself.

Subtly, he felt as if he had overlooked something, but in the current situation, there was no time for him to ponder. It wasn't until a powerful divine sense locked onto him and an incredibly sharp strike suddenly descended that Ye Chaoqun abruptly realized what he had overlooked.

If Lu Ye had attacked from the rear, how could there still be nine energy signatures in the Eastern main camp? There should have only been eight! Furthermore, this sharp strike gave him a sense of déjà vu...

A sudden flash of insight struck Ye Chaoqun, and he surged forward, confronting an incoming sword light. He had originally intended to dodge this sword light, which subtly threatened him, but now he had no choice. Not only could he not evade it, but he had to actively meet it head-on. He could only conclude that the person who had attacked him from behind had struck with extreme cunning.

A saber light flashed, and Ye Chaoqun dodged, but the sword light nevertheless pierced his chest, drawing out a spray of hot blood. Without looking back, Ye Chaoqun rapidly darted forward. In his perception, the surrounding life auras began to dwindle. Only after he had finally broken through the blockade of sword light and reached a relatively safe position did he have the leisure to look back at the battlefield.

A single glance made his eyes widen in disbelief and fury. The original thirteen-person lineup of the Southern and Western forces was now astonishingly reduced to just seven! Besides the three who were initially killed by Lu Ye's sword qi, another three had been slain in the blink of an eye while he was fleeing danger, including another Mid-Star Constellation realm cultivator. The scene that imprinted itself on his eyes was precisely Lu Ye slaying that Mid-Star Constellation realm cultivator. This individual had encountered the same situation as Ye Chaoqun, attacked by a sword light, but unlike Ye Chaoqun, he lacked decisiveness. He attempted to block the piercing sword light, only to be closed in on and slain by Lu Ye's main body.

Ye Chaoqun stood stunned for a moment, glancing at the peerlessly dominant figure on the battlefield, then at the figure manipulating sword light on the other side. His expression was slightly bewildered.

Two... Lu Yes?

And with his discerning eye, he found it impossible to tell which was real and which was fake; it seemed as if both were genuine!

Watching Lu Ye relentlessly charge towards their last remaining Mid-Star Constellation realm cultivator, Ye Chaoqun no longer dared to hesitate, instantly flashing forward to provide aid. He had already witnessed Lu Ye's terrifying methods and knew that his companions' abilities would be insufficient to resist him. If he didn't intervene, the other party would certainly face a dire fate.

However, the moment he moved, a multitude of sword lights assailed him, impeding his progress. Meanwhile, Lu Ye had already led Huang Li and Xu Xinghe to the last Mid-Star Constellation realm cultivator, incidentally slaying a Low-Star Constellation realm cultivator on the way. This brief delay, however, still granted the enemy a moment to breathe. By the time Lu Ye's squad reached him, the opponent had already activated a Golden Body Talisman, enveloping himself in a radiant golden light.

Not only had this Mid-Star Constellation realm cultivator activated one, but everyone else on the battlefield, except Lu Ye, had also manifested Golden Body Talismans. In a flash, a dazzling expanse of golden light illuminated the area.

Yet, how easily could the Pan Mountain Saber, enhanced with the Divine Edge Spirit Pattern, be resisted? In the face of such a vast disparity in power, even with the protection of a Golden Body Talisman, this individual could hardly remain unscathed. It must be noted that a Mid-Star Constellation realm's Golden Body Talisman was indeed more robust than one used by a Low-Star Constellation realm cultivator. Previously, Lu Ye had single-handedly slain a Low-Star Constellation realm cultivator protected by a Golden Body Talisman, taking three strikes to succeed. This time, even with Huang Li and Xu Xinghe lending their combined strength, it still took five strikes.

On the battlefield, with the death of this last Mid-Star Constellation realm cultivator, and Ye Chaoqun preoccupied by the clone and unable to provide support, the overall situation was decided! The three Eastern squads, interweaving and sweeping through, quickly eliminated the remaining Low-Star Constellation realm cultivators.

Lu Ye turned his attention to Ye Chaoqun, who was still on the other side. However, the fellow was incredibly slippery. Seeing the dire turn of events, he immediately slapped a spiritual talisman onto himself, transforming into a streak of light that vanished in the blink of an eye, like a soaring wild goose disappearing into the distant horizon.

The turbulent battlefield subsided. Amidst their excitement, the Eastern forces curiously observed Lu Ye's main body and his clone, a sentiment shared even by Haitang, who had already suspected something. The Little People were capable of refining "body talismans," so they were not unfamiliar with the concept of clones. In fact, many cultivators, once their cultivation reached a certain depth, possessed clones, though the methods of manifestation varied. Some were secret arts, while others relied on refining external objects. For instance, Yun Xuechu's Little Butterfly clone was a manifestation of mechanist arts.

It was precisely this line of reasoning that made Lu Ye unconcerned about his clone being exposed. After all, it wasn't something exclusive to him, so its revelation wouldn't cause significant problems. However, the Dragon Seat was something he could not easily reveal. In the Grand Beginning Realm, Lu Ye had used the Dragon Seat, and he had done so under the watchful eyes of many. A considerable number of people had speculated that the disappearance of the Elixir Gourd was intimately linked to the individual who wielded the Dragon Seat. Even if the Elixir Gourd hadn't fallen into that person's hands, it was certainly with their accomplice. The Little People were not isolated; they drifted with Fangcun Mountain, moving about. If the Dragon Seat were to be used here, it might draw the attention of those with discerning eyes, especially since Lu Ye had indeed participated in the Divine Sea contention within the Grand Beginning Realm, making it easy for others to draw connections. Others might not understand the specific profound uses of the Elixir Gourd, but they knew it was an auxiliary treasure to a supreme artifact, and anyone would be tempted by it.

As for the Sword Gourd... Lu Ye wasn't particularly worried about it. He wasn't the only sword cultivator with such an appearance, and according to legends, the Sword Gourd's power could destroy stars and extinguish suns. The power he demonstrated from the Sword Gourd could, at most, slay Star Constellation realm cultivators, which was vastly different from the rumors. Thus, it wouldn't naturally lead others to make connections.

No one asked further questions. Under the watchful eyes of everyone, the clone merged with the main body, vanishing without a trace, leaving only the worn clothes and the Sword Gourd, which Lu Ye then collected.

"We... this counts as a win, right?" Huang Li whispered.

The Southern and Western forces had attacked jointly, but now only Ye Chaoqun remained, a lone figure. Judging by his posture, it seemed unlikely he could accomplish anything further. With limited time remaining until the end of the martial drill, the opportunities for the Southern and Western forces were dwindling. Even if they rushed back, it would be futile if they couldn't seize the spirit orb within a short timeframe. After all, transporting the spirit orb back to their camp also required time. Therefore, if they were wise enough, they should remain at their main camp and await the time limit.

"Probably...!" Xu Xinghe's expression was somewhat dazed.

"Don't be careless!" Although Haitang also believed there wouldn't be significant changes in this martial drill, as the nominal leader, she remained vigilant. "This is the Eastern faction's rare chance to be closest to first place. Regardless of what others do, we must perform our best."

Han Molong immediately nodded. "Senior Sister Haitang is right," he agreed, then changed his tone, a playful grin spreading across his face. "But by my calculations, they've already run out of time. Unless they can rush here in a short span, but with their main camps so far apart, how could they possibly..."

As he spoke, Han Molong suddenly seemed to recall something and abruptly fell silent. It was in that very instant that a violent surge of spiritual energy suddenly erupted from the distance. The Eastern forces collectively looked up towards that direction, witnessing a massive pillar of light ascending into the sky, enveloping a vast area.

Amidst the intense spiritual energy fluctuations was Ye Chaoqun's aura! That direction was precisely where Ye Chaoqun had just fled.

The expressions of the Eastern forces instantly grew solemn. Han Molong, with a crestfallen face, slapped his own mouth. "My big mouth!" he lamented.

"What is that?" Lu Ye frowned. Judging by everyone's expressions, they clearly all understood what was happening.

"A Grand Teleportation Talisman!" Haitang responded in a low voice. "Only the Sun-gazing Senior Uncles are qualified to refine such jade talismans. Even among our Little People, they are rare and extremely precious!"

Lu Ye instantly understood. "Is this a trump card bestowed by the Western faction?"

The three factions of Little People had been competing in martial drills within the Black Abyss for many years, thus establishing several unwritten rules. One such rule prohibited inviting external aid from Late-Star Constellation realm cultivators. This was to prevent a scenario where, once allowed, all three factions would bring in such powerful external help, ultimately turning the martial drill into an affair dominated by outsiders, with little involvement from the Little People themselves. Additionally, the Sun-gazers would prepare a trump card for their respective Little People factions, typically functional talismans not primarily focused on lethal damage. Otherwise, if everyone wielded offensive spiritual talismans refined by the Sun-gazers, unleashing power far beyond their own capabilities, it would undermine the true purpose of the martial drill.

These bestowed trump cards had, throughout history, primarily consisted of array talismans, such as the Nine-Bend Interlocking Array Talisman guarded by Haitang. Such trump cards might not necessarily be used, but they were essential to possess, ensuring one could respond if an opponent deployed theirs. The Southern and Western factions also possessed such trump cards. As it now appeared, the Western faction's trump card was this very Grand Teleportation Talisman!

As the Western faction, possessing the strongest overall power, what they lacked was not offensive means. The Sun-gazers understood this clearly, which was why they had provided them with spiritual talismans for rapid movement, designed to handle unexpected situations. The item Ye Chaoqun had previously given to Duan Xiuchen was a Grand Teleportation Talisman. These talismans came in pairs; otherwise, teleportation could not be accomplished. His original intention was to wait for a suitable opportunity to summon Duan Xiuchen and others, who had returned to the Southern main camp, and then jointly divide the Eastern faction's spirit orb.

But the situation had changed too rapidly. Currently, all the Southern forces were at their main camp, and only he remained from the Western faction. One could say the Western faction was already destined to accomplish nothing further, but he was truly unwilling to simply give up. For the Eastern faction, with such a seemingly vulnerable lineup, to bravely seize first place would be a significant loss of face for both the Southern and Western factions. Now, he could only place his hopes on the Southern faction. Even if the Southern faction claimed first place, it would be acceptable. Furthermore, this act of assistance would make it easier for the two factions to cooperate in the future.

It was precisely these considerations that led Ye Chaoqun to use this exceptionally valuable Grand Teleportation Talisman.

Amidst the soaring spiritual light, a massive, arcane talisman array slowly rotated in the void, and one by one, figures appeared beside Ye Chaoqun!