Chapter 475: Enemy and Ally Both Slain

At this critical moment of life and death, Shen Xiaomao unleashed her full power. Her ribbon spiritual artifact straightened, forming a layered protective barrier in front of her. The iron hoof struck the ribbon barrier, instantly dimming the spiritual artifact's light. Despite desperately channeling her spiritual energy, Shen Xiaomao couldn't block it even slightly, watching helplessly as death slowly approached.

Suddenly, a chubby figure slammed into her from the side, knocking her aside. It was none other than Pang Dahai. Shen Xiaomao was sent flying, her despairing gaze turning to astonishment. She hadn't expected a spell cultivator to save her at such a critical moment. In fact, only Pang Dahai and another spell cultivator had the chance to save her, as they were the closest to Shen Xiaomao. However, spell cultivators aren't known for their physical prowess. Even if Pang Dahai was in the Ninth-level Cloud River Realm, taking such a brutal direct kick, he would likely fare poorly.

With a resounding thud, as spiritual energy surged, Pang Dahai's chubby body shuddered violently. An unnatural flush spread across his face, and his ample flesh quivered uncontrollably. However, what shocked everyone was that Pang Dahai, having taken the full force of the kick, wasn't sent flying. He remained firmly rooted to the spot. Instead, the blast of air that erupted from behind him sent the onlookers reeling.

Niu Meng's iron hoof felt as if it had sunk into a swamp, buried deep in Pang Dahai's bulging belly. With a furious roar and a thrust of his gut, the towering Niu Meng was actually sent flying back. At this very moment, Pang Dahai no longer resembled a spell cultivator. His qi and blood surged like a raging torrent, a blood-red aura enveloping his entire body. His vitality was unbelievably robust.

"I’ll keep him occupied; go kill him!" Pang Dahai declared, stomping his feet on the ground before launching himself into the air and charging at Niu Meng. His large, imposing figure exuded an unprecedented sense of security.

In an instant, the two figures were locked in combat, producing continuous thudding sounds. Then, with an "Ouch!" of surprise from Pang Dahai, he was sent flying back with considerable force, landing on the ground. He scrambled to his feet, wincing in pain. "No, this guy's too strong!" he yelled. "I can't hold him alone, Brother Zhou Hai, come help me!" After speaking, he charged at Niu Meng once more.

Zhou Hai knew well that Pang Dahai would never call for help unless he truly couldn't hold on. Without hesitation, he enveloped himself in sword light, broke through the encirclement, and lunged at Niu Meng. Only then, with two Ninth-level Cloud River Realm cultivators joining forces, were they barely able to keep Niu Meng occupied.

With Niu Meng, Xuanwu Sect's strongest fighter, engaged, Lu Ye and the others also rushed to fight. However, their formation was already in disarray, and with two weapon cultivators having already fallen, their situation was extremely grim. Almost everyone was fighting on their own, often outnumbered.

Although Lu Ye faced only three Xuanwu Sect cultivators, the spiritual energy fluctuations they emitted indicated that each was at least Fifth-level Cloud River Realm, with one even at Seventh-level. Fortunately, they had lost their cultivator abilities and were acting purely on instinct; otherwise, Lu Ye wouldn't stand a chance. Even so, Lu Ye was forced to flee frantically. After losing their cultivator abilities, these Xuanwu Sect cultivators’ speed and explosive power had significantly increased. They were like berserk beasts, intent on tearing apart any enemy in their path.

The Panshuan Blade, wreathed in fire, swept down, drawing a spray of blood. Yet, the enemy struck by the blade showed no sign of backing down. Even as a massive gash appeared on its neck, a claw clamped onto Lu Ye's shoulder. A tearing pain shot through him; his sleeve ripped away, revealing several deep, bone-revealing gashes on his shoulder, gushing blood. That wasn't the end of it. The other two figures had already leapt high, pouncing on him like hungry tigers.

Lu Ye hastily rolled, barely avoiding the attack. Before he could regain his footing, another gust of wind assaulted him. He quickly spun around, channeling his qi and blood into his sword-wielding right arm and frantically urging his spiritual energy, then brought the blade down with the force to cleave mountains and shatter stones.

A flash!

The blade flashed. A body split in two, flying apart to his left and right, blood and internal organs splattering across the ground. With his ferocious blade technique, a Xuanwu Sect cultivator charging at him was instantly bisected.

Before he could catch his breath, the remaining two enemies had already pounced on him from left and right. Amber let out a low growl. Crouching on Lu Ye’s shoulder, its qi and blood mingled with his; the beast seal they had formed was active. Amber contributed a portion of its strength with every strike Lu Ye made, granting him greater endurance and deadlier attacks than ever before.

Everyone was engaged in desperate combat. Lu Ye saw Lan Ziyi being chased and forced to flee by Xuanwu Sect cultivators. He saw Shen Xiaomao, already wounded, her clothes now stained with crimson blood. Of the two physical cultivators, one had collapsed to the ground, his fate unknown, while four Xuanwu Sect cultivators surrounded the other, tearing relentlessly at his flesh.

Even the situation for Xia Qianqian and the Grand Elder, the strongest among them, was grim. Though they were the strongest, their opponents were also formidable, each astonishingly in the Eighth or Ninth-level Cloud River Realm. As for Zhou Hai and Pang Dahai’s side, the constant strange yells from Pang Dahai alone indicated that their situation was not good. While their combined efforts could keep Niu Meng occupied for a short time, there was no chance of killing him.

The situation was dire beyond imagination. If this continued, they would likely be defeated one by one.

Lu Ye was still scrambling to escape. Originally, he had killed one Xuanwu Sect cultivator, leaving him with only two opponents. With his reserves and skill, he could still manage them, and with proper strategy, he might even be able to kill both of them. But just now, two more Xuanwu Sect cultivators appeared out of nowhere and joined the assault on him. They were likely the ones who had been fighting the physical cultivator who had collapsed. He was only in the Second-level Cloud River Realm; how could he possibly contend against four opponents? Without a second thought, he activated Wind Travel and continuously fled around the perimeter of the insect hive.

However, running was ultimately not a long-term solution. Gazing at the dire situation before him, Lu Ye’s heart hardened, and he pulled an item from his storage space. It was a spherical, emerald-green bead, no larger than a longan fruit.

The moment he held it in his palm, a fiery, stinging sensation immediately shot through him. His Talent Tree also reacted abnormally, as large swathes of gray mist billowed up from it—a phenomenon that typically only happened when Lu Ye was afflicted by severe poison.

This bead was precisely the Myriad Poison Pill that Hua Ci had given him. When Hua Ci had given him the item, she’d told him that if he ever faced an insurmountable foe, he should channel his spiritual energy into it and throw it. However, in the Spirit Stream Realm battlefield, Lu Ye had been unbeatable and never had the opportunity to use it, so he had kept it until now.

He didn’t know what effect this item would have after use. After all, the enemies he faced were all several levels into the Cloud River Realm. No one could say for sure how effective Hua Ci’s Myriad Poison Pill, created by a Spirit Stream Realm cultivator, would be against Cloud River Realm cultivators. However, at this moment, he could only give it a try. Even if it wouldn’t be very effective, it was a poison pill after all, and bound to have *some* effect.

As for whether it would affect both allies and enemies, that was a certainty. However, the current situation couldn't get any worse, and cultivators always carried antidote pills; if poisoned, taking more antidote pills should counteract it. The Xuanwu Sect cultivators, however, had lost their sanity and were acting purely on instinct; they wouldn't have any antidotes to take. Therefore, using this item, regardless of the outcome, would create some advantage for their side in the current situation…

Without hesitation, he channeled spiritual energy into the Myriad Poison Pill in his hand. With a soft pop, the pill burst open. A thick, emerald-green mist, emanating from Lu Ye, billowed outwards, instantly filling the entire insect hive! The mist was so dense it seemed almost tangible; visibility was zero. Such a concentration was unseen even in the Myriad Poison Forest.

The Myriad Poison Pill was, after all, Hua Ci’s essence, condensed from her own cultivation. The toxicity it unleashed was several times more potent than even the core of the Myriad Poison Forest. Moreover, the confined space of the enclosed insect hive further amplified the Myriad Poison Pill’s power.

Xia Qianqian and the others, who were engaged in combat, were startled. No one knew where this sudden change originated, but as the poisonous mist enveloped them, everyone’s vision blurred. Xia Qianqian immediately exclaimed, "Careful, it's poison!"

They quickly held their breath and channeled spiritual energy to protect themselves. However, to everyone’s horror, the all-pervasive poisonous mist was able to erode their protective spiritual energy and seep into their bodies, causing their symptoms of poisoning to worsen rapidly. In just a brief moment, everyone began to feel dizzy and disoriented. A lament of "My life is over!" surged in their hearts. Having been poisoned in such a critical situation, they truly feared they would die here.

However, they soon realized that not only had *they* been poisoned, but so had the Xuanwu Sect cultivators they were fighting. The enemies’ attack rhythm had significantly slowed, and their strength and speed had greatly diminished. Without delay, they quickly took out and swallowed their antidote pills, channeling spiritual energy to process them. The symptoms of poisoning finally began to subside slightly. After all, they were all cultivators several levels into the Cloud River Realm. While Hua Ci’s Myriad Poison Pill, condensed with her Spirit Stream Realm cultivation, was effective against them, it wasn't to the point of rendering them helpless.

Meanwhile, Lu Ye also noticed that the four Xuanwu Sect cultivators pursuing him had noticeably heavy steps, and even the spiritual glow on their bodies had turned a sickly green… He submerged his consciousness and examined his Talent Tree, finding vast, dense gray mist continuously billowing up from it. He seemed to have underestimated the Myriad Poison Pill’s power! He wondered if Hua Ci had any more. If so, he would have to ask for a few more the next time they met.