Chapter 2923: Breakthrough

Lei Ran didn't believe Bai Xuan was compromised, but he still felt Bai Xuan was acting strangely today.

"My treasure from last time hasn't been repaired yet! And I don't know much about the Azure Lotus Immortals. Who knows what artifacts they possess? If you were in my shoes, would you immediately deploy your damaged killing weapon? They haven't been in the Integration stage for long, but they're capable of slaying mid-Integration cultivators, so their divine abilities must be extraordinary. I definitely needed to probe them first."

Bai Xuan rolled his eyes and retorted irritably.

With a flick of his wrist, the white ice mountain rapidly shrank into a palm-sized white peak. Several tiny cracks marred its surface, and its spiritual glow was faint.

"This artifact of mine incorporates some Ice Soul Divine Crystals; it was damaged after taking just one hit. If I had deployed that damaged artifact, wouldn't the Azure Lotus Immortals have destroyed it?" Bai Xuan said with a cold expression.

Lei Ran's gaze swept over, a hint of surprise in his eyes. Bai Xuan's explanation seemed quite reasonable.

If Lei Ran had been in the same situation, facing two Integration cultivators whose true strength was unknown, and knowing they were exceptionally powerful, he too would have used ordinary artifacts to test them. Deploying a damaged killing weapon immediately would be out of the question, as its destruction by the enemy would represent a significant loss.

"I had Madam Sang and the others hold off the Azure Lotus Immortals for a while, but who would have thought she'd be killed so quickly? She possessed Seventh-rank Vajra Worms, yet she was still no match for them." By the end of his statement, Bai Xuan's face was etched with apprehension.

He seemed to recall something and continued, "Come to think of it, if you hadn't been trapped by their artifact, none of this would have happened! It's a good thing I was cautious and helped you break free. If I had joined you in confronting the Azure Lotus Immortals, I'd probably have been in mortal danger too. By the time you got out, we'd likely all be dead."

He shifted the blame to Lei Ran, implying that if Lei Ran hadn't been trapped by the artifact, things wouldn't have escalated this way.

"You can't blame me! Their divine sense attacks are incredibly potent. Fellow Daoist Gu was directly struck down. They possess the strength of late-Integration cultivators; early-Integration cultivators couldn't withstand a single move from them." Lei Ran defended himself. As things stood, he could only exaggerate the Azure Lotus Immortals' strength to avoid appearing useless.

If someone with ill intentions accused him of sympathizing with humanity and intentionally holding back, he would be in serious trouble.

If the Azure Lotus Immortals truly possessed the strength of late-Integration cultivators, then everything would make sense. It wouldn't be due to Lei Ran's incompetence or his lack of effort, but rather the Azure Lotus Immortals' overwhelming power that resulted in the deaths of other Integration cultivators.

"Individually, they aren't that strong, but their combined power is truly formidable. Our joint operation with the Yaksha tribe to capture this stronghold and slay five Integration cultivators is indeed a significant accomplishment. However, Madam Sang is a distant relative of a Yaksha Mahayana cultivator, so if the higher-ups investigate, we'll face considerable trouble."

Bai Xuan's expression turned grim.

"Killed five Integration cultivators? But wasn't Fellow Daoist Gu supposed to have joined us? Since she's a distant relative, it shouldn't be a major issue, should it?" Lei Ran said this, but a worried expression appeared on his face.

"Whether they investigate or not isn't for us to decide; it's up to Senior Luo. Dead men tell no tales, and wouldn't one more head be beneficial? We'll pin the blame on Fellow Daoist Gu, claiming he colluded with the Azure Lotus Immortals, feigned defection to us, and led us into a death struggle with the Lizard Tribe. Then, the Azure Lotus Immortals seized the opportunity to launch a surprise attack, which resulted in Madam Sang's demise. Of course, if the higher-ups don't pursue it, then we'll let it go. A unified story will be beneficial for everyone," Bai Xuan proposed.

"This isn't good! The other two fellow Daoists might not cooperate with us." Lei Ran's face showed concern.

"The credit for taking this stronghold will be divided among the four of us. If they refuse, they won't receive any share. We killed the Lizard Integration cultivators, not them. I understand your concerns, but I'm merely offering a suggestion. It's entirely your decision whether to take it or not. You're the leader, so if the higher-ups assign blame, you'll be the one to bear it." Bai Xuan shrugged, feigning a casual demeanor.

After a brief deliberation, Lei Ran agreed.

On a vast green grassland, over twenty Void Refinement cultivators were locked in combat. Eight Void Refinement cultivators, including Wang Chuanming, Deng Xueyi, Liu Yuhan, Liao Yunpeng, Lan Fukong, and Xu Bingbing, were fighting fifteen alien Void Refinement cultivators.

The enemies outnumbered them by more than two to one. They could only scatter to break through, and the enemies likewise dispersed to pursue them.

The ground was pockmarked with hundreds of craters of various sizes. Over a dozen faintly glowing artifacts and two puppet beasts lay scattered across the terrain.

Over a dozen corpses lay on the ground, among them Lin Tianfeng and Sun Sihai. Lin Tianfeng's chest was ripped open, his heart gone, while Sun Sihai had been perforated like a sieve by sharp weapons.

Wang Chuanming clutched a golden long saber, his gaze chilling. His opponent was a brawny youth in red robes, with a greenish face and fangs, a pair of red fleshy wings on his back, and a red-glowing spiked club in his hand. A massive Yaksha phantom loomed in the air above his head.

Wang Chuanming swung the golden long saber in his hand, delivering a vertical slash towards his opponent. A piercing whoosh filled the air, followed by a vast surge of golden saber energy that surged directly towards the red-robed youth.

The Yaksha phantom emitted a reddish sound wave, shattering the incoming golden saber energy.

With a gentle flap of the fleshy wings on his back, the red-robed youth vanished from his original position.

Wang Chuanming realized what was happening and cursed inwardly.

A dazzling golden light erupted from his chest, and a golden light barrier materialized, bearing the pattern of a golden lotus on its surface.

A foul wind swept through, and the red-robed youth reappeared. He opened his mouth and unleashed a crimson sound wave, striking the golden light barrier, which remained completely unmoving.

He brandished the red spiked club in his hand, bringing it down upon the golden light barrier.

With a dull thud, the golden light barrier vibrated slightly, and a surge of scarlet flames swept forth, engulfing it.

Wang Chuanming swung his saber, striking the red-robed youth with a ringing metallic clang.

A swishing sound filled the air as dense green threads descended from above, darting straight towards the red-robed youth.

Just as the red-robed youth prepared to dodge, Wang Chuanming let out a loud roar: "Soul Suppressing Roar!"

As the head of the Dark Hall, he typically wouldn't employ this divine ability, but at this moment, for the sake of eliminating the enemy, he cast aside all reservations.

The red-robed youth's head spun with dizziness and disorientation. By the time he regained his senses, the dense green threads had already enveloped his body, binding him tightly like a rice dumpling.

The sky darkened as a massive golden brick descended from above, hurtling towards the red-robed youth.

With a thunderous crash, the red-robed youth was slammed into the ground by the immense golden brick, and the earth shook violently.

The enormous golden brick soared back up, revealing a massive crater in the ground. The red-robed youth had been crushed into a bloody pulp. Heavy-type artifacts were indeed one of the Yaksha tribe's weaknesses.

"We can't stay here much longer. Retreat quickly!" Lan Fukong urged, transforming into a streak of green light and streaking through the air.

If he hadn't seen Wang Chuanming use the Soul Suppressing Roar, Lan Fukong wouldn't have intervened. He was already struggling to protect himself; how could he possibly worry about others?

Wang Chuanming's gaze swept across the battlefield. Deng Xueyi was currently engaged in battle with a tall, slender elder in gray robes and a corpulent man in purple. The gray-robed elder had a greenish face with fangs and a pair of gray fleshy wings on his back.

Deng Xueyi was an early Void Refinement cultivator, while both the gray-robed elder and the purple-clad man were mid-Void Refinement cultivators.

Liu Yuhan's opponent was a portly elder in red robes; both were late Void Refinement cultivators.

Xu Bingbing was battling a graceful woman in a golden dress; both were late Void Refinement cultivators.

Wang Chuanming's expression hardened as his gaze landed on Deng Xueyi and Liu Yuhan. He had been tricked by Su Qingheng last time, and this rare chance for revenge was not something he would let slip away.