The cultivators who were perched on the branches gazed at the wolf king.
Someone cursed, “The Other Tribesmen are insufferable bullies! They’re despicable! Although the Nether Sect’s on the Fiend Path, they know enough to oppose the Other Tribes at least. What’s the Fourth Prince, Liu Bing, thinking by colluding with the Other Tribes?”
“Why aren’t they activating the Formation?”
“They can’t. The Nether Sect easily conquered this city because the Formations have been nullified… If the six great generals of the Fourth Prince are here, the Nether Sect will be in trouble.”
They continued their discussion. The strongest among them was only in the Brahman Sea Eight Meridians realm. They could not be of any help at all. At most, they could help clean up the small fries when the battle was nearing its end.
Yang Yan hovered in the air. He frowned as he looked at the Rouli elites in front of him.
Meanwhile, Yu Hong was not at as high an altitude as he was before. A loud explosion reverberated in the air as he flew back and crashed on the city wall.
The city wall was damaged. However, since it was ridiculously thick, it did not crumble.
Yu Hong fell to the ground. He supported his weight with one hand as he spat out a mouthful of blood.
The Nether Sect had suffered considerable losses. Their opponents were in no better shape as well. Both sides were in a similar state.
Yang Yan said loudly, “Ha Luo, the people of Rouli have always been subservient to Great Yan. Are you trying to rebel?” His thunderous voice resonated through the city wall and the city.
The Rouli elite, Ha Luo, was also hovering in the air in the distance. He crossed his arms and said disdainfully, “To quote the words of your own people, ‘The times have changed…’”
“Do you really think Great Yan is weak?” Yang Yan asked. If Great Yan was truly weak, the Nether Sect would have long conquered it. Would they have waited for the Other Tribes to make a move?
“… Liu Bing has promised us three of Liang Province’s ten cities if we help him take down the Nether Sect,” Ha Luo replied. In other words, could the Nether Sect make a better offer? There were no such things as eternal enemies in the world. Benefit was all that mattered. Ha Luo’s words were loaded. If the Nether Sect could offer four cities or more, the Other Tribesmen would turn against Liu Bing without hesitation.
When he heard this, Lu Zhou was slightly taken aback. Liu Bing had been at the borders for many years. Why would he resort to such a humiliating act? The people who lived at the borders were the ones who truly understood how difficult it was to gain every inch of land. Every bit of Great Yan’s territory was paid for by the blood of the valiant warriors. How could they give them away this easily?
“Alas, you’re up against the Nether Sect.” Yang Yan’s soundwave was imposing.
“Yang Yan, we’ve fought for three days and three nights, all the way from the barren plains in the west to Liang Province’s city. You’re skilled, I’ll give you that… If you know what’s good for you, you’ll obediently surrender.” Ha Luo’s soundwave rolled out.
A number of Lou Lan cultivators rose into the air and gathered. They were all cultivators. They did not have any mortals in their troops. There were easily more than 2,000 of them.
On the Nether Sect’s side, there were only more than 1,000 cultivators.
The people of Rouli and Lou Lan had the upper hand in terms of numbers.
Boom!
Rumble!
The sound of colliding avatars reached them from high above the eastern skies.
Every cultivator turned to look. It was too far away. They could only see a brief flash of golden light.
“Catching a turtle in a jar?” Shen Liangshou wondered. “Or maybe, a diversion?”
“What do you mean?” Little Yuan’er did not understand Shen Liangshou’s words.
“Si Wuya isn’t dumb. There’s a chance that Yang Yan is only a bait. When the time comes, the Nether Sect will sound a full retreat. The wolf won’t leave the city easily once it’s inside,” Shen Liangshou said.
Lu Zhou looked at Shen Liangshou. His analysis seemed to make sense. He immediately held Little Yuan’er’s hand and said, “Let’s go.” It was better to be safe than sorry.
The Other Tribesmen launched another wave of attack. Some of their men flew up to the city wall.
This time, Yang Yan said decisively, “Retreat.”
Lu Zhou, Little Yuan’er, and Shen Liangshou leaped off the city wall and flew toward the center of the city at a low altitude.
The situation was too chaotic. There were cultivators everywhere.
“Master, what about the commoners?” Little Yuan’er asked.
Shen Liangshou shook his head and said, “There’s no need to worry. On the first night of the Nether Sect’s attack… most of the civilians were already evacuated. This isn’t some prehistoric era. The evacuation was done quickly.”
“No wonder we didn’t see many people when we arrived.” Little Yuan’er was hit with a sudden realization.
The three of them flew side by side as they observed the situation in the city.
Although most of the civilians had been evacuated, there were still many cultivators and mortals inside the city. They were looting the residences and establishments while all hell broke loose around them. Shen Liangshou was one of these people. There was never a shortage of such individuals regardless of the era.
“Look toward the east.” Shen Liangshou pointed east.
The cultivators who were watching the show from atop the branches had stopped to witness a shocking scene.
Two avatars, both 70 to 80 feet tall, flew side by side. Behind them, a handful of avatars followed closely.
“The Nether Sect’s remaining Great Protectors! There’s a huge flying chariot as well!”
“This is bad! The Nether Sect’s retreating!”
The cultivators leaped off the branches and began heading east.
Lu Zhou decided to land as he looked at the three Great Protectors flying south. They were soon reunited with Yang Yan before they disappeared.
Lu Zhou frowned slightly. ‘As expected, that rascal is drawing the enemy in!’
When an army of more than 1,000 men chose to retreat on such short notice, they were clearly planning something.
They looked at the western city wall.
The people of Rouli and Lou Lan had entered the city. They were flying slowly in a square formation made out of roughly 2,000 men. They flew at such a speed because they were wary of traps in the city. The witchcraft cultivators flew at the forefront. They kept unleashing purple radiant circles as they looked out for any Formations in the vicinity.
“Let’s go.”
The battle was now between Liu Bing and the Other Tribes.
…
“In here.” Lu Zhou pointed at one of the buildings in the city.
The three of them entered the building. The moment they went in, they heard the sounds of a fierce battle breaking out in the south.
The Expansive Heavenly Energy had been unleashed.
“Didn’t the Nether Sect retreat to the south? Why is there a battle now?” Shen Liangshou went to the southern side of the building and gazed out the window. He could not help but widen his eyes. “Great Yan’s army?!”
A lady in embroidered clothes wielded a pink umbrella as she engaged the Nether Sect in a fierce battle.
“Sister Jingyi?” Little Yuan’er recognized the lady.
“Li Jingyi?” Lu Zhou looked out as well.
That Seven-leaf female avatar, those shocking moves, there was no doubting it was Li Jingyi.
‘Wasn’t Wei Zhuoyan defeated in Yi Province? Why is he here in Liang Province?’
Lu Zhou remembered Jiang Aijian. ‘That fellow. Is he Si Wuya’s bane?’
The tides of the battle turned again.
“Li Jingyi’s not a match for the Four Great Protectors on her own. The Divine Capital must’ve sent Eight-leaf elites… It’s over… The Nether Sect is done for!” Shen Liangshou said.
The Other Tribesmen, Liu Bing, and Li Jingyi. The Nether Sect was pressured on three fronts.
On the other hand, the Four Great Protectors hovered in the air.
Shen Liangshou’s heart raced when he saw this, it seemed like a checkmate to him. Would the greatest Fiend Sect under the heavens be crushed at the battle in Liang Province?
“I wouldn’t be so sure about that.” Lu Zhou shook his head.
“You don’t think so, old mister?”
“If Yu Zhenghai is here… He could turn the tides,” Lu Zhou said.
Shen Liangshou’s eyes widened.
Lu Zhou, Little Yuan’er, and Shen Liangshou looked at the Nether Sect’s flying chariot at the same time. Was Yu Zhenghai onboard the flying chariot?
