Atop the Gaoling Plains, the towering Giant Bear Puppet lumbered forward in great strides. Wherever it passed, enemies were crushed and scattered like leaves before a storm. Back during the battle at Xiao Huan Mountain, this puppet had been smashed down in just a few blows by the Explosive Ape, Little Red, barely showcasing any strength. But that didn’t mean it was useless. In truth, it had simply lacked Duan Rui’s control at the time; without it, it was stiff and slow in combat. Besides, Little Red was a second-tier demonic beast, not something this puppet could contend with. Under Gu Caiyi’s full and meticulous control, the Giant Bear Puppet finally unleashed its true might. Its massive build, forged from rare materials, made it nearly indestructible. Swords and sabers clanged harmlessly off its frame. Spells and talismans fizzled against its toughened hide. Not only was it durable beyond belief, but Gu Caiyi had also cleverly stocked its core with mid-grade spirit stones. Every so often, the puppet would unleash a giant glowing orb from its mouth, an attack so devastating that anyone below the ninth stage of Qi-Refining would die instantly upon contact. Even cultivators at Perfected Mastery Qi-Refining had no choice but to retreat. Confrontation was simply out of the question. “Caiyi, did you find the exit?” Sima Huiniang’s voice called out from afar. Gu Caiyi clenched her jaw, sweat pouring down her flushed face. I can’t find it! It's nowhere! Since she was not skilled with formations, all she could do was charge in a straight line, ramming blindly into the formation again and again. Yet the reality before her eyes was nothing she could trust. The shifting stone pillars played tricks on her senses, creating illusions that led her astray, turning all her efforts into nothing but futile struggle. If this keeps up, everyone will be trapped and slaughtered here! Behind her, the screams and wails of Luo Tian Society cultivators echoed ceaselessly. Gu Caiyi had no idea how many familiar faces had already fallen beneath the enemy's ruthless assault. Just as despair began to take hold, something caught her eye. Two collapsed pillars had crumbled into a heap, subtly forming a path that pointed in a specific direction. She hesitated for a heartbeat. Then, with resolve hardening in her eyes, she swiftly formed a seal. A radiant burst of light flared from within the Giant Bear Puppet as five mid-grade spirit stones were instantly drained of their energy. A massive orb of light burst from the bear’s maw. With a furious bellow, the Giant Bear Puppet's full-force strike was unleashed. Wherever it passed, Dajiang Gang cultivators were reduced to nothing but blood mist. Dozens fell in an instant, yet the orb continued its rampage, surging forward without pause. It ground through everything in its path until... it blasted clear out of the Gaoling Plains! A path was finally opened! Bathed in the pale glow of moonlight beyond, Gu Caiyi felt a surge of emotion rise in her chest. Her eyes brimmed with tears, but she forced them to stop and shouted at the top of her lungs, “Follow me!” The Giant Bear Puppet surged ahead with thunderous strides. Sima Xian and Zhou Yuanli flanked Gu Caiyi on either side, leading their squads to guard the formation's wings. Behind them, Qin Liangchen, Su Xiaolin, Liu Qiang, and Bian Zhen fought desperately, and wave after wave of enemies fell beneath their coordinated assault. Further back, Duan Feng stood firm, holding the final line. With the supreme-grade enchanted artifact, the Heluo Blade, in hand, he cleaved through enemies without pause. “Go, Xiao Duan!” shouted Feng Xia, who was flying above on her sword. With a wild expression, Duan Feng shoved her forcefully. “You all go first!” Caught off guard by his push, Feng Xia stumbled backward, retreating hastily. Just then, several more enchanted artifacts hurtled through the air toward them. Duan Feng’s face twisted with fury as the Heluo Blade unleashed wave after wave of force, sweeping forward. Yet several enchanted artifacts still broke through his defense. As if by chance, a massive stone pillar rumbled into place. It looked like it might crush Duan Feng, but instead, it intercepted the incoming enchanted artifacts. He froze for a split second, then launched himself off the pillar without hesitation, retreating in a flash. Several Dajiang Gang cultivators rushed over to retrieve their enchanted artifacts. “What the hell is Min Longyu doing?” “That was supposed to be a killing blow. And we missed?” “A shame. Duan Feng is the head of Luo Tian Society’s Artifact Hall, and he’s loaded with supreme-grade swords and top-grade defensive gear.” “Forget it. Keep chasing!” Deep underground, Min Longyu sat cross-legged with a five-colored formation disc slowly spinning before him. On either side, two massive water mirrors reflected scenes from the outside world. His expression was grave, and he kept forming intricate hand seals, casting one after another without pause. With each seal he made, the stone pillars within the mirrors shifted their positions. Had any Dajiang Gang cultivator been present, they would have noticed something alarming. The stone pillars weren’t blocking the Luo Tian Society’s forces at all. Instead, they were subtly guiding and protecting them. “Wang Haichao… this is the debt you owe me… Dan Chenzi, don’t you dare let me down.” Murmuring, he pressed a hand onto the formation disc. In the next instant, a violent surge of spirit power erupted, spreading out like a shockwave. Above, on the Gaoling Plains, countless massive stone pillars shuddered violently before detonating one after another, as if collapsing under an unbearable weight. The explosions sent shards of stone flying in every direction, like a storm of deadly arrows. Caught off guard, the nearby cultivators had no chance to react. They were torn apart in an instant. Not far away, Duan Feng, who had only just escaped the formation, turned deathly pale. Had he lingered inside even a moment longer, he knew he would have shared their fate. Yet even as he stared at the devastation before him, a deep sense of confusion rose in his heart. The one controlling the formation... they seemed to be... “Duan Feng, are you alright?!” Qin Liangchen and Murong Qinglian darted over, placing themselves protectively in front of Duan Feng. Duan Feng panted heavily and said, "It's just a bit of exhaustion, nothing serious!" Although he said that, the wounds all over his body were impossible to fake. Qin Liangchen shook his head and said, "Go rest in the back for now. Leave this to us." As he spoke, his gaze remained firmly locked on the Gaoling Plains, where one enemy after another was pouring out. These bastards just refused to die! Soon, Sima Xian and Zhou Yuanli arrived with a group of elites. "Director, what should we do now?" one of them asked. Sima Huiniang’s beautiful face turned ruthless as she glared at the cultivators from the Dajiang Gang. "Nothing but rabble! Inside the formation, it was hard to move freely, but now that we’re outside, this is no longer their domain. Everyone, listen to my command! Early and mid stage Qi-Refining cultivators, use talismans for ranged attacks. Late stage Qi-Refining cultivators, form teams of three and charge at the enemy. Those at the ninth stage, go around the battlefield. Show no mercy, kill without hesitation!" At her command, the cultivators of the Luo Tian Society roared their agreement with fierce determination! This battle had to end with a decisive victory. Running away was simply not an option. The President and the Battle Hall Leader were still locked in a fierce battle with the Foundation Establishment Initiates. How could they possibly escape? Moreover, during the earlier breakout, the Luo Tian Society had suffered heavy casualties. At least a hundred people had died inside. Among them were their friends, their family, and their dao companions! This was a massive blood debt, and it had to be repaid in blood! Under Sima Huiniang’s swift command, the remaining Luo Tian Society cultivators quickly organized themselves into battle formations, launching attacks against the Dajiang Gang cultivators. Thanks to the countless battles fought during the society’s early founding days, the survivors of the Luo Tian Society were no ordinary cultivators. Each one was battle-hardened, seasoned by blood and fire. Faced with the chaos before them, not a single one showed fear. Furthermore, the Luo Tian Society had reaped rich rewards from those wars. The talismans of the Fu family and the enchanted artifacts of the Duan family were all of excellent quality. Moreover, Luo Chen had given them treasures like the Giant Bear Puppet, which could match a cultivator at Perfected Mastery of Qi-Refining, the supreme-grade flying sword Heluo Blade, and the top-grade enchanted artifact Flame Spear. In contrast, while the Dajiang Gang boasted greater numbers, they completely lacked cohesion. Worse still, Wang Haichao, being a miser by nature, never rewarded his subordinates with quality equipment. The entire group was nothing more than a pack of paupers. So when Sima Huiniang had called them rabble, it wasn’t arrogance; it was the factual truth. As soon as the Luo Tian Society completed setting up their formation and launched a systematic counterattack, the tide of battle shifted in an instant. Without the terrain advantage of the Gaoling Plains or the concealment provided by formations, their superior numbers meant little. They were nothing but lambs awaiting slaughter. Moreover, the Luo Tian Society had ten-some cultivators at the ninth stage of Qi-Refining. Even someone as elderly as Granny Yuan could stand in the rear lines and cast Sword of the Golden Harvest, harvesting lives as effortlessly as if she were indeed harvesting spirit grains. Sima Huiniang held the center position. Beside her, Gu Caiyi was busy inserting mid-grade spirit stones into the Giant Bear Puppet. She gazed over the battlefield; the Luo Tian Society was gradually gaining the upper hand. "Director, there's something off about Min Longyu," Gu Caiyi suddenly said, looking up. Sima Huiniang nodded and said, "I felt it too. That formation earlier was supposed to split us up and defeat us one by one. But our main force has remained intact throughout. Instead, it was the Dajiang Gang who got scattered by the illusions, unable to launch a full coordinated attack." Gu Caiyi shuddered slightly at the thought. The earlier situation, when they had been surrounded, had felt utterly hopeless. Even with the Luo Tian Society's many experts, had that formation truly focused on them, their breakout would have cost far more than just a hundred lives. If anything, only a hundred might have survived. Thinking of the fallen, Gu Caiyi couldn't help but glance back at the low-tier Qi-Refining cultivators who were struggling to fire talismans at the enemy. Behind them lay a row of injured cultivators. They were the ones who had fought their way out but had been gravely wounded and could no longer move. It was precisely because of these injured comrades that Sima Huiniang had resolved to fight to the bitter end. The President was still fighting, Wang Yuan was still fighting, and the wounded could not retreat. How could they possibly abandon them? "Our battle here, whether victory or defeat, won't decide the outcome," Sima Huiniang said grimly. "It all depends on the President and Wang Yuan." In complete contrast with Sima Huiniang’s ruthless facade, a trace of deep worry flickered in her eyes. She had seen it clearly: Two Foundation Establishment Initiates had gone after the President. "But the President is full of wit and possesses extraordinary means. He should be able to hold out for a while. So, as long as Wang Yuan can quickly settle his side... huh?" Sima Huiniang suddenly looked up. In the night sky above, three figures hovered, divided into two opposing sides. One of them was Li Yixian, and standing beside her was a Foundation Establishment cultivator from the Yu family of Yihua Mountain. Beneath the Yu family cultivator stood a spirit beast whose energy was even stronger than the Explosive Ape enslaved by the President. Sensing Sima Huiniang's gaze, Li Yixian gave a bitter smile and sent a voice transmission over. Sima Huiniang stiffened for a moment, then slowly shifted her gaze toward Yu Rou, her eyes now filled with gravity. Above, Yu Rou scanned the battlefield below with an icy expression, her gaze briefly pausing over the smoldering remains of Gaoling Plains. With a snort, Yu Rou finally turned her gaze toward the depths of the stone forest in Gaoling Plains. Violent surges of spirit power were erupting from within, mingled with a vast sea of blood essence. The turbulence rolled out in waves, filling the sky with murderous intent. Li Yixian followed her line of sight and narrowed her eyes. After a long pause, she scoffed. "This is the man your Yu family wants to have as a son-in-law?" Yu Rou’s brows drew into a deep frown. "It wasn’t supposed to be ..." "What's there to be surprised about!" Li Yixian said scornfully. "Huo Hu has always had elders shielding him. His only combat experience comes from the internal competitions among the Flame Alliance disciples. This war between the two Nascent Soul sects should've been the perfect chance for him to temper himself, but he hides like a rat." Yu Rou shook her head. "At the very least, he’s a Foundation Establishment cultivator..." "Wang Yuan is at the second stage of Physical-Refining. That’s already comparable to Foundation Establishment." Li Yixian sneered repeatedly and said, "You probably don't know this, but Wang Yuan has been famous in the Dahe Market for many years. Among his peers, no one can defeat him. He’s got an iron will and no fear of death. How could Huo Hu possibly be his match?" Seeing Yu Rou’s reluctance to accept the truth, Li Yixian’s expression turned to pure disdain. Did she think that being a sect disciple or born into a prestigious family automatically made one superior to rogue cultivators? True sect prodigies could crush others in the same realm only if they fully mastered their sect’s techniques and had undergone real trials to sharpen their will. Only then could they suppress rogue cultivators of the same realm. Huo Hu could hardly be counted among the Flame Alliance's prodigies. And his enchanted treasures? In the past, Li Yixian hadn’t fully grasped the truth. It was only after she obtained the Smoke-Cold Gauze that she came to a deeper understanding. Back then, she had assumed that the reason enchanted treasures were reserved for Golden Core Adepts was simply their overwhelming cost. As it turned out, that was only part of the reason. What truly prevented Foundation Establishment cultivators from freely wielding enchanted treasures was spirit power. It was the same reason that early stage Qi-Refining cultivators couldn’t casually use top-grade or supreme-grade enchanted artifacts. For Foundation Establishment cultivators to freely wield enchanted treasures was nothing more than a fantasy. Even if a Foundation Establishment cultivator poured years into mastering a single enchanted treasure, nurturing it to respond seamlessly to their will, they would still only be able to unleash fifty to seventy percent of its full power. For someone like Li Yixian, at the early stage of Foundation Establishment, an enchanted treasure could at best serve as a trump card, not something to be used repeatedly. And Huo Hu wasn't even as good as she was. He had only just stepped into the Foundation Establishment Realm, and his cultivation was likely still unstable. His enchanted treasure hadn’t been nurtured for long either. If he failed to quickly defeat his opponent using the treasure’s initial burst of power, then as the battle dragged on, the very spirit power demands of that treasure would turn against him, becoming his greatest weakness rather than strength. Even if I fully refine the Smoke-Cold Gauze, I still can't rely solely on it, Li Yixian thought. In normal combat, I must primarily rely on a supreme-grade enchanted artifact. The Smoke-Cold Gauze can only serve as a decisive blow to secure victory! Ironically, Huo Hu’s sorry state had just provided Li Yixian with an excellent lesson. Since stepping into Foundation Establishment, she hadn’t faced many battles against opponents of the same realm. The few encounters she’d had were minor scuffles at best, certainly nothing life-threatening. In truth, among her peers, she too lacked real combat experience. But now, by watching the fight below unfold, she found herself gaining tremendous insight. Just as she was absorbed in thought, her expression suddenly shifted. "Yu Rou, what are you doing!" she exclaimed. Upon the Verdant-Feather Whitehawk, Yu Rou’s spirit power surged violently. "Huo Hu is no match for Wang Yuan. That man clearly intends to kill him. I can't just stand by and do nothing." Li Yixian's long sword shimmered, the tip exuding flickering spirit light. "You intend to stop me?" Yu Rou asked with a deep frown. "Didn't you stop me earlier too?" Li Yixian sneered. Yu Rou shook her head. "That was then. This is now. If Huo Hu dies here, neither of us will be able to bear the consequences." Seeing that Li Yixian still showed signs of standing in her way, her expression darkened, and she uttered coldly, "Think of the Li family!" When she heard those words, Li Yixian froze. Her face stiffened. That was the threat she couldn’t ignore. Her family’s survival was still in the hands of others. Just as the two were facing off, a ferocious explosion echoed from the distance. A figure shot up into the sky, fleeing wildly in their direction. As he fled, he cursed furiously. At the center of the blast, countless stone pillars crumbled into rubble. Atop the one pillar still intact, nearly a hundred meters tall, stood a tall and imposing figure. He silently watched the back of the fleeing man. His right hand was extended outward, with four fingers curled into a fist and the forefinger slowly pointing forward. Yu Rou's face changed drastically at the sight. However, that figure seemed completely deaf to her cry. His entire body erupted with crackling sounds, his joints popped, his meridians trembled under the pressure, and all his blood essence converged into this single finger. In the next moment, a blood-red beam shot through the air like a meteor. In the blink of an eye, it ran Huo Hu clean through. Huo Hu stared blankly at the gaping hole in his chest. He did not even have the time to feel shock. His body wavered, then fell from the sky like a rock. Yu Rou stood frozen in place, her mind blank. In that instant, countless thoughts crashed through her brain, too fast to grasp. But then came the next moment: A piercing shriek tore from her throat, exploding in all directions like a shockwave. The Verdant-Feather Whitehawk beneath her surged forward like an arrow loosed from a bow, streaking toward Huo Hu’s falling body. Li Yixian stood there stunned for a moment, unsure of what to do. But her instincts screamed for action. She took a step forward and sword light flickered around her, ready to intercept Yu Rou. But before it could take shape, the sword light dimmed. On the ground, countless vines suddenly erupted, writhing like living serpents. In the blink of an eye, they wove together into a dense cage, wrapping tightly around Huo Hu’s body. Behind the vines, a blazing sun slowly rose, casting light across the battlefield. A voice echoed, calm and chilling. "Fellow Daoist, do not bring ruin upon yourself!