Chapter 1606: Pure Yang Hall's Methods

After extracting a few more drops of the plant juice, Li Yan began to scatter them onto the tips of the surrounding grass. This process was excruciatingly slow. Since the fluid was scarce, Li Yan had to meticulously plan his route, anticipating the positions where Han Zhumei might appear. As long as she passed through those spots and brushed against them twice, he would be able to locate the concentration of the scent and lock onto her position. After all, he was a master hunter of the Great Green Mountains—a skill even Uncle Guoxin had praised back in the day!

When Li Yan deliberately exposed his position to lure Han Zhumei through several key areas, he hadn’t expected that his strategy of using himself as bait would nearly cost him his “life” prematurely. The destructive power of a wind-attribute cultivator’s ultimate attack was terrifying. Its sharpness exceeded Li Yan’s expectations; once the offensive began, he was forced into a desperate scramble, leaving him no time even for a brief defense. In every sliver of time, he dodged for his life, eventually forced to deal a “killing” blow to his own physical form to escape.

It was only after he vanished once more into concealment that Han Zhumei also entered a stealthy state, waiting for Li Yan to reveal a flaw. But this time, Li Yan, who had been unable to find her, finally sensed a slight concentration of the grassy scent in a particular spot. He immediately crept forward with all his strength. However, when he was within thirty feet, that unique grassy aroma suddenly began to shift.

Li Yan knew that for a master of ambush and assassination like Han Zhumei, her intuition for life-and-death crises far exceeded her cultivation realm. Dropping his concealment, he instantly unleashed “Phoenix Soars to the Heavens.” This was the trump card he had kept hidden to ensure she remained off guard. Using his powerful physical body, he charged straight ahead with no artifice, his speed in that instant completely surpassing her imagination.

Outside the Mountain River Diagram, Elder Fang had stated that for the sake of fairness, body cultivators would be allowed to manifest their corresponding strength. The result truly satisfied Li Yan. With the sudden activation of “Phoenix Soars to the Heavens” at such close range, Han Zhumei was startled and had no time to react. She was directly crushed into a shower of starlight.

‘With her dead, the rest of the Mingyan Sect should be easy to hunt!’ Li Yan thought. In the next moment, a pill bottle appeared in his hand, and he swallowed several medicinal pills. He immediately had to find a place to refine the medicine and recover his magical power. His current depletion was severe; if he didn’t replenish his strength, he might soon dissipate on his own.

Before tending to his wounds, Li Yan probed the token at his waist with his divine sense. Like Han Zhumei, he had been intensely focused on the battle with such a peerless expert. Only now did he have the chance to check the casualty status. He hoped that the Broken Army Sect still maintained a decent fighting force. He believed the plan devised by Mu Guyue would achieve this.

However, when Li Yan’s divine sense swept into the token, his entire expression froze. Within the token, aside from a few red dots, there was not a single green dot left.

“They… they are all dead?”

Outside the Mountain River Diagram, Wei Fuzi and the others stared intently at Han Zhumei. None of them had expected the situation to end like this. Ling Shan and the other two Spirit Transformation cultivators, after taking pills and briefly tending to their wounds, could no longer sit still and kept watching Han Zhumei’s back. Feeling the gazes of everyone on and off the platform, the expressions of these three turned various shades of red and white. Three Spirit Transformation cultivators from the opposing side were still in the diagram, while on their side, only Han Zhumei remained “alive.” Recalling the strength disparity between the two sects before the battle, they wished they could find a crack in the ground to crawl into.

The glares they directed at Mu Guyue were sharp enough to devour her whole. This woman, whom they had ignored at the start and who had joined late, was the one who had completely terminated their progress!

On the Broken Army Sect’s side, Shangguan Tianque was equally tense. After hearing the account from Yu Banjiang and the others, he knew the outcome of the battle on the hillside was tragic. Although Ren Yanyu and Mu Guyue were still in the diagram, they likely lacked the strength to fight further. At this moment, the Broken Army Sect only appeared to be in a better position on the surface. Now, the only cultivators capable of fighting were Li Yan and Han Zhumei, but Yu Banjiang and the others had no way of knowing Li Yan’s situation.

At that moment, Han Zhumei, who had been sitting motionless, suddenly swayed. Her beautiful eyes snapped open. Although she didn’t let out even a muffled groan, her pale face revealed that her internal organs had suffered a backlash, though she endured it.

“Elder Han…” Wei Fuzi was the first to react, stepping forward quickly. Not only did the platform fall silent, but the noise in the square below also diminished significantly. The last Supreme Elder of the Mingyan Sect had also been forced out!

Han Zhumei slowly stood up, shaking her head slightly, and looked toward the Broken Army Sect. Her gaze fixed upon a tall figure who remained sitting cross-legged there.

Fifteen minutes later, the figures sitting cross-legged on the Broken Army Sect’s side all opened their eyes simultaneously. The disciples who had exited earlier had long since stopped tending to their wounds; they had all been jolted awake by the suppressed gasps of others after Han Zhumei’s exit. Seeing the scene before them, no one could sit peacefully anymore.

The moment Li Yan and the others regained consciousness, the charming Elder Fang on the platform gave a light laugh and stood up for the first time. With a wave of her silken sleeve, the massive Mountain River Diagram in the air rapidly shrank, turning into a streak of green light that flew into her sleeve.

“The strength displayed by both sides was truly exquisite. Such a refined confrontation is quite commendable!”

Chongyangzi also looked toward the Broken Army Sect with admiration in his eyes. They had seen the duel between the two sides clearly. Though it was a battle between juniors, they found it fascinating. Wu Gouzi, however, had a glint of dark severity in his eyes as he looked at Li Yan and Mu Guyue differently. The burly man from the Seven Tigers Alliance sat there with a thoughtful expression, having lost his earlier boisterousness. Although the Broken Army Sect still couldn’t sit as equals with them, the result of this battle and the performance of these Spirit Transformation juniors were worthy of consideration.

Half a day later, Shangguan Tianque led the disciples tens of thousands of miles away from the Blood Lantern Sect. The four of them stood side by side atop the head of the massive Green Cloud Sparrow. The disciples behind them were no longer as solemn and battle-ready as they had been upon arrival; instead, they were smiling and chatting in low voices. Shangguan Tianque didn’t bother controlling them, allowing them to discuss while he whispered with Li Yan and the other two.

Once the four of them converged and confirmed their exit from the diagram, there was little left to say. Subsequently, under the begrudging gazes of the Mingyan Sect, Elder Fang announced the results, and everything followed logically. The process wasn’t long; after announcing a few more things, she gave Shangguan Tianque a storage ring and a jade ring shaped like a copper coin. This sight puzzled many. The storage ring naturally contained treasures like Grand Void Fruits and top-grade spirit stones, but what was that copper-coin-shaped jade ring?

Elder Fang did not explain immediately. She waved her hand again, and an identical jade ring flew toward Wei Fuzi. Only then did she speak softly.

“This jade ring is a token for contacting the Pure Yang Hall. It can only be used in emergencies; simply crush it, and a powerhouse from the Pure Yang Hall will trace your location. Remember, do not use this unless absolutely necessary, or the Pure Yang Hall will hold you accountable, potentially with severe punishment. However, if you encounter something like a coordinated ambush on your way back… since all the powerhouses of your two sects are gathered here, such a loss would be significant, and this object could certainly be used!”

After saying this, she didn’t look at anyone. She nodded to the disciples of both sects below. “The Broken Army Sect may leave first. We have some matters to discuss with the Mingyan Sect!”

Her words caused many hearts to tighten. Elder Fang spoke casually, but her intent was clear. The Broken Army Sect was carrying great treasures on their return. Once they reached their sect, they would be protected by their grand formation, making it difficult for anyone to steal the treasures. But the journey was different. Though she gave tokens to both sects, she specifically added a clause about their usage. Her words served as a warning to the Blood Lantern Sect and the Mingyan Sect—no one should attempt to ambush the Broken Army Sect on the road, or the Pure Yang Hall would intervene with lethal force.

One must admit that the Pure Yang Hall’s grasp of human nature and their methods were perfectly calibrated. Wu Gouzi showed no surprise, even offering a smile. However, many in the Mingyan Sect lowered their heads, unwilling light flickering in their eyes; some had indeed harbored such thoughts.

For Shangguan Tianque and the others, the feeling was entirely different—it was one of deep gratitude. With their current strength, protecting these treasures on the journey home carried immense risk. The Pure Yang Hall not only provided the jade ring but also allowed them to leave first. The excuse of having business with the Mingyan Sect was simply to prevent them from departing now. Even if the others didn’t dare act, they might spread word of the treasures upon leaving. This way, even if the Mingyan Sect gained nothing, they could bring trouble—or even disaster—to the Broken Army Sect’s return.

Now, the Pure Yang Hall had kept them here, and this move meant even more than it seemed. Elder Fang only told the Broken Army Sect to leave, not mentioning the Seven Tigers Alliance, which naturally had to stay as well. Furthermore, if the Pure Yang Hall didn’t leave, the Blood Lantern Sect, as the host, had to remain and keep them company. This was killing four birds with one stone!

Even someone as calculating as Li Yan couldn’t help but admire Elder Fang’s few words. From this, he thought of even more things that they hadn’t understood before. For this sect promotion battle, the Pure Yang Hall had forbidden other sects from coming to watch. People like Jia Fugui and the Donglin family had wanted to come but were unable to. At the time, Li Yan felt the Pure Yang Hall’s actions were off. Why could the Qi Condensation disciples of the Blood Lantern Sect watch while sects with Spirit Transformation or Nascent Soul cultivators could not?

Looking at it now, Li Yan and the others were even more impressed. This wasn’t killing four birds with one stone; it was five! Without those sects watching, regardless of who won, the Pure Yang Hall wouldn’t have to worry about detaining so many people here. That would have bred dissatisfaction. A simple decision to bar spectators solved all these problems. Otherwise, with so many people knowing the results on the spot, the situation would have become complicated, and the Pure Yang Hall might have had to personally escort the Broken Army Sect. The Pure Yang Hall preferred to save their strength whenever possible.

As Li Yan and the others departed, they saw that even the Qi Condensation disciples of the Blood Lantern Sect remained in the vast square. The Broken Army Sect was finally escorted out of the sect by Elder Zhou personally. The gatekeepers of the Blood Lantern Sect had no choice but to clear the path quickly. As they left, Elder Zhou stood calmly at the gate, which brought a sense of satisfaction to the Broken Army Sect.

However, until their departure, Chongyangzi didn’t say another word, nor did he send any transmissions to Li Yan. He simply sat there with his eyes slightly closed. On the other side, the burly leader of the Seven Tigers Alliance was whispering with Wu Gouzi.

Just as the Broken Army Sect left the square, a voice echoed in Li Yan’s heart. “Fellow Daoist Li, I wonder if this little girl might know how you found my hiding place?”