At this moment.
The defeat of the Department of Immortal Suppression was a foregone conclusion.
Members of the various major factions were breaking away from the losing battle one after another.
"Where are the reinforcements? Where are our reinforcements?!!"
In the sky above the grasslands, Changsun Buhuo questioned Qi Wunian with a grim expression.
Every single Void Refinement cultivator represented the very foundation of a major power, yet their Changsun Clan had lost a Void Refinement cultivator!
In such a defeat as this, never mind the Divine Corpse—even on the bodies of those Purple Robes and Black Robes from the Mountain of Esoteric Stratagems, there was nothing but corpses and more corpses.
Aside from that, they were destitute to the point of rattling.
Faced with this interrogation, Qi Wunian's face turned pale.
Every clan had suffered losses.
The members of the Eternal Immortal Sect had all lost their lives.
As for the Heavenly Monarch Dao Sanctuary, only Heavenly Lord Jiang survived; it could be said that thirty percent of the sect's pillars of strength had fallen in this great war.
And the Li family...
"Where are the Sword Venerable and the Corpse Ancestor?" Heavenly Lord Jiang looked around at his routed fellow Daoists.
Although Heavenly Lord Ning An had turned out to be a member of the Grand Tower—causing the Heavenly Lord Dao to lose tremendous face—Jiang still felt a degree of gratitude toward the two men from the Li Clan.
Seeing that Li Dalong and Li Yaozu were nowhere to be found, his expression turned ugly.
"The Sword Venerable and the Corpse Ancestor are still inside the Mountain of Esoteric Stratagems. There may be other fellow Daoists still alive as well."
"Go save them!"
Changsun Buhuo took a deep breath.
She now thoroughly understood: in this great war, they were nothing more than bait used to fish out the Grand Tower.
Despising the Li family within the Department of Immortal Suppression was one thing, but now, if they continued their infighting instead of aiding one another, they would likely be devoured by the Department until nothing remained!
She exchanged a glance with Heavenly Lord Jiang.
In that moment, they both knew it clearly: the members of the Li Clan must survive!
Only the Li Clan shared a close relationship with the Crown Prince and possessed backers such as the Imperial Preceptor, the Grand Preceptor, and even the Fourth Prince.
In the future, only the Li Clan could help them seek justice within the Department of Immortal Suppression.
Glancing at Qi Wunian and seeing his hesitation, Heavenly Lord Jiang's expression turned cold.
"Hmph! Lord Qi, it was you who led us into the Mountain of Esoteric Stratagems.
Everyone knows exactly what kind of scheme your Department of Immortal Suppression is pulling!
The Azure Cloud Li Clan has only these two Void Refinement cultivators.
If they perish in the Mountain of Esoteric Stratagems, how will the Li Clan be able to suppress the Ethereal Immortal Sect?
Do you truly intend to watch the Li Clan fall into decline?"
"This..." Qi Wunian's heart skipped a beat.
Heavenly Lord Jiang's words were subtle, but he understood the implication clearly: only if the Li Clan survived would there be a turning point for him after disobeying the Commander's orders. Otherwise, he would truly have to roam the ends of the earth as a fugitive.
Immediately, the group took a deep breath, preparing to head back into the Mountain of Esoteric Stratagems.
But just as they stepped forward, their eyes narrowed.
They saw that the Sword Pavilion—the faction with the closest ties to the Li family—had not moved an inch!
Left Sword had lost his life within the Mountain of Esoteric Stratagems.
Right Sword's eyes were vacant; he had clearly lost his will to fight and was kneeling beside Jian Zuo's corpse.
Meanwhile, Han Shi, his gaze evasive, attempted to step forward but was blocked by the Sword Master, Fang Yunyu.
"Seniors, our Sword Pavilion cannot withstand any further losses." Fang Yunyu's expression was one of deep sorrow.
Of the three seniors, one had perished, and another's Dao Heart had collapsed. As the Sword Master, he could not shirk the blame for this catastrophe.
He spoke bitterly, "The Commander's reinforcements will be here any moment. My Sword Pavilion cannot take such a risk."
"Hahaha! Fool!"
Changsun Buhuo let out a loud laugh.
"Fang Yunyu, oh Fang Yunyu.
I said long ago that you and I were the same kind of people—merely chasing profit.
But I was wrong.
You aren't just greedy; you are stupid!
At a time like this, do you actually still harbor illusions about that scoundrel Wu Neng?"
But even after these words were spoken, Fang Yunyu lowered his head and remained silent.
"Let it be." Heavenly Lord Jiang shook his head.
"It seems this man truly intends to abandon his fellow Daoists. Since he has already hesitated, I am ashamed to even be associated with him."
"Let's go!" Qi Wunian gave a cold snort.
"There is nothing more to say. How the Sword Pavilion acts is their own affair.
If Sword Master Fang wishes to preserve his forces, that is his duty as the Sword Master. No one can blame him."
Immediately, the group cast cold glances at Fang Yunyu before returning once more into the Mountain of Esoteric Stratagems.
Fang Yunyu trembled all over.
He then moved the wounded members and the corpses of the Sword Pavilion onto the Spirit Boat.
As the Spirit Boat departed and the lush green grasslands below drifted further and further away, Fang Yunyu collapsed weakly onto the prow of the boat, muttering to himself.
"I have done enough. The Commander's intention was to have the entire Li Clan perish in the Mountain of Esoteric Stratagems. I did not heed that wish; I have shown enough loyalty."
"I am not in the wrong. The Li Clan's Sword Venerable and Corpse Ancestor have likely already lost their lives in the Mountain of Esoteric Stratagems.
Why should I risk the lives of my sect elders for the sake of two dead men?"
"Furthermore..."
"If I heed the Commander's orders, that evidence the Commander holds will not be handed over.
My Sword Pavilion can still be heavily relied upon by the Commander. So what if we became bait?
Once the Department of Immortal Suppression destroys the Mountain of Esoteric Stratagems and the Grand Tower, there will surely be a share of the spoils for my Sword Pavilion!"
...
Inside the Mountain of Esoteric Stratagems.
Changsun Buhuo and her clan elders, Heavenly Lord Jiang, Qi Wunian, and two Void Refinement cultivators from the Department of Immortal Suppression had once again entered this land of corpse-mountains and seas of blood.
Due to several days of intense battle, everything within the Mountain of Esoteric Stratagems was gradually collapsing.
It was evident that in the wake of the defeat, the Purple Robes and Black Robes of the Mountain of Esoteric Stratagems were departing the Mountain one after another.
Even White Robe Taotie and that White Robe Huangui had vanished without a trace; they had certainly seized the opportunity to flee.
"Even if they are but corpses, we must return them to the Li Clan!"
Qi Wunian's expression was grave.
"Li Tianyue of the Li Clan holds the fort among the Wu tribes, commanding an army of three hundred and twenty thousand.
Li Xinnian governs the Azure Cloud Prefecture, suppressing the Wu tribes of the Southern Border.
Li Xinghuo controls the Northern Asura Army and is heavily relied upon by the Grand Tutor."
"Their clan still wields immense power.
Even if their two Void Refinement cultivators have died, as long as we lend the Li Clan a helping hand, we can borrow their influence.
It is not impossible that we could use this to free ourselves from the clutches of the Department of Immortal Suppression!"
Everyone exchanged glances, their expressions resolute.
But just at that moment, their expressions suddenly changed.
From atop the summit of the Mountain of Esoteric Stratagems, violent fluctuations of Spiritual power suddenly erupted, causing the surrounding space to ripple.
"Why is there still someone fighting? Who is it?"
Changsun Buhuo was slightly stunned.
The space ahead suddenly split apart.
A sword shadow burst out, cutting through the distorted void. The man riding it looked haggard and grim, his aura unstable. When he noticed the group below, his face tightened.
"Run!"
He didn't slow down. His voice carried urgency and fear.
"They're fighting for real now. That level of power isn't something we can touch. Retreat quickly—Don't get dragged in!"
With that, the sword light tore through the air and vanished beyond the Mountain of Esoteric Stratagems.
The group looked at each other in dismay.
"Li Yaozu!"
This Li Yaozu was still alive, fleeing in a panic.
Qi Wunian breathed a sigh of relief.
"The Sword Venerable is still alive. It is good that he is still alive..."
Not yet understanding Li Yaozu's meaning, the group looked toward the place from which Li Yaozu had just fled, using their Spiritual power to gaze into the Void Refinement Space.
In an instant, everyone's faces turned pale, and they retreated rapidly.
"Flee!"
Inside that Void Refinement Space, a sea of blood churned skyward like molten lava, boiling and endless. A single iron chain coiled above it, moving like a living dragon.
Li Dalong raced along the chain, seals flashing from his hands as incantations rolled from his lips. From the blood sea below, Yin Gods clawed their way out of the Netherworld, screaming as they tore into the battlefield.
The Prefecture Lord's Seal of Righteous Qi flared. Twin Snakes shot from Li Dalong's sleeves, transforming into massive pythons that rampaged through the crimson waves.
Within the blood sea, a long spear, a long saber, and an ancient bell erupted with terrifying might. A figure formed of black mist flickered through the chaos, barely visible. Wherever it passed, space itself shattered.
Above them, the Yin-Yang Fish Diagram rotated slowly. The paired fish leapt and circled as if in delight.
And the two of them were locked in a desperate slaughter against He Hao and Zhen Wu!
He Hao had concealed his true strength; his talismans burned madly, generating formation techniques that were violent to the extreme.
Zhen Wu's nine ancient bronze gates had been thrown wide open.
Both men had reached the absolute limit of the Void Refinement Realm, their strength on par with that of the Huangui.
Yet a single Huangui had been enough to handle the six of them combined!
"Impossible."
Changsun Buhuo blinked, incredulous.
"How can they be this strong? This… this is the Li Clan?"
Recalling the cold treatment Li Chang'an had faced in the Department of Immortal Suppression over the years, and how he had simply turned a blind eye to it all, Changsun Buhuo felt her scalp go numb.
She seemed to realize it now: Li Chang'an wasn't being cowardly.
He was...
Disdainful!
---
Donate on Ko-fi ➡️ [https://ko-fi.com/darktea] ⬅️
Get Early Access to 90 Chapters: Search for "Dark Tea" on Ko-fi (Explore tab) and join my membership to read ahead!