Chapter 191: Startled Walks


    Over a hundred yearster, once again in the hands of Taiyi Sect disciples, when they saw this Golden Crow Lantern, it not only stirred memories in "Three Spears" Gu''s mind but also brought up shadows in his heart.


    "Three Spears" Gu fought for the benefits offered by the Liu Family and Green Bamboo Mountain. He had no true loyalty to either faction; it was merely a simple mercenary arrangement, and not a very reliable one at that.


    To forsake principles for personal gain and to seek advantage while avoiding harm is the essence of loose cultivators like "Three Spears" Gu. He would help and lend a hand for some benefits, but risking his life in a fight was out of the question.


    Seeing Meng Zhang had already activated the Golden Crow Lantern, "Three Spears" Gu didn''t even wait for the attack toe; he immediately used a magic tool to block the two flying swords before turning around to escape.


    "Three Spears" Gu was already a hundred and eighty years old, and considering the lifespan of a Foundation Building stage cultivator, he didn''t have many good years left. Especially as a loose cultivator, he had struggled for opportunities throughout his earlier years, facing numerous life-threatening crises and carrying many hidden injuries. His lifespan couldn''tpare to those pampered cultivators from renowned sects.


    With age, his courage waned, and he became increasingly reluctant to risk his life. At the slightest sign of danger, he would promptly flee without hesitation.


    Meng Zhang had just unleashed the Golden Crow Lantern, yet before the enemy''s attack had even arrived, the opponent turned and ran away.


    Meng Zhang initially suspected a trick and gave chase for a while, only to realize that the enemy genuinely had no intention of fighting and only wanted to escape.


    Meng Zhang had no intention of killing "Three Spears" Gu, nor did he have the certainty to do so. He could only let him escape.


    In reality, the Golden Crow Lantern, as a Second Rank top-grade magic tool, required a Foundation Buildingte-stage cultivator to fully unleash its power. Meng Zhang could only barely drive its power, relying on thepatibility with his Sr True Qi and the magic tool. He couldn''t fully unleash its potential.


    The reason the Golden Crow Lantern had been in Twin Sess Valley''s possession for so many years was due to the mismatch with their cultivation methods, preventing them from fully utilizing its great power. Otherwise, Dan Yihu might not have returned the magic tool to Meng Zhang.


    Meng Zhang could never have imagined that he scared off a Foundation Building stage cultivator solely relying on this magic tool.


    Seeing "Three Spears" Gu flying further away until he disappearedpletely, Meng Zhang flew back and joined the new battle.


    With two flying swords in hand, Meng Zhang attacked the Elder Bamboo Leaf of Green Bamboo Mountain. Lin Shenpo was also a skilled swordsman with exceptional sword techniques and profound cultivation in top-tier sword arts. Together, they managed to trap the Elder Bamboo Leaf, leaving him with no chance to escape.


    "Three Spears" Gu''s sudden escape gave Meng Zhang the opportunity to focus on the battle, which became a crucial factor in deciding the oue.


    Daoist White Sand was also a seasoned warrior, experienced in sessful retreats. He had escaped numerous life-threatening situations by seizing opportunities early.


    He also had no intention of risking his life for the Liu Family and Green Bamboo Mountain. When he saw the battle situation taking a turn for the worse, he immediately abandoned hisrades and fled alone.


    After forcing Ruan Dadao to retreat, Daoist White Sand flew towards Date Spice Oasis while loudly shouting, "The wind is tight, withdraw!"


    The White Sand Pirates, who were originally assisting in the defense of Date Spice Oasis, heard their leader''s warning and quickly followed suit, withdrawing from the battle.


    Ruan Dadao didn''t join in the siege against Elder Bamboo Leaf but instead assisted Shi Weida in attacking Liu Fengbo.As Liu Fengbo, the young master of the Liu Family, had an exceptional spiritual root talent, he had never experienced any major formations or battles. He was groomed and focused on by his family from a young age, leaving him with limitedbat experience.


    Initially, he had been engaged in a fierce battle with Shi Weida when he saw Ruan Dadao flying towards them. Filled with panic, he immediately turned and fled.


    Now, the battlefield was left with only two elders from Green Bamboo Mountain, struggling to hold on. The numerical advantage was now five to two, making the difference in strength apparent.


    Zhu Jian, who could have easily escaped, hesitated for a moment when he saw the Elder Bamboo Leaf trapped. Instead of abandoning his fellow disciple and fleeing, he attempted to rescue him. After all, if the five Foundation Building stage cultivators stood by and watched Zhu Jian save the Elder Bamboo Leaf, it would be a huge blow to their pride.


    Moreover, Zhu Jian''s skills were indeed formidable. Even Aunt Jin, who had given her all, could only barely hold him back. The rare opportunity arose, and they all understood the need to keep Zhu Jian there, breaking the backbone of Green Bamboo Mountain to eliminate future threats.


    After a bloody battle, the Elder Bamboo Leaf was eventually surrounded and beaten to death, unable to escape.


    Once the Elder Bamboo Leaf died, Zhu Jian realized the situation was hopeless. He endured several strikes and managed to break free from the encirclement, flying towards Green Bamboo Mountain.


    In the recent battle, all five Foundation Building stage cultivators had used their full strength. Seeing Zhu Jian attempting to escape, they couldn''t let go of this chance to deliver a decisive blow.


    Chasing closely behind, they flew towards Green Bamboo Mountain.


    Zhu Jian was heavily injured, and his flying speed was consistently slow, making it impossible to shake off the pursuers. They clung to him tightly, giving him no breathing room.


    Zhu Jian could only fight and retreat, but his injuries were getting worse.


    The Foundation Building stage cultivators of Liu Family and Green Bamboo Mountain, as well as the two Refining Qi stage cultivators guarding Date Spice Oasis, all scattered and fled, abandoning the battlefield.


    The united forces of the four sects made their way into Date Spice Oasis without much effort, fully upying the ce.


    Next, the four sects began dividing the territory and looting the spoils of war.


    Date Spice Oasis remained intact and contained many valuable items, especially the Spirit nt Coconut Palm Trees, which became the focal point of contention among the four sects.


    The sects couldn''t afford to start a full-scale conflict with each other and, after some deliberation, decided to conduct separate trials to allocate the spoils based on their performance.


    Taiyi Sect''s cultivators were advantageous when fighting as a formation, but theycked enough talented disciples to participate in individual trials.


    The other three sects had a long history and numerous experts; they sent all Refining Qi stage cultivators to participate in the individual trials. In contrast, Taiyi Sect only had Yang Xueyi, a Refining Qi stage cultivator, aside from Meng Zhang, who had entered Foundation Building stage and bestowed a First Rank top-grade flying sword upon him.


    Yang Xueyi had natural talent in swordsmanship and, with Meng Zhang''s guidance, mastered a set of exquisite sword techniques called "Dance of the Windy Willow." He earned Taiyi Sect a good number of spoils through several rounds of trials.


    Zheng Chao, as the War Hall Master of Taiyi Sect, also had a Refining Qi stage cultivation base like Yang Xueyi and had been given a terrifying magic tool called the "Soul-Stirring Bell" by Meng Zhang. His performance in the trials was satisfactory.


    As for the other cultivators, they couldn''t match the opponents. Tian Li possessed Meng Zhang''s "Fire Seal," but his cultivation base was slightly inferior, and he hadn''t reached the Refining Qi stage. He was defeated by a Refining Qi stage opponent as soon as he entered the trials.


    Simrly, Wen Qiansun, also at the Refining Qi stage, couldn''t turn the tide against a Refining Qte stage adversary.


    Hu Jing, at the same Refining Qi stage as the others, managed to barely win one round with the help of her tamed spirit beasts, but that was the extent of their sess.


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