Qian Bojiang wielded a giant, luminous yellow sword, hacking furiously toward Elder Du, laughing with arrogant delight. Though only at the sixth layer of Foundation Establishment, he had managed to pin down a seventh-layer cultivator through a surprise assault, using his prized mid-tier magic weapon, the giant sword.

He could already envision it: in just a moment, with the help of his fellow disciples, he would reduce this high-ranking cultivator to mere pulp. Slaying a Foundation Establishment seventh-layer master would essentially complete his mission of stealth attack, earning him high praise from Great Elder Yan upon returning to Spirit Mist City.

Nearby, the other dozen or so cultivators were locked in chaotic melee, with two Azure Pill Sect disciples surrounding one Spirit Spring Sect cultivator.

Among the five Foundation Establishment cultivators from the Spirit Spring Sect, Elder Du possessed the highest cultivation, reaching the seventh layer of Foundation Establishment. The other four were mostly mid-stage Foundation Establishment cultivators at the fourth or fifth layer, their strength not significantly greater than the Azure Pill Sect’s disciples. Furthermore, the Azure Pill Sect boasted a commanding force of nine people.

Elder Du was in a sorry state, but his rich combat experience kept him composed. While skillfully using his divine sense to manipulate his vine-like magical branch to fend off Qian Bojiang's frenzied onslaught, he simultaneously fished a Fire Rocket from his storage pouch and launched it.

"Whoosh!"

A multi-colored firework burst across the swamp sky, clearly visible for tens of miles around.

"Elder Du, we can't hold on! Let's flee!" The Spirit Spring Sect cultivators, under the intense pressure from the Azure Pill Sect, were barely hanging on. They were close to breaking and shouted loudly, signaling a retreat.

"No one retreats! Hold on just a moment longer; our reinforcements will arrive soon. Once one of our squads gets here, we can annihilate this entire group of Spirit Mist cultivators right here."

Elder Du roared fiercely. There were four Spirit Spring Sect squads operating within this swamp; his five-person team was just one of them. Their overall strength definitely surpassed that of Ye Qin and the other Azure Pill disciples. Elder Du knew perfectly well that if they retreated now, this group of Azure Pill cultivators would simply melt back into the Mistswamp and become impossible to track. He would rather endure the struggle than let these Azure Pill cultivators escape.

Ye Qin was currently joining a fellow disciple, who was at the third layer of Foundation Establishment, in surrounding and attacking a short, fifth-layer Foundation Establishment cultivator from the Spirit Spring Sect.

The short cultivator’s face had long turned ashen. Ye Qin's two Immortal Binding Ropes alone kept him constantly off-balance, not to mention the added assistance of another Azure Pill disciple. However, he dared not flee the field rashly; the Spirit Spring Sect's rules concerning unauthorized retreat were severely punitive.

While attacking the short cultivator, Ye Qin maintained enough composure to survey the entire battlefield, assessing the overall situation. Currently, the Azure Pill cultivators held the advantage. Barring any major upset, they should completely defeat these five cultivators from Moon Lake in a short time.

However, Elder Du’s launching of the Fire Rocket, clearly a signal for aid, genuinely startled Ye Qin.

"The enemy definitely has reinforcements, but I don't know how many. Once their reinforcements arrive—even if it's just three or five Foundation Establishment cultivators—the entire situation could instantly reverse. It might not be me killing these Moon Lake cultivators, but us being slaughtered instead."

Ye Qin mused this internally, a chill running down his back, causing his hairs to stand on end. Every moment was critical; there was no time to waste. He needed to kill whoever he could, as quickly as possible.

A cold glint flashed in his eyes.

"Soul-Seizing Bell!"

Ye Qin retracted his two Immortal Binding Ropes, let out a low cry, and tossed out a palm-sized bronze bell. It expanded upon meeting the wind, growing into a magnificent, multi-zhang-tall bell suspended in mid-air. He then flicked his finger—a beam of pure magical power shot out—and with a muffled "Dong!" sound, he launched a wave of soul-seizing power toward the short cultivator.

Seeing Ye Qin toss out the bronze bell, the short cultivator hastily recalled his magic saber and held it defensively before him, filled with shock and doubt. He had no idea what this bronze bell was for. Bell-type magic items were typically defensive; it was rare to see one used for offense. Then, as the soul-seizing wave struck him, he let out a muffled groan and slumped over, momentarily stunned. He finally understood what was happening, but it was too late.

"Whoosh!"

A flash of golden sword light shot out. Almost at the exact moment the short cultivator was stunned, the sword light swept across his neck, effortlessly piercing his protective barrier. The short cultivator staggered back several steps, desperately clutching his neck, trying to seal the gash. The fissure widened further... "Pfft!" Blood sprayed wildly as a large head flew off. The short cultivator collapsed, his head rolling on the ground, his eyes wide open in utter unwillingness—he had died too unjustly.

A swift, clean kill.

The Azure Pill fellow disciple, who had been about to attack the stunned cultivator, stared blankly at Ye Qin, mouth agape in shock at seeing the kill completed. This Senior Brother Ye was too ferocious in his execution. Without means to resist being stunned, one wouldn't stand a chance.

After dispatching one Moon Lake boatman, Ye Qin remained silent. His gaze swept across the other small skirmishes on the battlefield, locating the nearest viable target and charging immediately. To him, killing any one was the same; the order mattered little.

"Dong!"

"Pfft!"

In the span of a breath, Ye Qin flashed rapidly across the battlefield, striking and withdrawing instantly. The Spirit Spring Sect cultivators, already struggling under the assault of the Azure Pill disciples, couldn't withstand Ye Qin's stunning surprise attack. Once stunned, they were virtually doomed under the siege of multiple magic artifacts. In the blink of an eye, another unlucky Foundation Establishment fourth-layer cultivator from the Spirit Spring Sect was dead, stunned and slain before he could even grasp what was happening.

Only three Foundation Establishment cultivators remained for the Spirit Spring Sect.

Elder Du heard two consecutive screams and frantically turned to look. A glimpse of two fallen comrades instantly jolted him, causing him to completely lose composure and collapse. His original plan was to stall these Azure Pill cultivators until their own reinforcements arrived, and then wipe out the Azure Pill group.

His strategy was sound, but his squad disintegrated too rapidly—two men lost in mere blinks of an eye.

Nine Azure Pill cultivators besieging the remaining three Spirit Spring cultivators was not a battle; it was a one-sided, frenzied slaughter. At this rate, they wouldn't last long enough for reinforcements to arrive; they would be wiped out completely. While achieving merit was good, losing one’s life was something the Elder absolutely was unwilling to do.

"Quickly, run, my junior brothers!"

Elder Du spat out a mouthful of essence blood, which shot onto his Spirit Serpent Staff. The staff instantly flared with brilliant azure light, blasting away Qian Bojiang's giant sword. Elder Du seized the opportunity to break free and leaped toward the depths of the swamp to escape. The other two Spirit Spring disciples, not daring to delay, faked a move and hurried to follow their Elder in flight.

The Azure Pill cultivators failed to react in time to surround them. Even Qian Bojiang, who was locked in combat with Elder Du, was momentarily stunned by the terrifying speed with which Ye Qin had killed two enemies in succession. His attack faltered slightly, allowing Elder Du the opening to slip away.

When they recovered their senses, Elder Du and the other two Spirit Spring cultivators had already fled fifty or sixty zhang, clearly aiming to disappear into the mist-laden waters.

"Chase!"

Qian Bojiang was frantic. Seeing the fat prize escape right before his eyes, he couldn't possibly accept it. It wasn't just him; none of the Azure Pill cultivators would willingly let them go. They had nine members; letting these three enemies escape would be humiliating.

The cultivators sprinted, covering hundreds of zhang in just a few bounds.

Just then, a piercing shriek echoed from the distance, hurtling in their direction. As the sound began, a pale-faced, blue-robed cultivator emerged from the mist. He strode across the swamp, his steps barely touching the water’s surface, gracefully appearing before Elder Du.

Immediately following him, two middle-aged Guardians arrived breathlessly beside the blue-robed cultivator. The blue-robed one had been moving too fast, gliding through the swamp; even they struggled to keep pace.

"This subordinate greets the Young Sect Master. The enemy is behind us—there are nine of them."

Elder Du was overjoyed to see the Young Sect Master appear. With the Young Sect Master and the two Guardians present, their strength had soared; at the very least, their lives were secured. The other two fleeing Spirit Spring disciples also hastily bowed upon seeing the Young Sect Master.

"Elder Du, where are your other two subordinates? Were they separated?" The blue-robed cultivator asked, noticing only three remaining from their squad.

"Two junior brothers have perished. This subordinate performed poorly in battle; I beg the Young Sect Master’s punishment!"

Elder Du bowed low to the ground, overwhelmed with shame. If he hadn't insisted on holding the line for reinforcements, those two junior brothers might not have died so pointlessly. However, in fairness, he wasn't entirely to blame. His plan was correct. It was just that the enemy cultivators were too strong, and that bronze bell magic weapon was too bizarre. In the cultivation world of Moon Lake, he had never encountered a magical artifact capable of stunning opponents like that. By the time he realized what was happening, two junior brothers were already dead.

At this moment, Ye Qin, Qian Bojiang, and the other nine Azure Pill cultivators halted. The sudden appearance of the blue-robed cultivator and the two middle-aged figures had significantly bolstered the enemy's strength, demanding caution.

"A mere nine Foundation Establishment cultivators? I thought a much larger force of Spirit Mist cultivators had come to raid my camp! Elder Wu, is this all it takes to send you scurrying across the swamp? How pathetic,"

The blue-robed cultivator sneered coldly, his hands clasped behind his back, looking toward the nine Azure Pill cultivators pursuing Elder Du's group.

His eyes held nothing but disdain. The enemy force was far too small; it deeply disappointed him.

Elder Du’s face was drawn and he bent low, unable to voice his true feelings. With the Young Sect Master's strength, naturally, he wouldn't consider a mere nine Foundation Establishment cultivators a serious threat. But Elder Du wasn't the Young Sect Master; he was just an ordinary Elder, nowhere near the level of the esteemed Young Master of the Ark.

Still, he dared not voice this, only nodding meekly. "The Young Sect Master is absolutely correct. My escape was indeed somewhat ignominious. I am fortunate to have encountered the Young Sect Master to save me; I shall certainly follow the Young Sect Master into battle to earn merit."

"Hmph, stay behind me then."

The blue-robed cultivator waved a hand, interrupting Elder Wu, and cast a proud, faint smile toward Ye Qin and Qian Bojiang’s group. "Judging by your attire, you must be cultivators from the Azure Pill Sect of the Spirit Mist Realm? Half of you are at the mid-stage Foundation Establishment level—your standard is decent. However, you are very unlucky to have encountered this Young Sect Master... this Young Master of our Spirit Spring Sect. Lest you die without even knowing which Moon Lake sect’s Young Master killed you. I won't ask who you are; come at me all at once. Don't waste my time. If any of you are lucky enough to escape my hands, remember to report back to your Sect Master and tell him to send more people next time, to avoid sending yourselves to die."

Ye Qin stood rooted, his brow tightly furrowed.

Qian Bojiang, Shen Bao, and the other Azure Pill cultivators exchanged glances. Why was this Spirit Spring Sect Young Sect Master so arrogant?

Including Elder Du's trio and the Young Sect Master's trio, there were only six Foundation Establishment cultivators in total, most hovering around the mid-stage—they held no clear advantage. Was this Young Sect Master so certain he could defeat them all at once?