Peng Hong collapsed instantly in the confrontation with A Mu Meng, losing a mid-tier magical artifact, Xi Si, and retreating under the cover of several allied cultivators into the Spirit Mist faction's formation. The battle left his face ash-grey, utterly dejected, and he was deeply worried about losing all face.

“Senior Brother Ji, don’t be disheartened. That A Mu Meng is one of the very few top-tier Foundation Establishment cultivators in the Azure Dome Plain, responsible for countless cultivator deaths. Who could stand against him unless one of the dozen or so absolute peak Foundation Establishment cultivators from our seven major Spirit Mist Sects took action? Being defeated by him is no disgrace. Our priority right now is figuring out how to leave this place quickly,” Cao Ziyi said, having covered Peng Hong’s retreat with his two flying swords, occasionally glancing at the battlefield with lingering fear. His cultivation was inferior to Peng Hong’s, and his dread of A Mu Meng was even greater.

“Junior Brother Cao, what’s your plan?” Peng Hong asked urgently, his voice hoarse.

“Senior Brother Peng, we’ve already managed to rendezvous with Senior Brother Fei Yu. We shouldn't entangle ourselves in fighting these Azure Dome Plain cultivators any longer. If this continues, I fear we will suffer heavy casualties. We must swiftly withdraw back to Spirit Mist City!” Cao Ziyi urged.

“No. Our fellow disciples are completely mixed in combat with the Azure Dome Plain cultivators. If we try to retreat now, we will certainly be pursued and hunted down. I doubt any of us would even make it back to the city before our entire contingent is annihilated. …We must repel the enemy before we can retreat. Even if I were to flee back alone, how could I face the Ancestor when questioned?” Peng Hong hesitated for a moment, shook his head, and rejected this suggestion. He wasn’t foolish; he still had to face people afterward.

“Senior Brother Peng, who here can stop that A Mu Meng now? If we don't leave soon, we will all be finished! Let’s retreat first, and let another group of cultivators cover the rear; at least some of us can be saved. Besides, our mission was to escort Senior Brother Fei. As long as we get Fei Yu back and deliver the urgently needed spirit stones to Spirit Mist City, the Ancestor won't blame you, will he? If the spirit stones aren't secured, the Ancestor will truly be furious. Why should we risk our lives fighting the Azure Dome Plain cultivators now?” Cao Ziyi pleaded urgently.

“That’s right. As long as we bring back the spirit stones, we will have rendered the greatest contribution.” Peng Hong was instantly enlightened, suddenly realizing the truth.

He looked out at the chaotic battle raging amongst the cultivators. The Azure Dome Plain cultivators currently held the upper hand. If they didn't leave soon, it really would be too late. With a surge of resolve, he roared loudly, “All Spirit Mist Alliance disciples, heed my command: everyone hold your position and fight to the death! No retreat allowed! Cao Ziyi, follow me; protect Junior Brother Fei, break through the encirclement, and escort him back to Spirit Mist City! Fellow disciples, hold on just a little longer! Keep these Azure Dome Plain cultivators tied down here. We will escort Junior Brother Fei back to Spirit Mist City, summon reinforcements, and return within a short while to annihilate them all!”

Peng Hong and the cunning Cao Ziyi flanked Fei Yu, the core disciple of the Beast Spirit Sect, ignoring the stunned looks of dozens of Spirit Mist cultivators, and sped toward Spirit Mist City.

It had to be admitted that the excuses of "Escorting Fei Yu and the spirit stones back to the city" and "Returning to summon reinforcements to quickly return and wipe them out" were quite effective. At the very least, the three of them could return to the city with a clear conscience and high-sounding pretext, without the fear of being branded as deserters. As for whether the reinforcements they summoned later could save the remaining Spirit Mist cultivators, that was an entirely different matter.

However, the Spirit Mist cultivators left behind instantly became frantic, cursing loudly about the shamelessness of it all. Peng Hong was actually ordering them to hold the line while he fled back to the city to fetch aid. By the time reinforcements arrived, these cultivators would likely already be dead. Most of them were locked in combat, completely entangled, and unable to break away safely. If they tried to flee as well, they would surely be cut down immediately by the Azure Dome Plain cultivators behind them.

Fortunately, not all the cultivators were terrified of death. Most of them had experienced dozens of bloody battles to reach this stage; they were veterans, rich in combat experience, and knew that turning tail and running was not an option. Otherwise, fleeing would immediately lead to a total rout, and perhaps not a single person would escape alive.

Immediately, a white-bearded elder from the Ancient Artifact Sect, a seventh-layer Foundation Establishment cultivator, replaced Peng Hong as the leader and loudly directed the Spirit Mist cultivators to resist the powerful enemy. This elder appeared to command high prestige; none of the Spirit Mist cultivators objected, and they began an orderly retreat. Supporting each other, fighting as they withdrew, they fell back from the skies above the Spirit Mist Grand Canyon to the plateau Gobi dozens of miles away. However, retreating back to Spirit Mist City was too difficult; they were still tens of miles away, and the vast majority would likely be killed halfway.

Yan Man had not left. Her delicate face was deathly pale as she desperately used her flying swords to attack an Azure Dome Plain cultivator in front of her. Before leaving, Peng Hong had sent her a private voice transmission, hoping she would leave with him, but she ignored it. She could not manage the thick skin of people like Peng Hong and Cao, abandoning dozens of teammates to find an excuse to flee back to the city.

Ye Qin coldly observed the unfolding battle, a sense of helplessness washing over him. With the three relatively strong Foundation Establishment cultivators having fled, the strength of the Spirit Mist cultivators became even weaker. Although the number of cultivators on both sides was almost equal, the presence of one ferocious, star-level Foundation Establishment cultivator among the enemy meant that wherever he swept, he left devastation, and the situation was clearly tipping against the Spirit Mist cultivators. If no accident occurred, the defeat and demise of this contingent of over twenty Spirit Mist cultivators on the mission was certain. The only uncertainty was how many might manage to escape—three or five returning would be considered fortunate.

Yan Ying had not left either. Due to his sect bond and past camaraderie with Yan Man, he could not bear to let her die here. No matter what, Yan Ying’s life had to be preserved.

Ye Qin considered briefly, broke away from the engaged cultivators, seized a momentary opening, and decisively threw out a storage pouch. The Corroding Bone Skeleton suddenly drilled out of the bag. This skeletal demon, shrouded entirely in black mist, wriggled its head and tail, burrowing toward the densest area of cultivators. Opening its massive crocodile jaws, it spat out a plume of yin-cold, foul, black corpse energy poison mist, which surged madly toward the largest gathering of Azure Dome Plain cultivators.

The corpse poison sprayed by the sixth-tier skeletal demon enveloped an area of several dozen feet, proving extremely potent, and immediately disrupted the offensive of the Azure Dome Plain cultivators. Once tainted by the corpse poison, ordinary magical artifacts became defiled and their power greatly reduced. If the poison adhered to a cultivator’s protective aura, it hissed and sputtered, causing their internal magic power to drain rapidly. If the protective aura was broken, the result was horrific—no better than being bitten half to death by this creature, as happened to that Qing Dan Gate Foundation Establishment cultivator, Sha.

This suddenly appearing skeletal demon caused no small amount of chaos among the Azure Dome Plain cultivators. The skeletal demon burrowed back and forth within the widespread, defiling corpse mist, biting here, crashing there, acting with utter impunity. Ordinary Foundation Establishment cultivators could not withstand its sudden attacks and dared not easily touch its corpse energy, so they scattered and evaded it.

The Azure Dome Plain cultivators were universally complaining bitterly, yet only A Mu Meng, upon seeing the skeletal demon, widened his eyes instead, displaying an expression of surprise and delight. Although cultivators in the Spirit Mist Realm saw many things, he rarely encountered such a formidable opponent. There were eighteen 'Savage Stars' renowned throughout the Azure Dome Plain. The Spirit Mist Realm also possessed dozens of top-tier Foundation Establishment cultivators, but they seldom had the chance to meet one another. Even if they met on the battlefield, they might not have the opportunity for a proper fight. This skeletal demon, summoned by some unknown cultivator, was a sixth-tier powerhouse; its master must also be no ordinary Foundation Establishment cultivator. This filled A Mu Meng with an intense urge to challenge it to a full-blown fight.

“A mere sixth-tier skeletal demon dares to rampage here! Taste my staff…” A Mu Meng summoned his immensely heavy Vajra Demon Subduing Staff, which erupted in golden light, sweeping away layers of corpse poison mist, striking toward the hidden skeletal demon in the toxic fog. He believed that by killing the skeletal demon, its master would surely emerge.

Ye Qin’s gaze sharpened. Although the sixth-tier skeletal demon was powerful, he did not want to use it to block the blow from that Vajra Demon Subduing Staff. With a mental command, the skeletal demon immediately reared its head, inhaled all the corpse poison, and retreated into the storage pouch, flying back into his hand.

“It’s too cramped here to fight. If you have the guts, follow me to a different location!” Having recalled the skeletal demon, Ye Qin stamped his foot, turned, and charged toward the Spirit Mist Grand Canyon, arriving at the edge of the ravine. With a leap, he plunged downward.

“Good!” A Mu Meng was overjoyed and pursued him with long, striding steps. He didn't care where the fight took place, as long as he could have a proper contest. Moreover, even if he left, the remaining Azure Dome Plain cultivators would not be at a disadvantage for some time; he wasn't worried that his departure would significantly harm the overall battle situation.

The dense mist within the Great Trough Valley was forcefully pushed aside by the protective auras surrounding their bodies as the two figures, Ye Qin and A Mu Meng, vanished into the mist-shrouded Spirit Mist Grand Canyon.

Whoosh!

Ye Qin plunged down from the thousand-zhang cliff, and only tens of feet from the ground, he landed as lightly as a swan feather onto a massive stone. He immediately released the skeletal demon, ordering it to spray corpse energy. Simultaneously, he concealed himself in the mist, releasing his bronze bell and two low-tier flying swords to guard his front and flanks. He looked up toward the canyon roof, adopting an offensive posture, awaiting A Mu Meng, the eighth-layer Foundation Establishment cultivator and one of the eighteen Savage Stars of the Azure Dome Plain.

The Spirit Mist Grand Canyon was perpetually filled with an impenetrable, dense fog, harboring numerous low-tier demonic beasts. However, most were only third or fourth-tier, which might be terrifying for Qi Refining cultivators, but none dared to approach a mid-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator like him easily. Ye Qin chose this spot because there were no other cultivators to interfere. He had been here before and was familiar with the environment. Furthermore, the canyon stretched for tens of thousands of miles, allowing them ample space to fight or flee; if the fight went badly, he could easily slip into the dense fog to escape. It was an excellent place for a duel, as he certainly didn't want to get trapped just to save Yan Man.

Bang!

A Mu Meng slammed heavily onto the ground. The massive stone cracked with fissures, and the earth vibrated slightly. His body, over ten feet tall, arched slightly, yet he stood up unfazed, looking around at the expanse dozens of feet away.

“Come on, let A Mu Meng meet a cultivator from the Spirit Mist Realm. Being able to summon and control a sixth-tier skeletal demon, making it obey your commands, suggests you are no mere waste! What is your name?”

A Mu Meng received no reply from Ye Qin. He looked around, seeing only a patch of rolling black mist ahead. The skeletal demon flickered within the black mist, baring its fangs toward him, but Ye Qin’s figure was nowhere in sight. He opened his great mouth and roared with laughter, ceasing the small talk. He charged violently toward the mass of black mist, waving his hand. The Vajra Demon Subduing Staff, suspended in mid-air, whirled fiercely, striking at a large swath of the dark corpse mist, forcefully clearing a path directly toward the sixth-tier skeletal demon.

Although the corpse energy was potent, it had absolutely no effect on him. His Vajra Demon Subduing Staff was a high-tier magical artifact refined with trace amounts of the extremely rare secret metal from the Azure Dome Plain. This artifact was inherently the nemesis of demonic and evil techniques; even the corpse energy sprayed by the sixth-tier skeletal demon could not defile it.