Dozens of cultivators from the Tianqiong Origin Realm, currently locked in battle with the Spiritual Frost cultivators on the high plateau Gobi, were completely bewildered when Ah Mu Meng hurriedly signaled their retreat; they couldn't fathom what was happening.

Not long before, they had seen Ah Mu Meng pursue a Spiritual Mist cultivator controlling skeletons into the Lingwu Grand Canyon, a situation that, in their view, should have been an easy victory. Yet, while the fighting was intense, Ah Mu Meng suddenly bolted from the Dazheng Valley, ordering a withdrawal without the slightest delay.

However, since their leader, Ah Mu Meng, was retreating, they dared not linger. Without that immensely powerful "Killer Star" level cultivator present, they couldn't hope to defeat these Spiritual Mist cultivators or gain much advantage, so it was better to pull out immediately to avoid losses.

Instantly, the Gobi was alight with the gleam of magical artifacts, and the group of Tianqiong Origin cultivators vanished into the sky on their swords, leaving behind only the corpses of a few comrades they couldn't carry away in time. In the briefest moment, they were entirely gone.

What remained were the stunned Spiritual Mist cultivators, still scratching their heads in confusion, exchanging bewildered glances. They hesitated, tempted to give chase and launch a final assault, but fear held them back.

Ultimately, their courage had been almost entirely drained by Ah Mu Meng.

“Do not pursue a cornered foe! They must have some trick planned,” the white-bearded elder of the Ancient Artifact Sect, Zhou Hongyang, loudly shouted, restraining the eager impulse of the Spiritual Mist cultivators to charge.

As the leader of this contingent, his paramount concern was the safety of his fellow cultivators.

The event had transpired too swiftly; like the Tianlan Origin cultivators, he hadn't had time to grasp the full situation. Out of sheer dread for Ah Mu Meng's strength, he dared not pursue recklessly, lest he provoke that Killer Star again and suffer catastrophic losses. Simply keeping their lives was the best possible outcome for this group.

Soon after, clouds billowed across the Lingding Grand Canyon, and another streak of golden light pierced the mist emerging from the canyon—it was Ye Qin.

Ye Qin, accompanied by the skeletal demon, landed above the gorge on his flying sword. Though unmarked by wounds, he appeared visibly weary.

Seeing Ye Qin emerge from the great canyon, the Spiritual Mist cultivators suddenly understood one thing: Ah Mu Meng had likely suffered a setback at Ye Qin’s hands, prompting his retreat. Otherwise, given Ah Mu Meng’s aggressive nature, he would never have withdrawn so easily without slaughtering them all.

Though the cultivators didn't know the exact method Ye Qin used to force Ah Mu Meng away, Ah Mu Meng’s hasty departure without a word, followed by Ye Qin’s safe reappearance, was evidence enough.

The way they looked at Ye Qin was now tinged with deeper awe.

Only the absolute pinnacle Foundation Establishment cultivators in the Spiritual Mist Realm could trade blows with a Tianqiong Origin "Eighteen Killer Stars" level cultivator like Ah Mu Meng and not be at a disadvantage.

But Ye Qin seemed to have done even more than that. Ah Mu Meng failing to gain the upper hand, instead being forced to flee as if injured, suggested that Ye Qin’s true strength might even surpass Ah Mu Meng’s.

Possessing such terrifying power placed him among a tiny handful of Foundation Establishment cultivators in the entire Spiritual Mist Realm—perhaps no more than the fingers on one hand.

Many of them, while in awe, felt a growing sense of puzzlement.

From the very beginning, Ye Qin’s solitary appearance outside Spiritual Mist City had surprised them.

However, in the days following, Ye Qin had remained extremely low-key, moving with the general group of cultivators without displaying any overt might. They had thus dismissed him as merely an ordinary Mid-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator from the Azure Pill Sect. It was common knowledge that Azure Pill Sect cultivators progressed quickly but often possessed mediocre combat capabilities.

His addition to their ranks had meant little to them.

It was only when Ye Qin unleashed that Sixth-tier skeletal demon, forcing Ah Mu Meng out of the Lingwu Grand Canyon, that they experienced true shock, realizing they had vastly underestimated his power.

Looking back now, Ye Qin’s audacity in flying alone outside Spiritual Mist City must have stemmed from superior strength. Which cultivator would dare roam outside the city alone during wartime otherwise?

Among the seventeen or eighteen surviving Spiritual Mist cultivators present, the vast majority were rogue cultivators or from minor families; their individual strengths were generally average, but having survived over a dozen bloody battles, they acutely understood the brutality of large-scale cultivation wars.

Most of them did not know Ye Qin personally. Apart from Yan Yi, hardly anyone knew his surname. Yet, this in no way prevented them from feeling reverence and excitement. Had Ye Qin not intervened, at least half of them would certainly have perished there.

For such a powerhouse, they could only offer their deepest respect.

“Junior Brother Ye, that Killer Star from Tianqiong Origin, did he manage to injure you?” The most anxious was Yan Yi. She flew to Ye Qin’s side, her beautiful face etched with urgency.

“No harm, just a significant drain on my spiritual sense and magical power,” Ye Qin said, his complexion slightly pale, shaking his head. His gaze was fixed toward the northwest sky above the canyon; his mind was still caught in the intensity of the recent battle with Ah Mu Meng. Seeing that Ah Mu Meng had already fled far with the Tianqiong Origin cultivators, Ye Qin secretly sighed in relief. It was fortunate Ah Mu Meng was timid enough to retreat voluntarily; otherwise, things would have become very complicated.

Although Ah Mu Meng’s magical power was nearly depleted, forcing him to flee rather than continue fighting, Ye Qin’s own magical reserves were equally low, less than twenty percent remaining.

Fortunately, the skeletal demon was in slightly better shape, still possessing forty to fifty percent of its demonic energy. However, it had expended too much Corpse Qi and a great deal of its true essence, consuming significant elixir fluid, leaving it listless and with greatly reduced combat effectiveness.

In that engagement, he and Ah Mu Meng had managed a tense draw; no decisive victor had emerged.

While the Spiritual Mist cultivators were whispering amongst themselves, curious about Ye Qin’s strength, dozens of streaks of multi-colored light from magical artifacts appeared from the direction of Spiritual Mist City, approaching rapidly. A large contingent of Spiritual Mist cultivators soon landed before them. Peng Hong, along with Cao Ziyi and a group of forty to fifty other Foundation Establishment cultivators, rushed to the Lingwu Grand Canyon.

Peng Hong had fled back to Spiritual Mist City under the guise of fetching reinforcements, so naturally, he was obligated to bring them here to fulfill his promise and avoid accusations of abandoning his team.

However, Peng Hong was astonished to see that the Spiritual Mist cultivators were largely alive.

In his estimation, under the fierce assault of the Tianqiong Origin Killer Star, at least half, if not all, of the Spiritual Mist cultivators should have been wiped out. The reality before him was the complete opposite of his prediction. Only a handful of cultivators had fallen; the vast majority were intact.

Peng Hong looked around, seeking someone to explain the situation, but the cultivators present utterly ignored him; not one was willing to acknowledge him. Recognizing his own fault, he tried to approach Yan Yi to inquire, but she didn't even spare him a glance, much less a reply.

“Skeleton—whose skeleton is that?” Unable to find anyone to question, Peng Hong was feeling awkward when he suddenly spotted the skeletal demon on the Gobi, causing him to jump in alarm. The demon was near the corpse of a Tianqiong Origin cultivator, drawing thin wisps of black, Yin soul-death energy from the body.

Peng Hong immediately summoned his artifact, intending to strike down the skeletal demon.

“Stop! That puppet was refined by me!” Ye Qin unleashed several wind blades, deflecting Peng Hong’s artifact.

Ever since the Spiritual Mist Mountain Range, Ye Qin had noticed that this skeletal demon instinctively absorbed necrotic energy after slaying demonic beasts to replenish the demonic energy consumed by its demon core spells. It could even slowly cultivate and grow stronger this way.

For this very reason, Ye Qin had not stopped the skeletal demon from absorbing the corpse energy.

The skeletal demon seemed to sense hostility and raised its head to stare at Peng Hong, its sinister black eyes glowing fiercely.

Peng Hong was momentarily stunned by Ye Qin blocking him, struggling to recall Ye Qin’s identity. It had been Yan Yi who had pulled Ye Qin into the group initially. How could some mere Mid-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator dare to stop him?

His pride wounded, he roared angrily, “So this skeletal demon belongs to you, brat. You’re a deviant cultivator! No wonder I felt something was off about you. I’ll subdue you first!” An immediate surge of anger rose in Ye Qin’s heart. Peng Hong had fled first, and now he dared to turn around and accuse him. If Ye Qin hadn't intervened, the skeletal demon might have fought off those Tianqiong Origin cultivators, leading to untold casualties.

However, before Ye Qin could truly erupt, a large contingent of cultivators was already enraged.

“Junior Brother Peng, a cultivator proficient in skeletal arts is not necessarily a deviant cultivator. Our Spiritual Mist Realm’s Yin Xuan Sect was renowned for its bone refinement techniques. That sect was later destroyed by the Great Luo Sect, and their manuals scattered among various factions. It is not strange that cultivators from other sects obtained and practiced their manuals. It was only later that a few scoundrels used skeletal arts for evil deeds, tarnishing the Yin Xuan Sect’s reputation. Our Spiritual Mist Realm cultivators have never placed taboos on practicing cultivation manuals; what is wrong with refining skeletons? Many cultivators in our Ancient Artifact Sect and the Great Luo Sect practice bone refinement—by your logic, are they all deviant cultivators?” Zhou Hongyang of the Ancient Artifact Sect knitted his brow and furiously reprimanded Peng Hong on the spot.

These few words of fairness immediately drew cheers from the surrounding dozens of Foundation Establishment cultivators.

“Peng! Don't think you can slander people just because you have the backing of the Peng family from the Earth Palace Sect. I am a cultivator of the Great Luo Sect, and I care nothing for your family. If you dare to make a move today, I’ll fight you!” “You ran away yourself, and now you have the nerve to accuse others? Get lost! Stop this hypocritical act!” The cultivators responded in kind, pointing at Peng Hong’s nose and hurling abuse. The Gobi was filled with one-sided condemnation aimed squarely at Peng Hong. Even the dozens of cultivators who had followed Peng Hong looked at him with disdain once they learned the full story, showing their refusal to be associated with him.

Peng Hong was left speechless by the torrent of abuse, utterly stunned and confused as to what was happening.

He only intended to discipline "an ordinary Azure Pill cultivator"; why had he provoked such a massive reaction?

These Foundation Establishment cultivators hailed from the seven great cultivation sects. While many were of low status—rogue cultivators or from minor families—they certainly owed him no deference. He dared not openly antagonize this group.

Even the obtuse Peng Hong realized he was intensely unpopular and that staying here would only lead to further humiliation. The prestige he had painstakingly accumulated over the years instantly vanished.

At this realization, Peng Hong was filled with regret and resentment. He glared fiercely at Cao Ziyi, blaming him for the bad advice, muttered a few low curses, and, with only his few trusted confidants, retreated dejectedly on his sword back toward Spiritual Mist City.