The battle between the high-level warriors of the Earth Tribe was fiercely waged, with thousands of cultivators and warriors locked in chaotic slaughter.

Yan Hao set his sights on the blue-robed Grand Shaman of the Earth Tribe, aiming to slay him to disrupt the deployment of the Earth Tribe warriors.

However, at this moment, very few Golden Core cultivators could be drawn from the battlefield to launch a surprise attack on that blue-robed Earth Tribe Shaman.

He withdrew five Golden Core cultivators from the fray, including Li Peijun, the gray-robed elder at the fifth layer of the Golden Core stage from the Heavenly Demon Alliance, and Xu Zhen, the red-faced middle-aged man at the fourth layer of the Golden Core stage—these two were the highest-cultivated Golden Core experts from the Heavenly Demon Alliance participating in the expedition.

And there was Shi Hanyang. Shi Hanyang usually enjoyed socializing and had many acquaintances; though not intimately familiar with Yan Hao, they shared some rapport.

And a woman in a red shirt named Xue Xiang. It was unclear which Immortal Palace she hailed from, but since Yan Hao saw she could spare a hand, he called her over.

These four cultivators were all Golden Core experts from the Heavenly Demon Alliance.

The final addition was Ye Qin of the Heavenly Dao Alliance.

Yan Hao brought Ye Qin along purely because Ye Qin was hovering near Shi Hanyang, his flying sword handling the high-level Earth Tribe warriors on the ground with ease, ready to disengage at any moment. Yan Hao was short on personnel and couldn't afford to be overly selective, so he simply called Ye Qin over.

Ye Qin was a Golden Core cultivator of the Heavenly Dao Alliance, originally only taking orders from the Heavenly Dao Alliance leader, Yu Weifeng, and not required to obey the dispatch of Yan Hao, a leader of the Heavenly Demon Alliance. But at this critical juncture of a bloody battle between cultivators and Earth Tribe warriors, there was no need to differentiate between the Heavenly Dao Alliance and the Heavenly Demon Alliance; defeating the Earth Tribe came first.

Ye Qin said nothing, reined in his flying sword, broke away from the high-level Earth Tribe warrior he was engaging, and followed them by sword flight.

He did not continue the conversation with Shi Hanyang.

Under Yan Hao's summons, the six Golden Core cultivators activated their artifacts, broke free from the intensely chaotic battlefield, and flew together on their swords toward the blue-robed Grand Shaman amidst the Earth Tribe warriors.

Ye Qin could now clearly see the appearance of the blue-robed Grand Shaman.

The blue-robed Grand Shaman’s expression was utterly cold. He had been hiding behind a large contingent of Earth Tribe warriors, directing the great battle between the Earth Tribe and the cultivators. He was guarded by about seven or eight high-level Bone Archers and high-level warriors of the Sea-Plundering Tribe accompanying him closely.

The blue-robed Shaman had sharp eyes, constantly monitoring the situation across the entire mountain pass battlefield. As soon as he saw Yan Hao leading six Golden Core cultivators charging toward him, his face shifted slightly, though he showed no panic; after all, the high-level Earth Tribe warriors serving as his escort were not to be trifled with.

“Which immortal are you, intruding upon my tribe’s island?” Instead of retreating, the blue-robed Shaman’s demeanor turned stern, and he pointed his black wooden staff at the approaching Golden Core cultivators in the sky, demanding sharply, “This immortal is Yan Hao, leader of the Heavenly Demon Alliance, a Golden Core cultivator from the Lofty Firmament Palace! Which tribe of the Earth Tribe do you belong to, Shaman? State your name!” Yan Hao halted his flight when he was still twelve hundred zhang away from the blue-robed Shaman and shouted his challenge.

Getting any closer would place them within the range where the Earth Tribe high-level warriors exerted their greatest divine power.

“Oh, so the esteemed immortal is a direct subordinate of Giant Yan Ze Shui of the Heavenly Demon Alliance. This old man is Wu Yun, Grand Shaman of the Bird Clan Tribe!” The blue-robed Shaman thought for a moment and immediately guessed Yan Hao’s origins, feeling a slight tremor within.

Giant Yan, one of the Five Great Giants of the Heavenly Demon Alliance, was not only famous among the Eastern Sea cultivators but also renowned among the Earth Tribe tribes, one of the late Nascent Soul Immortals that made the Earth Tribe people revere him and speak of him in hushed tones.

Although Wu Yun was a Grand Shaman of an Earth Tribe, he still held deep reverence for Giant Yan of the Heavenly Demon Alliance.

Since Yan Hao could serve as a leader, it seemed he must be a direct descendant of Giant Yan.

Wu Yun hesitated, and his resolve to slay the group of Golden Core cultivators wavered slightly.

If he killed Yan Hao, and Giant Yan was enraged, the lives of the various Eastern Sea Earth Tribe tribes would surely become difficult; it would undoubtedly trigger a widespread bloodbath. However, if he failed to kill all these immortals, the secret of this place might leak, attracting even more scrutiny from immortals, perhaps even Nascent Soul Immortals. The Earth Tribe’s meticulous plan for cultivating the Sacred Warriors would be ruined.

Wu Yun was immensely conflicted, yet his expression remained as cold as ever, revealing no change.

“Brother Li Yi, Brother Xu, prepare to intercept the Shaman when the opportunity arises. Old Shi, Junior Sister Xue Xiang, intercept the other high-level warriors surrounding the Shaman.”

Yan Hao was unaware of Wu Yun’s current apprehensions and had no intention of prolonging the talk. He then glanced back at Ye Qin, pondered for a moment, and said, “Junior Brother, you take the lead and draw the fire of the bone arrows, creating opportunities for your senior brothers!”

With that, Yan Hao waved his hand, ordering the six Golden Core cultivators to encircle and kill the Grand Shaman.

As Yan Hao issued his commands, Grand Shaman Wu Yun began to retreat stealthily, while the seven or eight high-level warriors surrounding him stepped forward a few paces, baring their teeth toward the sky, their cold halberds and bone bows at the ready.

Ye Qin naturally understood that Yan Hao ordering him to take the vanguard was clearly a deployment intended to use him as bait to attract the attention of the high-level Bone Archers. Perhaps, in Yan Hao's eyes, he was the most suitable Golden Core cultivator to sacrifice.

Ye Qin said nothing, flying out of formation in one leap, casting out his Southern Bright Flame Sword, which transformed into a streak of purple-red light, soaring rapidly through the sky, circling the group of high-level Earth Tribe warriors on the ground, searching for an opportunity to attack.

The other five Golden Core cultivators also released their respective artifacts, preparing to charge down toward the high-level Earth Tribe warriors.

“Draw your bows!” A figure standing near Wu Yun, radiating a faint glow, shouted lowly, instantly drawing his Demon Flood Dragon Bone Bow to its fullest, the dragon sinews taut, aiming the icy essence of the bone arrow directly at the immortals in the sky.

The other two burly, middle-aged high-level Bone Archers beside him simultaneously drew their massive bone bows, following the direction the young man was pointing toward the sky. If any immortal dared to approach and launch an attack, the three bone arrows in their hands would certainly be loosed without hesitation.

That young, imposing high-level Bone Archer was none other than Liang Gong, the young chieftain of the Bone Bow Tribe who had originally stood atop the stone city wall, now having rushed to the mountain pass to serve as a temporary guard for the blue-robed Grand Shaman.

Furthermore, the remaining five high-level Sea-Plundering Tribe warriors, wielding dark iron long spears and halberds, positioned themselves in front of Grand Shaman Wu Yun, guarding against surprise attacks from the Golden Core immortals at close range.

Ye Qin had only drawn slightly closer by two hundred zhang when he was immediately targeted by the Demon Flood Dragon Bone Bow held by Liang Gong. Instantly, a profoundly uncomfortable sense of anxiety rose from the depths of his heart, as if he were being pinned down by a Golden Core demonic serpent or scorpion. If he got any closer, he was likely to face a furious volley of attacks.

His heart tightened, and he suddenly ascended rapidly, moving out of the most potent firing range of the high-level Bone Archers.

Being targeted simultaneously by the bone arrows of three high-level Bone Archers, ordinary means would likely result in severe injury, if not death. To withstand the bone arrow attacks from these three high-level Bone Archers at this distance, he would need to commit at least half of his strength.

He had no intention of risking his life for Yan Hao. As Ye Qin, who was supposed to be at the forefront, retreated, Liang Gong’s arrow immediately swung toward the other rapidly approaching Golden Core cultivators. Li Peijun, Xu Zhen, and the others, knowing the danger, immediately pulled back, rising to a higher altitude. They exchanged glances, all revealing looks of apprehension.

It was certainly possible for these six Golden Core cultivators to forcefully charge down.

But those three high-level Bone Archers—their full-power shots unleashed within a thousand zhang possessed terrifying destructive power. Even the artifacts of Golden Core cultivators might not be able to withstand the bone arrows at this range. Moreover, at such a short distance, the bone arrows arrived almost instantaneously, making it extremely difficult for cultivators to evade them.

Having cultivated to the Golden Core realm, they all had boundless prospects in the Eastern Sea Cultivation World; none of them were willing to lightly sacrifice their lives. Why throw their lives away conquering the Earth Tribe? Even just suffering grievous injuries wasn't worth it.

As this thought surfaced, they unconsciously flew much farther back, returning to a distance of twelve hundred zhang. Yan Hao noticed the hesitation of the Golden Core cultivators, their unwillingness to advance. He felt annoyed in his heart, swept his gaze over the cultivators, but dared not press them.

These Golden Core cultivators were all from various Immortal Palaces within the Heavenly Demon Alliance. Although he was nominally the leader of this Heavenly Demon Alliance expedition against the Earth Tribe, his role was merely coordination. At a moment of life and death, his commands as a Heavenly Demon Alliance leader were completely ineffective.

Li Peijun and Xu Zhen’s cultivation bases were far superior to his, and they had always been haughty, never paying much heed to his orders.

Shi Hanyang’s cultivation was weaker, but the man was difficult to deal with, making it hard to order him into danger.

The other few Golden Core cultivators retreated quickly, and the woman in red naturally refused to advance either.

As for Ye Qin, being a Golden Core cultivator of the Heavenly Dao Alliance, asking him for help was fine, but expecting him to sacrifice his life for Yan Hao was out of the question. Although Yan Hao arranged for Ye Qin to take the vanguard, Ye Qin only tested the waters, found the danger too high, and immediately fell back. Yan Hao could only glare helplessly. Even if Ye Qin ignored his deployment, he had no recourse.

Yan Hao glanced at the Golden Core cultivators. Not a single one of these individuals could he truly command. He felt utterly helpless. This was because his status as the Heavenly Demon Alliance leader was merely a veneer of authority; he was essentially a temporary figurehead leader, and the cultivation and status of the Golden Core cultivators were not much lower than his own.

After some thought, he realized that only by personally controlling his artifact and risking danger could he create an opportunity to intercept Grand Shaman Wu Yun.

Otherwise, he couldn't expect the other Golden Core cultivators to charge to the front.

With this realization, Yan Hao slapped his waist storage pouch, and immediately three small azure banners flew out. With a casual wave, they transformed into vast azure banners that blotted out the sky, rolling out waves of azure mist, suffused with an aura of killing intent—clearly top-tier artifacts of no small caliber.

“All you martial brothers, follow me! I will be responsible for blocking the bone arrows; you go and intercept Grand Shaman Wu Yun!”

Yan Hao shouted loudly and charged downward first. He intended to use these three top-grade banner artifacts to intercept the bone arrows from the three high-level Bone Archers, thus creating an opportunity for the other five Golden Cores to kill Grand Shaman Wu Yun.

Li Peijun, Xu Zhen, Shi Hanyang, Xue Xiang, and Ye Qin, the five Golden Core cultivators, saw that Yan Hao had taken the lead, voluntarily taking on the task of intercepting the bone arrows from the three high-level Bone Archers. The greatest danger had been shouldered by Yan Hao.

With their risk significantly reduced, they naturally stopped observing and instead chose to charge down immediately. Li and Xu, the two mid-stage Golden Core cultivators, led the charge, with Shi and Xue in the middle. Ye Qin flew at the very rear.

This formation for the charge had been arranged beforehand. Since Yan Hao had taken the position Ye Qin was originally meant to lead, Ye Qin now served as backup for the other Golden Core cultivators, positioned to strike last.

In an instant, the Golden Core cultivators flew over two hundred zhang, charging into the strongest range of the high-level Bone Archers.