Old Daoist Bi watched helplessly as Ye Qin executed an Earth Evasion Art and vanished from the spot, only to reappear on the sand dune where Zhou Yao, Jin Zhongshan, and the other cultivators were, hiding within the sword formation Nao Yao had set up. His face turned livid with anger.

"We have no choice but to kill these demonic sharks first before we can attack the sword formation. This is too troublesome. Old Daoist Bi, you are the most cunning; think of a way to lure these demonic sharks away," Miao Tong said ruthlessly after retracting his magical artifact.

"Impossible. These deep-sea demonic sharks are extremely bloodthirsty. Their eyeballs are already filled with crimson blood vessels; they are maddened by slaughter. They will never leave until their targeted prey is dead. Moreover, that brat is now reunited with his people, making it even harder to kill them. For now, we can only let these demonic sharks drain most of their magical power. We will make our move after they finish off the sharks," Old Daoist Bi grumbled in frustration.

"Then we'll just wait. Anyway, they are surely doomed today. A little sooner or later makes no difference. It doesn't matter," the thin, bony man called Bao coldly stated.

The four Golden Core stage cultivators from the Heavenly Demon Alliance sneered, folding their arms across their chests, floating just outside the shark swarm without charging in, content to watch the show unfold.

They even occasionally threw cold taunts and sharp words, loudly jeering at Ye Qin.

The demonic shark swarm fixed its gaze intently on Zhou Yao's sword formation, attacking furiously, paying no heed to the four Golden Core cultivators from the Heavenly Demon Alliance.

Zhou Yao, Jin Zhongshan, Liao Xiaozhi, and Pan Lin, the four Golden Core cultivators, exchanged uneasy glances, their hearts turning cold.

Dealing with these two to three hundred demonic sharks was already extremely taxing, rapidly depleting their magical power. They would need to exhaust over half of their magical reserves just to kill them all.

But after wiping out the demonic sharks, they would still have to face the four Golden Core cultivators of the Heavenly Demon Alliance, who were fresh and waiting. There was simply no chance for them to leave this undersea desert alive.

Ye Qin remained calm, already formulating a counter-strategy in his mind. Whether it would work depended on whether the rest of his team possessed enough will to fight to the death. If anyone deserted in the heat of battle, they would all likely perish here.

"Those Heavenly Demon Alliance cultivators are after the treasures we carry; they are robbing us while we're in danger…" "Brother Jin carries the most wealth; he is likely their primary target. Brother Jin, you must be extremely cautious and avoid being isolated."

As Ye Qin spoke, he glanced at Jin Zhongshan deliberately and casually. He knew Jin Zhongshan possessed the least fighting spirit in the entire team; he needed to provoke him into action.

"What? They dare covet my wealth? Do they think cultivators from my Treasure Gathering Palace are easy targets?! I absolutely will not let them have an easy time; I'll show them my might!"

Indeed, as soon as Ye Qin finished speaking, Jin Zhongshan immediately jumped up and shouted like a rabbit whose tail had been stepped on, grinding his teeth in fury.

Ye Qin nodded, quite satisfied with the result. Fatty Jin valued his wealth even more than his life; targeting his treasure was a greater offense than threatening his life, making it difficult for him not to fight desperately.

"Big Brother Ye, what do we do now? These two hundred-plus demonic sharks have completely surrounded us. Even if we kill them with all our strength, we will likely exhaust the vast majority of our magical power. Afterward, if they attack us, it will be easier for them than crushing a single first-tier demonic rat," Zhou Yao said anxiously. She needed to maintain the Great Five Elements Sword Formation, and a significant amount of her magical power was already spent.

"Brother Pan, are there any Sand Swirl Beetles beneath the dunes here?" Ye Qin asked quickly and calmly after a moment of thought.

"Within a five-hundred-zhang radius, there are three fifth or sixth-tier Sand Swirl Beetles, and I have killed them all. There are dozens more nearby, but they are farther away. Sand Swirl Beetles have fixed hunting territories and generally will not easily cross boundaries to come near us," Pan Lin replied hastily.

"Good. Since those Heavenly Demon Alliance cultivators want to take advantage of the crisis, we’ll give them a taste of our power. Stop killing the demonic sharks. Everyone use Earth Evasion Talismans and retreat underground, letting these sharks find trouble with them," Ye Qin nodded, giving a cold smile, and launched a hand seal.

Among the five cultivators in the team, only Ye Qin was proficient in low and mid-tier Earth Elemental spells and could perform the Earth Evasion Art without needing talismans. The other four each held a tightly gripped Earth Evasion Talisman.

Crushing the talismans—

Five dazzling yellow lights flashed, and the five cultivators vanished from the sand dune where they stood, burrowing dozens of feet deep into the yellow sands. The thick layer of sand shielded them from the demonic sharks.

The shark swarm that had been attacking them frantically immediately lost its target. They were water-elemental sea beasts, not earth-elemental ones; they could not burrow dozens of feet into the deep yellow sands.

However, they quickly found a new target.

The demonic shark swarm immediately turned and charged ferociously toward the four Golden Core cultivators of the Heavenly Demon Alliance, who were only a few hundred zhang away. To these sharks, the cultivators from the Heavenly Demon Alliance and the cultivators from the Heavenly Path Alliance were no different; both were prey to be hunted. Since Ye Qin and his group had disappeared, they would hunt Old Daoist Bi's group instead.

"Damn it, that brat is cunning; he played a trick on this poor Daoist! Quick, use Earth Evasion Arts and escape the shark swarm!" The green-bearded old Daoist's expression changed drastically when he saw the sharks turning. He certainly wasn't foolish enough to fight these demonic sharks head-on. Eliminating these two to three hundred sharks would undoubtedly cost them dearly, and draining most of their magical power was unavoidable. In that scenario, Ye Qin's group of five cultivators would gain an advantage.

Old Daoist Bi's reaction was fast. Since Ye Qin's five could use Earth Evasion Arts to escape the shark swarm, they could also use Earth Elemental spells or Earth Elemental talismans to burrow into the sand. The goal was to prevent Ye Qin's team from profiting.

Miao Tong, Bao, and the woman named Wu, however, had no idea that this desert area contained beast traps. They had just arrived and immediately attacked Ye Qin, having had no time to investigate the situation of this desert.

"Ah—oh no, there are sea beasts under the sand!"

Old Daoist Bi was the first to burrow underground, but in the blink of an eye, he shot out of the sand with a piercing shriek. His cyan protective shield was already broken, and a large, bloody chunk of flesh had been scraped from his right leg, exposing the bone. A long, dark shadow with a black head flashed out of the sand vortex, baring its teeth at Old Daoist Bi. It was clearly a sixth-tier Sand Swirl Beetle. Its sharp tail whip had pierced the protective shield and injured Old Daoist Bi.

"Vermin, you seek death!" Old Daoist Bi was furious. He sent his flying sword out, which transformed into a ten-zhang giant sword, slashing down toward the Sand Swirl Beetle in the sand.

But by this time, the surrounding demonic shark swarm had already charged toward him frantically. The leading two Golden Core-level demonic sharks gnashed their sharp teeth, making a series of clattering sounds.

Old Daoist Bi’s face turned pale with horror. He dared not waste time using his flying sword to slay the Sand Swirl Beetle. He threw out his Silver Light Horsetail Whisk, a top-grade magical artifact, unleashing countless silver rays to frantically protect himself and resist the frenzied onslaught of the demonic sharks. A few low-tier demonic sharks biting wildly at him were instantly turned into mush by the countless silver rays.

"Ah!"

"Quicksand Art! What kind of sea beasts are these?"

Miao Tong, Bao, Wu, and the other Golden Core cultivators all scrambled out of the sand in panic. The dune they had burrowed into concealed no fewer than four or five Sand Swirl Beetles, and their tiers were not low. The moment they dove into the sand, they alerted these predators waiting for prey, and the two sides clashed. Underground, these earth-elemental sea beasts, proficient in Earth Elemental magic, were not easy to deal with. Even a low-tier Quicksand Art was powerful enough to make it almost impossible for a Golden Core cultivator to escape. Golden Core cultivators inevitably suffered setbacks.

And waiting for them once they left the sand layer were the swarms of demonic sharks rushing in from the water.

The beast traps in this undersea desert caused little trouble for Ye Qin's team, but they unexpectedly trapped the four cultivators from the Heavenly Demon Alliance.

In an instant, the formation of the Heavenly Demon Alliance cultivator team dissolved into chaos. They were simultaneously besieged by over two hundred demonic sharks and Sand Swirl Beetles.

Magical artifacts, light beams, and blood splashed everywhere. In a blink, dozens of demonic sharks were slain by magical artifacts, while the four Golden Core cultivators of the Heavenly Demon Alliance were thrown into disarray, barely managing to hold their line and avoid a complete rout.

Swish! From afar, another figure of a cultivator shot up from the sand layer.

"Attack!"

Ye Qin's expression turned cold. He shouted fiercely, instantly transforming into a terrifying ball of golden light, rushing toward Old Daoist Bi. He had been waiting for this exact moment. The Heavenly Demon Alliance cultivators had only just arrived and had no time to scout this small patch of desert, making it extremely easy for them to fall into the beast traps, leading to chaos in their hasty defense.

This opportunity was fleeting and had to be seized before the Heavenly Demon Alliance cultivators could regain their composure. Zhou Yao, Jin Zhongshan, Liao Xiaozhi, and Pan Lin, the four Golden Core cultivators of the team, practically burst out from under the yellow sand, transforming into four streaks of light, flashing through the water, and plunging toward the besieged and endangered cultivators of the Heavenly Demon Alliance. When an enemy is sick, you strike for the kill; decisive killing among cultivators is never soft-hearted.

Old Daoist Bi's expression changed drastically. The relentless assault from the shark swarm and the Sand Swirl Beetles made him extremely flustered, but it wasn't fatal. Ye Qin's full-force strike was the truly deadly attack.

Old Daoist Bi dared not linger where he was. He turned, controlling his artifact, and fled by transforming into light and breaking through the water. He had no confidence in fighting Ye Qin, who possessed four Primordial Spirit magical artifacts, by himself. Although he was a third-layer Golden Core cultivator and had many artifacts of various grades in his storage bag, the best artifact in his hand was merely an enhanced top-grade Silver Light Horsetail Whisk. Without a powerful Primordial Spirit artifact, he stood no chance against Ye Qin, whose artifact collection was almost monstrous for a Golden Core cultivator. Only if he and Miao Tong joined forces would they have a chance to suppress Ye Qin.

However, Miao Tong was currently locked in a fierce battle with Zhou Yao's Great Five Elements Sword attack, making any joint effort with Old Daoist Bi impossible. Bao and Wu were already entangled by Jin Zhongshan, Liao Xiaozhi, and Pan Lin.

Old Daoist Bi had no reinforcements and no choice but to flee desperately. He could only hope that his higher cultivation and stronger magical power would allow him to escape faster and maintain his speed longer so that Ye Qin could not catch up.

Two streaks of light, one ahead and one behind, separated by two to three hundred zhang, sped through the water, shattering heavy waves. Old Daoist Bi felt the killing intent behind him growing closer. He looked back in horror and saw Ye Qin holding a water-elemental treasure, the Water Shell Spirit Pearl, his evasion speed several points faster than his own. Despair immediately filled his eyes.

"Brat, how dare you! This poor Daoist is a Golden Core cultivator from Jade Accomplishment Palace under Elder Ju of the Heavenly Demon Alliance. You dare kill Old Daoist Bi!" He roared in fear and anger.

The words had barely left his mouth—

Splurt!

A streak of golden rainbow light tore through the sphere of protective silver light surrounding Old Daoist Bi and pierced directly through his heart. Several flying swords whirled around, shattering Old Daoist Bi entirely into fragments and blood mist; he was dead beyond recognition. Old Daoist Bi's Nascent Soul could not escape; his body and soul were utterly annihilated together.

"Hmph, what does it matter if I kill you now!"

Ye Qin coldly glanced at the large mass of blood mist, retracted his magical artifact, and casually pocketed Old Daoist Bi's dropped storage bag. Then, he rapidly returned to the battlefield to pursue the remaining three Golden Core cultivators from the Heavenly Demon Alliance.