"...No matter how fiercely the three from the Holy Land attacked, the responsibility for defense always fell upon a single person, yet this one person stubbornly withstood the entirety of the trio's assault. And the location of this defense was that sharp corner! In a typical battle formation, this position would normally be a keen offensive vector, but here, it served as a bulwark!"

The three observers focused their attention. They were all masters of martial arts; with the key point illuminated by the Fourteenth Young Master of Nine Nether, they grasped the entire tactical shift in mere moments, instantly understanding everything.

The Fourteenth Young Master of Nine Nether spoke in a low voice, "The formation of their opposing trio is truly formidable. Each time, only one person bears the brunt of the attack. While the defender must certainly suffer immense depletion, as the formation shifts, the next one to defend is already a different person; the previous defender thus gains a crucial respite. By rotating this way, each person gets two recovery cycles, allowing them ample time to regain their breath. Although not entirely without cost, the level of depletion is negligible!"

"Precisely! That's exactly it!" Cheng Yin Xiao’s expression shifted drastically. "They three are taking no losses, while the three from the Holy Land are under continuous drain..."

The Fourteenth Young Master of Nine Nether tilted his head slightly. "More than that! While one person is defending at that critical corner, the other two are attacking simultaneously! Moreover, their target is the very same person. Meaning, every single offensive wave they launch is essentially a two-on-one assault!"

"Facing such a bizarre array, the Holy Land trio can barely find room to maneuver. In any single round of attack, at least one of them ends up idle and ineffective; at most, only one person can truly unleash an offensive! Once they counterattack, however, all three strike together, coordinating their assault on a single target! Even if their combined combat power is inferior to the Holy Land trio, they command the initiative, and are now gradually building an advantage. This incremental accumulation of advantage will naturally crystalize into victory! Once that dominance is established, it will be utterly impossible to turn the tide; only the road to slaughter remains!"

Upon hearing this, the faces of Cheng Yin Xiao, Qu Wu Hui, and Qiao Ying all paled simultaneously!

"Don't be surprised yet; the truly astonishing part is yet to come. I suspect this formation holds further secrets—it seems to possess an element of power layering, though the exact effect remains unclear for now..." The Fourteenth Young Master of Nine Nether locked his sharp gaze onto the unfolding battle, deep in thought.

"In your assessment, Brother Fourteen, is this battle already lost? Is there truly no hope of recovery?" Qiao Ying asked anxiously.

"Indeed! Achieving victory is certainly out of the question. Judging by the current situation, there is only one recourse left: the ability to force a draw!" The Fourteenth Young Master of Nine Nether’s eyes gleamed with a strange, dark light, and he let out a bizarre laugh.

"What method?" Qu Wu Hui pondered for a long time, still unable to devise a way to reverse the situation, so he asked with curiosity.

"Immediately initiate self-destruction and take the enemy down with them in mutual annihilation! Only then can a stalemate be achieved! Although the enemy holds a massive advantage, they still cannot easily withstand the combined self-detonation power of three Venerables. A mutual kill is achievable!"

A thread of cruelty laced the Fourteenth Young Master of Nine Nether's tone as he mocked, "It’s a pity. Right now, the three Venerables from the Holy Land are merely at a disadvantage, not yet at a dead end; thus, I believe they are unwilling to sacrifice their lives, still hoping for a stroke of luck. But once the accumulated advantage of the enemy solidifies into an unstoppable force, sweeping away all resistance, even if they then wish to self-detonate for a mutual kill, they will no longer have the opportunity!"

The three—Qu Wu Hui, Cheng Yin Xiao, and Qiao Ying—fell into a heavy silence. They were all supreme experts of their generation; none of them could fail to understand this predicament. Who, faced with even a sliver of hope, would rashly choose mutual destruction? Human nature is the same; there is no point in faulting them.

"Beyond that, they have made another error," the Fourteenth Young Master of Nine Nether sneered coldly. "From the start of this fight, none of the three men in black drew their weapons, apparently intending a battle of bare hands and feet; yet, your three great fools from the Holy Land also neglected to draw their weapons... If the enemy had deployed their weapons from the outset, while it might not have been enough to completely rewrite the situation, the outcome could have been different..."

The Fourteenth Young Master of Nine Nether continued to sneer repeatedly: "This Young Master is truly perplexed. It was explicitly stated before this battle that it was a life-and-death struggle, 'no quarter asked, none given'; only one side would leave alive, meaning every possible means should be employed! Never mind weapons—even hidden darts or poison should have been fair game. Are the long swords hanging at their waists mere decorations? They are truly too foolish!"

Just as the Fourteenth Young Master of Nine Nether finished speaking, a thunderous BOOM erupted from the arena, and the situation shifted instantly! A flash of brilliant saber light shot toward the heavens, the supremely sharp kinetic energy churning the air, followed by a great roar that shook the earth: "Kill!"

Just as the Fourteenth Young Master of Nine Nether had predicted, someone had finally drawn a weapon. And the ones who utilized weapons unexpectedly, catching everyone off guard, were the three members of the Remnant Heaven Soul Devouring Unit. This sudden escalation to blades clashed like an unstoppable torrent, instantly shattering the last defensive line the three Venerables of the Holy Land had painstakingly maintained!

Since drawing their sabers, these three men had unleashed their ultimate technique, akin to the integration of body and blade. Man followed the steel, rolling waves of saber light slashing toward the sky. Even under such absolute superiority, they employed this desperate, mutually damaging tactic akin to staking everything!

This desperate gambit, which aimed to "injure the enemy by three thousand while losing eight hundred of one's own," was only surpassed in its life-risking intensity by outright self-detonation!

Such a tragic and fierce momentum instantly swept across the entire venue, causing the breaths of every spectator to catch in their throats!

After a moment of stunned silence, the people associated with the three Holy Lands burst into curses!

"Despicable!"

"Shameless!"

"The height of disgrace!"

Many powerful experts of the Holy Land present had eyes blazing red, trembling all over. They pointed accusing fingers and shouted in rage, their hair seemingly standing on end!

Only Qiao Ying and the other two remained silently contemplative. The Fourteenth Young Master of Nine Nether let out a strange laugh: "They cling to their so-called decaying sense of decorum, and when the opponent adopts the most correct tactic to win—when they cannot win—they resort to cursing others as shameless... The Three Great Holy Lands, truly the righteous sects! Their conduct is excellent; one cannot deny it!"

On the other side, Jun Mo Xie, hearing the shrewish scolding from the opposing camp, felt no anger, but instead shook with laughter, turning to Mei Xue Yan: "These fools from the Holy Land are truly too amusing! They are ecstatic when they gain an advantage, and when they suffer a loss, they start cursing in the streets, and they curse so famously! How utterly idiotic... Xue Yan, how did you suffer such great losses at the hands of these people before? I am truly curious..."

Mei Xue Yan’s delicate face flushed, and she shot him a sidelong glance. "The people of the Holy Land are also rather shameless, but their level of shamelessness... doesn't even amount to one ten-thousandth of yours! Look at the Remnant Heaven Soul Devourers—a group of once straightforward, resolute warriors and seasoned fighters. What have they become under your tutelage? They are cunning, sneaky, resorting to sneak attacks and backstabbing, acting like mere bandits..."

"You are mistaken in what you say. This is a life-and-death battle where neither side yields! Naturally, every means is justified! If they want to play with etiquette, we certainly won't be fools enough to accompany them... Is life more important, or is decorum more important? This truly leaves me speechless. Their operational guidelines are not set by me. Don’t believe me, ask the members of the Remnant Heaven Soul Devourers: on the battlefield, is securing victory paramount, or are those so-called airs and graces more important? Anyone who has truly seen battle understands this; do I really need to teach them?" Jun Mo Xie scoffed dismissively.

The situation in the arena at this moment had undergone a sea change compared to moments before; the three Venerables of the Holy Land had completely fallen into an absolute disadvantage!

Under the enemy’s relentless, tide-like onslaught, all sense of unspoken coordination and formation had vanished. They could only desperately parry and evade, unable even to find a chance to draw their own weapons!

Just as the Fourteenth Young Master of Nine Nether had stated, now, everything was too late!

The outcome was already decided! The conclusion was sealed!

With three enraged roars, three figures clad in black, trailing brilliant, sharp saber light, leaped into the air. Below them, three figures in white stumbled backward, unsteady on their feet, like drunken men. They bore multiple wounds, from which spots of blood continuously sprayed...

The saber light flashed again, and the three figures descended. Seizing this brief respite, the three Venerables of the Holy Land finally found the opportunity to draw their long swords. As the three acted in unison, three clear shings echoed as the blades left their scabbards, giving them a momentary surge of resolve!

From the rear, the experts of the Holy Land camp also collectively breathed a sigh of relief! They finally saw a glimmer of hope. Drawing their swords now had to be infinitely better than fighting the great sabers bare-handed!

The Fourteenth Young Master of Nine Nether frowned quizzically, casting a suspicious glance towards Jun Mo Xie’s position. He genuinely could not understand why, having secured such an overwhelming advantage, they would execute such a disastrous move—allowing the enemy the leisure to draw their long swords? Wasn't this merely creating trouble for themselves?

On the opposite side, a look of genuine pity crossed Mei Xue Yan’s face as she sighed softly.

Jun Mo Xie let out a sly chuckle and whispered, "The real show is finally about to make its dazzling entrance! Hahahaha..." Behind him, over three hundred men in black had eyes blazing with extraordinary fervor.

As quick as thought:

The three figures in black swept down from the air, their great sabers carrying earth-shattering, terrifying might, completely sealing off every avenue of evasion for the three Venerables of the Holy Land, plunging downward with almost brute-force strikes!

The three Venerables below moved in unison, raising their swords to block, pouring the strength of their entire lives into their blades! They thought fiercely: If we can block this one strike, then these three men in black will meet their doom!

Because these three men descending from the air, though appearing majestic and commanding in momentum, had left themselves completely exposed; every inch of their bodies was a flaw. If this final blow failed to kill the enemy, their momentum would shatter, inevitably plunging them into a fatal situation!

Could they truly be that confident? The three guardians watched intently, immense doubts rising in their hearts.

Clang...

The faint sound of colliding weaponry echoed. Qu Wu Hui stomped his foot in frustration: "Damn it! They are using Divine Weapons! All three of them are using Divine Weapons! He is truly despicable!"

The three great sabers held by the opposing men turned out to be three miraculous, razor-sharp artifacts capable of slicing through iron like mud!