Shēngsǐ Kuángjūn watched the four figures vanish into the distance, sighing helplessly. Mo Yue Zhūnzhǔ had pointed out their biggest weakness in a single breath: disunity, lack of trust, and scattered effort. No wonder they had lost ground and been reprimanded.
"Hmph, so what if her cultivation is a level higher than mine? If I were in the Void Refinement stage too, she wouldn't dare talk to me like that."
The one who had been slapped down, Hao Meng, Lord of the Eighth Hall of the Nine Fiends Hall, muttered resentfully, trying to salvage a shred of dignity.
"Hall Lord Hao, don't you know her natal weapon is the Mó Yuè Zhǎn?"
"So what?"
"That means even if you were on the same level, you still wouldn't be her match. Back when she was only in the early Divine Transformation stage, she could already kill mid-stage Divine Soul experts."
Shēngsǐ Kuángjūn shot him down without mercy. Among all the sects, Hao Meng was known for being slippery, always putting in minimal effort while taking the most credit. No one wanted to work with him.
Fortunately, thanks to the Heavenly Demon Palace's timely support, the Life and Death Pavilion had suffered no casualties this time.
Shēngsǐ Kuángjūn led his disciples toward the first battlefield. Once the others finished regrouping, they followed, much more proactive than before. After being publicly scolded, no one wanted to draw attention again.
A trace of killing intent flashed across Hao Meng's face. He led his group in silence, trailing at the very rear.
Up front, Jian Dan sent a flying sword message to Gong Yi:
"Gong Yi, once you enter the central region of Ming Valley, you will encounter the insect. Make sure the Heavenly Demon Palace disciples stay together and avoid cooperating too much with the other sects."
She added one more line:
"I don't trust them. You all need to stay sharp."
After sending the message, Jian Dan and her group doubled their speed. Two quarter-hours later, they had already arrived at the first line of defense.
Thanks to the Ming Beasts' support, the situation wasn't as disastrous as before, but both beasts and cultivators clearly showed signs of exhaustion. The insect, however, continued to surge forward without end.
"Mo Yi and I will join the front. Mo Qi, cut off the incoming reinforcements. Mo Yue, keep an eye on the entire battlefield. If you find a commanding insect, eliminate it."
Mo Su laid out the plan through sound transmission. The others nodded. In the blink of an eye, they scattered to their positions.
Mo Su and Mo Yi, both at the late Divine Soul stage, had undergone lightning tempering. Their cultivation was dense and stable, each move radiating thick demonic energy. Every strike took down a handful, sometimes even dozens of insect at once.
Mo Qi flashed behind enemy lines, arriving at the bottleneck of the gourd-mouth region in Ming Valley. There, waves of insect were attempting to break through.
Without hesitation, Mo Qi pulled out an attack talisman gifted by the Fei Clan's ancestor. Now was not the time to hold back.
The talisman activated. A wave of Mahayana pressure erupted. The insects sensed danger and immediately started retreating, but they were too slow. The twin blades of the ancestor, infused with the laws of heaven and earth, slashed down.
In utter silence, twin arcs of blade light swept forward. In a single breath, the bottleneck was split open, and every insect in its path was obliterated. The force didn't stop until it pushed another thirty li forward. Only then did the talisman lose power.
A high-pitched screech rang out. The familiar sonic attack returned. Jian Dan instantly located the source—a flying centipede over a hundred meters long.
The insect on the ground began to retreat in formation, pulling back toward the bottleneck.
"Mo Qi, cut off their escape. I found their commander."
Jian Dan launched herself onto the back of the flying centipede.
Mo Qi immediately cast a high-grade composite killing formation, blocking off the retreat path. Even if she couldn't kill them all, they weren't going anywhere.
With both blades in hand, Mo Qi held the line like a lone guardian, slicing through any insect that dared approach. Mo Su and Mo Yi joined her moments later, ensuring not a single bug would slip through.
Jian Dan stood atop the flying centipede. Her Mó Yuè Zhǎn split into fifty crescent blades, slashing along its segments. The centipede twisted, spitting venom and charging up energy spheres on its many limbs.
With a flick of her pinky, Jian Dan latched onto one of its segments using the Thousand Threads of Return. Spinning with fluid grace, she dodged every attack, then swung onto its head. A massive fist-shaped shadow slammed down, smashing the creature to the ground.
"Move!"
The cultivators below scattered in every direction.
Dazed from the impact, the flying centipede twisted, flailing its limbs as it tried to take flight again.
"Hmph, you're not going anywhere."
Jian Dan gave another flick. The Thousand Threads of Return extended endlessly, wrapping the centipede like a salted fish, keeping it grounded. The beast thrashed, using its venom to corrode the threads.
With a wave, Jian Dan recalled the Mó Yuè Zhǎn, sending it straight into the centipede's mouth.
"Master, could you not send me inside next time? That was disgusting."
The blade spirit's complaint came through their bond, but it didn't stop the weapon from doing its job. Inside, it expanded and spun, drilling straight through. Moments later, it shot out from the tail end, now two meters long, glistening with cold light. Not a single drop of blood stained it as it spun back into Jian Dan's hand.
The centipede spasmed a few times, then went completely still. Jian Dan, not taking any chances, used her threads to dismember it into a hundred pieces.
With the commander dead, the cultivators and Ming Beasts began to counterattack. Shēngsǐ Kuángjūn arrived just in time to see Jian Dan slicing apart the massive corpse.
Retracting the Thousand Threads of Return, Jian Dan scanned the battlefield. With a flick of her sleeve, Mó Yuè Zhǎn bisected a giant beetle. The corpse landed with its legs still twitching.
Those arriving behind broke into cold sweat. Mo Yue Zhūnzhǔ was venting, clearly furious. They immediately charged in, afraid of being singled out.
Seeing them join the fight, Jian Dan gave a small nod, then turned to reinforce Mo Su's group. That was where the real battle was. If even one insect got through, it could ruin their covert operations.
"Crescent Dance"
Mó Yuè Zhǎn danced through the battlefield, a storm of silver crescents. Wherever it passed, bugs fell like rain. Both cultivators and Ming Beasts found renewed strength.
Watching from the side, Hao Meng clenched his teeth. He had to admit, the Mo Yue Zhūnzhǔs natal weapon was terrifying. He wasn't even close to her level. Swallowing his resentment, he threw himself into the battle, venting his frustration.
Jian Dan remained at the edge of the formation Mo Qi had placed, intercepting any stragglers. She had already sensed the faint killing intent Hao Meng harbored. But he wasn't worth her time. She would leave him to Gong Yi.
"Master, this is Mo Ran. I'm in the depths of Ming Valley now. I should be able to see the rear soon."
Jian Dan frowned. It was Mo Ran, sending a message through their contract. Before leaving the valley, she had ordered him to stay behind.
Mo Ran, ever the clever one, had avoided both Ming Beasts and Insects. He found the most qi-rich area to cultivate and, in just half a month, broke into Tier 5. Now, he had silently snuck into the depths.
"Master, this place is terrifying. I don't dare go any further."