Liu Chuan called out a warning because the ones slowly trailing behind weren't cultivators fleeing the chaos, but Blackwhip Eels. To be exact, it was the same pack they'd stripped of treasures back on the desert plains.
"Everyone, get ready. Blackwhip Eels are catching up."
Jian Dan shouted, then quickly turned to Jian Mao and Jian Jun. "Seniors, this is the one the immortals injured before, the same pack we ran into on the desert. This time, we've got to take it down."
The moment Jian Mao heard that, he understood. They'd robbed it blind, so of course it was here for revenge.
"Prepare for battle!"
With a single gesture, Jian Mao had the Heavenly Sword Sect form their battle array. The five from the Purple Sky Sect readied themselves too. As soon as everyone was in position, a mass of Blackwhip Eels burst out of the ground. Whips crackled with sparks as they lashed out wildly, attacking without a shred of restraint.
No one flinched. Swords flashed as they charged head-on. With spiritual power sealed and divine sense useless, it was all down to brute strength and battle instincts. Luckily, half the group were sword cultivators and over half were body refiners. The rest had survived here long enough to hold their own.
Kuang Dao swung his great blade in ruthless arcs, every strike driving at weak points. Su Chui hefted his giant hammer, smashing a whip aside with a crash that suited a weapon smith's build.
The Purple Sky Sect disciples fought in pairs. Xiao Yong and Xiao Rong wielded identical violet longswords, their teamwork flawless as they tangled with three eels at once. Another disciple fought with twin short blades, every strike aiming for the third segment of the whips, clearly from prior experience.
The Cloud Sea Sect cultivator thrust a silver trident with practiced skill, keeping an eel locked down.
Hou San darted up and down with his spear, stabbing weak spots while twisting away to avoid being bound by the whips.
The Bai sisters roamed the battlefield, not striking head-on but leaping and weaving through attacks. Each time they passed, they scattered a pink powder over the roots of the eels.
The Heavenly Sword Sect disciples finally unleashed their full strength, determined to carve off a Blackwhip for themselves. These creatures were precious beyond measure.
Jian Dan had already stationed Liu Chuan to guard the perimeter. He'd raise the alarm if anything went wrong. Then she drew her sword and joined the fray.
The Blackwhip Eel recognized Jian Mao's group instantly. It ignored other prey, fixating on the cultivators who carried its stolen treasures.
The Bai sisters' powder had muddled its senses earlier, forcing it to wander in circles before tracking them down. Now, it charged in with killing intent. Though its power was weakened, it was still enough to match the twenty-odd cultivators blow for blow.
But because it had chased them alone, the rest of the swarm didn't follow. Jian Dan and Liu Chuan confirmed this again and again before deciding to eliminate it once and for all.
Steel clashed against whips in a brutal deadlock. On the surface it looked even, but in truth, the eel was growing desperate. Normally it would have devoured these "snacks" instantly, yet now it couldn't even get close.
The eel didn't notice the pink powder creeping into its roots. Each lash of its whips only drove the poison deeper. Slowly, faint pink streaks spread across its body.
Time dragged on. The cultivators were exhausted, more than one catching a lash and gritting through the crackle of electricity sinking into their flesh. None dared slack off. A single lapse meant death.
After half an hour, the first to falter wasn't the cultivators but the eel. The thirty-meter-tall beast slowed, its whips sparking less and less. The thinner tendrils on the edges lost their lightning entirely.
The group seized the opening, attacks pressing harder. Jian Dan realized the Bai sisters' powder had taken hold.
Fifteen minutes later, the massive eel collapsed, twitching weakly like its bones had been stripped out.
Everyone cautiously spread out, keeping it surrounded.
"Bai Shuang, how's it looking?" Jian Jun asked.
"Fairy Lu, it's the 'Dreammist.' It robs Black Whip Eels of their strength," Bai Shuang answered.
"So do we strike now or wait?"
"Wait another quarter-hour. Once the roots turn fully pink, we'll finish it."
"Good."
Their calm exchange made everyone view the Bai sisters with newfound respect.
When the time passed, Jian Jun signaled. The cultivators rushed forward, each targeting a whip. Swords, blades, and hammers struck in rapid succession. One by one, the whips were hacked free and snatched into storage.
In moments, the towering eel was stripped bare, left with only twitching roots. It began sinking into the ground, trying to escape.
Jian Dan, already satisfied with two whips, stopped to keep watch. She caught the eel's retreat immediately.
Mò Xī Jiàn flashed twice, cutting the roots into three neat pieces, which Jian Dan collected into her ring.
Just then, Liu Chuan's voice rang out. "Someone's coming, looks like the Tan Song Clan. Let's get out of here."