The Nine Palace Windfire Banner, this combination magic tool, made its first public appearance. Wen Qiansun and the others manipulated this combination magic tool as if they were controlling a formation. With only nine mid-level Refining Qi cultivators, they managed to temporarily trap dozens of Green Bamboo Mountain cultivators.
The wind borrowed the momentum of the fire, and the fire borrowed the momentum of the wind. They complemented and supported each other, creating a fierce storm of wind and a blazing inferno. The Green Bamboo Mountain cultivators, already struggling to maintain their footing in the strong wind, now had to defend against the sudden onslaught of flames, causing them to be somewhat overwhelmed.
Seizing the opportunity, Meng Zhang and Jue Ying took advantage of the chaos and launched an attack on the trapped Green Bamboo Mountain cultivators. The sound of the startle bell continued to ring, confusing everyone. Flying swords danced in the air, constantly inflicting wounds on the enemies. Fire Seals continuously spewed out flames, transforming into fire serpents pouncing on their opponents.
In the midst of the raging wind, the shadows beneath the feet of the Green Bamboo Mountain cultivators kept distorting. Jue Ying intermittently appeared among them, launching surprise attacks. In just a short time, they achieved fruitful results.
Before the action, Zhou Shengkao had warned Meng Zhang not to kill a large number of Green Bamboo Mountain cultivators while saving others. Twin Success Valley assumed that Meng Zhang's rescue mission was merely to give Green Bamboo Mountain some face and trouble. Elder Shan Ying pushed for this, seeking some relief for his grievances. However, neither Shan Ying nor other high-ranking members of Twin Success Valley intended to escalate conflicts with Green Bamboo Mountain.
Twin Success Valley and Green Bamboo Mountain had been in hidden rivalry for many years, and they rarely engaged in direct confrontations between sects. Therefore, Meng Zhang and the others had to maintain some limits in their actions.
The Green Bamboo Mountain cultivators injured by Meng Zhang and Jue Ying were mostly temporarily disabled but not in life-threatening situations.
On the other side of the battlefield between Yang Family and Green Bamboo Mountain cultivators, as long as Yang Xueyi refrained from lethal attacks, both sides remained evenly matched. Yang Xueyi suppressed the urge to tear apart the enemies, instead collaborating with his comrades to keep the opposition entangled.
Both battlefields, not far from each other, were temporarily at a stalemate.
In the sky not far from the battlefields, two old men observed with unfriendly gazes.
"A bunch of trash, they've been trapped so easily. When we get back to the mountain, I'll personally train them," said one of the elders, Old Man Bamboo Stick, with a cold tone.
"Bamboo Spear junior, what's the background of those cultivators who are helping Yang Family?" asked Old Man Bamboo Stick, the oldest and most experienced elder of Green Bamboo Mountain.
"I haven't seen them before, so I can't recognize their origins," replied Bamboo Spear, another elder.
"However, a group of Refining Qi cultivators suddenly appeared using Earth Escape Spell to ambush. With their strength, they couldn't have started burrowing from a distance. Most likely, they were hiding in the Forest Spring Watch caravan and sneaked closer before going underground," explained Bamboo Spear. His conjecture revealed the process of Meng Zhang and the others' actions.
"Why would Forest Spring Watch get involved in this mess? Has that old Guang Hui lost his mind to go against our Green Bamboo Mountain?" Old Man Bamboo Stick wondered aloud.
Bamboo Spear shook his head. "It's unlikely that the higher-ups of Forest Spring Watch intended this. It's probably those junior cultivators below who bribed the Forest Spring Watch caravan."
"These young cultivators dare to meddle in our affairs, likely related to Twin Success Valley," Bamboo Spear added.
"These youngsters have a decent Cultivation Base and cunning minds. They're quite adept at scheming and arranging tactics," Old Man Bamboo Stick sneered. "But they're just a bunch of Refining Qi cultivators; that's all they've got."
"Wait and see, I'll teach them a lesson and show them that their little cleverness means nothing against absolute strength. All their conspiracies and tactics are nothing but nonsense," he declared, ready to take action.
Just as Old Man Bamboo Stick was about to act, he suddenly stopped and looked to his left with a cold gaze. "Who are these sneaky thieves, trying to do something underhanded?"
From behind a white cloud in the sky not far from Old Man Bamboo Stick, two figures emerged. One person wore a wolf head mask, completely concealing their face, while the other wore an eagle head mask, similarly hiding their identity. These two were Lone Wolf and Bald Eagle, two Foundation Building cultivators hired at great cost by Meng Zhang from the black market.
The two had been using stealth spells to hide in the nearby air. Only when Old Man Bamboo Stick was about to make a move did they intentionally reveal their presence.
"You two had better stay here and watch the show," said Lone Wolf in a disguised voice, reaching the ears of the two elders. Foundation Building cultivators were more skilled at disguising their identities compared to Refining Qi cultivators.
"You sneaky brats, hiding your faces like that," Old Man Bamboo Stick sneered a few times before taking the initiative to attack.
His bamboo stick danced, creating countless shadows, attacking the two from all sides. Bamboo Spear also had no choice but to join in. Though he was not keen on starting a random battle with unfamiliar Foundation Building cultivators, his fiery temper got the better of him. He was already agitated due to being prevented from acting earlier, and as an elder with an explosive temper, he immediately engaged without hesitation.
Old Man Bamboo Stick and Bamboo Spear teamed up against Bald Eagle and Lone Wolf, resulting in a fierce clash in the sky. The spiritual energy and true qi collided violently, almost creating a hurricane out of thin air.
The four Foundation Building cultivators engaged in a fierce battle, causing a significant commotion that could be sensed from quite a distance.
All four of them had a Cultivation Base in the early Foundation Building stage, making it difficult for any side to gain the upper hand within a short time. And due to Lone Wolf and Bald Eagle's intent to entangle their opponents, Old Man Bamboo Stick and Bamboo Spear found it challenging to escape easily.
Green Bamboo Mountain had assigned two Foundation Building cultivators specifically to wait for Yang Family cultivators to fall into their trap. This was using a sledgehammer to kill a chicken, a massive waste of resources. They believed their forces were sufficient to handle any contingencies, expecting no surprises.
But the consecutive events had caused Green Bamboo Mountain cultivators to be tied down by their respective opponents.
Two Second Rank flying boats approached from a distance, meeting no resistance on their way.
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