Chapter 207 : Two Chaotic Battles
Wuxiang resorting to violence without further discussion wasn't particularly surprising, as his erratic behavior after falling into the demonic path was well-known. Su Hao gave a light shout, and everyone quickly found their positions, beginning their joint counterattack.
Among this group were four from Xuanqing Sect, two from Buddha Sect, and two from Tiandao Sect. Originally just in an ordinary cooperative relationship, their coordination naturally couldn't compare to fellow disciples fighting together. However, after half a year of refining their teamwork under the relentless pursuit of demonic cultivators, they had achieved perfect coordination. Now, without needing any words, they could immediately find their proper positions.
Those who should attack attacked, those who should support supported, and when unavoidable damage needed to be absorbed, they faced it together.
This fighting style's development wasn't unrelated to the White Tiger. Though her battle experience wasn't as rich as Su Hao and the others, she'd seen enough even if she hadn't personally experienced it, and she was quite skilled at game team coordination in her past life. Now facing Wuxiang, it was like a small party challenging a boss—the pressure was certainly there, but viewing him as a game boss somehow made it less intimidating.
"System, turn on that battle mode of yours and show Wuxiang's health bar," the White Tiger said, staying on the sidelines waiting for her moment while addressing the system.
The system was eating melon seeds in her consciousness sea, watching the show. Hearing her request, it agreed and promptly displayed Wuxiang's stats:
[Opponent: Demon Monk Wuxiang (Clone)
Level: 55
Health: 1,358,000,000/1,358,000,000]
The White Tiger glanced at it and found that after spending nearly half a year in the secret realm, Wuxiang's level and health hadn't changed at all since last time. This couldn't possibly be because he had gained nothing in the secret realm; the only possibility was that he had kept all his gains in reserve. After all, this was just a clone that might not be useful after leaving the Canglán Secret Realm, so there was no need to invest in cultivating it.
This was good news for Su Hao and the others—an opponent maintaining their original level was far better than one constantly growing stronger. Noticing this, the system became excited, setting its sights on Wuxiang's secret realm acquisitions.
Clearing its throat, the system asked with what it thought was restraint: "Host, shall I create a task for killing the Demon Monk?"
The White Tiger had known the system since its first day of operation and could easily see through its little scheme. Without even thinking, she refused: "No need. We might not be able to defeat him, and even if we could, we might not be able to kill him. It would just be another incomplete task hanging there."
Hearing this, the system deflated: "Oh."
The White Tiger then fully committed to the battle, no longer paying attention to it. The system said nothing more, continuing to eat melon seeds while watching the show. And just in the time it took for this tiger and system to exchange a few words, Su Hao and the others had already engaged Wuxiang.
Almost everyone present was an exceptional talent, elites carefully nurtured by their sects for many years. To say they had no life-saving trump cards would be impossible. Not to mention others, even Yun Qingyue still had three sword talismans left by her master for protection, and Su Hao and his companions certainly wouldn't have much less. With this layer of security, though everyone was reluctant to directly confront the Demon Monk, they wouldn't be helpless if they truly had to face him.
In a short time, Su Hao and the others had exchanged several rounds with Wuxiang. They were struggling somewhat, but so far hadn't suffered any major injuries, because Wuxiang seemed to have fixed his target on Tan Xin.
The little monk, with his profound cultivation and status as a Buddha's disciple, showed no special traits when fighting alongside everyone against enemies normally. But now, everyone had no choice but to protect him.
Tan Xin showed no sign of fear. On the contrary, he took advantage of being the target and cooperated with his senior brothers to lure the enemy in several times. It was risky and didn't harm Wuxiang, but after several attempts, Wuxiang no longer dared to underestimate these youngsters. Just as he adjusted his mindset to face them properly, a fierce energy attack suddenly came from behind.
This energy came so quickly and suddenly that even with Wuxiang's profound cultivation, he had no time to dodge. So he simply channeled his technique to withstand it—among the many Buddhist techniques, there were many like the Vajra Indestructible Body that enhanced one's defense. In previous battles, Tanming and Tan Xin had also been the main damage absorbers.
The one sneaking up behind Wuxiang for this surprise attack was the White Tiger. She hadn't joined the battle before, and now seized this opportunity for a guaranteed hit. She swung her paw with all her spiritual energy, possessing if not mountain-moving, sea-filling power, then at least enough to split mountains and crack stones. However, Wuxiang simply stood motionless and took the hit. In the White Tiger's vision, a large "MISS" appeared.
The White Tiger gasped, then saw the damage was only two digits, basically just tickling him. She felt like coughing blood—this hard-earned opportunity for a sneak attack, completely immunized, was truly infuriating.
However irritated she might be, real combat gave the White Tiger no time to waste. Wuxiang, being treated as a boss, wasn't like those fixed-mechanic bosses in games. After being attacked, he would dodge, tank hits, and counterattack. He would even take medicinal pills when injured. So after her unsuccessful attack, the White Tiger had to retreat quickly to avoid Wuxiang's retaliation, which would truly be a losing proposition.
The White Tiger relied on the unique agility of felines to dodge before Wuxiang could counterattack.
Wuxiang's expression darkened, but he was unwilling to get entangled with the White Tiger, nor did he want to be ambushed again. So he turned his gaze toward Chu Yang and the other demonic cultivators watching from the side: "Hurry and block this White Tiger."
His commanding tone was displeasing. Chu Yang's expression changed several times before he finally gritted his teeth and ordered: "Attack!"
Suddenly, a group of demonic cultivators charged forward, surrounding the isolated White Tiger.
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The opening duration of the Canglán Secret Realm was one year—this was something every person knew the moment they entered the secret realm. But besides them, people outside the secret realm didn't know this, and there was no way to communicate between inside and outside.
However, as major sects with extensive knowledge, they naturally had methods to discern this, able to estimate the general time based on the secret realm's energy fluctuations.
By now, the secret realm had been open for nearly a year, very close to the closing time predicted by the three sects. The spirit boats that had been stationed at Mingzong Mountain for a year now showed activity, with people closely monitoring whether the secret realm had closed every day.
This day was as ordinary as any other. Elder Liu Feng, who was on duty, found the weather quite pleasant and set up a teapot and chessboard on the spirit boat's deck. He enjoyed tea while playing chess against himself. He was quite good at self-entertainment and didn't find standing guard here boring at all, passing time without even noticing.
As if in the blink of an eye, half a day had passed, and the sun had gradually risen to its highest point.
Looking up at the bright sun, then at Mingzong Mountain, still as calm as ever without any ripples, Elder Liu Feng thought of something and suddenly sighed, lowering his head to murmur to his spirit pet: "How many more days will this tranquility last?"
Elder Liu Feng's spirit pet was a Snow Spirit Marten, not of very high grade, but one that had accompanied him since his cultivation was shallow. Master and pet had been together for hundreds of years, but unfortunately, the Snow Spirit Marten's grade wasn't high and its intelligence wasn't great either. It had previously gotten lost on the spirit boat, not to mention it couldn't understand its master's words very well now. At this moment, it blinked its bright black eyes, tilting its head in confusion, looking adorably foolish.
Seeing it like this, Elder Liu Feng couldn't help but smile, patting the Snow Spirit Marten's little head: "Why am I telling you these things?"
As he finished speaking, he saw the Snow Spirit Marten suddenly turn its head to look into the sky. At the same time, Elder Liu Feng also felt a strange spiritual energy fluctuation in the air. This fluctuation was somewhat familiar, very similar to when the Canglán Secret Realm had opened.
Realizing this, Elder Liu Feng quickly looked up and saw that the location where the secret realm had opened was rippling like water, the air beginning to undulate slightly.
Was the secret realm about to close?
Elder Liu Feng's expression immediately became serious. Just as he was about to notify the Peak Masters that the secret realm was closing, he saw several streaks of light shooting out from the spirit boat. Three figures, two men and one woman, appeared before the secret realm exit. Appearing alongside them were three elders from Tiandao Sect and two Dharma Masters from Buddha Sect. The eight people almost completely surrounded the secret realm exit.
Seeing this scene, Elder Liu Feng's expression flashed with subtlety—the three sects' spirit boats had elders taking turns on duty every day, all waiting for the secret realm to close so they could notify everyone immediately. Yet these Peak Master-level figures who stayed on the spirit boats daily, supposedly in seclusion, were actually watching more closely than they were. What was the point of their guard duty?
Despite his private complaints, Elder Liu Feng's attention remained mostly on the secret realm exit. He stared at it carefully for a while and saw that the water-like undulations gradually intensified, but the exit still hadn't fully appeared.
It looked like they would have to wait a bit longer.
Elder Liu Feng made this judgment in his heart, then turned his gaze toward the opposite side of the spirit boat. Several other spirit boats were also moored there, but unlike the ethereal spirit boats of the three sects, the ones opposite had overall decorations that looked much more gloomy. Some even had human skulls hanging as decorations—these were the demon ships of the four demonic sects, which had also been stationed there for nearly a year.
During this year, many events had occurred within the Canglán Secret Realm, but even more changes had happened outside.
A year ago, when the Canglán Secret Realm opened, demonic cultivators mixed among rogue cultivators intending to infiltrate. At first, everyone thought they were just scattered demonic cultivators. Although they caused some disturbances, suppressing them wasn't difficult for the three sects given their strength.
However, before long, after dealing with the minions, the masters appeared—a mere handful of demonic cultivators had somehow drawn out the four demonic sects that had been in seclusion for many years. The originally desolate and remote Mingzong Mountain briefly became a battlefield, with the three sects also dispatching reinforcements. For instance, three Peak Masters from Xuanqing Sect arrived in one go. Now, apart from Peak Master Qingyu of Mount Mingxia, Peak Master Qingxu of Mount Luoxing and Peak Master Qingyuan of Mount Qingyun had also arrived.
With both sides committing more personnel, this battle between righteous and demonic had lasted a year. Only now, as the Canglán Secret Realm was about to close, did both sides tacitly cease hostilities. But this wasn't good news, because only now did the three righteous sects learn that the demonic path had also sent many people into the secret realm!
Setting aside how they had managed this, the "many" the demonic path spoke of was truly many. Because they lacked the three sects' care and concern for their disciples, they had sent in everyone who could enter the secret realm. As a result, the number of demonic cultivators within the secret realm must have had the advantage. With this shift in balance, the losses among the righteous disciples were likely significant.
Learning this news, the elders of the three sects nearly died of anger. It was foreseeable that the coming conflicts would only intensify.