Chapter 262: Puppets Versus Coalition
Above the seas west of Sword Saint Isle, the majority of the area was engulfed in dark clouds with intense flashes of light peeking through every so often. The scene could easily be mistaken for a fierce thunderstorm passing through the area. However, the eye of the storm wasn’t fixed like it would naturally be. That was because everything was a result of two powerful cultivators clashing.
The Abductress’ figure was completely hidden in the darkest part of the clouds, but a large army of wooden puppets repeatedly dashed in and out of the fog, launching numerous attacks from different angles by taking advantage of the limited line of sight.
Not even an expert like the Sword Saint could see through the dark smoke. As a result, he was constantly on the move, while countless branches kept extending in the skies around him. These branches would intercept anything launched toward him and would constantly regrow while idle. At the same time, the Sword Saint would occasionally launch pure Qi attacks by swinging his sword around. The unremarkable wave of energy would cause a deafening explosion whenever they were sent into the dark clouds.
Taking in the scene, most spectators would conclude the Abductress was at a disadvantage, but that was only true if you looked at their fight in isolation. Numerous fights were also taking place all around the eye of the storm. While the majority of the participants were either disciples of Sword Saint Isle or the wooden puppets, the more critical fights were between cultivators participating in the Dark Sea Arena and the mysterious allies of the Abductress.
Their strength ranged from the late Foundation Establishment to the peak of the Violet Core Realm. As a result of this large variance in strength, both sides took a drastically different approach to play into their advantages or cover for their weaknesses.
For the side of the defenders, they avoided a scattered free-for-all. The encroaching dark smoke was already hindering their senses. If they split up as well, the chaos that would ensue wasn’t something they could afford. That meant their cultivators were tightly huddled together, forming several groups that worked in unison.
Among these groups, Jian Beiyun from the Nightmoon Valley was naturally leading one of them. He stood at the core of the demonic cultivators in the Foundation Establishment Realm, while the orthodox cultivators formed their own group, as well as those in the Violet Core Realm.
A constant stream of flashy Qi arts was on full display as they repelled the onslaught of wooden puppets. However, unlike in the Sword Saint’s case, these defenders were on the back foot. No matter how strong or talented they were, none of it mattered before someone in the Spirit Divide Realm.
As the battle dragged on, it started to sway toward the attackers. They consisted mostly of puppets, allowing their human combatants to take breaks when needed. As a result, half a day after the beginning of the skirmish, a few weaker individuals started making mistakes due to their fatigue. Mistakes that cost them their life.
Jian Beiyun was just repelling another attack when a cry of pain sounded out from below him. They were one of the defenders taking on the role as a frontline shield so their allies at the core of the formation could fire off their Qi arts.