Chapter 90

"Damn, nothing's going right. What should we do now?"

The figure in yellow, who had been deliberately shooting arrows at the opponent's shield, asked his companion, who was also shooting arrows from the side, via telepathy. The outer defense force of this Xianxue Branch was divided into four groups, each wearing blue, yellow, white, and black. Each color represented a different defensive position, which minimized confusion in emergencies and made it easier to monitor any deviation from their assigned areas.

"What do you mean, what should we do? We should look for an opportunity to retreat quietly. By the way, why haven't we received any orders from above yet?"

"Indeed. Surely they don't expect us to die here, right?"

He wanted to curse the superiors who had planted them as spies in this Xianxue Branch and then provided no communication during this crisis, but at that moment, his companion elbowed him and spoke, causing him to miss his chance.

"Hey, look at that guy!"

His companion subtly pointed to a figure who seemed to have the same idea, pretending to be overwhelmed and retreating. The man in yellow was calmly fending off the attacks of three white-robed swordsmen but was deliberately retreating.

"Where did that guy come from?"

"Damn! How should I know? Do you have time to worry about others now? Since we haven't received any orders yet, it probably means we should blend in with the defeated troops and move. Come on, let's retreat quickly. We need to survive here to find out what the Cult of Evil is planning."

As the man in yellow shot arrows and slowly backed away, they suddenly witnessed a miraculous turn of events.

Only after the main force of the enemy had penetrated deep into the Xianxue Branch did Tian Zhen'e issue the attack order. Although the Cult of Evil generally disliked such tactical maneuvers, which required strategic thinking, this was only when they had a significant advantage in strength.

Following Tian Zhen'e's command, over 200 black-robed figures drew their long swords and charged at the backs of the white-robed swordsmen who were desperately trying to break in. The sound of weapons clashing grew louder, and a brutal slaughter ensued.

Finally, the young attackers of the righteous sect, who had feared this very scenario, found themselves trapped in the corridor they had cleared, which resembled a bottle. In front was the formation, on the sides were the enemy's strongholds, and behind were the black-robed warriors, who seemed like demons. The close combat, with arrows occasionally raining down, was intense. The attackers could not retreat as planned due to the enemy's attacks from behind, leaving them with no choice but to fight desperately.

After nearly two hours of intense battle, the 13th Flame King Corps led by Yin Xi Xueyuebi joined the fray. They easily broke through the formation, which had been a barrier for the white-robed swordsmen, and charged out.

Completely surrounded and with their morale at rock bottom, the white-robed swordsmen, who were desperately fighting to survive, were reaching their limits.

Of course, there was still hope. The number of high-level experts the enemy had was only about 300. If they could concentrate their strength and break through one point, some of them might survive and escape. However, unfortunately, their eyes, filled with fear and panic after being ambushed twice, could not see this slim possibility.

The biggest problem was that most of them were inexperienced young men who were not accustomed to such large-scale massacres. They could no longer maintain their command structure and were scattered, fighting desperately until they died.

"An urgent report has arrived. Everything has unfolded as the Sect Master predicted."

The chief steward rushed in, shouting. Yu Hua Wu Di Mai Xiangyu, who was delicately tending to the indoor plants, slightly frowned. However, seeing the usually composed chief steward in such a fluster, she suspected something important and, without reprimanding his unseemly behavior, slowly sat down and asked in a slightly irritated tone.

"What is it?"

As Yu Hua Wu Di sat down, the chief steward quickly reported.

"Everything has unfolded as the Sect Master predicted! The vanguard of the righteous sect has been completely annihilated! Upon receiving this news, Shu Luode has begun to slow down his advance."

This was unexpected information. Yu Hua Wu Di had predicted that it would take considerable time and cause significant damage to take over the Xianxue Branch without Mo Xiang. She had not anticipated such a decisive victory from the start.

"Complete annihilation? What about the damage to the Xianxue Branch?"

"According to the spy's report, there were about 500 casualties..."

"Only 500 casualties? I have never made such an absurd prediction. I thought the damage would be at least twice that... So, how much strength did Mo Xiang leave behind at the Xianxue Branch?"

"According to the spies, Tian Zhen'e, Xue Yao'bi, and about 300 black-robed experts participated in the battle."

"Hmm... Even if that is all the strength Mo Xiang left behind, it is clear that he took a significant risk. Tian Zhen'e and Xue Yao'bi. The black-robed experts are likely from the Flame King Corps, not the Heavenly Wolf Corps."

"I agree. Should I instruct the spies to gather more detailed information on this?"

"No, that's not necessary. The Flame King Corps alone is already beyond my imagination. What is Mo Xiang thinking? If he has taken such a large force, it could create a significant gap in the upcoming attack on the main stronghold..."

Feeling slightly irritated by the unexpected situation, Yu Hua Wu Di spoke, and the chief steward cautiously explained his speculation.

"Perhaps he has the confidence that it won't matter even if he doesn't have that much strength."

Yu Hua Wu Di, slightly covering her head, muttered.

"I see..."

Shocked by the Xianxue Branch's unexpected victory in the initial battle, the righteous sect made thorough preparations for the second battle to ensure victory. Upon discovering that the Xianxue Branch, unlike other martial arts branches, had unexpectedly strong defensive capabilities, various defensive equipment was secretly manufactured in local blacksmiths and delivered without the government's notice.

The defensive equipment included large shields reinforced with iron plates and thin armor, which were not typically used by martial artists. The righteous sect firmly believed that destroying the Xianxue Branch, which they considered a forward base for the Cult of Evil's invasion of the Central Plains, was key to winning the war.

The leaders of the Cult of Evil's main stronghold were delighted when the righteous sect, following their plan, heavily invested in the Xianxue Branch.

"The situation is highly encouraging, Sect Leader."

In the main conference room of the Cult of Evil's stronghold, a detailed map of the Central Plains was spread out on a table, with various markers densely placed on it. Elder Ge Wu Xiang, holding a long command rod, enthusiastically pointed to various locations on the map.

"To eliminate the Xianxue Branch, which achieved a decisive victory in the initial battle, the righteous sect's various sects have begun to deploy their hidden elite warriors. According to the latest information from the Shadow Corps, 500 additional elite warriors have been dispatched from Wudang, Huashan, Tangmen, and Zhongnan. Given their rapid advance, they will join Shu Luode's main force in six days."

"Good. Do your best to ensure that Mo Xiang and the righteous sect mutually annihilate each other in this battle."

"Yes, we are currently spreading rumors and using sowing discord tactics. The righteous sect firmly believes that the Xianxue Branch is a forward base for the Cult of Evil's invasion of the Central Plains. Since Mo Xiang achieved a decisive victory in the initial battle, it is easy to spread the rumor that elite forces are stationed there, making our task even easier. However, there is one thing..."

"What is it?"

"Yes, the lack of the flies around Gou Hui's tomb is a flaw. They are currently engaged in a serious confrontation over Gou Hui's tomb and have no time to focus on the righteous sect's war."

"Hehehe, it's fine. Even if a few small fish are missing, it doesn't matter as long as we don't miss the big fish. The Central Plains are now within reach. This is a crucial time. If we miss this opportunity, we will regret it for a long time. What is your opinion?"

"Yes, it is a wise thought. In my humble opinion, we should use this opportunity to incite our experts to participate in the holy war to establish the Cult of Evil's dominance over the Central Plains. Unifying the martial arts world is the dream of our sect's warriors. If we can explain how advantageous the current situation is for our sect, the Council of Elders will support us.

We need to unify the opinions within our sect to strengthen internal cohesion and lay the foundation for our dominance over the Central Plains. We should incite the neutral forces to pressure Mo Xiang and eliminate any groups that do not comply, leaving sufficient evidence that it was Mo Xiang's doing."

"Good idea. What do you think, everyone?"

At Zhang Renge's words, his subordinates unanimously shouted.

"We agree with this opinion!"

After the commotion subsided, Ge Wu Xiang continued.

"Once the internal opinion is unified, we should send a few elders outside the sect first."

"Huh? Why the Council of Elders?"

"Of course, to isolate the Poisonous Demon Emperor. While all our attention is focused on unifying the martial arts world, we will assign tasks to the Blood Demon and the Earth Spirit Demon and send them outside the sect. Since we are not mobilizing the entire Council of Elders but only a few experts for the holy war to achieve our greatest goal, the Poisonous Demon Emperor cannot oppose it. After they leave, the isolated Poisonous Demon Emperor... hehehe."

Ge Wu Xiang deliberately left his words hanging, breaking into a sinister laugh. The gathered experts, understanding his intentions, burst into laughter. Zhang Renge, seeing his subordinates' flushed faces, filled with excitement at the prospect of realizing the dream of a demonic world under his leadership, carefully observed the expressions of the key experts: Ouyang Yun, Xiao Wumian, Yue Jin, Zhang Yingji, and Jin Lan.

As he scanned their faces, his gaze stopped on Ge Wu Xiang. Ge Wu Xiang looked very pleased that everything was going according to his plan. He must be feeling even better after receiving praise from the Sect Leader and support from his fellow experts.

Currently, Ge Wu Xiang was indispensable to Zhang Renge. However, while his face was like a blooming flower, his gaze towards Ge Wu Xiang was cold and calculating.