The Beast of Malice

Wan Yebai shook his head. "I understand Li Ban's character. He always plans carefully before acting. Since he dares to fight us, he must have thought of a way to deal with the Myriad Tribulations Mystic Light Array. If I were in his shoes, I would definitely adopt the tactic of besieging the point and attacking the reinforcements. If the other sects come one by one, they will be defeated one by one by his ambush. If the other sects gather first and wait for their comrades to arrive before taking action, Righteous Qi Peak will have been captured long ago."

With the sect leader's analysis so clear, Zheng Jingyuan could only agree to the breakout plan, but then asked, "What about those seriously injured disciples? If we take them with us, it will be very difficult for us to break through..."

"Then let's not take them. They're safer here. If we can break through successfully and contact Glazed Temple as soon as possible, we might be able to rescue them."

That being said, they were both well aware that if they successfully broke through, the Blood Abyss Sect would be furious with those left behind. Even with the Myriad Tribulations Mystic Light Array, these wounded soldiers wouldn't last more than a few days.

"... What a pity that the millennia-old legacy left by our ancestors has been destroyed in our hands," Zheng Jingyuan lamented.

Wan Yebai comforted him, saying, "As long as we're alive, we can take back the lost land sooner or later. If we lose our people, then we lose everything." He then ordered his trusted men to take stock of the wounded soldiers and gather all those who were able to move, conveying the order to break out.

Even if those who could join the Evil-Slaying Sword Sect weren't exceptionally talented, they were at least among the best of their generation, with execution capabilities comparable to modern special forces. Even if their discipline was slightly lacking, they still managed to assemble within a quarter of an hour.

"Although the Blood Abyss Sect has unexpectedly allied with the Monster Race Clan, they are ultimately different races with different intentions. Their relationship can hardly be described as harmonious. That's why they are separately guarding the east and west directions, rather than intermingling. Based on this, our breakout direction is the north, the gap between the two armies. Now—set off!"

Wan Yebai decisively gave the order and was about to lead the way into the secret passage when Zheng Jingyuan stopped him.

"No, someone's missing. The young sect leader hasn't arrived yet." Zheng Jingyuan looked around but didn't see Wan Yebai's eldest son, Wan Ziqiu.

"No need to wait for him, time is of the essence, let's go."

"No, I'll go find him. You take the disciples and set off first. I'll catch up with the group as soon as I find him."

Seeing this, Wan Yebai had no choice but to confess, "Wan Ziqiu was seriously injured, so I let him stay."

"Take him with you. We won't miss him. I can take care of him on the road."

"It's not a matter of good or bad, but that I must treat everyone equally; we're not the only ones with families."

"But this is different..."

"It's no different. No matter how nicely we put it, those who stay are ultimately abandoned by us. As the sect leader, if I don't set an example, how can my subordinates bear to leave their families and fellow disciples? If we take one, there will be a second; if we take a second, there will be a third. If everyone has a family to support, then no one can escape. So Ziqiu must stay, even if it's just to appease those who stay—it's his responsibility as the young sect leader!"

Wan Yebai removed the sword case from his back and said in a heavy tone, "I really wanted to stay in his place, but I am the sect leader and must fulfill my responsibilities as sect leader... I am not a qualified father."

Zheng Jingyuan opened his mouth, but ultimately said nothing. He knew the sect leader's expectations for the young sect leader, especially after losing his wife and daughter. He had placed almost all his emotions on his only remaining family member. The pain and struggle in his heart at this moment was something that he, an outsider, could not comment on.

"Set off!"

Wan Yebai took the lead, followed closely by his disciples. No one looked back; everyone knew that only if they successfully broke through the encirclement could they possibly save their companions. If they failed, there would be no hope at all.

The group descended through a secret passage to the mountainside, where they each took qi-replenishing pills before launching a charge to forcefully break through the encirclement.

Just as Wan Yebai had predicted, the enemy was completely unprepared for the Evil-Slaying Sword Sect to launch a breakout operation so quickly. They were also resting and healing, and their defensive line was at its weakest point. In addition, the Blood Abyss Sect and the Monster Race were on guard against each other, and neither of them rushed forward to block the way in the first place, which made it easy for the Evil-Slaying Sword Sect tear apart the defensive line.

The group pressed on relentlessly, rushing down Righteous Qi Peak. Even when some disciples fell behind, no one stopped. With a path to survival in sight, everyone was filled with power.

To boost morale, Zheng Jingyuan said to his disciples, "Once we escape fifty miles, we'll be safe. At that point, the enemy will face a choice: stay and surround Righteous Qi Peak, send troops to pursue, or split into two groups. If they split into two groups, they'll have to consider who to leave behind. Given the distrust between the Blood Abyss Sect and the Monster Race, this debate alone could waste a lot of time."

Wan Yebai nodded, about to echo a word, when his expression suddenly changed. "That's not right! Even if ordinary Blood Abyss Sect disciples and lower-level Monster Race can't catch up with us, Li Ban and the Beast King Anye should be able to. Why haven't they shown themselves?"

With this in mind, he immediately ordered everyone to slow down, and then Zheng Jingyuan and he each led half of their disciples to escape in different directions.

Just then, a round of applause rang out from the forest. Although the sound was not loud, it clearly reached everyone's ears.

"Impressive, impressive! As expected of the Sect Master of the Evil-Slaying Sword Sect, you were able to detect something amiss so quickly. If you had reacted any faster, you would have fallen into our trap."

The clapper slowly emerged from the shadow of a large tree, and everyone was surprised to find that he was less than a hundred feet away, and no one had noticed his presence, not even Wan Yebai.

But then, a second figure emerged from under another large tree—it was the Beast King Anye. He spoke to the person beside him, saying, "The truly formidable one is Sect Master Li. He actually anticipated that the enemy would organize a breakout in the shortest possible time, and had us ambush them at the foot of the mountain beforehand. Otherwise, I'm afraid they might have truly escaped alive today."

The one clapping was none other than Li Ban, the sect leader of the Blood Abyss Sect. He had a high, straight nose, bright, piercing eyes that seemed to flash like lightning, and an almost demonic charm that could make ninety percent of the women in the world fall in love at first sight.

"Not at all. It's just that I know very well that Wan Yebai, the sect leader of the Evil-Slaying Sword Sect, is a man of unwavering integrity who would rather die than live in dishonor. He is also decisive in his actions and will definitely choose the method with the highest success rate in order to preserve the foundation of his ancestors. Rather than passively waiting, he prefers to take his destiny into his own hands."

The Beast King Anye laughed heartily, "Too bad, he never expected that we had a knife ready, just waiting for him to extend his hand so we could chop it off."

With a formidable enemy at hand, the disciples were filled with apprehension. Wan Yebai said with a solemn expression, "Sect Leader Li, I misjudged you. I thought the conflict between good and evil between us was just a fratricidal struggle, and that with your integrity, you would never collude with the Monster Race. I never expected you to become a traitor, abandoning even the dignity of being human."

The Beast King Anye snorted and scoffed, "If he won't cooperate with me, does he expect me to just obediently wait to be wiped out? Rather than be killed, it's better to find a way to survive; that's the instinct of all living beings."

Li Ban said, "What dignity as a human being? I abandoned it all the moment you killed my wife. I'm willing to pay any price to avenge myself against you."

Wan Yebai said, "I caused you to lose your wife, and you also caused the death of my daughter."

"How can your daughter's life be compared to my wife's? I will use the entire Evil-Slaying Sword Sect to pay for her death!"

"... Have you forgotten? Your wife was once a disciple of the Evil-Slaying Sword Sect. Do you think she'll be happy doing this?"

Chapter 552 The Beast of Malice

"Sect Master, he's clearly deliberately stalling for time to allow his men to complete the encirclement. We can't delay any longer!"

Reminded by Zheng Jingyuan, Wan Yebai immediately snapped out of his past grievances with Li Ban, realizing that now was not the time to argue about such things. Besides, Li Ban was not someone who could be persuaded with words. He immediately ordered, "Everyone, form ranks and break through to the west at full speed!"

Although Li Ban guessed that Wan Yebai, given his personality, would likely risk breaking through at the first opportunity, such a guess based on personality was inherently subject to many variables, and he himself could not be 100% certain. Moreover, if all the core experts were moved away from the first encirclement, it would be easy for the enemy to notice something amiss. Therefore, apart from him and the Beast King Anye, there was only a group of soldiers left in the ambush here, with no other capable generals.

"Ten Thousand Swords Heavenly Dipper!"

The disciples of the Evil-Slaying Sword Sect are mostly brave and fierce. When they meet on a narrow path, the brave will win. The more adverse the situation, the more determined they are to fight to the death. They collectively unleash dense Sword Qi, like a rain of arrows or Torrent, fiercely shooting towards the enemy's ambush location. Instantly, a wave of blood splashes up, accompanied by screams and cries of pain. Then, they ram the arrow formation into the enemy's defenses, trying to forcefully penetrate the defenses.

"Don't even think about it! None of you will escape today!"

Li Ban summoned the Blood Dragon Halberd and charged towards the members of the Evil-Slaying Sword Sect like an arrow, attempting to disrupt their formation and slow their progress. Wan Yebai intercepted him with the Demon-Slaying Sword. The figures clashed, and without further probing, the two sides immediately engaged in the fiercest battle.

The Blood Dragon Halberd style is unpredictable, with its power fluctuating wildly and difficult to control. Moreover, the halberd is shrouded in Blood Sha Qi that has the effect of corroding Essence Blood. Ordinary martial artists will have their Cultivation Body continuously weakened during the fight, and over time, they will be defeated without a fight.

However, the Demon-Slaying Sword used by Wan Yebai was imbued with holy aura and was specifically designed to counter evil and filth. Not only was it unaffected by the Blood Sha Qi, but its restraining effect also compensated for Wan Yebai's unhealed injuries, making it difficult to determine the winner between the two sides for the time being.