Once Helm Master Lin had been persuaded, everything that followed fell naturally into place.
The Merchants' Association's men also joined the attack on the Heavenly Dragon Gate. The forces the sect had stationed here were weak to begin with, and its few Three-Excellence Heavenly Treasure Centipedes were soon slaughtered. The disciples left on guard and the hired rogue cultivators either died or fled, leaving no resistance.
Almost simultaneously, near Broad Cloud Ward, Li Chen encountered the attacking Centipede Daoist and, without another word, plunged into battle with him.
The two sides had fought repeatedly over the past fortnight and were already thoroughly familiar with each other's moves and methods. There was little finesse in their clash, only a relentless grinding down of each other's strength.
The Heavenly Treasure Centipedes Centipede Daoist had stockpiled were being steadily depleted. Even his recent reinforcements could not keep pace with their deaths. Li Chen's mecha, meanwhile, was damaged, its weak points becoming dangerously vulnerable.
Just as Centipede Daoist thought this battle would end in another draw, he suddenly saw several sect elders fleeing toward him from the battlefield where they were supposed to be fighting, their faces stricken with panic.
"Sect Master, disaster! The Everflow Merchants' Association has betrayed us! They're working with the enemy and hunting our people down everywhere!"
"What did you say?" Alarm shot through Centipede Daoist's heart. He hastily flew back, opened his mouth, and spat out a communication artifact from his throat.
What gave him a bad feeling was that none of the association's men within several hundred li responded.
Seeing this, Li Chen laughed loudly. "Centipede Daoist, I've already joined forces with the Everflow Merchants' Association. Your Heavenly Dragon Gate cannot escape its doom!"
Centipede Daoist cried in shock and fury, "Utter nonsense! I signed an alliance with