"This boy is far too savage. We can't fight him head-on!"
When they had attacked earlier, none of them had possessed the resolve to steel themselves for a fight to the death. Now that blood had been spilled, they abruptly came to their senses.
Even if they seized the treasure, what then? Was it really worth it?
Besides, several factions were present, making any division of the spoils highly unfavorable.
Quite a few people began to waver.
It was easy enough to ask them to bully the few with their numbers. Even fighting fiercely and fearlessly facing death did not seem all that difficult.
But going ahead while knowing they would suffer a loss was sheer folly.
Several Spirit Tamers from the Demon Alliance and the Earth Baleful Gate were the first to consider retreating. The Righteous Path forces were stronger here. If those forces joined hands against them at the crucial moment, they would have nowhere even to plead their grievances.
Next came several aristocratic clan scions and Liu Mingyue of the Mystic Sun Sect.
"Young Master Fang, please hold your hand. We mean no harm," they said helplessly.
They had been hesitant from the outset, unsure whether to join the encirclement, and had therefore lingered indecisively at the rear. But seeing Fang Qianyuan draw blood the moment he struck sent a chill through their hearts. They decided to wait for their sect elders or those supreme experts to step forward and resolve matters.
Liu Mingyue also said, "We're all allied cultivators. Why must we fight and kill?"
She showed a measure of shrewdness: those words were directed not at Fang Qianyuan, but at Fan Yuntang and the others.
Yet Fan Yuntang, Kang Long, and Li Yulou were all men of firm resolve. Each had powerful backing to rely