After leaving Black Rock City, Xiao Yan traveled eastward at high speed.
The night wind whistled in his ears, making his black robe flutter loudly.
His speed was astonishing; illuminated by the moonlight, he was like a black lightning bolt, sweeping across the fields and over the hills, speeding toward the pine forest.
The path beneath our feet is rugged and rugged, with dense bushes on both sides. Occasionally, a few night birds are startled and flutter their wings into the night sky.
As Xiao Yan traveled, he quickly calculated a plan in his mind.
He couldn't actually fight the people from the Jia Nan Academy. If he injured them, and the news reached the academy, the elders would definitely increase their vigilance, and might even send a more powerful force to retaliate.
At that time, the conflict between the Black Alliance and Jia Nan Academy will only escalate, and he will be caught in the middle, making his situation even more difficult.
But he couldn't leave empty-handed.
Lu Bo waited for news in the city. If he didn't bring back a few survivors or show any signs of a "battle," Lu Bo would definitely become suspicious.
"I have to put on a show," Xiao Yan thought to himself.
He needed to discourage the Jia Nan Academy students, but he couldn't let them think he was deliberately letting them win.
He needs to rescue the Black Rock Gang members, but he cannot harm the students of the Jia Nan Academy.
After thinking for a moment, Xiao Yan gradually formed a complete plan in his mind.
He can make his Soul Division Martial Soul disguise itself as another powerful being, and then "fight" with himself, creating the illusion that "a third party has intervened".
In this way, the people from the Jia Nan Academy would assume they had encountered a powerful figure from another force, and for their own safety, they would choose to retreat.
He would then take the opportunity to rescue the Black Rock Gang members.
As for Lu Bo, he could say that he repelled the enemy, but the enemy also had strong reinforcements, so he was unable to annihilate them completely.
"Let's do it this way."
Xiao Yan quickened his pace and sped towards the pine forest.
After about the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, he finally heard the sounds of fighting coming from ahead.
The metallic clang of clashing swords, the booming of exploding Dou Qi, and the roars and wails of men mingled together, echoing through the night sky.
Xiao Yan slowed down, concealed his aura, and approached silently.
His footsteps were so light that they made almost no sound as he stepped on the pine needles. He also kept his breathing to a minimum, almost blending into the night breeze.
He hid behind a large pine tree, carefully observing the battlefield through the gaps in the trunk.
The fighting was fierce on the open ground.
The Black Rock Gang patrol was surrounded in the center, with only seven or eight men still standing.
They stood back to back, forming a circular formation, desperately resisting attacks from all directions.
The leader was a burly man, none other than Zhao Hu.
He held a heavy broadsword, its blade stained with blood and gleaming a dark red in the moonlight.
His left arm hung limply at his side, clearly broken, and his sleeve was soaked in blood, which dripped onto the ground.
But his right hand still gripped the axe handle tightly, and each swing brought a sharp gust of wind, forcing the approaching enemies back.
"Brothers, hold on! The guild leader is coming to reinforce us soon!"
Zhao Hu shouted hoarsely, his voice filled with a desperate determination.
"Master Zhao, will the gang leader really come?" a young disciple behind him asked, trembling. His face was covered in blood and his eyes were filled with fear.
"Yes! They will definitely come!"
Zhao Hu gritted his teeth and said, "Our Black Rock Gang will never abandon any of our brothers! Remember, as long as you have a breath left, you cannot fall!"
No sooner had he finished speaking than a sharp sword aura slashed from the side!
Zhao Hu's pupils contracted, and he whirled around, holding his axe horizontally in front of him!
"Clang!"
The sword energy struck the axe, producing a piercing metallic clang!
Sparks flew everywhere, and Zhao Hu was jolted back two steps, leaving two deep footprints in the soil beneath his feet.
" Zhao Hu, why bother with this futile struggle?" a cold voice rang out.
The speaker was the team leader from the Jia Nan Academy, a middle-aged man in his forties.
He was tall and slender with a cold and stern face. He wore a long blue robe with the Jia Nan Academy emblem embroidered on his chest.
He held a long sword in his hand, the blade swirling with pale blue Dou Qi, gleaming Youyou in the moonlight.
His aura was both calm and sharp, clearly indicating that he was a Peak Dou Wang expert.
Two assistants stood behind him.
One was a woman in her thirties with delicate features, holding a long silver whip with faint arcs of electricity flickering across its surface.
The other was a man in his forties, short and stout, wielding a pair of short blades coated with a ghostly green light, clearly poisoned.
The three people stood in a triangle, forming corners with each other, and their coordination was excellent.
Around them, a dozen or so Jia Nan Academy students were scattered around, forming a tight encirclement.
The trainees each held a weapon—longswords, scimitars, and spears—and each exuded the aura of Da Dou Shi.
They were clearly prepared.
"Struggle?"
Zhao Hu sneered, a hint of disdain flashing in his eyes.
"I, Zhao Hu, have been in the Black-Corner Region for twenty years. What haven't I seen?"
You people from the Jia Nan Academy, you all look so righteous, but what's the difference between you and us? Don't we all just settle things with our fists?
The team leader shook his head, a hint of pity in his voice.
"You're wrong. We're not fighting you for territory; we're eliminating the cancer in Black-Corner Region."
Today is the day you pay your debts.
He waved his hand, his voice cold and sharp. "Take him down!"
No sooner had he finished speaking than both assistants attacked simultaneously!
With a flick of her wrist, the woman's silver whip lashed out like a serpent, aiming straight for Zhao Hu's face!
The whip tore through the air with a sharp whistling sound, and arcs of electricity danced at its tip, having a paralyzing effect!
The short, stout man vanished in a flash, then reappeared beside Zhao Hu, his short blade aimed straight at his ribs!
The eerie green light on the blade looked particularly strange under the moonlight, clearly indicating that it had been coated with a potent poison!
Zhao Hu's expression changed drastically!
His left arm was broken, making it impossible for him to block. Although his axe was heavy, it was simply not enough to deal with simultaneous attacks from two directions!
In the nick of time, he gritted his teeth, lunged forward, and rolled to the ground!
"Whoosh!"
The long whip swept over his head and struck a pine tree, snapping the thick tree in two with a crash, sending splinters of wood flying everywhere!
The short blade grazed his back, tearing his robes and leaving a shallow bloodstain on his skin!
Zhao Hu rolled several feet away, scrambled to his feet in a disheveled state, and felt a burning pain in his back.
He glanced down at the wound; the area around it had turned bluish-black—the poison had begun to spread!
"Damn it!" he gritted his teeth, pulling an Poison Pill from his pocket and stuffing it into his mouth.
"Master Zhao!" Several Black Rock Gang disciples exclaimed and rushed over to protect him.
"I'm fine." Zhao Hu pushed them away, forced himself to stand up, and stared intently at his two assistants.
"Still have the strength to stand up?" the woman sneered.
"I'll see how long you can hold out."
With a flick of her wrist, the whip lashed out again!
This time, Zhao Hu was prepared.
He dodged to the side, then swung his axe horizontally, the blade creating a sharp gust of wind as it slashed towards the woman's waist!
The woman nimbly dodged the axe.
At the same time, the short, stout man lunged forward again, his short blade aimed straight for Zhao Hu's back!
Zhao Hu sensed the murderous intent behind him, turned around abruptly, and held his axe horizontally in front of him!
"Clang!"
The short blade pierced the axe, producing a piercing metallic sound!
Zhao Hu was jolted back a step, and the short, stout man was also thrown back by the recoil, tumbling several times in the air before landing.
"You've got some skill."
The short, stout man licked his lips, a glint of excitement in his eyes. "But how long can you hold out?"
Zhao Hu didn't answer, he just kept breathing heavily.
He had exhausted most of his strength, and a piercing pain was shooting through the severed part of his left arm. The poison was also slowly eroding his body.
He knew that if things continued like this, he wouldn't be able to hold on for much longer.
"Brothers," he whispered, his voice only audible to a few of his disciples.
"I'll hold them off for a bit, you guys find a chance to run."
"Master Zhao!" several disciples exclaimed.
"Listen to me!" Zhao Hu gritted his teeth, "It's better to let one escape than to be wiped out!"
Just then, a clear, cold voice came from deep within the woods.
"Stop."
The voice wasn't loud, but it clearly reached everyone's ears, carrying an undeniable authority.
Everyone stopped moving at the same time.
The Jia Nan Academy instructor turned his head sharply, his gaze fixed on the depths of the forest.
His sword was held horizontally in front of him, and the blue Dou Qi on the blade became even more intense.
"Who?"
No one answered.
But a dark figure slowly emerged from the shadows of the woods.
The moonlight shone down, illuminating the figure. He wore a long black robe, his hat pulled low, obscuring his face.
But he exuded a chilling aura—the oppressive feeling only a Dou Emperor- level powerhouse could possess.