Perhaps it was because Chen Shuangbai was too decisive; as soon as she sensed something was wrong, she promptly mobilized most of the power accumulated within her body by the Thunder Seed, unleashing a burst of energy that shattered the magical barrier.
The Devil Cultivator cultivator who had attacked from behind, despite being False Foundation Establishment, was somewhat taken aback.
Or perhaps it was because the Snow-Plumed Eagle, at the Late Qi Refining Stage, used its bloodline talent [ Sky Rending ] so quickly that the False Foundation Establishment cultivator behind it couldn't catch up.
In short, in one sentence.
Chen Shuangbai and the other three successfully broke through the encirclement and returned to the territory of the Heart-Eroding Stronghold from the territory of the Empty Sword Sect.
It's rare for Feiguang to fly so happily.
After flying for a full half-incense stick's time, it finally placed the four people hanging on its two grappling hooks on the top of a towering mountain peak.
Chen Shuangbai is alright.
After all, he was the master of the Feiguang, and he had often ridden the Feiguang to use this bloodline Divine Ability to practice the escape process.
But the remaining three... suffered a bit.
Lin Jingtao leaned against a large tree, retching for a while. He felt nauseous, his stomach churning. "Senior brother... you... divine bird... truly... ugh!"
Ji Yang and Wang Tongfang were also feeling unwell.
This was because Feiguang had already pushed [ Sky Rending ] to its limit, and even these two Empty Sword Sect disciples, who were usually skilled in Sword Escape Technique, felt a little uncomfortable.
However, being cultivators, they fully recovered after resting for a short while.
Fearing that the False Foundation Establishment Devil Cultivator would pursue them again, the four decisively rode their Law Artifact or swords towards the Azure Light Mountain Empty Sword Sect camp.
Half a day later.
After traveling without stopping, the group finally entered the range of the [ Geng Metal Baleful Intent Sword Formation ] and felt the sharpness hanging high in the sky, which calmed them down a little.
Above Azure Light Mountain.
The infighting among the higher-ups continues.
It's obvious to anyone with eyes that the Empty Sword Sect and Jade Spring Sect have the advantage.
Upon returning to White Creek Camp, even without the four of them making any special inquiries, numerous rumors circulated from all directions. The most prevalent rumor was that Exalted Cultivator Huo of the Jade Spring Sect had used his " Chengling Water Light to instantly kill a Foundation Establishment from the Resentful Blood lineage on the Heart-Eroding Demon Beast's side.
Chen Shuangbai then realized what was happening.
"No wonder when I passed by earlier, the mountain peak was covered in blood and smelled a sweet, foul odor. It turns out that a demonic cultivator who had reached the Foundation Establishment stage had perished here."
The fall of Foundation Establishment usually involves considerable fanfare.
As for the Golden Core...
Many cultivators, even after eight lifetimes of cultivation, may never see a Golden Core Golden Core cultivator, let alone witness their demise.
The killing of a Foundation Establishment from the Heart-Eroding Stronghold brought joy to the entire Empty Sword Sect, who had been feeling stifled for so long.
Another half day passed.
The commotion in the sky finally subsided, and several figures descended from above, enveloped in various colored lights, and landed in three locations within the three major camps.
Chen Shuangbai and the others were soon summoned.
Exalted Cultivator Huo and Exalted Cultivator Wen sat in the main seats, their robes spotless and showing no signs of disarray. However, in Chen Shuangbai, the aura emanating from them seemed to have dimmed slightly.
"It seems... the battle must have taken its toll."
He thought to himself that.
Exalted Cultivator Wen glanced at everyone present, a hint of regret in his eyes, but it quickly faded, replaced by delight. He praised, "Of the eight teams that went, six have returned. Congratulations!"
Chen Shuangbai looked around and saw that there were far fewer people, so she couldn't help but sigh softly.
This time, four teams totaling sixteen people went deep into the territory of Heart-Eroding Stronghold to destroy the stronghold. Now, only nine people have returned, which means that... most of the seven people died at the hands of that False Foundation Establishment.
Among these seven people, there were fellow disciples from the Jade Spring Sect and fellow disciples from the Empty Sword Sect.
Although the expressions on everyone's faces were not particularly sorrowful, they were still somewhat solemn.
Exalted Cultivator Wen, however, took it all in stride.
Or rather... if he couldn't let go of it, the deaths of the Empty Sword Sect disciples over the past few years would likely have shattered his Dao heart.
In any case, the four teams have successfully completed their mission.
The cultivators from the Empty Sword Sect, naturally not wanting to disappoint the fellow cultivators from Jade Spring who had come to their aid, bestowed upon them a considerable amount of spiritual items and materials, which greatly increased Chen Shuangbai's Storage Bag.
By the time they emerged from the palace, it was already dusk.
Ji Yang and Wang Tongfang both suffered considerable injuries, some from poison and others from blood poison. These toxins were quite troublesome, but Chen Shuangbai was able to suppress them to some extent.
However, there was little time on the escape route, so the only option was suppression.
Now that I've returned, it's precisely to recuperate.
" Senior Brother Chen, Junior Brother Lin, we'll take our leave for now. Please come find us if you need anything!"
After the two fellow cultivators of the Kong Jian Sect left, Lin Jingtao and Chen Shuangbai returned to the cluster of thatched huts and cave abode dwellings where the disciples of the Jade Spring Sect lived.
Chen Shuangbai's trip was not entirely without its challenges.
He only suffered minor injuries, so there was no noticeable impact, but there was one thing...
" False Foundation Establishment is still Foundation Establishment. Fortunately, I acted decisively and unleashed all the Yin Lightning accumulated in my Lightning Seed at once, which broke the demonic array and allowed me and the others to escape."
Chen Shuangbai returned to his assigned cave abode, muttering to himself. He opened the restriction, opened his mouth, and spat out a beam of bluish-white light that landed in the center, transforming into a shimmering, radiant banner.
Once the [ Clear Waves Reflecting the Moon Banner ] appeared, it displayed its divine power, gathering the surrounding primordial energy and gradually nourishing Chen Shuangbai's meridians that had been scorched by the Yin Lightning.
"Hiss... He's really badly injured."
Chen Shuangbai sat cross-legged on a futon in the cave abode, drank a cup of Life-Accepting Spirit Liquid, and circulated his internal Cultivation Method, feeling the cool vital energy gathered by the [ Clear Waves Reflecting the Moon Banner ] slowly nourishing his damaged meridians.
Upon internal inspection, fine, charred cracks appeared on several main meridians, with wisps of chilling cold and violent thunderous energy remaining within them, indicating that they had suffered some backlash.
He couldn't help but sigh softly, saying, "This Yin Thunder Method that I derived from the Dao Fruit itself has no backlash power, but I was really in a bit of a hurry at the time... so I was slightly injured."
But none of that matters. With Chen Shuangbai's constitution and the current recovery methods, she will be fully recovered in just a few days.
He looked again at the lightning seed residing in his kidney and saw that most of the bright white arcs of electricity that had originally shone with magical light had disappeared. He thought to himself that it would also take some time to accumulate.
Chen Shuangbai sat in front of the precious banner, healing his wounds while reflecting on his actions.
"I gained a lot. Most importantly, my Law Technique and swordsmanship have been greatly honed. Indeed, only through sufficient bloodshed can one cultivate a cultivator skilled in combat."
Although he suffered some minor injuries during this trip, he also benefited greatly from it.