Had the alliance leader advanced to Third Rank?

In the dense forest far from the back mountain.

Xu Qi'an sat cross-legged under the tree, holding half of a bronze mirror in his hands.

The mirror reflected the intense battle scene.

"Wasn't Jingyuan blinded by my poison? How did he recover? He doesn't have the ability to regenerate flesh and blood, so he must have used some kind of elixir or special method."

"There are no enemies lurking anywhere in Quanrong Mountain, and the military town has not been attacked. Did Xu Pingfeng really only send Ji Xuan and his group to attack the Martial Alliance?"

"Xiao Yuenu and Liu Hongmian seem to have a grudge? How could such a stunning beauty be given away to a tiger demon for nothing? By the way, could Li Lingsu's lover be Xiao Yuenu?"

"Tsk tsk, if it's true, then among the Holy Son's confidantes, there's finally one whose looks can rival the little fish in my pond."

"I wonder how Li Lingsu is doing."

Severing the ties between them, is the alliance leader planning to use overwhelming numbers?

The experienced fourth-rank martial artists present immediately understood Cao Qingyang's meaning.

Facing an enemy with explosive power comparable to a third-ranked soldier, employing a human wave tactic means that any one of them will die.

Cao Qingyang said in a deep voice:

"Dai Zong, you go and lead the charge!"

The sect leader of the Divine Speed Sect felt a chill run down his spine and stepped forward in response. His Movement Method were agile and graceful, like a leaf dancing in the wind, sometimes drifting to the left and sometimes to the right.

"Amitabha Buddha, turning back is the shore!"

At this moment, Jingxin put her hands together in prayer and chanted the Buddha's name.

Along with the voice of compassion spreads the power of discipline.

The Swift Traveler Sect Master's elegant Movement Method suddenly faltered. Faced with his enemy, he couldn't resist turning around and walking back, actually exposing his back to the enemy.

Under the same level of cultivation, the control of the precepts is very short-lived; the moment the Divine Travel Sect Master turned around, he had already broken free.

But at this moment, Dongfang Wanqing, as light as a kite, floated to the top of the Divine Travel Sect Master's head and gently pressed down with her palm.

A celestial being touched his head!

In the critical moment, Han Xie of the Thousand Machines Sect swung out a soft whip, wrapped it around the waist of the Divine Travel Sect Master, and then with a flick of his wrist, pulled him back.

Bang!

The palm struck the ground with tremendous force, creating a thunderous boom and a circular crater a foot in diameter.

Dai Zong, who had just narrowly escaped danger, had no time to breathe a sigh of relief when he suddenly felt a gust of wind.

The one-armed white tiger appeared like a ghost in the wind before the Swift Travel Sect Master, who had just regained his footing, and grinned as he swung his fist.

Thump thump thump. Fu Jingmen rushed out, arriving first despite being behind, and exchanged a punch with Bai Hu.

Bang! A strong gust of wind swept through the woods.

Both of them took a half step back at the same time. Fu Jing gritted her teeth, stomped her right foot hard, forcibly dissipated the force, and unleashed her fist intent, delivering dozens of punches to Bai Hu's chest in an instant.

The one-armed White Tiger was unable to withstand the opponent's punches and was forced to retreat continuously.

Suddenly, Fu Jingmen sensed a strong killing intent coming from the side; the martial artist's instincts kicked in and gave them a warning.

He decisively took a step back, abandoning his relentless pursuit of the white tiger, and threw a punch to the side.

At the same time, he spotted his attacker, a leopard lurking in the grass.

"Um?"

Fu Jingmen was taken aback. If it were a leopard, he wouldn't need to pay any attention to it.

But the bloodthirsty killing intent he had just witnessed, along with the martial artist's reaction to the crisis, led him to mistakenly believe that the enemy was a master of the same realm.

How dare a mere leopard attack him?

This is unreasonable.

Taking advantage of the opportunity, the white tiger retreated, gently breathing to calm the pain in its chest.

"Heart Gu Master?"

The abbot of Baihe Temple scrutinized Qihuan Danxiang.

Qi Huan Dan Xiang let out a sharp whistle, and invisible sound waves spread across the mountaintop.

A few seconds later, the people present heard a noisy and chaotic sound: the rustling of countless bushes; the flapping of wings of a huge flock of birds; the cries of monkeys; and the roars of insects.

In the sky, dozens of wild birds formed a flock, circling and calling out, sometimes swooping down towards the martial arts alliance members as if to attack, before circling back up and flying high again halfway through.

With each feint attack by the flock of birds, the members of the Martial Alliance received a feedback from their martial arts intuition regarding the impending crisis.

Poisonous snakes and insects emerged from the bushes, while wild beasts such as monkeys, leopards, wild boars, and large insects darted out of the forest, eyeing the martial arts alliance members menacingly.

They surrounded the enemy without attacking, only venting their hostility.

As a result, the martial artists of the Martial Alliance received wave after wave of hostility, and the early warning of danger honed in the Spirit Refining Realm became a burden.

Qi Huan Danxiang said:

"For me, dealing with a martial artist's crisis warning is far too easy."

"Without the instinct to foresee danger, how can you fight against masters of the same rank?"

As the words fell, Liu Hong's cotton skirt fluttered, and her silvery laughter echoed:

"Senior sister, back then you colluded with men outside, spread rumors, and tarnished my reputation."

"I will never forget your great kindness, Junior Sister. May I repay your kindness today?"

She drew her soft sword from her waist, swept across dozens of feet, and thrust it at Xiao Yuenu.

Xiao Yuenu remained calm and composed, drawing a delicate sword from her sleeve. Clang! Sparks flew as the two stunning beauties engaged in fierce combat.

"Master Xiao, I'm here to help you!"

You Shi of the Ironclad Gate sprinted wildly, causing a slight tremor. He leaped high into the air, using himself as a stone, and slammed himself down on Liu Hongmian.

From the side, a beam of golden light shot out and sent You Shi flying.

That was the Pure Land Monk.

Two martial artists, skilled in physical defense, rolled and crashed into tree after tree.

The Sect Master of the Divine Swiftness Sect silently approached Qi Huan Danxiang, thrusting his dagger forward, unleashing murderous intent.

The colorful robes suddenly rose high, transforming into a five-colored wall.

This was just a feint; the dagger easily pierced the robe, but Qi Huan Dan Xiang had already taken the opportunity to break free of the lock. The energy emitted by the dagger shot out dozens of feet, splashing up clods of earth and gravel on the ground.

On the other side, the Azure Dragon Seven Constellations did not delay and slowly approached the stone gate.

"Roar!"

The Quanrong barbarian opened its blood-red maw and roared at the Azure Dragon Seven Constellations, its saliva raining down.

Its human face revealed a human-like fear. Facing the approaching Azure Dragon Seven Constellations, it shrank back while trying to scare the other party away with a roar.

"Quanrong, retreat!"

Cao Qingyang managed to drive the beast off the battlefield before it went berserk and fought for its life.

The sheer size of the beasts, while a natural advantage, is also a fatal weakness in this situation.

Its large size means it's difficult to dodge; when facing a powerful enemy at the Transcendent Realm, it's very likely that its head will be chopped off in just two or three strikes.

In this respect, martial artists who are skilled in Movement Method have an advantage.

"Leader, there are too many wild beasts, and hostility is everywhere, which will affect our judgment."

Yang Cuixue, the master of the Ink Pavilion, held an iron sword, her face showing barely concealed anxiety.

Cao Qingyang said in a deep voice, "You go and take charge of clearing out the flocks of birds and herds of animals. Leave him to me."

Before she could finish speaking, Yang Cuixue shouted, "Watch out!"

Without needing his reminder, Cao Qingyang dodged the incoming blade of Azure Dragon's Slash by leaping to the side.

The blade missed its mark, striking the mountainside. Boom! The cliff face cracked, and rocks tumbled down.

With a series of sharp sounds, Cao Qingyang dodged the attack and charged towards the Azure Dragon Seven Constellations.

"Call out!"

A fierce glint of blades flashed in their eyes.

Cao Qingyang did not dodge; in fact, he stepped forward to meet the attack, because the blade was aimed at the stone door behind him.

With his inner energy concentrated in his fists, Cao Qingyang unleashed his fist intent, striking with both fists together, precisely "sandwiching" the blade's light.

He was caught in the glint of a blade, which pushed him backward.

Bang!

Cao Qingyang slammed his back against the stone gate, sending shards of stone tumbling down.

"Alliance Leader."

Xiao Yuenu and the others looked anxious and unconsciously distanced themselves from their opponents, distracted by checking the situation on their side.

"Cough cough."

Cao Qingyang coughed violently, and blood was dripping from his fists and chest.

The members of the Martial Alliance were taken aback; a single strike had rendered Cao Qingyang, a half-step third-rank martial artist, so wretched.

"Not bad, just half a step away from the third rank, its vitality and resilience are gradually surpassing the fourth rank."

Canglong scrutinized Cao Qingyang, his hoarse voice laced with jealousy. "Give you a few more years, and you'll be promoted to the third rank, won't you? Cao Qingyang, you didn't die unjustly."

His cloak billowed suddenly, and he raised the knife in his hand high.

The seven companions behind him performed the same action, and the distorted air currents connected the eight of them, concentrating all their power into the Azure Dragon.

The blade in Canglong's hand became scorching hot, seemingly unable to withstand the immense power of the energy, teetering on the verge of melting.

Without further hesitation, the Azure Dragon unleashed the long-accumulated blade energy.

After unleashing this strike, Canglong focused his attention on his surroundings, certain that Cao Qingyang's strength was insufficient to withstand it, and behind him was the place where the old scoundrel of the martial arts alliance was in seclusion.

Therefore, either Xu Qi'an or Sun Xuanji will definitely appear.

However, what happened next was beyond Canglong's expectations. Neither Xu Qi'an nor Sun Xuanji showed up to make a move. Cao Qingyang, oblivious to his own mortality, crossed his arms over his chest, actually attempting to block a transcendent blade with his own flesh and blood?

"Leader, get out of the way!"

"Cao Qingyang, don't be impulsive."

Screams rose and fell as Xiao Yuenu swung her sword to repel Liu Hongmian and lunged toward the stone gate.

Dai Zong sprinted forward, his face contorted in a ferocious grimace, seemingly determined to outrun the blade's energy.

Yang Cuixue, Fu Jingmen, Qiao Weng, and other fourth-rank masters rushed to support Shimen.

Boom!

The blade energy exploded on Cao Qingyang's body, and the shockwave nearly tore apart everyone's eardrums.

Bang! Bang! Bang! The cliff face cracked repeatedly, and the shockwaves sent Xiao Yuenu flying, Fu Jingmen back, and a group of martial arts alliance experts also back.

"You brute!"

The azure dragon stood proudly, its robes fluttering in the gale-force winds whipped up by the shockwave.

Before reaching the third rank, the outcome of taking this blow head-on was almost predictable.

Qi Huan Danxiang, Baihu, Liu Hongmian, and the others suppressed their joy and stared intently at the stone gate.

Wind-riding boat.

Ji Xuan, who was intently watching the battle, twitched his ear and looked behind him.

Dongfang Wanrong and Xu Yuanhuai made synchronized movements, while Xu Yuanshuang watched the battle with her head down without any apparent change until she heard a whooshing sound, at which point she turned around in surprise.

A young man dressed in a black robe embroidered with gold and silver threads flew towards the Wind-Riding Boat, riding a flying sword.

He was exceptionally handsome, with fair skin, and possessed the graceful bearing of a refined gentleman.

Any young girl in the throes of first love would be captivated by such a handsome man.

Li Lingsu and Xu Yuanshuang were deeply impressed by the handsome Heavenly Sect Holy Son, but they had no time to appreciate his appearance, and instead looked around warily.

The same applies to Ji Xuan and Xu Yuanhuai.

Li Lingsu has arrived, so how far behind can Xu Qi'an be?

At this moment, Dongfang Wanrong said calmly, "It's alright, the one surnamed Xu didn't come."

The three breathed a sigh of relief. Ji Xuan gave a wry smile, thinking to himself that they had been terrified of Xu Qi'an.

Dongfang Wanrong ignored the three of them and walked straight to Li Lingsu, staring at him coldly:

What are you doing here?

Li Lingsu leaped off the flying sword, gazed at her delicate, peach-blossom-like face, and said emotionally:

"Come see the girl I've been longing for."

He then sighed:

"I know I have no right to say this. Because I always leave without saying goodbye, always abandoning you, Qing-jie."

Dongfang Wanrong's pretty face was as cold as ice.

"Li Lingsu, you don't need to say any more sweet words."

"I only listened to you because I liked you. But ever since you chose to go with Xu Qi'an and abandoned me and Qingmei, we sisters have nothing to do with you anymore."

"All grudges and affections are severed; you don't need to come looking for me again."

Li Lingsu was slightly moved, her expression complex, a mixture of sadness, loss, and dejection, like a pitiful creature heartbroken in love.

"Sister Rong, I'm sorry."

Dongfang Wanrong gave a disdainful sneer.

"What you said was so heartbreaking, it made me realize in that instant that I had lost something important, something more important than life itself."

He said.

Dongfang Wanrong glanced at him and said coldly:

"Leave now and don't get in my way. Otherwise, don't blame me for not showing any mercy."

As she spoke, she drew the dagger hanging at her waist.

Li Lingsu shook her head slightly:

"During those six months, I did feel that your love with Qingjie was too heavy, making me feel no happiness at all, and even causing me some back pain."

"None of these should be reasons for me to leave you. I'm not here to beg for your forgiveness, nor to make excuses for myself."

I care about you.

Seeing Dongfang Wanrong's cold expression, he suddenly felt heartbroken and pointed at Ji Xuan and the others, angrily saying:

Do you know how terrifying Xu Qi'an is? Do you know that outside Yongzhou City, Xu Qi'an routed this group of people, almost killing them?

"Why are you and Qing-jie getting involved? With your cultivation levels, you couldn't even harm a hair on Xu Qi'an's head."

Dongfang Wanrong scoffed, "What's it to you?"

Li Lingsu shouted:

"It has nothing to do with me, but if you insist on staying here, I'll take you with me even if it means my death. I don't want you and Qing-jie to lose your lives in vain."

Dongfang Wanrong threw the dagger in front of him, her tone as cold as the wind at that moment:

You can end it yourself.

Ah, Li Lingsu remained silent for a moment, then forced a smile and said:

"Sister Rong, you really don't love me anymore."

He left in tears.

Watching Li Lingsu's departing figure on her sword, Dongfang Wanrong remained silent for a long time.

Why not kill him?

Nalan Tianlu's voice echoed in my mind.

Dongfang Wanrong shook her head slightly. "He is the Holy Son of the Heavenly Sect. Killing him would invite the Heavenly Sect's revenge. I don't want to make enemies for my teacher."

Nalan Tianlu smiled:

"You still love him. If I hadn't forced you to kill him, you wouldn't have driven him away."

"Wanrong, deep affection is short-lived. We are not members of the Heavenly Sect, but we should still learn to be detached from worldly emotions. Being too attached to emotions makes one easily controlled by them."

Dongfang Wanrong pursed her lips.

On the other side, after Li Lingsu flew away on her sword, she did not return to Quanrong Mountain, but wandered aimlessly in circles outside.

This can prevent you from being followed and spied on.

He took out the fragment of the Earth Book and poured out a small wild bird.

A wild bird fluttered its wings and landed on his shoulder, speaking in a human voice, "How is it?"

Li Lingsu's expression was serious as she said:

"There are two Vajra on the Wind-Riding Boat, Sister Rong, Ji Xuan, and the brother and sister."

"Then, I sensed an abnormal fluctuation in Sister Rong's Primordial Spirit. Nalan Tianlu's Primordial Spirit was indeed parasitizing Sister Rong."

Apart from these people, there was no one else on the Wind-Riding Boat.

After listening, the wild bird pondered for a moment, then pecked at its head:

You did a great job.

Li Lingsu hurriedly said, "I remember you promised me that you would show mercy to Sister Rong and Sister Qing, and not take their lives."

He's adding an extra layer of insurance for the Oriental sisters.

Wild birds gently peck at the head:

"I can only do my best. You should know that Nalan Tianlu resides in her sea of consciousness, so it's very difficult for me to deal with Nalan Tianlu without harming her."

"Besides, in a life-or-death situation, one might not have time to think about these things."

Li Lingsu did not insist, and said:

"I see."

He only went to the Wind-Riding Boat; the risk was not great, and the task was not difficult. There was no reason to expect Xu Qi'an to ensure the safety of the Dongfang sisters when he was fighting.

Xu Qi'an wouldn't agree either.

Deep in the dense forest.

On the Wind-Riding Boat, apart from a few old friends, there was no one else. Xu Qi'an focused on watching the battle while racking his brains.

"If there are only two Vajra, I am not afraid, relying on the sharpness of the Zhenguo Sword. However, the Zhenguo Sword will obviously not be very effective against Nalan Tianlu."

"Just because Li Lingsu didn't see anyone else doesn't mean there wasn't an ambush on the ship. With Xu Pingfeng's abilities, if he wanted to hide a killing move, Li Lingsu definitely wouldn't be able to detect it."

"However, with the Supervisor of Yunzhou watching over him, it's impossible for Xu Pingfeng to leave in his true form. Putting aside whether he can hide from the Supervisor's discerning eyes, if he dares to leave Yunzhou, the Supervisor might just steal the crystal."

"Those bastards, Ji Xuan, are all in cahoots with me, testing my every move to find out my trump card."

Xu Qi'an placed the Hun Tian Divine Mirror at his feet and took out a fragment of the Earth Book.

He poured out the fragments of the Book of Earth, from which he summoned the Taiping Blade and the Zhenguo Sword.

The two divine weapons concealed their auras, showing no fluctuation whatsoever.

Long time no see, old friend.

Xu Qi'an touched the brass sword blade.

The sword that guards the nation exudes a profound and gentle aura, much like a wise and dignified senior.

Taiping Dao, on the other hand, became much more cheerful, constantly conveying to Xu Qi'an the idea that "I am no longer the person I used to be."

It's like a half-grown child trying to show his father that he's an adult.

"Very good. After half a month of nurturing, you've become even sharper, Taiping!"

Xu Qi'an stroked the dark gold blade. "Today, I will use Vajra's blood to offer you a sacrifice."

He sheathed the Zhenguo Sword and Taiping Saber on his left and right sides, picked up the Hun Tian Divine Mirror again, looked at the kneeling figure at the stone gate, and muttered:

"That fool Cao Qingyang actually couldn't bear to use the Essence Blood I gave him, and wanted to keep it to digest and comprehend in order to advance to the third rank."

"Do you really think you can defeat the Seven Constellations of the Azure Dragon with your own cultivation and the cooperation of Yang Cuixue and the others?"

"We have no choice but to use it now."

"I was too arrogant."

Cao Qingyang sighed, "Even if you're relying on Law Artifact, not a true third-grade one, it's still beyond my ability to deal with. Relying on numbers is useless."

Seeing that Cao Qingyang was unharmed, Fu Jingmen, Yang Cuixue, and the others felt that the situation had taken a dramatic turn for the better. They were both incredulous and overjoyed.

Xiao Yuenu stared intently, her delicate body trembling slightly:

"Alliance Leader, you... you've reached the third rank?!"

At this moment, Cao Qingyang's aura was completely different, faintly emanating an aura that made them tremble.

Even more bizarrely, Cao Qingyang's skin turned a light, pale gold.

Yang Cuixue and Dai Zong, both of the third rank, stared silently, their faces expressionless for a moment, but everyone's heartbeat suddenly quickened, pounding wildly.

"Diamond Skill?!"

Suddenly, the martial monk Jingyuan, who was in the distance, blurted out something with a slight change in expression.

The martial arts alliance members, who were immersed in great joy, suddenly came to their senses.

"Leader, when did you learn the Vajra Divine Skill?"

Yu Shi of the Ironclad Gate looked at his companions, trying to get an answer from them, but saw the same doubt in their eyes.

What happened?

PS: This chapter is 5,000 words long; consider it a supplement to the delayed update.