Splitting the Heave

First, they were attacked by the swarm of Mutated Rain Swallows. Next, a sudden assault by the Lightning Bird caught them off guard. Yuan Zilu had long since realized that their journey wouldn’t be as peaceful as he thought.

Sending Jin Guanchao out as a scout proved to be the smart move.

However, he didn’t expect them to run into trouble so quickly! 

“Enemy attack!” 

Hearing the panicked tone in Jin Guanchao’s voice made it all the more worse, considering he was someone who didn’t speak most of them time.

In a flash, Jin Guanchao arrived back at the convoy.

Approaching Jin Guanchao, Yuan Zilu asked, “What’s going on?” 

Before Jin Guanchao could explain, a group of experts appeared from behind the mountain range in the distance.

“It’s the members from the Azure Spiritual World!” Yuan Zilu discovered their origins before Jin Guanchao could say a word.

Panic started to set in the hearts of the disciples following the convoy. 

Tian Mengzi knew that Jin Guanchao wasn’t a coward. From the looks of it, only experts who were stronger than him could cause him to escape so frantically.

“Prepare yourselves! Protect the carriages at all costs! Get ready to light the Cloud Piercing Rainbow Arrow to request for assistance the moment they try anything funny!” 

Yuan Zilu could feel the danger approaching and he looked at the experts from the Azure Spiritual World coldly. His orders were transmitted quietly into the ears of the disciples from the institution.

When the cultivators of the Azure Spiritual World ran into Jin Guanchao, they were more than willing to hunt him down. After all, how much trouble could a lone individual bring? However, things were different when facing an entire convoy. They didn’t dare to attack randomly.

Even after noticing the hesitation in their eyes, Yuan Zilu didn’t relax. Instead, his expression turned even more serious. 

There were several experts from the Azure Spiritual World who were eyeing the convoy cautiously, but they didn’t seem scared at all.

That could only mean that there might be even more experts on their way over.

“There’s nowhere to run now… Light the Cloud Piercing Rainbow Arrow and request for assistance!” Yuan Zilu yelled. His judgment proved to be correct. Rumbling came from behind them as more experts from the Azure Spiritual World arrived.

“We can’t escape! We have to hold out until our men come!” Yuan Zilu warned. There was no way out. They could only choose to hold their ground until help arrived. If anyone tried to run, their defenses would crumble instantly.

Moreover, they couldn’t abandon their supplies! With several disciples from the outer division in the Qi Gathering Realm, they wouldn’t be able to escape no matter what! They were far too weak!

Realizing that they held the advantage, the cultivators who were chasing Jin Guanchao earlier started to swagger around while laughing at the opposing party.

Sighing slowly, Yuan Zilu knew that things were about to go completely out of control. Instead of losing his cool, he became extremely calm.

“Those who reached the Martial Extremity Realm, stand out now.” Yuan Zilu ordered.

Tian Mengzi and Jin Guanchao stood by his side, ready for battle.

Among the inner disciples, several disciples approached the frontline. That included Guo You, who had messed with Shang Xia earlier.

A pillar of light tore through the skies, and the signal was visible for dozens of miles as the Cloud Piercing Rainbow Arrow exploded in midair.

Shang Xia was a little rattled by the sudden attack, but he found it a little weird that Yuan Zilu was taking things so seriously. 

There were slightly more than ten experts from the Azure Spiritual World, and the members of the Tongyou Institution had already lit the signal to ask for reinforcements. 

If a massive battle broke out now, both sides would suffer serious losses, and no one would benefit! 

Why were they acting as though they were about to fight with everything on the line?

With Yuan Zilu, an expert at the Martial Intent Realm, they definitely possessed some sort of fighting power. There were five disciples who reached the Martial Extremity Realm, and fourteen of them who were in the Martial Realm. Their strength should be comparable to the enemy at the very least!

No matter how suspicious Shang Xia was, he couldn’t do a thing. After all, it was an order from the leader of their convoy. Yuan Zilu might have only called for disciples at the Martial Extremity Realm, but everyone moved forward in unison.

Looking at the outer disciples who were approaching, Yuan Zilu’s gaze stopped on Shang Xia for a second and he said, “The moment the battle begins, I’ll hold them back. Find a chance to escape!” 

Yuan Zilu’s order caused much unrest among the disciples, and a frown formed on Shang Xia;s face. 

“Enough! Do as I say. We’re not strong enough to challenge them. If you don’t escape, all of us will die here.” 

Looking at Tian Mengzi and Jin Guanchao, the disciples saw the grim expression on the upper disciples’ faces. They couldn’t help but realize things weren’t as simple as it seemed.

“What… What about those who haven't reached the Martial Realm?”

Yuan Zilu sighed reluctantly. “Just follow my orders. Focus on escaping!” 

Did he mean that they would be unable to save the outer disciples?!

Shang Xia might not agree with his decision, but deep down, he knew that trying to escape with the outer disciples who hadn’t broken through to the Martial Realm meant that they would be dragged down eventually. 

From the looks of it, Yuan Zilu had already determined that they weren’t a match for the experts of the Azure Spiritual World!

Shang Xia looked at the experts on the other side and wondered if there were several experts in the Martial Intent Realm.

Why else would Yuan Zilu be so afraid?! 

Moreover, the look on Tian Mengzi and Jin Guanchao’s face showed their uncertainty in winning the upcoming battle.

Shang Xia wanted to clarify his doubts, but the appearance of a newcomer interrupted him.

“Hahaha! Our luck is great indeed! Even though we failed to locate the swarm of Mutated Rain Swallows due to the interference of the Lightning Bird, we managed to run into a supply convoy of the Azure Origin World! Looks like we’re rich!” 

Her voice sounded really sweet, but her words were anything but. “What are you guys waiting for?! Kill them and snatch their carriages!” 

The moment her voice fell, twelve figures charged down the mountain. Every single step they took allowed them to travel tens of feet. It was as though they were flying across the land.

Out of the twelve of them, the woman on the lead was especially eye-catching. She might not be moving the fastest, but every step she took made her look like she was walking on air. An invisible pressure surrounded her.

“Not good… They’re from the Wind Swallow Race and should be here for the Mutated Rain Swallow!” 

Tian Mengzi recognized them from the techniques they used, and his expression changed.

Her voice and her secret arts allowed them to single out the race they came from, and they learned of her intentions.

Shang Xia wanted to ask more about the origin of the Wind Swallow Race, but a glare from Yuan Zilu stopped him. “Go right now! Bring the bird with you!” 

“What?!” Shang Xia exclaimed.

Allowing him to escape right before the battle began… Wasn’t his actions a little too biased?!

Didn’t he see the looks on the faces of the disciples around him?!

Tian Mengzi hurried, “Don’t think too much about it. Our opponents are from the Wind Swallow Race. They’re here for the Mutated Rain Swallow. If they see that we captured a live one, we’ll be in deep shit! Leave!” 

Shang Xia didn’t want others to curse him for his actions in the future, and he made several suggestions on the spot. “Why don’t I set it free? I can even kill it right now…” 

“Don’t be stupid!” Yuan Zilu cried. Seeing as the enemy was approaching, there was no time for explanations. “Get out of here!” 

Shang Xia no longer hesitated. His speed was comparable to the cultivators of the Wind Swallow Race even without using his martial intent. Grabbing the cage, he turned to look at his fellow cultivators. There were looks of desperation and fright, but there were also some who were glaring at him with hatred in their eyes.

“Run towards the tallest peak in the distance! That’s our Tongyou Peak!” Tian Mengzi’s voice traveled through the air and into his ears.

His fellow disciples knew that Shang Xia didn’t have a choice, but their upcoming fate left a bitter taste in their mouth when they thought about how they had to sacrifice their life for his escape.

Huang Zihua broke the silence after some time. “Brother Shang, good luck.” 

Shang Xia nodded solemnly. “Good luck.” 

Leaping in the opposite direction of their attackers, Shang Xia held the cage in his hand as he made his escape.

Increasing his speed, he startled the Mutated Rain Swallow that released a frightened cry.

By the time that happened, the battle had already started. The Embroidered Cloud Carriage beside Yuan Zilu exploded and items filled the air.

The woman might be the leader of those from the Wind Swallow Race, but she wasn’t the strongest. The battle started without her as the cultivators around her found a suitable opponent for themselves.

When the chirp entered their ears, the woman felt a wave of emotions rushing through her mind.

“What was that?! Did I hear wrongly?” 

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Turning to look in the direction of the chirps, she saw Shang Xia’s escaping figure. No… To be exact, she saw the cage in his hands.

That was a living Mutated Rain Swallow!

A surge of joy filled her heart and excitement burned in her veins.

Ignoring everyone else, she stared directly at Shang Xia.

Turning around innocently to check if anyone was after him, Shang Xia met her gaze.

“Grab the handsome kid! There’s no need to bother with the rest!” 

Hearing what she said, Shang Xia increased his speed even further.

Pushing away the cultivators around her, the woman flew towards Shang Xia.

“Protect the young lady!” A cry came from an elderly expert behind the woman and four experts broke off from their opponents to follow behind her.