The Battle That Never Began

At this moment, the surrounding atmosphere plunged into a deep silence, so profound that even the faintest sound could echo.

Gao Zhang, eager to move past that fleeting feeling and aware that his plans were about to come to fruition, exchanged significant looks with the sect masters of the Bright Sun Sect, the Water Cloud Sect, the Divine Wind School, the Azure Jade Sect, and the Beast Emperor Mountain.

In response, they smoothly maneuvered their respective flying artifacts close to the Purple Bamboo Spirit Mountain's flying artifact. Quickly, they formed a large semicircle around it.

Observing his pawns positioned just as he planned, with his own forces from the Purple Bamboo Spirit Mountain behind them, Gao Zhang felt a rush of malicious joy. Yet, he kept up a front of desperation.

"Jiang Chen," he declared, "we've admitted our faults, but you still want to annihilate us. If that's how it is, we're left with no option but to retaliate with all we have!"