Escape

In the desolate forest, You and Li Cang stumbled deeper into the woods, their bodies battered and covered in wounds, with two remaining Yunxiao Sect disciples following closely behind. The trees around them were broken and scattered from the clash of spiritual forces, leaving behind an eerie, bloodstained atmosphere as if a cataclysm had just passed.

You and Li Cang were drained of energy, their spiritual power nearly exhausted. You clutched the deep gash on his shoulder, his face pale with traces of blood at his lips, yet his eyes remained sharp and cold. Li Cang's injuries were severe as well, his water-element energy disrupted, leaving him on the verge of collapse, clearly bearing the marks of serious internal damage.

"Senior Brother, we... we finally made it out alive," one of the Yunxiao Sect disciples said, gasping for air, his face showing the shock of barely escaping with his life. Yet, as he looked around at the battered state of his companions, his eyes were filled with helplessness and self-blame.

Li Cang steadied himself, his gaze sweeping over the surviving disciples with a somber calmness. "We may have escaped," he began, voice strained but steady, "but Yunxiao Sect's strength has been decimated. You and I can only muster the power of the peak Qi Refinement stage."

Saying this, he doubled over in a fit of harsh coughs, spitting out a mouthful of blood as his body swayed from exhaustion. Gritting his teeth, he forced himself upright, his expression revealing both fatigue and bitterness.

You frowned slightly and said in a low voice, "Shen Gu knows that we're barely capable of fighting back now. He's no longer concerned with chasing us; his goal is to take control of the resources in the entire secret realm. With Yunxiao Sect wounded and weakened, he'll focus the remaining Xuanshao Sect forces against Tianque Sect."

He sighed, a mix of resignation and anger flashing in his eyes. Shen Gu had calculated their every move, trapping them in a predicament with almost no chance of escape.

After a moment, You closed his eyes, trying to gather his remaining energy. Li Cang sat cross-legged, silently channeling his spiritual energy to recover. Though cultivators at the Foundation Establishment stage recover faster than ordinary disciples, their severe injuries made the task of healing their meridians slow and painstaking. If they encountered another fight, they would barely be able to defend themselves.

Meanwhile, elsewhere in the forest, Shen Gu stood calmly with his hands behind his back, watching his disciples clear the battlefield. He had no intention of pursuing Yunxiao Sect further; for him, their main force had already been crushed, and the scattered survivors posed no threat.

"Senior Brother Shen, are we not going after them?" one of the Xuanshao Sect disciples asked, puzzled, stepping forward.

Shen Gu gave a faint smile, his tone dismissive. "What's the point? Yunxiao Sect's core fighters are finished, and the remnants are no more than a dying breath. Rather than waste our strength on worthless prey, we should conserve it for more valuable targets."

His eyes glinted with calculation. "Our next move will be to focus on Tianque Sect. There are countless opportunities in this secret realm. If we manage to defeat them, all the resources here will fall into our hands. Such a success would be handsomely rewarded by our sect."

As soon as Shen Gu finished, the nearby Xuanshao Sect disciples exchanged looks and then nodded in agreement, cold smirks spreading on their faces.

"Senior Brother Shen is absolutely right. Yunxiao Sect is no longer a threat, but Tianque Sect remains formidable."

"As long as we eliminate Tianque Sect, Xuanshao Sect will control all the resources of the secret realm." The Xuanshao Sect disciples were filled with anticipation, their eyes gleaming with greed as though the treasures of the realm were already within reach.

With a cold gaze, Shen Gu waved his hand and said, "Follow me. Let's set up the next stage of our plan. With Tianque Sect unprepared, we'll take them down in one blow!"

Deeper in the forest

You and Li Cang sat cross-legged in silence, the quiet broken only by the occasional rustling of leaves in the breeze. Under the cover of the dense woods, Li Cang, whose wounds were somewhat stabilized, opened his eyes slowly, his expression serious.

"We can't stay here long. We need to find any remaining Yunxiao Sect disciples as soon as possible," he said urgently.

You nodded, his face thoughtful. "Our goal isn't just to regain our strength; we must also watch out for the combined assault from Xuanshao and Tianque Sects. Right now, the situation is highly unfavorable for us. Shen Gu has lost interest in pursuing us and will turn his sights on Tianque Sect."

Hearing this, Li Cang's expression grew more solemn. "In that case, we might be able to use the friction between the two sects to our advantage." His gaze sharpened as he spoke quietly, "Given the current tension between Xuanshao and Tianque, they're bound to be on guard against each other. If we can stoke that conflict, we might just create a chance to escape."

You nodded in agreement, a hint of approval in his expression. "Exactly. Shen Gu is arrogant and devious, and he's set on monopolizing the resources in the realm. We can exploit their ambitions and turn the tables on them."

They quickly reached a consensus, deciding to look for any opportunity to leverage the sects' rivalry, granting Yunxiao Sect a slim but crucial chance to survive. Although the situation was dire, they hadn't given up hope entirely.

"What should we do next, Senior Brother?" one of the remaining Yunxiao Sect disciples asked carefully, his gaze tinged with worry.

Li Cang steadied himself and said resolutely, "We must find Zhang Chou's team as soon as possible. For now, we'll hide and recover our strength. Once we're ready, we'll decide on our next move."

The group carefully moved through the dense forest, taking pains to avoid any encounters with enemies. Though wounded and nearly drained of energy, their eyes still held a fierce determination. Despite being caught in a struggle between three sects, they pressed on, holding tight to their loyalty to Yunxiao Sect.

Elsewhere

Tianque Sect's disciples were also recovering and preparing. The secret realm had become a battleground, and they, too, understood the threat posed by Xuanshao Sect.

"Now that Yunxiao Sect is weakened, Xuanshao will seize the chance to overpower us," said one Tianque Sect disciple in a low voice, his tone grim. "That fox, Shen Gu, won't let this opportunity slip by."

"You're right, Senior Brother. Xuanshao Sect is bound to make their move, so we need to prepare for anything."

The Tianque Sect disciples exchanged somber looks, knowing well that with their leader injured, the upcoming battles would be far from easy.