Undercover Skirmish

Deep within the secret realm, cultivators from Tianque Sect and Xuanshao Sect finally clashed head-on. Fire and chilling spiritual energy collided violently in the air. Shen Gu appeared like a phantom at the front of the Tianque Sect ranks, wielding his Soul-Snatcher Blade with a deadly chill, cutting down several Tianque disciples in quick succession.

"Wu Heng, your Tianque Sect thinks it can take all the resources in this realm? Foolish fantasy!" Shen Gu sneered, his eyes flashing with menace. His spiritual energy surged powerfully, and each strike of his blade produced a chilling, sharp sound that sliced through the air, sending waves of poisonous fog slicing toward the Tianque disciples.

Wu Heng's expression was grim; his injuries had yet to heal, and facing Shen Gu again made him feel his limits. The blue flame in his sword had weakened considerably, and each swing drained what little spiritual energy he had left.

"Shen Gu! These resources aren't yours to claim alone!" Wu Heng shouted defiantly, his blue sword sweeping in an arc, creating a firewall that barely withstood Shen Gu's assault.

Unfazed, Shen Gu replied coolly, "In a place like this, survival belongs to the strong, and the weak are simply amusing distractions."

Before he finished, Shen Gu's Soul-Snatcher Blade emitted a surge of chilling energy as his spiritual power reached new heights. Seizing a momentary opening, Shen Gu sliced through the air with deadly intent, his blade aiming straight for Wu Heng's chest.

Wu Heng stumbled back, holding his blue sword in front, but it failed to block the blow entirely, and the frigid light tore through his defenses, slashing his shoulder. Wu Heng staggered to one knee, blood staining his robes.

Shen Gu's eyes gleamed with murderous intent as he raised his blade to deliver the final blow. Just as he did, Wang Quan watched the fierce battle from his hiding place in the forest. He took a steadying breath, feeling a cold resolve. As Xuanshao Sect and Tianque Sect battled to the death, Yunxiao Sect finally had a chance to catch its breath. But soon, he noticed a familiar spiritual energy nearby and, following his intuition, he moved closer through the dense brush, finding Li Cang and You leading a few remaining Yunxiao Sect disciples, battered and barely managing to walk.

Li Cang and You were severely wounded, pale as death, their spiritual energy nearly depleted, while the other Yunxiao disciples looked exhausted, faces marked by fear and confusion as they struggled to believe they could escape the realm alive.

Wang Quan's heart tightened, and he moved quickly to intercept them.

"Li Cang, You—I didn't expect you both to survive," he said in a low voice, his tone weighted with mixed emotions.

Li Cang looked up, surprise flickering in his eyes before it turned into a cold smile. "Surprising indeed, Wang Quan. Still alive, are you?"

You's expression remained indifferent, but he studied Wang Quan carefully. With danger lurking everywhere and the Yunxiao Sect having suffered heavy losses, he signaled for Li Cang to avoid provocation, as survival was now the priority.

Seeing their hesitation, Wang Quan spoke firmly. "This isn't the time to settle scores. If we want any chance of surviving here, we need to work together."

Li Cang hesitated but then snorted dismissively, "Even if we join forces, there's no guarantee we'll get out of here alive."

After a pause, You nodded, "Indeed, cooperation is key right now."

Wang Quan inclined his head slightly and pointed toward a nearby cave. "Senior Brother Zhang Chou and a few others are sheltering there. Let's regroup and plan our next move."

After a brief exchange, Li Cang and You nodded in agreement and led the remaining disciples to follow Wang Quan swiftly. As they walked, Wang Quan noticed that both Li Cang and You seemed barely able to move, occasionally coughing up blood. In their current state, they could hardly manage the strength of peak Qi Refinement cultivators.

Soon, the group emerged from the forest and reached the cave where Zhang Chou and others waited. Seeing Li Cang and You arrive with reinforcements, Zhang Chou, Liu Ruohan, and Li Yuan exchanged surprised glances but soon wore cold, wary expressions.

"Senior Brother Zhang, we're here," Wang Quan announced, briefly explaining Li Cang and You's situation.

Zhang Chou's expression grew grave, and he nodded slightly, understanding the gravity of their current state. Yunxiao Sect's disciples were in dire straits, and reuniting was their only chance.

Li Cang hesitated before offering a formal salute to Zhang Chou. "Senior Brother, both You and I are gravely injured, reduced to the strength of mere Qi Refinement cultivators."

Zhang Qiu's face darkened, but he nodded slowly, handing them a few medicinal pills. "This is a matter of life and death for us. Take these. We'll need all the strength we can muster to preserve our lives and wait for the right moment to act."

After taking a moment to recover, Zhang Qiu said quietly, "Tianque and Xuanshao Sects have turned on each other. We can avoid the worst of it for now and prepare to strike when the moment comes. Only then will we have a real chance of survival."

Li Cang nodded gravely, wiping the blood from his lips and smirking coldly. "If they want to fight over the resources, let them. We'll wait for the right time to act, once they're both weakened."

Wang Quan nodded in agreement, knowing that even though Yunxiao Sect was at a disadvantage, their new strategy in the shadows might just turn the tables.

Just then, faint waves of spiritual energy rippled outside the cave. Wang Quan held his breath, his eyes narrowing as he looked out. Not far away, the battle between Xuanshao and Tianque Sect raged with increasing intensity, filling the open landscape with bursts of light as if it were broad daylight.

"It seems their fight has only just begun," Zhang Qiu said with a cold smile, his eyes glinting. "Wait. When they're exhausted, that's when we make our move."