Chapter 151: Heavy Losses

A sneak attack!

This was the only option left for He Feng. While he had been holding back, Zhang Mingyuan had also been half-heartedly engaged. Seizing the opportunity of calculated intent against the unsuspecting, He Feng broke away from the skirmish, leveraging the immense recoil to launch a direct surprise assault on the pinnacle ninth-turn Dan-formation powerhouse of Cloud Peak.

"This..."

Upon seeing this sudden turn of events, Zhang Mingyuan’s expression froze instantly, completely caught off guard.

Immediately afterwards, Zhang Mingyuan glanced toward Wang Changsheng, and seeing the grave look on Wang Changsheng’s face, he understood everything in an instant.

"This Wang Changsheng... is terrifying..." Zhang Mingyuan muttered inwardly. "And this is only because his cultivation level is still lacking. Otherwise..."

For Zhang Mingyuan, whether Cloud Peak or the Corpse Corpse Sect suffered defeat, neither outcome held any benefit for the Rogue cultivators' pavilion. That was precisely why he had leaked the intelligence to Wang Changsheng in the first place. Yet, Zhang Mingyuan had never imagined that upon receiving merely a hint, Wang Changsheng would make such a decisive countermove.

Roar!

A fierce roar erupted from Zhang Mingyuan’s throat as he lunged directly in pursuit of He Feng from behind.

Even if one was merely going through the motions, the pretense could not be made too obvious.

Through a series of meticulous calculations, the moment He Feng charged forward, Chen Yuan had already entangled the ninth-turn Dan-formation cultivator of Cloud Peak, creating the opening for He Feng’s fatal strike.

True to form, the moment He Feng successfully landed his blow, he retreated instantly without pressing the attack further. The very instant He Feng pulled back, Zhang Mingyuan’s strike arrived precisely where He Feng had launched his ambush.

He Feng’s reactions were exceedingly swift; otherwise, had Zhang Mingyuan’s attack connected, he would likely not have fared well either!

"Splendid!"

A booming roar burst from Chen Yuan’s chest. A heavy coffin materialized before him, which he hoisted high and smashed down ruthlessly toward the ninth-turn Dan-formation expert of Cloud Peak.

Boom!

The Cloud Peak ninth-turn Dan-formation expert was driven straight into the ground by Chen Yuan’s devastating blow, blasting out a massive crater.

The situation shifted so rapidly that even Wang Changsheng failed to react in time.

"Magnificent!"

A shout of triumph broke from Wang Changsheng’s lips as well.

When the dust and debris finally settled, the true extent of the damage was revealed. Lying at the bottom of the deep crater was the Cloud Peak ninth-turn Dan-formation cultivator, his complexion deathly pale as blood continuously spewed from his mouth. Most fatal of all was a short sword protruding directly from his back, piercing straight through his chest, its blade dripping with fresh blood.

Clearly, this short sword was the handiwork of He Feng’s earlier sneak attack!

It was precisely the distraction caused by this surprise sword thrust that had dulled the Cloud Peak expert's reactions; otherwise, Chen Yuan could never have succeeded so effortlessly!

This demonstrated the formidable nature of He Feng's prowess. To pierce through the protective true essence of a ninth-turn Dan-formation master and skewer his body in a single blow—such strength was undoubtedly terrifying.

He Feng resumed his fierce duel with Zhang Mingyuan. Perhaps stung by the earlier blunder that had made him lose face and resulted in the severe wounding of the Cloud Peak expert, Zhang Mingyuan no longer held anything back. His overwhelming power drove He Feng back step by step.

"Chen Yuan, finish him!" Wang Changsheng roared at the top of his lungs.

"Oh no!"

Seeing Chen Yuan charge toward the figure in the crater, Caiyun let out a cry of anxious alarm.

The only reason Cloud Peak had managed to stabilize its footing was entirely due to this ninth-turn Dan-formation expert. Should this apex combat force be lost, Cloud Peak would undoubtedly be outmatched. Worse still, under the joint forces of the Corpse Corpse Sect and the He family, not a single Cloud Peak cultivator present would survive—including Caiyun herself!

Caiyun understood that while other factions might hesitate to harm her out of consideration for Cloud Peak's influence, Wang Changsheng certainly would not. Or rather, the Corpse Corpse Sect absolutely would not!

At that moment, however, Caiyun was pinned down by Vajra, while Zhang Mingyuan was locked in heavy combat with He Feng.

"Hold him off!"

Caiyun shrieked at the two eighth-turn Dan-formation Cloud Peak cultivators who had been besieging He Feng, "You must stop him, or we will all die!"

Naturally, the group of Cloud Peak cultivators recognized the gravity of the situation. Without a moment's hesitation, they abandoned their assault on the two He family members and charged directly at Chen Yuan.

Boom!

A deafening explosion echoed across the battlefield, but the Cloud Peak cultivators were a fraction too late.

Hoisting the heavy coffin, Chen Yuan brought it down with crushing force. His boundless true essence instantly pulverized and obliterated the Cloud Peak ninth-turn Dan-formation expert. By the time the rest of the Cloud Peak reinforcements arrived, only a vacant crater remained—not even bones were left behind.

"Well done!"

Witnessing this spectacle, a cry of exhilaration escaped Wang Changsheng.

"Kill Caiyun!"

Wang Changsheng commanded Chen Yuan.

Chen Yuan nodded and immediately surged toward Caiyun, teaming up with Vajra in an attempt to dispatch her within the shortest time possible.

Fortunately, Vajra was also acutely aware of the dire stakes. Had he stubbornly refused to assist as he had done previously, things would have turned troublesome indeed.

Caiyun’s combat strength was terrifyingly high. Even under the joint assault of Vajra and Chen Yuan, she managed to fend off their attacks for a brief moment.

"She possesses a rare divine treasure!" Chen Yuan muttered with a grave expression.

"I figured that out long ago!" Vajra rumbled in his deep, resonant voice.

Enveloped in flowing white silk ribbons, Caiyun attempted to break free from the encirclement of the two men, but her cultivation ultimately fell slightly short, leaving her subjected to the relentless onslaught of Chen Yuan and Vajra.

"Retreat! Fall back immediately and regroup with the other senior brothers!" Caiyun shouted at the top of her lungs.

With the top-tier combat strength of Cloud Peak now perished, the remaining Cloud Peak cultivators possessed no capability to turn the tide. While Caiyun could still stall Chen Yuan and Vajra using her defensive treasure, her defeat was merely a matter of time.

Once Caiyun fell, not a single Cloud Peak cultivator present would escape with their lives!

"No, Holy Maiden, you go first! We will hold them off!"

"Holy Maiden, flee! Cloud Peak cannot survive without you!"

"Holy Maiden, run!"

...

Hearing Caiyun's command, the Cloud Peak cultivators showed no hesitation. Screaming their defiance, they threw themselves directly at Chen Yuan and Vajra.

Dozens of Cloud Peak cultivators swarmed the two, momentarily throwing them into disarray.

"What a touching scene of parting through life and death!"

Observing the spectacle, Wang Changsheng remarked in a cool, detached tone, "Holy Maiden Caiyun, abandoning your own peers to flee—I know you could never bring yourself to do such a thing!"

It wasn't that Wang Changsheng was being maliciously sarcastic; rather, he was simply returning Caiyun's own words back to her.

Sensing that Caiyun harbored intentions of escape, and knowing that he and the remaining Corpse Corpse Sect disciples lacked the personal strength to block her path alone, Wang Changsheng had no choice but to use psychological provocation.

"Wang Changsheng!"

Hearing those words, an enraged shriek ripped from Caiyun’s throat.

Things having reached this juncture, Caiyun knew she had no choice but to swallow this bitter defeat. Outmaneuvered by a narrow margin and bested by Wang Changsheng, she felt deeply resentful. After all, whether in terms of resources, status, or cultivation level, Wang Changsheng was inferior to her. She could not comprehend how she had lost!

Yet, one realization crystallized clearly in Caiyun’s mind: Wang Changsheng could not be left alive!

"Withdraw!"

Caiyun roared, "Zhang Mingyuan, cover the rear!"

With that, Caiyun dissolved into a streak of white silk and vanished instantly from before their eyes.

"So fast?" Wang Changsheng muttered in genuine astonishment as her figure disappeared.

He had never expected that even under the watchful eyes of so many, Caiyun could vanish with such astonishing speed.

"It must be some formidable movement technique," Zhang Yi said grimly. "Given Cloud Peak's resources, acquiring such a technique is not difficult."

"Wise of her, at least she knows when to cut her losses," Wang Changsheng observed coldly.

Given Caiyun’s strength, even if she stayed, she could no longer save the Cloud Peak disciples. Once Chen Yuan and the others finished off the remaining subordinates, her turn would come next. As a key decision-maker, should Caiyun die here, the rest of the Cloud Peak cultivators lingering within the God-Slaying Tomb would likely face a grim fate.

In Wang Changsheng’s view, Caiyun’s flight was unquestionably the most rational choice.

Turning to Chen Yuan and Vajra, Wang Changsheng ordered in a chilling voice, "Leave none alive! Kill them all!"

Seeing Caiyun vanish, Zhang Mingyuan narrowed his eyes. With a single strike that repelled He Feng, he instantly swept up the few remaining rogue cultivators who had remained neutral, along with a dozen surviving Cloud Peak disciples, and bolted.

Seeing He Feng preparing to give chase, Wang Changsheng immediately barked, "He Feng, don't pursue!"

Pointing toward the remaining Cloud Peak fighters, he said coldly, "Eliminate these impediments first!"

He Feng nodded curtly and immediately led the two He family cultivators to slaughter the remaining Cloud Peak troops.

In less than the time it took to burn half an incense stick, the remaining dozens of Cloud Peak cultivators were completely wiped out, leaving not a single survivor!

"The losses suffered by Cloud Peak this time... are truly catastrophic..." Zhang Yi murmured, looking at the carpet of corpses with a stunned expression.

Chen Yuan and Vajra returned to Wang Changsheng's side, their eyes lingering warily upon the three He family members.

"Cloud Peak didn't bring this many Dan-formation cultivators when they first entered," He Feng noted with a deep frown. "It seems that in order to seize the legacy once the God-Slaying Mountain opened, Cloud Peak smuggled quite a few experts in covertly."

"So what? They're all dead now anyway!" Vajra brandished his battleaxe and grunted indifferently.

Hearing Vajra's blunt remark, Wang Changsheng and Chen Yuan furrowed their brows, though they said nothing further with outsiders present.

"What a pity to let Caiyun slip away," Zhang Yi remarked regretfully.

"It's better that she ran," Wang Changsheng replied. "I only provoked her back then to disgust her. Did you really think I wanted her to stay?"

He continued, "Even if she hadn't fled, we couldn't afford to kill her."

"You were simply too cowardly to kill her, weren't you?" He Feng looked at Wang Changsheng with visible disdain.

"You—"

Provoked by He Feng’s sarcasm, Zhang Cunzhong immediately stepped forward to retort.

"Indeed, we didn't dare kill her," Wang Changsheng interrupted before Zhang Cunzhong could finish. "After all, she is the Holy Maiden of Cloud Peak. Killing ordinary Cloud Peak disciples is acceptable—this is the God-Slaying Tomb, after all, where everyone abides by the rules of engagement. Once we leave, Cloud Peak wouldn't dare retaliate openly against us."

"However, once Caiyun is killed, I cannot guarantee whether Cloud Peak would continue to respect those rules!" Wang Changsheng said with a helpless sigh.

"Very well. Now that Cloud Peak's matter is settled, shouldn't we settle the score between us?" He Feng fixed his gaze on Wang Changsheng, his voice turning icy. "Compared to Cloud Peak, I have an even greater desire to slaughter the disciples of the Corpse Corpse Sect!"