Chapter 97

Qian Tongyi and others retreated, regulated their breath and restored their magic power, while two new squads took over to continue digging, sending flying swords into the tunnels to slaughter, and obtaining a more detailed map of the tunnel layout.

Even if calculations went wrong, it didn’t matter—just dig elsewhere.

“It’s kind of like whack-a-mole.”

Li Junhao complained that rotating the two squads to maintain their magic power above eighty percent was too inefficient, and someone from Team Seven might still escape.

He thought of a solution, sprinted to the cargo tracked vehicle, carried a large stack of explosives, cut them into cylindrical shapes, and attached fuses.

“Senior, direct the flying sword downward—just make a pit the size of a fist, no need for anything larger.”

Qian Tongyi glanced at Jiang Ding; seeing no objection, he nodded slightly, drew his mid-grade magic treasure, Liyun Sword, which shot into the sky and then rained down in spiraling blades of sword qi.

Before this mid-grade magic treasure wielded by a late-stage Qi Refining cultivator, earth and stone were thinner than paper.

After a few breaths, Liyun Sword returned, leaving behind a deep hole in the ground.

Li Junhao quickly placed the pre-cut cylindrical explosives inside one by one, pulled the fuses, and sprinted away as sparks ignited.

BOOM!

A massive explosion erupted behind them, hurling countless earth and stones into the air; seconds later, they rained down in a clatter, covering the surroundings in a layer of shattered soil.

Qian Tongyi and the others were stunned.

This was nearly equivalent to a combined strike by multiple mid- to late-stage Qi Refining cultivators.

A mere ordinary human, not even an Inner Qi cultivator, could achieve this—the Daoist sects’ mastery over external arts was truly terrifying.

Jiang Ding slashed away a rock hurtling toward him, then focused on the crater revealed by the blast—sure enough, two deep tunnel entrances appeared.

SHHH! SHHH!

Before he could speak, Qian Tongyi’s flying swords had already descended, splitting into two groups like schools of fish that dove into each tunnel entrance; soon, continuous screams echoed, some lasting several exchanges—likely soldiers or Qi Refining students from Team Seven.

“Continue.”

Jiang Ding ordered.

The new method was implemented: multiple squadrons acted simultaneously, with Team One’s students placing explosives; efficiency in clearing out the remaining Team Seven forces in the tunnels surged dramatically.

Almost every few minutes, a Team Seven ambush point in the tunnels was wiped out, their numbers steadily dwindling.

TING! TING! TING!

From one blasted tunnel entrance, a rapid clashing of flying swords suddenly rang out, mixed with the sound of magical explosions; soon, Qian Tongyi and his subordinates’ flying swords fled back in disarray, pursued by another Liyun Sword of identical design but far stronger aura.

Other squads stationed across the area rushed forward to assist, forcing the pursuing sword back.

Team Seven soldiers!

Still alive—ambushed beneath the tunnels by Li Tie, waiting to strike them with a devastating blow.

“Immortal Envoy…”

Qian Tongyi shouted; a tacit understanding had formed during these days of battle.

“Request fire support—target: late-stage Qi Refining cultivator—coordinates…”

Jiang Ding nodded, speaking rapidly, firing off a stream of commands into the battle group channel.

SHHH! SHHH! SHHH!

With less than a second’s delay, over twenty shells descended from the sky, still within the absolute interference zone, precisely entering the blasted tunnel entrances and driving deep inside.

“Take cover!”

Jiang Ding’s expression changed—he was too close!

BOOM!

The earth surged like waves; high-explosive and armor-piercing shells detonated, embedding countless shards of anti-magic steel densely into the soil, deeply lodged, tearing any living thing into fragments.

After a while, Jiang Ding stood up, brushed the dirt off his body, and looked around.

Fortunately, aside from Li Junhao being injured by a rock, everyone else was unharmed.

Even within the artillery interference zone, Hua Bing’s team still had strength.

“Senior Qian.”

“Yes!”

The Liyun Sect cultivators responded, dozens of flying swords soaring into the air, piercing the ground, entering the tunnel entrances, inch by inch scanning every possible hiding spot.

“Twelve remains of Heiyun Peak cultivators detected.”

“The corpse of Li Yunchen.”

The Liyun Sect cultivators were shaken—she was the daughter of a Jin Dan cultivator, a figure as brilliant as a star, universally regarded within the sect as certain to reach Foundation Establishment and possibly even Jin Dan.

Amidst their joy, a pang of sorrow arose—like the fox mourning the rabbit’s death.

One by one, the corpses of cultivators were identified; this single artillery strike had already killed over half of Team Seven’s soldiers, and the wounded were being finished off one by one.

As for the fewer than ten Qi Refining cultivators remaining in Team Seven before they even attacked the camp fortifications, after this relentless barrage, search, and purge, surviving even one or two would be sheer luck.

“Has Li Tie been found?”

Jiang Ding asked, describing Li Tie’s appearance and traits—capture and kill him, and the last faint hope of Team Seven would be extinguished.

“No trace of this Immortal Envoy’s corpse has been found, nor his Xiao Yuan Ci Mountain magic treasure…” Qian Tongyi replied, then suddenly stared in horror at the bulging ground.

“Immortal Envoy, beware!”

Jiang Ding’s face turned pale.

An indescribably immense pressure descended upon him; instinctively, he unleashed all his inner power to flee—but couldn’t move an inch.

Then he looked up—and saw a meter-tall Yuan Ci Mountain magic treasure hovering above his head, crushing him with endless weight; bones and muscles groaned under the strain.

“You damned bastard! You ruined my perfect plan!”

“Die!”

Jiang Ding heard a voice gnashing with fury, hot enough to burn a man to ash.

Then, darkness swallowed his vision.

SPLAT!

His last sight: dozens of Liyun flying swords hurtling toward him, dense as rain, blazing with brilliant sword qi and spiritual light.

He felt slightly better.

…

“Please rate the Liyun Sect cultivators.”

“Compliance (10): Combat Ability (10): Coordination (10): Identification with the Immortal Sect (10):”

“10 10 10 2”

ZZZZ!

From the equipment depot, Jiang Ding walked out, face dark.

Being killed at the peak of glory felt terrible—the fear in that final moment still unsettled him upon reflection.

“Back from the dead?”

A logistics department teacher sat nearby; seeing him emerge, unharmed and sane, he lazily said, “You can wait here for the other students, or go home first—your choice. Winter break starts now.”

“I’m going home.”

Jiang Ding thanked the teacher, went to the cultivation chamber to take an elixir, and under the guidance of the Array Spirit, resumed his interrupted two-day cultivation; after finishing, seeing Li Junhao and the others still occupied, he headed home.

He had never been away from home for two consecutive days since birth.

The Grand Void Illusion was fine—but now that he was out, he missed his mother and Jiang Yuan.