Chapter 2851: Strike Amid the Chaos

Lin Qing'ao kept watching Purple Qilin and Lei Ming, and only stopped when the two ran out of the range his Divine Sense could probe.

He also dispatched three strongmen ahead to scout, clearly becoming more cautious.

Ye Liuyun rushed over and pulled Purple Qilin and Lei Ming into the Space World, preventing them from further risking.

"Why didn't they come to capture us and just attacked outright?" Lei Ming asked.

"Heh, your disguise wasn't thorough; the treasure that masks your realm was discovered. They know you're bait, so after a quick test they'll strike immediately," Ye Liuyun told Lei Ming.

Lei Ming glanced at the realm‑masking treasure on himself and Purple Qilin and felt a bit guilty.

"It's fine, we've already controlled three and achieved our goal. The rest can come later!"

Ye Liuyun didn't expect to eliminate so many with a single strike. After pulling the two into the Space World, he and his clone trailed them front and back, looking for the next chance to act.

They hadn't gone far when the three scouting Martial Cultivators returned, informing Lin Qing'ao that they had located the earlier group of Martial Cultivators and even gathered fairly clear intel on their strength and numbers.

Pang Yuan, upon hearing, immediately suggested charging together to annihilate them. Given their strength and numbers, wiping them out outright would suffice.

Yet Lin Qing'ao wanted to showcase his 'cleverness,' aiming to eliminate them in batches with fewer losses.

So they followed Lin Qing'ao's orders, splitting into three routes hidden around Li Xinran's group, using Li Xinran as bait to draw out part of the enemy for an initial strike, then wiping out that portion before jointly besieging the remainder.

This tactic was ordinary. The opponent, seeing Li Xinran's small force, would likely not deploy everyone at once. Yet Ye Liuyun saw it as a perfect opportunity for his own move.

So when Li Xinran, via the Slave Seal, asked him what to do, Ye Liuyun immediately replied to follow Lin Qing'ao's arrangement.

Li Xinran also thought Ye Liuyun considered Lin Qing'ao's side numerous and not yet ready to act, so she patiently waited, and per Lin Qing'ao's plan, led two Unified Realm strongmen and ten guards to scout ahead.

The three parties under Lin Qing'ao stayed behind to protect her; whenever the enemy sent someone out, they would strike.

Ye Liuyun and his clone were also ready to strike amid the chaos. The three Martial Cultivators he had already controlled lingered beside Lin Qing'ao, ready to act on his command.

Li Xinran's party cleared the path ahead and had to fight the ferocious beasts here, so the enemy quickly sensed the combat.

The opponent also sent a Unified Realm strongman to scout. Ye Liuyun's Golden Pupil saw they sent only one, rushed over, and first placed a Slave Seal on him, then relayed Lin Qing'ao's arrangements.

"Go back and tell the others all this information, without mentioning me—say you gathered it. Then advise them to concentrate forces to attack Pang Yuan's line, and afterward retreat to the mountain for defense," Ye Liuyun ordered the Martial Cultivator.

"Got it!" the Martial Cultivator replied, pretended to circle Li Xinran's team for scouting, then returned to rally the troops.

"Forty Zhuanzai Jingjie strongmen!" The Martial Cultivator's comrades on the mountain, upon receiving the intel, panicked.

The Martial Cultivator controlled by Ye Liuyun immediately conveyed Ye Liuyun's suggestion to them.

"Our plan now is to focus a surprise raid on the first line, catch them off‑guard, then pull back to defend."

His suggestion steadied the panicked crowd. In the end they decided that all Zhuanzai Ninefold Martial Cultivators would feign an attack on Li Xinran's team to draw attention, while all Unified Realm strongmen would sneak‑attack Pang Yuan's contingent.

However, they also decided that even if the raid succeeded, they would not retreat to the mountain; instead they would disperse and flee, letting Lin Qing'ao continue the chase. Familiar with the area, they could use the ferocious beasts' power to eliminate more of them before seeking a chance to counterattack.

After deciding, they immediately surged down the mountain as a mass, charging toward Li Xinran.

Having lingered long in this Secret Realm, they had adapted to the environment, so their combat prowess far exceeded that of Lin Qing'ao's side, even their movements and speed were much quicker.

Lin Qing'ao hadn't expected them to mobilize en masse. It diverged greatly from his plan, and he couldn't understand why they would all charge out just for Li Xinran's small group.

But there was no time for further thought; he could only order everyone to surge forward, treating it as an all‑out battle, and also to protect Li Xinran, ensuring she wouldn't get hurt.

At that moment, the men descending from the mountain suddenly split into two groups, with all strongmen charging toward Pang Yuan's side.

Ye Liuyun then sent a Transmission Voice to Li Xinran, telling her to retreat as far as possible, so that Lin Qing'ao could later send people to find her.

Li Xinran, hearing this, thought the plan good; this would cause Lin Qing'ao's forces to disperse. She immediately withdrew with her people, and also had the two strongmen arranged by Lin Qing'ao intercept for her.

Lin Qing'ao also feared she might get hurt in battle; seeing her retreat aligned with his wishes, he didn't intervene. Consequently, after Li Xinran withdrew, she kept running and soon vanished from sight.

On Lin Qing'ao's side, the other two groups of strongmen were blocked by the Zhuanzai Ninefold Martial Cultivators, who, using their familiarity with the area, tried to hold back those two groups.

Pang Yuan's team then launched a massive battle. As soon as they surged upward, Ye Liuyun acted, using Time Power to sequentially seize control of the Martial Cultivators at the rear. His clone did the same, starting from the opposing side's rear, quietly capturing them one by one.

When each side was reduced to five or six people, Ye Liuyun and his clone stopped hiding and openly unleashed Time Power, simultaneously seizing all remaining foes.

He realized their Divine Soul Power was weak, so when he employed Time Power, their souls were frozen in place.

Both sides halted their actions instantly. Ye Liuyun and his clone immediately pulled them into the Space World, then moved toward Lin Qing'ao's side.

"Surround them and leave none alive!" Lin Qing'ao continued directing his strongmen, encircling the Zhuanzai Ninefold Martial Cultivators.

"Retreat!"

The Zhuanzai Jingjie Martial Cultivators instantly shouted a warning, and those who could flee turned and ran away.

In that short span, over twenty of them were slain, yet none on Lin Qing'ao's side died, only two were slightly wounded. Even with their environmental adaptation, the massive power gap denied them any real advantage.

(End of Chapter)