If one could have surveyed the battlefield from above, they would have seen that Lu Su's team was not the only one facing annihilation. All ten squads of Profound Pill Sect disciples within the encampment were suffering devastating losses.
Even the three Ninth Layer Qi Refinement cultivators, the sect's strongest, had been instantly killed or critically wounded. The critically wounded cultivator, terrified, desperately tried to retreat, but was blasted into oblivion by a Mid-Grade Magic Artifact.
The Profound Pill Sect's third and strongest Ninth Layer Qi Refinement peak cultivator, armed with a High-Grade Magic Artifact, stood alone against two Ninth Layer Qi Refinement cultivators from the Blood God Sect. As Eighth Layer Qi Refinement cultivators from the Blood God Sect occasionally joined the fray, his chances of survival dwindled with each passing moment.
The Blood God Sect had initiated this ambush with less than half the number of Profound Pill Sect disciples. Yet their overwhelming individual strength had turned the battle into a one-sided massacre, carried out with effortless ease.
In less than fifteen minutes...
The Profound Pill Sect's third Ninth Layer Qi Refinement peak cultivator, with a desperate, resentful roar, entangled the two Blood God Sect Ninth Layer cultivators. He detonated his Magic Artifact, attempting to take them with him in a final act of self-destruction.
Alas.
The Blood God Sect cultivators, seasoned veterans of countless battles, reacted instantly. At the critical moment, they hurled two Mid-Grade Magic Artifacts to intercept their opponent's self-detonating artifact, successfully blocking the attack. However, the two Ninth Layer Qi Refinement cultivators who had been besieging him also sustained varying degrees of injuries, coughing up blood.
"Damn it! He actually self-detonated his artifact? Good thing I reacted fast, or I'd be screwed. Shit, this whole operation is turning into a loss!" one of the Blood God Sect Ninth Layer cultivators spat, wiping blood from the corner of his mouth. His eyes burned with savage fury, and his murderous intent seemed almost tangible.
"Exactly! I barely had time to warm up my Mid-Grade Artifact. Good thing I only partially refined it, or I'd be even more pissed. Still, it was a Mid-Grade Artifact! It took me a ton of effort to snatch it. Senior Brother Han, do you think the Sect will compensate us?" the other Ninth Layer cultivator lamented.
Having voiced their complaints, both cultivators turned their gazes toward a calm-faced figure standing behind them. This man, surnamed Han, was at the peak of the Ninth Layer of Qi Refinement. Throughout the battle, he hadn't lifted a finger, content to observe from the sidelines. Yet he was the leader of this assassination mission. His inaction stemmed from the simple truth: there was no one on the battlefield worthy of his attention.
The Han Cultivator ignored the two cultivators' attempts to speak, instead casting them a cold, sharp glare that silenced them instantly. He then surveyed the now-calm battlefield.
"You two, come with me to the Bloodflame Crystal Mine."
"Don't worry," he added, "that's where the main course awaits tonight. This was just an appetizer."
Turning to the others, he said, "Luo Yunxiao, Yuan Bai, Shi Heng, you three will stay behind with your respective teams. Hunt down every last disciple of the Profound Pill Sect who escaped, and ensure none survive."
"The rest of you, follow me."
Without another word, he turned and strode toward the city gate.
The two Ninth Layer Qi Refinement cultivators he had addressed dared not protest. Their faces flushed with embarrassment at having their greed exposed, but this quickly transformed into avarice at the mention of the Bloodflame Crystal Mine. We'll plunder the place! they thought, hurrying after him.
That night, Heavenfall City was completely open to both sects. The Great Qian's official cultivators sealed the gates, pretending nothing was happening outside. Even the loudest sounds of slaughter were deliberately ignored.
This order had come directly from the Foundation Establishment Stage cultivator stationed in Heavenfall City.
This policy wasn't unique to Heavenfall City; all cities along the front lines in Taibai County adopted the same attitude. After all, the Profound Pill Sect and the Blood God Sect had completely abandoned any pretense of civility.
For some unknown reason, the Great Qian Immortal Kingdom hadn't issued a single decree, completely ignoring the brutal clash between the two sects. Lacking insight into the political machinations, the cultivators lower down the ranks naturally wouldn't recklessly intervene.
The vast temporary encampment of the Profound Pill Sect fell into an eerie silence.
Half of their forces had been withdrawn, leaving only the three Eighth Layer Qi Refining cultivators specifically named by the Han Cultivator, along with about twenty Seventh Layer Qi Refining cultivators, to hunt down the fleeing disciples of the Profound Pill Sect.
"Trash," sneered a pale young man clutching a Golden Light Shuttle, his eyes narrowed and a cruel smile playing on his lips. "These Profound Pill Sect cultivators are barely better than garbage. How have they managed to survive this long?"
"If they encountered a demonic creature in the Blood River, they'd be slaughtered in an instant," added another Eighth Layer Qi Refining cultivator, a middle-aged scholar shaking a silver folding fan. This was his Mid-Grade Magic Artifact, whose power belied its rank.
"Heh," the scholar continued, "with such pathetic strength, if they were in the Blood God Sect, their graves would already be covered in three-zhang-high grass. No, wait—there wouldn't even be graves! They'd be reduced to ashes and refined into sludge in the Blood River."
Earlier, it was this scholar-like cultivator who had abruptly entered the battle and slain Lu Su with a single flick of his fan.
"Enough nonsense," snapped one of the cultivators. "Senior Brother Han has ordered the annihilation of all Profound Pill Sect disciples. If even one escapes, you'll face his wrath, and you'll regret it."
The third cultivator, also at the Eighth Layer of Qi Refinement, was a female. Like the others, she wore a crimson robe, but her slender figure and graceful movements exuded a captivating allure.
Yet none of the Eighth Layer cultivators or other disciples dared to glance at her for long.
This female cultivator was not only exceptionally powerful but also notoriously cruel.
Her favorite pastime was gouging out the eyes of those who dared to stare too long, drying them, and refining them into decorative pearls. Rumor had it that her cave abode was adorned with countless luminous orbs, creating a dazzling and opulent ambiance.
These pearls were said to be crafted from the refined eyes of cultivators she had slain.
Whether the rumor was true or false, it was undeniable that this female cultivator shared a close relationship with Senior Brother Han. Out of deference to their connection, no one dared show her disrespect.
Senior Brother Han himself was one of the Blood God Sect's current Blood God Sons. Though his cultivation had reached the peak of the Ninth Layer of Qi Refinement, his combat prowess rivaled that of a Foundation Establishment Stage cultivator, making him a formidable force to be reckoned with.
The middle-aged Confucian scholar with the folding fan shuddered at the thought of incurring Senior Brother Han's wrath, his face paling slightly.
Even the young man with powerful backing and the Top-Grade Magic Artifact, the Golden Light Shuttle, would never openly defy an order from a Blood God Son of the Blood God Sect.
Without a word, the two leaders immediately directed their teams to disperse in different directions and pursue the fleeing cultivators.
After confirming that no one else remained alive in the area, the female cultivator at the Eighth Layer of Qi Refinement chose the third direction and led her group in pursuit.
Meanwhile, on the other side of the battle...
Han Yi never looked back after turning and fleeing.
To him, the slaughter behind him was a one-sided massacre. The disparity in individual strength was too vast; defeat was inevitable.
He hadn't witnessed Lu Su's decapitation, nor the complete annihilation of the three Ninth Layer Qi Refinement cultivators.
Yet less than a minute after his escape, the sounds from the encampment ceased abruptly amid a terrifying explosion. It was clear the battle had ended.
Any Profound Pill Sect members who hadn't fled were almost certainly doomed.
"Damn it! What kind of suicidal policy is this, sending us to our deaths?" Han Yi fumed as he fled. Barely a day had passed since their deployment, and already their company had been decimated. His anger surged uncontrollably.
Amidst his fury, a sense of disorientation crept in. "Now what? Where do I go?"
"Wait, calm down."
Forcing down his momentary panic, Han Yi's mind raced. "Two options: stay in the city or flee beyond the walls."
"Fleeing is far more dangerous. If I run into the main force of the Blood God Sect, I'll be easy prey. Besides, where would I even go?"
"Then I'm stuck here."
"But the temporary encampment is destroyed, Martial Uncle Gu of the Foundation Establishment Stage has been lured away and his whereabouts are unknown, and the other disciples are either dead or scattered like sand—the entire operation has dissolved into chaos."
"No, there's another way: seek protection from the Great Qian authorities."
"At this point, I can't afford to be picky. I'll take refuge wherever it's safest and figure things out later."