It appeared that the luck of Ji Caiyue and Zhao Ming, that pair of ill-fated lovebirds, was quite different.
The former had reached her destination safely, while the latter had likely been intercepted halfway.
Vague complaints from the Tiandao Sect cultivators reached her ears, but the communication between the two sides was succinct and efficient.
The Sword Sect was direct, and the Tiandao Sect disciples could only grumble.
What else could they do? Although the Tiandao Sect wasn’t exactly composed of saints, they weren’t the type to defect to the enemy.
All they could do was resist.
After the two Ling Kings finished their communication, Hua Jian told the Sword Sect Ling King her suspicion.
She felt they should look for Zhao Ming and his group, who had been intercepted on the way.
Although she knew Zhao Ming and Ji Caiyue were enemies who wanted nothing more than to tear each other apart, in this situation, Hua Jian couldn’t afford not to unite with another big faction.
Strength in numbers. If they were too few, it would be difficult for them to complete the deployment and transformation of the five Forbidden Lands.
Even if Zhao Ming was unwilling to cooperate with Ji Caiyue, Hua Jian could find a way to deal with the leader and win over his remaining subordinates.
She wasn’t someone who excelled at solving problems, but solving the person who caused the problem was something she was quite good at.
“That makes sense. Let’s go, then. We’ll make it quick.” Sword Cultivators almost always had straightforward personalities.
Hearing Hua Jian’s suggestion, he naturally didn’t object.
He grabbed Hua Jian by the back of her collar again and leaped into the air, flying toward the west.
“Get things ready here. If I find them, I’ll bring them back!”
The Sword Cultivator’s voice echoed in the air as he departed, leaving the Tiandao Sect disciples rubbing their noses with expressions of speechless frustration.
It wasn’t exactly hatred; it was just that all Sword Cultivators were like this.
It often gave the more shrewd Tiandao Sect cultivators a sense of powerlessness—the feeling of a scholar meeting a soldier.
Sword Cultivators only followed one logic. No matter how silver-tongued one was, they couldn’t be swayed, which was quite frustrating.
“Sigh, why did I have to be the one to encounter a Demonic Path Invasion…”
……
After flying west for a while, Hua Jian saw many cultivators fleeing toward the east. These should be members of that Alliance.
“Go down and guide them to that Forbidden Land. I’ll go further ahead to take a look.”
Upon spotting the cultivators on the ground, the Sword Cultivator left Hua Jian there, no longer allowing her to follow him.
First, the cultivators here truly needed someone to guide them. Second, without Hua Jian, he could unleash his true strength.
If the enemy he had to face this time was a Ling King of the Magic Path, carrying Hua Jian might affect his combat effectiveness.
It was better to leave Hua Jian here so he could go and fight unencumbered.
“Alright, Senior Brother, please be careful.” Hua Jian didn’t refuse the arrangement. She also felt that acting as a guide was a good role for her.
After bidding farewell to the Sword Cultivator, she turned and flew toward the scattered cultivators on the ground. As she drew closer, she drifted in the air and shouted to them.
“You came from the direction of the grasslands, didn’t you? Where is your leader now?”
With the help of Spiritual Power, her voice became exceptionally loud. Everyone on the ground looked up at the sky toward Hua Jian.
‘She’s quite pretty, but I don’t recognize her,’ was the first thought that crossed these cultivators’ minds.
Compared to their disheveled appearances, Hua Jian’s attire was fresh and clean, not looking at all like someone who had just experienced a hard-fought battle.
She was likely a third party who hadn’t been involved in the war between the two factions.
“The Demonic Path is chasing us! Justice Swordsman and Young Master Zhao were targeted by them…”
The cultivators answered Hua Jian’s question in an incredibly noisy manner.
Although they were all saying the same thing, Hua Jian found it quite irritating to listen to. Couldn’t these guys coordinate their opinions before answering?
Sweeping her gaze across the cultivators on the ground, she randomly pointed to a cultivator with decent strength. “You, answer my question. Everyone else, shut your mouths!”
Her voice carried a confidence that was naturally persuasive. After hearing her command, the bewildered cultivators lowered their heads one by one and stopped speaking.
The cultivator she pointed to stammered through an explanation of what had happened recently.
It wasn’t actually very complicated; they had been running while the Demonic Path pursued them until they were eventually caught and scattered.
“The goal of those Demonic Path cultivators was Justice Swordsman and Young Master Zhao. We took the opportunity while they were attacking the leaders to run back.” As he spoke, the cultivator’s face turned red with shame.
Deserting the battlefield and abandoning one’s leader was not something a member of the Right Path should do.
Yet they had done exactly that, which was why they were so lacking in confidence now.
“Are you saying the Demonic Path has been pursuing you relentlessly?” Hua Jian followed up with a frown.
This was very strange. When Ji Caiyue gathered her remaining troops for a strategic retreat, she hadn’t encountered a pursuit from the Demonic Path. Why was this side being hunted so persistently?
Did the Demonic Path also find this side more annoying?
Quickly tossing away the strange thought, Hua Jian tentatively attributed the reason for this group being hunted to bad luck.
“Yes, they’ve been hunting us the whole time, especially Justice Swordsman. He’s the one being targeted the most.”
‘The one who fixed the match is being targeted the most?’ Hua Jian scratched her head.
It was easy to find a reason—Justice Swordsman was one of the leaders of this major faction.
Compared to the nouveau riche Zhao Ming, this man certainly seemed more like a leader.
It was perfectly understandable for the Demonic Path to focus more attention on him.
“Don’t worry, a Senior Brother from the Sword Sect has already gone to rescue them. Hurry toward the east and enter the Forbidden Land there. There is a Senior Brother from the Tiandao Sect in the Ling King Realm who can protect you.” Having gathered the news she needed, Hua Jian pointed the way for these cultivators.
Hearing that there was actually a cultivator at the Ling King Realm in the Secret Realm who could shield them, the cultivators were overjoyed.
After thanking Hua Jian, they quickly ran in the direction she indicated.
Hua Jian didn’t follow them back to the Forbidden Land. Instead, she decided to walk a few more steps toward the west to see if she could gather more scattered troops.
As for cannon fodder, the more the better.
Regarding safety, she was still very confident.
“A Meng! It’s time to work!”
A colored butterfly appeared at the side of her head, remaining as motionless as a small hair clip.
This was likely the strongest combat power on the side of the Right Path within the entire Secret Realm.
With her protection, Hua Jian had no reason to fear ordinary Demonic Path cultivators.
What if she encountered a Ling Emperor?
Please, what else could she do against a Ling Emperor? She’d just give up!
The combined power of the Right Path in this entire Secret Realm could only fight against the Demonic Path at the Ling King stage.
Should a single Ling Emperor appear, it would be an unbearable weight for the Right Path.
Furthermore, if a Ling Emperor were truly here, how could these cultivators still be alive and running to this place?
That was thinking too much. The gap between a Ling Emperor and a Spirit Master was so large that the former could kill the latter with a single glance.
The fact that these people could run back alive proved that the Demonic Path’s invasion force this time did not have top-tier combat power like a Ling Emperor.
It was estimated that those who entered were just some lower-level Ling Kings and Spirit Masters, who could also be considered cannon fodder within the Demonic Path.
Sabotaging the Secret Realm of the Ascension Gathering was essentially a suicide mission.
There was no way the true geniuses of the Demonic Path would come here to throw away their lives.
The Demonic Path was wicked, but they weren’t stupid.
After figuring this out, Hua Jian wasn’t that worried anymore.
Perhaps she was the strongest person in terms of combat power in this Secret Realm?
‘I originally wanted to get along with you all as an ordinary person, but you didn’t give me any face. So, don’t blame me for flipping the table!’
Wave after wave of cultivators escaped from the west. Even Hua Jian was somewhat surprised by Justice Swordsman’s ability to recruit so many cultivators as subordinates.
Unfortunately, after a major event, these cultivators couldn’t be relied upon at all. They were no longer organized and could only run around in a panic.
However, after Hua Jian pointed the way for them, they regained some level of organization.
Not knowing where to run and knowing where to go were two different states. The latter clearly allowed hope to rise in their hearts.
Finding people, pointing the way, finding people, pointing the way.
Constantly gathering and sending the defeated cultivators toward the Forbidden Land, Hua Jian felt as though she had become a sheepdog and these cultivators were a flock of sheep.
Soon, she encountered a sheep that wasn’t very obedient.
“It’s you? What are you doing here? Did Ji Caiyue send you!”
Hearing that voice full of hostility and alarm, Hua Jian tilted her head toward the source of the sound.
Then, she saw a young master being protected by several cultivators.
After trying to recall for a moment, she managed to pull this person’s identity from her memory.
“Oh, it’s you. Long time no see. I didn’t expect you to end up looking like this.”
Hua Jian sized up Ji Caiyue’s former fiancé from head to toe, feeling that Ji Caiyue’s decision to break the engagement was indeed justified.
This Young Master now looked like a stray dog. Aside from that bit of hollow bluster, there was nothing left of him.
He looked just like a keyboard warrior hissing at a tiger.
“Don’t misunderstand. I have indeed seen Ji Caiyue, but I’m not here for the business between her and you.” Hua Jian rolled her eyes and pointed toward the east as she spoke to the Young Master.
“If you want to live, go there. Naturally, someone will tell you what you need to do. I have many things to do and no time to bicker with you here.”
‘Arrogant, right? A Young Master, right?’
Hua Jian actually wanted to see what kind of scene it would be when this man encountered the cultivators from the Tiandao Sect.
As everyone knew, the Tiandao Sect was also a group of arrogant young masters. When a young master met another young master, who would be the greater one?
“You must have set a trap there! I won’t fall for your scheme! Everyone, listen to me, we can’t trust her…”
‘No, just how serious is this guy’s persecution complex?’
How could he still be stirring up trouble at a time like this? Hua Jian looked at Zhao Ming, who was spouting nonsense among the crowd, with great difficulty.
If she let this man continue, it would be troublesome if he scared everyone away.
A person like this was a pest to the team. Maybe she should just act on behalf of the heavens and deal with him.
Reaching out to grasp the hilt of the Ling Sword at her waist, Hua Jian’s gaze gradually became sharp.
“Those who believe me, step aside. Those who don’t, step aside as well.”