One group was led by more than ten cultivators also dressed in the attire of the Malevolent Spirit Sect, with over twenty cultivators in various other outfits standing behind them. This group simply stared coldly at the group opposite them.
The opposing group was clearly much larger, numbering sixty to seventy people. They were currently formed in a semicircle, arguing about something. The words Li Yan had heard from outside came from this crowd.
Seeing this scene, Li Yan guessed that the group of only thirty-odd people must be the surviving cultivators of the original Sixteenth Squad. Every one of them exuded a thick killing aura, their faces cold. It was clear at a glance that they had just been through a brutal battle. Many of them still bore wounds and bloodstains. Li Yan had heard from Wei Zhongran that the seriously injured had been sent to the rear to heal and recuperate. It seemed these were the only ones who could still stand here.
Li Yan did not immediately step forward. Like the dozen or so cultivators beside him, he stood far off by the gate, watching the two sides.
As Bu Luo's group argued, they would occasionally glance towards the group led by the Malevolent Spirit Sect.
At this moment, one of the leaders from the silent Malevolent Spirit Sect side, a large man with his arms crossed coldly, spoke up. "Have you whined enough? You are in no position to criticize the previous captain of the Green Sixteenth Squad. Where are all these excuses coming from? Just fight it out."
"Once you've decided, whoever thinks their cultivation is strong enough can just step forward."
"Regardless of which senior brother the higher-ups have arranged to be captain, for now, I, Gong Yuantai, will accept all challengers."
"During my travels, I have visited some of your regions. I know that both the Jingtu Sect and the Ten-Pace Courtyard are lands of outstanding people. I never knew you all possessed such sharp tongues."
"Senior Brother Gong is right. Count me in!"
"I'd also like to see your skills. Are you that much stronger than our previous captain?"
"..."
As soon as the large man from the Malevolent Spirit Sect spoke, several other cultivators beside him chimed in, including three from the Malevolent Spirit Sect and four from behind, making a total of eight. Including Gong Yuantai, the surging auras of all eight revealed that they were all at the Pseudo-Core Realm.
Gong Yuantai was furious. Did these people really think this was their backyard garden? Needless to say, these conscripted cultivators would be dragged to the front lines in two days at most, or even one. Let's see if you still have the leisure for this then. The number of cultivators at the front was critically low, barely enough to cover the daily losses. Besides, at their core, there were always rifts between the cultivators of the Four Great Sects; how could they be so easily eliminated?
Just as the tone of Gong Yuantai's side grew increasingly grim, the faces of the group opposite them turned hostile. In an instant, twenty to thirty cultivators stepped forward. Among them, besides ten at the Pseudo-Core Realm, there were nearly twenty at the Great Perfection of Foundation Establishment. This included Bu Luo, whose current cultivation was also at the Great Perfection of Foundation Establishment.
This made Li Yan quite surprised at Bu Luo's cultivation level. It seemed that in the past two years, not only had he been advancing by leaps and bounds, but Bu Luo had also made rapid progress.
Li Yan now saw the emblem on Gong Yuantai's sleeve: a ferocious beast roaring at the sky above a small golden cauldron. It was the mark of a disciple from Lord Lao Peak. However, because Li Yan disliked going out, he had never heard of this Gong Yuantai.
The situation in the field was now clear. Gong Yuantai and the cultivators behind him were likely the original members of the Sixteenth Squad, all disciples of the Malevolent Spirit Sect and its conscripted cultivators. The other side, with fifty to sixty people, must have come from the jurisdictions of the Jingtu Sect and the Ten-Pace Courtyard. It seemed his appointment as captain was not going to be recognized by others.
The appearance of Gong Yuantai and the others meant that during the month Li Yan was in seclusion, this place was no longer guarded solely by disciples from Four Symbols Peak; disciples from the other peaks had arrived long ago. Sure enough, Li Yan soon spotted the emblems of the other three peaks on the sleeves of the Malevolent Spirit Sect disciples.
Gong Yuantai's side seemed to be trying to stand up for him. Realizing this, Li Yan rubbed his nose but still did not step forward immediately, instead watching from a distance with great interest.
If his senses were not mistaken, several extremely powerful Divine Senses were constantly shrouding this courtyard. Among them was the familiar Divine Sense of his esteemed master. The other seven or eight Divine Senses were rather unfamiliar. With these people secretly watching, Li Yan knew that nothing too major would happen here.
'They're watching me for entertainment!'
Li Yan instantly understood something. No wonder his master had wanted to clarify his cultivation level; there was a purpose behind it from the start. Perhaps the fact that he had managed to escape from a Demon Lord had already given his master an idea.
Although Wei Zhongran and the others could use force to compel the conscripted cultivators from the Jingtu Sect and the Ten-Pace Courtyard to obey their arrangements, just as Bu Luo had said, such a team would be problematic. With everyone harboring resentment, it would be their own side that suffered on the battlefield.
Of course, Wei Zhongran and the others were even more aware of this situation. But as the ones in charge here, the Malevolent Spirit Sect certainly wanted to keep control of the various cultivator battalions as much as possible. After learning of his strength, it was possible that they had assigned him to the Green Sixteenth Squad for this very reason.
Although Li Yan had been completely unaware before, after hearing the words of the deacon in the main hall and combining it with the current situation, how could he not figure out some of the schemes involved?
In fact, this was also the Four Great Sects constantly striving for their own post-war interests. Even though the future was uncertain, those old foxes had already calculated every aspect.
Li Yan guessed that the Green Sixteenth Squad had likely suffered the most severe losses, and the hastily brought in reinforcements were conscripted cultivators from the other two sects. This created a situation where the guest was overwhelming the host. They were sending him over to suppress them. Perhaps, besides the Sixteenth Squad of the "Green Bat Battalion," other squads had also been reinforced, but likely not in such large numbers. Therefore, being outnumbered, the Malevolent Spirit Sect cultivators should still have the upper hand.
Having figured this out in an instant, Li Yan was no longer in a hurry. He might as well see how the combat strength of the two sides compared. In any case, with someone backing him from behind, whatever happened would be none of his business.
"Senior Brother Gong, my name is Tang Minglong. I come from a small, insignificant sect. I would like to ask for your guidance."
At this moment, a person had already stepped out from the crowd, cupping his fist towards Gong Yuantai's side with a faint smile on his face.
His words sounded humble, but everyone knew this person was no kind soul. His speech, while seemingly modest, was laced with malicious intent. By presenting himself as worthless, if he were to lose later, everyone would think nothing of it; he was just a disciple from an unknown small sect. Although Tang Minglong's personal cultivation had reached the Pseudo-Core Realm, the cultivation methods of a small sect were certainly not high-level, so his defeat would be understandable.
But if he defeated Gong Yuantai in battle, he could use the reputation of the Malevolent Spirit Sect to instantly make a name for himself. Although defeating just one disciple was not enough to tarnish the Malevolent Spirit Sect's reputation, it would still earn Tang Minglong some fame.
Gong Yuantai looked at the other party with an expressionless face and was about to step forward. But another person beside him beat him to it.
"Since you feel you are insignificant, how could it be Senior Brother Gong's turn to act? I will suffice."
Before the words had even faded, a figure had already rushed out of the ranks. This person was about thirty years old, with a gaunt face and three long strands of beard fluttering under his chin, making him look quite old.
This person's cultivation was only at the Great Perfection of Foundation Establishment, a minor realm below Tang Minglong. It was enough for Tang Minglong to crush him without any suspense.
After Gong Yuantai saw the person's face clearly and scanned Tang Minglong with his Divine Sense again, he said no more, but immediately stopped in his tracks and stood his ground.
When Li Yan saw this person, his eyes narrowed. He had seen this person several times before, likely at the Pill Medicine Hall on Lord Lao Peak. He had heard others greet this person, probably calling him "Senior Brother Yang." In any case, his impression was not very deep. If not for seeing the two intertwined fine Gu-insects on the other's sleeve, he wouldn't have remembered him at all. That was when someone was trading spirit insects with this person for medicinal pills, and it just so happened that Li Yan also wanted to take those pills back to study for his Fragmented Poison Body, so he had paid slight attention. However, he did not know the person's specific name.
Tang Minglong, in the field, saw that Gong Yuantai had not stepped out, and a trace of disappointment appeared in his eyes. But he also knew that among all the people on the other side, this Gong Yuantai should be the one with the most exquisite cultivation. Although Gong Yuantai had said he would accept all challenges, it was clear that the others would not agree.
However, when he saw that the person who came forward was also a Malevolent Spirit Sect cultivator, he couldn't help but feel a flicker of joy in his heart. As long as it was a Malevolent Spirit Sect cultivator, it was fine. But when his Divine Sense swept over the other person, his previously humble expression immediately changed color.
"The Malevolent Spirit Sect is indeed one of the four renowned sects of the world, but I have never heard of it being the head of the Four Great Sects here. For you, sir, to step forward from the crowd with such a cultivation level, you must either have a brilliant technique for concealing your aura, or the immortal art you practice is profound and unfathomable, making it impossible for me to see through. But I wonder, what is this Junior Brother's esteemed name?"
With a sweep of his Divine Sense, the other party was only at the Great Perfection of Foundation Establishment, yet he dared to challenge him so brazenly. Tang Minglong was instantly enraged, and his words were laced with barbs. At the same time, he still suggested that the other party might be hiding his cultivation, so that if he won later, it wouldn't be too glorious.
The gaunt-faced Malevolent Spirit Sect cultivator seemed to have a wound on his shoulder, with blood still seeping through and staining it. He just shook his head.
"I am not hiding my cultivation. I am indeed a very weak existence within the sect. Otherwise, I would not have failed to reach the Pseudo-Core Realm at my age, let alone dream of the Golden Core."
"In the previous successive battles with the demonic cultivators, it was thanks to my senior and junior brothers protecting me that I managed to survive. Fighting here won't easily cost me my life, which is why I've dared to hope for Brother Tang's guidance."
He did not reveal his name, clearly unwilling to say more. After speaking, he stood his ground. If not for the Malevolent Spirit Sect uniform that made him look somewhat special, he would have resembled a down-and-out secular scholar.
The Yang-surnamed cultivator stood with his hands hanging down, his eyes calmly looking at Tang Minglong, showing no sign of emotion.
This time, not only did Tang Minglong's anger gradually rise, but many of the cultivators behind him also showed angry expressions. Many were heard snorting heavily, clearly feeling that the Malevolent Spirit Sect cultivators were too arrogant, not taking them seriously at all.
Tang Minglong, without another word, raised his hands in a circling motion. A massive, emerald-green water pillar appeared within the embrace of his arms. His hand seals were extremely fast; the technique was completed with just a lift of his hands, without any incantations or spells. This showed that his strength was already very formidable.
With a exertion of force from his arms, Tang Minglong swung the emerald water pillar, which was ten zhang high and as thick as a man's embrace.
Seeing this, the crowds on both sides immediately retreated, instantly clearing an open space of more than fifty zhang for the two in the field.