The devastating defeat in Zimo Forest dealt a heavy blow to the allied forces of the Yue Kingdom.
For the Flying Feather Sect, losing four Foundation Establishment cultivators in a row was a crippling loss.
As for the other factions that had sent forces to join the coalition, even the deaths of a few Qi Refining cultivators meant the loss of core members of their families and sects!
Once those cultivators fell, their respective forces suffered significant setbacks.
As a result, the Yue Kingdom's coalition, which had been advancing steadily through Huan Country and seizing territories, suddenly lost its momentum and morale.
The front lines began to show signs of weakness, unable to maintain pressure on the united front led by the Purple Profound Sect and various local powers.
In such circumstances, facing a fierce counterattack from the Purple Profound Sect, the Yue Kingdom coalition could no longer maintain its earlier ferocity.
The territories they had previously taken were only superficially looted and had yet to be fully consolidated. Before they could truly harvest the resources, they were forced into retreat by the Purple Profound Sect's army!
And the Qi Clan, who had decisively betrayed the Purple Profound Sect in the early stages, now faced their reckoning.
…
"Did you ever consider today's consequences when you dared betray the Purple Profound Sect?!"
Ji Qing floated high in the sky, his gaze cold and commanding as he looked down upon the Qi Clan's ancestral grounds, now shielded by a Tier 2 grand formation.
His aura surged with dominance, enveloped in orange-red spiritual light, his blood energy rolling like a humanoid fireball.
At his side stood several elders of the Purple Profound Sect, while behind him stretched massive flying ships, packed with cultivators rows upon rows, an overwhelming show of force!
"Ancestor... The elders from the Flying Feather Sect have already fled. What are we supposed to do now?"
Inside the formation, the Qi Clan head asked with a grim face, turning to the Qi Clan Ancestor.
To the Flying Feather Sect, the Qi Clan had always been a pawn none of the coalition forces truly saw them as allies.
When the situation looked favorable, cooperation was still maintainable.
But now, with tides turning and counterattacks erupting across various regions, the Yue Kingdom coalition, fighting on foreign ground, was struggling to defend itself.
Faced with a targeted retaliation by the Purple Profound Sect, who would be willing to stay behind and share the Qi Clan's fate?
"This move was a mistake…"
"I thought the Purple Profound Master was old and muddled, and that after being ambushed by a mere Foundation Establishment junior, he would surely fall before the Flying Feather Sect's Nascent Soul elder… that the Purple Profound Sect was doomed…"
"But who would've thought he'd manage to fend them off and even possibly strike some secret agreement… And we, already caught in the Flying Feather Sect's snare, were forced onto a path with no return!"
Regret flickered in the Qi Clan Ancestor's eyes.
"It's over. The Flying Feather Sect only saw us as tools. We can expect no help from them now!"
"At this point, there's no retreat only one path remains. Prepare to fight to the end… and scatter our clan's seeds in the chaos, if we can."
Snap!
Suddenly, a burst of silver light flashed. The grand formation protecting the Qi Clan's ancestral grounds flickered chaotically and then partially collapsed.
Ji Qing had lost patience and activated a formation-breaking talisman!
"Attack!"
With the Qi Clan head and ancestor's expressions changing dramatically, Ji Qing charged into the Qi Clan's grounds, leading the Purple Profound Sect's forces behind him as the two sides clashed in a fierce and deadly battle!
.......
"Crafting a Formation-Breaking Talisman requires rare materials and complex techniques even one failure is enough to make your heart ache for days... Back when I was in high Grade One, I barely managed a few attempts. It's only now, after reaching Grade Two, that I find it a bit easier."
"Though I still haven't obtained a formation inheritance, at least I won't have to fear being trapped by a Tier One formation anymore…"
Li Ye savored the improvements in his talisman-crafting skills after advancing to Grade Two. Just as he deactivated his room's protective array, a few message talismans whooshed toward him.
His brows lifted slightly this many message talismans arriving at once could only mean something significant had happened.
He casually picked out the one from Yu Xiaoshan. As he listened to the contents, his expression gradually shifted.
"All those family factions that betrayed the Purple Profound Sect along with the Qi Clan have been wiped out!"
"And the one leading the charge was Elder Ji himself… Finally, vengeance has been served!"
He then listened to the rest of the message talismans one by one. They all conveyed the same core message Qi Clan's destruction with only a few minor differences in detail.
Li Ye shook his head slightly. He found nothing surprising about the Qi Clan's fate.
Their entire foundation lay within Huan Country. If the Flying Feather Sect had truly crushed the Purple Profound Sect and emerged victorious, it wouldn't have mattered.
But now that the Purple Profound Sect had begun to counterattack, the Yue Kingdom coalition led by the Flying Feather Sect could still retreat to their own country while the Qi Clan, rooted in Huan Country, had nowhere to run. Retribution was only a matter of time.
However, this wasn't the part Li Ye was truly concerned with.
"With such a clean sweep, the victors must have seized quite a bit. And in wartime, with resources being burned rapidly... I wouldn't be surprised if a large-scale auction was organized."
As he thought this over, a spark of anticipation lit up in his eyes.
…
Two days later.
After finishing his tending of the Spirit Mulberry Grove, Li Ye strolled into the pill refining chamber.
Seeing him, Yu Xiaoshan beamed and came to greet him warmly.
"Just as you predicted, Senior Brother, our Zimo Forest Market is already preparing to host an auction…"
"And I must congratulate you in advance!"
"Oh?" Li Ye raised an intrigued brow. "Tell me, what's the good news? Don't tell me someone's putting up a formation inheritance for auction?"
He had previously asked Yu Xiaoshan to keep an eye out for any items related to formation inheritance for him. After all, it wasn't some forbidden pursuit there was no need to scheme in secrecy.
"That's exactly right!"
Yu Xiaoshan said cheerfully, "Our sect's counteroffensive went well, and we reclaimed many territories that had once belonged to the rebel families. Now, if those families want to reclaim their old lands, they must offer the sect a suitable tribute first…"
"Many of those families and sects fled hastily and now have very few spirit stones left. With no other choice, they've had to bring out some of their foundational treasures for auction!"
"The formation inheritance comes from the Luo Clan. It's only Tier One, but it should still be of great use to you, Senior Brother."
"As long as I can acquire it, I'll be satisfied," Li Ye replied with a smile. "Though I wonder… could I meet privately with whoever's handling the auction for the Luo Clan? If I could settle it in advance, that would be far safer than bidding in public."
He didn't mind the tribute system imposed by the Purple Profound Sect.
After all, the sect wasn't going to hand back those territories for free. If these families didn't fight to reclaim their lands themselves, then offering payment afterward was only fair.
To Li Ye, the fact that the Purple Profound Sect, as the dominant power in Huan Country, hadn't taken the opportunity to seize all those lands outright spoke to a certain sense of internal unity and perhaps even a touch of integrity.
Far better to focus on the formation of inheritance!
"I've already asked on your behalf," Yu Xiaoshan said apologetically. "But the Luo Clan is firm on their stance they insist on putting the item up for auction and refuse any private dealings…"
"Looks like they're truly strapped for cash and are dead set on getting the highest possible bid from the auction," Li Ye said with a sigh. He understood that the current state of affairs left them little choice, and there was no point pressing further.
"But aside from that, there's another auction item you might find interesting," Yu Xiaoshan added with a smile. "Senior Brother, have you ever considered refining Longevity Pills?"
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