Mountain Venerable and Sea Immortal

In one corner of the battle arena, disciples from the Hao, Hei, and Wang families, eight figures each occupying a side, the air thick with a deathly stillness that seemed ready to erupt at any moment.

On the hundred-foot battle platform, repeatedly tempered by the flames of war, the surface was covered with crisscrossing sword marks and densely packed fist imprints. Everywhere, one could see the black scorch marks left by the burning spiritual energy. The constant bursts of spiritual energy and the thunderous shock of blood and qi made one's eardrums numb.

The Wang family was the most powerful. Behind Wang Jingxing and his sister stood dozens of cultivators, a dark mass, their spiritual pressure awe-inspiring and intimidating.

The Mo siblings had no intention of getting involved in any factional conflicts, choosing to conceal their strength and preserve their own power. The three parties were mutually wary and restrained, resulting in a stalemate.

The four siblings of the Hao family stood in a cross formation—one in front, one on the left, one on the right, and one in the back—making them the most cohesive team among the three factions.

At the forefront, Hao Chengming, dressed in a plain white scholar's robe, was buffeted by the fierce wind, the ink patterns on his sleeves fluttering. The profound earth spirit of the Foundation Establishment Great Perfection stage remained condensed and did not dissipate, transforming into a thick, pale yellow halo that enveloped his entire body. His back was straight, his jaw clenched, and his eyes were calm and deep. His gaze swept over the two opposing sides to his left and right. His fists were loosely clenched behind his waist, his knuckles tense, and his whole body was in a defensive posture, firmly protecting his three younger siblings within the offensive and defensive range, like an immovable mountain fortress.

"Maintain formation, don't panic."

Hao Chengming's voice was deep and steady, his aura as calm as a rock. He knew that the difference in cultivation between himself and his sister was too great, and that a prolonged battle would put them at a severe disadvantage. Once surrounded, they would have no chance of escape.

Beside her, a flowing white lotus-patterned dress trailed on the ground, its hem swirling with cloud patterns that danced gently with spiritual energy. The girl's eyelashes trembled slightly, her bright eyes fixed on the Mo clan's location to the west, strands of watery light flowing supplely from her fingertips. One hand steadily formed a defensive hand seal, while the other was raised in a gesture of readiness, ready to unleash a water-based restraint spell at any moment. Her slender figure stood motionless, her brows cool and aloof, wary of any blind spots on either side.

Hao Qingyan, the youngest, had a tense and wary expression. The short dagger in his palm gleamed coldly, all his spiritual power concentrated at the tip, his fingertips turning blue from the effort. He hunched over slightly, his neck taut, staring intently at the area to his right.

Hao Chengle, standing at the back, was in the most dire situation. His face was pale and ashen, his ninth-level Qi Refining power was weak and flickering, and the spiritual light around him was fragmented and dim. He gripped the hem of his clothes tightly, his body trembled slightly, and he subconsciously took half a step forward. His eyes were filled with panic, but he forced himself to remain calm. He was the most fatal flaw in the Hao Clan's formation.

The Mo siblings on the west side have a cool and aloof demeanor, keeping to themselves in their own little corner and remaining detached from worldly affairs.

Mo Shu was dressed in a close-fitting black outfit, his posture upright and aloof. The back of his hands was covered with flowing, intricate ink patterns, and three Mo family mechanical flying blades spun slowly with his breath, their blades gleaming coldly. He lowered his eyes, his face expressionless, calmly observing the development of the battle, focusing solely on maintaining his own composure.

Mo Qiaoxin lowered her head and brows, her ten fingers flying erratically, fine, ink-colored array patterns spreading from the soles of her feet, weaving into a dense net to block her surroundings. Her mind was entirely focused on self-preservation and defense, completely indifferent to the fighting outside, solely to protect her brother and sister's strength.

The Wang siblings on the east side exuded a domineering and fierce aura, completely different from the other two sides.

Wang Jingxing, clad in a green robe and carrying a sword, stood tall and imposing. His longsword, extending three inches beyond the edge, gleamed with a chilling light, its sharp blade slicing through the surrounding air. Both being at the Great Perfection of Foundation Establishment, his spiritual power was blatantly aggressive and domineering, a stark contrast to Hao Chengming's solid defenses. His gaze, sharp as a sword, was fixed on the Hao clan's camp, his eyes swirling with calculation and fighting spirit.

Although his alliance was numerous and powerful, a direct confrontation would result in excessive losses. Using others to weaken the enemy was the best approach. Having made up his mind, a subtle signal flashed in his eyes as he retreated several dozen feet.

Wang Shiya stood beside her brother, her slender sword lightly gripped, her movements agile and nimble, her steps delicate and unpredictable, her sword energy refined and pure. Her eyes were sharp and cunning, fixed on the flaws in the Hao Clan's formation, perfectly synchronized with her brother's rhythm.

Dozens of Wang's allied cultivators lined up behind, their auras stretching out in a continuous line. Some gripped their swords, gathering their strength, while others formed hand seals, ready to launch a full-scale attack at the command.

The entire area was rife with undercurrents and extremely tense.

Lin Yan witnessed the entire power struggle. Wang Jingxing's scheme to use someone else to do his dirty work, and the Mo family's neutral and self-protective stance, were all clearly seen by him.

Suddenly, a heavy spiritual pressure, as imposing as a mountain, descended from the north side of the battle platform. Hao Jingchuan, Du Lie, and Hao Lei led a group of people flying over. Their heavy auras caused the platform to tremble slightly. They completely ignored the neutral Mo Clan and the powerful Wang Clan, heading straight for the four Hao siblings.

"Surround them and kill them!"

Hao Jingchuan's voice was rough and cold, his words carrying the fierce aura of a cultivator from the northern foothills of Mount Tai.

Several massive, earthen-yellow mountain-like palms materialized out of thin air, crashing down from all directions with an overwhelming force that could crush everything, instantly sealing off all paths for the Hao siblings to dodge, break through, or retreat.

Wang Jingxing, standing to the east, watched coldly, slightly sheathing his sword and stepping back, a faint, mocking smile playing on his lips. Behind him, dozens of alliance cultivators retreated in unison, deliberately leaving space for a fight, watching as the Hao clan was surrounded, waiting for both sides to wear each other down.

The Mo siblings on the west side remained unmoved, their Mo-technique flying blades spinning steadily and their Mo-craft array patterns continuing uninterrupted, firmly guarding their own barrier, remaining neutral observers and refusing to interfere in the slightest.

With no way out in any direction and surrounded by a dead end, Hao Chengming's face suddenly turned cold.

"Jiehao Clan, defend the formation!"

He shouted in a deep voice, and all the earth-elemental spiritual power around him surged outwards. His Foundation Establishment Great Perfection cultivation was poured out without reservation, and layers of thick earth-yellow barriers instantly opened up, firmly protecting the four Hao Clan disciples in the formation.

Boom—!

The first colossal mountain-like palm slammed down, unleashing a terrifying surge of spiritual energy. The barrier trembled violently, and spiritual light surged wildly. Hao Chengming's body shuddered violently, his feet leaving two shallow craters in the bluestone beneath his feet. He staggered back three steps, a metallic taste rising in his throat, a trickle of blood slowly sliding down his chin. He clenched his teeth, veins bulging on his forehead, forcefully suppressing his churning blood and qi, desperately trying to prevent the barrier from collapsing.

Before he could regain his footing, Hao's second round of precise combined attacks followed, locking down Hao Chengle at the back of the group. The offensive was fierce, cunning, and left no room for retreat.

"Cheng Le, watch out!"

Hao Bailian's pretty face turned pale instantly, and she cried out in alarm. Her figure suddenly darted backward, and all the water-based spiritual light exploded outward, creating layers of water curtains to hastily block the attack. Hao Qingyan advanced in sync, his short dagger flashing coldly as he slashed, attempting to break through the formation and escape the encirclement.

The difference in cultivation level was like an insurmountable chasm. The heavy and tyrannical mountain spiritual power instantly crushed the water curtain and dispersed the dagger's light. Two muffled thuds rang out, and the siblings were thrown back by the overwhelming spiritual pressure. Their blood and qi surged, their arms went numb, and their formation was completely thrown into chaos. A huge gap was torn in the protective barrier, and a fierce gale rushed into the death formation.

Beyond the gap, a ferocious mountain-like giant hand crashed down, heading straight for Hao Chengle, who was utterly defenseless.

The boy's pupils shrank, his face turned deathly pale, his body stiffened and he lost his focus, completely forgetting to dodge. His thin body swayed precariously under the crushing spiritual power.

"don't want!"

Hao Chengming's eyes were bloodshot and his heart tightened. He recklessly burned his remaining spiritual power and overdrawn his cultivation to forcibly repair the barrier.

His spiritual light dimmed rapidly, his powerful aura instantly weakened, his face turned ashen, and his breathing became rapid. His spiritual power at the peak of Foundation Establishment was on the verge of exhaustion, and he was at his last gasp.

The four were trapped in a deadly situation, their escape routes blocked, their spiritual energy depleted, and all of them injured, completely trapped in an inescapable predicament. The entire scene was deathly silent, save for the howling wind and the incessant roar of spiritual energy.

In the split second between life and death, Lin Yan, standing in the distance, remained calm and composed, showing no sign of panic. He lightly raised his fingertip, as if casually brushing away dust. The invisible and colorless spiritual energy of the array quietly spread out, precisely striking the spiritual energy hub of the Hao Clan's encirclement array.

The Hao clan members relied on the resonance of the spiritual energy from the same mountain to form an array, with the foundation of the array resting on several hidden pivot points. Lin Yan slightly flicked his fingertips, drawing upon the scattered spiritual energy within the old marks and patterns on the platform, silently prying open the core of the array.

hum-

A barely perceptible, hesitant sound echoed through the formation.

The originally harmonious, domineering, and smoothly flowing encircling spiritual energy suddenly became unbalanced and chaotic. The spiritual energy within the formation clashed with each other, and the stable encircling formation instantly loosened and collapsed.

Before anyone could notice anything amiss, Lin Yan flicked his finger again, and two faint, almost imperceptible streams of energy quietly entered the formation.

A gentle surge of energy supported the dazed Hao Chengle, and an invisible force steadily moved him through the air to a safe area in front of Hao Chengming, all without a sound or sound, as steady as a rock.

Another burst of energy precisely struck the weakest gap in Hao's formation.

Click—!

Visibly, the impenetrable mountain trap suddenly cracked open, creating a wide and clear gap for survival.

The entire escape technique was fluid and effortless, without any earth-shattering power or deafening roar, yet it used minimal force to deflect a thousand pounds, instantly breaking the seemingly inescapable deadly trap, demonstrating exquisite skill.

The expressions of all the Hao clan cultivators in the formation changed drastically. They felt their spiritual energy become chaotic and out of control, and the encirclement they had painstakingly constructed collapsed instantly. The formation disintegrated in an instant. Everyone was horrified, but they could not find any external interference. They simply assumed that their own formation had malfunctioned due to resonance.

Hao Jingchuan frowned, his eyes filled with disbelief. He knew that a stable array of the same origin would never collapse on its own, and he was filled with doubt and apprehension.

Wang Jingxing's pupils contracted sharply, and the mocking smile on his face froze instantly. All sixty-odd alliance cultivators under his command held their breath, originally waiting for the Hao clan to be destroyed and the Hao clan to be weakened, but they did not expect that their doomed situation would be inexplicably resolved.

Only Mo Shu slightly raised his eyes, his cold gaze sweeping across the gaps in the battle, vaguely catching a trace of the lingering charm of the array, but he had no intention of delving into it. He quickly withdrew his gaze and continued to maintain neutrality and safeguard his own combat strength.

"Walk!"

Having escaped a desperate situation, Hao Chengming's eyes suddenly lit up, and he dared not hesitate for even a moment.

He suppressed his severe internal injuries, grabbed Hao Chengle in front of him, and with a low shout, led Hao Bailian and Hao Qingyan to rush out of the encirclement through the gap.

The four landed and staggered a few steps, panting heavily, their faces pale with shock.

Hao Chengming looked up and gazed into the distance, past the chaotic Hao clan crowd, his gaze landing precisely on Lin Yan, who stood calmly. The shock and disbelief in his eyes subsided and transformed into deep and sincere gratitude.

Hao Bailian gently stroked her heaving chest, gazing at that slender figure with clear and moved eyes.

An unsolvable deadly attack was quietly neutralized by Lin Yan's two casual array-based hidden forces.

……

After this encirclement was broken, the all-out war officially came to an end. Under the Mo family's barrier, the elimination mechanism of the arena was implemented layer by layer, and countless low-level cultivators and miscellaneous rogue cultivators were eliminated, leaving only the elite combat forces of each side.

The situation on the field has become completely clear.

The Laoshan 20-person team was completely intact, with no one injured or eliminated. The members were scattered throughout the battle arena, some recuperating and gathering strength, others balancing the battle. With a complete lineup and peak combat power, they were the most stable core team in the entire arena.

After several rounds of fierce fighting, Hao's original allied forces of over a hundred men suffered heavy losses. Their formation was broken, and all the men were wounded. Only sixteen men remained, their fighting strength was reduced by more than half, and their fierce arrogance was no longer what it used to be.

All four Hao siblings survived, with only Hao Chengming seriously injured. The other three had slightly depleted their spiritual energy, but they stabilized after a short period of rest.

The Mo siblings remained neutral throughout, neither forming factions nor making enemies, and maintained their own safety and full combat strength without suffering any damage.

Despite losses in the chaotic battle, the Wang Clan Alliance still has over fifty members remaining, making it the largest force in terms of numbers and a powerful foundation.

The remaining small and medium-sized families and scattered cultivators numbered only about twenty, scattered in the corners of the battle arena, fighting individually without any formation, and no longer capable of launching a large-scale faction battle.

As the smoke of battle gradually cleared and the clamor subsided, the chaotic battle involving thousands of people across the entire region was slowly coming to an end.