Once I enter the pass, great Confucian scholars will surely debate the classics for me.

In the dense forest, the two sides were a hundred feet apart. They both knew that the other was not far away, but the trees and the darkness of night obscured their view, so neither of them took any action. Instead, they remained restrained and observed the enemy's movements.

In particular, the three members of the Blue Silver Squad are currently the hunters in the jungle, while the other two squads are the prey. However, once a major battle breaks out with one of the squads, they will instantly become the prey instead of the hunters.

The third brother, Lan Yintang, said warily, "Damn it, how did we run into another team here?"

The second brother, Lan Yinwen, said with a gloomy expression, "The situation has probably changed in some ways that we are unaware of."

"The other two squads should be engaged in a major battle right now, but there's not a sound at all."

"On the contrary, we encountered other squads, which means that one of the two squads must have temporarily adjusted its tactics, trying to take advantage of the loss of vision to ambush us."

The leader, Lan Yinhuang, said coldly, "We've discovered them, and they've discovered us too. Hiding is no use anymore. The only thing we don't know is which team is on the other side—a seven-person team or an eight-person team."

The third brother, Lan Yintang, licked his lips and suggested, "Captain, Vice-Captain, let's retreat for now. A major battle now will not benefit us; it will only attract third-party teams."

Upon hearing this, the eldest brother, Lan Yinhuang, glanced coldly at the third brother and did not take his advice. In his eyes, the third brother was a good-for-nothing, and even if what he said was right, he would not listen to him.

So he asked Lan Yinwen, the team's second-in-command, "Yinwen, what should we do?"

Lan Yinwen's gaze was deep as he bit his nails, his thoughts racing: "We're afraid of becoming prey, and they're equally afraid of being eaten, otherwise they would have already charged at us and started fighting."

“If we retreat now, the enemy squad will most likely not engage with us. If they do, it means another possibility: that their captain has sent a small number of his men to delay our advance.”

"Meanwhile, the opposing team's captain led the remaining members to quickly annihilate another squad."

"If that's the case, the opposing team is probably very strong, at least the captain is very strong, and his cunning and courage are far beyond that of ordinary people. He's a very troublesome guy."

"Captain, retreat in sequence and observe their movements."

Upon hearing this, Lan Yinhuang nodded slightly and waved his hand, signaling, "Maintain formation and retreat five hundred feet."

The members of the Blue Silver Squad retreated in an orderly manner, maintaining their tactical formation at all times.

Ye Tingxiu, who was a hundred feet away, keenly observed that the enemy squad's presence and movements were moving away.

"Chase them!" Ye Tingxiu could not allow the enemy team to retreat safely.

He remembered that his mission was to launch a feint attack to delay the third-party team's progress. Now that he had tracked down the third-party team, he could choose not to engage, but he absolutely could not let the third-party team disappear from sight again.

Tantai Minglan and Duan Hongsu knew the danger, but they had no choice but to stay with Ye Tingxiu and continue to fight the third-party team, buying enough time for their captain.

Of course, they could also choose to desert, betray the entire Qingfeng squad, survive for a while, and then face the encirclement and killing of other squads alone when their location is exposed again, dying tragically somewhere.

One side retreated, the other pursued, and the distance between the two sides remained at a hundred feet.

The Blue Silver Squad retreated five hundred feet and stopped. Suddenly, the entire Blue Silver Squad turned around and attacked Ye Tingxiu. In the blink of an eye, the distance between the two sides had closed to each other.

Lan Yinwen, the second son of the Lan family, saw that there were only three people on the other side and sneered: "Captain, just as I expected, these people are just pawns sent to delay us. I'm afraid the real battle has already begun silently."

Ye Tingxiu and his two companions watched the Blue Silver Squad suddenly charging at them warily. They couldn't figure out where they had given themselves away, allowing the enemy to rush at them so brazenly. Now that things had come to this, all they could do was stall for time.

Lan Yinhuang, the eldest of the Lan family, said coldly, "Since that's the case, there's no need to waste time with them. Yintang, you take two people and kill them, then meet up with me. The rest of you will come with me to hunt down other teams."

Lan Yintang, the third son of the Lan family, clasped his hands in a fist and said, "Yes, eldest brother."

As soon as he finished speaking, the eldest of the Lan family led six team members to bypass Ye Tingxiu and his two companions and rushed towards the deeper part of the battlefield. Ye Tingxiu and his companions tried to stop them, but were intercepted by Lan Yintang and two team members.

Lan Yintang looked at Ye Tingxiu's handsome and strong physique and sneered, "I like him. I want this man. The other two women are yours. You can play with them and then kill them, or kill them and then play with them. It's up to you."

Upon hearing this, the two cultivators beside Lan Yintang took the lead and attacked Tantai Minglan and Duan Hongsu.

Without hesitation, Tantai Minglan and Duan Hongsu rushed forward to meet the enemy.

The four clashed in close combat, quickly dispersed, and moved about in the dark forest, attacking and dodging at will.

Only Ye Tingxiu and Lan Yintang remained at the scene.

Ye Tingxiu raised his wrist with a cold expression and infused the communication bracelet with magic power: "Captain, the situation has changed. The enemy has discovered our strategy and left three people to hold us off. The main force is rapidly advancing towards the battlefield. Be careful. I will finish the battle as quickly as possible and come to your aid."

Zhou Qingfeng's calm voice came through the communication bracelet: "Received. Be careful, don't die."

"Don't worry, no one can kill me before we settle our score."

Lan Yintang watched as Ye Tingxiu tipped him off, without making any attempt to stop him.

Since tipping off the enemy is no longer meaningful, the other two squads are destined to become prey once the battle begins. Once the war starts, it's not like playing house where you can just stop whenever you want and apologize and be done with it.

At this moment, the Blue Silver Squad will enter the battlefield and wipe out both sides' squads in one fell swoop.

"Finished talking?" Lan Yintang said jokingly.

Upon hearing this, Ye Tingxiu hummed in agreement, tilted his neck, jumped around on the spot to loosen his muscles, and then reached out and beckoned: "Come on, show me."

Lan Yintang strode forward, gently clenched his fist, and two incredibly sharp mantis blades sprang out from his forearms.

This is a divine ability inherent in his Lan family's physical technique, 'Disgusting Mantis'.

Once mastered, it will be able to blend into the shadows, creating a perfect camouflage effect in nature. When moving in the shadows, its speed will increase exponentially, and it will be silent and undetectable even to the most acute senses.

Moreover, the Mantis Blade is not only incredibly sharp, but it also has the ability to dismember and cut. When fighting against others, it can instantly dismember and cut people, making it difficult for cultivators of the same level to resist, which is extremely disgusting.

"Ready? Here I come." Lan Yintang revealed a perverted smile. As he approached, his figure suddenly disappeared into the shadows, as if vanished into thin air, leaving no trace of his whereabouts.

Ye Tingxiu's expression turned serious, and he shouted, "Wait!"

Lan Yintang was taken aback, and his voice rang out from the shadows: "What's wrong? Are you begging for mercy? Fine, I like you quite a bit. As long as you become my male concubine, I can spare your life."

Before he could finish speaking, Ye Tingxiu suddenly drew his sword, named "Wait," and unleashed the "Heaven-Slaying Sword Drawing Technique." He swung it fiercely towards the source of the sound, and instantly, a scarlet sword light ripped through the sky, staining half the sky blood-red. The wind and clouds changed color, and the sword light was invincible, sweeping across the eight wastelands.

The air seemed to be torn apart by this force, the roar was deafening, the grass and trees turned to ashes, dust filled the sky, and trees within several miles fell down in neat rows as if struck by an invisible giant blade.

The earth was cracked and scarred, as if it were the lament of nature.

The "Wait" blade, ranked sixty-third among disaster-level magical artifacts, was specially chosen for its disciple by the sixth master, Night Owl, the Shadow Blade. Alongside it are the "Wait" and "Stay" blades, intended to allow Ye Tingxiu, a battle maniac, to strike first and use his cunning hidden beneath his unruly exterior to catch his enemies off guard.

This blade is incomparably sharp. When infused with mana, it can easily take the life of a cultivator of the same level, while reducing mana consumption and increasing the power of the blade's aura threefold. Those injured by it will experience a significant slowdown in speed and reaction time, all due to the slowing spell applied to the blade.

At this moment, the "Wait" blade is both the last shred of pity for all things before their doom and the cruelest judgment, because it bestows not forgiveness, but the instant of destruction.

Lan Yintang froze in the shadows, his twisted smile freezing on his face.

An unprecedented sense of crisis enveloped him. Although he was skilled in stealth and ambush, he could not escape the sharp edge of such a powerful and unparalleled attack, even if he fled into the darkness.

The power of the blade's edge solidified the air, forming a massive vortex that devoured all life around it.

Lan Yintang's pupils contracted sharply, and his face showed fear. He smelled the scent of death. At this moment, it was impossible for him to dodge. He could only desperately withstand this blow, or he would surely die.

His figure moved with lightning speed, leaping out from the shadows. He swung his arms, and the mantis blade transformed into two streams of eerie green light, meeting the surging crimson blade light head-on.

His movements were as fast as lightning, each swing of his sword precise and accurate, attempting to break through the opponent's attack with skill. However, the "Heaven-Slaying Sword Drawing Technique" was the strongest assassination sword technique of its kind, which was all about killing with one blow. It was not something that could be easily blocked.

This sword technique only became so powerful and imposing when used by Ye Tingxiu.

The two blades of light collided in mid-air, instantly bursting into a dazzling light, like a star exploding. A huge shockwave spread outwards, shaking even the nearest mountain peaks. Rock debris flew everywhere, and dust blotted out the sun.

"Pfft!" Lan Yintang was ultimately unable to withstand this devastating blow. He was cut in half at the waist, his lower body turned to ashes, and he coughed up blood as he collapsed to the ground. He hadn't even used a tenth of his skills before he was already severely injured and on the verge of death.

He struggled on the ground, gazing at the figure standing not far away amidst the dust. The figure stood with a sword drawn, exuding an imposing aura, like a god wielding a world-destroying blade.

Lan Yintang pointed a trembling finger at Ye Tingxiu, his voice shaking and filled with pain: "You, you clearly shouted 'Wait,' yet you attacked first, you are despicable and shameless..."

Ye Tingxiu, wielding the Qieman Blade, leaped in front of Lan Yintang and slashed off his arms: "Idiot, I said my blade is called Qieman, I drew my blade and called out its name, what's the problem? You're the one who's stupid, and you blame me for being despicable."

Lan Yintang screamed again. His lower body was gone, and both arms had been severed. He now writhed and crawled on the ground like a maggot: "Help! Help! Where are they? Please save me!"

Unfortunately, the other two cultivators were locked in a fierce battle with Tantai Minglan and Duan Hongsu, fighting to the death, and were too busy to help each other. Even if they heard Lan Yintang's call, they really didn't have time to come to his rescue.

Lan Yintang called out several times, but no one came to his rescue. Tears and snot streamed down his face as he frantically begged for mercy: "I'm sorry, I was wrong, I shouldn't have cursed you, I was wrong, please spare me, you can't kill me."

"I am Lan Yintang, the third of the three ghosts of the Lan family from Shenwei City. My eldest brother is Lan Yinhuang, and my second brother is Lan Yinwen. They are the captain and vice-captain of our Lan Yin squad."

"If you kill me, my eldest and second brothers will not let you get away with it."

"Please spare my life! Keep me alive, I'm a bargaining chip too!"

Looking at Lan Yintang's ugly, begging-for-life appearance, Ye Tingxiu felt quite disdainful.

Since you've embarked on this path, you must be prepared to die.

Death is not scary, because everyone will die sooner or later. No one can live forever in this turbid and evil world.

Therefore, one must die with style and glory, otherwise it cannot be considered as having lived through this evil world.

He reached out and grabbed Lan Yintang by the back of his collar, lifting him up like a three-year-old child: "You're right, you are indeed a decent bargaining chip. How to use you is up to the captain."

Carrying the Blue Silver Tang sword, Ye Tingxiu quickly went to support Tantai Minglan. After killing Tantai Minglan's opponent, the two went to support Duan Hongsu and together they killed the last enemy.

After the battle ended, Ye Tingxiu and his two companions moved the battlefield with the Blue Silver Tang, who had been hacked to pieces.

On the way, Ye Tingxiu used his communication bracelet to transmit the intelligence he had just received: "Captain, I've finished the battle here and captured an important member of the Blue Silver Squad. He might come in very useful..."

Upon hearing Ye Tingxiu's report, Zhou Qingfeng said, "Very good. We have captured the Blue Silver Squad leader's younger brother alive. Now the initiative is back in our hands, and the situation has become more favorable to us."

"Have Lan Yintang notify his two older brothers to save him. To save their younger brother's life, they will definitely turn back to rescue him. Keep them occupied while I finish this battle."

Ye Tingxiu said, "Understood. I guarantee I'll hold off the Blue Silver Squad until the battle on your side is over."

"Okay, wait for my new instructions." Zhou Qingfeng disconnected the communication bracelet and continued jumping along the tree trunk.

Cheng Wuquan, who was following closely behind, said, "Captain, we've gone in a big circle. They definitely don't expect that we've already gotten close to them..."

Zhou Qingfeng suddenly stopped, reached out and covered Cheng Wuquan's mouth, shook his head to signal him not to speak, then quietly landed and stealthily moved forward.

Seeing this, Cheng Wuquan held his breath and followed behind. The two remained quiet, one in front and one behind, until they found a bush.

Through the dense bushes, Zhou Qingfeng saw two women in a forest clearing a hundred meters ahead.

A burly woman, only 1.5 meters tall, with bulging muscles and an ugly appearance, wearing a gauntlet-like magical artifact, stood guard beside a red-clad female cultivator who was cross-legged and forming hand seals. The female cultivator seemed to be preparing an extremely complex spell. Generally, such time-consuming spells are extremely powerful. It was unclear which of the two was the captain.

Zhou Qingfeng could actually cast a divination stick right now and kill one person with his glare.

The problem is that this kind of instant-kill technique at the same level can wipe out all mana in one go. He tried to use the Instant Death Demon Eye Technique when he only had 1 coin of mana, but he couldn't use it. He needed 2000 coins of mana to meet the casting standard.

Even though he now possesses over ten thousand coins' worth of magical power, he still empties it all with a single use, because the Eye of Death draws all the magical power from his body every time he casts a spell, and this drawback is irreversible.

Even if you stop casting the Instant Death Eye Technique, the mana will not be returned; instead, it will all be absorbed by the Death Eye.

Therefore, this deadly technique that kills with a single glare can only be used once in a short period of time. Fortunately, no matter how abnormal or heaven-defying the opponent is, a single glare will result in instant death.

After a moment's thought, Zhou Qingfeng leaned close to Cheng Wuquan's ear and whispered, "You go out and fight the two of them by yourself. Try to figure out which one of them is the captain. I'll find an opportunity to ambush them from the shadows and kill the captain first."

"In a squad, the captain is always the strongest. To prevent any unforeseen circumstances, we must take down the captain first."

"Did you understand? Nod if you do."

Cheng Wuquan nodded repeatedly, indicating that he understood what the captain meant.

Zhou Qingfeng patted Cheng Wuquan's shoulder lightly, then kicked him out of the bushes.

P.S.: Just a few words. Okay, that's all. Thank you everyone for your support, hehe. Please give me some tips, free gifts, and five-star reviews. I'd also like to gain more followers. If I get more than 1000 followers, I can create a fan group. Everyone is welcome to join then!