Martial Peak
chapter-4136-30041322

Chapter 4136 – Actually, You’ve Lost

The way Qi Qiao spoke was diffident, which elicited a laugh from Yu Xiu Shan.

As they sparred verbally with each other, they seemed closer and closer to an all out fight.

Seven Wonders Land was protected by its Grand Array, so if the people from Flying Smoke Temple wanted to invade this place, they had to destroy the defensive barrier first. In the past, they were not capable of doing that; after all, both parties were equally matched. However, after the chaos Xu Huang had raised, many weaknesses appeared in the Grand Array. On the other hand, Qi Qiao still hadn’t recovered up until this point, so he was unable to fully activate the Grand Array’s power.

It was for this reason that the people from Flying Smoke Temple repeatedly attacked Seven Wonders Land in order to annex this place.

Previously, they had gotten into over twenty skirmishes. Although the people from Flying Smoke Temple were defeated each time, they didn’t go home empty-handed. At the very least, they had figured out the current status of the Grand Array.

Therefore, as soon as the battle began, the Open Heaven Realm Masters from Flying Smoke Temple received a directive from Yu Xiu Shan and began targeting a particular spot.

That spot was where Yang Kai and Yue He passed through previously. It was also the weakest spot in the Grand Array.

Qi Qiao was so enraged he began cursing out loud, but there was nothing he could do. He could only join forces with the other Open Heaven Realm Masters to reinforce the Grand Array’s power to parry the enemy attack. At that moment, they fell into an intense battle as booming sounds were continuously heard.

In Seven Wonders Land, all seven Spirit Provinces shook violently, with mountains crumbing one after another. In the shopping district, Yang Kai and Yue He sported solemn expressions.

They were in trouble as they were caught between two Second Class great forces that were clashing with each other. It would be great if the people from Seven Wonders Land could defend this place, which would allow Yang Kai and Yue He to continue hiding here. If they couldn’t, the people from Flying Smoke Temple would occupy Seven Wonders Land and launch a thorough search. By then, their whereabouts might be exposed.

“Young Master, should we look for a chance to escape?” Yue He asked in a hushed voice, “In my opinion, the Grand Array can only last for a while longer.”

She had refined 50% of the Array Jade, and although she wouldn’t dare to activate the Grand Array so as not to attract Qi Qiao’s attention, she could feel the Grand Array’s condition through it.

“How much longer can it last?” Yang Kai asked.

Yue He replied, “Based on the intensity of the attacks, the Grand Array can only last for half a month. Moreover, I believe the other party hasn’t gone all out yet. If they do, the time before the Grand Array collapses will be shortened.”

Hearing that, Yang Kai nodded. Since Yue He said so, there wouldn’t be any mistake. It seemed that the Grand Array couldn’t stop the people of Flying Smoke Temple from storming into Seven Wonders Land. Once the Grand Array broke, Seven Wonders Land would fall into a horrible state, and they would also be implicated.

Now, they really had to ponder over a way out of this situation.

However, there was one thing he didn’t understand. Would the people from Scarlet Star make a move in this battle? Why hadn’t they left yet? Had they come to any agreement with the Heavenly Monarch?

With the help of Scarlet Star, Seven Wonders Land might be able to fend off Flying Smoke Temple; after all, Zhao Bai Chuan was a Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, and he had many Open Heaven Realm subordinates under him.

Two days later, the battle was still ongoing; however, with the Grand Array in place, the two sides hadn’t really directly come into contact with each other.

Suddenly, Yue He frowned and appeared puzzled, “Why has the Grand Array’s power dropped so quickly?”

“What’s wrong?” Yang Kai gazed at her.

Yue He explained, “This Grand Array is fairly powerful, so supposedly, it shouldn’t have been worn down so quickly. Initially, I thought that it could last for ten days to half a month, but now, it seems that it will break in just five days.”

“That quick!?” A glint flashed across Yang Kai’s eyes when he heard this, then he fell into his thoughts, “Maybe you’re not mistaken.”

Yue He gazed at him, “What do you mean?”

“What if Qi Qiao is intentionally weakening the Grand Array to feign defeat to their opponents?”

Yue He wasn’t a fool as she had managed to reach the Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm, so her gaze brightened when she heard that, “Young Master, you mean…”

Yang Kai guffawed, “Flying Smoke Temple is in trouble now.”

The people from Scarlet Star must have come to an agreement with Qi Qiao. They were hiding in the dark and waiting for a chance to make a move. Once the Heavenly Monarch let those from Flying Smoke Temple in, Zhao Bai Chuan would act.

When that happened, with the two great forces teaming up, there was no way Flying Smoke Temple would be able to match them. However, they couldn’t act conspicuously, which was why the Heavenly Monarch had been slowly weakening the Grand Array and pretending that they were powerless to resist. They were trying to lure Yu Xiu Shan in and trap him.

Upon this realization, Yang Kai couldn’t help but admire Qi Qiao’s audacity to let his enemies into his home, an act that required a lot of nerve. If any unexpected event took place, Seven Wonders Land would suffer huge losses.

Was there anything Yang Kai could do in such a battle? Could he interfere in this matter and get some benefits for himself? If he found a chance and killed Qi Qiao, it would help Yue He seize full control of the Grand Array.

However, just controlling the Grand Array was useless. Zhao Bai Chuan and Yu Xiu Shan were both Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters, so if they were not killed as well, Seven Wonders Land would fall into the hands of one of them.

After giving it a thought, Yang Kai decided to give up on the idea. It was best for him to just sit atop the mountain and watch the tigers fight for now.

Just like what Yang Kai had expected, the Grand Array around Seven Wonders Land had been unobtrusively weakened by Qi Qiao, and in just five days, a huge gap appeared in the barrier.

Following that, Qi Qiao’s furious but helpless roar reverberated across all seven Spirit Provinces.

With Temple Master Yu Xiu Shan leading the way, the top cultivators from Flying Smoke Temple passed through the opening and entered Seven Wonders Land. As soon as both parties came into contact, they fell into a life-and-death battle.

Both parties were Second Class great forces, and they possessed foundations that had been accumulated over countless years. Supposedly, they were equally matched. Nevertheless, over ten years ago, Xu Huang went on a rampage in Seven Wonders Land, and besides injuring Qi Qiao, he had also killed three Venerable Protectors.

In that battle, Seven Wonders Land lost three Fourth-Order and many more Low-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters. It could be said that they had suffered immense losses. On the other hand, the imposing cultivators from Flying Smoke Temple were at the peak of their power, so how were the people from Seven Wonders Land supposed to resist?

Yu Xiu Shan directly charged towards Qi Qiao and launched into a fierce battle with him. The Mid-Rank cultivators under him went on to deal with Earth Spirit Land Venerable and the others.

At that instant, the Open Heaven Realm Masters of Seven Wonders Land fell into danger as they were all at a disadvantage.

The Heavenly Monarch was still injured, and even though he was in a one-on-one fight with Yu Xiu Shan, he wasn’t a match for the latter. After just an incense stick worth of time, he was hurt by Yu Xiu Shan as he sprayed out a mouthful of blood and stepped backwards.

A relentless Yu Xiu Shan raised the war-hammer in his hand as a flash of light swirled around his weapon. Upon surging his World Force, he attempted to land his weapon on the Heavenly Monarch as he grinned, “Qi Qiao, after you’re killed, this Old Master will take good care of your wife and concubines. Hahahaha!”

The Heavenly Monarch’s face was pale, and his eyes were fuming with rage; however, at this critical moment, he actually sneered, “Yu Xiu Shan, do you think you’ve already won? Actually, you’ve lost!”

“Hm?” Yu Xiu Shan’s expression changed slightly.

Qi Qiao clenched his teeth and performed a hand seal. The illusory phantom of a Small Universe flashed behind him as the World Force exploded and he shouted, “Soul Suppression!”

The next instant, an invisible power radiated from his body. Before Yu Xiu Shan could react, he was struck by the attack and instantly became rooted to the spot, unable to move a muscle.

Besides him, Qi Qiao was also unable to move.

The Soul Suppression Secret Technique could suppress and seal an opponent’s movements, but the user would also be greatly affected. This could be said to be a double-edged sword. If it was used properly, it could help the user turn the tide of battle, but it could also plunge them into a critical situation.

“You court death!” Yu Xiu Shan bellowed as he continuously surged his power to break free from the Soul Suppression Technique. The aura of his World Force kept undulating.

Qi Qiao sneered as he shouted, “You will be the one that will go to Hell today. Head Manager Zhao, please make a move now!”

The next moment, a figure as swift as wind shot towards them, along with more than ten Open Heaven Realm Masters. Yu Xiu Shan’s expression changed drastically as he exclaimed, “Who are you!?”

The Heavenly Monarch guffawed, “Yu Xiu Shan, you never expected that I still had a trump card, right? I don’t mind telling you about them. He’s the Head Manager of Scarlet Star. His Star City has been destroyed, so it just so happens that he is in need of your Flying Smoke Temple’s Spirit Province.”

As Qi Qiao spoke, Zhao Bai Chuan shot past him and raised his hand. World Force surged from his palm as he lightly pushed it out towards Yu Xiu Shan.

Seeing that, Qi Qiao breathed a sigh of relief, thinking that it was fortunate that the people from Scarlet Star had come to visit all of a sudden; otherwise, he wouldn’t have stood a chance to get rid of Yu Xiu Shan.

Just as this thought flashed through his mind though, he saw Yu Xiu Shan sporting an eerie smile, “Qi Qiao, you think I’ll go to Hell? But, as I see it, you’re the one who is bound to die!”

Qi Qiao felt his chest tightening as he instinctively had a bad premonition. Before he could react, he saw Zhao Bai Chuan turning around and landing a palm on him. His eyes widened in disbelief as a sense of shock and fury behind his gaze emerged.

Following Zhao Bai Chuan’s attack, a loud boom was heard, and the Heavenly Monarch’s head was pushed into his chest. At the same time, the lower part of his body turned into dust.

Zhao Bai Chuan retracted his hand and straightened up. There wasn’t a hint of emotion on his face.

Strictly speaking, both of them were Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters. Even though Qi Qiao was injured, he shouldn’t have died so easily; however, he had been feigning weakness and even allowed Yu Xiu Shan to hurt him to fool the latter. That was because he placed all his hope on Zhao Bai Chuan.

However, it never crossed his mind that Zhao Bai Chuan had already contacted Yu Xiu Shan and joined forces with him. That was the reason he lost his life for nothing.

Qi Qiao was a powerful Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, but he had sustained fatal damage now and was unable to sustain the Soul Suppression. After Yu Xiu Shan broke free from the restriction, he traded glances with Zhao Bai Chuan and smiled, “Brother Zhao, many thanks for your assistance.”

“You’re welcome, Brother Yu.” Zhao Bai Chuan nodded.

“W-Why…” Presently, only half of the Heavenly Monarch’s body was left, while half of his head had been compressed into his chest, so he was truly on his last breath.

He could not understand why Zhao Bai Chuan betrayed him all of a sudden. Since the people from Scarlet Star wanted a new territory, they could help him get rid of Yu Xiu Shan and then take over Flying Smoke Temple with ease. Why did Zhao Bai Chuan make a move on him instead?

Zhao Bai Chuan looked down at him and replied impassively, “Seven Wonders Land is a good place, and this King has taken a liking to it.”