Swish, swish, swish!

Bang, bang, bang!

Before Lai Li’an could even open his eyes, his ears were already ringing from a barrage of dense explosions.

The roar of spiritual power colliding, the angry shouts of cultivators, all sorts of sounds intertwined, churning wildly in his ears.

He felt as if he had been thrown from a great height. The moment his feet hit solid ground, his knees buckled sharply, and he nearly collapsed.

Lai Li’an blurted it out, then realized he had said something no one would understand and quickly shut his mouth.

He steadied himself, looked up, and froze on the spot.

In the sky, dozens of streaks of light crisscrossed through the air. Various colored spiritual lights exploded like fireworks, each collision accompanied by a deafening roar.

The ground was even more of a mess; rubble and broken walls were scattered everywhere. What should have been a sect’s mountain gate had now been reduced to scorched earth.

Two words immediately surfaced in Lai Li’an’s mind: A Battlefield.

“Shao Jiao, screw your ancestors.”

In his heart, Lai Li’an cursed with every profanity he could think of in his life.

However, there was no expression on his face.

He was already used to keeping this face steady in the face of any sudden situation.

Because this face was his only weapon.

The chaotic battle surrounding him suddenly came to a standstill in an instant.

Dozens of gazes landed simultaneously on Lai Li’an.

The same question flashed through everyone’s minds: Who is this guy?

Lai Li’an stood right in the center of the battlefield. All around him was scorched earth and wreckage, and above his head were dozens of cultivators with bloodshot eyes. He felt like a little white rabbit that had wandered into a pack of wolves.

But no one heard his inner thoughts.

After a moment of silence, a voice suddenly erupted from the Misty Moon Sect’s crowd.

“The reinforcements Senior Brother Shao requested are here!” The voice carried irrepressible ecstasy. “You’re all finished! Hahahaha!”

This shout was like lighting a fuse; the eyes of the surviving Misty Moon Sect disciples lit up at the same time.

“Reinforcements! It really is reinforcements!”

“Senior Brother Shao didn’t give up on us!”

“I knew it! I knew Senior Brother Shao would definitely bring people back!”

Cheers rose from the scorched earth, and hope for survival rekindled on those faces that had been on the verge of despair.

In contrast, the situation on the Blood Lotus Sect’s side was not so good.

Several cultivators who were in the middle of fighting simultaneously withdrew their moves and retreated, looking warily at this person who had suddenly appeared.

The leader of the group frowned deeply, his gaze scanning back and forth over Lai Li’an, attempting to sense the man’s cultivation base.

Only Mid Golden Core.

But how could a Mid Golden Core cultivator dare to barge into a battlefield of this scale alone?

Furthermore, the way he appeared was too eerie; he had simply manifested out of thin air in the very center of the battlefield.

Such a method was absolutely not something a Golden Core cultivator could accomplish.

The leader’s expression darkened. He raised his right hand and made a gesture to halt the attack.

Although the Blood Lotus Sect cultivators were puzzled, they nonetheless withdrew their techniques and retreated back to their own lines.

The din of the battlefield fell silent in an instant, leaving only the whistling of the wind.

Neither side dared to be the first to act. Standing right in the middle of the confrontation, Lai Li’an felt as though he were being roasted over a fire.

If he didn’t move, the others wouldn’t move.

If he did move, everyone might move with him.

Then… he wouldn’t move.

Lai Li’an stood with his hands behind his back, his gaze calmly sweeping over the area. His composed and unperturbed demeanor intimidated everyone present.

Right then, a figure quickly flew over from the direction of the Misty Moon Sect, landing beside Lai Li’an.

It was a white-haired old man wearing a Taoist robe that was mostly in tatters.

The old man came to a halt in front of Lai Li’an and bowed deeply in a respectful manner.

“This junior, Wu Zhengyang, an Elder of the Misty Moon Sect, greets Senior.”

His tone was respectful and solemn, even tinged with a trace of excitement.

He had just used his spiritual sense to carefully probe the man before him. A Mid Golden Core cultivation base, neither particularly high nor low.

However, the fact that this man remained unfazed and composed under the collective gaze of dozens of cultivators suggested that his calm was certainly no act.

Furthermore, he had watched that boy Shao Jiao grow up.

The boy was stubborn and never asked for help lightly; any reinforcement he had risked his life to bring back could not possibly be an ordinary Golden Core.

Having reached a conclusion in his mind, Wu Zhengyang maintained a very humble posture.

Lai Li’an gave a slight nod and said in a flat tone, “There is no need for such ceremony. Tell me the situation.”

Wu Zhengyang straightened his back, quickly organized his thoughts, and gave a brief report of the current situation.

“Reporting to Senior: the Blood Lotus Sect launched a surprise attack on our Misty Moon Sect tonight. They have deployed one Mid Nascent Soul cultivator, five Golden Cores, and dozens of Foundation Establishment cultivators.”

“On our side… there are four Golden Cores and dozens of Foundation Establishment cultivators. I am the only one at the Peak Golden Core stage.”

“The mountain gate has fallen, and the Great Mountain-Protecting Formation was sabotaged from within by a traitor. Our remaining disciples have retreated to the back mountain, barely holding on by using the terrain. If no reinforcements arrive, I fear… we will not last the night.”

After listening, Lai Li’an showed no expression on his face, but his heart was already in an uproar.

One Mid Nascent Soul expert, five Golden Cores, and dozens of Foundation Establishments.

His own side had four Golden Cores and dozens of Foundation Establishments, with their highest combat power being the Peak Golden Core old man before him.

No matter how he looked at it, they were at a massive disadvantage!

They had fewer Golden Cores, less top-tier combat power, and the opposition even had a Nascent Soul!

Damn that Shao Jiao!

I was kind enough to chat with you and offer you guidance, and this is how you repay me?

By throwing me into a place like this to die?

Shao Jiao’s face surfaced in Lai Li’an’s mind once more. If he wasn’t being watched by dozens of eyes at this moment, he would have truly wanted to howl to the heavens, “I’ve been framed!”

But he couldn’t. If he showed any sign of cowardice, the Misty Moon Sect’s morale would instantly collapse, and the Blood Lotus Sect would launch a full-scale assault immediately.

When that time came, let alone saving others, he wouldn’t even be able to save himself.

Lai Li’an took a deep breath, suppressing the urge to curse.

His mind raced as he tried to find a viable solution.

Fighting was definitely out of the question. Forget that Nascent Soul; even if just those five Golden Cores attacked together, he would be hard-pressed to handle it.

Running wasn’t an option either. He didn’t even know how to fly yet, so where could he go?

That left only his old trade, deception.

Bluff them until they didn’t dare to lift a finger; bluff them until the end of time.

Lai Li’an nonchalantly scanned the direction of the Blood Lotus Sect. The system panel quietly popped up, marking the enemy lineup one by one.

Lai Li’an’s gaze lingered on the name “Yin Wuji” for a moment.

Hahahaha!

The heavens have not forsaken me!

Yin Wuji, an old acquaintance!

The Blood Lotus Sect Elder who had previously fled in terror after being scared by him outside the bamboo forest was currently standing in the enemy camp, staring at him with a sallow face.

The corners of Lai Li’an’s mouth curled into a faint arc.

If he could intimidate Yin Wuji and get him to whisper in that Nascent Soul’s ear, he might be able to stall for time.

Even if he couldn’t, it would at least make the opponent more wary.

He quickly calculated in his head and then stepped forward.

His robes fluttered gently in the night breeze, his face void of any expression.

Wu Zhengyang was stunned for a moment and instinctively wanted to follow, but he was stopped by a gesture from Lai Li’an.

“This Venerable alone is enough.”