A thousand people successively stood on the peak.
Those from Ye Palace retreated as ordered, both sides eyeing each other warily, neither making the first move.
"Though the losses were heavy, it's already very good," Qian Qian patted Xu Mu's shoulder. Xu Mu's expression was somber, clearly blaming himself to some extent.
"Yes, it's already very good. I didn't expect the people from Ye Palace to be so strong. If we had followed Jiang Taixu's method, perhaps less than a hundred people would have made it here in the end," Qi Lan said in comfort. Unbeknownst to him, Jiang Taixu overheard this, his gaze immediately turning cold.
Jiang Taixu said solemnly, "If someone were willing to sacrifice their life to push forward, I guarantee I could bring up two thousand people!"
"But the problem is, no one would sacrifice their life for you in vain," Xu Mu sighed, his expression gradually calming. He looked at Jiang Taixu and said earnestly, "I'm not satisfied with this outcome, but you, you shouldn't be dissatisfied."
As Jiang Taixu was about to retort, Qi Ye from a distance spoke up.
"Jiang Taixu, I didn't expect you to actually dare to come up," Qi Ye stood on a stone platform, a faint smile on his lips as he looked at Jiang Taixu.
"How are you? Is your injury better?"
He was, of course, referring to the assassination attempt.
Jiang Taixu gazed at Qi Ye, veins bulging on his arm. Innumerable energies surged within his white robes, and he spoke with killing intent, "Thanks to you, I wasted a fourth-stage pill."
"But it doesn't matter. From now on, I won't give you the chance to take medicine to heal. I will kill you, Qi Ye!"
Qi Ye was stunned for a moment, then bared his teeth and broke into a brilliant smile.
"Setting aside whether you can defeat me, what about Ye Palace? Do you really plan to let an outsider fight Ye Palace?"
Qi Ye pointed at Xu Mu, mockingly.
Jiang Taixu glanced at Xu Mu, about to say something, when Qi Ye suddenly exclaimed.
"Hmm?"
"Qi Lan, why are you here?"
"I've been discovered." Qi Lan emerged from behind Xu Mu, coughed lightly, and then answered as calmly as possible, "I am an ally of Brother Xu Mu, so naturally I am here."
"Ally?" Qi Ye smiled, raising an eyebrow and questioning, "You're an ally with someone from the Jiang family, and now you're here. Are you planning to join forces against me?"
"You just said yourself, he's an outsider of the Jiang family," Qi Lan shook his head, also smiling in return. "Besides, the one I intend to deal with is not you, but the Ye clan."
"Of course, if you insist on preventing me from dealing with the Ye clan, I won't hold back."
Qi Ye found this both infuriating and amusing. Infuriating that Qi Lan would aid an outsider, and amused that Qi Lan would boast of dealing with him.
Why did he think he could be compared to himself?
"I'd like to see where you two get your confidence from," Qi Ye said, then turned to Ye Palace. "Jiang Taixu is yours. I'll take care of Mu Xu. I need to reclaim the loss from the first round."
"And besides, this is a family matter."
"As you wish," Ye Palace nodded indifferently. He had never taken Xu Mu or Jiang Taixu seriously.
"Come on, let me see how capable you are!" Qi Ye declared, and a surge of energies erupted from his body, converging in the space, invisibly pressing down on Xu Mu and Qi Lan, as if a terrifying monster was about to crush them.
"Kill!!!"
The great battle was imminent. A chaotic melee of fifteen hundred people began, with powers clashing in the air, indistinguishable in their intensity.
"Be careful, this ability is called Formless. When activated, it can simultaneously oppress the physical body and the soul, making it extremely strange and powerful," Qi Lan warned in a low voice. At the same time, he submerged himself in water to resist the immense pressure.
"Yes, I know," Xu Mu nodded. They had encountered Qi Ye's ability in the first round, and he had smashed it with his bare fists.
This time would be no different.
Xu Mu sensed the pressure from all directions, like invisible beasts. He clenched his fist and, with an overwhelming force, thrust it forward.
Boom!
Like the sound of a hundred-meter-thick ice layer being pierced in the extreme north, Xu Mu's punch struck the space, creating a fierce echo that reverberated throughout the area.
Qi Ye's ability shattered in response.
Qi Ye's expression turned grim.
"I didn't expect to misjudge you again," Qi Ye exclaimed in astonishment.
Although he was using the same ability as in the first round, this time he had not held back, unleashing his full power. Yet, it was still shattered by a single punch.
This proved that Xu Mu was no weaker than him.
"So, you are the Jiang family's trump card."
Qi Ye spoke, believing he had uncovered the truth. His expression then became serious. More invisible energies surged from him, enveloping his body. Soon, Qi Ye's own body began to turn transparent, eventually vanishing from sight.
"Be careful, this ability allows him to evade all perception. Qi Ye is a natural assassin!" Qi Lan warned again in a low voice, but before Xu Mu could reply, the danger was upon him.
"You talk too much!" Qi Ye reappeared before Qi Lan, drawing a sharp burst of energy that formed a blade. It instantly pierced Qi Lan's water elemental defense and lunged directly towards his heart.
Qi Lan's pupils shrank to the extreme. He wanted to resist, but his speed was no match for Qi Ye's.
Fortunately, Xu Mu was fast.
Under his feet, there was always an invisible innate Bagua array, granting Xu Mu absolute spatial perception.
The moment Qi Ye appeared, Xu Mu threw a punch backward.
Boom!
Before Qi Ye's energy blade could strike, he himself was sent flying several meters by a punch, tumbling in the air.
He had no time to be astonished, because in the next second, Xu Mu was already in front of him. Like a ferocious bull, he grabbed Qi Ye's arms, a Qian character imprint appearing above his head. His headbutt, like a mountain peak, slammed into Qi Ye.
Boom!
Qi Ye's protective energies shattered, followed by the bones in his chest. The immeasurable force crushed his cells and flesh, finally reaching his heart.
Qi Ye's face contorted in terror. He immediately exerted all his strength, forcefully pushing Xu Mu away with a storm-like surge of energy. Then, spitting blood, he retreated to the rear of his formation.
He looked at Xu Mu as if at a monster.
"This level of physical body... you are not in the second realm!"