The shout made everyone from North Canglong shiver.
Especially when they looked up and saw Zhao Ya holding a head, their shock was beyond words.
One must know that Luo Congkuan was an extremely important elder of North Canglong, yet he died in these woods, slain by a disciple of South Canglong.
For a moment, these people were in a daze.
But soon they gathered themselves and each reacted.
Some turned and ran, trying to escape under the cover of night and rain.
Others drew their swords, intending to resist stubbornly.
But no one surrendered.
Zhao Ya understood that this would be the outcome.
After all, North Canglong had split from the Azure Dragon Temple years ago; a sense of pride naturally existed in the hearts of its disciples.
And this was the biggest difference between a reputable sect and an organization like Separation Tower.
Yet at this critical moment, despite his feelings, Zhao Ya was resolute when it was time to act.
His long saber cut through the night sky, splitting the rain and severing heads simultaneously.
Qin Jianji sighed and then joined the battle.
In the absence of Luo Congkuan’s command, the remaining people were nothing but scattered sand.
Even if they fought to the death, they could not avoid destruction.
A moment later, no one was left standing.
The ground was covered with corpses soaking in blood, emitting a pungent stench.
Zhao Ya flipped the blade and used the rain to wash the blood off its edge.
Moments later, the Snow Iron Saber was bright again.
By now, the battle in the forest was nearing its end; although some killers from Separation Tower remained, it was only a matter of time before they were eliminated.
Because, under the effect of Zhao Ya’s special poison bait, these killers were already plagued by various negative conditions and could not escape even if they wanted to.
Then Zhao Ya handed Luo Congkuan’s head to Qin Jianji.
Qin Jianji took it, somewhat surprised.
"Ya, what are you going to do?"
He immediately saw that Zhao Ya had something he needed to do.
"Nothing, just have some scores to settle with the people from Separation Tower."
Zhao Ya looked off into the distant night sky, feeling a slight warmth from the powder on his wrist.
He understood that this was Wu Bao’Er notifying him.
"I’ll go with you," Qin Jianji said immediately.
Even though Zhao Ya’s strength just now surprised him, Qin Jianji was still uneasy about letting Zhao Ya pursue the remnants of Separation Tower alone.
"No need. You stay here and clean up the aftermath; leave the rest to me and Elder Shen."
"Yun Shen?" Qin Jianji froze.
"That’s right," Zhao Ya said with a smile.
Hearing Zhao Ya’s words, Qin Jianji finally felt relieved.
In terms of strength, even Qin Jianji was no match for Shen Yunshen.
So if Zhao Ya was moving with Shen Yunshen, there would be no issue.
"Alright, be careful." Qin Jianji nodded.
Zhao Ya immediately left the battlefield, heading towards a certain part of the woods.
On the road, Zhao Ya was already prepared to be scolded.
Sure enough, when Zhao Ya arrived at the site he designated for Shen Yunshen to hold with his people, he was greeted by a barrage of reprimands.
"Zhao Ya, what’s the meaning of this? Do you think I’m old because my surname is Shen? Leaving me here to guard, and in the end, there’s nothing but some foolish killers. You look down on me, don’t you?" Shen Yunshen was furious.
And it was no wonder he was angry.
Back when Zhao Ya assigned the task, he was explicit with Shen Yunshen that the area he was guarding was critically important, and if Separation Tower or North Canglong attacked, they would surely choose this location first.
Therefore, Shen Yunshen’s responsibility was extremely serious; he must not abandon his post and ensure absolute safety here.
Because of what Zhao Ya said, even hearing the distant shouts of battle in the woods, Shen Yunshen could only worry idly without daring to leave.
If he walked away, and then Separation Tower or North Canglong showed up right after, what would happen?
Wouldn’t that be falling into the trap of "luring the tiger away from the mountain"?
Not until the shouts gradually faded and everything returned to silence did Shen Yunshen realize what had happened.
The battle seemed to be over.
Meaning he had waited in vain; others had already dealt with the invaders.
Now Shen Yunshen was truly angry, believing Zhao Ya did this on purpose.
So when he saw Zhao Ya, he showed great resentment.
Zhao Ya merely smiled, did not rush to explain, and let Shen Yunshen vent.
Only when Shen Yunshen fell silent did Zhao Ya calmly speak.
"Elder Shen, finished cursing?"
"Finished!" Shen Yunshen replied.
"If you’re done, come do something with me."
"What matter?" Shen Yunshen’s spirit lifted.
"Kill the mastermind behind this operation, which is the Chief Executioner sent by the Separation Tower."
Shen Yunshen immediately discarded his previous anger upon hearing this, overjoyed.
"Great, do you know where he is?"
"I should be close."
"Then what are we waiting for, let’s go!"
Zhao Ya wasn’t in a hurry to leave, instead, he asked with a smile, "So you’re not angry anymore?"
Shen Yunshen grinned upon hearing this, then somewhat embarrassedly patted Zhao Ya’s shoulder.
"You know me, I’ve got a quick temper, so don’t be like me. After we kill that damn Chief Executioner, I’ll treat you to drinks."
"Alright!"
Zhao Ya understood that Shen Yunshen meant no harm. He was just anxious because everyone else was fighting hard while he was idle.
Actually, Zhao Ya hadn’t expected that Luo Congkuan and others from North Canglong would choose to break through from Qin Jianji’s flank.
He had Shen Yunshen stationed at the front, waiting for the people from North Canglong.
After all, with Shen Yunshen’s strength, he could definitely defeat Luo Congkuan, if not instantly kill him.
Ultimately, it was a matter of luck.
But this was good; since they hadn’t used Shen Yunshen, Ye Xunhuan probably wouldn’t panic even if he found out about the battle in the woods.
As a result, the odds of their sneak attack had invisibly increased significantly.
Zhao Ya and Shen Yunshen sped through the rainy night side by side.
To Zhao Ya’s surprise, Ye Xunhuan really had the audacity not to leave.
According to the insect powder’s hint, Ye Xunhuan was not far ahead.
With the pace of him and Shen Yunshen, they had already covered roughly thirty miles from the woods in no time.
That meant he should be in the dilapidated temple Wu Bao’Er mentioned.
Zhao Ya slowed down, his eye power exceptional; even on this pitch-black rainy night, he could see the scenery a hundred meters away.
While walking, he observed, and soon found the derelict temple standing in the rain, then gestured to Shen Yunshen.
This meant to tread carefully and not alert the enemy.
Shen Yunshen nodded to indicate he understood.
The two then crept forward silently, not even raising a splash.
Meanwhile, inside the temple, the atmosphere was somewhat oppressive and eerie.
Ye Xunhuan sat relaxed atop the altar, with Liu Ming beside him wearing a grave expression.
Wu Bao’Er stood nearby, narrating what had occurred in the woods.
"So you’re saying Steel Shadow was killed by that Zhao Ya with one punch?" Ye Xunhuan asked.
Wu Bao’Er nodded, "That’s correct, his strength has grown significantly since our last battle."
"Then how did you escape?" Ye Xunhuan asked.
Wu Bao’Er was prepared for this question.
"At that time, I was hiding at a distance. When I saw Steel Shadow killed, I dared not show myself. But Zhao Ya didn’t give up, continuing to search around."
"I was about to be discovered when, unexpectedly, Elder Luo and the others from North Canglong attacked, so Zhao Ya turned to deal with them, allowing me to escape."
His account was very careful, leaving no room for doubt.
Ye Xunhuan gave a faint smile, unclear whether he believed it or not, simply sitting on the altar with a vacant expression, as if pondering something.
Wu Bao’Er felt tense inside but dared not show it, only pretending to look anxious and asked.
"Steward Ye, what should we do now? South Canglong is clearly prepared, and Zhao Ya’s strength is astonishing. Should we change our plan?"
"It’s too late." Ye Xunhuan suddenly said calmly.
"Hmm?"
"I said, it’s already too late." Ye Xunhuan raised his eyes to the big hole at the top of the hall.
The wind and rain were pouring in through this hole, making the already decayed hall feel chillingly cold.
"If I’m not mistaken, most of the people in the tower and from North Canglong have already been wiped out."
"Ah? What should we do then?" Wu Bao’Er asked, feigning panic.
Ye Xunhuan, however, didn’t panic at all, instead smiled leisurely and said, "It’s quite interesting; these tactics don’t seem like Guan Xuejiang’s work. Shen Yunshen is a brute, lacking this kind of wit, so it probably comes from Zhao Ya."
"Couple that with what you said about his skyrocketing strength, it seems this lad is not only extraordinarily talented but also quite cunning!"
By the end, Ye Xunhuan’s tone carried a hint of admiration and appreciation.
Wu Bao’Er couldn’t help but admire Ye Xunhuan’s calmness because he was indeed right.
If things had been normal, Wu Bao’Er would have already returned to the temple, rather than just now arriving.
The delay was caused by Wu Bao’Er wanting to see how the situation would develop.
If Zhao Ya’s side gained the upper hand and achieved victory, then there was nothing more to say; he would proceed as Zhao Ya had instructed earlier.
But if North Canglong and the Separation Tower were winning, then Wu Bao’Er would have to consider things carefully.
Even if he took the poison, he would have to act according to the situation, otherwise, he’d end up dead regardless of the poison acting or not.
And in fact, as Ye Xunhuan predicted, North Canglong was ultimately defeated, with even Luo Congkuan, their leader, killed.
Upon seeing this, Wu Bao’Er immediately left the woods and headed to the temple.
"So what do we do now? Shouldn’t we leave this place first and then reassess?" Liu Ming, unaware of the situation, suggested.
"No need." Ye Xunhuan suddenly rejected Liu Ming’s suggestion and then looked toward the outside of the temple.
"They’re already here!"