Heavenly Dao Engine
Chapter 1623 - 1623 0957 The Rules of the Holy Land No

Chapter 1623: Chapter 0957: The Rules of the Holy Land No Longer Apply to Them Chapter 1623: Chapter 0957: The Rules of the Holy Land No Longer Apply to Them Chapter 0957: The Rules of the Holy Land No Longer Apply to Them

Xiu Zhengyu’s embarrassment was crystal clear to Qi Tian, who did not immediately lend a hand but glanced at Gao Yuqiu and said, “Will you do it, or shall I?”

The fight unfolding before their eyes was at a stalemate, but to Qi Tian, it could barely count as a minor skirmish. He didn’t even need to resort to any special tactics; he just needed to charge in with his Yonghe Stick, like he had done just now, and he could turn the tide of victory in a very short time. However, such a fight held no meaning for Qi Tian.

“I’ll do it.”

Gao Weiqiu certainly knew that letting Qi Tian take action was the most effortless method, but doing so would significantly strengthen Qi Tian’s status within the entire team and make everyone, including Xiu Zhengyu—who found Qi Tian the most disagreeable—fear to contend with him. This outcome was not in her interests. Gao Yuqiu hoped that the team could maintain a dynamic centered around her, rather than having everyone act according to Qi Tian’s whims. Although she knew that thinking this way, or acting in this direction, was somewhat self-deceptive, she had to do something; she couldn’t just stand by and watch her central position be abandoned.

Qi Tian smiled, not revealing Gao Yuqiu’s scheming. Vying for dominance within such a small detachment held no meaning for him. Even if Gao Yuqiu managed to keep her central position, it would be no loss to him. Gao Yuqiu had witnessed his formidable capabilities firsthand; even if he wanted to do something, would Gao Yuqiu dare to hinder him? Moreover, Qi Tian had plenty of ways to keep Gao Yuqiu in the dark about his actions, making the contest for a central position even more meaningless.

Combat was never Gao Yuqiu’s forte, but she still flew toward the heart of the battlefield. If she wanted to intervene in the fight, she had to exert her influence, converting her spiritual power into charisma to affect others, charming their minds and bodies. Achieving this required proximity; without closing the distance, no matter how charming she was, she couldn’t sway the outcome of the battle.

Gao Yuqiu flew ahead, with Qi Tian following unhurriedly behind, protecting her.

If Gao Yuqiu had felt some concern before, now with Qi Tian accompanying her, she let go of her worries and sped up. In a very short time, she had closed the distance to the opposing fighters. When her charm had its desired effect, she began to form spirit runes with her hands, transforming her spiritual power into a sharp sword and stabbing it towards the nearest foreign cultivator.

The man was deeply engrossed in battle with one of Qi Tian’s teammates, fighting desperately, at a deadlock. Suddenly, struck by Gao Yuqiu’s move, he slowed, a hint of hesitation on his face.

In high-level combat, the decisive moment often comes in an instant. Qi Tian’s teammate seized the opportunity, struck swiftly, and chopped down on the opponent’s neck, severing his head instantly.

After helping one teammate to victory, Gao Yuqiu shifted her focus to others.

The battle was originally evenly matched, with both sides about the same in strength. But Gao Yuqiu’s intervention swiftly tipped the scales of victory in favor of Qi Tian’s side.

Soon, the entire detachment brought by Xiu Zhengyu and the others had been slain; even the Heavenly Thief Mouse failed to escape and was obliterated by a powerful move from Xiu Zhengyu.

The team members expressed their gratitude to Gao Yuqiu, for they believed that she deserved most of the credit for their victory.

Gao Yuqiu accepted their thanks with guilt; she didn’t dare to wholeheartedly accept their gratitude and stole a glance at Qi Tian. Only after noticing that Qi Tian bore no grudge did she finally heave a long sigh of relief.

After receiving thanks from everyone, Gao Yuqiu, with a stern face, said, “This sudden battle has served as a wake-up call for all of us. The secret realm is fraught with danger, and enemies could emerge anytime, anywhere. We are seeking the opportunity to break through to the Nascent Soul Stage, as are other talented youths, making us natural enemies without room for reconciliation. We were fortunate this time to have escaped their ambush, but next time, if we encounter similar situations and fall into a trap set by our enemies, the consequences would be unimaginable. I hope that everyone takes this lesson to heart, especially Mrs. Zhengyu. I expect you to be more cautious with your words. If you leak information about our chances as carelessly as you did this time, don’t blame me for forming a new team.”

Xiu Zhengyu felt his face flush with shame, burning with embarrassment. In front of so many, Gao Yuqiu was blatantly disrespecting him, causing him to lose face.

However, he still contained his dissatisfaction and said, “I admit my mistake and sincerely apologize to everyone. I promise you all, I will not make such errors again.”

The team members said nothing; each of them harbored more or less resentment towards Xiu Zhengyu. But they also understood something very clearly: resentment wouldn’t solve anything. In the secret realm, encountering other small teams and engaging in life-and-death battles like the one just fought were inevitable and would recur. If they all showed disapproval and dissatisfaction with Xiu Zhengyu now, it would only alienate him from the team, potentially leading him to defect. When they entered the secret realm, they had already lost a team member; losing Xiu Zhengyu would weaken the team further, which could be disastrous in encounters with other teams.

With this understanding, it was practically impossible for them to cast aside Xiu Zhengyu. Of course, treating him as a competent leader, as they had in the past, was also out of the question. Fortunately, their detachment had been centered around Gao Yuqiu from the beginning, with Xiu Zhengyu only nominally serving as captain. As long as Gao Yuqiu was unproblematic, their team would not disband.

Gao Yuqiu initially ceded the captaincy to Xiu Zhengyu not because she didn’t want the position, but because the Holy Land didn’t allow the same power to establish more than one small team. But now, having entered the secret realm, the rules of Holy Land no longer applied to them. With Xiu Zhengyu performing so poorly, Gao Yuqiu decided no longer to yield. She said, “Sir Zhengyu, I believe it is necessary to adjust the duties of each team member in our detachment accordingly. What are your thoughts on this matter?”