Heavenly Dao Engine
Chapter 863 - 863 0527 The Objective is About to Fail_2

Chapter 863: Chapter 0527: The Objective is About to Fail_2 Chapter 863: Chapter 0527: The Objective is About to Fail_2 The core Elders of the Eight Pill Alliance, including Commander Yang, totaled eight people, each possessing a unique skill and being experts in their respective fields. Commander Yang happened to be a Formation Master. Initially, his mind was preoccupied with the situation at the Defensive Barrier, glancing over intermittently. Coupled with the fact that the wounded comrade’s condition wasn’t improving, his focus was disturbed, resulting in his initial lack of attention towards Qi Tian and his group.

However, Commander Yang lived up to his reputation as a Formation Master. Halfway through setting up the Twenty-four Star Array, he sensed something was amiss. He shifted his focus back from the Defensive Barrier, and upon a closer look at Qi Tian and his group, he flew into a rage.

“What do you think you’re doing? How dare you set up the Twenty-four Star Array? This is an outright challenge to us, the Eight Pill Alliance, and a contempt of the goodwill we have extended to you. I command you to immediately cease these hostile actions,” Commander Yang bellowed.

Qi Tian and his group paid no heed to Commander Yang. On the contrary, the remaining dozen or so Gold Core Realm cultivators accelerated their pace. Commander Yang, livid, knew that under no circumstances could he allow Qi Tian and his group to form the Twenty-four Star Array. Once the formation was complete, Qi Tian and his group might have the capital to contend with the Eight Pill Alliance temporarily. If conflict broke out, the Eight Pill Alliance, which could have secured a certain victory, might not maintain their advantage.

Without another word, Commander Yang drew his flying sword and immediately slashed at the nearest Gold Core Realm cultivator. To break the Twenty-four Star Array was quite simple; it was to strike before the formation was completed. Kill or severely injure any of the Gold Core Realm cultivators, and the Twenty-four Star Array would collapse on its own. Of course, if the Twenty-four Star Array wasn’t established, other formations could be arranged, but switching from the Twenty-four Star Array to another was no easy task. Even with swift and rapid movements, it required at least ten to twenty minutes. With this time, it would be enough for Commander Yang and his allies to defeat Qi Tian and his group one by one.

Commander Yang’s strength was formidable, and his vision was shrewd. The target he picked was a second-level Gold Core Realm cultivator who had been beguiled by Lin Zhiyuan to come treasure hunting, a lone cultivator without many treasures on hand. If Commander Yang’s sword were to fall, the cultivator would either die or be gravely wounded; he would definitely not come out unscathed.

In that critical moment, Liao Chongru, who was closer, disregarded everything else and smashed a Gold Core Thunder Talisman Qi Tian had given him towards Commander Yang.

Recognizing the danger, Commander Yang nearly cursed out loud as the Gold Core Thunder Talisman flew waveringly towards him. He instantly identified the powerful talisman, which could cause him great harm, as one that seemed to have slipped out from a shop under the Eight Pill Alliance. He never expected it would be used against him by Liao Chongru.

Commander Yang had no desire to be seriously injured; on one hand, being wounded was no trivial matter, and on the other, once injured, he might immediately become a potential captive of Qi Tian’s group. Then, eight or nine times out of ten, Qi Tian would hold him hostage to coerce Wang Fengna into agreeing to their terms. Regardless of whether Wang Fengna acquiesced to Qi Tian’s demands, it would always be at the expense of him and the Eight Pill Alliance.

In an instant, Commander Yang made a decision that was in his best interest. He withdrew his flying sword to intercept the thunderbolt from the sky. As for the Gold Core Realm cultivator he originally intended to slay, he managed to narrowly escape this calamity.

Boom! A bolt of thunder descended from the sky, which Commander Yang desperately blocked.

Commander Yang emerged unscathed, but the commotion caught the attention of Wang Fengna in the Great Rift Valley, who was busy deciphering the Defensive Barrier.

The vice-leader of the Eight Pill Alliance inwardly exclaimed that this was bad news. She quickly abandoned her decoding task and flew towards the cliff of the Great Rift Valley at top speed.

A moment later, Wang Fengna landed on the cliff, and when she saw everything there, her phoenix brows immediately shot up in anger. The Twenty-four Star Array—how did these Gold Core Realm experts from different forces reach an agreement to join hands so quickly? If she had known it would come to this, she should have killed a batch of them.

Upon seeing Wang Fengna, Commander Yang bitterly smiled to himself. These past few days had been his unlucky days. As one of the core elders of the Eight Pill Alliance, he had taken action time after time but failed to accomplish anything successful. It was an embarrassment, and it even affected his ranking within the alliance and his annual dividend.

“Elder Yang, what is going on here?” Wang Fengna asked with a cold face.

Commander Yang had no choice but to recount the events. After patiently listening, Wang Fengna finally understood where the problems had arisen. In a nutshell, their Eight Pill Alliance had been too confident, treating Qi Tian and Lin Zhiyuan and the rest as if they were soft persimmons or country bumpkins, which led to Qi Tian and his group seizing the opportunity. Under their noses, they had joined together to form an Array, transforming from fish meat that could only be slaughtered at will into a thorny force capable of a fight.

The situation was getting somewhat troublesome. Wang Fengna snorted coldly and pointed at Zhang Liangliang and others who had not formed an Array, saying, “Commander Yang, take people and deal with them. Don’t tell me you can’t even handle this minor matter now.”

Without a word, Commander Yang controlled his flying sword and slashed toward Zhang Liangliang and his companions. At first, Zhang Liangliang felt schadenfreude when he saw Qi Tian and his associates forming the Array, but in the blink of an eye, while Qi Tian and his gang were unharmed, these Gold Core Realm experts who had behaved and not caused trouble found themselves facing a calamity. They were both angry and anxious, but fortunately, they knew this was not the time to plead and argue, and they desperately used their methods to flee for their lives.

But how could Commander Yang give them a chance? In no time at all, he had slain Zhang Liangliang and all his companions, leaving none behind. This was done out of concern that Qi Tian and his group might feel the Twenty-four Star Array was not enough and would pull Zhang Liangliang and his group into the Array, further strengthening its power. If that happened, Qi Tian and his group would become even more difficult to deal with.

Soon, Zhang Liangliang and his companions were all lying in pools of blood. The strong scent of blood instantly hit everyone’s nose, and as they saw these Gold Core Realm experts lying on the ground, whether it was Qi Tian’s side or Lin Zhiyuan and his group, all felt an overwhelming sense of relief. If they had not banded together, their lives would be just like Zhang Liangliang and the others—completely at the mercy of the Eight Pill Alliance, dead at a word, with no place to even argue their case.

In addition to their relief, both sides grew more determined to continue their alliance. Until the threat from the Eight Pill Alliance was eliminated, they must maintain this alliance; it could not be dissolved. Once dissolved, neither side would be a match for the Eight Pill Alliance.

Wang Fengna had initially wanted Commander Yang to kill Zhang Liangliang and the others to show their authority to Qi Tian and his group. However, seeing that not only had she failed to achieve her goal, but Qi Tian and his companions were even more resolute, she knew her intentions had fallen through.

Nevertheless, Wang Fengna didn’t care. She coldly looked at Lin Zhiyuan and said, “Lin Zhiyuan, think carefully. By confronting our Eight Pill Alliance head-on here today, you are severing your family’s ties with us.”

Lin Zhiyuan’s heart tightened at her words, which hit his most vulnerable spot. No matter what, his family was no match for the Eight Pill Alliance. If the Eight Pill Alliance was determined to target his family, they would be powerless to fight back and could be crushed to dust by the alliance within minutes.

Seeing that Lin Zhiyuan, merely because of Wang Fengna’s words, was about to kneel and withdraw from the alliance, thus causing the alliance’s covenant to become invalid, Qi Tian quickly transmitted his voice to Lin Zhiyuan, “Family Master Lin, don’t fall for Wang Fengna’s trick. Do you think she would completely overlook the fact that you’ve allied with us today? No matter what she promises you now, she will demand it back a thousandfold, a hundredfold in the future. The situation being what it is, all we can do is guide it in the direction most favorable to us. Surrendering is tantamount to being slaughtered at will; the Eight Pill Alliance won’t treat us fairly.”