When the voice of the Celestial Punishment Daoist clearly reached the ears of each elder, their expressions changed, and their gazes crisscrossed with alertness.

"You needn't be so tense. Before we part ways, we still belong to the same camp. Even when facing foreign forces ahead, we'll still need to cooperate!"

The words of the Saintly Sea Daoist echoed once more in the ears of the elders: "According to our sources, the foreign forces have already started to disperse. It seems the treasure about to appear is not far from here."

After hearing the Saintly Sea Daoist, the elders of each sect spread out their Perception Power. As the former had said, the fluctuations emitted by the treasure were indeed very close.

However, it was merely a vague direction, appearing very indistinct. It seemed the treasure was so vast that no matter where one sensed it, its presence could be confirmed, yet its exact location was elusive.

The secret discussions among everyone did not deliberately exclude Lin Kaizhong. Upon learning that foreign forces had already taken action, he immediately suggested, "In that case, we should quickly obtain the Kunlun Sect's Cultivation Technique. We can't waste any more time!"

As soon as he finished speaking, everyone gave him a collective side-eye. If anyone's wasting time, it's you, spending nearly half an hour on that broken book alone.

Nonetheless, everyone was aware that now was not the time to dwell on this matter. Lin Kaizhong was not wrong; time was indeed of the essence, and not a moment could be wasted.

The elders, led by the Saintly Sea Daoist, slightly nodded in agreement with Lin Kaizhong's suggestion, each channeling their True Qi, ready to jointly launch an attack to render the Celestial Punishment Daoist incapable of resistance in one blow.

On the other side, the Celestial Punishment Daoist could naturally see through their ploy, but he couldn't intercept their transmission. He could only increase his vigilance while looking for the weakest point in the field, plotting to break through the siege.

After adjusting all his states, the Celestial Punishment Daoist secretly informed the Lei Tong brothers of his plan, poised and ready to break through.

A moment later, the Celestial Punishment Daoist suddenly stamped his right foot on the ground, creating a ten-centimeter-deep footprint in the icy snow, then grabbed the rope tied to Yun You, charging in a chosen direction.

The Celestial Punishment Daoist targeted a relatively weaker elder, confident he could severely injure him with one blow and then escape the encirclement without pause, while Daoist Lei Tong intercepted and blocked, putting him at ease.

As long as it's not a life-and-death battle, the combined strength of the Lei Tong Daoist duo could hold off for a moment, allowing the Celestial Punishment Daoist to move away from the battlefield.

Afterward, Daoist Lei Tong could flee as well. At full sprint, among the experts of the same level, no one could stop their footsteps, even though it would appear somewhat embarrassing.

As for the junior elite disciples, in the Celestial Punishment Daoist's view, they could only be painfully sacrificed, which was far better than complete annihilation. Besides, extracting Cultivation Techniques from those disciples is better than having to divulge his own. 𝐟𝐫𝕖𝗲𝘄𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝕧𝐞𝚕.𝕔𝕠𝐦

After all, what the disciples know is limited, unlike the elders who participate in many crucial decisions, engaging in numerous non-disclosed Secret Techniques.

If truly captured by this group, it would mean exposing the Kunlun Sect's foundation, significantly diminishing its influence from then on.

Of course, the idea was good, but deviations often occur in practice. Just as he was about to injure the elder dramatically, the Saintly Sea Daoist and Lin Kaizhong combined forces, forming a pincer attack. The elder in front, drenched with cold sweat, gritted his teeth, refusing to retreat even half a step.

At this time, if the Celestial Punishment Daoist did not retreat, though he could severely injure one person, he would also be hit by the joint strike of the Saintly Sea Daoist and Lin Kaizhong.

Then, the chance of escape would sharply drop from sixty percent to thirty percent. There was still hope for a successful escape, but it depended on whether the Celestial Punishment Daoist dared to take the gamble.

The Celestial Punishment Daoist could not help but hesitate. This wasn't about betting a bicycle to turn into a motorcycle or a motorcycle into a jeep.

It was about risking total ruin or even death, leaving him no choice but to act rashly.

It was this moment of hesitation - the Saintly Sea Daoist swung the duster in his hand, and the blue Sea of True Qi engulfed him again, making even a full-scale retreat a distant hope.

Lin Kaizhong, without hesitation, slapped the chest of the Celestial Punishment Daoist with a powerful fan-sized palm, knocking him back, causing his breath to momentarily halt.

Due to Lin Kaizhong's palm strike directly to the chest, the flow of True Qi in the Celestial Punishment Daoist was momentarily stalled, and the murderous move he had been building up instantly dissipated, along with the True Qi remaining on the surface of his body.

As for the elite disciples of the Kunlun Sect, after witnessing the Celestial Punishment Daoist's solo escape attempt, the already precarious situation worsened, as they gradually shrank their defensive perimeter, on the brink of collapse.

Now, seeing the Celestial Punishment Daoist fail to escape and even get severely injured, a shadow called despair loomed over each person's heart, rendering them unable to muster any spirit to fight back.

Their hands mechanically defended based on instinct, while their feet were progressively driven back, making these elite disciples realize that this time, they had truly failed...

——

After advancing for half a day, everyone showed no signs of fatigue, feeling ever closer to the Five Elements Crystal. Ghost Face moved with a quickened step, as if fueled by adrenaline.

"I wonder how Yaoyao is doing?" Walking along, Lin Bingxuan couldn't help but speak up, "We've been out almost a month now, and who knows how that girl's company is faring."

Hearing Lin Bingxuan mention the young girl, Xiao Tian smiled, "Don't worry, even when we're not there, she's quite reliable!"

"Bingxuan, who is this Yaoyao you speak of?" Melinda asked, noticing the unconscious smile on Xiao Tian's face.

"Yaoyao," Lin Bingxuan replied with a smile, "is a very cute girl, and she's also my niece. I'll introduce you when there's time."

"So that's who she is!" Melinda nodded with understanding, "What does she like? Plush toys or Barbie dolls, so I can prepare a gift for her."

"You don't think she's a child, do you?" Lin Bingxuan laughed, "She has already graduated from university, though she looks very young."

Melinda pondered for a moment, "Is she your niece because you are of a higher generation?"

"Smart!" Lin Bingxuan praised, giving her a thumbs-up.

"Eh?!" Melinda furrowed her brow slightly, her face puzzled, "Why do I feel like you're not really complimenting me?"

...

Observing Ghost Face, who had been highly enthusiastic since their departure, Xiao Tian asked curiously, "Did you give yourself something like stimulants?"