"There are exactly twelve of us here, and the cave entrance isn't wide—about enough room for four to stand shoulder to shoulder. What I propose is that we split into three groups and take turns holding the entrance, blocking those ghost creatures. Each group holds for the time it takes an incense stick to burn, then the next group replaces them!"
"That way, between each rotation, our friends here will have roughly half an hour to rest—enough time to recover about seventy or eighty percent of your strength without being completely exhausted."
"As for these ghost creatures, kill them if you can. If you can't, just hold the line. The howling wind will pass eventually. Once it stops, we can leave this place—there's no need to get bogged down fighting them. Only then will we have a sliver of hope for survival."
"However, if we're going to cooperate like this, everyone must put in their honest effort and trust one another. No one can harbor private schemes."
"That's my proposal. What does everyone think?"
Qi Hefeng finished speaking and turned his head to survey the surroundings.
The four currently stationed at the cave entrance naturally had no objections—they had already taken the first rotation and were due for a break. They immediately voiced their approval, nodding eagerly, practically itching to fall back right now.
The others showed no particular expression, but anyone with a functioning mind knew Qi Hefeng was right. In a crisis like this, the only way to survive was to cooperate with the others. After all, fleeing simply wasn't an option given the current situation.
So after just a brief silence, someone nodded and said, "Brother Qi is right. I'm in agreement!"
"Agreed!"
"Agreed!"
With the momentum so clearly in favor, no one dared dissent, and before long, a consensus was reached among the vast majority inside the cave.
Qi Hefeng turned his head toward
Qi Hefeng's expression turned serious. "Since no one has objections, let's put it into action. But I'll say this bluntly first—this kind of cooperation allows for absolutely zero mistakes. If anyone slacks off or harbors some other foolish notion, don't blame the rest of us for joining forces to deal with them."
"As it should be!"
Shortly after, under Qi Hefeng's direction, the remaining eight were divided into two groups.
He had clearly noticed that Yang Kai,
With the assignments complete, Qi Hefeng took the lead without hesitation, charging out with the other three.
The four who had been holding the entrance withdrew in unison, clearing the way.
Qi Hefeng and his group soon clashed with the ghost creatures, and the battle raged fiercely. The original four fell back to the rear, each producing medicinal pills and sitting cross-legged to recover.
The time they had was precious—roughly half an hour at most—so they had to make every moment count.
Once the personnel were rotated, the precarious defensive line instantly became as solid as iron. Qi Hefeng and his group boasted impressive overall cultivation, and under the radiance of their respective secret techniques and Artifacts, the specters and ghost creatures were actually being pushed back, with specters being destroyed one after another.
Seeing this, everyone felt a surge of renewed confidence, more convinced than ever that Qi Hefeng's proposal had been the right call.
If they managed to escape this alive, Qi Hefeng would undoubtedly be the greatest contributor. Without him stepping forward at the critical moment to organize everyone's defense, the twelve people here would still be nothing more than a scattered mob.
Qi Hefeng and his group held the line for a full incense stick's burn. Though they had expended considerable energy, they managed to make it through without any real danger.
As the time drew to a close, Yang Kai slowly rose to his feet and said in a calm voice, "Elder Ban, stay a little behind me and just deal with any stragglers that slip through."
Upon hearing this, Elder Ban said nothing—he simply gave a slight nod.
He was the weakest among them, with only Dao Source Realm First-Order cultivation, and he was advanced in years. Forget those ghost-general-level specters—even a dozen or two ordinary specters would be enough to destroy him completely.
He knew Yang Kai's cultivation was extraordinary, his strength profound. Yang Kai hadn't even feared the Ghost King, so how could he possibly be afraid of the Ghost King's subordinates? He was doing this to protect him, so there was no point declining.
In a flicker of movement, Yang Kai led Zhang Ruoxi, Elder Ban, and the other Dao Source Realm Second-Order cultivator forward, replacing Qi Hefeng's group of four.
Zhang Ruoxi's very first strike unleashed a breathtaking display. An extraordinarily dense and pure burst of Divine Sense erupted from her, transforming into invisible blades that swept across the entire battlefield like divine weapons descending upon the world. The specters and ghost creatures clustered at the cave entrance fell like stalks of wheat being mown down.
The Dao Source Realm Second-Order cultivator who had joined their group glanced over at Zhang Ruoxi in astonishment, only then realizing that this girl of heavenly beauty possessed such terrifying strength. In that moment, he felt both respect and awe.
Perhaps stung by his pride as a man, he gritted his teeth and pushed his own soul power to the limit, unwilling to be looked down upon.
Yang Kai's performance was far less dramatic than Zhang Ruoxi's, but each burst of his soul power silently annihilated a large swathe of specters. Most of these specters were hidden within the strange fog nearby, so no matter how great the disturbance he caused, the others couldn't see it.
Occasionally, he deliberately let a stray ordinary specter or two slip through, leaving them for Elder Ban to handle.
This wasn't about protecting Elder Ban's pride—every one of the other eleven people in the cave was putting in honest effort, cooperating sincerely to fend off the ghost creatures. If Elder Ban appeared to be doing nothing at all, that wouldn't sit right.
A specter or two of ordinary caliber was easy enough for Elder Ban to deal with—enough to keep him occupied without posing any real danger.
The moment Yang Kai's group of four took over the defense, the situation transformed dramatically.