While Tao Yang said this, he wasn't actually confident either.
The Ghost King Valley group consisted entirely of young disciples — not a single one at the Shenyou Realm. And while the Treasure Artifact Sect had a few Shenyou Realm cultivators among them, along with a dazzling array of Artifacts of every variety, they would still be no match for those five groups in a real fight.
If only he could secretly send someone out to relay a message to Yang Kai. Tao Yang believed that once Yang Kai learned of their situation, he would certainly bring a large force to meet them. With Yang Kai calling the shots, entering Battle City would be a piece of cake.
But right now, he had no opportunity whatsoever to send anyone out with a message.
"Senior Brother Tao, I'm sorry. I've caused you to be scolded by Elder Wu." Leng Shan's face was full of guilt. She and Shen Yi and the others had truly run out of options before thinking to seek out Tao Yang. After all, when they had first emerged from the Fierce Evil Cave, Tao Yang and his companions had stayed at Ghost King Valley for a time, and everyone was reasonably familiar with each other.
"It's nothing. Uncle-Master is just all talk. He could never bring himself to expel me from the sect." Tao Yang smiled faintly and waved his hand dismissively.
The Treasure Artifact Sect had very few members — barely a hundred in total. Every generation, the disciples they took in underwent exceedingly strict selection, even more rigorous than the Medicine King Valley's recruitment.
But every disciple of the Treasure Artifact Sect possessed incomparable talent and achievement in the art of artifact forging, and among this generation, Tao Yang stood at the very pinnacle.
The Sect's future prosperity rested on his shoulders. How could Wu Yan truly bear to expel him?
As he spoke, Tao Yang's expression grew dark. Five groups of people escorting them from all sides — it looked impressive on the surface, but in reality it was suffocating and miserable.
They couldn't fight their way out. They couldn't talk their way out. And the others certainly wouldn't listen to what they had to say.
Moreover, as time passed and they drew ever closer to Battle City, those five groups were growing increasingly impatient. The glances they exchanged carried the unmistakable scent of an approaching storm.
The Treasure Artifact Sect's standing, after all, wasn't as unshakable and transcendent as the Medicine King Valley's. When the Medicine King Valley's people traveled, no one dared offend them.
But though the Treasure Artifact Sect had a reputation, there were still those who didn't take it particularly seriously.
Over the years, who knew how many major powers had tried, openly or covertly, to absorb the Treasure Artifact Sect. Schemes and plots, overt attacks and hidden arrows — they had come in endless succession.
Fortunately, the connections the Treasure Artifact Sect had accumulated over the years were considerable, and every crisis had been narrowly averted.
But this couldn't continue indefinitely. They needed a transcendent power to shelter them if they were to survive.
It was precisely for this reason that the Treasure Artifact Sect's leadership had agreed to Tao Yang's request to participate in the battle for succession. As long as they could negotiate favorable terms with Yang Kai, helping him wasn't out of the question.
The group flew onward for another half hour, and the distance to Battle City had shrunk to a mere eight hundred li.
At this range, the five groups dispatched by the various young masters of the Yang family were already showing their impatience, exchanging meaningful glances. They were clearly preparing to make their move.
The members of the Treasure Artifact Sect and Ghost King Valley sensed the shift in atmosphere and couldn't help but tense up, quietly bracing themselves.
Sure enough, from the group on the left, the Shenyou Realm expert who had spoken earlier let out a cold snort. "Master Wu, it seems your Sect is dead set on shielding these evil sect members. Since Master Wu refuses to hand them over, then we'll have to be rude. If we cause any offense later, I hope Master Wu will understand!"
Wu Yan's face went cold at this. "What do you think you're doing?" he roared.
The man chuckled lightly. "The righteous and the evil cannot coexist. We merely wish to punish the wicked and eradicate evil! Master Wu had best keep your Sect's disciples in line. Otherwise, if things get out of hand and there are... unfortunate casualties, well, I make no guarantees."
Wu Yan sneered. "I'm afraid you'll just claim that every young person behind me is already an evil sect member, won't you? Whether they fight or not, you'll arrest them all the same."
"Of course not," the man said, slowly shaking his head. "At the very least, I know your Sect's head disciple, Tao Yang. As for whether the rest are evil sect members, we can sort that out with a thorough interrogation once they're in custody!"
At this point, anyone could see that these people were using the suppression of Ghost King Valley as a pretext to go after the Treasure Artifact Sect. They wouldn't kill anyone — they'd simply capture the Treasure Artifact Sect's disciples and put them to work serving those young masters of the Yang family.
Besides, if a fight really broke out, would Tao Yang and the others simply stand by? The moment they fought back, it would give the other side a perfectly legitimate excuse to take them.
All the twisted logic and hidden agendas were now laid bare for all to see.
Wu Yan's expression darkened. He lowered his voice and instructed, "It seems the Treasure Artifact Sect can't avoid this catastrophe this time. When the fighting starts, run if you can. If you can't escape, don't resist — they won't kill you. Tao Yang, you get to Battle City immediately and find that Yang Kai. Have him handle this!"
"Understood!" Tao Yang answered in a low, grave voice.
"Tell him — if a single disciple of my Treasure Artifact Sect is harmed, he can forget about ever having me forge artifacts for him again!" Wu Yan reiterated firmly.
"It seems Master Wu has made up his mind?" the man pressed again, giving a soft humph. "In that case, we'll have to be rude!"
The moment those words fell, all five groups moved almost simultaneously, converging on the Treasure Artifact Sect disciples in the crowd.
The Treasure Artifact Sect had brought over twenty people on this trip. Divided among five groups, that was still a respectable number. At the very least, it would give them something to report to the young masters of the Yang family when they returned to Battle City.
The Treasure Artifact Sect and Ghost King Valley members, who had been rushing forward at full speed, ground to an abrupt halt. They were just about to follow Wu Yan's earlier instructions and scatter in all directions to find escape routes when a figure suddenly appeared above their heads.