Those cultivators could be considered elites of the Yuchi family. Most of them were at the sixth or seventh layer of the Heavenly tier, yet under the Vermilion Bird Feather's assault, the majority had absolutely no power to resist—they were pierced clean through. Perhaps one or two managed to slip through the cracks.
But with Long Xiaoxuan and Sacred Mistress Ningyan clearing the battlefield outside, how could they possibly escape?
And besides, wasn't there also Jiang Chen lurking at the perimeter, ready to strike at any moment?
Seeing his family's elites wiped out so effortlessly—as easy as swatting flies one after another—Old Ancestor Yuchi finally realized the trouble they'd run into today was enormous.
This wasn't merely trouble. It was utter catastrophe.
Old Ancestor Yuchi could no longer care about dignity. He spotted what he believed to be the weakest point in the encirclement and prepared to flee.
But the divine sense of the Vermilion Bird Divine Bird blanketed the entire area—who would it allow to escape? The distance between them had already been painfully close.
A massive claw swept down, smashing the flying vessel directly into Old Ancestor Yuchi's back.
How could Old Ancestor Yuchi have imagined that one day he'd be struck by his own family's flying vessel? Feeling the crushing pressure bearing down on his back like a mountain falling upon him, he launched himself upward, hurtling several hundred zhang into the sky by sheer force of will.
But this leap disrupted his rhythm of escape entirely.
The Vermilion Bird Divine Bird's other claw reached out, and the talons upon it gleamed like a row of razor-sharp swords, enveloping Old Ancestor Yuchi's Dharma body in their grip.
Crack!
Old Ancestor Yuchi was ultimately a beat too slow.
The air around him churned as the pressure grew unbearable. The massive claw clenched tight, seizing Old Ancestor Yuchi's Dharma body firmly.
In that instant, Old Ancestor Yuchi felt an iron band constrict around his entire body—no matter how he struggled, he couldn't move a single inch.
An inexplicable terror, sharp as an electric shock, surged through every fiber of his being.
Once Old Ancestor Yuchi was captured by the Vermilion Bird Divine Bird, the outcome was no different from what had happened to Old Ancestor Golden Bell.
Meanwhile, Jiang Chen and Sacred Mistress Ningyan had finished off the last cultivator and were heading over. Long Xiaoxuan was still calling out: "Brother Vermilion Bird, save one for me!"
Before Jiang Chen and the others arrived, Sacred Mistress Ningyan looked around and asked, "Where is he? Did that old brute escape?" Her tone carried a note of disappointment.
Jiang Chen laughed. "If he could escape, that would be the real surprise."
"Then—" Sacred Mistress Ningyan suddenly glanced at the Vermilion Bird Divine Bird, her voice trailing off as she seemed to guess what had happened.
The Vermilion Bird Divine Bird shook its head and patted its wings, looking thoroughly satisfied.
Jiang Chen smiled. "Brother Vermilion Bird, I'd say you're truly only half a step away from the Divine Path now. You might break through at any moment."
Break through? Sacred Mistress Ningyan was somewhat skeptical. The Vermilion Bird Divine Bird's combat power was already terrifying enough—she had heard that even Divine Path powerhouses had fallen before it. If the Vermilion Bird Divine Bird broke through once more, what kind of terrifying existence would it become?
It had to be said that the Yuchi family was incredibly unfortunate. From beginning to end, they had never mounted any real resistance before being wiped out with such overwhelming force.
After tidying up the battlefield, Jiang Chen smiled. "It seems the plan went more smoothly than expected. Next target: Meng Qianqiu!"
Sacred Mistress Ningyan nodded. "Meng Qianqiu holds relatively high prestige among the four demigods. Killing him would be a blow to the rebels. But if he were to switch sides, the blow to the rebels might be even greater!"
Jiang Chen chuckled. "That depends on whether he's smart enough to cooperate and willing to comply. If he refuses to give up until he's staring at his own coffin, then we'll have no choice but to eliminate him. No point letting things drag on."
"Mm. With Meng Tianxing in hand, Meng Qianqiu will most likely not dare to act rashly," Sacred Mistress Ningyan judged.
The Vermilion Bird Divine Bird drifted over and casually patted the air. A sword gleaming like autumn water materialized before Jiang Chen.
"Chen Shao, this is the spoils of war. I have no use for it—it's yours."
Jiang Chen made no pretense of refusal and claimed the sword as his own. It was Old Ancestor Yuchi's natal treasure, much like Old Ancestor Golden Bell's golden bell.
The only difference was that Old Ancestor Yuchi had already become the Vermilion Bird Divine Bird's meal, leaving the sword without a master. Naturally, Jiang Chen happily accepted it.
After clearing the battlefield, the four of them followed the original plan and turned back toward the inevitable route to the Menglan Sect.
They released the divine sense seal on Meng Tianxing, and the young man immediately became animated: "Brothers, brothers! If you want to use me to pressure my grandfather, I can teach you how."
"If you listen to me, I guarantee the Menglan Sect will mend its ways and come over to the right side. This rebellion—we were never that enthusiastic about it in the first place. We were completely coerced, and they dangled enormous profits in front of us. Otherwise, how would our Menglan Sect ever have been dragged into this? This is nothing but an undeserved calamity for me. I have never done a single dishonorable thing against the True Martial Holy Land."
Meng Tianxing was still trying to play the sympathy card, hoping to win Jiang Chen's pity.
But Jiang Chen merely scoffed. "Meng Tianxing, if you truly have the ability to persuade your grandfather to switch sides and mend his ways, sparing your miserable little life would hardly be a big deal."
Meng Tianxing's eyes lit up. "Really?"
"Whether it's real or not—use your own head to figure it out," Jiang Chen said coldly.