The counterattack organized by the cultivators of the Tian Yuan Realm this time was very effective. They pushed forward step by step, forcing the Undead race to retreat repeatedly.
With victory seemingly within reach, the cultivators of the Tian Yuan Realm accelerated their pursuit.
This was an excellent opportunity to achieve merit and establish a reputation.
The异界亡灵 (otherworldly undead) had previously plundered vast resources during their sieges and conquests. By defeating them, immense spoils of war could be seized.
Zhu Yu unleashed over a thousand sword shadows, felling a large number of zombies and skeletons before him. His flying swords then returned to his hand like fish.
Beside him, Cai Jingjing, the matriarch of the Cai clan, had also just retracted her most powerful killing move.
Gazing at the sparse corpses of zombies and skeletons ahead, and then looking up at the terrain, Zhu Yu's pupils contracted sharply. He grabbed Cai Jingjing.
"My dear wife! I have a nagging feeling that something is amiss. Our advance has been too smooth. The undead are not without the strength to fight, yet they flee at the slightest sign of us every time."
"Then, according to your thoughts, my husband, what should we do?"
Although the men of the Cai clan held little status, Cai Jingjing had always respected Zhu Yu and was willing to heed his advice.
This allowed Zhu Yu to maintain a certain dignity despite relying on his wife.
"Let's slow down. Let others charge ahead and scout the way. We'll stay behind and guard against any sneak attacks."
Cai Jingjing hesitated only for a moment before agreeing to Zhu Yu's request.
While being at the forefront of the pursuit could yield more spoils, if Zhu Yu's suspicions were correct, it would be a loss far outweighing any gain.
Gradually, the Cai clan members fell to the rear of the formation. The Tian Yuan Realm cultivators in front had already pursued into a massive canyon.
The terrain here was formed by numerous interconnected islands, with a vacant space in the center shaped like a horseshoe.
At this moment, the Undead race had already fled into this horseshoe-shaped area.
"Fellow Daoists, beware of a trap! We only need to surround them from the outside."
Zhu Yu, still concerned about the battle, stood at the entrance of the valley and shouted loudly, hoping to prevent everyone from pursuing further.
His warning was not entirely in vain; many heard him and slowed their pace.
However, the majority continued according to their original plan, chasing into the canyon.
After all, by pursuing, they could gain military achievements and countless spoils of war.
With benefits so close at hand, how could many people give up?
Yet, at this very moment, a sudden change occurred!
A member of the Cai clan suddenly unleashed a magical artifact, striking at Zhu Yu.
Just as she was about to succeed, Zhu Yu's body suddenly turned into an illusion, instantly escaping the range of the attack.
At the same moment, the body of the Cai clan member suddenly tore apart. Cai Jingjing stood behind her, her expression cold.
"I knew you were suspicious for a long time!"
Simultaneously, similar events were unfolding throughout the entire battlefield.
Many Tian Yuan Realm cultivators suddenly turned against their allies, ambushing their nearby comrades or kin.
The suddenness of the event caught many Tian Yuan Realm cultivators off guard. They were attacked, killed, or severely wounded.
This immediately plunged the Tian Yuan Realm cultivators into chaos, with everyone fearing for their own safety and no longer trusting their companions.
Although the number of those who turned was not large and they were quickly suppressed, the betrayal disrupted the Tian Yuan Realm cultivators' coordination in battle. They had to guard against sneak attacks from their own side.
"Ah!"
"Ahhh..."
The events unfolding here were not yet over when a series of screams erupted from within the canyon.
As expected, after they drew closer to the canyon, a large number of the Undead race hidden in the surrounding mountains emerged and attacked.
At this point, most of the Tian Yuan Realm cultivators had already entered the canyon. Only the Cai clan and a few other forces, who had heeded Zhu Yu's warning, deliberately lagged behind.
"Run!"
Cai Jingjing shouted, preparing to lead her clan in an escape! The other clans followed suit.
The Undead race was busy consolidating their encirclement and annihilating the remaining cultivators who had entered the canyon, thus having no energy to pursue the Cai clan.
The group fled a considerable distance, their hearts still pounding, before finally halting.
"What do we do now?"
Although they had temporarily escaped with their lives, a grave problem now faced them.
The main force of the Tian Yuan Realm was trapped. If they were all annihilated, the entire Tian Yuan Realm would be powerless to resist the Undead's advance and would eventually be overrun.
Under a collapsed nest, no egg remains intact. Even if they escaped today, they would hardly escape tomorrow.
"We must find a way to rescue our trapped fellow Daoists," Cai Jingjing stated resolutely.
"But how can we rescue them?"
Everyone looked at Cai Jingjing. Only their small group remained, without even a single Integrated Realm cultivator. How could they rescue others? It might just be walking into a trap.
"Let's return to the Central Continent first and gather reinforcements.
The trapped individuals are elites from the major powers. I believe everyone will do their best."
With no other options, they could only try their luck. The group continued to fly towards the Central Continent.
As Zhu Yu flew, a fluffy little fox's head poked out from his embrace, looking around.
This little fox had been following Zhu Yu all along and had become his pet.
It was the little fox that had used its innate divine ability to help Zhu Yu escape the attack earlier.
Zhu Yu held the little fox in his arms and gently stroked its head. "Thank you for your help just now!"
The little fox merely blinked its bright, intelligent eyes at him before curling back up to sleep.
Zhu Yu looked up and found Cai Jingjing staring at him with a displeased gaze.
"Heh heh! My dear wife, please don't mind. Although she's a fox spirit, she can't even transform into human form yet. How could I possibly have any other thoughts?"
"Are you implying that once this fox spirit can transform into human form, you'll have intentions?" Cai Jingjing retorted, looking at Zhu Yu with mischievous intent.
Women of the Cai clan were permitted to have many men.
However, men of the Cai clan were required to uphold the three obediences and four virtues, to be loyal and unwavering, and to value chastity above life itself.
"My wife is joking! It was a slip of the tongue."
Zhu Yu chuckled sheepishly.
The group continued their flight towards the Central Continent. Just then, several cultivators scouting ahead returned with a disheveled man.
Given the gravity of the situation, they went directly to Cai Jingjing.
"Reporting to Clan Matriarch Cai, the Central Continent is in peril. We implore you to hasten to our aid."
"What exactly has happened?"
This disheveled cultivator then explained the current situation of the Central Continent in detail.
Among the Undead race, zombies and skeletons were commonly seen on the front lines. However, there were also spiritual entities such as vengeful spirits.
These spiritual entities had no physical substance, were formless and traceless, and possessed many peculiar methods.
For instance, the Cai clan member who ambushed Zhu Yu at the canyon entrance earlier was likely controlled by a spiritual entity.
According to the intelligence from the returning individuals, Patriarch Ji, in league with some cultivators controlled by spiritual entities, was currently attacking the major powers on the Central Continent.