Facing the fierce onslaught of Boss He and his men, Xiao Fei's subordinates, including Hong Wen De, still harbored fear and advocated for escape.
But everyone knew there was nowhere to flee within the Nine Yang Cave.
Now that Xiao Fei was determined to confront the enemy head-on, the five men could only grit their teeth and follow him.
Xiao Fei had already anticipated a battle like this the moment he forced them to oppose Mu Xin Dao Ren.
Thus, under the watchful eyes and pointing fingers of over a hundred spectators, a life-and-death battle commenced with a rather casual air.
"How long do you think Zhu Yu's gang will last?"
"I bet they won't last half an hour."
"I reckon they'll be annihilated within the time it takes an incense stick to burn! Who dares to bet with me? I'll put up a petal of Skyfire Golden Lotus!"
"I'll take that! I bet two petals!"
"How do you think Boss He will deal with these six people?"
"Does that even need asking? They'll be dismembered, their bones ground to dust, their souls torn apart. They'll be made to wish for death but find none, as cruel as can be!"
"Just thinking about it is terrifying. I never want to offend Boss He in my life!"
"Zhu Yu is such a fool, and he has a few others following him in his foolishness."
"..."
Over a hundred people chattered incessantly, noisier than a thousand ducks, completely ruining the solemn atmosphere of the battle.
It made Xiao Fei feel like he had no sense of life-or-death combat experience.
Hearing the surrounding spectators' discussions, Xiao Fei couldn't help but shout to Hong Wen De and the other four, "Hold on for a moment, you five! I'll be right back!"
Xiao Fei instantly teleported away from the battlefield and approached the chattering crowd.
"Oh ho! Are you trying to desert the battlefield?"
A few Earth Immortals who enjoyed stirring up trouble prepared to block Xiao Fei's path. If one escaped, it wouldn't be as exciting.
However, Xiao Fei had no intention of fleeing. He walked up to the Earth Immortals who were taking bets.
"I'll bet ten petals too! Bet on me to win!"
"You should forget it. You're a dead man. If you lose, all your assets will become Boss He's spoils of war, and I wouldn't dare touch them. If you happen to win, I'll have to lose money! What do I gain by betting with you?"
Seeing that the other party was unwilling to bet with him, Xiao Fei left with some regret and rejoined the fray.
Boss He and his five men joined forces, forming a Five Elements Cyclic Array. Internally, they were balanced and mutually supportive. Externally, they used the principles of the five elements to suppress others. In a short time, Hong Wen De and the other four were pushed back, unable to resist.
Even with Xiao Fei joining the battle, making it six against five, the tide had not turned. They were in perilous straits.
Xiao Fei immediately summoned his bronze bowl, which floated in the air as a defense for the six of them, greatly reducing the pressure. This bowl was a spiritual treasure, considered a top-tier artifact in the lower realm. However, in the Immortal Realm, spiritual treasures were merely ordinary items; some powerful beings wielded immortal artifacts with a single move.
Yet, seeing the bronze bowl Xiao Fei had summoned, everyone still showed expressions of extreme surprise.
"How can you still possess a spiritual treasure?"
When they were captured and brought into the Nine Yang Cave, they had all been searched. Nothing was left except their undergarments. Many people, after spending thousands of years in the Nine Yang Cave, had their clothes tattered and had no spare clothes. To avoid exposing their buttocks, most cultivators could only go shirtless, wrapping the remaining scraps of fabric around their waists to maintain a shred of dignity.
Now, they discovered that Xiao Fei had managed to smuggle in an item? He must have other good things! At this moment, everyone, including the spectators, looked at Xiao Fei with glowing eyes, wishing they could devour him alive. However, due to the oppressive might Boss He had accumulated over thousands of years, no one dared to seize his spoils.
Since Xiao Fei summoned the bronze bowl, the defensive power of their group of six increased significantly, and the situation gradually began to turn.
Just then, the immortal power within Boss He and his five men was channeled and transformed through successive stages, all being infused into Mu Xin.
The main refining material for the bronze bowl was a large piece of Wu Huang Stone, possessing earth attributes. Mu Xin, on the other hand, comprehended the law of "wood," and wood naturally restrains earth. Mu Xin, the wooden figure, gathered the immortal power of the five men. The law of wood surged throughout his body, and countless seeds condensed with immortal power flew out, landing on Xiao Fei's yellow bowl.
Upon landing, these seeds immediately took root, and invisible tendrils burrowed into the bowl. They absorbed the earth-attribute energy within the bowl and converted it into the life force of the seeds. The life force on the seeds continuously expanded, then sprouted, and began to grow. The yellow bowl of Xiao Fei began to show cracks, and countless tendrils wrapped around the six of them through the bowl.
Fortunately, the gaunt man in Xiao Fei's team had comprehended a law similar to metal. Immediately, a pair of immortal power-condensed scissors appeared before him. With a "snip," all the tendrils were cut by this pair of scissors. "Snip, snip..." The scissors continued to work, severing all the tendrils and young shoots attached to the bowl.
Although this attack was repelled, the yellow bowl had been completely ruined.
Mu Xin did not continue his attack after breaking Xiao Fei's bowl. This was because the wood-element law was greatly suppressed within the Nine Yang Cave, preventing it from exerting its full power. Subsequently, all the immortal power from the others was once again channeled into Boss He. Boss He comprehended the law of earth. Fire generates earth, allowing him to exert greater power within the Nine Yang Cave.
As the five of them executed their combined formation, transferring and transforming immortal power amongst themselves, Xiao Fei's divine sense observed the changes between the five elements. It was not easy to learn an opponent's combat techniques during a battle; one misstep could lead to losing one's life instead of learning. However, Xiao Fei possessed exceptional talent in the five elements and had accumulated a profound foundation in this area. Many things that others struggled to understand, he could grasp with a single glance.
At this moment, Boss He was brimming with immortal power. He threw a punch at Xiao Fei out of thin air. This punch transformed into hundreds of colossal fists in the air, each larger than Xiao Fei's head, smashing towards their group.
"Boom boom boom..." After a series of critical hits, Xiao Fei's group of six were all sent reeling. One person even died on the spot. Death in the Nine Yang Cave meant losing the protection of one's immortal power, and the body was quickly reduced to ashes by the heavenly fire.
"Boss He is mighty!"
"I won my bet!"
The spectators outside erupted in cheers, sounding happier than if they themselves had won the battle. Amidst the cheers and encouragement, Boss He stepped towards a fallen Earth Immortal. The power of his kick was enough to crush an Earth Immortal.
"Boss He, stop!"
Boss He looked up at Xiao Fei upon hearing this, but ignored him and continued to bring his foot down. Just then, a golden belt appeared in Xiao Fei's hand. The belt flew out. With a "whoosh," Boss He was tightly bound by the belt, unable to move even an inch.
The spectators who had been cheering and encouraging moments ago suddenly fell silent. It was as if they had swallowed a large, dry, hard piece of dung, stuck in their throats, rendering them unable to make a sound.