At the same time, Jiang Chen mused, ''Hmm? Was Gu Ran just testing the waters?''


    ''He faked an attack on that cultivator, suggesting he''s onto something.''


    ''But this was to be expected; after all, he is the protagonist.''


    ''Furthermore, epting the truth might be even more unnervingaware of the maniption but utterly powerless.'' A cold, disdainful smile curled his lips.


    He stood overlooking the battlefield, masterminding the entire situation!


    On the battlefield, myriad cultivators engaged in fiercebat.


    The sounds of battle reverberated incessantly, as thendscape was repeatedly upturned.


    Cultivators fell one by one to the merciless warfare, their blood staining the earth.


    The numbers of cultivators from the four factions were rapidly dwindling.


    Jiang Chen''s squad of death warriors exhibited fearless tenacity.


    The cultivators from the You n, despite being cornered, still managed to maintain a rtively high level of morale andbat capability.


    However, an insidious dread began to permeate the cultivators from the Gan and Cai ns!


    ''When will this battle end? All myrades have fallen!'' a cultivator thought desperately.


    ''Why hasn''t our ancestor taken down You Haiyin yet? How much more must we suffer? If this continues, we''re facingplete annihtion!'' another wondered.


    ''I can''t hold on any longer. To persist in this fight would be to court death!'' yet anothermented.


    The morale of the cultivators from the Gan and Cai ns was plummeting.


    A growing internal anxiety gripped them, and the specter of death loomed everrger.


    Initially, they had believed they were stepping in to exploit the chaos, likening themselves to the fisherman who gains while the snipe and m fight.


    However, the reality was sharply at odds with their expectations.


    Many lives had been forfeited, and they were reaching the limits of their endurance.


    The disparity was simply too great.


    As a result, cultivators began to be consumed by rising fear and thoughts of retreat, one after another.


    Those of weaker resolve could no longer withstand the pressure.


    Confronted with the overwhelming fear of death, they initiated their withdrawal!


    "I can''t hold on, I can''t fight any longer!" one cultivator shouted. "Retreat, retreat quickly! Most have already fallen. Once our ancestor deals with You Haiyin and that unknown cultivator, a single blow will finish them off!"


    "We''re the n''s younger generation, filled with limitless potential. It''s better to live to fight another day. Retreat!" He hastily moved back, sparking a domino effect simr to a dam breaking.


    A tidal wave of fear engulfed them, causing a sizable number of cultivators from the Gan and Cai ns to instinctively start their retreat!


    ''This is the very picture of a disorganized and routed army, much like andslide,'' Jiang Chen observed, his expression unchanging as he surveyed the unfolding chaos.


    Amid the battlefield, the cultivators from the You n burst into cheers one after another upon seeing the retreat. "They''re falling back!"


    "Hahaha, the Gan and Cai n members are retreating; this is fantastic!"


    "We''re on the verge of winning; I''m still alive and fighting!" one eximed jubntly.


    ''Such behavior from the You n is inappropriate,'' Jiang Chen thought, arching an eyebrow as he sentmands to his death warriors via his divine sense.


    Immediately, voices echoed from various parts of the battlefield.


    "The Gan and Cai ns are scared, they''re retreating!"


    "Stay alert, everyone! Take this chance to chase them down relentlessly. Let''s raid their homes and seize their women!"


    "This is a golden opportunity! Wipe them all out, and Three Mountains Ind will belong solely to our You n!"


    "Attack, attack, attack! They''re no stronger than we are, annihte them!"


    "This is our only chance. If we let them recover, our doom is certain!"


    These were the vociferous shouts of Jiang Chen''s death warriors.


    Without any hesitation, these death warriors were the first to dive into the fray.


    Hearing thesepelling calls to action, many fervent cultivators from the You n found them reasonable and quickly followed the lead of the ck-robed death warriors, attacking the Gan and Cai ns from behind.


    In a remarkably short time, they managed to widen their advantage.


    Sensing victory, the You n cultivators'' morale soared.


    They pressed their attack on the Gan and Cai ns like relentless madmen.


    "Damn it!" From high above, Gan Ruifeng watched his own cultivators scatter in panic, his face turning a furious shade of green. "These worthless descendants! They dare to run while I''m in the midst of battle!"


    Cai Xueqing harbored simr sentiments, his expression as grim as if he had identally ingested something vile.


    Unable to bear it any longer, Gan Ruifeng roared furiously, "Death to those who flee without permission!"


    Swiftly, he unleashed several weakened strikes of the Inquiring Journey realm, decisively wiping out the lead deserters among his own cultivators.


    Immediately, the faces of the Gan n''s cultivators changed dramatically.


    They quickly turned back to face the oing You n cultivators and Jiang Chen''s ck-robed death warriors.


    Taking this moment as a severe warning, members of the Cai n also ceased their retreat, not daring to continue their escape.


    They all turned around to re-enter the battle.


    As a result, the battlefield once again descended into chaos, the level ofbat intensifying in both its ferocity and brutality.


    In a secluded corner of the battlefield, Gu Ran found himself caught in the crosshairs of a mysterious powerhouse from the Heavenly Gu Society.


    The more his growth and killing potential were stifled, the greater his anxiety grew.


    For a brief moment, he stood still, pondering his next move.


    However, a resolute wave of determination soon filled his heart. He thought defiantly, ''I possess the Endless Dark Blood Moon, a potent bloodline with the capability to rise to the Fourth Step of the Cultivation Path!''


    ''While a Dao Pce realm expert may be beyond my grasp now, I will soon have the power to annihte him!''


    ''You may focus on suppressing me now, but I swear to reciprocate this enmity a hundredfold in the future!'' A steely resolve shed in Gu Ran''s eyes.


    Then, with an unwavering focus, he decided, ''I''ll make another killing attempt!''


    ''If each target is eliminated before I get to them, then I''ll cast aside all reservations, drop all pretenses, and risk it all!''


    ''Let''s see then how long you can maintain your charade!'' With a merciless glint in his eyes, Gu Ran''s icy determination echoed within his heart.


    If the power of his ''Endless Dark Blood Moon'' bloodline continued to be restrained, his greatest advantage would be utterly neutralized.


    This felt as crippling as beingpletely incapacitated, something Gu Ran could not tolerate.


    ''Attack!'' Taking a deep breath, he zeroed in on a cultivator in the Inquiring Journey realm, skillfully concealing himself as he closed in stealthily.


    However, just as he made his move, arge group of Heavenly Gu Society cultivators suddenly attacked his intended target, resulting in the cultivator''s immediate death.


    ''Curse it!'' Clenching his fists, Gu Ran felt resentment re up within him like a raging inferno, bringing him perilously close to the edge of fury.


    Without missing a beat, he set his sights on another cultivator in the Heavenly Origin realm, whosebat abilities temporarily peaked at the Inquiring Journey realm level. He dashed forward to dispatch him.


    Yet, history repeated itself. His chosen victim was once again eliminated by a member of the Heavenly Gu Society.


    ''Argh! Despicable, utterly despicable!'' Gu Ran seethed inwardly, wishing he could instantly wipe out the Heavenly Gu Society cultivators interfering with him.


    Yet, he ultimately held himself together, bracing for another go at it.


    For his next attempt, he picked a cultivator in the Early-stage Heavenly Origin realm.


    High above the melee, Jiang Chen observed the unfolding events, musing to himself, ''If this continues, Gu Ran is bound to lose his patience and go on a rampage.''


    ''When that happens, he''ll undoubtedly rebel against my fabricated ''Heavenly Gu Society'', bing a lethal enemy.''


    ''It would then be difficult to get close to him again, as he would likely see anyone of unfamiliar origin as a mortal threat, with only intentions of eliminating them.''


    ''In such an irredeemable situation, he''ll battle to the death against whoever I send. Under the sway of Heavenly Fate, my agents might very well be sacrificialmbs.''


    ''Looks like it''s time for me to step back and allow Gu Ran to experience some sess.'' Thinking this, Jiang Chen chose not to interfere with Gu Ran''s next move.


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    The first protagonist, armed with a system, takes the stage.


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