237: Chapter 237 Dispute and Cooperation

While Ye Jing was cross-legged adjusting his breathing, he felt bursts of air-breaking sounds coming from the coast.

It seemed those Cultivators had arrived.

Standing on his sword, Ye Tianhao took in the coastal scenery below; there was no end in sight.

"Elder Yuan, Senior Brother Yuan Zhen hasn't met up with us yet. Could it be that he's already..." At this moment, a Disciple from the Ganglei Sect said with great worry.

A trace of grief flashed in the Ganglei Sect Elder's eyes: "Zhen'er... Sigh... I can only blame his bad luck."

The Yuan Zhen they spoke of was the eldest son of this Elder. This Elder was named Yuan Zhan, and now there were only five Disciples left in the Ganglei Sect.

But compared to other Sects whose Disciples were completely wiped out, this was already considered decent. Yuan Zhan had no time to worry about his son; what he had to do now was lead the remaining Disciples out of this damned Minghai Realm.

A giant reef appeared in the thick fog ahead, and at the edge of that reef was the Void Realm rift that served as the exit.

But that rift was entirely submerged in water, and it was surrounded by dark blue dorsal fins constantly floating, forming a massive whirlpool.

Among those dorsal fins, they clustered around the largest shark. One only needed to use Divine Sense to see it.

One could see that behemoth, a full twenty zhang long, its entire body covered in dark blue scales that glinted with a metallic cold light.

A pair of crimson fish eyes revealed a fierce cruelty, and its serrated teeth could tear everything apart as they opened and closed. Most notably, its two wings were even longer than its body.

This meant these sharks could fly, and their attack power was astonishing.

"It seems we need to discuss a tactic now!" Jia Sha, the Elder of the Shuangyue Sect, stepped forward and said hurriedly.

Huang Shanyin, the Elder of the Chixiao Sect, said: "Then who will take the lead in attacking, and who will handle the defense?"

As soon as these words were spoken, the surrounding Cultivators all looked hesitant.

Taking the lead in the attack meant facing the Shadow Flying Shark King head-on. These words were like a giant boulder crashing into a calm lake, instantly making the already tense atmosphere drop to the freezing point.

The Cultivators present either lowered their heads in silence or avoided eye contact; no one dared to respond easily. The Shadow Flying Shark King was a Yao Beast at the Peak of the Late Stage of the second rank, with a Physical Body comparable to a top-grade Spiritual Artifact.

In this home field of water and thick fog, its combat power was close to the Early Stage of the Golden Core.

Never mind the Disciples with Foundation Establishment cultivation; even several Elders at the Foundation Establishment Great Perfection would be severely injured if they took a direct hit from it.

Volunteering to lead the attack was no different from seeking death.

Yuan Zhan tightened his grip on the Thunder Hammer in his hand. Having lost his beloved son, he had wanted to fight to the death, but looking at the five remaining Disciples behind him, he ultimately suppressed the impulse.

If he fell, these Juniors wouldn't be able to survive at all.

Jia Sha's willow-like brows furrowed slightly as she held the ice soul fan in her hand. Cold Qi radiated from her, yet she also hesitated to speak.

The Shuangyue Sect specialized in using Magical Artifacts, primarily focusing on defense and control; a strong offensive was not their strength at all.

Thinking of this, she looked at the damaged sleeve of her Sect's eldest Disciple, where there were still undried bloodstains caused by the Disciples of the Qingyun Sect, and she couldn't help but have some deep thoughts.

Seeing no one responding, Huang Shanyin's expression turned even uglier, and he shouted sternly: "Are you all mute?"

This Shadow Flying Shark King has blocked the exit. If we shrink back, we can only watch as the exit door closes and we are trapped to death inside!"

The dark blue dorsal fins under the sea surface swam even more rapidly, and the whirlpool's rotation speed suddenly increased, making a whistling air-breaking sound. The Shadow Flying Shark King's crimson eyes swept over the crowd on the shore.

Its fierce aura grew even stronger, clearly sensing the approach of the Cultivators and issuing a blatant provocation.

Scattered small Shadow-Flying Sharks even leapt out of the water, their shrill screams piercing the ears, ready to launch a surprise attack at any moment.

Jia Sha stepped forward and suddenly said: "The Qingyun Sect is skilled with swords, and you have the most Disciples. Why not let the Qingyun Sect lead the attack?"

As soon as these words were spoken, all the Cultivators on the field looked toward the Qingyun Sect, which had remained silent.

A flash of relief went through Huang Shanyin's eyes, and he immediately echoed: "Elder Jia Sha is absolutely right. The Sword Cultivators of the Qingyun Sect are known for their offensive prowess, and their Disciples are elites. This position of main attacker belongs to no one but you!"

Yuan Zhan remained silent, clearly acquiescing to the proposal as well.

After all, the Ganglei Sect's Origin Qi was heavily damaged now; he was truly unwilling to lose more people, so he could only push this hot potato to the Qingyun Sect.

For a moment, everyone looked eagerly at the people from the Qingyun Sect.

Yun Jian's brows furrowed deeply as he looked at the Chixiao Sect, who also practiced the way of the sword but didn't want to act and wanted to push it over.

So he said: "Elder Huang, now our Qingyun Sect only has three Disciples left. I'm afraid our ability to lead the attack is insufficient. Why doesn't the Chixiao Sect also lend us a hand?"

As soon as these words were spoken, Huang Shanyin's face instantly darkened, and he instead put on a posture of taking it for granted and sternly refuted.

"Fellow Daoist Yun Jian, you are mistaken. My Lingxiao Sect Disciples have gone through the slaughter of the Minghai Realm and now only four remain, every one of them injured, with more than half their spiritual power depleted. We are simply unable to launch a strong attack!"

He paused and swept his gaze over the three Disciples of the Qingyun Sect.

"Look, your Qingyun Sect may not have many Disciples, but your foundation as Sword Cultivators is right there. The Dao of the sword is naturally a Sharp Weapon for breaking formations and attacking strongholds."

"If you don't stand up now, are you going to just watch everyone be trapped to death here together?"

Yun Jian clenched his fists inside his sleeves, his eyes showing a bit of forbearance. This was clearly taking advantage of the Qingyun Sect's current weakness to push them to the front line.

Jia Sha on the side also said: "Yes, Fellow Daoist Yun Jian, Elder Huang is right. At this moment of life and death, how can we quibble over the gains and losses of our Sects?"

"If the Qingyun Sect takes on the main attack, we will definitely provide full support from the rear—deploying defenses and keeping the smaller monsters in check. We will never let you fight alone."

They called it support, but everyone knew that rear defense was far safer than front-line combat.

When a critical moment really came, these people would likely only protect themselves and wouldn't reach out to help at all.

Yun Jian was so angry his chest felt tight; they were essentially being forced into a corner now.

Now he had to agree whether he wanted to or not, but if the Sect's Disciples were completely wiped out because of his agreement, he should how to account to the Sect Master!

At this time, Ye Tianhao stood up and said to Elder Yun: "Elder Yun, leave the matter of the main attack to me."

He took a step forward, his long robes flapping loudly in the fishy, cold sea breeze. His voice wasn't loud, but it clearly drowned out the whistling of the sea and the screeching of the Shadow-Flying Sharks.

Elder Yun turned his head sharply, his eyes filled with both shock and anxiety: "Tian Hao, do you know what you're saying?"

"That Shadow Flying Shark King is at the Peak of the Late Stage of the second rank, and in these waters, its combat power is close to the Golden Core. You..."

"I know."

Ye Tianhao looked up at the giant dark blue shadow constantly approaching beneath the sea surface, his gaze as sharp as a sword.

"But right now the Sect has been pushed to the forefront. If no one stands up, none of us will be able to leave today."

He turned slightly and bowed to Elder Yun: "I, Ye Tianhao, as a Disciple of the Qingyun Sect, am willing to take on this responsibility of the main attack for the Sect."

As soon as he finished speaking, the entire field fell silent.

No one expected that when even the Qingyun Sect Elder was in a dilemma, the one to stand up would be a young Disciple.

Seeing that this youth looked somewhat unfamiliar, Huang Shanyin figured he must be that famous Genius Disciple of the Qingyun Sect, Ye Tianhao.

He immediately raised his voice: "Good! Excellent! Since this young friend has volunteered, then the matter is settled!"

Seeing that Ye Tianhao had agreed, it gave Elder Yun a way out. His heart relaxed slightly, and then he said: "In that case, my Qingyun Sect wants a share of the Command Authority. That's not too much to ask, is it?"