16: The Fisherman and the Oriole

Having forced back Chen Jian, Liu Ming, and their group, the five from D-7 Courtyard did not relax. They took a brief rest in the rocky area, tending to the minor injuries on Zhao Iron Pillar's arm while tallying their gains.

“Hehe, we just snatched three from those three guys, and we picked up four more along the way. We have seven tokens now!” Zhao Iron Pillar counted the wooden talismans hanging from his waist, grinning widely. These wooden talismans were not just points; they were like military medals.

Wang Wu, however, remained more level-headed. “Junior Brother Wen, although Chen Jian and the others retreated, they definitely won't let this go. Moreover, in this forest, there are likely more than just one or two powerful teams like theirs.”

“Senior Brother Wang is right.” Wen Youyi nodded. “So, our strategy for the next phase needs to change. Going head-to-head isn't our forte; we need to play to our strengths—perception, mobility, and...” He paused, uttering two words, “...patience.”

His so-called patience meant playing the role of the 'fisherman' or the 'mantis stalking the cicada while the oriole waits behind.'

Over the following period, Wen Youyi's group of five stopped actively seeking out teams of unknown strength. Instead, they utilized Senior Brother Li's relatively keen perception to roam the Mist Forest, specifically searching for areas where intense fighting was already underway.

They were like a pack of the most patient hunters, lurking in the mist at the edge of the battlefield, suppressing their auras and waiting quietly.

Soon, an opportunity arrived.

In a forest clearing ahead, two teams were locked in a fierce struggle. One side consisted of three Disciples dressed in brocade robes, their cultivation levels all around the Qi Refining Fourth Layer; their Spells were flashy, but their coordination was somewhat loose. The other side was four plainly dressed Disciples whose cultivation was slightly lower, but they supported each other well and defended tenaciously, clearly understanding teamwork.

“It's people from the 'Gui Zi Courtyard' and 'Ren Zi Courtyard',” Wang Wu identified in a low voice. “Those guys from Gui Zi Courtyard have some background; they have plenty of Medicinal Pills and Magic Treasures, but their combat experience is lacking. Those from Ren Zi Courtyard are all from humble origins—they're tough and can take a beating.”

Wen Youyi carefully observed the battle. Although the three from Gui Zi Courtyard were attacking fiercely, they couldn't break through. Their spiritual energy consumption was high, and they were growing impatient. The four from Ren Zi Courtyard were defending steadily, but they lacked the means to win in a single strike and were also becoming exhausted by the stalemate.

“Wait a bit longer.” Wen Youyi was like an experienced project manager, assessing 'project risks' and the 'timing for entry.'

On the field, a Disciple from Gui Zi Courtyard seemed eager for success and pulled out an expensive 'Explosive Flame Talisman.' A fireball whistled as it crashed toward the Ren Zi Courtyard's defensive circle. The expressions of the four from Ren Zi Courtyard changed, and they combined their strength to prop up a water-blue light screen to block it.

“Boom!”

Firelight collided with the water screen, producing a loud explosion and scattering turbulent spiritual energy. Seeing this, the three from Gui Zi Courtyard thought they had succeeded and swarmed forward, intending to completely crush their opponents.

While the four from Ren Zi Courtyard had blocked the strike, their light screen was shattered. Everyone was injured, their auras were weak, and they looked like they were about to collapse.

Now was the time!

“Move!” Wen Youyi barked in a low voice.

The five pounced like leopards from the night, cutting into the battlefield from three different directions!

Their target was clear—the three from Gui Zi Courtyard, whose auras were the most chaotic and whose defenses were the most relaxed!

“Iron Pillar, Ground Shaker! Interrupt their spellcasting!”

“Senior Brother Wang, Quagmire on the left flank!”

“Senior Brother Li, Entanglement on the right flank!”

“Senior Brother Zhang, Gentle Wind Talisman to harass the backline!”

The commands were like a sudden storm, yet perfectly organized.

Zhao Iron Pillar stomped his foot violently; the ground's vibration caused the Gui Zi Courtyard Disciple who was preparing a Spell to stumble. The Spells from Wang Wu and Senior Brother Li followed immediately, precisely restricting the movements of the other two. Senior Brother Zhang's Gentle Wind Talisman kicked up dust, interfering with their vision.

Meanwhile, Wen Youyi appeared like a ghost behind the Gui Zi Courtyard Disciple who had just used the Explosive Flame Talisman—the one with the most depleted spiritual energy and the most relaxed mind. His hand fell like a 'talisman'—not an attack, but a knife-hand strike infused with spiritual energy refined by the 'Breathing Cache Method,' precisely hitting a certain Apoint on the opponent's neck.

The Disciple let out a muffled groan, his vision went black, and he slumped to the ground. The tokens on him naturally changed hands.

The other two Gui Zi Courtyard Disciples were dazed by the sudden assault. Before they could react, they were closed in on by the well-coordinated Wang Wu and Senior Brother Li, who used simple hand-to-hand combat paired with low-level Spells to knock them down and seize their tokens.

The entire process was as fast as a flash of lightning; from the ambush to the end, it took no more than two or three breaths of time!

By the time the four from Ren Zi Courtyard had caught their breath, the battle was over. They looked at Wen Youyi and his group, who had suddenly appeared and instantly dealt with the three from Gui Zi Courtyard, their faces full of shock and wariness.

Wen Youyi ignored them, quickly collecting the spoils (three tokens), and then cupped his hands toward the four from Ren Zi Courtyard. “Seniors, sorry for the interruption. Please, continue.”

Having said that, he didn't linger at all, leading Zhao Iron Pillar and the others as they quickly retreated into the thick fog and vanished.

They came fast and left just as quickly.

The four from Ren Zi Courtyard looked at each other, then at the unconscious trio from Gui Zi Courtyard on the ground, and finally at their own empty waists (their tokens had been snatched by Gui Zi Courtyard earlier). For a moment, they didn't even know what expression to make.

“Who... who was that just now?”

“It seemed to be... people from the Ding Zi Courtyard?”

“When did the Ding Zi Courtyard become so formidable?!”

Similar scenes played out several more times over the following period.

Wen Youyi's group of five fully utilized the essence of guerrilla warfare—'when the enemy advances, we retreat; when the enemy camps, we harass; when the enemy tires, we attack; when the enemy retreats, we pursue.' They specifically targeted the weak and picked up easy gains. They were like the Scavengers of the Mist Forest, or opportunists on the battlefield, always appearing at the right time and place to obtain the maximum benefit with the minimum cost.

Their points grew at a steady and efficient rate.

During this time, they also encountered Chen Jian's team once from a distance. That group also seemed to have gained quite a bit, but when Chen Jian saw Wen Youyi and the others, he only gave them a cold glance and did not move against them. Clearly, he also knew that in this environment, continuing to entangle with them would benefit no one.

Half a day passed in the blink of an eye.

When the melodious sound of a bell representing the end of the first round of the melee rang out over the forest, the pervasive mist began to slowly dissipate.

All surviving (non-eliminated) Disciples were transported back to the Martial Arts Square by an invisible force.

In the square, the number of people had clearly decreased by more than half, with fewer than a hundred remaining. Everyone bore more or less some scars and exhaustion, but their eyes were filled with the relief of survival and anticipation.

Wen Youyi and his group stood together. Although their clothes were torn and their faces showed fatigue, their eyes were bright. The wooden talismans at their waists felt heavy—they had a total of fifteen!

This quantity was definitely among the top tier of the remaining Disciples!

When they handed over their tokens to tally the points, even the Outer Sect Manager responsible for recording couldn't help but look at them a few extra times.

“D-7 Courtyard, total score one hundred and fifty, currently ranked... eighth!” the manager called out the ranking loudly.

Whoosh!

A low wave of exclamations erupted in the square. Countless gazes instantly focused on Wen Youyi's group, filled with disbelief, jealousy, scrutiny, and deep confusion.

Ding Zi Courtyard? Eighth? And all five of them together? How was this possible?!

Facing those gazes, Zhao Iron Pillar puffed out his chest even further. Although Wang Wu and the others felt a bit uncomfortable, they couldn't hide their excitement.

Wen Youyi, however, just stood there calmly, feeling the various gazes while his heart remained as still as ancient well water.

He knew this was only the beginning. The real storm would be in the upcoming arena tournament.

And they had already secured their entry tickets.

(End of Chapter)