60: The allied forces were defeated, and the Zhao family retreated.

At dusk in Black Wind Valley, night quietly fell. Only the intertwining flashes of blades and swords, and spiritual energy and light on the battlefield illuminated the entire valley. After Zhao Feng's disastrous defeat, the morale of the Zhao Family Alliance Army had already plummeted. Now, under Zhao Kun's forceful orders, the soldiers could only charge with gritted teeth, but their initial ferocity was gone, replaced by fear and hesitation in their eyes, and their steps were chaotic. On the Anti-Zhao Alliance side, morale boiled over due to Lu Chen's consecutive victories. The soldiers' eyes gleamed with determination, following closely behind Lu Chen as they charged fiercely towards the Zhao Family Alliance Army, their battle cries shaking the valley, their Aura soaring like a rainbow.

Lu Chen, holding his rune iron sword, once again charged at the very front of the battlefield. The complete Myriad Manifestations Art circulated at full power, golden-green spiritual light flowing around his body. The power of the Great Strength Art and Rune Arts perfectly merged, and red, white, and gold spiritual light intertwined on his sword. With every swing, he could kill a Zhao Family Alliance Army soldier. Wherever his sword energy passed, the Zhao Family soldiers' weapons shattered, and their bodies were easily split in half. Blood and corpses quickly covered the battlefield. His movements were calm yet fierce, like a grim reaper harvesting lives. Every step he took trampled on the fear of the Zhao Family soldiers, making it impossible for them to get even half a step closer.

"Kill! For the peace of the Cultivation World, charge!" Alliance soldiers shouted loudly, charging behind Lu Chen. Cultivators from Qingyun Sect, wielding long swords, performed the exquisite azure cloud sword technique. Their sword shadows were elegant and nimble, each strike precisely aimed at the vital points of the Zhao Family soldiers. Cultivators from Hundred Herbs Valley, though not skilled in combat, also wielded short blades, assisting the Alliance soldiers in battle, while also timely providing healing pills to injured comrades, ensuring battlefield logistics. Yu Lan, holding her myriad manifestations pendant, rapidly set up defensive Formations on the edge of the battlefield, sealing off the retreat routes of the Zhao Family soldiers layer by layer. At the same time, she used the power of the Formations to provide spiritual energy buffs to the Alliance soldiers, enhancing their combat effectiveness.

Zhao Kun stood at the rear of the battlefield, looking at the one-sided battle before him, his eyes filled with gloom and unwillingness. He had not expected Lu Chen's strength to be so formidable. With just one person, he had completely disrupted his deployment and disintegrated his army's morale. Black Bear was dead, Zhao Feng was utterly defeated; his two major generals had fallen one after another. Now, the Zhao Family Alliance Army's soldiers were already dispirited and utterly unable to resist the Alliance's attack. Their original advantage was gone, and defeat was certain.

"Blazing Fierce, go stop Lu Chen! Even if you can't kill him, you must delay him and buy us time to retreat!" Zhao Kun gritted his teeth and said to Blazing Fierce beside him, a hint of ruthlessness and determination flashing in his eyes. He knew that continuing to fight would only result in heavier losses, possibly even total annihilation. Only by retreating quickly and preserving their remaining forces would they have a chance to make a comeback another day.

Blazing Fierce's expression was solemn. He knew Lu Chen's strength; even Black Bear and Zhao Feng were no match, and if he went to stop him, he would likely meet a grim fate. But he also knew that if he disobeyed Zhao Kun's order now, he would be cut down on the spot. He could only grit his teeth and nod, holding his fiery red folding fan, circulating his fire-attribute spiritual energy, and charging towards Lu Chen. "Lu Chen, don't be so presumptuous! Take this!" Blazing Fierce roared, waving his folding fan. Numerous scorching flame blades swept towards Lu Chen. The flame blades carried high temperatures, scorching the surrounding air, their power not to be underestimated.

Lu Chen's eyes turned cold. He didn't put Blazing Fierce's attack in his eyes at all. He activated the Lightning Movement Technique, his figure like an afterimage, evading the flame blades. At the same time, he leaped forward, charging fiercely towards Blazing Fierce. Seeing this, Blazing Fierce was greatly alarmed and quickly waved his folding fan, wanting to launch another attack, but it was too late. Lu Chen's sword was extremely fast, instantly arriving before Blazing Fierce. The sword energy, carrying vast Myriad Manifestations power, went straight for Blazing Fierce's chest. Blazing Fierce wanted to dodge but found his body already restrained by Lu Chen's spiritual energy, unable to move at all. He could only watch as the blade pierced his chest.

"Pfft!" The blade precisely pierced Blazing Fierce's chest. The power of purification surged into his body along the blade, instantly disintegrating his fire-attribute spiritual energy and destroying his Meridians. Blazing Fierce let out a painful scream, his body falling limply, his breath completely gone. The soldiers of Blazing Fire Hall, seeing this, were filled with despair and could no longer hold on, fleeing towards the rear of the valley.

After killing Blazing Fierce, Lu Chen did not stop, continuing to weave through the battlefield, slaying soldiers of the Zhao Family Alliance Army. The Alliance soldiers' morale was greatly boosted. They followed closely, completely breaking up the Zhao Family Alliance Army's Formation. The Zhao Family soldiers scattered like stray dogs, completely unable to organize effective resistance. The soldiers of Black Wind Stockade, who originally lived by plunder, now saw their commander dead and had no will to fight. They fled towards the valley exit, wanting to escape the battlefield.

"Surrender and live! Those who lay down their weapons will be spared!" Elder Li Ping stood at the front of the battlefield, shouting loudly. Hearing this, the soldiers of the Zhao Family Alliance Army stopped their escape. Many laid down their weapons, knelt on the ground, and chose to surrender. They knew that continued resistance would only lead to death; surrender might offer a glimmer of hope.

Zhao Kun looked at the scene before him, his eyes filled with humiliation and anger, yet he was powerless. His Alliance Army had completely collapsed. Soldiers were either dead, surrendered, or fleeing, utterly unable to continue fighting. He stared intently at Lu Chen on the battlefield, a ruthless glint flashing in his eyes, and he gritted his teeth, saying, "Lu Chen, Elder Li Ping, I will remember this defeat! One day, I will return and grind your bones to dust!"

With that, Zhao Kun no longer hesitated, turning and rapidly running towards the secret passage at the rear of the valley. He had already prepared an escape route in Black Wind Valley to prevent being trapped after a defeat. Several guards loyal to the Zhao Family immediately stepped forward to block the Alliance soldiers, buying time for Zhao Kun to retreat. They all eventually died on the battlefield. Lu Chen wanted to pursue, but Elder Li Ping stopped him: "There's no need to pursue. Zhao Kun is a stray dog now, nothing to fear. First, clear the battlefield, accept the surrendered soldiers, and tend to our injured comrades. That's more important."

Lu Chen nodded, put away his rune iron sword, and turned to join the work of clearing the battlefield. Alliance soldiers sprang into action. Some were responsible for tying up the surrendered Zhao Family soldiers, some for treating injured comrades, and some for collecting the bodies of fallen soldiers. Order gradually returned to the battlefield. Yu Lan and Lin Xiaoya moved among the injured soldiers, quickly providing them with healing pills and using spiritual energy to detoxify and heal them. Their faces were full of fatigue, but they never stopped.

Before long, the battlefield was cleared. In this great battle, the Anti-Zhao Alliance achieved a complete victory, killing over two thousand Zhao Family Alliance Army soldiers, capturing over five hundred, with Black Bear, the leader of Black Wind Stockade, and Blazing Fierce, the hall master of Blazing Fire Hall, killed in action. Zhao Feng was severely wounded and captured, and only Zhao Kun escaped in disarray with dozens of remaining guards. On the Alliance side, casualties were less than three hundred, mostly minor injuries, and their conditions quickly stabilized with the treatment of the Hundred Herbs Valley Cultivators.

On the battlefield, the Alliance soldiers cheered loudly, their cheers echoing through Black Wind Valley and lingering for a long time. They raised their weapons, celebrating this hard-won victory, their eyes filled with excitement and joy. The victory in this great battle not only completely crushed the Zhao Family Alliance, safeguarding the peace of Tianling Academy and the surrounding Sects, but also severely struck a blow to the arrogant ambitions of the Blood Shadow Sect, eliminating a major hidden danger for the Cultivation World.

Elder Li Ping stood in the center of the battlefield, looking at the cheering soldiers, his eyes filled with relief and emotion. He walked to Lu Chen's side, patted his shoulder, and said solemnly, "Lu Chen, in this great battle, you have rendered outstanding service. If not for you consecutively killing Black Bear, defeating Zhao Feng, and slaying Blazing Fierce, thereby disintegrating the morale of the Zhao Family Alliance Army, we would not have achieved victory so smoothly. You are a meritorious official of the Alliance, and even more, a hero of the Cultivation World!"

Hearing this, the surrounding Alliance soldiers looked at Lu Chen with admiration, shouting "Hero Lu Chen!" Their voices rose and fell, filled with sincere respect. Ling Yun, Medicine Dust, Yu Lan, and Lin Xiaoya also walked to Lu Chen's side, their eyes full of praise and relief. Ling Yun smiled and said, "Brother Lu Chen, your strength in this great battle is truly impressive. The complete Myriad Manifestations Art lives up to its reputation. If there's an opportunity in the future, I hope we can spar and exchange pointers again."

Lu Chen humbly shook his head and said, "You all flatter me. This victory is the result of the collective efforts of everyone in the Alliance, not my accomplishment alone. Without Elder Li Ping's overall planning, without the strong support of Qingyun Sect and Hundred Herbs Valley, and without the comrades fighting alongside me, we would not have achieved victory."

Just then, an Alliance soldier, while clearing Blazing Fierce's body, discovered a tattered booklet and quickly handed it to Lu Chen. Lu Chen took it and saw "Art of Military Deployment and Formation" written on the cover. Inside, it detailed various army deployment methods and tactical skills, including offensive Formations, defensive Formations, enemy-trapping Formations, and many other Formations, which would be of great help in commanding armies in future battles. Lu Chen carefully put away the booklet, secretly deciding to diligently study it in the future to improve his military capabilities and prepare more thoroughly for safeguarding the Cultivation World.

As night deepened, moonlight sprinkled over the battlefield, illuminating the ground covered with corpses and blood, yet also carrying a hint of peace after the calamity. The soldiers of the Anti-Zhao Alliance packed up the battlefield supplies and, taking the captured Zhao Family soldiers, slowly returned towards Tianling Academy. Along the way, the soldiers could still not hide their joy, with bursts of cheers occasionally heard. Lu Chen, however, walked at the front of the team, his eyes calmly looking at the road ahead, but his vigilance remained unrelaxed.

He knew that although Zhao Kun had escaped in disarray, he was not completely annihilated and would surely make a comeback someday. Furthermore, when Zhao Kun retreated, he most likely took the Zhao Family's core secret treasure with him. In the future, he would definitely use the power of the secret treasure to enhance his strength and once again bring disaster to the Cultivation World. In addition, the remnants of the Blood Shadow Sect were still lurking in the dark, and Mo Qianchou's threat had not been completely eliminated. The peace of the Cultivation World still required them to continue guarding it.

The victory in this great battle was not an end, but a new beginning. Lu Chen tightened his grip on his rune iron sword, his heart filled with determination. In the future, he would continue to Cultivate the complete Myriad Manifestations Art, enhance his own strength, and at the same time, study the newly acquired Art of Military Deployment and Formation and various Cultivation Techniques. He would lead the Alliance to continuously grow stronger, completely purge the remaining Zhao Family forces and the remnants of the Blood Shadow Sect, safeguard Tianling Academy, protect the peace of the Cultivation World, fulfill the mission of the Holy Spirit Guards, and write his own legendary chapter. And Zhao Kun's desperate retreat with the Zhao Family's secret treasure also laid a new groundwork for this conflict; a new confrontation was already quietly brewing.