Transcending the Nine Heavens Chapter 1502

Chapter 1502 The Pressure Brought by the Nine Tribulations

Half a moment later.

Xiao Zhengyan and Chen Jianlong stood trembling at the edge of a massive crater, cold air seeping from their bodies. Chills ran down their spines as they stared at the gaping hole before them, littered with corpses on the snowy ground. Bloodstains bloomed like plum blossoms, rendering them speechless with shock.

The entire Shi clan's forces had been annihilated!

Such an outcome had been unimaginable before their departure. What had been a near-guaranteed victory, a virtually foolproof strategic plan, had ended in a devastating defeat.

"How could this have happened?" Xiao Zhengyan asked unconsciously, his body icy cold.

"Yeah, how could this be?" Chen Jianlong's expression was no better than Xiao Zhengyan's, his face pale.

The dead were not ordinary experts but at least forty Supreme Masters and numerous ninth-rank Saints. Their deaths would deal an unprecedented blow to the Shi clan and significantly impact the alliance of the eight major families.

"Could it be…" Xiao Zhengyan suddenly looked up at the Pear Blossom Slope, where the Li clan's base loomed, and people appeared to be observing them.

Xiao Zhengyan mustered his strength and shouted, "I am Xiao Zhengyan of the Xiao clan! Who from the Li clan is here?"

His voice thundered, rolling forward like a wave. As the sound dispersed, heaps of accumulated snow rumbled and tumbled ahead, a terrifying spectacle.

An immediate response came from the opposite side: "I am Li Jinglei! Brother Xiao, you are here as well! What a pleasant surprise!"

Upon hearing the name 'Li Jinglei,' Xiao Zhengyan and Chen Jianlong's expressions changed. Li Jinglei's position in the Li clan was similar to their own in their respective families. His presence indicated that the Li clan had deployed a large force.

However, how had the enemy managed to seize the opportunity so perfectly?

Above them.

"Damn it! He's the worst!" Chu Yang was speechless. "If he had kept quiet, Xiao Zhengyan and his companion might have tested an attack. At that moment, the Li clan's ambush would have struck, and we could have joined in, ensuring at least half of their forces remained. It would have been a brilliant victory! But instead, he blurted out his name… What kind of idiot does that!?"

"And now that he's revealed himself, when Xiao Zhengyan reports back to Diwu Qingrou, Diwu will immediately know that Tianji and I have arrived here… It will be even more difficult to catch Diwu Qingrou off guard in the future!"

Chu Yang was fuming, "This fool deserves to die! We could have taken advantage of Diwu Qingrou's hesitation and doubt at least once more, but now we're left with a direct confrontation."

Dong Wushang's tiger-like eyes emitted a sharp, cold glint as he spoke slowly, "However, there is a way to keep this information from spreading."

"What is it?" Mo Qingwu asked.

"There are not many people below, just over a hundred and forty," Dong Wushang's eyes emitted a blade-like chill. "Kill them all, and the problem is solved!"

"No!" Chu Yang shook his head firmly. "There are too many enemies; we can't swallow them in one bite. Besides, it would cost the Li clan nearly the same amount of strength to consume them. The allied forces can afford such losses, but the Li clan cannot!"

As they spoke, the people below dispersed at the signal from Chen Jianlong and Xiao Zhengyan. Their formation stretched out in preparation for a retreat. The front, middle, and rear forces were clearly divided, ensuring that at least one-third of the soldiers could escape in case of a devastating attack.

Xiao Zhengyan chuckled, "Brother Li, the Li clan's strength is indeed impressive. I admire that. I just want to ask, who is the great talent that saw through our plan? Or… is there a traitor?"

Li Jinglei laughed heartily, "There is absolutely no traitor!"

Xiao Zhengyan fell silent for a moment, then said lightly, "In that case, farewell!" Suddenly, he let out a whistle, leaped up, and vanished like a whirlwind.

"Retreat!" Chen Jianlong shouted, and the group of over a hundred people rolled away. In the blink of an eye, they disappeared into the dense snowstorm.

Unprepared for the enemy's swift departure, Li Jinglei hesitated before saying, "Withdraw! Return and report!" His party immediately retreated, then braved the snowstorm to return.

From their hiding place, two groups of Li clan soldiers emerged from the snow and joined the retreating forces.

"So they're leaving just like that…" Chu Yang sighed from his perch in the tree. "I really want to slaughter him… He just told Diwu Qingrou that there's a military advisor here with a single sentence…"

Dong Wushang was taken aback, "When did he tell them?"

Mo Leier couldn't help but laugh, "Idiot!"

"We should go too," Chu Yang sighed. "Du Xing's group has come up empty-handed. Given Gu Duxing's intelligence, they must be lying in ambush at Centipede Ridge by now… Let's leave the four of them there and find a cave to sleep in."

Everyone laughed and leaped into action.

—---

In the allied forces' camp.

The return of Xiao Zhengyan and Chen Jianlong surprised everyone. Both teams were unharmed, but the problem was that three teams had departed, and only two had returned. Where was the other team?

Where had they gone?

"Zhengyan! Where are the people from the Shi clan?" Ye Xiaoyao greeted them.