Leading this mission was Elder Shao An, a formidable Golden Core cultivator with mastery in Yunxiao Sect's unique art, the "Cloud Devouring Technique." His figure was thin and stern, robed in a cloak of gray and black, giving him an air of profound mystery. The Cloud Devouring Technique allowed him to control mist, cloaking himself and others while harnessing the clouds as weapons in battle. His presence alone brought a sense of both calm and foreboding.
"This mission is of utmost importance. The southeastern resource point is a critical source of spirit stones for our sect, and if it falls, it will seriously impact our resource supply. I expect every one of you to give this mission everything you've got," Elder Shao An said, his gaze unwavering as he addressed the assembled disciples.
Standing in the ranks, Wang Quan felt the palpable strength of Elder Shao's aura and knew this mission carried a high risk if such a powerful elder had been assigned to lead them. A total of fifty disciples were gathered in teams of five, each led by Foundation Establishment cultivators, forming a formidable force of Yunxiao Sect's finest.
"With this scale of reinforcements, the frontline must be in a dire situation," Wang Quan thought to himself. He was aware that the attacks by Xuanshao Sect and Tianque Sect on the southeastern resource point had become fiercer than ever, and losing it could have disastrous consequences.
Once the teams were assembled, Elder Shao ordered them forward. They traveled quickly toward the southeastern border resource site, enveloped in a shroud of mist summoned by Shao An's Cloud Devouring Technique to mask their approach.
After half a day's travel, the terrain began to drop, and the disciples felt the intense energy fluctuations of battle coming from ahead.
"The battle has already begun," Wang Quan murmured, focusing on the horizon. Explosions and flashes of magical clashes filled the sky, sending ripples through the land as dust and smoke billowed up, evidence of a fierce ongoing fight.
Elder Shao An halted the group at a distance, casting a spell to conceal them in a thick layer of mist. "Ahead lies Xuanshao and Tianque's forward base. Reports suggest that three Golden Core cultivators are leading the assault. Our task is to stabilize our defenses and assist the main force in repelling them."
After assigning tasks, Elder Shao directed Wang Quan's team to reinforce the perimeter defenses of the resource point.
"Remember, the forces of Xuanshao and Tianque are fierce. Do not underestimate them. If you face overwhelming strength, regroup immediately and provide backup as needed," Elder Shao cautioned, his tone grave.
Following Elder Shao's instructions, Wang Quan and his teammates quickly stepped into a teleportation array that transported them to the outer defenses.
Arriving at the defensive perimeter, Wang Quan and the others were greeted by the sounds of brutal skirmishes nearby, and the unstable spiritual energy in the air suggested an intense battle had just taken place.
"We'll position ourselves with the other squads and fortify the defenses," directed their team leader, Xiao Fei, calm and sharp-eyed, wielding his spirit sword.
Before they could proceed, a sudden, sharp hissing sound arose, accompanied by a rolling wave of dark poisonous fog. Wang Quan recognized this as one of Xuanshao Sect's toxin-wielding cultivators laying down a trap. The miasma polluted the surrounding air, filling it with a nauseating stench.
Xiao Yan quickly summoned a wall of flame to temporarily halt the encroaching fog, but the poison gas started to seep through, threatening to reach the group.
"Everyone, keep your barriers up! Don't let the poison infiltrate your shields!" Xiao Fei warned.
Wang Quan tightened his grip on his spirit sword and, with a shake, summoned a shield of five-colored energy to repel the encroaching toxins. Peering through the fog, he sensed the Xuanshao Sect disciples lying in ambush, waiting for their defense to weaken.
Suddenly, several Xuanshao disciples emerged, their bodies glowing green and trailing the spectral form of a venomous serpent, exuding an eerie, malevolent aura.
"Attack!" ordered one of the Xuanshao disciples, commanding his serpent apparition to lunge toward the Yunxiao Sect members. The apparition hissed, unleashing a foul-smelling cloud as it surged toward Wang Quan.
Unfazed, Wang Quan concentrated his spirit energy into his sword, merging his Five Elements technique with his Azure Sword Art to sharpen the blade's edge. He slashed through the air, colliding with the serpent apparition, producing a high-pitched screech as their energies clashed and the poisonous fog roiled around them.
As the serpent dispersed into black vapor, the Xuanshao disciple grimaced and summoned another, this time even stronger. It shot forward again, exuding a lethal toxin.
Unperturbed, Wang Quan channeled his energy to the peak, his sword glowing with brilliant green-blue light as he swung it forward. Azure Sword Art and the Five Elements Technique combined, creating a sword beam that pierced through the snake apparition with a thunderous crash.
Meanwhile, Xiao Yan gathered fiery spirit energy and launched a flaming strike at the Xuanshao disciple, smothering his attacks with a searing inferno.
"Your poison arts won't succeed today!" Xiao Yan sneered, boosting his fire attack to its maximum, sending embers to disperse most of the poison mist.
Seeing this, the Xuanshao disciples' faces turned grim. One of them wove a complex hand sign, causing the serpent apparition to dissolve into hundreds of tiny poisonous darts that shot toward the Yunxiao disciples.
"Stay back!" Xiao Fei shouted, intercepting the projectiles with a defensive maneuver. His sword wove an arc in the air, releasing a shower of green light that deflected the poison darts midair.
At that moment, Elder Shao An appeared in the sky, chanting in a low tone. "Devour and enshroud, clouds of vengeance!"
Thick clouds billowed around him, forming a heavy wall of mist that enveloped the poison-wielding disciples. Trapped, their faces betrayed a rare flicker of fear as they realized escape was impossible.
With a single motion, Shao An clenched his fists, and the mist constricted, pressing inward. One of the trapped disciples coughed up a mouthful of black blood, his spirit fading instantly.
"The path is clear. All teams, press forward and reinforce the resource point!" Elder Shao An's authoritative voice rang through the battlefield.
With a nod of acknowledgment, Wang Quan and his team surged forward, channeling their spirit energy as they advanced to the next defense line around the resource point.