"Genius disciples from three sects?"
Seeing the message, Qi Ping's gaze narrowed.
Given Meng Yan's combat strength, anyone he referred to as a "genius disciple" was absolutely no simple character. They might even be capable of rivaling Meng Yan himself.
Qi Ping had witnessed Meng Yan's power firsthand—a powerful physical body, vast spiritual energy, mastered Flame Intent, Dao-Heart Intent, and supernatural hammer techniques. His combat power was at the absolute peak of the Qi Refinement stage.
If three individuals of such caliber arrived at once, even Qi Ping would find it troublesome.
It was no wonder Meng Yan had been so cautious lately, even being forced to abandon his base. If he were surrounded by three such people, the probability of being killed was high, even with the advantage of terrain. No wonder he had to turn to Qi Ping.
'It seems the war between the Qingyuan Sect and the other sects is reaching a boiling point. Otherwise, fights between genius disciples wouldn't be this intense...'
At this stage, the Golden Core elder backing Meng Yan couldn't be relied upon because the enemy had them too—perhaps even more of them. Thus, Meng Yan could only rely on himself. With the sect and all its subordinate forces caught in the vortex, almost no one could be spared to help him.
After receiving the plea for help, Qi Ping didn't worry excessively. His current strength was enough to handle these enemies.
However, he didn't dare to be careless. Facing genius disciples nurtured by the core resources of a sect, his individual power might not guarantee a win. Even now, if he were to fight Meng Yan, Qi Ping wasn't entirely certain of victory.
After all, in terms of the strength of manuals, spell principles, and foundation, Qi Ping was definitely at a disadvantage. Resources determined those factors. Even in terms of rule comprehension, they were likely only on equal footing.
Qi Ping's only true advantages were the Beast King's Flame and the Sun-Fire Physique. The perfected Explosive Flame technique enhanced by these two talents was incredibly powerful.
Beyond that, Barkskin significantly improved his survival capability, and the defense provided by its synergy with the Explosive Flame Net was terrifyingly strong. The Hundred-Eyed Demon Realm could also be used as a surprise move.
Of course, Qi Ping's greatest reliance was his animal companions. Currently, Ya Ya, the ten thousand combat bees, and the Flower Demon all possessed formidable combat capabilities.
The swarm and the Flower Demon had their own unique specialties. Roughly half of the ten thousand bees had been strengthened after the Queen Bee's evolution, and their collective power could grind down an ordinary Foundation Establishment cultivator. The little Flower Demon's realm was similarly a threat to those at the Foundation Establishment stage.
Ya Ya's characteristics might not seem as flashy as the others, but her explosive power was terrifying. She was an all-rounder in attack, defense, and speed. Her physical body and natal flames had already reached a new level after absorbing solar energy.
Moreover, Ya Ya's bloodline awakening was increasing almost daily, and nearly all of it came from her own diligent accumulation. The only help Qi Ping provided was occasionally giving her some Beast King's Flame or letting her sense his Flame Intent at night.
Qi Ping was most at ease with Ya Ya. In the future, she would surely break through her bloodline constraints and transform into a more powerful solar spirit beast. He was certain that within half a year, Ya Ya would break through to Rank Two!
After finishing his inventory of combat strength, Qi Ping settled back into his routine of nurturing herbs and accelerating the Flower Demon's growth. To him, going out to fight was just an interlude; farming and self-improvement were the eternal truths.
Five days passed, and Qi Ping received another message from Meng Yan.
'Brother Qi, meet me at the old place. I have had someone set up formation traps in the vicinity in advance!'
Upon receiving the word, Qi Ping finalized his arrangements on the mountain peak. He then transformed into a bee and led the majority of the swarm and his companions toward the meeting point.
After confirming there was no danger, he appeared before Meng Yan.
"Brother Qi, you're finally here. I'm really going to have to trouble you this time!"
"It's no bother. It's what I should do. Have you found out the enemy's strength?"
The enemy's details were Qi Ping's primary concern. However, Meng Yan shook his head helplessly.
"I couldn't get specific information on them. But it's certain that there are no Foundation Establishment cultivators. Under these circumstances, they should have sent disciples who are either stronger than me or outnumber me. Their total strength should be two to three times mine. Four times is unlikely; they don't have that much combat power to spare in the Qingtian Domain."
"So, with the two of us joining forces and the help of formations, we have a chance at winning. At the very least, escaping won't be a problem."
"After all, your existence is something they won't expect, Brother Qi..."
As he spoke, Meng Yan looked at Qi Ping's calm, emotionless expression and knew that in normal circumstances, this battle was secured.
Befriending Qi Ping back then had truly been his most correct decision. In such a war, having a hidden friend with extraordinary strength was an immense benefit. After all, there were only a few critical battles; with Qi Ping's help, his chances of surviving them were much higher. Even in times of peace, having hidden strength would make him much more adept at navigating sect power struggles.
Meng Yan then explained the formation setup in detail, and the two discussed their combat plan. Meng Yan was very thorough in his explanation of the traps, the combat strategy, and the escape routes. It was clear he had prepared with extreme seriousness.
It was the first time Qi Ping had seen Meng Yan looking so much like he was facing a formidable foe. This detail alone proved that the coming enemies were no easy marks; one slip could lead to their demise.
In contrast, Qi Ping was much calmer. He had already completed all his preparations and combat plans—he had even formulated plans for facing Foundation Establishment experts. Even if he were to encounter one, he was confident in his ability to escape. That was the source of his composure.
Once everything was ready, Meng Yan arranged for someone to quietly leak his vague location. This was a pre-arranged move designed to minimize the enemy's suspicion.
"Brother Qi, I'm not sure when they will arrive, or even if they will show up at all. I'll have to trouble you to wait here for a while. Please forgive me!" Meng Yan said solemnly.
"There's no need for such courtesy, Brother Meng. I will certainly give my all in this battle!"
Following that, Qi Ping began to cultivate in earnest. Since he didn't need to spend time growing herbs, it was the perfect time to practice the Wood-Flame Manual and raise his cultivation. Now that the manual was perfected, his progress was remarkably fast.
Shortly after Meng Yan leaked his location, a group of extraordinary young people, each exuding a powerful aura, received the news.
One young man, with eyebrows like swords and eyes like stars, carrying a wooden sword on his back, let a smile curl his lips.
"After searching for so long, the fish has finally shown its tail. It's time to close the net!"
The most striking thing was the moment he opened his eyes—a terrifying Sword Intent radiated from his pupils.
However, facing such a powerful sword cultivator, the two companions sitting opposite him showed no fear. One was surrounded by roiling demonic energy, while the other exuded a terrifying pressure from his physical body. In terms of aura, they were in no way inferior to the sword cultivator!