With a true expert in charge and one side possessing an absolute advantage, the fierce slaughter didn't last long.

Xuan State's forces didn't completely destroy Ji State's; those who tore off their outer garments to show they weren't carrying Insect Extreme Crystals managed to escape without much hindrance. As a result, several hundred managed to flee.

After cleaning up the bloody battlefield, a bunch of bulging black cloth bags were searched and found at multiple points. The combined forces of Ji State hadn't centralized the storage of the Insect Extreme Crystals, which clearly meant each group kept its own stash.

Li Shanshan, standing by a pile of counted Insect Extreme Crystals, shouted with arms raised high, "Ten thousand and seventy-five hundred fifty-three pieces!"

One battle brought in over ten thousand Insect Extreme Crystals, causing a cheer to erupt throughout Xuan State.

In the mirror image, the cheering Xuan State forces, the piles of Insect Extreme Crystals, sparked envy and sighs among many viewers.

Domain Master Chi Rang of Xuan State was laughing merrily.

The other Domain Masters had complicated expressions on their faces; the Domain Master of Ji State stood up and kicked over a chair in a fit of rage, storming off.

Young Master Nan slumped in his chair, as if he had been through a severe illness, mumbling something to himself.

The forces in the mirror image didn't stop, advancing quickly from point to point like Wang Sheng's group had done.

The target of the second attack was merely a few hundred people, and Xuan State's forces swept them away with overwhelming force.

But the harvest of Insect Extreme Crystals made Mulan Qingqing's heart skip a beat – only around two thousand pieces.

In the following continuous raids, despite believing they targeted the fattest prey, each victory brought in only a couple thousand pieces. This caused Mulan Qingqing and the others to grow more and more panicked as they realized their gains were similar to Wang Sheng's.

It seemed that finding the Insect Extreme Crystals wasn't absolutely connected to the number of people involved.

They began to realize that Wang Sheng's words during the military council might have been true; he had truly made an effort to identify the quantity of Insect Extreme Crystals the targets had before striking.

They couldn't fathom how Wang Sheng's scouts achieved this. It was incomprehensible. Was the gap in abilities between people really that large?

However, with their strength, they didn't need to put in as much effort as Wang Sheng's group; seizing the fatter targets would not be a mistake.

The crux of the problem was that even if their gains could match those of Wang Sheng's group, they were running out of time; the competition would end in just a few days.

The next evening's raid brought them the most frustrating situation yet; before being defeated, the leader, in a cry of despair and fury, sliced open the black cloth bags and released all the Insect Extreme Crystals into the air. The exact number was unknown, but it was certainly substantial.

Although the desperate leader was hacked to pieces by the enraged Xuan State forces, the scattered Insect Extreme Crystals could never be found again. The Xuan State forces had busied themselves for nothing.

In a makeshift cave after nightfall, the glow of Sandal Gold Flame Energy seemed somehow eerie.

On a mat, Mulan Qingqing sat cross-legged, with Guann Yingjie sitting below her. Both were silent, both realizing that, judging by the trend of the past two days, they were very likely to lose to Wang Sheng's side.

From outside the cave, footsteps approached. It was Wan Daoyuan and his two companions. They glanced into the cave and, after confirming eye contact, they stepped inside.

Without invitation, they sat down. They were not dressed in spotless white and didn't need to be too concerned about cleanliness. They formed a circle with the two from Su Yuan Sect.

Li Shanshan was the first to speak, "I've just heard the news; Wang Sheng's side fought another battle today, but the gain wasn't great, only about a hundred Insect Extreme Crystals."

Tang Zhen sighed with regret, "Why are the gains getting poorer as the competition nears its end?"

Wan Daoyuan said, "We're not faring much better. In two days, we've only managed about eighteen thousand pieces, excluding the ten thousand from the first battle. Our gains these two days, compared to Wang Sheng's past victories, are actually not remarkable. I must admit, I've gained a new respect for Wang Sheng's abilities."

Tang Zhen said, "Counting the days, there are only four days left until the competition ends, which means we have only four more days. If this trend continues, at most we can gather another twenty thousand pieces, and that's if we maintain our current harvest rate."

Li Shanshan added, "On Wang Sheng's side, if they gain a bit more these days, they might reach seventy thousand pieces. With the trend on our side, even if we continue to fight to the death without rest, it's hard to catch up with them. And we can't keep fighting non-stop; we'll be too weakened, and who knows who will annihilate whom when we meet the enemy. This means, given the current situation, we're basically destined to lose."

Whether they were destined to lose or not didn't need to be pointed out by them; the two from Su Yuan Sect had already figured this out as they sat brooding.

At that moment, Mulan Qingqing appeared as usual, seemingly still cold as ice, but her heart was filled with dejection. It was one thing to lose when the forces were equally matched, but to lead an elite team and still be defeated by a group of ragtag troops, that difference in ability truly disheartened her.

But she still had to tough it out.

Finally, Guann Yingjie spoke, "Have you come here just to boost the morale of others while dampening your own spirits?"

Wan Daoyuan replied, "Mr. Guann, your words are too harsh. We're saying this to understand one thing: only by knowing yourself and your enemy can you find a chance to win. If we continue like this, we're bound to lose without a doubt."

Guann Yingjie uttered an "oh" and asked, "Do you have a better idea then?"

Wan Daoyuan lowered his voice, "Before coming here, the three of us discussed it and agreed that we cannot simply wait for our reputation to be swept away."

Tang Zhen: "Yes, the elite forces of Xuan State were actually beaten by a rabble of miscellaneous troops. This will turn into a huge joke. From now on, as soon as we encounter anyone slightly disagreeable, people will bring up this embarrassment to humiliate us. Can Mr. Guann tolerate this? The problem is, in the future in Xuan State, how can we save face to boss the smaller sects around without feeling ashamed? I cannot accept this."

Li Shanshan: "It's an enormous disgrace, utterly unacceptable."

Guann Yingjie: "Stop the endless chatter. If you have any solutions, speak up quickly."

Wan Daoyuan: "The three of us discussed it, and even if our final gains are less than Wang Sheng's side, it's not beyond redemption. In fact, the key to winning or losing lies in the rules of the competition. If we could get the other side to agree to change the rules, that would be a different matter entirely."

Guann Yingjie snorted, "If they are sure to win, would you accept a change in the competition rules?"

Wan Daoyuan smiled, "That's why the key lies in the word 'willing'."

Guann Yingjie, puzzled, "Don't beat around the bush, what do you mean?"

Wan Daoyuan posed a question: "If they knew they were bound to lose and we were certain to win, and we offered them another chance to try their luck, do you think they would be willing?"

After saying this, he, Tang Zhen, and Li Shanshan all revealed sly smiles.

Mulan Qingqing felt a slight stirring in her heart, her gaze flickered.

Guann Yingjie asked, "What do you mean?"

Wan Daoyuan's expression changed, his voice dropped, whispering: "Our haul from yesterday was actually not bad, it was only low today. Today was just an accident; our harvesting ability from yesterday is our normal standard. From tomorrow on, we will naturally return to form.

Tomorrow, the day after, and going forward, our harvest will be just like yesterday's. The final number of gains is undoubtedly going to exceed theirs."

Li Shanshan: "Mr. Guann, starting tomorrow, the counting of the Insect Extreme Crystals after the harvest should be handed over to someone responsible, and they should publicly announce the number."

Guann Yingjie suddenly realized, his eyes lighting up excitedly, "They know we are sure to win, giving them another chance... Exactly, they would definitely accept it."

In the end, everyone's gaze turned to the one who would have the final say.

Mulan Qingqing seemed hesitant, "Isn't it a bit dishonorable to win by deception?"

Li Shanshan: "It is dishonorable, but key is we can't actually fight them. In war, deception is not frowned upon, so solving this by peaceful means is the best way."

Tang Zhen: "That's right. Mulan, don't overthink it. They had the chance to win in their own hands. It's their own greed. If they weren't greedy, they wouldn't have fallen for this. They will be the ones regretting and beating their breasts afterward."

Wan Daoyuan: "After all, we won't force anything. Whoever is willing, let them take the bait. Later on, it will just be a joke, a fine story."

Guann Yingjie also said: "Sister, rest assured, their greed is self-inflicted. They can't blame anyone else. Besides, the rules of the competition didn't say we couldn't employ deception."

Wan Daoyuan: "That's right, Mr. Guann's words make sense. There was no agreement against using deception. If there's any criticism afterward, we can tell everyone that if there wasn't a more convenient approach, not wanting to cause too much slaughter, we would have acted sooner, and we wouldn't have lost to them in terms of gains. With our methods secure in both hands, we are the winners either way. When victory is certain, how can it be considered dishonorable?"

Li Shanshan: "Exactly, if they manage to deceive us, we will still acknowledge it without error!"

Tang Zhen clapped in approval, "Indeed, indeed."

Wan Daoyuan: "Of course, we still need to work hard. If we could actually surpass them in the true harvest, we wouldn't need to resort to any underhanded methods."

"That's right."

"Your words are sensible."

Watching the fervent gazes before her, Mulan Qingqing knew she couldn't stop them anymore. They had found such a huge loophole, and she knew she couldn't stop it now; she could only acquiesce.

Laughter filled the cavern.

On the other side, the people of Xuan State were also full of laughter and joy. Everyone came out of the cave chattering and backslapping, sharing in the joy with the world.

Both sides had numerous channels of horizontal communication, and about the situation of Mulan Qingqing's side's gains, this side also had some grasp.

No one was foolish; judging from the trend of their gains, it seemed very unlikely that they could overtake this side.

With victory in their grasp, the thought of returning to the Sect with their names on the merit books, and of returning with honor having made significant contributions to the Sect, everyone was filled with elation.

Those sects that might qualify to compete for rankings on behalf of the Sect were even more exuberant. The scene was full of laughter and joy, wishing there was wine to accompany their hearty spirit that dared to shine brighter than the stars above.

Someone with a severed arm sat on a rock, caressing the stump, with a satisfied face, feeling it was worth it, having accounted for both themselves and others.

Sitting on top of the hill, Shi Chun saw everyone happy, and his face also showed a slight smile, albeit more reserved, unable to be as carefree as them. He ended up lying down with his arms as a pillow, gazing up at the cold twinkling stars amidst the sounds of laughter.

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