But for Lin Changheng, things were different.

If the Tribulation Cultivators had followed them from the Ruins District, their forces would have been overwhelmingly strong—enough to crush them. In that case, Lin Changheng would have definitely used the chaos of the battle to flee with an Earth Escape.

There was no need for hesitation; self-preservation came first.

But if he was facing a crippled gang of Tribulation Cultivators, he could watch and see. If the situation was controllable, he could lend a hand. That way, he could call in a favor and make demands later.

’Presumably, the Xu Family wouldn’t be in a position to refuse.’

In the span of a single thought, Lin Changheng had made his decision.

...

Outside, the tension was palpable.

"Fellow Daoist, perhaps we should go out and lend them a hand?"

the Veil Hat Female Cultivator suddenly suggested.

"Alright."

Lin Changheng did not refuse. This wasn’t a desperate, high-pressure situation, and going out to take a look would actually make it easier to assess things.

The two of them exited the carriage, one after the other, only to see the two sides had just begun to clash.

Colorful Magic shot through the air, and the resounding clash of various Magical Artifacts echoed all around.

The Veil Hat Female Cultivator’s gaze swept across the battlefield. She saw two Cultivators ganging up on Xu Xulin, who was flustered and struggling to hold on. With a sharp cry, she rushed into the fray to relieve him.

Lin Changheng, however, did not act rashly. He stopped on the shaft of the carriage and placed a Concealment Talisman on himself. The light around him distorted as he began to quietly observe the battle.

’Sixth Layer Qi Cultivation.’

With the Veil Hat Female Cultivator’s Magical Power now surging without reservation, Lin Changheng was finally able to discern her true Cultivation.

’The Female Cultivator is clearly young. To have such a Cultivation at her age, just one step away from Late Stage Qi Cultivation... Her future is bright, and she must hold a high status in the Xu Family.’

’Who could she be?’

His gaze shifted.

Surveying the entire battlefield, he saw there weren’t too many Tribulation Cultivators—only a dozen or so, outnumbering the Xu Family Cultivators by just two or three. They were all fighting with their lives on the line, but their numbers didn’t have a major impact on the overall situation.

But what truly decided the battle was the high-level combatants. The enemy had two at the Qi Cultivation Seventh Layer, while the Xu Family only had one. And right now, the two were ganging up on Xu Xulin.

They intended to kill him first.

One of them controlled a Giant Scythe Spiritual Artifact.

Judging by its might, it was clearly a Middle Grade Spiritual Artifact.

He swung it in an impenetrable flurry, creating explosive cracks in the air. The eyes visible behind his mask burned with madness and hatred. 𝓯𝙧𝓮𝓮𝒘𝓮𝙗𝙣𝒐𝒗𝒆𝓵.𝓬𝓸𝒎

He looked as if he wanted to tear Xu Xulin limb from limb.

’A Chen Family Cultivator!’

Lin Changheng recognized him at once.

The Veil Hat Female Cultivator’s intervention immediately relieved much of the pressure on Xu Xulin. Before long, she had even drawn the Chen Family member away from the main fight to face her alone.

Sixth Layer Qi Cultivation versus Qi Cultivation Seventh Layer!

"You must be careful!"

Xu Xulin roared and unleashed his full power, hoping to quickly cripple his opponent so he could turn back and help the Female Cultivator.

"Thinking of leaving? Not so fast."

The burly Male Cultivator sneered, slapping several Talismans onto his body. Shields of various colors appeared around him as he immediately re-engaged Xu Xulin, determined to tie him down.

His plan was simple: wait for Chen Guqing to kill that little wench from the Sixth Layer Qi Cultivation, then regroup to finish off the rest. They could annihilate every last one of the Xu Family Cultivators here.

Therefore, his best option was to stall and entangle him.

He couldn’t be greedy and risk creating an opening, but he also couldn’t let his opponent escape. All he had to do was wait for the outcome of the other battle.

"You!"

In his haste, Xu Xulin’s defense faltered. His opponent’s Curved Saber Spiritual Artifact slashed his arm, sending a spray of blood into the air.

Fortunately, Xu Xulin had years of experience wandering and was a veteran of Magical Combat. The shock of the injury sobered him, and he realized that haste was making him reckless.

He took a deep breath, his eyes clearing. After quickly sealing the wound and swallowing an Elixir, he settled in for a steady, protracted fight.

...

Meanwhile, the other battle drifted farther and farther away.

Facing Chen Guqing’s fierce assault, the Veil Hat Female Cultivator used every trick she had, but she was still struggling to defend herself.

On the verge of defeat, as Chen Guqing’s vicious sneer echoed, the Veil Hat Female Cultivator grit her teeth. Her slender hand swept across her Storage Bag, and a Talisman pulsing with brilliant Spiritual Light flew out.

"CLANG!"

The Giant Scythe Spiritual Artifact lunged through an opening in the Female Cultivator’s defense, poised to cleave her in two. But a muffled BOOM, accompanied by a blinding flash of golden light, stopped the Giant Scythe cold. It couldn’t advance another inch.

It had been blocked by a towering Golden Bell.

A Tier One Upper Grade Talisman: the Golden Bell Talisman!

The massive bell it formed shielded her entire body.

"She even has an Upper Grade Defense Talisman?"

Chen Guqing’s face turned cold. An Upper Grade Defense Talisman was worth at least ten-some Spirit Stones. For this woman to be so rich... he wondered how much of that wealth was built on the blood and sweat of his Chen Family!

At this thought, his fury surged. The Giant Scythe flew from his grasp, black light gathering on its blade as it struck with brutal force.

"BOOM!"

A black torrent of energy slammed into the Golden Bell. The bell shuddered and dimmed, but it held firm.

"SWOOSH!"

The Female Cultivator wouldn’t just wait to be killed. She sent her Silver Plate flying out, where it spun furiously in midair like a full moon, slicing directly toward Chen Guqing.

It, too, was a Middle Grade Spiritual Artifact.

But here, the gap between the Sixth and Seventh Layer of Qi Cultivation was on full display. The former could only control a single Middle Grade Spiritual Artifact, while the latter could effortlessly control two Middle Grade Spiritual Artifacts, or even one Upper Grade Spiritual Artifact!

Unflustered, Chen Guqing summoned a Middle Grade Black Shield. It appeared before him and instantly expanded, standing firm like a wall of black iron.

"CLANG!"

The Silver Plate’s edge was incredibly sharp, scraping a trail of sparks across the Black Shield’s surface. The shrill, grinding sound was piercing.

It failed to break through.

Meanwhile, Chen Guqing continued to assault the Golden Bell with his Black Scythe. The bell was now trembling even more violently; clearly, it wouldn’t last much longer.

The moment the Golden Bell shattered would be the moment of her death.

Xu Xulin, whose fight had now moved into the nearby woods, had used a flurry of techniques to gain a slight advantage. However, he still couldn’t kill or cripple his opponent to end the stalemate. He remained completely tied down.

He spared a glance for the Female Cultivator’s situation and knew at once that she was in trouble. Then, hearing several screams from another direction, he turned to see Alchemist Lin, working in tandem with the Xu Clan Members, taking the heads of two Tribulation Cultivators.

The two newly freed clansmen immediately joined a nearby skirmish, turning it into a two-on-one assault!

The situation improved dramatically.

"Good!"

Xu Xulin shouted in approval and quickly sent a voice transmission to Lin Changheng. "Alchemist Lin, could you possibly go and help... that fellow clansman of mine?"

"That’s a Late Stage Qi Cultivation Tribulation Cultivator. I’m afraid I may not be strong enough."

Lin Changheng replied via voice transmission, a troubled expression on his face as he used a Lower Grade Spiritual Artifact to force back a Tribulation Cultivator.

"Alchemist Lin, you’re also at Middle Stage Qi Cultivation. You just need to delay him for a little while! Our clan’s reinforcements are on the way and will arrive soon. When this is over, the clan will reward you handsomely!"

Xu Xulin pleaded breathlessly.

"Fine, I’ll give it a try. But let’s be clear: if something unexpected happens, don’t try to pin the blame on me."

"I understand. I’ll vouch for you and take full responsibility. No matter what happens, I won’t let any blame fall on you, a Pill Master."

"I swear it!"

Hearing Lin Changheng’s terms, Xu Xulin agreed without hesitation.

Only then did Lin Changheng withdraw his Magical Artifact and head toward the distant battle.

He knew this Female Cultivator’s status in the Xu Family must be extraordinary. Both her Cultivation and the Treasures she carried made that clear.

If he just stood by and watched the Female Cultivator die here, he probably couldn’t count on having a peaceful future with the Xu Family.

’I might as well give it a shot. I have to at least make a show of it. If I can save her, I’ll save her. If not, at least I’ll have made the effort. That should keep people from having anything to hold against me.’