As Bai Qi's fight against the two members of the strangely named power called [Immortal's Cave Servants] began, he found three things. These enemies weren't more alert but were on a different tier from his previous opponents as well. And the last thing was that he had made a mistake.

Fighting with weapons while avoiding skills would save his still not refilled reserves indeed. But regretfully, the opponents weren't ones that he could take out with a single attack or two.

The pair of Warrior Lords weren't strong enough to be considered a threat to Bai Qi, but their strange weapons danced with the grace of butterflies and seemed to follow a method of improving their combat prowess.

They had used a kind of silent skill by the moment that Bai Qi's sword and spear combination clashed against the stone cudgel-like staffs. And after the clash, it was Bai Qi who stepped back!

Because of the restriction, Bai Qi's current strength peaked at the limit of the 3rd level Warrior Lord realm. But theirs was as if both cultivators were at the same point, even with their cultivation being lower!

For the first time since his arrival into the ravine, Bai Qi felt shocked.

*Clang* *Clang* *Clash*

The reaction of the duo of [Immortal's Cave Servants] reactions wasn't lower than Bai Qi's as well. They blocked his attacks with ease, and while they could not penetrate his defense either, each of their attacks was dangerous enough for him to be unable to simply shrug it off. His qi and aura covers peaked at the same limit as his strength, so any attack at the same level would reach the body after all.

*Clash* *Clang* *Clash* *Clash*

Bai Qi forced one of them back with a sudden lunge and then launched at the other one. Still, even his quick combination of sweeps, slashes, and pierces was defended by the simple-looking stone staff.

While Bai Qi did not despair, he knew he could not fight like that for long indeed. The previously sent signal had been received by a few men, likely, as he sensed how a few presences were approaching.

And so, at the next slash with his right-hand held sword, he activated [Imperial Blade], intending to finish at least one of them.

*Swoosh*

The skill was sent point-blank, less than a foot away from the cultivator. But...

*Shatter*

Bai Qi's previously undefeated skill shattered as it crashed against the stone staff!

Bai Qi's memories could not find anything feasible in a medium-tier plane that could shatter skills without any signs.

*Swoosh*

And finding himself doubting even his memories, Bai Qi almost missed the sweep from behind, sent by the opponent he had pushed back. Still, almost missed wasn't the same as missing, and Bai Qi's left arm made an abrupt movement, sending the spear to block the staff.

*Clank*

The force behind the attack wasn't lesser than his own, so Bai Qi was propelled forward, right into the other opponent, who started a wide-ark sweep to take advantage of Bai Qi's close-to undefended state.

"I am called..." Bai Qi took air and infused qi into his voice, following with a roar full of the [White Tiger] presence, "BAI QI!"

And as the sound wave, coupled with the suppressing effect, made the opponent lose his tempo, Bai Qi added inwardly, , and his unnamed sword shone in black tones as his [Ghostflame] qi infused into it.

[Demonflame Slash], a fusion of Bai Qi's Imperial Blade and the Ghostflame, flew into the opening created by the roar.

And even before it reached the opponent in front, Bai Qi's attention turned to the one behind. Calling for the treasured glove, Bai Qi immediately infused it with qi, and using the effect of amplifying the strength behind his left-hand attacks, he sent the spear to clash against the staff.

*Splatter* *Clash* *Snap*

Bai Qi's [Demonflame Slash] was on a different tier from the [Imperial Blade], and ignoring the cost, it was enough to finish the opponent indeed. The slash left an enormous wound on the cultivator's torso, and he fell to the ground, with his presence wavering and aura disappearing.

The [Bright Heavens] glove also worked as intended, even over the expectations. Again, if ignoring the cost behind such a method, Bai Qi did decide the clash. The previously unbreakable staff broke, and its user was forced back by the force behind the impact.

Bai Qi was already spending his qi and aura. So he did not hesitate to increase his speed to the utmost, to follow after the yet, unharmed second opponent.

*Woosh* *Swoosh* *Splatter*

Full speed and a quick series of attacks later, Bai Qi's spear tore a hole in the cultivator's neck. And as Bai Qi released the qi inside the glove, transferring it forward, the enemy's head burst like overripe fruit.

Bai Qi acknowledged the facts, and after summoning the unbroken staff and the storage rings, he quickly stored everything into his [Void Ring] and hurried away.

Bai Qi only moved for half a mile when a few presences reached the place of the battle. And almost immediately, started after him.

While he did have the option of rushing into Elder Ye's tower, Bai Qi wanted to avoid being holed inside for long. Thus, he chose to run towards the north.

His plan was simple, create even more chaos and then find a moment to either bury underground again or use a concealing talisman.

Bai Qi's thoughts weren't far from the truth, actually being absolutely on spot. After the [Void Palace] members started acting, the lack of cooperation between the different powers and any semblance of command chain became apparent. So to counter both, the leaders that stayed in the southern part of the ravine agreed on several countermeasures.

The ravine was divided into territories or even individual towers. And each now counted with a leader for the single power that occupied it.

The 35th tower, Elder Ye's one, had been assigned to the [Immortal's Cave Servants], and now that the alarm was raised, the 4th level Warrior Lord serving as the local leader started pursuing the one that dared to kill his men. Leaving only six to look after the tower, he took all of the remaining eleven cultivators and intending to kill, commenced the hunt.

***

A mile to the north from the 35th tower, the 32nd tower that Bai Qi had visited first stood. After the night-long reorganization, it was now part of the territory held by the [Sky Grass Society] that Bai Qi had already clashed before.

The society was a band of cultivators that followed an almost orthodox cultivation method, if not for the extreme dependence on [Sky Cruising Grass], a spirit herb between a drug and a cultivation resource. This latter granted them a way to quickly advance and voided the stabilization requirements. But at the same time, it made them reliant on a constantly increasing amount of [Sky Cruising Grass] to continue cultivating.

The assigned leader, an originally 6th level Warrior Lord called Lin Wuhan, felt the approach of several presences and quickly recognized that the pursuing ones were from the neighboring tower, so he immediately set off on an intercept course along with six of his men.

Bai Qi corrected his course and began moving to the east as if he intended to reach the ravine's cliff wall.

As he felt how the pursuers and interceptors followed suit, Bai Qi slightly lowered his speed and began gathering qi into both his index fingers. And then, as soon as he felt ready, he abruptly stopped.

[Finger of Fiery Devastation] was a skill that he obtained from the [Underground Land of the River], or [11th Spring Expanse]. He had only briefly trained with it but during the last fight, he used it once and liked its penetrative effect. Now, he planned to make use of it again.

His aura expanded, preparing for the release of the skill, and a breath later, as both grey and green robed groups approached enough, he pointed one finger at each and released it.

*Hssss*

Two thin torrents of flame extended, and Bai Qi's senses caught how the pursuers stopped to defend against them. He continued fueling the skill for a breath and then darted off, now running south-east, planning to make a wide circle around the 35th tower.

***

In the next few minutes, Bai Qi repeated such a tactic twice. And while the results weren't even close to a frontal clash, with him only sensing a single wounded and a single killed enemy, it did create an enormous ruckus. And for the time Bai Qi reached the 35th tower proper, several signal flares were set off, and the number of pursuers increased to over thirty.

The pursuers did try to set up a trap and even barrage him with attacks from behind, but between Bai Qi's speed, reactions, and senses, he managed to avoid the former and remain unharmed from the latter.

Still, such a tactic was extremely taxing on his reserves, so he could not continue with it for long. Bai Qi gulped down a restorative pill, the first of many he planned to, and stopped again, showing signs of using [Finger of Fiery Devastation] again.

The pursuers had learned how to cope with it, as the previous instance did not leave even a light wound on any of them. They also had discussed how to respond in kind. So now that Bai Qi was about to use it again, it was time to act for them as well. The first row stopped and expanded their auras into a defense, while the ones after them prepared to attack the, for now, still target.

"Aim around him as well, don't let the bastard escape!" Lin Wuhan instructed his men while he himself prepared to use the distraction to close distance and solve it with a direct fight.

But Bai Qi did not use his finger skill. In turn, he suddenly rushed forward with utmost speed.

*Swoosh*

Twelve tendril-like appendages extended from his back, each holding a long knife-like blade. And having kept them at a distance of five hundred feet each previous time, it only took an actual breath for him to enter close quarters.

*Clang* *Clang* *Tear* *Splatter*

Bai Qi also held his usual spear and sword combination, and as a crazed whirlwind assaulted the first row, that did not even manage to react in time.

Lin Wuhan and the other leaders shouted a few commands out, but all of them could be resumed with the words - "Surround, don't let escape, kill." And acting on them as well, rushed forward.

Thus, 29 cultivators threw themselves at Bai Qi.

Bai Qi's plan was, again, simple. If one wanted to create chaos in such a setting, the easiest way was to make the different groups lose any semblance of an alliance.