A gentle breeze was blowing, the sun was shining brightly, and the temperature was pleasant.

Logically speaking, this weather should be perfect for an outing or picnic.

But on this very Bright Summit, the air was filled with a thick stench of blood.

From the foot of the mountain all the way up to the mountainside, the sounds of clashing weapons and fighting echoed continuously.

At the foot of the southeastern mountain, dozens of disciples of the Huashan Sword Sect moved quickly.

However, just as the disciples of the Huashan Sword Sect were caught off guard, sharp spears suddenly appeared beneath their feet, piercing them through.

This caused other Huashan Sword Sect disciples around to retreat in fear, only to be ambushed from behind by a group of Ming Cult disciples who also leaped out of the ground.

In a dense forest on the mountainside, as the disciples of the Kongtong Sect moved swiftly and alertly, a series of whooshing sounds suddenly rang out from the forest.

In the next instant, hundreds of sharpened wooden sticks rushed out from all directions in the forest, piercing through all the disciples of the Kongtong Sect.

Almost instantly, the life force of more than a dozen disciples of the Kongtong Sect dissipated.

Then, a group of Ming Cult disciples quickly fell from the tree, slashed the throats of the still-alive Kongtong Sect disciples, and then quickly left.

Before these Ming Cult disciples had gone far, they ran into another group of Emei Sect disciples.

In an instant, the metallic clang of swords clashing echoed continuously through the dense forest.

Similar scenes kept appearing around Bright Summit.

The sounds of fighting, screams, and shouts echoed above Bright Summit, carried further and further away by the mountain wind until they disappeared without a trace.

The pungent smell of blood also intensified over time.

Even under the warm sunlight, it gives people a sense of coldness and desolation.

Halfway up the mountain, looking at the horrific scenes around them, Qu Feiyan and Xiao Zhao both fell silent.

At this moment, the dangers of the martial world were fully revealed to the two women.

Even Qu Feiyan, who was usually so composed, couldn't help but quiet down a bit at this moment.

However, at this moment, Qu Feiyan couldn't help but speak up: "Young master, this battle between the Wudang Sect, the Southern Shaolin Temple, and the Ming Cult seems a bit too fake!"

From their elevated vantage point, Qu Feiyan and the others could clearly see the actions of the six major sects in besieging Bright Peak.

Compared to the fierce battles between the four major sects, including Kongtong and Emei, and the Ming Cult disciples, the fighting between the Wudang and Southern Shaolin sects and the Ming Cult disciples was quite different.

If the four major sects, including Kongtong, were basically in a life-or-death situation when they encountered Ming Cult disciples, then the encounters between Wudang and Southern Shaolin sects and Ming Cult disciples on their way up the mountain were much more peaceful.

Whenever a Wudang or Mingjiao disciple is injured during a battle, they will quickly retreat and stand aside to treat their wounds.

If they sense something is wrong, when the Ming Cult disciples retreat, the Wudang and Southern Shaolin disciples will not pursue them relentlessly, but will instead let them leave.

This doesn't feel like they're here to attack the sect; rather, they're here to exchange skills and knowledge, and to broaden the experience and understanding of their disciples.

Therefore, upon hearing what Qu Feiyan said, Xiao Zhao next to her couldn't help but nod in agreement.

Knowing what the two women meant, Chu Qinghe said calmly, "You yourselves said yesterday that Wudang and Southern Shaolin alone could easily wipe out the Ming Cult. If you can think of that, do you think the Ming Cult can't?"

The world of martial arts is made up of people, and where there are people, there will be weighing of pros and cons and considerations of human relationships.

The Wudang and Southern Shaolin sects were merely going through the motions, a fact that both Wudang and Southern Shaolin, as well as the Ming Cult, were aware of.

Just give it a little something, don't take it too seriously. Even the Ming Cult wouldn't dare to take Wudang or Southern Shaolin seriously.

Therefore, for the four sects of Emei, Huashan Sword Sect, Kongtong Sect, and Kunlun Sect, the battle against the Ming Cult was a life-or-death struggle.

But for Wudang and Southern Shaolin, the battle against the Ming Cult was a battle of human relationships and social skills.

Hearing what Chu Qinghe said, Qu Feiyan said speechlessly, "It can be like this? No wonder you said yesterday that Wudang and Southern Shaolin were just here to make a show of things."

Chu Qinghe said calmly, "That's why every force in the martial arts world wants to climb higher and become a top force."

"For sects like Emei and Kongtong, fighting a battle that risks the rise and fall of the entire sect is nothing more than going with the flow for top-tier forces like Wudang or Southern Shaolin."

"With the Ming Cult destroyed, Wudang and Southern Shaolin shared half of the benefits, accumulating a good reputation, waiting for other forces to come knocking on their door the next time they have a need."

"If the Ming Cult is not destroyed, Wudang and Southern Shaolin will not suffer any losses. On the contrary, they can train their disciples, let them see blood and broaden their horizons. As for Emei, Kongtong and other sects, they cannot find fault with Wudang and Southern Shaolin, after all, the two sects did contribute."

Hearing Chu Qinghe's words, Qu Feiyan and Xiao Zhao raised their eyes and looked again at the four major sects' teams fighting fiercely at the foot of the mountain. A hint of pity appeared in their eyes.

After watching for a while, Chu Qinghe said calmly, "Let's go! It'll probably be afternoon before the six major sects manage to reach the top of the mountain. Let's use this time to retrieve the 'Great Shift of Heaven and Earth' first!"

As he spoke, Chu Qinghe once again waved his folding fan to use the concealing powder to isolate the internal force and true energy fluctuations of the three people.

Upon hearing this, Xiao Zhao nodded and then used her lightness skill to quickly move towards the forbidden area of ​​the Ming Cult in the back mountain.

I should be able to try to resume updating three times a day tomorrow! Happy Lantern Festival everyone!

(End of this chapter)