Bai Qi would have wanted to see the battle that transpired outside, but regretfully he could not. Even while his senses allowed him barely sense what was happening around the tower, it was simply too risky.

None of the attackers had seen or sensed him before, and so, when Gu Guanyu retreated into the tower, followed by at least some hostiles, Bai Qi planned to blend with the pursuers to leave with them. Only then, outside and with at least a kind of reason to be around, Bai Qi could act. First, he planned to scout the surroundings of the other towers and so find his place, opponents, and background to battle.

Or at least such was the plan that Gu Guanyu assumed Bai Qi had. In truth, Bai Qi's reasoning was slightly different. He did plan to battle and even help the other towers indeed. Still, his main reason was a mix of greed, ambition, and arrogance. Controlled by his rational mind, but it did stem from those.

His funds, treasures, talismans, and everything else had depleted. And even if they had not, he never had gathered enough to start expanding or even maintaining the current group of followers. And while he did decide to start acting for his own sake, he had the last task to perform for the [Seven Islands Realm] and the [Black Empire].

A task that required him to make a name for himself and may require both funds and connections. Thus, fighting and looting all that he could from this heavenly sent opportunity was something he both had and would do.

----------------------------------------

[Winds of the Void] was neither a defensive nor offensive skill. In its essence, it was just a manner to open a portal into the void that could be used by several cultivators, even if they were unable to enter it by themselves. Still, if the user was well versed in the void, it was possible to calculate the moment and location of a qi current and, opening the portal amidst it, force some of it to pour out.

But the qi in the planar's void wasn't pure but a mix of the astral qi from the [Astral Road] and chaos qi from the [Astral Void]. Thus, it would interfere, possibly even clash, with any qi or aura used by a cultivator as it was the planar [Earths and Heavens]. Chaos and order could not coexist indeed.

Gu Guanyu was well versed in the void, and he was perfectly aware of such an effect. Would it be enough to stop the barrage of attacks flying at him? Even he, a Warrior Emperor, could not answer. Still, it was the best defensive method he could use while restricted to the Warrior realm.

*BOOOM*

The explosion that followed as the first one, and then the hundred skills and techniques crashed with the current of what they called [Void Qi] was impressive. Enough to force not only him but even the farthest attackers to fall on one knee or even directly to the ground. And enough to make the surrounding qi and air crazily rush towards all sides, making even the earth tremble.

"Now!" With the currents of crazed qi interfering with any possible targetting, Gu Guanyu spread his aura and commanded the disciples to rush out of the tower.

Gu Guanyu inwardly acknowledged as he saw how dozens of herbs were flying all around the open area before the structure.

But only common herbs were present, the rare ones already looted by the attackers. This latter observation made the elder inwardly note to retrieve all the possible storage treasures from the attackers.

----------------------------------------

While Bai Qi had no idea how the battle started or how it was going, even he felt the tremor that gave a start to it. But curious or not, he would not risk showing any sign of his presence, so Bai Qi cleared his mind and started absorbing qi.

The basement was ampler than the tower itself and was a separate construction. With qi gathering formations and several closed rooms, it served for both meditations and a workshop.

It wasn't the pill masters who interested Bai Qi, but the materials they used for the pills. Thus, aware that the attackers would be looting everything they could, he made an inner note to grab all the storage treasures, even if he did not battle the enemies themselves.

***

Half an hour later, Bai Qi caught on the sounds of a close-by battle. He had expected it to end before, so he had already moved towards the stairs. He inwardly acknowledged that neither Gu Guanyu nor his disciples were pushovers. Not that he doubted it, but half an hour in one to ten or even worse odds? That was something impressive indeed.

Shouting, cursing, roaring, and weapons clashing first drew closer and then began distancing. Bai Qi thought as he quickly took a look over his current dress. The cloak he was using was from one of the [Earth's Demon Sons] cultivators, and so the question was if any of them were present right now. After all, while other groups hardly knew every member, the ones from it had to.

But there was nothing Bai Qi could do if he wanted to pass unnoticed. And as he knew that the [Sha Zhu Company] had numbers close to a hundred, the [Demon Sons] had struck him as an even smaller group, so his choice seemed logical.

___________________________________________________________________

While Bu Zan avoided voicing his curses, his mind was full of them. For half an hour, half a fucking hour, Bu Zan had fought against the [Void Palace] elder. To add a victory over a Warrior Emperor, even while restricted, to his long streak. But even with the help of sixteen people from his group. They had only managed to inflict some light wounds on that elder!

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Not a single [Void Palace] member of the nine that exited the tower died. Still, Bu Zan felt that he had shown the worst result. Indeed, the other, smaller and weaker, groups had managed to at least push their opponents back. And during the entire matter, only lost three people among the eighty, while the [Grey Gate] was down to 14, from which only six were able to continue!

What did piss off not only him but everyone was that the [Void Palace] cultivators weren't even so strong. The elder aside, the disciples did not have any advantages in either prowess or experience. But their skills and techniques, using the void for everything, were so unexpected that no one of the [Seven Souls Sect] allies could defend correctly. And when Bu Zan or someone else attacked, the [Void Palace] members instantly warped out only to reappear a moment later, avoiding the attack with ease.

Bu Zan had thought hard, but he only could attribute everything to some way of training and be done with it.

***

Fighting as the [Void Palace] members did look impressive for people who had not fought with them before. But in truth, there were dozens of ways to counter it. Not to mention that using the [Wavering Plane] skill was tiring, to the point that an hour was the absolute limit for any of them. Adding that they had been coped in the draining control room and then fought in the tower, it was surprising that the Palace cultivators even withstood this amount of time.

Gu Guanyu was aware of all this.

And he was aware of the injuries of everyone in his group.

Thus, as the situation turned risky, he immediately commanded the retreat.

Gu Guanyu added inwardly, as he could not help but recognize the skill of a few of the attackers. Usually not enough to even approach him, he suffered several injuries and tired out on equal grounds.

And this latter could only mean that they were talented and experienced enough. The 78 years old Emperor, one of the youngest in the realm, laughed at his joke. And in a better mood, continued coverage for the last of his disciples to enter the tower.

And now, while he retreated towards the control room, his advantage would only increase.

***

Hoping to land the last hit on one of the wounded disciples, Du Ping was one of the 20 brave or dumb enough to follow into the tower after the retreating [Void Palace] cultivators.

Du Ping was just a 1st level Warrior Lord from a heavens-forgotten power called [Zephyr Desert Company] that amounted to only a dozen cultivators. Still, for what first appeared to be a blessing, they had been recruited into the [Seven Souls Sect] forces. By now, he knew it was not a blessing but a curse, but...

The reward was just too appealing, and considering their usual occupation was to guard and raid merchants and travelers, how could Du Ping miss the chance?!

But even though Du Ping knew better than fighting the [Void Palace] elder, the latter was now blocking them for a few moments in each narrow place of the tower they passed, and until now, there had been no chance to rush after the wounded, tired, and retreating disciples.

Still, one man could not block twenty while he was unable to use techniques and skills. And so, a chance for Du Ping arose.

*Swoosh*

The scrawny-built, low-statured man launched forward, circling the busied elder and rushing for the stairs to the 5th floor.

"Fool." Suddenly a woman's, no girl's voice resounded almost next to him.

Aware of the problem that the open area on the 4th floor would pose to their retreat, Dong Xia had stayed while hiding herself with a concealment talisman. They weren't supposed to work indeed. But the [Void Palace] had set up the disturbance formation, and so it would be stupid to think they had no way to circumvent it at least partially. In all truth, the trick behind activating talismans was possible for anyone who had enough brain, as Bai Qi showed after he was told. If the surrounding qi did not work, use one's own. Something that was achieved by embedding the talisman into one's body. Not the easiest or painless action, but a workable one indeed.

Following the voice, a white-colored saber flew towards Du Ping's neck. That and other curses flowed through his mind, and while he managed to block the first slash, his opponent was far from his level.

*Clang* *Clang* *Clang*

Three quick slashes and Du Ping's bronze staff escaped his grasp.

*Swoosh*

But disarming wasn't the objective of the [Void Palace] disciple, as she immediately swung again.

Du Ping knew there was no escape, as her speed and strength surpassed his. Thus, he did the only thing he could, curse, "DAMN YOU, BITCH!"

*Clang*

But in place of the sounds of his flesh being cut or the pain that he should feel, Du Ping heard a clang and felt a current of air pass near him.

Someone had saved him!

*Clang* *Clang* *Swoosh* *Swoosh* *Clang*

And this someone was good enough to start pushing the [Void Palace] bitch back!

Regretfully the Elder arrived at the spot before his savior could deal with her, but still, Du Ping was saved!

***

"Thank you, truly!" Du Ping wasn't one for pleasantries, but he was grateful to the one who saved him, and so as soon as the situation calmed, he bowed.

"Ah, no need. We may be from different powers and regions, but shouldn't we join forces against the void bastards now that we are gathered?" The young man that saved him waved Du Ping's thanks away, and the latter could not help but look at him more closely.

The brown-colored hood obscured part of his face, but it was apparent that his savior was young. And still, the strands of aura around him spoke of strength, as he was a 3rd level Warrior Lord. Taller than average and with a slim build, he felt like the disciples of the grand powers. And he also spoke calmly as one of the latter should. Still, the cloak showed that he was from some power called [Earth's Demon Sons], so Du Ping could only guess why a demon lover had none of their usual darkness and moodiness.

"And I am sorry for not introducing myself. I am called Du Ping, and I hail from the [Zephyr Desert]."

"I see. Glad that I got here in time. [Earth's Demon Sons], Pang." Bai Qi, as it was no one else than him, introduced himself without a surname. And with the power's name first, making himself appear as someone adopted by his power.

Bai Qi's thoughts were cold, but they went along with his usual mindset. After all, it was clear that this Du Ping was here to loot and, if possible, kill someone.