The battle was extremely fierce. Although many Shitian clan members died from the potent poison, an equal number of human cultivators were also slain.
Numerous Shitian clan members in the Seventh and Eighth Realms charged madly towards Chen Xiaohan, but cultivators in the Mahayana and Immortal stages fought desperately to stop them.
Both sides were enraged. For the Shitian clan of this world, this defeat was utterly unacceptable, as it would make them a laughingstock for the entire Shitian clan.
Therefore, this war became a defensive battle centered around Chen Xiaohan.
In the low-tier battlefields, victory required containing Chen Xiaohan, but the enemy was willing to sacrifice a half-step Immortal King's life to protect her.
On the high-tier battlefields, though the Shitian clan held an advantage, it would take time to determine the outcome, unlike Wang Teng and his group who could directly enter a "berserk" mode.
Moreover, the advantage was no longer guaranteed, as the Ice Sword Mercenary Group now possessed a means to trap opponents besides the "Pillar of Heaven."
Furthermore, De Aibi was dead, an Eighth Realm peak powerhouse.
The Shitian clan in this entire world had no more than ten peak Eighth Realm experts, and the death of any one of them would significantly impact the balance.
So, could they still win?
The poison continued to spread, their corpses becoming vessels for the venom. While Eighth Realm experts were immune to such poisons, what about these weaker individuals?
If this continued to spread, how could they possibly fight?
Yituo Xiang and Yituo Shi felt an unbearable pain, having long anticipated Chen Xiaohan's role on the battlefield and prepared countermeasures. However, their plans had failed.
So, what should they do now?
Daku and Lakon had broken free from the hurricane vortex formed by Qiu Yun's self-detonation of his Dao fruit. They looked at the scene before them, utterly bewildered.
Without Qiu Yun, Chen Xiaohan was no longer guarded.
"Kill her! It won't be a loss if we kill her!"
"Damn it! We can't kill her! Retreat!"
As soon as they mentioned killing Chen Xiaohan, Meng Zibin instantly took position, and Li Qingyun and the others also returned.
The entire Ice Sword Mercenary Group gathered in front of Chen Xiaohan. Daku and Lakon, despite both being peak Eighth Realm experts, hesitated to attack upon seeing these individuals.
Wang Teng still held De Aibi's corpse.
"Come on, fight your old man if you dare?"
Wang Teng's demeanor was exceptionally arrogant.
Liang Zifan's eyes lit up. He stepped forward, "Ahem, Brother Teng, I think your taunts are not quite impactful enough..."
But just as he was about to step forward and flick his hair, Luo Xiaowei pulled him back.
Luo Xiaowei glared at him, "Don't show yourself. We can't kill a peak Eighth Realm expert right now..."
Peak Eighth Realm Shitian clan members were truly powerful. During their fight with De Aibi inside the "Azure Lotus Realm," they had been significantly depleted.
Thanks to Li Qingyun casting two "Barren Curses" to weaken him to a point where he could be killed, Xiao Long also cast one but missed.
Then, to avoid sustaining severe injuries and to maintain some combat effectiveness upon their return, they had engaged in a war of attrition.
Without the "Pillar of Heaven," Wang Teng's primary damage output was greatly reduced. Qin Xiaoxiao, the secondary main damage dealer, was also exhausted from the fight and truly unable to continue.
So, the current situation was that they could still fight, but at most, they could only handle ordinary Eighth Realm experts.
However, Daku and Lakon were already intimidated by their previous feats and feared being imprisoned within the "Creation Azure Lotus" if they attacked.
Seeing more and more Shitian clan members succumbing to the poison, they gritted their teeth but were incapable of sacrificing their lives like Qiu Yun to buy Chen Xiaohan time.
Yituo Xiang and the others finally couldn't bear the casualties and could only unwillingly shout, "Retreat!!"
Chen Xiaohan's face had turned extremely pale. Blood trickled from the corners of her mouth, a backlash from her abilities.
The reason it was called the "Symbiotic Blood Gu" was because these blood gu were symbiotically linked to her. She was the mother worm, and the blood gu she created were extensions of her body. If all the blood gu died, she would die too.
The blood gu that had evolved under the tribulation lightning and entered the bodies of the Seventh Realm experts, while inflicting significant damage, had also been forcibly suppressed and refined by these Shitian clan members.
The Shitian clan army retreated in a disorganized rout, hundreds of thousands strong.
Some even wavered in mid-air, their entire bodies turning purple before plummeting to the ground.
"Are you poisoned? Why is your face so bad?"
"I'm just injured..."
"Get away! Go far away! Don't spread it to me!"
"..."
Chen Xiaohan had instilled immense fear in these Shitian clan members. In this battle, nearly three hundred thousand Shitian clan members had died by Chen Xiaohan's hand. While most were below the Seventh Realm, this kill count was terrifying.
Watching the Shitian clan army rapidly retreating, Chen Xiaohan's expression grew more ferocious.
Her body trembled violently, as if enduring immense strain, yet she still extended her hand, forming a loose grasp...
"Pfft—"
Chen Xiaohan spat out a mouthful of blood, but blood butterflies emerged from the corpses and pursued the panicked Shitian clan army.
"Enough, you can't hold on!"
Meng Zibin grasped Chen Xiaohan's slender wrist, his brow furrowed.
Chen Xiaohan gasped for air, revealing a manic grin, "I think... I can still kill..."
"This is enough. Next time they come, they will be greatly fearful of you."
Chen Xiaohan's face was deathly pale. She gave a bitter laugh, her vision went black, and she collapsed into Meng Zibin's arms.
As she fainted, tears streamed from the corners of her eyes.
Everyone looked at Chen Xiaohan in Meng Zibin's embrace. It was the first time they had ever seen Chen Xiaohan in such a state.
"Is she alright?"
"Should we send her back to Blue Star for Brother Xian to examine? I think her emotions are a bit unstable."
"I'm a little worried she might suffer qi deviation..."
Meng Zibin shook his head, feeling the breeze brush against his face, and said, "That senior sacrificed his life to protect her, which is why she's so extreme."
The unconscious Chen Xiaohan clutched Meng Zibin's arm tightly, her fingernails digging into his flesh, her body trembling slightly.
Upon hearing Meng Zibin's explanation, everyone was filled with sorrow and astonishment, as if they were meeting Chen Xiaohan for the first time.
It was truly rare to see such emotions in Chen Xiaohan.
They had initially thought Chen Xiaohan was just a ruthless poison-spewing machine.