Tan Wei didn't bother recalling his cauldron, he knew it wouldn't return in time to defend him. Instead, his right fist ignited with dark, black flames as he thrust it forward.
"Hellfire Black Punch!"
The leader's polearm collided with Tan Wei's flaming fist, sending a wave of spiritual qi through the air. The force of the clash pushed Tan Wei three steps back, but the leader of the Monkey King Sect fared far worse.
Black flames erupted from the point of impact, engulfing the leader entirely.
He screamed as he was hurled several meters away, crashing to the ground. The dark flames clung to his body, burning him relentlessly.
Panicked, he tried to smother the flames with his spiritual qi, but it only made things worse. The more he tried to suppress the fire, the stronger it burned, as if feeding on his energy.
Before the black flames could consume him completely, a radiant light enveloped his body, teleporting him away from the battlefield.
The agonized scream of the Monkey King Sect leader drew everyone's attention. No one missed the sight of his defeat.
The disciples of the White Crow Sect erupted in cheers, their attacks growing fiercer as their morale soared. The tables had turned, and they could feel victory within reach.
On the other hand, the confidence of the Monkey King Sect disciples crumbled. Panic set in, and soon they chose to retreat.
They turned and fled like frightened rabbits trying to escape a lion. Unfortunately for them, the lion wasn't about to let its prey get away so easily.
Two lightning bolts struck down from the heavens, hitting two Monkey King Sect disciples squarely. Just like their leader, they were engulfed in light and teleported away from the competition grounds.
Cao Zhu's pet, the lightning wolf, let out a triumphant roar, clearly pleased with its accomplishment.
"Good boy!" Cao Zhu praised, sitting atop the wolf and affectionately petting its head.
He quickly dismounted, collected the orbs the fallen disciples had dropped, and placed them on his wristband.
Having defeated half of the Monkey King Sect disciples while losing only two of their own, despite the cultivation gap, the White Crow Sect disciples erupted in cheers.
The thrill of victory seemed to wash away their exhaustion, replaced by a surge of adrenaline and renewed determination.
Tan Wei watched them with a small smile but remained cautious. He knew they couldn't linger here for long. The longer they stayed, the greater the risk of another sect arriving and attacking them while they were still vulnerable.
"Let's keep moving," Tan Wei called out, his voice firm but calm. "If you're injured or low on spiritual qi, come to me first so I can distribute pills."
The disciples quickly obeyed. They understood the urgency of the situation. Within moments, those in need of recovery had received their pills, and the group was back on the move, heading toward the edge of the pocket dimension.
The group soon arrived near the wall marking the outermost edge of the pocket dimension and settled down to rest and cultivate.
Tan Wei pulled Gong Long aside to a secluded spot for a private discussion. "Brother Gong," he began, his tone serious, "I believe we need to move toward the center as soon as possible. If we wait any longer, we might be too late."
Gong Long nodded, his expression serious. "I agree, but you know as well as I do, if we move with the entire group, given our overall strength, we won't stand a chance of making it there, let alone in time."
Tan Wei's gaze hardened. "I know. That's why I wanted to talk to you. Let's go with just the three of us—you, me, and Brother Cao. We're the strongest, and in a smaller group, I'm confident we'll be able to reach the center safely and in time."
Gong Long was quiet for a moment, considering the plan. Then he nodded. "You're right. Although we initially planned to move as a group, it's better this way. The others can stay here on the outskirts, fighting for the lower-tier orbs. Meanwhile, we can regroup with Feng Fan, Huang Xue, and Xue Qiango to focus on securing the white orb."
The two exchanged a determined look, their decision made. There was no time to waste.
After finalizing their plan, Tan Wei and Gong Long approached Cao Zhu to discuss it with him. True to his straightforward nature, Cao Zhu agreed without hesitation.
"Just the three of us, the strongest, heading to the center? I'm in!" he said, grinning from ear to ear.
Cao Zhu wasn't particularly invested in the strategy itself; what thrilled him most was being acknowledged as one of the strongest in the group. As long as he had a chance to prove his worth, he was more than satisfied.
Seeing Cao Zhu grinning like a happy child who had just been given candy, even in their serious situation, Tan Wei couldn't help but smile warmly.
"Since we're all in agreement, I'll inform the others. Then we'll set off," Tan Wei said, solidifying their plan of action.
"Everyone, I have an announcement," Tan Wei began, addressing all the White Crow Sect disciples.
"We've decided to split into two teams. Cao Zhu, Gong Long, and I will move toward the white orb, while the rest of you stay here and focus on collecting lower-tier orbs. If we all stay together, we risk failing to achieve our objectives."
Tan Wei had expected some resistance, but to his surprise, the others nodded in agreement.
"Brother Tan," one of the disciples said, stepping forward, "we've known we were holding you back. We also think this is the best course of action."
Another disciple chimed in with a confident grin. "Brother Tan, go and bring us victory! And make sure to tell that bastard Feng Fan how hard we fought these past four days! Don't worry about us, we'll keep fighting until the end of the two weeks!"
Their determination filled Tan Wei with pride and relief. After exchanging farewells, he, Cao Zhu, and Gong Long began their journey toward the center of the pocket dimension.