Chapter 2157: 913, Skywind Ridge
 

Military honors? At a time like this?

Everyone in the hall was slightly startled.

Even Xia Mingtang’s eyes flickered with surprise before he nodded.

“Peak Master Han, rest assured, in this battle, not only will all your Moon-Encompassing Peak’s gains be your own, but the All-Encompassing Sword Sect will also reward you double according to the sect’s merit token exchange reward rules.”

Double rewards, during this existential crisis of the sect, are not considered excessive.

However, not many people could receive such rewards.

Most who came for these rewards ultimately collapsed.

“Good,” Han Muye nodded slightly and, with a flicker, transformed into Flowing Light.

The others in the hall looked at each other, their expressions changing—complex, relieved, worried.

Xia Mingtang’s expression was unchanged, but a trace of cold light flashed through his eyes.

“Everyone, although the strength of Moon-Encompassing Peak is not weak, it is also not possible to completely fend off this formidable enemy. Let us discuss further and prepare a foolproof strategy,”

Xia Mingtang said solemnly as his gaze swept over the crowd, “When necessary, we can abandon the sect gateway.”

To abandon the sector is to forsake the land to preserve the people.

No one in the hall opposed this.

But then, if the sect already considered abandoning the gateway, why urge Han Muye and his Moon-Encompassing Peak to fight to death?

Of course, no one would voice this out loud.

The rebellious Moon-Encompassing Peak had too many reasons worthy of sacrifice.

Transformed into Flowing Light, Han Muye returned to Moon-Encompassing Peak in just a short amount of time.

All disciples and elders were waiting.

He simply repeated Xia Mingtang’s promise made in the great hall of the Mooncovering Peak.

Although rewards are appealing, one must still be alive to claim them.

Everyone knew they couldn’t avoid this, but upon hearing that Moon-Encompassing Peak must fight to the death to hold back the enemy, they were still profoundly shaken.

This time, they were truly facing a matter of life and death.

Even Du Chen and the other Dao Realm individuals harbored no assurance of returning alive.

Han Muye saw everyone’s expressions.

“Moon-Encompassing Peak will provide additional rewards.”

Additional rewards?

What could possibly be left at Moon-Encompassing Peak?

The crowd in the plaza looked towards Han Muye.

Han Muye called Zhang Mingyuan and Yu Shaogang among others over and whispered a few words.

The men showed surprise but nodded and ran toward the nearby Scripture Pavilion.

Moments later, more than ten, yard-tall stone tablets were moved to the plaza.

And several large boxes.

The stone tablets bore the sword marks of Moon-Encompassing Peak’s inheritances.

In the boxes were various armors and pills, all items that could enhance combat strength.

The unsealing of the boxes drew gasps.

“The stone tablets contain the inheritances of Moon-Encompassing Peak, exchanged for merit tokens.”

“The items in these boxes are armors and pills, also exchanged for merit tokens,”

With his eyes sweeping around, Han Muye spoke loudly, “All these treasures I will bring to the front line. Kill the enemy to earn achievements and redeem them immediately.”

“Those of Moon-Encompassing Peak willing to go to the frontline battleground, pack your things, we leave in half an hour.”

Directly bringing the objects to the front: those who wanted them could earn them on the battlefield by fighting desperately.

Given the lukewarm sense of belonging the disciples of Moon-Encompassing Peak felt toward the All-Encompassing Sword Sect, expecting them to risk their lives for the sect was improbable.

Only these tangible rewards could motivate them to fight.

Han Muye wasn’t actually sending them to their deaths, nor did he care whether the disciples of Moon-Encompassing Peak were truly strong enough; he simply took on his role as the master of Moon-Encompassing Peak, then did what a master should do.

Since they had arrived at the Great Pantheon Plane, they were to take on the identities within it and do what needed to be done.

Half an hour later, in the square in front of the grand hall of Moon-Encompassing Peak, over five hundred disciples stood solemnly.

Two elders, other sect officials, and all the elite disciples had already arrived.

Only nearly a hundred disciples, who knew they lacked sufficient strength and that going would mean certain death, quietly withdrew.

Han Muye didn’t bother about those people, he simply called out softly to set off, leading the disciples of Moon-Encompassing Peak down the mountain in a majestic procession.

Sword light connected with blood essence, transforming into the phantom of a three-foot-long sword.

In the distance, the elders and peak masters from Moon-Encompassing Peak waiting on the mountain all let out a sigh of relief.

Moon-Encompassing Peak had truly made a move.

“Hehe, let’s see how long they can hold out,” a white-bearded elder whispered softly.

“Wu Yun, the peak master, should say how long they can stay alive,” another clad in a black robe added with a hint of coldness on his face, “Those who betray the sect deserve to die.”

Perhaps that was what many were thinking, but until now, no one had voiced it.

Now that someone had said it, smiles appeared on many faces.

They just wanted to see how long Moon-Encompassing Peak could hold out and how many could survive.

——————————————————

Skywind Ridge.

This was a mountain ridge thousands of miles away from the All-Encompassing Sword Sect, stretching for hundreds of miles and towering a thousand feet tall.

Becoming known for producing Skywind Stones and Wind Spirit Wood, Skywind Ridge had always had All-Encompassing Sword Sect disciples stationed there.

At this moment, the stationed disciples had already fled, leaving only a large green stone house built on the peak.

The people of Moon-Encompassing Peak arrived and unapologetically occupied it.

“Reporting back to the peak master, the protection array here is still intact, but without enough Great Pantheon Stones to support it, it’s difficult to activate.”

“Peak master, the mines on Skywind Ridge are sealed off, and disciples from various sect alliances are already searching for the mines at the base of the mountain.”

One report after another rang out.

The atmosphere inside the green stone hall gradually grew more somber.

Sect battles involved not only eliminating the enemy’s living forces but more so plundering resources.

Apart from truly irreconcilable differences over cultivation technique inheritances, other enmities could be temporarily put aside.

The attack by Heavenly Roaring Sect and other sects against All-Encompassing Sword Sect merely seized on its internal strife and weakened state to take over territory and various resources.

The enmities between the sects weren’t that profound.

“I will activate the protection array on Skywind Ridge. All Moon-Encompassing Peak disciples fighting within three hundred miles will be supported,”

Han Muye looked at everyone in front of him, his expression calm.

His prowess in Formation Dao was surely top-tier in this plane.

“All merits from defeating enemies can be exchanged for sect rewards, and Moon-Encompassing Peak will add another batch on top.”

“Cultivation techniques, pills, armor can all be exchanged for merit tokens.”

Han Muye promised straightforwardly.

His words brought a hint of surprise to everyone’s faces.

This was a promise of double rewards!

“Do not worry, peak master, we will definitely hold back the enemy with all our strength.”

“Peak master, we should set off now and intercept those searching for mines from the outer sects,”

Chants rose loudly.

All disciples were boiling with fervor.

Not to mention their recent improvements in cultivation and combat strength which inflated their confidence, the double rewards promised by Han Muye were also irresistible.

Han Muye nodded, ordering Du Chen and others to split the disciples into ten teams, led by Dao Realm Elders, and scatter down the mountain.

As for the mountain, it was left guarded by only dozens of disciples whose cultivation hadn’t progressed past the early to mid stages of the Initial Knowing Realm.

These disciples lacked sufficient combat strength but possessed a fervor that brought them along to Skywind Ridge.

Once the teams had descended, Han Muye raised his hand and a stream of Flowing Light appeared around him.

Great Pantheon Stone.