Chapter 1335: Departure

Xie Fan sat cross-legged in the underground hall of his cave abode, his eyelids drooping lazily as he waited in silence.

Ever since he had applied to join the hunting squad, he had been anticipating Dongbo Xueying’s withdrawal.

“Hmm? He still hasn’t backed out?”

“If he applied to join, he should be ready to receive orders at any moment. He must have learned of my participation immediately, yet he hasn’t withdrawn. Does he actually dare to go?” Xie Fan’s expression twisted into something strange.

Without hesitation, Xie Fan sent a message to Dongbo Xueying through his communication treasure: “Kid Feixue, I’m joining this hunting squad too. Do you really have the guts to go with me in the same team?”

“Xie Fan, you’ve been keeping a close eye on my movements, haven’t you? The moment I joined, you immediately followed suit? I’m truly flattered, Feixue.” Dongbo Xueying responded just as swiftly.

Xie Fan’s face darkened.

He *had* indeed ordered his subordinates to monitor the movements of this Feixue Emperor! Given his strength, it was only natural that some perfected Divine Emperors would willingly pledge allegiance to him. After all, ordinary perfected Divine Emperors found it difficult to hunt down Hunyuan lifeforms in the Sacred Realm to gather food. Allying with Xie Fan made their lives much easier. In the entire Chiyun City, nearly every one of the top few dozen powerhouses had a group of cultivators under their command!

Those ranked within the top few dozen were all roughly at the level of ‘perfected Divine Emperor Dao-comprehenders,’ with little difference in strength.

Among the city’s three thousand-plus cultivators, many were willing to pledge allegiance. In truth, even figures like ‘Daoist Youya,’ ‘Emperor Jietian,’ ‘Xie Fan,’ and ‘Mo Shu’ were selective about whom they took under their wing. Once they accepted someone, they had to provide protection—even food.

While expanding their forces increased their strength, it also came with burdens. Naturally, they had to be picky, choosing only those who could truly benefit their factions.

For example, those skilled in domains? In reconnaissance? In speed?

They were meticulous in their selections!

“Hah… You’ve got guts. I actually admire you a little now,” Xie Fan sneered through his transmission.

“You’ll have plenty more to admire in the future,” Dongbo Xueying replied before cutting off the communication.

Xie Fan’s expression grew even more sinister.

He quickly sent orders to some of his subordinates: “All of you, join the latest hunting squad.”

Those perfected Divine Emperors who had chosen to follow Xie Fan were generally bound to obey his commands. Xie Fan had twenty-five subordinates in total, and this time, he mobilized only fifteen of them.

“Understood.”

“Brother Xie Fan, that Feixue guy is in this squad. Are we dealing with him?”

“He’s really asking for death.”

“Done. Applied.”

One by one, they submitted their applications.

The original list of thirty-six members suddenly swelled to fifty-one—meeting the minimum requirement for the hunting squad.

—

**”So fast.”**

Dongbo Xueying was surprised. The hunting squad’s roster had expanded to fifty-one in an instant. “According to the intel Brother Lei Xiao gave me, most of the latest additions are connected to Xie Fan.”

“Emperor Feixue, please assemble at Chiyun Hall immediately,” the artifact spirit of Chiyun Hall transmitted.

Once the numbers were met, they could depart.

“This Xie Fan is at least somewhat useful—he shortened my waiting time considerably,” Dongbo Xueying chuckled as he stood and strode out of the pavilion. A fierce wind howled around him, carrying shards of ice, but they all disintegrated into dust before they could even come within three inches of his body.

Chiyun City spanned only a hundred thousand miles.

Even at a casual walking pace, Dongbo Xueying arrived at Chiyun Hall in mere moments.

Inside the hall, a crowd had already gathered, and more cultivators continued to arrive.

As Dongbo Xueying stepped inside, his gaze immediately fell upon a black-haired man surrounded by others—**Daoist Youya**. Compared to Xie Fan, Daoist Youya had a far gentler and more refined presence, his reputation much more favorable.

“Brother Feixue,” Daoist Youya greeted warmly upon spotting him.

“Brother Youya,” Dongbo Xueying replied with a smile as he approached.

“Xie Fan and some of his elites have joined this hunting squad. Are you sure you still want to go?” Daoist Youya asked. “Xie Fan holds grudges like no other. Now that he’s set his sights on you, I suspect he’ll follow you into any hunting squad you join. Traveling with him… is far too dangerous for you. My advice? Seek refuge under either ‘Nine-Headed Serpent Ancestor’ or ‘His Highness Wu Xiao.’ As for Fengyun Yiyi? Xie Fan is already his right-hand man. The only ones who can truly shield you are the other two deputy city lords.”

“Deputy city lords? Convincing them to take me in won’t be easy,” Dongbo Xueying remarked.

“You’d need a sufficiently impressive skill,” Daoist Youya said.

The three city lords were all extraordinarily capable.

They rarely left the city, but when they did, their harvests were always staggering.

Their teams were formidable—not only were they personally powerful, but the companions they recruited were also exceptional. Either they enlisted other top-tier experts or those with unique abilities unmatched in Chiyun City. When such a group coordinated, their might was terrifying. If Dongbo Xueying joined such a team, Xie Fan would be powerless against him.

“Thank you, Brother Youya,” Dongbo Xueying said.

“Admirable. Stick close to my men once we leave the city,” Daoist Youya said, then gestured to his companions. “These are my allies. Get to know them.”

Dongbo Xueying proceeded to acquaint himself with the other cultivators.

Daoist Youya, ranked among Chiyun City’s top few dozen, naturally commanded his own faction—twenty-two members, including himself.

In truth…

Maintaining a fixed team required careful consideration of synergy among members and the substantial food supply needed to sustain them. Based on Chiyun City’s long-standing traditions, most fixed teams consisted of around twenty cultivators, rarely exceeding thirty.

The other thirty-five members of this hunting squad had already assembled.

Finally, Xie Fan arrived with his sixteen followers.

“Tch.” The short, elderly Xie Fan swept his sinister gaze across the hall, his lips curling into an even more ghastly smile when he spotted Dongbo Xueying.

“Kid Feixue,” Xie Fan called out.

“Now that everyone’s here,” Daoist Youya announced, “let me remind you—our primary target is the Mo Wu Chaos Serpent. The journey won’t be short. We must work together. If any of us fall, it will be a disgrace to us all.”

Xie Fan chuckled. “Don’t worry. I know how to prioritize.”

“Remember Chiyun City’s oldest rule: No infighting within the hunting squad,” Daoist Youya warned. Hunting squads operated outside the city, where dangers lurked everywhere. Internal strife would only invite disaster.

“Understood. No infighting,” Xie Fan agreed.

“Good.” Daoist Youya nodded slightly.

This was the most he could do.

According to Chiyun City’s long-standing customs, conflicts among powerful cultivators were inevitable. While direct killing within a hunting squad was forbidden, in the face of overwhelming hordes of Hunyuan lifeforms—especially in dire situations—simply withholding aid at a critical moment could spell doom for a comrade.

Xie Fan and his men wouldn’t dare strike directly, but with all sixteen of them standing idly by, they could easily engineer a deadly scenario for Dongbo Xueying.

Let the Hunyuan lifeforms do the killing for them!

Dongbo Xueying observed silently. **”So they’re plotting against me?”**

This hunting squad was divided into three factions.

One was led by Daoist Youya—twenty-two experts, all favorably disposed toward him and willing to lend aid. The second was Xie Fan’s sixteen, who would likely orchestrate a ‘hopeless situation’ for Dongbo Xueying at the worst possible moment. The last faction consisted of thirteen independent cultivators, including himself.

Some of these independents were too proud to submit to any faction, while others simply hadn’t been chosen by the elite recruiters.

“With both Daoist Youya and Xie Fan in this squad, things just got easier for us.”

“True. Their presence alone makes the team formidable.”

“Xie Fan’s here for that Feixue guy, isn’t he?”

“Who cares? Whether Feixue lives or dies is none of our concern.”

The independent cultivators murmured among themselves.

Given the limited number of Chiyun City’s top-tier experts, having two of them in the same hunting squad was rare. Normally, a squad would only have one such powerhouse.

“Move out!” Daoist Youya, as the squad’s founder, gave the order.

—

**Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!**

Fifty-one figures, Dongbo Xueying among them, blurred into motion, swiftly crossing the city walls and soaring into the wilderness beyond.