Now that Ling Changqing had taken this treasure, it meant the Ling Family of Changqing Continent's fortune would rise even further, while the Haoyue Sect had no hope of turning the tables in the future.

Ling Changqing didn't say much. He immediately formed a Spirit Technique and stored the incredibly precious Pill Furnace in his Storage Pouch.

Even though Ling Qiyue was already a Late Stage Golden Core Master and a Third Rank Alchemist, the Pill Furnace the family was currently using was still only a Top Grade Spiritual Artifact.

It wasn't until recently that Xue Qingtan had managed to acquire an Early grade Magical Treasure-level Pill Furnace from the Xingyun sun Commerce Headquarters, leasing it to the Ling Family at a relatively fair price.

Of course, in the long run, leasing was just a temporary solution.

If the Ling Family wanted to advance further and become an established Golden Core power or even a Nascent Soul power, this shortcoming had to be addressed as soon as possible.

Now that they had obtained this Top grade Magical Treasure Pill Furnace, it meant the Ling Family could refine more and better Third Grade Elixirs. Whether for their own use or for sale to earn Spirit Stones, it was an excellent option.

At that moment, Ling Qiyue and Meng Feiyu finally rushed in with their people, followed by a large crowd of Ling Family Cultivators.

"Husband, are you alright?"

Seeing Ling Changqing standing before her perfectly fine, with an unfamiliar Golden Core Master beside him, Ling Qiyue blinked her beautiful eyes and asked with a hint of confusion.

"Yes, I'm fine now."

Ling Changqing briefly explained the situation, then urged,

"There are still many injured Haoyue Sect Cultivators hiding in those Tianzhou Skyboats. Why don't we take this chance to deal with them all?"

"Alright."

Ling Qiyue nodded. Since they were going to completely eliminate the threat of the Haoyue Sect, they couldn't afford to be soft-hearted.

...

「Back at the Ling Family headquarters.」

The Haoyue Sect's Elder Disciples were still attacking the Protective Array with all their might. Sect Leader Ma Deqing's face was grim as he stared at the thick curtain of light from the Grand Array without a word.

Without a special method to quickly breach the Grand Array, the battle would inevitably drag on.

However, given the Haoyue Sect's dire straits, they simply couldn't afford to wait. If this dragged on, the Ling Family would see through to their exhausted and weakened state.

At that point, it wouldn't be a simple matter of defeat for the Haoyue Sect; it would be uncertain if they could even preserve their lineage.

Right now, Ma Deqing was caught in a painful dilemma. If he gave up and retreated immediately, he might be able to save his remaining Disciples.

But if he chose to fight to the bitter end, this last group of his forces might be completely wiped out. The Haoyue Sect would then vanish like smoke, lost to the River of Time.

"Sect Leader, something terrible has happened!"

In the distant sky, a dazzling Escape Light arrived in a panic. It was a Pseudo Core Cultivator covered in blood.

Ma Deqing's expression changed drastically. He urgently demanded,

"Why are you in such a panic? What happened?"

The Pseudo Core Cultivator's face was deathly pale as he stammered, "The Ling Family ambushed our camp! The Disciples left behind suffered heavy casualties, and the Ancestor's condition is unknown..."

"???"

Ma Deqing's vision instantly went black, a BUZZ filling his head. He couldn't react for a long moment.

Ma Deqing knew the situation with the Tianzhou Skyboat fleet better than anyone. Especially since their Ancestor was no longer able to fight, they would be completely unable to resist a large-scale attack from an external enemy.

"Sect Leader, we can't hesitate any longer! We must go back and provide support!"

Master Pangli said anxiously, and the surrounding Elders all had ashen faces.

Their wives, concubines, children, and what little wealth they had left were all with the Tianzhou Skyboat fleet. They had to rush back as soon as possible to feel at ease.

Coming to his senses, Ma Deqing took a deep breath and said with extreme reluctance,

"In that case, we retreat!"

When the news spread, all the Haoyue Sect Cultivators present breathed a sigh of relief and stopped their attacks.

'Damn you, Changqing Continent! Damn you, Ling Family!'

Ma Deqing took one last look at the iridescent light of the Grand Array, then hatefully led his Cultivators away.

...

「Aboard the fleet of Tianzhou Skyboats.」

In the chaotic, drawn-out battle, the magnificent and imposing flagship was already riddled with holes. It finally disintegrated in a world-shaking explosion, countless fragments plunging into the sea amidst thick smoke and fire.

The remaining Tianzhou Skyboats couldn't escape a similar fate, breached and destroyed one by one by the numerous Ling Family Cultivators.

Under Gong Ling's guidance, Ling Changqing led his men onto another Golden Core Elder's flagship and began a killing spree.

The partially recovered Liu Chengbin followed him closely, controlling his Lifebound Flying Sword to slaughter Haoyue Sect Cultivators and relieve much of the pressure.

A moment later, the severely injured Golden Core Elder could no longer hold back and appeared, roaring furiously as he launched a counterattack.

In the end, he didn't even last ten rounds against Ling Changqing before he and Liu Chengbin killed him on the spot.

'If only I could take these Tianzhou Skyboats back with me. They're quite a fortune!'

Ling Changqing thought with a bit of regret.

The grade and quality of these large Flying Magical Artifacts, meticulously crafted by a Nascent Soul power, were naturally impeccable. Even with enough Spirit Stones, one might not necessarily be able to purchase them from the major commerce associations.

But this was a battlefield. In the midst of the chaotic slaughter, Ling Changqing had no time for such thoughts; his priority was to eliminate the enemy's living forces.

As time passed, these massive Tianzhou Skyboats were destroyed one after another, and almost none of the Cultivators inside were spared.

"...That's about enough!"

Ling Qiyue suddenly spoke up. "We've received a warning from the family headquarters. Their main force has retreated. Shouldn't we quit while we're ahead?"

Because they had set up enough spies to monitor the situation and had emergency communication methods in place, Ling Qiyue was able to receive the news in a timely manner.

"Alright, let's retreat!"

Ling Changqing agreed. This was, of course, to avoid excessive casualties among the family's Cultivators.

So, all the Ling Family Cultivators quickly assembled, boarded dozens of Flying Ships, and fled at high speed, taking a wide detour to return to the family headquarters from another direction.

Over half an hour later, the Haoyue Sect's forces finally rushed back in a frenzy.

However, what they saw was a Tianzhou Skyboat fleet that had shrunk by more than half, ship fragments scattered across the vast ocean, countless charred corpses, and wreckage billowing with thick smoke.

The scene... was as miserable as it could possibly be.

"Sect Leader, you're finally back! The Patriarch of the Ling Family personally led the ambush. The Ancestor... his status is unknown..."

From the twenty-odd surviving Tianzhou Skyboats, a few Qi Cultivation Stage Cultivators shakily emerged and came forward, crying their report.

Not only had more than half of the Cultivators left behind been killed, but their only Nascent Soul True Monarch was also completely missing. The outlook was grim, meaning the Haoyue Sect's greatest pillar of support no longer existed.

From now on, they could no longer call themselves a Nascent Soul power.

"Damn it, damn it all! You bastards of the Ling Family, I will tear you to a million pieces!"

Ma Deqing's face was dark. His fingers, hidden in the sleeves of his Daoist robe, were clenched so tightly they cracked. The rage in his heart erupted like a volcano.

The surrounding Cultivators were all silent, but the fear and despair in their eyes could not be concealed.

Without their Nascent Soul True Monarch, without more than half of their Disciples, without their wealth and resources, could their remaining forces ever hope to rebuild the Sect's foundation?

Master Pangli, his face grim, ordered a group of Disciples to rescue survivors from the sea. He then moved closer to Ma Deqing and asked in a low voice,

"Sect Leader, what do we do now?"

Ma Deqing said coldly, "Do you have any suggestions?"

Master Pangli pressed his lips together and said helplessly,

"It's impossible to continue plotting for a foundation on Changqing Continent now. We should leave as soon as possible and find another suitable place to settle."

In any case, their only Nascent Soul Ancestor had already fallen, and most of the seriously injured Cultivators were dead. There was no longer a need to rush.

They could gather their remaining forces, continue deeper into the ocean to find a suitable territory, and then settle down.

As long as they developed quietly in the future and didn't stir up trouble, the Haoyue Sect could still survive and continue its legacy as a veteran Golden Core power.

Ma Deqing pondered for a moment before finally letting out a long sigh. "Forget it. Let's do that."

By the time the sky had brightened, the greatly diminished fleet of Tianzhou Skyboats had already departed, flying towards the vast, distant horizon.

The Ling Family's upper echelons, upon receiving the news, did not let their guard down. They sent out several waves of Cultivators to search and monitor the outer seas of Changqing Continent, guarding against any further schemes the enemy might be plotting.

After repeated confirmations and finding no unusual activity, the Ling Family leadership was finally convinced that those guys would not be coming back.