Upon hearing this, Wan Lei frowned and was about to speak when Zhao Mingyu, the only remaining Tribulation-stage expert from the Yin-Yang Sect, also chimed in to persuade him:
"Indeed, Alliance Leader, although I, more than anyone, want to slaughter those filthy thieves immediately, now is truly not the time for a counterattack.
The enemy may have been defeated—crushed, even—but their numbers are still considerable. These people will retreat to their respective clans, and their combat strength remains formidable.
We’re not much better off ourselves. In this war, nearly a third of our soldiers have perished, and almost all the survivors are carrying injuries, some light, some severe. They’re at the end of their strength. The only reason they’re still standing is the morale boost from our great victory.
Even old bones like us are exhausted to the extreme, with barely any spiritual energy left and injuries all over. You can imagine how much worse it is for the other disciples.
The enemy is right there—they can’t escape. They can’t leave the Thunderwind Realm. We can hunt them down anytime.
Why not let our people rest and heal, clean up the battlefield, bury our fallen comrades, and distribute rewards? Once their condition is restored, then we can discuss a counterattack."
Zhao Mingyu’s and Old Fang’s words made Wan Lei fall into deep thought. Perhaps he was indeed too impatient. No matter how strong he was, he couldn’t take on the combined forces of the three clans and the Demon Commander alone. Besides, he couldn’t be so selfish—others wanted their revenge too.
Elder Chen Manlian from the Kui Lian Sect also advised:
"Exactly, Alliance Leader. Let me say something harsh: in this war, setting aside the Tribulation-stage battlefield, why were we able to hold off the enemy’s attack in the lower battlefield? It wasn’t just because of our home-field advantage.
The defensive fortifications here were indeed key, but more crucially, the enemy came in too much of a hurry. Their army teleported here directly, without bringing any large-scale war equipment—not even war vessels. They just wanted to wipe out the Yin-Yang Sect quickly.
But they underestimated our united resolve. We came with war vessels and defensive weapons. That’s why, despite being at a disadvantage in strength, we could still fight them to a standstill.
Later, when they realized it would be a prolonged battle and sent war vessels to deliver supplies, our General Manager Xi Ren dispatched troops to intercept their reinforcements, allowing us to hold on.
If we rashly counterattack now, how is that any different from when they attacked us? We’d be going in empty-handed, fighting with mortal bodies against their defensive fortifications in a positional war, only to increase our casualties."
Hearing this, Wan Lei relented, no longer stubbornly clinging to his opinion, and nodded:
"Alright, since all three of you think this way, I might be in the wrong. We’ll do as you suggest.
Arrange for the clan leaders and sect masters to handle rewards and condolences. Let the soldiers rest and recover. Once they’re ready, have everyone gather at the Thunder Emperor Hall via the teleportation array.
As for the rest of you, come with me to the Thunder Emperor Hall. We’ll heal our wounds and discuss the next steps."
"Understood."
The Tribulation-stage experts summoned their respective clan leaders and sect masters to handle these tasks.
After Old Fang broke through to the Tribulation stage, he remained the clan leader of the Fang Clan, as no one was better suited for the role. This time, however, he delegated the tasks to his eldest son, Fang Guyu, with several Mahayana-stage elders assisting him, clearly intending to groom Fang Guyu as the next clan leader.
The rewards and other matters at the Thunder Emperor Hall would have to wait until the army returned, as General Manager Xi Ren couldn’t make it back in time. Strategic discussions would also require his input.
With a casual wave of his hand, Wan Lei drew a one-time teleportation array, instantly transporting everyone to the Thunder Emperor Hall.
This alone demonstrated that his mastery of array formations far surpassed that of Qiong Ku. Though the suppression of the demon race by the will of heaven and earth played a role, Qiong Ku needed several minutes to set up a one-time teleportation array, while Wan Lei could do it in seconds—a clear display of the gap between them.
At the Thunder Emperor Hall, the Tribulation-stage experts followed Wan Lei and Fang Xiaoyu into the main hall. Everyone was exhausted and sat casually. The first thing they did was take out healing pills to swallow. Though the effects were limited, it was better than nothing.
They had barely finished when someone flew in through the entrance.
Looking closely, they recognized the figure—it was none other than Sui Xiaohang, the youngest Heaven-grade alchemist in the Thunderwind Realm and the Grand Elder of the Thunder Emperor Hall’s Alchemy Pavilion.
Heaven-grade alchemists were even rarer than Tribulation-stage experts, so these experts were usually very courteous to Sui Xiaohang.
But now, Sui Xiaohang rushed in without even greeting the Tribulation-stage experts. He strode straight to Wan Lei and asked urgently:
"Where’s Qi Manyao? Hasn’t Qi Manyao returned?"
At these words, Wan Lei’s expression instantly darkened, the joy of their recent victory vanishing completely.
Seeing his reaction, Sui Xiaohang’s heart sank with a bad premonition:
"Did something happen to her? That shouldn’t be possible! How could you survive without receiving the pill? If you got the pill, it means she didn’t die—how could you let her die?"
The others were shocked. Who could this person be to make both Wan Lei and Sui Xiaohang, two prominent figures, care so deeply?
Qi Manyao wasn’t well-known in the Thunder Emperor Hall, let alone in the Thunderwind Realm.
Among those present, only Old Fang vaguely recalled meeting the girl a few times, as she was his daughter’s rival, leaving him with some impression. The others, including the Fire Phoenix Trio and the two Tribulation-stage ancestors of the Kui Lian Sect, Chen Manlian and Chen Xinglian, didn’t even know such a person existed in their sect.
Wan Lei took a deep breath:
"She’s indeed dead. She died to save me. Be quiet and listen to me."
The Tribulation-stage experts perked up at this. They had been too busy fighting to ask how Wan Lei and Fang Xiaoyu had escaped death and returned.
After all, the demons had claimed that Wan Lei and Fang Xiaoyu were dead, and Wan Lei himself had sent back a final message. Though no one wanted to believe it, they had to accept that Wan Lei was gone.
Then, Wan Lei and Fang Xiaoyu had descended from the sky, full of life, saving everyone from peril. While everyone was overjoyed, they couldn’t help but wonder how they had survived.
At that moment, General Manager Xi Ren arrived. Seeing the heavy atmosphere, he quietly pulled up a chair and sat down without a word.
"How did you refine the Heavenly Dao Rebirth Pill?" Wan Lei asked, looking at Sui Xiaohang.
Suppressing the urge to punch Wan Lei, Sui Xiaohang rolled his eyes and said:
"I borrowed that nanmu wood you gave to the Fang Clan’s matriarch and tried refining it multiple times. I only managed to produce one Heavenly Dao Rebirth Pill.
What? Could the Heavenly Dao Rebirth Pill have saved her?"