Finally, Zhao Longhu couldn’t stand it anymore. He silently crept behind a disciple and clawed his hand like a knife into the person’s body, seizing the scorching heart and suddenly exerting force.

"Bang!"

The heart was crushed. The deceased disciple’s pupils dilated, turning his head, staring fixedly at his second senior brother, Zhao Longhu.

Zhao Longhu felt neither guilt nor regret. His entire focus was on the plum blossom announcing death.

That plum blossom, as the disciple was "gutted" by Zhao Longhu, instantly dimmed and withered, but simultaneously, no other disciples’ stomachs swelled.

"What Zhou Xuan said is actually true."

Zhao Longhu muttered— as long as they proactively killed a disciple when the plum blossom appeared, no other disciple would die randomly.

"Zhao Longhu, what are you doing?"

Brother Gourd’s reprimanding voice came over,

Zhao Longhu snapped back to reality, pulled his hand from the disciple’s body, and said to Brother Gourd, "Ancestor, what Zhou Xuan said is true. As long as we proactively kill a disciple, no one will die randomly. He was right."

"You’re attacking your fellow disciples."

Brother Gourd, not long ago, had thoughts of killing Zhao Youting, but that was because he felt Zhao Youting had betrayed Tunnel Armor and was no longer a disciple of it.

Regarding the bonds within the sect, Brother Gourd, as the First Supreme Elder, still cared about them somewhat.

A new plum blossom blossomed.

Zhao Longhu could no longer care about so much. He didn’t want to die like being marked by the King Yan.

"I am the second senior brother, the future Tunnel Armor Sect Master; I cannot die. Those young disciples can die, but I mustn’t die."

Zhao Longhu, making one bad decision after another, went to hunt down more disciples. Those disciples were not fools; when they witnessed Zhao Longhu kill a fellow disciple, they scattered like frightened birds, constantly running around the battlefield to evade the second senior brother’s pursuit,

"Don’t run! You are Tunnel Armor’s disciples and ought to make some sacrifices for Tunnel Armor. Don’t run; the flower is about to wilt. I have no time left."

As Zhao Longhu chased, he suddenly felt a chill at his knees, and then his body, due to inertia, lunged forward.

He looked back and found his feet still standing two or three meters behind him— his feet had been chopped off by a Paper Axe Talisman.

As the youngest Supreme Elder, Purple Ox Taoist deceived Zhao Longhu by approaching him and poked his right hand’s finger into his forehead.

"Longhu, this is your last guidance from your Purple Ox master— if you urge others to sacrifice, you must also possess the resolve to sacrifice yourself."

After speaking, Purple Ox Taoist’s right finger swirled fiercely,

Zhao Longhu died completely.

He, the second senior brother of Tunnel Armor Sect, never imagined he would meet his end at the hands of a Supreme Elder.

Purple Ox Taoist took out a handkerchief, wiped the blood stains and brain matter from his hand clean, turned around, and said to the other Supreme Elders,

"Why are you all just standing there? Earlier, when you made me lead the charge, weren’t you also ruthless? Playing saints now?"

His gaze darted towards Mu Xu Taoist.

Mu Xu Taoist felt guilty and couldn’t bear to meet his gaze, lowering his head in silence.

Purple Ox Taoist spoke, "Among all the Supreme Elders, I am the youngest. I’m making it clear; I don’t want to die inexplicably,

Zhao Longhu gave us a good start. Our lives are precious. What harm is there in dragging a few disciples down with us?"

"Kill them all; we survive."

As Purple Ox Taoist spoke, he commanded a Paper Axe to sever Zhao Luosheng’s feet, pointing at Zhao Luosheng, and said,

"Brother Gourd, you are the senior here; you must make a decision! Kill Zhao Luosheng, and we remain united as Supreme Elders."

"Kill, kill, kill! What good would killing do? Only four survive in the battlefield. We have six Supreme Elders, challenging the bonds of brotherhood. Are we really going to disregard fellow disciples’ feelings and start a massacre?"

Brother Gourd roared.

Purple Ox Taoist said coldly, "We Supreme Elders are different. First, kill all these disciples, and then the six of us will cast our lots. Whoever has good fortune survives; whoever doesn’t dies,

Our fate rests in destiny. How about it?"

"We are all fellow disciples."

Facing Purple Ox Taoist’s overwhelming pressure, Brother Gourd hesitated, unable to make a decision.

...

"Magnificent, truly magnificent,"

Li Changxun clapped in praise, calling the infighting within Tunnel Armor Sect hiddenly satisfying.

Yun Ziliang added, "This dog-eat-dog drama, I truly enjoy watching— Xuanzi, you’re truly vicious, setting such a rule not only to significantly reduce Tunnel Armor disciples but also greatly crush their morale."

This infighting in front of a crowd, even if one survives by luck, the psychological burden would weigh heavily, creating shadows in the heart, unable to fully engage in future battles.

"Two birds with one stone."

Li Changxun gave Zhou Xuan a thumbs-up.

"I’m not taking the blame for this," Zhou Xuan covered his nose and mouth with a fan, smiling, "The rules of the battlefield are meant to ensure that the fights are more fair, just, and open— we are fewer in number; they have more, so what fairness is there to talk about,

Hence, I had to set rules to reduce numbers, but I never expected that everyone in Tunnel Armor Sect is capable of major deeds, mercilessly hacking at their fellow disciples... tsk tsk... it was eye-opening for me."

...

In the battlefield, Purple Ox saw Brother Gourd hesitating, with the plum blossom nearing its withering end.

As the plum’s petals fell, if Brother Gourd did not kill Zhao Luosheng, all Tunnel Armor disciples were at risk of dying... including Purple Ox himself.

Yet Purple Ox required Brother Gourd to act.

Every Supreme Elder present must be stained with fellow disciples’ blood; this is a pledge binding them as brothers still advancing together.

"Purple Ox, Zhao Luosheng has been under our watch growing up... he’s a good kid," Brother Gourd struggled for a long time, still unwilling to act.

His hesitation this time thoroughly sparked the anger of Purple Ox Taoist.

Purple Ox Taoist instantly let out a cold laugh, saying, "Brother Gourd, today’s you isn’t like you at all,

Years ago, when the heavenly Young Master descended, that Young Master loved to devour human brains and had a liking for women,

You desired to climb the ranks of heavenly connections and to leverage the Heavenly Fire Clan ties for a good future at Earth Child’s place,

You sacrificed your grandson and handed your daughter-in-law to the heavenly Young Master. A person who can sell out his own grandson and daughter-in-law, do they care about sect disciples?

When you betrayed Wuwen Mountain, leading us five brothers to slaughter over a hundred people in Wuwen Mountain, there was no sign of you being compassionate,

First Senior Brother, you’re seeing too many spectators here. Pulled a pretense of grace upon yourself? Or do you want all the dirty work done by us five while you gather all the good reputation..."

The other five Supreme Elders remained silent, yet at this critical moment, silence equated to agreement with Purple Ox’s words.

Brother Gourd was indeed greedy in daily matters, claiming the largest senior position and occupying the best cave for cultivation. In the end, even the reputation of "caring for disciples" was seized by him.

"Enough."

Brother Gourd’s expression turned gloomy. He took out a Paper Talisman from his pocket, throwing it toward Zhao Luosheng,

Then he let out a deep shout, saying, "Kill all the disciples..."