A Mortal’s Journey to Immortality: Wang Yu’s Rebirth as the Reincarnation Dao Ancestor - Chapter 94

Chapter 93 I am Wang Yu of Huangfeng Valley

and Dong Xuan’er were utterly bewildered, as were the others.

Han Li pointed out the problem:

“Everyone, think about it. Would a normal treasure-hunting tournament treat everyone differently like the Yan family does? Why would the Yan family specifically separate our seven sects from the disciples of other countries’ immortal sects? Only by having all participants compete face-to-face in duels to determine the rankings can it be fair. Otherwise, how can it convince everyone?” The group exchanged bewildered

glances.

“Could it be that the Yan family wants to speed things up?”

Zhong Weiniang asked.

“No, Weiniang, even if the Yan family wants to split into two groups to speed things up, it shouldn’t be that the seven sects of Yue Kingdom are in one group, and the other two hundred-plus people from other countries are in another. Such a clear division not only seems deliberate, but the number of participants is also too disparate. This kind of grouping is simply inappropriate,”

Liu Jing frowned.

Many doubts suddenly arose in their minds.

Their vigilance increased accordingly.

“Indeed,”

Nie Ying and the Murong brothers nodded in agreement.

They had also noticed the suspicious activity.

“If the Yan family has a problem, there must be a reason, right? Why would they attack our seven sects’ cultivators for no reason, especially since they’re all disciples of Core Formation stage elders? Don’t they want to maintain their foothold in Yue Kingdom? Besides, the Yan family has offended our seven sects; aren’t they afraid of retaliation?”

Song Meng was still somewhat confused.

Mainly, the logic didn’t hold up.

“Have you all forgotten those Ghost Spirit Sect cultivators who appeared and then quickly disappeared the day before yesterday?”

“The Ghost Spirit Sect, one of the six demonic sects… wait, could the Yan family have some connection with the Ghost Spirit Sect? Or perhaps, the Yan family has already pledged allegiance to the Ghost Spirit Sect?”

Thinking this way, many of his doubts suddenly cleared up.

If the Yan family had truly pledged allegiance to the Ghost Spirit Sect, then all his actions would make sense: perhaps attacking our seven sects was to offer a token of loyalty?

The crowd’s thoughts began to wander.

And once cultivators became suspicious, they naturally wouldn’t take any more risks.

“I’m not sure if this situation is related to those people from the Demonic Ghost Spirit Sect, but you’d better not go. I’ll go alone to check it out,”

Han Li said.

He turned back and gave everyone a reassuring look:

“If I’m wrong, it’ll only take up a day of your time, nothing serious. If something really happens, Master and the two senior uncles only need to protect me; they don’t need to worry about you all.”

In short: more people would be a burden.

And no one present disagreed with him saying this.

After all, his strength was recognized by Lei Wanhe and Li Huayuan.

“Then, junior brother, why did you bring us here? Aren’t we going to leave Yanling Fortress to contact Master and the senior uncles?”

Dong Xuan’er asked curiously.

Discovering something fishy and being in danger was not a wise move.

Han Li smiled and shook his head upon hearing this:

“Senior Sister, with Master and Uncle’s abilities, they’ve most likely already discovered the conspiracy between the Yan family and the Ghost Spirit Sect. The fact that those three haven’t shown themselves yet means Master and Uncle have other plans. Or perhaps they’re waiting for the Core Formation experts from various sects to arrive, so they can catch them red-handed and leave the Yan family with no room for denial. It will also increase our chances of winning.”

“I see,”

Nie Ying and Liu Jing said, suddenly understanding.

“Junior Brother, do you mean that if we leave Yanling Fort to find Master and the others now, it will only attract the attention of the Yan family and the Ghost Spirit Sect prematurely, and might even alert them?”

Liu Jing thought a little further.

“Indeed.”

Han Li nodded.

“After all, our opponents are the Yan family and the Ghost Spirit Sect, both with Core Formation experts. I’m afraid Master and Uncle-Master haven’t yet ascertained the number of Core Formation cultivators from these two families.”

“A hasty attack now would likely fail to achieve complete success, allowing many from the Yan family and Ghost Spirit Sect to escape. Leaving the roots unchecked will lead to endless trouble. Master and Uncle-Master probably considered this, which is why they haven’t acted hastily.”

“If we wait for reinforcements from the other six sects, then a decisive victory will be assured.”

With two or three more Core Formation cultivators, our side can achieve greater results with fewer losses.

Moreover, the Yan family’s attitude might become ambiguous, conflicted, and hesitant.

Whether they will continue to wholeheartedly follow the Ghost Spirit Sect… is hard to say.

Perhaps, if Master and the others can give the Yan family a way out, the entire Yan family might even betray them in the face of battle?!

“As for why I brought you here?”

Han Li said, handing the main array flag of the Inverted Five Elements Array to Dong Xuan’er:

“These past two days, while you were exchanging insights with fellow Daoists from various sects, I disguised myself and deliberately toured Yanling Fortress, making some preparations in this area. It’s better to be safe than sorry.” “

Among the dozen or so rooms around here, I’ve buried a set of array plates and array flags for a large array in several rooms. With the main array flag in hand, you can activate the array at any time to protect yourself.” “

Once this array is activated, its power is immense; even a Core Formation cultivator would have to expend considerable effort to break it.”

He was quite confident about this.

“Junior brother, let me go with you. I have a life-saving item given to me by Master; I should be safe.”

Dong Xuan’er suddenly spoke, then bit her lip tightly.

“Senior Sister, don’t worry about me. You know I have the Invisible Needle Talisman, which can deal with Core Formation cultivators. I also have many Foundation Establishment puppets, which are more than enough to deal with a dozen or so Foundation Establishment cultivators from the Ghost Spirit Sect of the same level…”

He had many trump cards to protect himself, but Dong Xuan’er might not.

“In addition, I have stockpiled a large number of intermediate-level talismans over the years, as many as twenty or thirty. I can definitely buy some time before Master and the two senior uncles arrive using these methods. Senior Sister, it’s best if only I appear.”

Han Li comforted her with a smile.

“Senior Brother Han is right, too many people will only make things worse.”

“If we go with them, Master will have to take care of us, which will needlessly reduce the strength and methods of Master and the others. Junior Sister Dong, think it over.”

Liu Jing wanted to go with them. He had a true treasure in hand, and even if the opponent was a Core Formation cultivator, he had the confidence to fight.

Of course, he could only use it for a few rounds.

Once he used it all, he would be finished.

“Alright, no need to say more, just wait here for my news.”

After saying this, Han Li quickly left, heading off alone.

These people were protected by the Inverted Five Elements Array, which could be activated at any time, and with the array at 30% complete as a backup, even a mid-to-late stage Core Formation expert would have to expend considerable effort to break through the array and capture them. The Ghost Spirit Sect shouldn’t expect to find a breakthrough here.

The time bought by the array’s protection was more than enough for Master Lei and the others to rescue them.   The one

truly in slight danger was him. After all, he was going to make close contact with the Ghost Spirit Sect.   He couldn’t guarantee that Master Hongfu and the other two would be constantly aware of his situation.   …   By this time, it was already broad daylight.   Some cultivators had already arrived at the small western peak.   A huge array had been built there, but it wasn’t activated yet.   Inside the array, two middle-aged men dressed in Yan family attire were meditating with their eyes closed.   Behind the array, on a low earthen platform, a dozen or so “Yan family members,” their figures partially obscured by mist, were discussing something.   Now, it seems the treasure hunt will only officially begin once all the Core Formation disciples from the seven sects arrive.   When Han Li arrived, most of the people had already gathered.   Most of the people from the seven sects were meditating or chatting inside the formation, while a small number were scattered around.   ”Senior Brother Wu Fazi, do you recognize this formation?”   Han Li saw a familiar face at the edge of the formation and immediately called the person away from that area to ask for their guidance.   ”Brother Han, I’m ashamed to say I don’t know much about formations. I guess this is some kind of protective barrier or restriction? After all, if we Foundation Establishment cultivators really went all out, this mere hill would be flattened in no time.”   Wu Fazi guessed based on his understanding:   ”Furthermore, if Foundation Establishment cultivators move around to buy time and seek opportunities, the other side will probably be unable to do anything about it in a short time. If the two sides don’t clash head-on, each battle will likely take a long time. Perhaps the Yan family created this formation to restrict our battles to a certain range? To prevent us from dragging things out? And thus speed up the pace?”   The speculation was quite reasonable.   It’s likely that even the Ghost Spirit Sect didn’t expect this reasonable explanation.   ”Alright, Brother Han, my junior brothers have arrived, they’ve all entered the formation, do you want to come along?”   Wu Fazi invited.   ”No, no, Senior Brother Wu Fazi, please go ahead.”   Han Li smiled.   Not long after Wu Fazi left, someone took the initiative to approach.   It was a cultivator from Tianque Fortress.   ”Senior Brother Ma,”   Han Li greeted him with a fist and palm salute.   The newcomer was none other than the Core Formation seed from Tianque Fortress, a genius with a Forging Golden Body recognized by the seven sects of Yue Kingdom as the most promising Core Formation cultivator in decades.   ”Junior Brother Han, why are you here alone? Where are the other junior brothers and sisters from Huangfeng Valley?”   Ma Rulong’s visit was clearly intended to make friends.   There was no other reason.   Zhong Weiniang, a disciple of Li Huayuan, possessed a special physique, achieving Foundation Establishment at fifteen or sixteen, with a high probability of forming a Core in the future.   The Murong brothers, disciples of Lei Wanhe, were both geniuses with Thunder Spiritual Roots, and Nie Ying was also a minor genius with dual Spiritual Roots; all three had a high probability of forming a Core. The Murong brothers, in particular, were practically guaranteed Core Formation seeds.   Dong Xuan’er and he, while not possessing special physiques or outstanding Spiritual Roots, were disciples of Hong Fu. And Hong Fu was currently the most prominent Core Formation female cultivator in Yue Kingdom. She might very well be able to cultivate a Core Formation successor.   Befriending her now was far more effective than trying to build a relationship a hundred years later. This was tantamount   to cultivating relationships with the future middle and upper echelons of Huangfeng Valley over a hundred years in advance.   Han Li quickly understood Ma Yunlong’s intentions. He   also secretly admired the intelligence capabilities and foresight of this ruthless man who had fought his way up.   Therefore, he decisively ignored the fact that he had killed Ma Yunlong’s good-for-nothing younger brother in the Blood Forbidden Land and began to chat with him very politely:   ”Senior Brother Ma, my junior brothers and sisters are delayed by some matters and will arrive in a while. By the way, this is the information you wanted a few days ago, and I spent a lot of effort collecting it.”   As he spoke, he smiled and handed a jade slip to Ma Yunlong.   Huh? The information he wanted a few days ago?   When did he ask for information?   Ma Yunlong was puzzled for a moment.   He then took the jade slip and examined it.   He was shocked by what he saw.   After repeatedly examining the information on the jade slip, Ma Yunlong’s smile remained unchanged, but his heart was in turmoil, and he felt a sense of dread:   Was there something fishy about the Yan family’s treasure-hunting event?   Those so-called Yan family members on the earthen platform behind him were actually from the Ghost Spirit Sect?   And those two middle-aged Yan family members in the formation were actually two Core Formation cultivators from the Ghost Spirit Sect in disguise?   Ahhhhh…!   ”Junior Brother Han, is this true?”   Ma Yunlong asked, revealing no flaws. However, fine beads of cold sweat could be seen on his forehead.   Han Li nodded, indicating that the other party should remain calm.   The reason he used the jade slip to transmit information was naturally to prevent the Li brothers from eavesdropping.   The reason he was willing to tell this person some information and tell him to stay put was because he was worried that Master Hongfu and his two senior uncles, Lei Li, wouldn’t be able to provide timely support. If he couldn’t rely on those three, he could escape separately, allowing this person to indirectly help share some of the pressure. This   would alleviate some of the pressure from the Core Formation Li brothers of the Ghost Spirit Sect.   Ma Yunlong was, after all, at the peak of Foundation Establishment, a pseudo-Core Formation cultivator, and known as “the number one person below Core Formation in Yue Kingdom.” With this person standing by his side, he could definitely attract more and better attention from the Ghost Spirit Sect cultivators. ”   Better to sacrifice a friend than myself.”   ”Junior Brother Han, what do you think we should do?”   ”Wait. Just wait.”   The Seven Sects’ Core Formation cultivators who came this time definitely weren’t just Master Hongfu and her two companions.   Those experts hadn’t shown themselves yet; they were probably making other preparations.   Since the Ghost Spirit Sect wanted to wipe out these seventy or eighty Core Formation disciples from the Seven Sects in one fell swoop, the experts from the Seven Sects probably wouldn’t mind wiping out this Ghost Spirit Sect team along with the entire Yan family, right?   Another half hour passed.   The Core Formation disciples from the Seven Sects arrived one after another.

Within the area covered by the grand formation and at its edges, small groups formed, chatting and laughing, completely unaware of the turbulent undercurrents lurking beneath.

Meanwhile,

on the earthen platform,

more than ten Ghost Spirit Sect cultivators dressed in Yan family attire began counting the number of attendees.

“Young Sect Master, nine people are still missing. Should we wait a little longer?”

a Ghost Spirit Sect cultivator reported to Wang Chan.

“Nine people? How come there are so many?”

Wang Chan frowned, sensing the situation was becoming somewhat troublesome.

After a moment’s thought, he immediately ordered:

“No need to wait. Immediately notify the two elders to open the grand formation. Otherwise, if too much time passes, some astute cultivators from the Seven Sects might notice something amiss, and the situation will only worsen.”

As for the nine who hadn’t arrived yet?

He would take men to deal with them.

Regardless of the reason for their absence, he wouldn’t allow them to leave Yanling Fort alive.

“Young Sect Master, the two elders said that four cultivators are too far from the formation. Once the formation is activated, it won’t be able to contain them. Please, Young Sect Master, find a way to lure them closer.”

Upon hearing this, Wang Chan’s eyes flashed with surprise, and his expression turned displeased.

What’s going on today?

Why are these unexpected situations happening again and again?

Logically speaking, the Yin Fire Formation’s restriction range is quite large, yet there are still people outside the formation’s coverage?

He wanted to see which annoying fellows were behind it. He

immediately looked up and saw four figures at the edge of the earthen hill.

Two of them were a man and a woman from the Hidden Moon Sect. The two were whispering intimately under a large tree in the northeast corner of the formation, clearly displaying a thrilling display of illicit love, trying to avoid being seen by others while not distancing themselves from them.

Further to the west, two young men were playing chess on a large rock, leisurely drinking tea and chatting as they played?

“These four, right?”

Wang Chan grinned.

He thought he was having a good time, but it turned out the two bastards from the Seventh Sect were even more leisurely than him.

“Go, tell them the Treasure Hunt is about to begin, and have them come forward to register and draw lots.”

The registration and lot-drawing place was naturally inside the great formation.

In Wang Chan’s view, the four of them would definitely enter the formation.

“All guests who have come to participate in the event, come here to draw lots and register. Once the number of people is counted, the Treasure Hunt will officially begin…”

A Ghost Spirit Sect cultivator dressed in Yan family attire announced loudly.

This call attracted almost all the Core Formation Sect members to gather around.

Even the two Moon Concealing Sect disciples who were being affectionate under the big tree ended their sweet and i*imate moment with some annoyance and walked towards the great formation.

Wang Chan was very satisfied with this.

Everything was under his control…

Huh? What’s going on with those two?

Why aren’t they coming over yet?

Oh well.

“Summon the two elders to make their move; we can’t wait any longer. As for the two outside the formation? I’ll deal with one of them; it’ll be a good opportunity to stretch my muscles. As for the other late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator, six of you will surround and attack him,”

Wang Chan ordered, his brows furrowed on the earthen platform.

A faint crimson light flickered in his eyes.

If one were to look directly at them, one could almost smell the faint stench of blood—it was extremely strange.

Han Li and Ma Yunlong appeared to be playing chess, but in reality, they were constantly observing the surrounding situation.

When Ma Yunlong caught a glimpse of the half-inch-long, dark green nail on the right index finger of the person hosting the Yan family’s gathering, he knew that what his junior brother Han from Huangfeng Valley had said earlier was true. This so-called Yan family was nothing more than cultivators from the Ghost Spirit Sect. This treasure-hunting gathering was a complete scam:

“What a Yan family! Are they really determined to use the lives of dozens of Core Formation disciples from my seven sects as a pledge of allegiance to the Ghost Spirit Sect?”

Ma Yunlong was furious.

Because if it weren’t for the reminder from his junior brother Han, he, the so-called most promising genius to form a core in the next few decades, would also

have been a member of the Yin Fire Array. He almost died without knowing why.

Thinking of this, how could he not be furious?

How could he not hate the Yan family to the core?

“Senior Brother Ma, your mind is in turmoil.”

Han Li suddenly placed a piece, deciding the outcome on the chessboard.

That piece was extremely strange, placed precisely where Ma Yunlong had already placed a piece.

“Junior Brother’s move is truly… brilliant.”

Actually, it wasn’t brilliant at all; it was clearly against the rules.

How could one place a piece in a position that someone else had already placed in chess?

But reality is far more complex than the chessboard.

What seems impossible on the chessboard is actually possible in reality.

“Senior Brother Ma, it seems our trouble has arrived.”

Han Li, his body glowing with a defensive shield, smiled and pointed to the side.

There, seven figures appeared.

The one in the lead, although only at the mid-Foundation Establishment stage, possessed a great deal of pressure and imposing aura.

The other six Foundation Establishment cultivators formed a tight encirclement around Han Li and Ma Yunlong, clearly determined not to let them escape.

“Gentlemen, what is the meaning of this? Why haven’t you entered the formation to register for the competition?”

Wang Chan still had some patience.

“Hmph, are you going in to have your Ghost Spirit Sect members extract your souls and refine your spirits?”

Ma Yunlong snorted coldly.

“Eh? You actually saw through it? Heh heh, you two have some insight, finding the flaw so quickly.”

A lazy voice came from Wang Chan, showing no regard for the two before him.

Ma Yunlong raised an eyebrow, his expression gradually becoming serious:

“You are the young master of the Ghost Spirit Sect?”

“It seems there’s no need for further introductions. It’s best if you recognize me, Wang.”

The bloodlust in Wang Chan’s eyes was much more intense than it had been on the earthen platform.

Most of his eyes were now bloodshot,

even reflecting a hint of bestiality.

Just as the young master of the Ghost Spirit Sect was acting, the earthen platform also experienced an anomaly. A massive black light shield suddenly rose, enveloping an area of over a hundred feet around the center of the magic array. Inside the black shield, thick, dark red mist filled the air, obscuring everything inside and making no sound.

It was as if they were completely isolated from the world.

“So, next, will you two voluntarily walk into the Yin Fire Array to live a little longer, or will you immediately let me extract your souls?” Wang Chan pointed to the black light shield behind him.

“You want to extract Senior Brother Ma’s soul?” Han Li stood up, head held high, “Hmph, let’s see if you have the ability! Senior Brother Ma is the number one person below the Core Formation stage in my Yue Kingdom!” Ma

Yunlong’s lips twitched violently upon seeing this.

If it were any other time or place, he would have been extremely pleased with this Junior Brother Han from Huangfeng Valley praising him like this.

But right now, being praised like this, he couldn’t feel happy at all…

Junior Brother Han, can I thank you for not causing me trouble and drawing attention to yourself?

“Too much fame? I don’t need it, Senior Brother.

It’s all yours, all yours.

” “Oh? So you’re actually the number one cultivator below the Core Formation stage in Yue Kingdom?”

Wang Chan’s attention indeed shifted mostly to Ma Yunlong.

But to everyone’s surprise, the Ghost Spirit Sect’s first move wasn’t against Ma Yunlong, but against Han Li!

A crimson beam suddenly shot out, heading straight for Han Li.

“Young Sect Master, what do you mean by this?”

Han Li, who dodged the attack with his ghostly movements, was bewildered.

Logically speaking, Ma Yunlong should be the one being targeted, so why did Wang Chan attack him first? Is he crazy?

“Of course, you pick on the weakest one first!”

Wang Chan, having retracted a thin red needle, said matter-of-factly:

“Besides, you specifically pointed out the identity of this person from Tianque Fortress, which means you’re not a good person either! Although I myself am not a gentleman, I really dislike people like you and me.”

Upon hearing this, Ma Yunlong couldn’t help but laugh.

Han Li’s face darkened.

He then cursed inwardly: Damn, that makes perfect sense.

In group battles, it’s indeed wise to target the weakest link first, then concentrate forces to fight the strong later. Clipping the wings first, then eliminating the main body, is far more efficient. Otherwise, if you get bogged down in the strong and the weak cause trouble, the situation becomes unpredictable.

It’s a simple principle, isn’t it?

“Heh, you think I’m a pushover, huh? Very well. Senior Brother Ma, I’ll handle this damn Ghost Spirit Sect young master, and you can deal with the rest. Is that alright?”

Han Li locked onto Wang Chan.

“Junior Brother, are you… sure?”

Ma Yunlong’s eyes lit up at first, then turned to worry.

Han Li: Good for him, he’s been underestimated again.

Why are they all so indifferent to a nobody like me?

Fine.

“Let’s see if I can do it.”

Han Li wasn’t annoyed by their disdain; on the contrary, he was even happier.

Reputation is all meaningless; you only have a voice when you’re alive.

“Looking down on us, huh? Well then, let’s have some fun.”

The next moment, a giant tiger puppet appeared beneath him, letting out a long roar at the Ghost Spirit Sect cultivators, causing the surrounding cultivators to shudder slightly.

He then sat imposingly on the back of this level-four puppet tiger, accompanied by the giant tiger’s roar.

Immediately afterward, he snapped his fingers casually. His

storage bag immediately moved.

Around him, more than ten puppet beasts rapidly appeared, all of them level-three giant wolf puppets, each over three zhang long.

Interestingly, each of these giant wolf puppets had a level-two humanoid puppet riding on its back. These humanoid puppets all drew their bows and nocked arrows, gathering power towards their targets in mid-air.

“Come on,”

Han Li sincerely invited, touching the fine steel bracelet on his wrist.

“What?”

“Puppet technique?”

This move not only greatly surprised Ma Yunlong, but also the Ghost Spirit Sect members.

“Just some mere puppetry, what’s the big deal?”

The young sect leader said this, but his heart sank.

The reason was simple: puppets were immune to the Ghost Spirit Sect’s poison techniques.

Poison techniques were usually greatly diminished in the face of puppeteers.

In other words, his carefully trained Ghost Spirit Twelve Guards were essentially crippled in front of this person.

Moreover, puppetry was also a strong counter to his current level of Blood Spirit Technique, leading to a war of attrition.

This was troublesome.

He could only stall this person and wait for the Li brothers to finish things quickly.

Just as he was thinking this, Han Li suddenly spoke with a slight smile:

“Hey, you’re the young sect leader of the Ghost Spirit Sect, right? Are you sure you want to stay and fight me instead of running away?”

His smile was very relaxed.

He even pointed to the southwest of Yanling Fortress.

“What do you mean?”

Wang Chan frowned.

Southwest?

His divine sense hadn’t detected anything.

Therefore, he instinctively thought that the young man in front of him was bluffing, trying to intimidate him, or stalling for time.

But half a breath later, Ma Yunlong also suddenly turned his head to look southwest. Then, he looked at Han Li with some alarm: Such strong divine sense! Even stronger than mine! This junior brother Han from Huangfeng Valley must have cultivated a rare secret technique to enhance his primordial spirit and divine sense.

Another breath later, Wang Chan’s divine sense suddenly realized something and immediately turned his head to look at the southwest sky. His expression changed drastically, and he even exclaimed in shock:

“Core Formation cultivators?!”

How could there be Core Formation cultivators from the seven sects here?

“And so many!”

So many that it made his scalp tingle!

Then he thought of Han Li, who was the first to notice the large number of Core Formation cultivators approaching this place, and his heart trembled.

“Stop those two!”

The young master of the Ghost Spirit Sect didn’t urge his subordinates to hurry up. Instead, he ordered the Ghost Spirit Twelve Guards to hold off Han Li and Ma Yunlong while he flew towards the Yin Fire Array.

He wanted to take the Li brothers with him, or more accurately, he wanted the two Core Formation elders to escape with him and get out of Yue Kingdom first.

The Ghost Spirit Twelve Guards were loyal, and six of them immediately used their abilities to attack Han Li and Ma Yunlong in the puppet squad.

However,

before Wang Chan flew towards the Yin Fire Array, Han Li’s puppet squad had already made their move.

The giant wolf puppets spat out spiritual energy bullets at several Foundation Establishment cultivators of the Ghost Spirit Sect, while the puppet riders fired spiritual energy arrows. The power of these attacks was considerable, blocking the path of the Foundation Establishment cultivators, weakening their offensive, and even hindering Wang Chan’s movements.

Ma Yunlong wasn’t stupid either. He quickly summoned a white bead, which contained the spirits of nine level 2 or higher demonic beasts.

These were nine enormous white eagles, Snow Cloud Eagles.

Each one was at least two zhang (approximately 6.6 meters) long.

The three larger ones emitted spiritual energy fluctuations that had already reached level 3.

The largest of the ten-zhang-tall eagles possessed an aura reaching level 4.

“Go.”

The white bead was none other than the “Soul-Falling Bead,” a top-grade magic artifact crafted by Master Ma Yunlong years ago. It was an artwork he created after casually slaughtering a nest of Snow Cloud Eagles while searching for spiritual herbs in a dangerous place.

It could be considered an upgraded version of the Dust-Falling Bead.

As long as the user had sufficient mana, they could activate these beast souls, unleashing terrifying ferocity and power.

“Damn it.”

Wang Chan, temporarily entangled by several white eagles, had veins bulging on his forehead.

Despite being only two Foundation Establishment cultivators from the Seven Sects, the young master of the Ghost Spirit Sect felt as if he were facing twenty or thirty Foundation Establishment cultivators simultaneously.

“Elders, the situation has changed. Take me away quickly!”

Without further ado, Wang Chan directly transmitted his voice into the Yin Fire Array.

Logically, the two Core Formation cultivators presiding over the array should be able to perceive changes in the outside world and thus provide assistance.

However, what unsettled Wang Chan was that after transmitting his voice for two breaths, there was still no response from within the formation.

Something was wrong.

Just as he was filled with suspicion,

the pitch-black formation was cleaved in two by a crimson sword light.

Wherever the sword light passed, the three Ghost Spirit Sect cultivators outside the formation didn’t even have time to react before becoming souls beneath the sword’s blade, utterly defenseless.

Immediately afterward, an angry shout came from within the cracked formation:

“Fellow Daoist Hong Fu, why be so aggressive? If my brother were to fight you to the death, you wouldn’t fare any better.”

This loud shout came from the child among the Li brothers, rough and crude.

But how could a dignified Core Formation stage expert’s voice sound so lacking in confidence?

“Fight me to the death? You two are not worthy?”

A calm, cold laugh followed from within the formation.

But unbeknownst to them, a Foundation Establishment cultivator from Yellow Maple Valley within the formation had transformed into the appearance of Hong Fu’s master. Her

yellow Daoist robes fluttered, her long hair flowed, she possessed the true beauty of a fairy, her charm still intact.

The red sword in her hand seemed out of place ,

giving off a bloody feeling to anyone who saw it.

“We misjudged her; we didn’t even notice a late-stage Core Formation expert sneaking in,”

the older of the two Li brothers, one arm missing, lamented bitterly.

“If this treasure hunt were held inside Yanling Fortress, she naturally wouldn’t have escaped the Yan family’s sensing array. But this is outside Yanling Fortress, and the temporary Yin Fire Array doesn’t have strong sensing capabilities. Plus, her cultivation is far superior to ours, and her concealment technique is quite remarkable. It’s perfectly normal that we didn’t notice her immediately,”

the child with a bloodstain at the corner of his mouth gritted his teeth.

Both of them were injured.

It was obvious who did it.

Just now, they had been careless and hadn’t dodged when Hong Fu suddenly drew her sword, relying on the array’s power.

“Master,”

Han Li said, his eyes filled with excitement.

Why did he still have the leisure to play chess with Ma Yunlong? Why was he so calm?

It was naturally because Hong Fu’s master had transmitted her voice to him when the Yin Fire Array was activated.

With his master right beside him, why should he back down?!

The ones who should be cowering are the Ghost Spirit Sect members.

Admittedly, on the surface, it was the Yin Fire Formation that trapped the Core Formation disciples of the seven sects of Yue Kingdom, along with his own master, inside.

But in reality, it was Master Hongfu who used the temporary Yin Fire Formation to hold back the two Core Formation cultivators from the Ghost Spirit Sect who were controlling the formation. After all, even a late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator might have a chance of breaking through the temporary Yin Fire Formation; how could it possibly trap a late-stage Core Formation cultivator like Master Hongfu?

The reason the Li brothers were injured so quickly, one even losing an arm, was because they were distracted while controlling the formation.

With such a significant difference in strength between the two sides, how could they dare to be distracted?

Hong Fu was somewhat surprised that her sudden attack hadn’t been enough to instantly kill the two:

“As expected of a fierce warrior who has been active on the border battlefields of Jiang and Cheqi for many years, her vigilance is exceptionally high, and her strength is also remarkable. Truly, her reputation is well-deserved.”

Even a mid-stage Core Formation cultivator from one of the Seven Sects would likely have been severely injured or even killed by her sneak attack.

Yet these two, through coordinated efforts, sacrificed the Yin Fire Array, one losing an arm and the other a defensive treasure, managing to withstand the attack at such a cost.

While Hong Fu sighed softly, her offensive continued.

Not only did she control her magic weapon, the Crimson Cherry Sword, for the main attack, but two red chains also shot out from her sleeves, one to the left and one to the right, like two coiling crimson dragons.

This was another of her magic weapons, used for support and also for trapping the enemy.

“Young Master, run! The situation is dire!”

The Li brothers summoned their respective natal magic weapons to defend against the attack.

At this moment, they had no mind to entangle with Hong Fu. The grand formation had just been broken, and their divine senses were no longer affected, so they immediately sensed more than ten fierce auras rapidly approaching from the southwest sky.

Those were over a dozen Core Formation cultivators from the seven sects of Yue Kingdom.

Each one charged forward

menacingly, their posture suggesting they wanted to tear them to pieces.

“I want to leave too…”

Wang Chan secretly groaned.

He didn’t need the Li brothers’ reminder;

he had already realized things were going badly and wanted to slip away.

But he was being relentlessly pursued by that scoundrel.

After several Ghost Spirit Guards were held back by Ma Yunlong, he was targeted by Han Li. Like prey being hunted by a hunter.

This feeling extremely displeased him.

When had he, the dignified young master of the Ghost Spirit Sect, become someone else’s prey? He had been the one hunting down the other cultivators all along:

“Damn it.”

As Wang Chan cursed inwardly, Hong Fu had already given the order to the less seriously injured cultivators from the seven sects:

“Disciples of the seven sects, listen to my command! Quickly capture the Ghost Spirit Sect members, don’t let a single one escape!”

Upon receiving the order, dozens of cultivators from the seven sects, still shaken from the Yin Fire Array, jolted awake. Forty or fifty of them, who had recovered , took to the air, gritting their teeth as they headed straight for the Ghost Spirit Sect’s Foundation Establishment cultivators.

This scene made Wang Chan’s heart skip a beat.

Oh no, oh no.

No, he couldn’t delay any longer; he probably couldn’t rely on the Li brothers, who were already in dire straits themselves.

He could only save himself.

“Hold these guys from the Seven Sects back!”

This was his final order to the Twelve Ghost Guards.

Then, thick, blood-like mist began to erupt from his body, instantly enveloping him and growing to a size of thirty feet. Next, more than thirty ferocious blood demons, each about ten feet tall, appeared from within the blood cloud.

Then, the blood cloud, with its immense power, charged straight at the group that had flown the fastest and blocked his retreat.

Any damage was absorbed by the thirty-odd blood demons.

Seeing this, the group unleashed their respective magical artifacts,

all of which were top-tier.

However, to the utter dismay of the Seven Sects cultivators, their artifacts, once inside the blood mist, could only shatter some of the blood demons, failing to locate the main target. Worse still, once these blood demons were dispersed by their artifacts, they would quickly reform.

Not only that, the more blood demons the magical artifacts scattered, the longer they remained in contact with the blood cloud, the dimmer their spiritual light became,

as if they were being defiled .

When these people realized something was wrong and retrieved their artifacts, they discovered that each artifact had lost some of its spiritual essence, some even severely diminished in power.

This pained the attackers greatly.

“This blood cloud can corrode the spiritual essence of magical artifacts, everyone be careful!”

With this warning, Wang Chan keenly sensed a slowdown in the surrounding attacks and immediately attempted to break through again.

This time, the blood cloud moved faster and with even greater force.

Seeing this, the cultivators from the seven sects began to avoid battle, thinking they would only go through the motions, since this person was surrounded and couldn’t escape anyway. They only needed to exhaust his magical power, and they would definitely capture him alive in the end.

Little did they expect that Wang Chan would accurately seize this negative mindset.

“An opportunity!”

The Ghost Spirit Sect member decisively bit his tongue, forcibly forcing out a drop of extremely viscous blood. As the drop of essence blood was spat out and merged into the blood cloud, the area covered by the blood cloud suddenly expanded several times. The blood cloud surged and crashed wildly.

Judging from the momentum, even Foundation Establishment cultivators would be unable to withstand it without the help of a Core Formation cultivator.

Just as everyone panicked and dared not confront it head-on, the thickest cloud of blood within the blood cloud suddenly locked onto a direction and then shot out from the gaps in the crowd at a speed that increased three or four times.

“What?”

The thirty or forty cultivators responsible for blocking the way stared at each other in disbelief.

The six late Foundation Establishment cultivators among them had extremely ugly expressions.

They were just let escape by a mid-Foundation Establishment Ghost Spirit Sect cultivator?

And they escaped from a group of dozens of people hunting them down?!

If this

were to get out, they, the so-called Core Formation disciples and the so-called sect elites, would lose face big time.

“Quickly, give chase!”

Everyone wanted to pursue, but the blood cloud that Wang Chan had abandoned, sacrificing most of his cultivation, was like a living thing, carrying more than thirty blood ghosts to continue blocking their path, making those who wanted to pursue hesitate.

Forcing their way through that blood cloud would likely result in heavy losses.

Some were clever enough to bypass the nearly hundred-foot-wide blood mist.

However, after chasing for a while, they all returned dejectedly. There was no way around it; the speed difference was too great.

They could only watch from behind.

Oh well.

The speed of the blood cloud’s blood escape was almost sonic booming, at least 800 feet per second, or even faster. Their sword-flying escape technique only covered about 200 feet; how could they possibly catch up?

“Trying to escape?”

Han Li, who had withdrawn from the battlefield earlier, smiled calmly.

Two pairs of golden-backed mantis wings quietly appeared behind him.

He seemed to have anticipated Wang Chan’s possible escape, and therefore, he had put on the “Golden-Backed Cloud Armor” during the chaos.

“Chase.”

“Buzz buzz buzz…”

Vibrating its two pairs of thin wings, the Level 4 Golden-Backed Demon Mantis, with the added speed from these wings, still couldn’t match the speed of Blood Cloud. As the distance between them slowly widened, the advantage of leaving the battlefield early was that it could predict Wang Chan’s escape direction and strike first.

Even though it couldn’t stop Wang Chan in time, it wasn’t left far behind by Blood Light like the others.

It was managing to keep up, not falling too far behind,

and not being quickly out of sight.

As long as Wang Chan couldn’t completely shake it off in a short time, and as long as the speed gained from that mouthful of blood essence decreased, how much strength would it have left to face it?

“Young Master of the Ghost Spirit Sect, dare you stay and fight me another three hundred rounds? Don’t worry, this time I definitely won’t call for help…”

Han Li transmitted his voice from behind.

Wang Chan: What a bastard! He’s gone too far! He’s just relying on his numbers!

“May I ask your name?”

“I remain true to my name, Huangfeng Valley, Wang Yu.”

Wang Yu?

“Alright, you surnamed Wang, I’ll remember you.”

Another drop of blood essence spurted out, and the blood cloud, which had slowed down, immediately regained its strength.

However, Wang Chan, whose complexion had been relatively rosy, was now as pale as paper. Moreover, due to sacrificing most of his blood essence from the Blood Spirit Technique, his cultivation had tragically dropped to the early Foundation Establishment stage.

Damn it, damn it…

“This guy has so much blood…”

Han Li narrowed his eyes.

Seeing that he was about to be left behind by Wang Chan

, he narrowed his eyes, gritted his teeth, and bit his tongue to cast the Blood Escape Technique:

“Then let’s see who has more blood essence in their body!”

He had already decided that he would refine his body.

Although the max-level Elephant Armor Technique wasn’t a particularly powerful immortal body-refining technique, it made his blood and qi far surpass those of other cultivators of the same level.

A few mouthfuls of blood were nothing; he could afford to spit them out.

Wang Chan, realizing that the streak of light behind him wasn’t being shaken off but was instead rapidly closing in, was dumbfounded.

“This works?”

Guys, like I said, it’s all thanks to the recommendation votes. There’s a ranking system for that. Please, everyone, give me your free recommendation votes. Thank you, thank you, thank you.

(End of Chapter)