"What cowardly rats dare set an ambush here? Hiding and skulking, too afraid to show yourselves!"
Xu Qianhuan's expression was grim, his gaze fierce. He had long sensed something was amiss and hadn't let his guard down. He was furious, but not surprised.
He silently drew a three-inch Flying Sword from his Storage Bag and, with a flick of his wrist, sent it shooting into the forest to his left.
"WHOOSH!"
The Flying Sword vanished in a flash, transforming mid-flight into a Giant Sword several feet long before crashing into the dense branches.
Two screams of agony followed as a fountain of blood sprayed over the leaves, then began to drip slowly to the ground.
The surprise attack had killed at least two of them.
"How dare you!"
A commotion erupted in the canopy as nine Cultivators flew out from the forests on both sides, all of them masked.
Judging by their Magical Power auras, five were at Middle Stage Qi Cultivation, and three were at Early Stage Qi Cultivation.
The leader, a burly Male Cultivator wielding a long spear, emerged with a savage grin. To their dismay, his Magical Power Cultivation was also at the Late Stage Qi Cultivation—the Eighth Layer.
The hearts of the Xu Family members sank.
Even if their respective leaders were to face off, that would leave the Xu Family's three Middle Stage Qi Cultivation members to fight against five!
The two extra Middle Stage cultivators could either help their Late Stage leader corner and kill Xu Qianhuan, or they could slaughter the old and weak within the Horse Array.
The situation was dire!
"Go! Make it quick! Kill every last one of them."
The burly Male Cultivator wasted no time on words, ordering his men to attack as he himself charged at Xu Qianhuan.
"BOOM!"
The burly Male Cultivator struck. The long spear in his hand erupted with a blinding, blood-red light, condensing into the phantom of a Magical Power-fueled blood python that lunged for Xu Qianhuan's throat with its maw wide open!
The others sprang into action.
Four of the masked Tribulation Cultivators summoned their Magical Artifacts and engaged the three Middle Stage Qi Cultivation members of the Xu Family.
The last masked Tribulation Cultivator, a man at the Sixth Layer Qi Cultivation, didn't join the main fray. Instead, he stealthily circled around, positioning himself behind Xu Qianhuan for a sneak attack!
Facing the assault, Xu Qianhuan was not about to be careless. He activated a Talisman in his hand, and a shimmering Water Curtain instantly enveloped him.
The azure light shield projected by his Jade Pendant Spiritual Artifact also contracted, forming a tight layer over his body.
Only then did he deploy his Flying Sword once more, sending it to clash with the phantom blood python.
For a moment, they were evenly matched.
"A perfect chance!"
Suddenly, the masked Sixth Layer Qi Cultivation Tribulation Cultivator, who had been lying in wait like a coiled viper, struck. A streak of light flashed through the air.
With a POP, the outer Water Curtain shattered.
The sudden turn of events threw Xu Qianhuan's Heart and Spirit into disarray.
A BOOM resounded almost simultaneously. The burly Tribulation Cultivator had timed his attack perfectly, seizing the opportunity to land a direct hit!
Xu Qianhuan's Jade Pendant Spiritual Artifact let out a sorrowful whine, its azure light shield flickering and threatening to collapse.
The stalemate began to crumble.
Meanwhile, on the other side.
The Xu Family's three Middle Stage Qi Cultivation members were fighting four Tribulation Cultivators. Outnumbered, they were in a perilous situation.
Seeing this, Ink Master gritted his teeth, spurred his Flood Dragon Horse, and charged into the fray.
Ink Master's Cultivation was at the Fifth Layer Qi Cultivation, but he was old and his body was riddled with hidden injuries. He wasn't sure how much of his strength he could still wield, but at this moment, he had no choice but to act.
If even one of the Xu Family's Middle Stage cultivators were injured and forced to retreat, their lines would instantly collapse. No one would survive.
As a veteran of the Cultivation Realm, Ink Master was perceptive and incredibly decisive.
Back in their original positions, Shopkeeper Xu, Ink Master, and Lin Changheng had been teaming up against three Third Layer Qi Cultivation Tribulation Cultivators. The first two, armed with multiple Magical Artifacts, engaged in direct combat, while Lin Changheng attacked from the flank, harassing the enemy with his Fire Bomb Skill and Entanglement Skill.
With Ink Master gone, the pressure on Shopkeeper Xu, a veteran of the Third Layer Qi Cultivation, increased dramatically.
"I'm going to go crush that annoying little pest over there."
One of them, fed up with the harassment, shot Lin Changheng a cold look, his killing intent palpable. Tossing out the threat, he broke away from the fight and charged, sending his Hammerhead Spiritual Artifact flying toward him.
The Magical Artifact whirled through the air, pulsing with a chilling light!
"Hya!"
Lin Changheng looked startled. His expression changed drastically as he frantically turned his horse around and fled.
"Hahahaha! Don't run, you coward! You had the guts to harass me, but not the courage to pay with your life?"
Lin Changheng's cowardly flight only made the young Tribulation Cultivator more arrogant as he gave chase.
On the way, he came across a Xu Family attendant who had fallen from his horse and had his leg trampled. The Tribulation Cultivator sneered and, with a casual flick, used his Magical Artifact to blast the man's head apart. There wasn't even a cry of pain, just a splash of red and white, as easy as slaughtering a chicken.
Seeing the distance between them widening, his gaze darkened. He casually slapped a Divine Movement Talisman on himself.
His speed instantly skyrocketed. As he rapidly closed the gap, he sneered, "Die for me!"
But Lin Changheng, who appeared to be fleeing for his life, showed no hint of panic on his face. His dark eyes held only an unusual coldness.
He activated the Fire Bomb Skill Technique, empowering it with his Fire Control Anomaly Technique: Spiritual. With a grasping motion of one hand, he conjured a fist-sized Fire Bomb out of thin air and hurled it back over his shoulder.
'So slow… Just a pathetic little trick, as I expected. And he's trying the same thing again!'
The young Tribulation Cultivator glanced at it with disdain. He began to twist his body, planning to deftly sidestep the Fire Bomb. At the same time, he sent his Magical Artifact forward, intending to use the opening to close the distance and get into attack range.
He would vent his rage by smashing the coward's head to a pulp!
"Huh?"
CLANG! The fleeing man ahead suddenly threw out a Flying Knife, knocking the hammerhead artifact aside.
The young Tribulation Cultivator froze. 'He has another Magical Artifact?'
In the next instant, a wave of heat washed over him. To his horror, he realized—far too late—that the Fire Bomb he was so sure he had dodged had bizarrely curved in mid-air, following his evasive maneuver...
"BOOM!"
He didn't understand, and now he never would.
The intensely compressed Fire Bomb slammed viciously into his face, exploding in a blinding, crimson flash.
The protective Magic he desperately activated was torn apart like tissue paper. The intense heat melted through his flesh, his blood vaporized with a HISS, and his entire body was instantly charred black before disintegrating into ash.
Lin Changheng reined his horse around. He had killed with a calm and detached ease, feeling none of the discomfort he might have expected.
He retrieved his Flying Knife, then bent down mid-gallop to scoop up the hammerhead artifact that had fallen to the ground when the Tribulation Cultivator lost control of it. Then he returned to the battlefield where Shopkeeper Xu was fighting.
"Changheng!"
"How are you back?"
In stark contrast to Shopkeeper Xu's overjoyed surprise, the two remaining Third Layer Qi Cultivation Tribulation Cultivators' faces fell, and they cried out in alarm.
Lin Changheng didn't answer. Instead, he keenly seized the opportunity created by their momentary shock and threw out a Talisman.
An Ice Talisman!
The Talisman exploded, releasing a bone-chilling cold that he immediately directed to envelop one of the men.
"CRACKLE!"
The man's movements instantly became sluggish as frost crept across his body.
"Die!"
Shopkeeper Xu Qianyou was overjoyed. He would not miss such a golden opportunity. He immediately redirected his Magical Artifact to strike. With a SHLICK, an arm was severed, splattering blood as it fell to the ground.
"A pity!"
Lin Changheng shook his head. He was off by a hair's breadth; that could have been a decapitating blow.
"Sigh!"
Xu Qianyou also shook his head and sighed, lamenting his age before controlling his Magical Artifact to press the attack.
But the Tribulation Cultivator's will to fight was shattered. Ignoring his severed arm, he could only flee for his life.
The last uninjured Third Layer Qi Cultivation Tribulation Cultivator was also stunned. 'How did this happen so fast?' he thought. 'A moment ago it was three against two, we had the advantage! Now, it's suddenly flipped to one against two, and I'm on the losing side!'
Just as the choice of 'fight or flee' flashed through his mind, a piercing, air-rending sound suddenly echoed from the direction of the distant Black Water River. A Dharma Ship was speeding toward them!