Chapter 246: Chapter 243: Ambush_1
On their journey, Qin Wudao and his companions treaded carefully, skirting around even falling leaves to avoid unnecessary conflict. Yet, careful as they were, they still faced several attacks from spectral phantoms, which cost them a significant amount of time. Perhaps due to the vastness of the forest, they encountered no other gifted cultivators. What Qin Wudao didn’t know, however, was that a conspiracy targeting him was about to unfold—which was partly why they had yet to run into any other prodigies.
As night fell, the light in the Kunlun Secret Realm grew eerily dim. A chilling wind swept through the branches, creating a wailing noise that reminded one of writhing specters, making one’s blood run cold.
Near the heart of Male Mountain, three to four hundred figures could be seen. Some were crouching on the ground, some leaning against tree trunks, and others perched on the branches. Perhaps because they knew what was about to happen, a sense of solemnity appeared on everyone’s face.
WHIZ, WHIZ, WHIZ... The sound of something tearing through the air assailed their ears.
Shen Youlin led the disciples of the Kylin Holy Land, landing on the ground and quickly spreading out, their wary eyes scanning their surroundings.
"Saint Heir! We’re all here now," Wei Wuyang approached, bowing with respect.
"Good," Shen Youlin responded nonchalantly. Ignoring Wei Wuyang, he addressed the crowd, "I imagine everyone knows what we need to do next. I will divide you into ten teams, led by the disciples of the Holy Land, as we search for Qin Wudao."
"Whoever finds or slays Qin Wudao will receive a great reward from me. But if anyone gets lazy, don’t blame me for getting upset and taking it out on the factions behind you!"
His icy voice and threatening words caused the crowd’s pupils to contract, resentment clear in their gazes. They had no quarrel with the Great Qin Divine Court! Now, they were being forcefully made into enemies. They felt the Kylin Holy Land was being too oppressive.
"Begin forming your teams!"
Shen Youlin took note of their disgruntled expressions but paid them no mind. What use was their anger and dismay when they would nonetheless do as they were told? Based on his actions during the free challenge match, where he had covertly arranged for Qin Wudao to face five combatants in the Saint Realm, it became clear that he was the type to stop at nothing until he achieved his goals. Since his defeat at the hands of Qin Wudao, he immediately changed tactics, forgoing fighting alone and adopting a strategy of fighting with numbers.
"Lu Tian, Gao Hu, Xiang Liang, Yu Chuxin, and forty others, form the first team!"
"Ding Jiang, Wang Zhongyi, Hong Mingda, Niu Cheng, and forty-three others, form the second team!"
"..."
Shen Youlin loudly named them off, quickly dividing the four hundred or so people into ten teams. Led by the disciples of the Holy Land, they fanned out from the great mountain at the center of the Kunlun Secret Realm and began a sweeping search.
Conspiracy and slaughter bloomed like gruesome flowers in the night.
At approximately the same time, on the other side of the Secret Realm, the prodigies of the Purple Cloud Sect and the nonhuman races were gathering, forming a team of more than two hundred cultivators. Song Yufeng and Bear Longing sat face to face on a boulder, silently replenishing their energy.
"Young Sect Master, our scout reports that the Kylin Holy Land cultivators are searching for Qin Wudao," a disciple of the Purple Cloud Sect approached, bowed, and reported.
"How many of them are there?" Song Yufeng asked, opening his eyes to reveal a murderous glint, his voice solemn. He had lost considerable face after Shen Youlin defeated him in a single move during the final duel, so upon entering the Secret Realm, he had immediately sought out Bear Longing to propose an alliance.
"We’re not sure. They’ve separated into numerous groups, each with about forty people," the disciple replied, shaking his head after a moment’s thought.
Bear Longing also opened his eyes, meeting Song Yufeng’s gaze. Both their eyes flickered with a crimson murderous intent, their icy aura causing the temperature of the Void to plummet.
"It’s time to get moving!" Bear Longing got to his feet, stretching leisurely as his bones crackled.
With his rise, the prodigies of the nonhuman races tensed, their brutal energies saturating the Void. Compared to humans, all members of the nonhuman races were natural-born fighters.
"Order a hunt on the Kylin Holy Land prodigies!" Bear Longing commanded with an authoritative wave of his paw.
"Kill! Kill! Kill!" The nonhuman prodigies were overcome with excitement. Hunting and killing human prodigies was one of their favorite activities. It not only weakened the human race’s strength but also allowed them to consume their flesh and blood essence to enhance their own power.
Song Yufeng also rose and turned to the scout, ordering, "Lead the way."
"Yes, sir!" The scout bowed respectfully before leading them into the dark night.
「An hour later!」
Deep within a dense forest, a group of Kylin Holy Land disciples appeared. Weapons in hand, they meticulously searched every nook and cranny, refusing to overlook the slightest rustle of leaves or grass.
"Everyone, be alert! If anyone dares slack off, don’t blame me for being ruthless!" a disciple of the Holy Land shouted, clutching his sword in his right hand while Spiritual Energy rapidly circulated within him, keeping him on high alert.
Upon clearing the thicket, their faces drastically changed. It wasn’t because they had found Qin Wudao. Instead, over two hundred figures loomed ahead, all radiating a chilling killing intent.
"Ambush! Get ready to fight!" The Holy Land disciple was taken aback. It was the Purple Cloud Sect and the Ice Emperor Bear Clan members. Without any hesitation, he hastily pulled out a flare from his spatial storage.
Just as he was about to ignite it, Song Yufeng moved, transforming into a beam of purple light and appearing in front of the Holy Land disciple.
ZIIING!
A flash of a sword followed, and a head dropped to the ground, its eyes bulging wide with lingering shock and unwillingness.
"Kill! Kill! Kill..." Battle cries echoed as the disciples of the Ice Emperor Bear Clan and the Purple Cloud Sect dispersed, forming an encirclement around the Kylin Holy Land disciples and launching a ruthless attack.
One by one, cultivators of the Kylin Holy Land fell. In both numbers and strength, they were simply no match for the alliance formed by the Purple Cloud Sect and the Ice Emperor Bear Clan. Especially with Bear Longing and Song Yufeng personally leading the assault, their defeat was hastened.
Blood spilled onto the earth, flowing freely and saturating the soil. Any hope of survival was shattered. In less than an hour, the group of forty-six was completely annihilated.
"Clear the battlefield! We need to leave immediately!" Standing on the bloody battlefield, Song Yufeng wiped the blood from his sword with a handkerchief, issuing commands in a grave voice.
ROAR~
The nonhuman prodigies, led by the Ice Emperor Bear Clan, roared in exhilaration. Grabbing the lifeless bodies from the ground without bothering to undress them, they began stuffing the corpses into their mouths. Sharp teeth crunched through bones with each bite, blood splattering about.
"Delicious!" a nonhuman prodigy yelled, his face filled with enjoyment as he held half a corpse, revealing brutally shattered organs—an utterly terrifying sight.
Seeing this gruesome scene, the human prodigies led by the Purple Cloud Sect all ran to the side and vomited.
Song Yufeng frowned, a complex expression on his face. This was his first time witnessing such savagery from the nonhuman races. Even though they were consuming the corpses of enemies, these enemies had also been human, and as a fellow human, he felt deeply uncomfortable.
But in the end, he tacitly allowed it to happen.