Dong Tianxie stood still for a while, scanning his surroundings. When he found no trace of the mysterious person, he realized the figure had already left. He had no choice but to suppress his seething urge to kill.
He gathered the scattered Spatial Pouches from the ground and returned to the cave, intending to grab the hostage and flee. But Song Changsheng had already looted the place clean, leaving nothing but an empty cavern.
Seeing the scene before him, Dong Tianxie instantly understood what had happened. His eyes turned bloodshot with rage, and he let out a thunderous roar that sent flocks of birds flying and unleashed an overwhelming pressure that made the very air tremble.
"Damn it! Damn it! DAMN IT! Who was it?!" he shouted three times in a row, his voice dripping with fury.
To make a breakthrough, he had schemed and prepared for who knows how long. He had taken enormous risks and nearly lost his life in these boundless mountains.
Only to have someone else swoop in at the last second and snatch the prize. How could he not be filled with hatred?
"It has to be that bastard hiding in the shadows… Don't let me find out who you are. I'll make sure you live a fate worse than death!" Dong Tianxie's heart burned with resentment, completely forgetting that it was that very person who had just saved his life.
Suddenly, his expression shifted as he sensed several unfamiliar auras appear around him. After thinking for a moment, he realized what was going on. Muttering a few curses, he began to consider his escape options.
At present, he was seriously injured, and his spiritual power was less than one-tenth of its peak. Even using minor divine abilities was a burden. He could still crush individual Foundation Establishment cultivators, but if they came in numbers, he'd be overwhelmed.
If he ran into a Purple Mansion cultivator, he wouldn't even have the strength to fight back.
Originally, he had planned to use the pills he had just refined to heal himself and slip away unnoticed, but even the cauldron had now been stolen.
"There he is! The demonic cultivators in that cave! Don't let him escape!" Before he could settle on a plan, the first group of cultivators to receive intel on his location arrived.
They didn't rush in rashly but surrounded the cave from the outside, clearly intending to wait until reinforcements arrived before acting.
Realizing their intentions, Dong Tianxie felt the pressure mounting. But this was no time for hesitation. Gritting his teeth, he prepared to force his way out.
It would cost him, but it was better than dying here.
Dong Tianxie's whereabouts had been exposed first. Not only that, his condition had been completely leaked and even exaggerated, making him the primary target of pursuit. This, in turn, relieved much of the pressure on the Blood Demon, who was also fleeing into the Ten-Thousand Mountain Range.
But the Blood Demon wasn't faring much better. His comrades had died in Luoxia City, and the agents he had spent years planting there had been nearly wiped out during the City Lord's purge.
It could be said that this operation had completely crippled both the Border State and Ling State branches of their cult. Who knew how long it would take to recover?
Fortunately, he had completed the task assigned by the Holy Master!
The Blood Demon looked down at the cage in his hands, where the young Blood Bat Demon King was sound asleep. His gaze burned with intensity.
"As long as I've got you… Everything we lost will be worth it."
"He should be somewhere nearby. Search carefully."
Suddenly, a familiar voice reached his ears.
The Blood Demon's expression darkened instantly. His tone grew cold:
"Those bastards from the Golden Crow Sect are like ghosts who refuse to leave even when chased away. When our sect rises again, you'll be the first to be wiped out."
His words were fierce, but he was painfully aware that in his current condition, he couldn't match them. Quickly forming a strange hand seal, his body turned into a puddle of blood and seeped into the earth, vanishing without a trace...
.....
"Brother Yunhe, I think we've accidentally walked into a formation." After circling back to the same spot again, Song Changsheng looked around at the verdant bamboo forest and spoke with a furrowed brow.
Xu Yunhe, carrying the still-unconscious Xia Wanyun on his back, frowned. "Who would set up a formation here? And one that even you didn't notice?"
He was well aware of Song Changsheng's mastery of formations. Back when Song was just a top-grade Tier-1 formation master, he had managed to control a Tier-2 array.
If even Song hadn't sensed it, could this be a Tier-3 formation?
"Let me take a look." Song Changsheng activated his Eye Technique, and the surroundings immediately shifted in his vision. All the hidden formation patterns became visible.
"It's indeed a maze-type formation. But… why do these lines look so strange?"
He frowned slightly. The patterns didn't resemble any known formation style and gave off a feeling of being incredibly… crude.
Even the worst formation masters wouldn't inscribe something this sloppy because such patterns shouldn't even function as an actual array.
And yet, defying all logic, this one not only worked but even trapped him without notice.
Just as Song was racking his brain in confusion, a flash of inspiration struck him. His eyes lit up with sudden clarity.
"I see now."
"Brother Song, did you figure it out?" Xu Yunhe immediately asked.
Song Changsheng nodded and pointed toward the bamboo forest. "Our current formation system was built over generations, modeled on natural formations and the laws of heaven and earth."
Among these, natural formations are the most important. Currently, most formation patterns have evolved based on them.
Natural formations align perfectly with the Daoic rhythms of heaven and earth. They are formed through long natural evolution, each one unique and returning to simplicity, the most perfect kind of formation.
Right now, we are trapped inside a maze-type natural formation. The ground beneath our feet, every bamboo stalk, every flower and grass around us they are all parts of this vast formation. They operate seamlessly following the formation's patterns, and even I was deceived by it."
He wasn't without vigilance, but natural formations are just too rare. He had only heard about them in ancient texts and never imagined he would encounter one, which is why he fell into the trap unknowingly.
"Fortunately, it's a maze formation, not a deadly one; otherwise, the three of us might already have been decapitated," Song Changsheng quietly felt relieved.
Xu Yunhe didn't know much about formations, but he could sense the gravity in Song's tone and asked, "Brother Song, do you have a way to break it?"
"I'll do my best." Since this was his first encounter, Song wasn't confident in guaranteeing success.
"You stay here with her and don't move. I'll try to break the formation."
Song Changsheng maintained his "Eye of True Sight" technique and started wandering through the bamboo forest. The first rule for dismantling a formation is to clarify the layout of the formation patterns, and then destroy the formation's core.
Natural formation patterns aren't as intricate as those laid by formation masters; they tend to be simple but cover a large area. This entire bamboo forest is within the formation's range, so understanding the layout would take a lot of time.
As Song moved through the bamboo, he memorized the patterns bit by bit. Soon, a rough map of the formation appeared in his mind.
"Natural formations are extraordinary." Song's expression grew serious. This formation went beyond his full comprehension, and since it was his first encounter, breaking it was quite difficult.
Moreover, the most perfect formations are no joke; natural formations have very few flaws. Many people get trapped in such maze formations for ten years or even a lifetime.
Song Changsheng used "Flickering Shadow" to reach the highest point of the bamboo forest. Sitting cross-legged on a delicate bamboo branch, he began applying all his knowledge to unravel the formation...
Xu Yunhe had zero understanding of formations. At a time like this, all he could do was watch anxiously.
Suddenly, he felt the person on his back move in a fleeting motion, but with his keen senses, he couldn't be mistaken.
"Is she waking up?" Xu Yunhe turned to look at the beautiful face on his shoulder, which still seemed unconscious.
He frowned and said, "If you're awake, there's no need to keep pretending."
But she still didn't react.
Xu Yunhe muttered to himself, "If you're still unconscious, maybe I should put you down. I'm getting tired."
He reached to set her down, but the next moment he felt his waist suddenly gripped tightly by two strong legs, making it impossible to put her down.
Looking at her still-closed eyes, he smiled helplessly, "Sister Xia, why so stubborn?"
Xia Wanyun finally opened her eyes. Resting on Xu Yunhe's shoulder, she spoke softly and alluringly, "I just wanted to give this handsome gentleman a little more chance."
Her voice was full of charm and flirtation, half-implying, half-explicit.
If it were someone else, they might already be fuming with anger. But unfortunately for her, Xu Yunhe was a man reborn after losing an arm, a man with unshakable willpower.
He was completely unmoved and said calmly, "I don't understand what you're saying. Since you're awake, get down. After all, men and women shouldn't have inappropriate contact."
Xia Wanyun suddenly acted like she had discovered a new world. Her delicate arms, like water snakes, coiled around Xu Yunhe's neck. She gently bit her cherry lips and pitifully said, "But I'm so weak right now that I can't move. The ground is so dirty. You wouldn't want me lying on it, right?"
Xu Yunhe frowned, pulled out his sword planted nearby, and with a flash of sword light, carved out a smooth flat surface on a large stone.
"Lie here. It's clean."
This time, Xia Wanyun said nothing. She obediently lay down, but was far from calm; her white skin was exposed in large patches. Her phoenix-like eyes locked onto Xu Yunhe like hooks, occasionally teasing him with words.
Xu Yunhe suddenly regretted saving her; it seemed to be a mistake.
The worst part was that he was powerless against her. He simply sat down cross-legged and focused on his sword cultivation, tuning out everything else.
Seeing this, surprise flashed in Xia Wanyun's beautiful eyes. She'd seen many men before, even those old enough to be her grandfather, look at her with desire and possessiveness.
She had used this many times to her advantage, launching effortless attacks on men who all eventually knelt under her pomegranate skirt.
But this time, she had met her match in this obscure nobody and had met defeat.
"I just can't believe it unless you're not a man!" Xia Wanyun gritted her teeth and said fiercely.
...
After several hours, Song Changsheng finally unraveled the pattern and structure of this enormous formation and tried to break it, but with little success.
This also gave him a sudden realization: natural formations cannot be dealt with by the usual methods. Although they are all formations, their essence is very different.
"It seems the only way is to fully comprehend this formation pattern first," Song Changsheng frowned slightly, knowing that such things cannot be rushed. He lightly stepped off the branch and floated down to the ground.
As soon as he returned to the meeting point, he saw Xu Yunhe sitting cross-legged with his eyes closed, surrounded by sword energy, creating a three-zhang (about 10-meter) radius barrier that no one could enter.
Meanwhile, Xia Wanyun, who had woken up some time ago, wore an angry expression. Her gaze toward Xu Yunhe even looked somewhat... resentful.
"What's going on here?" Song Changsheng raised an eyebrow. During his absence, it seemed there was some funny business between these two.
Xia Wanyun noticed Song's arrival and immediately stopped her anger, turning instead into a pitiful look that would easily inspire sympathy.
Unfortunately, Song had long since tagged her as a "temptress" in his mind and was quite wary of her. Her act was like fluttering her eyes at a blind man.
"Sister Xia, do you feel unwell anywhere? I have some healing pills on me," Song said calmly, cupping his hands politely.
Seeing the "new prey" before her, Xia Wanyun changed her approach completely. She lowered her head shyly and said, "Thank you, Daoist, for saving my life. May I ask your name? I will surely repay you handsomely in the future."
"No need for thanks. We came because of the auction house and the city lord's bounty. As for names, we are just passing acquaintances, no need to know each other," Song said with a light smile, seeing through her act.
Xia Wanyun got rejected again and couldn't help feeling a little annoyed, the first time she felt insecure about her looks.
"Are neither of these two men?" she muttered.
Song didn't realize he had already been "expelled from the male registry." He took out the pills he had obtained in the cave and said, "Sister Xia, since you have seen much in the auction house, do you recognize what kind of pill this is?"
Xia Wanyun glanced at it, and her expression immediately changed slightly. Though she tried hard to hide it, Song keenly noticed.
"Please tell me," Song said. He had no knowledge of pill refining and could only tell this pill was not poisonous, but not what it specifically was.
He dared not take an unknown pill, even if it was a precious third-rank pill.
Waves of light shimmered in Xia Wanyun's beautiful eyes as she smiled coquettishly. "I do know this pill. If you want to hear, it's not impossible, but… You have to promise me one condition."
"Oh? Speak, Sister Xia." Song said. If it wasn't too much to ask, he wouldn't mind agreeing.
"I want to know the names of my two benefactors," Xia Wanyun said through clenched teeth. She felt this was her worst day ever after all her flirtation, she still didn't even know their names.
"My name is Song Qingxing, and he is Zhu Yiqun," Song said seriously.
Xia Wanyun didn't doubt him. Taking the pill, she said with a somewhat playful expression, "Daoist Song, this is an aphrodisiac. It also has another name, 'love potion.'"
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