At this moment, Song Wanníng and her companions had also blended into the crowd. As they searched, they whispered complaints about Huo Jinchuan's actions.
"I heard the City Lord's son has already fallen. Now the City Lord is offering a bounty of a hundred thousand mid-grade spirit stones just to take Huo Jinchuan's head."
"Tsk, this time Huo Jinchuan is really finished. He just had to prey on outstanding cultivators. Isn't that the same as shoving himself straight into a dead end?"
Even demon cultivators knew to target cultivators with no backing. If such people vanished, no one would care.
But Huo Jinchuan had been brazen beyond reason.
"Maybe he never thought his actions would be exposed."
"I heard the Huo family is already in a complete mess. That matter with the foreign cultivator hasn't been resolved yet, and now something this big happened inside their own walls. I think the Huo family's Luck must have turned sour."
"They say even the Murong family has sent people."
The surrounding cultivators spoke without restraint. Even though Huo Yang was at the bottom of the cliff, no one bothered to lower their voices.
Song Wanníng raised her brows slightly. So Huo Jinchuan had truly backed himself into a corner. This time, there would be no coming back for him.
The deeper they went, the more her expression grew grave. That ominous sensation pressed heavier and heavier on her.
"The formation should be close. Huo Jinchuan must be hiding nearby!" Baili Shang had sensed the aura of a formation and sent a voice transmission to Song Wanníng.
"Good. In a moment, we'll walk into it on our own. I'll cover you when the time comes." Song Wanníng nodded. Everything would be decided in this one move.
—
Meanwhile, inside a cave, Huo Jinchuan had calmed down. He had just spotted Huo Yang.
"Heh… after hundreds of years, I finally have a chance to settle this blood debt."
With the path ahead blocked, Huo Yang had no choice but to enter the formation. And with so many cultivators trailing behind him, this was heaven's favor.
Soon, the group led by Huo Yang found the way blocked by a solid wall of stone.
"Weren't we told Huo Jinchuan was at the bottom of the cliff? How is it we've searched everywhere and found no one? Or is there some restriction here?"
Elder Murong frowned, scanning the area. His expression turned increasingly sour. He searched twice over and still found no sign of any restriction. He turned sharply toward Huo Yang. "Huo Yang, did you send him a warning so he could escape? No wonder you've been so calm all this time. You were in league with him from the start, weren't you?
I'm telling you now, if you don't hand him over, be ready to face the full wrath of my Murong family!" The elder could not help but doubt Huo Yang's intentions. After all, Huo Jinchuan was his treasured son—Huo Yang could hardly be expected to let him die.
"I never warned him of anything!"
Huo Yang's brows snapped together. His eyes, however, stayed fixed ahead. According to the map, Huo Jinchuan really was at the cliff's bottom. That stone wall had to be hiding something.
He stepped forward, inspecting it closely.
"Still putting on a show? Tell us where Huo Jinchuan is! If you don't, I'll report this to the family right now!"
Elder Murong was convinced Huo Yang was acting. He pressed the threat again.
But Huo Yang ignored him entirely, focused only on the wall before him.
More and more people began to gather—including Song Wanníng and her group—stepping right into the formation's range.
At that moment, Huo Jinchuan's eyes were locked on the formation's edge, ready to activate it as soon as the crowd was large enough. Then his gaze caught Song Wanníng and Baili Shang.
His face shifted—then broke into elation.
"Hahahaha! Heaven truly favors me! Heaven favors me!"
He had been racking his brain over how to lure them into the formation. And now, the two had delivered themselves right to his door. Nothing could have pleased him more. It had to be the Luck he'd absorbed before. Everything was going so smoothly.
Greed flashed in his eyes. The instant the two stepped fully inside, he activated the formation. He would sacrifice everyone else if it meant making sure they could not escape. A shimmer of light spread out, enveloping everyone. Cries of alarm erupted. Faces paled.
"A formation?"
"Run!"
The first instinct of most cultivators was to bolt, but no matter how they attacked, the barrier did not budge in the slightest.
Even Huo Yang and Elder Murong's combined strikes failed to stir it in the least. After several rounds of assault, there was not even a ripple.
"What now? What is this?"
"Could this be a trap Huo Jinchuan laid? What is he trying to do?"
Panic began to spread. Everyone had come for profit, not to die here.
"Patriarch Huo, hurry and let us out!"
All eyes turned on Huo Yang. After all, Huo Jinchuan was his son. Surely he wouldn't harm them all.
Huo Yang's expression had grown thunderous. He glared at the barrier, not even noticing Song Wanníng among the crowd. Inwardly, he cursed Huo Jinchuan for daring to spring such a trap.
"This formation feels strange…" Elder Murong's unease deepened. There was something unnatural about it.
"Huo Yang, get Huo Jinchuan to release the formation. If this blows up, forget him—you'll be dragged down with him."
His tone had softened into persuasion.
But Huo Yang's voice turned low and hoarse. "You'll be disappointed. The one he wants to kill most right now is me."
No sooner had he spoken than the stone wall slid open. A slightly disheveled figure stepped out—it was Huo Jinchuan.
"Huo Jinchuan! Dispel the formation right now!"
"Yeah! Let us out or you'll regret it!"
The crowd shouted threats the instant they saw him. Trapped in here, they were lambs to the slaughter. Every second was dangerous.
Elder Murong's brows furrowed. "Huo Jinchuan, don't be stubborn. Let us go and there's still room to negotiate."
He studied the young man who had once been a favored prodigy. Now, his aura was chaotic and unstable. Something was very wrong.
"Heh. In my hands, and you still think to threaten me?"
Mockery curled across Huo Jinchuan's lips. These people were laughable. His gaze slid past Huo Yang as though he didn't exist, fixing instead on Song Wanníng and Baili Shang.
"It's been a long time, you two."
His eyes gleamed with absolute certainty.
Song Wanníng gave a small laugh. "It has been a while. Funny how in just a year, our Young Master Huo has turned into a street rat everyone wants to beat."
She shook her head, letting out a theatrical sigh.
"What a pity…"