Chapter 104: Halfway there

As evening fell, inside a structure built into the middle of a mountain in Yuanwu Prefecture's Lu Family, Lu Xilou received a message.

The message from the sound transmission stone read: [The Third Patrol Team encountered Demonic Path Cultivators in the Thousand Leaf Forest. Requesting Foundation Establishment Cultivators from the Lu and Zhu Families for aid!]

Lu Xilou sent a message to Zhu Zelin, and then the two met up on the road.

Along the way, both were extremely worried they might not arrive in time before the people there were gone.

The patrol was led by a Ninth Layer of Qi Refining Cultivator from his Lu Family, and Zhu Baiyao, a Zhu Family Eighth Level of Qi Refining Cultivator; both were vital pillars of their respective families, so the two were very tense!

As they passed through the dense forest, neither spoke. This time, they wondered if there would be another Chen Li!

They were already approaching the Thousand Leaf Forest when suddenly a loud shout came from the sound transmission stone: [Don't come]!!

After that, there was silence.

Lu Xilou recognized the voice—it was his Sixth Brother?

A shock pierced his mind. The natal jade tablet of his Sixth Brother in his chest instantly cracked. The urge to rush forward immediately halted!

At this moment, Zhu Zelin noticed Lu Xilou's expression.

"What's wrong?"

"My Sixth Brother's natal jade tablet has broken!"

"Ah?"

Zhu Zelin also felt a pang of sorrow. If the Lu Family's Ninth Layer of Qi Refining Cultivator was dead, did that mean his family's matriarch, Zhu Baiyao, was also gone? Were there any survivors in the Third Patrol Squad?

Both were filled with grief, but they knew this was not the time for sorrow. This was when they were needed; they had to pull themselves together.

They immediately assumed a fighting stance. Just as they hesitated about whether to advance, a massive Formation filled with Devilish Qi suddenly rose, instantly enveloping an area of six hundred meters centered on them!

The two were instantly alarmed. Suddenly, a figure appeared ahead—it was Luo Sheng, who had undergone Possession!

Lu Xilou finally understood his Sixth Brother's message: [Don't come].

Zhu Zelin also recognized Luo Sheng and was greatly shocked, recalling how they had jointly besieged these two several years ago!

The two exchanged a look, both discerning the gravity in the other's eyes. This was a premeditated trap by Demonic Path Cultivators aimed specifically at them!

Luo Sheng burst into laughter, unleashing the strength of a Foundation Establishment Middle Stage Demonic Path Cultivator, looking at them as if they were two mere prey.

"A Foundation Establishment Cultivator from the Lu Family, and one from the Zhu Family too. The first step is successful!"

Inside the Formation, the two had already condensed Soul-type spells. Ever since Chen Li slew a Demonic Path Cultivator last time, many people had been choosing to Cultivate Soul-type Cultivation Techniques or buyingSoul-suppressing Talisman (Soul-Suppressing Talismans) during this period.

The two began using Fourth-Grade wall-breaking talismans, blasting at one corner. Five Talismans erupted with a huge sound; the demonic Formation shook a few times but still failed to break even a corner!

"Stop wasting your effort. With your Early Foundation Establishment Stage means, you cannot break my [Myriad Blood Soul-Bewitching Formation]."

However, Lu Xilou was not panicking. After being trapped by Huang Jin's Tiangang Formation last time, he had learned his lesson and spent a fortune to buy two Fifth-Grade wall-breaking talismans!

These possessed the explosive power equivalent to two attacks from a Late Foundation Establishment Stage expert!

Suddenly, a figure flew out from behind Luo Sheng—it was the An Family Head.

However, the An Family Head's clothes were somewhat singed, and his hair was quite dishevelled.

Luo Sheng saw him from afar, frowning slightly. He was a dozen seconds later than expected. He secretly transmitted a message using his Divine Sense from a distance.

"What happened?"

The An Family Head explained: "It started smoothly. After deliberately letting them send out their distress transmission messages, I activated the Demonic Path Formation. They quickly couldn't hold on.

But one Ninth Layer of Qi Refining Cultivator faked his death. The moment I entered the Formation, the other party immediately sent a transmission!

That Ninth Layer of Qi Refining Cultivator was ruthless. Using those four dead Cultivators as cover, he secretly placed the Formation Flags. He unleashed the Formation's attack, even though he himself was under attack by the Formation—that was ruthless. I was also injured in that wave; the power was considerable, but it was only a Third-Grade Formation. However, they had set up two sets, which wasted some time!"

Luo Sheng understood. It was a pity so much time was wasted. Fortunately, there were no Late Foundation Establishment Stage attack methods inside the Formation. Just as the An Family Head was preparing to approach Luo Sheng, two loud bangs echoed, and a large hole instantly appeared in one corner of the Formation!

Lu Xilou and Zhu Zelin instantly escaped through this large hole.

A dozen seconds earlier, before the An Family Head arrived, Lu Xilou inside the Formation had secretly transmitted a message to Zhu Zelin.

So, Lu Xilou secretly took out the two Fifth-Grade wall-breaking talismans, then blasted them toward one corner. The two tacitly and quickly escaped.

The moment they escaped, Luo Sheng was stunned. The other side actually possessed Fifth-Grade wall-breaking talismans! If the An Family Head had arrived slightly faster, and both sides maintained the Formation's energy, two Fifth-Grade wall-breaking talismans might not have been able to blast such a large hole!

Luo Sheng instantly thought of the Thousand Thunder Array, which reminded him of that Chen Li. This time, Chen Li had ruined his grand plan again!

The moment Lu Xilou and Zhu Zelin escaped, they did not choose to fight head-on. Instead, they used transmissions to inform the patrolling Foundation Establishment Cultivators from the Yang Family and Luo Family.

The two instantly created distance between themselves and the Demonic Path Cultivators, preventing close-quarters entanglement!

Their goal was simple: stall until reinforcements arrived!

The An Family Head looked apologetically at Luo Sheng. This good show had been ruined! Only the first half succeeded!

The two also knew the game was up. They retracted the Formation, activated two Talismans, transformed into two streams of black mist, and fled toward the Boundless Forest!

... ...

Lu Xilou and Zhu Zelin escaped a calamity, but some people did not. Lu Family's Ninth Layer of Qi Refining Cultivator, his Sixth Brother, died. Zhu Family's Eighth Level of Qi Refining Cultivator, his matriarch Zhu Baiyao, died, as did the Cultivators from the other three families.

After the battle subsided and peace returned, the regret always remained with the survivors!

They had to face this reality.

Cultivators painstakingly nurtured by the family, who had finally Cultivated to the Ninth Layer of Qi Refining or Eighth Level of Qi Refining, were tricked to death just like that!

At this moment, their hatred for the Demonic Path Cultivators reached its peak!

The two walked with heavy steps toward the location where the An Family Head had set up the ambush.

They saw the Formation Flags beneath the corpses of the four Cultivators—eight flags in total, set up in two sets, with two flags planted by each person!

The scene was tragic. Lu Xilou could only find some singed remnants of his Sixth Brother's clothing.

He could already imagine what had happened! If the An Family Head had arrived in time, the fate of the two of them would have been uncertain!

Both Foundation Establishment Cultivators wore expressions of deep sorrow. Lu Xilou's eyes were red, while Zhu Zelin personally packed up his matriarch's remains, his hands trembling slightly!

Fifteen minutes later, the Foundation Establishment Cultivators called from the Yang Family and Luo Family arrived—six in total. Seeing the tragic scene, they all frowned!

Lu Xilou and Zhu Zelin, suppressing their emotions, reported the situation to these six people!

A few minutes later.

"Where did those two Demonic Path Cultivators who ambushed you two set up? The aura here is too chaotic. Let's go there to see if we can collect the auras of those two Demonic Path Cultivators!"

Lu Xilou and Zhu Zelin led them to the place where Luo Sheng had ambushed them. The group took out a spirit hound—it was the Soul-Chasing Dog used to track Luo Sheng and the other two years ago!

The dog seemed to catch a familiar scent and barked a few times in the direction of the Boundless Forest!

The group felt a bit of surprise!

Lu Xilou and Zhu Zelin immediately stated they wanted to join the pursuit. After collecting the relics from the scene, the two followed the six people, forming an eight-person Foundation Establishment force to search for Luo Sheng and the An Family Head in the Boundless Forest!