116: Surprise attack, counter-encirclement!

"Old Fu, scout the surroundings again."

Wen Qingzhu's fingers twisted into a Daoist seal, his brow furrowed slightly as he said in a heavy voice, "Since we've already encountered Wuyun Sect Disciples, there's no way there's only one Formation laid here."

"Naturally."

The formation eye compass in Fu Yongnian's palm glowed with a faint blue light, its needle spinning rapidly across the plate.

He led the group, their toes barely touching the ground as they moved in mysterious footwork, constantly shifting positions. After bypassing three or four hidden Warning Formations and Entrapment Formations, they finally stopped behind a withered forest.

Five miles ahead was the battlefield, where a fierce fight was in full swing.

"The battlefield covers a thirty-mile radius. Excluding the corpses on the ground, there are eighty-seven surviving Cultivators!"

Shen Mobei closed his eyes in concentration and murmured.

High in the clouds, an ink-feathered Zhigu Bird circled with its wings spread, transmitting the entire scene of the battlefield into his Sea of Consciousness.

As he finished speaking, he had already sent the information to everyone's ears using a Sound Transmission Art.

"Does anyone have a strategy?"

Wen Qingzhu's gaze swept over the several leaders beside him. His robes fluttered slightly in the night wind, and his expression remained calm.

"Along the way, we've only broken small Warning and Entrapment Formations."

Fu Yongnian stared at the chaotic Aura on the compass, his tone grave. "But the Formations the Wuyun Sect has laid here are far beyond imagination. I cannot say for sure if there are more dangerous Killing Formations hidden."

"Ha, why be so troublesome!"

Qi Fei slapped Su Ling's shoulder boisterously and grinned. "Let Brother Han's ten thousand souls banner lead the way first, then we'll sweep through with Formations and wipe out those lively Cultivators in one go—it'll be easy! Once this battle is over, I'll get you a batch of remnant souls above the third rank to ensure the power of your ten thousand souls banner increases significantly!"

At those words, everyone's gaze fell squarely on Su Ling.

Su Ling shrugged, his fingers carelessly brushing the black banner hanging from his waist as he spoke nonchalantly, "I have no objection, but right now the ten thousand souls banner is mostly filled with second rank remnant souls. Its power is limited, so don't have too high expectations."

"In that case, we will proceed according to the plan!"

Wen Qingzhu nodded heavily. Before his voice even faded, the group had already scattered like swallows, vanishing into the surrounding shadows... In the center of the battlefield, the Yangquan Sect Disciples were surrounded by blazing Pure Yang True Fire, their Dharma Swords slashing out arcs of golden-white Sword Qi.

The opposing Wuyun Sect legacy disciples acted as Formation eyes themselves, with several jade talismans carved with Formation patterns floating around them, striking out with Formation light from time to time to block the Pure Yang Sword Qi.

Even though some had blood spilling from the corners of their mouths and their faces were as pale as paper, the Battle Intent in their eyes remained searing.

Corpses lay scattered across the ground, but they were all Loose Cultivators who had been caught up in the battle.

Within moments, another dozen or so Loose Cultivators perished in the collision of Spells, their screams swallowed by the roaring sounds.

The gazes of the two leaders, who were in the heat of battle, collided in the Void Realm.

"Qi Xiuran, how much longer are you going to drag this out?"

Huo Linchuan, the Yangquan Sect Disciple in gold-patterned black robes, sent a Divine Soul transmission laced with impatience.

Qi Xiuran wore an earthy yellow Daoist robe, the Five Elements Formation patterns embroidered on his collar and cuffs shimmering during the fight.

He gave a faint smile and replied via transmission, "Brother Huo, please be patient. It's just some Loose Cultivators falling; consider it as gathering some points for the Sect's Junior Brothers."

"Hmph, if our losses are too great and we don't end up catching that fish, my Yangquan Sect will never participate in your Wuyun Sect's plans again!"

Huo Linchuan snorted coldly, suppressing the urge to sweep his Divine Sense over the surroundings.

He knew that any slight movement now might alert the target.

"My spirit-detection formation plate could never be wrong..."

A touch of pride curled Qi Xiuran's lips, but in the next second, his expression suddenly froze. He abruptly looked up toward the sky. "They're here!"

Just as he finished speaking, a black cloud as thick as ink silently drifted over the battlefield.

In an instant, thousands of remnant souls surged out from the black cloud, letting out shrill shrieks as they pounced on the fighting Cultivators below like a swarm of locusts.

"It's remnant souls!"

"Could it be that Cultivators of the Demonic Path have arrived?"

"No, there's something in the black cloud—it's a Magic Treasure!"

A sharp-eyed Cultivator caught a glimpse of the large black banner faintly visible in the black cloud and immediately cried out in alarm.

But before they could react, even stronger Formation fluctuations emanated from all directions.

Fire erupted like lava, thunder surged like silver snakes, and Wind Blades fell as thick as a rainstorm, all crashing toward the legacy disciples of the two Sects in the center of the battlefield!

Wen Qingzhu and the others knew very well that those capable of leading so many Loose Cultivators must be Disciples at the Peak Core Formation Stage.

Therefore, with the first wave of the Formation raid, they directly targeted these highest combat powers on the battlefield.

"Hmph, you dare to show off Formations in front of my Wuyun Sect? How pretentious!"

Facing the dense incoming Wind Blades, Qi Xiuran snorted coldly. With a flick of his wrist, seven Formation Flags suddenly flew out and planted themselves into the Formation eyes on the ground.

Simultaneously, several nearby Wuyun Sect Disciples also threw out Formation Flags in a fluid motion.

Even more bizarrely, the Yangquan Sect Disciples who had been fighting them did not take the opportunity to attack. Instead, they flickered and moved beside the Formation Flags, pouring pure Pure Yang magic power into them like a tide!

The roar of the Formation activating made the ground tremble slightly.

Several earthy yellow light barriers of immense range rose from the ground, blocking the front like an iron wall.

*Bang! Bang! Bang!*

The dense Wind Blades and fire crashed against the light barriers, but they failed to leave even a single crack.

"It's the Great Five Elements Barrier Formation!"

"Not good! We've walked into a trap! They're actually on the same side!"

Fu Yongnian recognized the Formation immediately. His face changed drastically as he cried out in alarm.

"Retreat!"

Wen Qingzhu's face was as dark as water. Without the slightest hesitation, he immediately issued the order to withdraw.

But at that moment, several powerful Divine Senses had already entangled them like chains, firmly locking onto them as they were exposed by the activation of their Formations.

"Want to leave? Too late!"

Huo Linchuan laughed loudly, his figure suddenly soaring high as his hands formed seals.

A massive Pure Yang Dharma Seal rapidly condensed above his head, golden light blooming like a scorching sun, instantly incinerating the pouncing remnant souls.

In the next moment, the Pure Yang Dharma Seal transformed into a palm the size of a mountain, pressing down heavily on Wen Qingzhu and the others with an Aura that crushed everything!

*Boom!*

A purple thunderous fist shadow blasted out from the side, colliding violently with the Pure Yang palm print.

The two massive forces of magic power exploded in the air, forming a visible shockwave that rippled outward.

"Five Aggregates Startling Evil Formation, activate!"

At that moment, Qi Xiuran's voice rang out again.

His hands quickly formed seals, and the several Wuyun Sect Disciples behind him, along with several Late-stage and Peak Core Formation Cultivators hidden among the Loose Cultivators, also raised their hands to form seals.

Several Magic Treasures radiating the colors of the Five Elements floated into the air, embedding themselves into the Formation nodes on the ground like meteors.

In just an instant, a massive Formation covering a fifty-mile radius had completely taken shape!

"Dammit!"

The Crimson Flame Ring at Wen Qingzhu's waist suddenly flew out, igniting with raging crimson flames like a small sun, slamming heavily into the Formation light barrier that was about to close ahead.

*Boom!*

After the violent roar, the Formation light barrier remained unmoved; even its glow hadn't dimmed in the slightest.

"Impossible!"

Fu Yongnian's face was extremely grim. He gripped the compass tightly, his voice trembling with disbelief. "The Five Aggregates Startling Evil Formation requires at least dozens of Core Formation Cultivators working together to lay down. They... they must have carved the Formation long ago, just waiting for this moment to activate it!"