117: Break through the enemy lines!

A silver-white sword light suddenly cut through the sky, accompanied by a shrill wail from high above.

Shen Mobei's Early Third-tier Zhigu Bird, which he had spent years painstakingly nurturing, had already fallen to the ground.

At this point, how could Wen Qingzhu and the others not understand?

It was this spiritual bird, priding itself on stealth and reconnaissance, that had somehow exposed the entire team's tracks and led them into a pre-arranged death trap.

Danger!

This single word exploded in everyone's hearts.

Everyone knew they had fallen into a trap meticulously woven by their opponents, but right now, there wasn't even time for regret.

Several powerful Auras erupted from the surroundings as several Peak Core Formation Cultivators leaped up, their Magic Treasures glowing intensely as they went all out to block the impending attack.

Fortunately, their cooperation was seamless, and the team split into two halves in an instant.

Half of the Cultivators hurriedly formed hand seals, and nine azure walls of light intertwined in front of them—this was the 'Nine Palaces Heavenly Wall Formation,' barely managing to protect the people behind.

The other half poured all their magic power into the Formation eye, and under Fu Yongnian's urgent command, the 'Heaven Burning Evil Slaying Formation' roared into action.

An orange-red fireball the size of a human head condensed, carrying a scorching heat wave as it slammed into the nearest Formation node of the Five Aggregates Startling Evil Formation.

Everything happened in the blink of an eye.

"Boom!"

The moment the Heaven Burning fireball hit the Formation's light screen, red flames splattered everywhere, and a spiderweb-like crack was instantly smashed into the screen.

But before everyone could breathe a sigh of relief, Qi Xiuran had already performed a hand seal, working with over ten other Cultivators to drive the Five Aggregates Startling Evil Formation with all their might.

A grey Malice Blade about ten feet long condensed out of thin air, carrying a life-devouring chill as it slashed toward the Nine Palaces Heavenly Wall Formation!

"Bang!"

The blade glow struck the light shield, the dull thud making the very air tremble.

The light shield shattered upon impact, turning into a sky full of azure light specks. The Cultivators maintaining the Formation felt as if they had been struck heavily; they all spat out blood and were sent flying backward, crashing hard onto the rocks on the ground and kicking up a cloud of dust.

"Huo Linchuan, end this quickly!"

Qi Xiuran's voice carried a hint of urgency. "With only a dozen of us powering the Shocking Malice Formation, that last strike was our limit. We can't hold out for long!"

Although the Five Aggregates Startling Evil Formation covered a radius of fifty miles and possessed both trapping and killing effects...

...with only a dozen people's magic power to support it, it was ultimately insufficient.

"Don't worry, not a single one of them will escape!"

Huo Linchuan laughed heartily, guiding his hand seal as a golden Flying Sword shot out, its blade wrapped in blazing Pure Yang True Fire.

His other hand held a jade seal, with the words 'Evil Slaying' engraved on its surface, radiating a heavy pressure.

Several Yangquan Sect Disciples and Core Formation Cultivators hidden among the Loose Cultivators now reacted as well, attacking the scattering Bitao Sect Cultivators in unison. The glow of Magic Treasures and the fluctuations of Spells intertwined, completely turning this area into a battlefield.

"Again!"

Wen Qingzhu gritted his teeth, his fire-attribute magic power surging wildly. Crimson light flowed through his Meridians and gathered in his palm as he once again guided the Heaven Burning Evil Slaying Formation.

A Heaven Burning fireball even larger than before condensed, carrying an Aura that could incinerate everything as it slammed into that crumbling Formation node once more.

If they couldn't break this Five Aggregates Startling Evil Formation, all forty-plus of them would perish here today.

Everyone understood this.

The Cultivators maintaining the Formation endured their injuries and injected magic power once again.

The Cultivators engaging the enemy fought with all their might. Sword lights and Spells collided with the opponent's attacks, each clash accompanied by a massive consumption of magic power.

Su Ling's hand seals changed rapidly as three pitch-black Peak Third-tier beast souls quickly condensed, lunging with bared fangs and claws at a Peak Core Formation Cultivator from the Yangquan Sect.

At the same time, the phantom of a coiling dragon bell appeared before him. He activated the Rushing Thunder Steps, his body turning into an afterimage as he vanished in a flash with the thunder shadow sword.

In just a breath, he slit the throat of a Late-stage Core Formation Loose Cultivator with a single sword strike. Before the blood could even splatter, it was evaporated by the power of lightning.

The strongest, Luo Xuanxiao, wore a set of Purple-Gold Battle Armor with fine defensive Formation patterns etched onto the plates. His hands were equipped with claw-like Magic Treasures that glinted with a cold light.

Facing the Pure Yang Flying Sword shot by Huo Linchuan, he didn't retreat but instead advanced, his claws slamming heavily against the sword's blade. The sound of clashing metal was extremely piercing, and the Flying Sword was knocked backward.

In such a critical moment, no one dared to hold back. Only by doing their utmost to kill the opponent could they find a slim chance of survival.

"Boom!"

Another Heaven Burning fireball exploded, and the light screen of the Five Aggregates Startling Evil Formation finally couldn't hold on. It cracked inch by inch and, in the next moment, dissolved into a sky full of spiritual light and dissipated into the air.

With the Formation broken, the surrounding scene was completely exposed to everyone's Divine Sense.

But before they could feel any joy, two teams of Cultivators appearing in the distant sky immediately caused everyone's hearts to sink to rock bottom.

Of those two teams of Cultivators, one was suffused with Pure Yang Qi and the other had Formation patterns faintly visible; they were clearly the enemy's reinforcements.

When the trapping Formation was first broken, several Peak Core Formation Cultivators who had exchanged for high-grade magic treasures wanted to take the opportunity to counter-attack, but in the current situation, if they didn't leave now, they would only be surrounded and killed.

"Retreat, quickly!"

Wen Qingzhu's face was as heavy as water, his solemn Divine Sense transmission clearly echoing in everyone's minds. "Everyone, it's every man for himself now!"

As he spoke, the crimson flame ring in his hand suddenly erupted with dazzling orange-yellow flames, surging toward the Cultivators of the two sects and forming a wall of fire to block the pursuers.

Meanwhile, he leaped up and, with a flash of his body, dove straight into the dense ancient forest nearby, using the trees as cover to escape quickly.

"Oh? It's actually the Gold-Melting Spirit Fire!"

Qi Xiuran's eyes lit up. Such a spirit fire was of great benefit for refining metal magic treasures; how could he let it go?

Casually putting away the scattered Formation Flags, two miniature Formation patterns suddenly appeared on his feet beneath his Taoist robe—these were the Wuyun Sect's 'Shrinking Earth Formation Patterns.'

In an instant, his figure turned into an earthy-yellow afterimage, shooting toward the direction Wen Qingzhu had fled.

Qi Fei, Qi Yan, Fu Yongnian... the Bitao Faction Cultivators, whose overall strength had soared after digesting their previous gains, were now all fleeing frantically in different directions like stray dogs, with a continuous stream of pursuers behind them.

Su Ling and Luo Xuanxiao glanced at each other. The two had teamed up many times before and had long since developed a silent understanding.

Luo Xuanxiao's claws forced Huo Linchuan back once again, while Su Ling used the thunder shadow sword to release a bolt of lightning, temporarily blocking the pursuers.

Taking the opportunity, the two of them shot off in the same direction.

The short-term burst speed of a lightning-attribute movement technique was not inferior to that of a high-grade magic treasure Flying Boat.

But Huo Linchuan's Divine Sense had already firmly locked onto the two of them. He directly sacrificed a golden Flying Boat, his speed suddenly increasing as he led three Yangquan Sect Cultivators in a tailing pursuit.

Meanwhile, the two teams of Cultivators who had come to reinforce them also turned in unison, chasing after the direction Su Ling and Luo Xuanxiao were fleeing.

In an instant, sword lights flickered and Spells roared within the ancient forest.

A hunt by the Yangquan Sect and Wuyun Sect Cultivators against the Bitao Sect Cultivators had officially begun.