The forest shadows danced under the flickering light, streams babbled nearby, and the occasional roars of wild beasts echoed through the trees, filling the dense woods with a primal, untamed atmosphere.
But Lingzhou was far more than just a primeval forest. Ferocious carnivorous beasts, spirit-ranked monsters, and even spirit beasts that had gained sentience roamed freely throughout the land.
Even seasoned cultivators risked death traveling through such terrain let alone ordinary mortals.
Unwilling to delay their journey, Song Luding and the others pressed forward swiftly without pause.
Yet hidden within the swaying shadows of the trees, figures cloaked in black had already formed a trap around them, waiting to strike like a snare ready to snap shut.
Suddenly, Song Changsheng furrowed his brows, and his instincts stirred. He glanced around warily and said to Song Luding beside him, "Uncle, I've got a bad feeling like we're being watched."
"Is that so?" Song Luding's heart sank. A cultivator's intuition was rarely wrong. Although he hadn't noticed anything unusual, he trusted Song Changsheng's judgment.
Quietly, he retrieved a yellowed talisman from his storage pouch and whispered, "If anything happens, take the children and flee immediately. We'll hold them off."
"No!" Song Changsheng refused firmly. "How can a son of the Song clan abandon his comrades on the battlefield? I will fight at your side."
"Foolish! These children are the future of the Song clan. Your duty is to get them back safely this is an order!" Song Luding snapped, his tone grim.
Song Changsheng's expression shifted several times before he finally gave a reluctant nod.
Only then did Song Luding ease slightly. In truth, he hadn't voiced the thought weighing most on his mind Song Changsheng was the most important among them. As long as he survived and returned, the rest of them could be sacrificed without regret.
Hidden under the dense shadows, the masked man curled his lips into a cold, cruel smile and shouted, "Attack!"
Boom!
A crimson light erupted above their heads, descending like a blood sea suspended in the sky, saturated with murderous intent.
"Hah!"
Prepared for this, Song Luding activated his talisman without hesitation. The yellowed paper burst into ash, releasing a dazzling sword light that tore the blood sea in half and dispersed it into nothingness.
"A Tier-2 low-grade Heavenly Sword Talisman? This old bastard carries something like that!" the masked man growled, his ambush foiled and his face twisted with rage.
The surprise attack had failed now they had no choice but to fight head-on.
The black-robed assailants emerged from all sides, their bodies radiating thick, sinister killing intent that sent flocks of birds scattering in fright.
"Demonic cultivators…" Song Luding's heart sank as he watched the enemies slowly approach.
There were ten of them in total. Four were at the late stage of Qi Refinement, and the masked leader stood at its peak. They were outmatched.
Though they had anticipated danger, none of them panicked. Only the children, terrified and trembling, huddled together none of them had ever seen a scene like this.
"Brother, what should we do now?" Song Luzi asked calmly, long sword in hand and face grave.
"We've already sent a distress signal to Fifth Elder. We'll hold them off long enough for Changsheng to escape with the children."
Song Luzi said nothing, only nodded solemnly.
Song Changjiu and Song Changying exchanged a nervous glance. Fear flickered in their eyes, but they knew they had no choice.
"You vile demons! Our Song clan's Foundation Establishment Elder is only two hundred li away. You're courting death!" Song Luding shouted.
"The Song clan? Worthless trash," the masked man sneered with disdain and casually waved his hand.
"Kill them!"
The black-robed cultivators charged forward like tigers unleashed, spells and magical weapons filling the air like a storm.
Song Changsheng immediately summoned his Water-Fire Gourd, unleashing a surge of blazing fire that forced back several attackers.
"Changsheng, don't stay to fight! Go now!" Song Luding bellowed, a great cauldron floating above his head as he clashed with the masked man.
Song Changsheng cast a final, reluctant glance toward the battlefield, then swept his sleeve, wrapping the terrified children in spiritual energy. He darted through the gap in the encirclement like a shooting star.
"Don't let them escape!" the masked man barked.
Five black-robed cultivators instantly broke away from the fight and gave chase toward the fleeing group.
"Damn it! Stop them!" Song Luding shouted anxiously.
But they were already at a disadvantage, and trying to block the demonic cultivators was easier said than done. Song Luzi fought desperately and managed to hold back a Qi Refining eighth-layer enemy, but could only watch helplessly as the remaining four gave chase.
Song Luding was both furious and anxious, trying to break away from the battle, but the masked man's attacks were ruthless and relentless, leaving him no chance to disengage.
Meanwhile, Song Changsheng sped through the forest with the children, his heart filled with frustration. Why wasn't he stronger? On his very first journey down the mountain, he was being hunted like a stray dog.
Seeing the pursuers gaining on them, Song Changsheng realized that continuing like this was not a viable option. With so many people to protect, he had no speed advantage at all.
"One at the ninth layer of Qi Refining, one at the eighth, and two at the fourth? They think highly of me," Song Changsheng muttered grimly.
Whoosh
He pulled out a bunch of talismans he had exchanged for before the journey and hurled them toward the pursuers behind him.
He didn't expect the talismans to do much damage he just needed to slow them down.
Sure enough, the dozen or so talismans threw the enemies into brief disarray. Taking advantage of the chaos, Song Changsheng activated a Swift Movement Talisman, instantly widening the distance between them.
Trees and rocks blurred past as he raced ahead, his mind working furiously. In the end, he decided to make a last stand. If he could set up a formation, he might still have a chance.
Sweeping his spiritual sense across the surroundings, he finally spotted a cave and rushed over. He ushered all fourteen children inside and said sternly, "No matter what happens, don't come out. Don't make a sound. Understood?"
He left behind all the food and water he had, then quickly pulled out a set of formation flags and arranged them at the cave entrance, creating a Tier-1 High-Grade Concealment Array.
No one below the peak of Qi Refining would be able to detect it. All he needed was to buy a little more time his mother would arrive soon. Once she did, the children would be safe.
With everything in place, Song Changsheng ran off in the opposite direction. As expected, it didn't take long for the demonic cultivators to catch sight of him again.
"You little bastard, you sure can run. Speak! Where did you hide those brats?" the Qi Refining ninth-layer cultivator growled coldly.
"Hmph, that's none of your business!" Song Changsheng snapped back, flinging twelve formation flags into the air. The flags quickly fused into the ground around him in a precise and intricate pattern.
He held his breath and focused. With every step he took, faint formation lines flickered on the ground beneath him.
"Damn it! He's setting up a formation kill him now!" the lead cultivator shouted, swinging a pitch-black chain that transformed into a venomous serpent lunging at Song Changsheng's face.
The others also unleashed their magical tools, all targeting Song Changsheng's vital points.
In response, he summoned a small silver-white shield a Tier-1 Mid-Grade Magical Tool: Water Element Shield. Once activated, it transformed into a large water barrier that blocked all incoming attacks with remarkable resilience.
He followed up by activating his gourd again, spewing a torrent of searing flames that turned the area into a sea of fire, throwing his enemies into chaos.
Despite the onslaught, his movements remained steady. As he darted about, lines of formation patterns gradually linked all the flags together. Then he took out ten spirit stones and threw them into precise positions.
With a flash of radiant light, the Tier-1 High-Grade Fiery Sun Formation was complete!