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The four of them left Chu Jicheng and moved far enough away before gathering together again. Ku Zulan released a large Flying Artifact, carrying the four of them as they flew toward their meeting point.
In a mountain hollow covered by a large Defensive Array, the view from the outside revealed a series of undulating mountains. Xunuo silently observed the companions who had already gathered. Including Xunuo, there were a total of ten Cultivators present, all of whom were at the Eleven Layers Peak level. Additionally, three others were lurking outside Jinghai Sect, ready to notify them as soon as there was news about the Merchant Alliance Delegation.
Xunuo recognized Thunderstorm and an old woman named Liu Yamei, while he knew nothing about the others. However, Mei Sanli quickly introduced everyone, and it seemed he had already mentioned Xunuo's name before. Upon hearing Xunuo's name, the others clasped their fists in greeting, showing signs of having long admired him.
The other four Cultivators possessed magical powers that were not inferior to Thunderstorm's, indicating they were formidable Loose Cultivators. However, one of them named Zhao Yihe raised a warning signal in Xunuo's heart. Yet, Xunuo only cast a meaningful glance at him without saying anything further. After introductions, everyone found a clean spot to sit and rest while waiting for news.
Days later, a Sound Transmission Talisman appeared in Mei Sanli's hand. After glancing at it, he exclaimed loudly, "They have already left via Route Two. We must hurry to set up an ambush at Willow Valley."
As soon as Mei Sanli finished speaking, Ku Zulan released his large Flying Artifact. The group of Zhu Xiu became flustered as they jumped onto the Flying Artifact; the formation master still needed to retract the formation. Moments later, the Flying Artifact soared into the sky toward their designated location. Not long after taking off, another Sound Transmission Talisman appeared in Mei Sanli's hand. Upon seeing it, his expression changed. "Stop! Something has happened."
Ku Zulan hurriedly halted the Flying Artifact. At that moment, Mei Sanli reached out and grabbed another Sound Transmission Talisman. After a moment, he frowned and looked at Zhu Xiu. "There has been a change in plans; they are splitting into three Flying Artifacts and taking three different routes back to Cloud City. We have two options: one is to intercept one target; if successful, we will have no worries, but the chance of obtaining the Foundation Pill is only thirty percent. The other option is to split into three teams and intercept them separately; while this increases our risk significantly, if successful, we would have a hundred percent certainty of obtaining the Foundation Pill. We need to make a decision quickly; I lean towards splitting up for interception—what do you all think?"
Mei Sanli's words left Zhu Xiu speechless and drenched in cold sweat. With over ten Cultivators jointly intercepting the Merchant Alliance Delegation, some teammates might be used as auxiliary support; however, if they split up for interception, each person could potentially face a Foundation Stage Cultivator alone. It was truly perilous.
This was equally bad news for Xunuo. Based on previously gathered information, this time the Merchant Alliance's force sent to Jinghai Sect to escort the Foundation Pill was relatively weak. Of course, this was related to their complete eradication of Yama Palace Cultivators and also due to the Merchant Alliance's cautious approach to avoid drawing attention from Evil Cultivators. Splitting such a relatively weak force into three teams seemed unbelievable to Xunuo and made him feel that things were not as simple as they appeared.
Thus, Xunuo preferred concentrating their forces to eliminate one group of the Merchant Alliance rather than risking dispersing their strength for greater danger. However, before Xunuo could express his opinion, Tuba Five was the first to support splitting up to annihilate all three Merchant Alliance Delegations. His viewpoint quickly gained support from most people including Thunderstorm and Liu Yamei. Xunuo understood that these individuals had little time left; this was almost their last opportunity to obtain the Foundation Pill and they had to go all out.
Seeing that most supported splitting up to annihilate the Merchant Alliance Delegation, Mei Sanli then turned his gaze toward those Cultivators who had not yet expressed their opinions. If it were Tuba Five or Thunderstorm’s group, they might not pose much threat to them. However, when Mei Sanli directed his Killing Intent at the other two silent Cultivators, they suddenly felt icy dread and involuntarily agreed. Finally, Mei Sanli smiled oddly and said to Xunuo, "I believe Xue Dao You won't miss this rare opportunity either." Xunuo glanced at him without speaking but simply nodded in agreement.
Mei Sanli divided Zhu Xiu into three teams, starting with the team led by Xunuo. Since Xunuo's formation was intended to serve as the main force for this operation, it was only natural that he would lead this team. The second member assigned by Mei Sanli was Thunderstorm. Xunuo nodded in agreement; it was indeed prudent of him to send someone he trusted to keep an eye on him. Although Xunuo sensed that this mission was fraught with danger, the opportunity to seize the Foundation Pill might not come again, so he had no intention of backing out. The next teammate assigned to Xunuo was surprisingly Zhao Yihe, which made Xunuo hesitate but ultimately he could not refuse.
As Mei Sanli prepared to assign another teammate to Xunuo, he suddenly said, "I want Liu Canghai."
Mei Sanli did not object and nodded, saying, "Xue Dao You, your ambush point is located further back, but since it's a straight path, you might be the first to engage. I initially intended for Tu Ba to assist you in swiftly eliminating the opponents in that direction because if the allies on the other two routes cannot defeat their enemies, they will need to retreat towards you, drawing the opponents into your area and relying on Xue Dao You's formation to eliminate them. However, since Xue Dao You chose Liu Canghai, it may not be a bad choice after all."
Xunuo chose Liu Canghai as a teammate because he still had some trust in him. Thunderstorm was a close ally of Mei Sanli; no matter what happened, he would always stand by Mei Sanli's side first. Zhao Yihe was someone Xunuo trusted the least. If he did not select a more reliable teammate, he would have little confidence in this mission. As for drawing defeated allies towards himself, Xunuo had no objections. As long as he could quickly eliminate the opponents on this route and then confront the enemies separately, it would actually be an easier task. Moreover, any Cultivator who died within his formation would have their spoils belong solely to him; others would not be able to claim them. Xunuo even thought he might take the opportunity to acquire an extra Foundation Pill.
In the second team led by Mei Sanli, he only named Li Yamei and a thin Cultivator as his assistants while the remaining six Cultivators formed another team. Once the teams were finalized, Mei Sanli sent out three Sound Transmission Talismans to notify three allies waiting around Jinghai Sect to meet at different locations. Zhu Xiu then split into three Flying Artifacts and quickly went their separate ways.
The three members of Xunuo's team boarded a Flying Vessel released by Thunderstorm. This artifact had limited capacity but decent speed. Along the way, Thunderstorm asked about the status of the formation that Xunuo had crafted. Although there was no need for Xunuo to keep secrets regarding its effectiveness against enemies, explaining it in detail to someone like Thunderstorm—who lacked expertise—was difficult. He could only provide a general overview of its power.
After listening for a while, Zhao Yihe suddenly said, "Is this formation of Xue Dao You perhaps the Heaven and Earth Four Killing Formation?"
Upon hearing this, Xunuo couldn't help but regard him with newfound respect. To deduce such a specific formation from just a few words was impressive; could it be that this person was also an Array Master? Shaking his head, Xunuo replied, "It resembles the Heaven and Earth Four Killing Formation but is not exactly that."
Zhao Yihe appeared relatively young—around thirty—with a well-proportioned build and an ordinary appearance. He belonged to that type of person who one might forget after meeting once or struggle to remember even after several encounters. Xunuo felt wary of him not because of his profound magical power but due to a familiar aura surrounding him.
At the Cloud City auction, Xunuo had failed to acquire a Teleportation Talisman and had previously sent out his Divine Sense to search for the buyer who won it. His reckless action had naturally drawn ire from Foundation Stage Cultivators present at that time, prompting him to avoid confrontation with them. However, he distinctly sensed an unusual Divine Sense fluctuation emanating from one of the Foundation Stage Practitioners. Yet just as he detected this Divine Sense, it—and its owner—vanished as if evaporated.
Xunuo did not believe that anyone's Divine Sense could surpass his own; however, this Cultivator's peculiar concealment technique left him feeling uneasy. If such a method were employed for assassination or ambushes, it would undoubtedly be an extremely sharp weapon. Now that he recognized this fleeting aura in Zhao Yihe, how could it not raise his alertness? Moreover, it was highly likely that the Teleportation Talisman auctioned at Cloud City was now in Zhao Yihe's possession. Nevertheless, Xunuo merely remained cautious about him not turning against them; until they secured the Foundation Pill, such a possibility seemed unlikely.
In contrast to Xunuo's limited understanding of Zhao Yihe, Thunderstorm knew more about him. Zhao Yihe had been introduced by Tuba Five; however, Tuba Five did not have a deep connection with Zhao Yihe nor was he part of their group—merely having collaborated on several occasions. Tuba Five's assessment of him was: Loose Cultivator—calm, decisive in action, ruthless, and possessing magical abilities comparable to his own. Such praise from Tuba Five was enough for Mei Sanli to bring him into their team.
In fact, with Xunuo and Tuba Five combined, they would account for nearly half of the entire team's Cultivator strength in terms of magical power. Upon hearing this from Xunuo, Zhao Yihe fell silent, contemplating the implications without asking further questions.
The ambush site chosen by Xunuo was a desolate wasteland, where setting up a magical formation posed certain challenges. In such an open area, any illusion created would raise suspicion; only by restoring the original appearance could they avoid detection. However, the power of Xunuo's Qian Kun Two Instruments Formation was gradually weakening outside the formation. If an enemy's magical artifact flew overhead, there would be no way for his formation to counter it.
Xunuo then passed this dilemma to Thunderstorm, who chuckled and said, "Don't worry, Xue Dao You. As long as your formation covers a wide enough area, I have my ways to lure them into the trap." Seeing Thunderstorm speak with such confidence, Xunuo felt reassured and began to set up the formation.
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