Chapter 275: Chapter 23: Returning in Force

On this day, thirty or more streaks of spiritual light swiftly approached from five thousand miles southeast of Wangchuan Lake.

“Another thousand miles and we’ll reach Wangchuan Lake. Let’s descend to avoid being seen by them!” Fengg Wuji said, glancing at the map.

Immediately, all thirty-plus people descended to the ground below.

They switched to walking and then hurried toward the direction of Wangchuan Lake.

Half a day later, the group stopped in a valley a hundred miles away from Wangchuan Lake.

“Aren’t we attacking?” Hu Shan asked puzzled.

“Indeed, to be cautious, we should first stay here for a few days, then observe the surroundings of Wangchuan Lake. If there’s no sign of Cloud Light Sect cultivators, we’ll proceed to attack!”

“Leave this to me!” Hu Shan immediately volunteered.

“No, Elder Hu, though you are skilled, you are not adept at concealment. Elder Meng should handle this matter instead!”

Fengg Wuji then turned his gaze to a petite elderly man.

“I will not fail this mission!”

As soon as he finished speaking, a breeze rose, and Elder Meng’s figure disappeared.

The next moment, he appeared on a small path outside the valley.

…

Lake Heart Island.

Zhou Xun looked at the sound transmission talisman in his hand, frowning slightly.

This was the sound transmission talisman Sunx Qishan sent him before leaving.

He informed him about the Celestial Feather Sect cultivators exterminating the Sunx Family and their plan to leave Wangchuan Lake and head to the south of Xui Country to find the culprits.

To Zhou Xun, the reason those Celestial Feather Sect cultivators exterminated the Sunx Family was to mobilize them.

By the time Sunx Qishan and others arrived, their foes had already escaped and disappeared without a trace.

It’s impossible for them to find them.

It’s even possible that the Celestial Feather Sect cultivators had already seen through Sunx Qishan and others’ actions, and exterminating the Luo Family was merely a diversion tactic.

Once they leave, Wangchuan Lake will surely be attacked.

However, this plan is also a straightforward strategy; if Sunx Qishan and others remain inactive for too long, they will inevitably cause chaos elsewhere.

Thus, they cannot remain idle.

“They might have already arrived near Wangchuan Lake by now!”

Zhou Xun estimated the distance from the Sunx Family to his location.

At full speed, it would take less than twenty days to reach, and according to Sunx Qishan, the Sunx Family arrived more than twenty days ago.

“If they’ve really arrived, we can only confront them head-on!” Zhou Xun murmured to himself.

Zhou Xun had long learned from the sound transmission talisman by Sunx Qishan about the Celestial Feather Sect cultivators’ intel.

This time, five squads infiltrated, each led by a Fake Pill Cultivator.

“I’ve eliminated one squad, so four remain!”

“Previously, Sunx Qishan managed to besiege one, and adding those fallen under other circumstances, they should have only around thirty members left!”

“Among them are four Fake Pill Cultivators, and the rest are Foundation Establishment Cultivators!”

“I can handle these Fake Pill Cultivators, but these Foundation Establishment Cultivators are indeed a nuisance!”

“If they possess treasures like a Tier Three Forbidden-Breaking Talisman, it would be impossible to kill them through the array!”

With too many Foundation Establishment Cultivators and Zhou Xun alone, if they are bent on fleeing or causing destruction, Zhou Xun has no means to capture them all in one fell swoop.

“It might already be too late to evacuate now!” Zhou Xun sighed.

…

Wangchuan Lake.

Since the news spread of Zhou Xun’s slaying of a Celestial Feather Sect Fake Pill Cultivator, loose cultivators from tens of thousands of miles around gathered here.

In their eyes, with Zhou Xun capable of dealing with Celestial Feather Sect cultivators, Wangchuan Lake must be extremely safe.

In just three to four months, thousands of cultivators gathered here.

Upon learning of this, Zhou Xun arranged for Weih Qiuxin to establish a simple marketplace beside a Tier One High-Grade Spirit Vein near Wangchuan Lake.

He personally set up a Tier Two Middle-Grade Array.

This marketplace came to be known as Wangchuan Square by everyone.

On this day, outside Wangchuan Square, a petite elderly man approached the market gate.

“Halt!”

The market guards blocked the way of the elderly man.

“First time entering Wangchuan Square, registration is required!” the guard said briefly.

Since he opened the marketplace, Zhou Xun planned to follow the rules of Qingyue Square, not charging an entrance fee, but requiring first-timers to register their names and background.

Soon, the elderly man registered and was given a simple wooden token, with which he entered.

This elderly man was, of course, Elder Meng from Celestial Feather Sect, here to gather information.

Arriving at a tavern, the elderly man went inside and sat at a table by the window, starting to listen to the conversations of the cultivators inside.

“Brother He, I didn’t expect to meet you in Wangchuan Square!”

“With Alchemist Zhou at Wangchuan Lake being strong, Celestial Feather Sect cultivators can’t do anything, so I naturally came here to evade disaster!”

“Exactly, I used to reside in Liushifang, never expecting Celestial Feather Sect people to storm the marketplace,”

“killing anyone they saw. If I hadn’t been quick-witted and hid in a civilian house, I might not have gotten to meet Brother He…!”

The elderly man stayed in the tavern for half a day, and after wandering the entire market for another day, he left.

After leaving, the elderly man meticulously investigated the surroundings of Wangchuan Lake for several days, eventually finding the valley where Sunx Qishan and others had stayed.

Observing the traces of dozens of people having lived on the ground, he began uttering words silently, his eyes suddenly emitting a faint glow.

Instantly, the residual mana fluctuations of the cultivators at the site became apparent.

This is an ancient tracking technique he cultivated, capable of detecting the residual waves of mana used by a cultivator, thus allowing for pursuit.

This tracking technique is extremely demanding to cultivate, and in the entire Celestial Feather Sect, only two people have successfully cultivated it in the three thousand years since they obtained this secret technique.

Elder Meng is one of them.

“They left less than five days ago, luckily, luckily!” the elderly man murmured.

“If it were another two days, I might not have been able to detect it!”

He then followed that very faint residual mana wave and flew out.

The route was exactly the one Sunx Qishan and the others took when they left. After following it for a day and confirming their location, he returned to the Nameless Valley.

At this time, Fengg Wuji, Hu Shan, and others had been waiting here for eight days.

“Elder Meng has returned!”

A small and thin old man walked in.

“Elder Meng!” everyone greeted respectfully.

“How is the situation?” Hu Shan couldn’t wait to ask.

“I have already scouted the movements of Wangchuan Lake and those Cloud Light Sect cultivators!”

Then the elderly man recounted what he discovered in Wangchuan Square and the valley.

“So it seems, those Cloud Light Sect cultivators are pursuing the Sunx Family!” Fengg Wuji asked.

“Yes, I followed them for a day, heading in the direction of the Sunx Family. About ten days have passed!” the elderly man replied.

“Haha, Nephew Fengg, just as you predicted, those Cloud Light Sect cultivators were deceived and left!”

“Should we make our move?”

Hu Shan laughed heartily.

Upon hearing this, Fengg Wuji’s eyes flashed sharply, and then he uttered slowly:

“Yes, make the move——”

…

During the time Sunx Qishan was away, Zhou Xun stayed on Lake Heart Island, not daring to go to the Lake Bottom Cultivation Room.

He was worried that if the Celestial Feather Sect cultivators attacked, he wouldn’t be able to react in time.

And each day, after completing his daily cultivation, he would ride the Cyan Light Shuttle around Wangchuan Lake for patrol.

This day, Zhou Xun was patrolling as usual.

Sitting on the Cyan Light Shuttle, he admired the beautiful scenery of Wangchuan Lake below.

Suddenly, in the distance, about thirty small dots appeared in the evening glow.

And as time passed, these dots grew larger.

Seeing this, Zhou Xun didn’t display a look of panic but instead exhaled a faint sigh of relief:

“Finally, they are here!”

Immediately after, he took out several Sound Transmission Talismans, whispered a few words, and then shot them forward.

In an instant, more than ten flashes of fire disappeared swiftly, heading in different directions.

These were sent to his disciples and subordinates.

Zhou Xun had set up several Tier Two Arrays on Lake Heart Island, including two Tier Two High-Grade Arrays.

All of this was in preparation for today.

His disciples and subordinates had low cultivation levels and couldn’t handle those Foundation Establishment cultivators.

If they gather on Lake Heart Island, they should be able to hold out relying on the array.

Once he dealt with those four Fake Pill cultivators, it would be the end for those Celestial Feather Sect’s Foundation Establishment cultivators.

About a quarter-hour later, spirit lights arose from various parts of Wangchuan Lake, all heading toward Lake Heart Island.

Seeing the spirit lights becoming as small as flies in the distance, Zhou Xun stopped waiting.

He took out the array manipulation flag for the Vajra Five Elements Array, infused it with mana, and lightly waved it.

Instantly, spirit light hit a certain spot above.

Soon, a hissing sound was heard.

A giant serpent shadow nearly a hundred zhang high began to coalesce, becoming more and more distinct.

…

Hu Shan, seeing Wangchuan Lake getting closer, felt excitement building in his heart.

“Nephew Fengg, give the order on how we should attack,”

Even though he had Fake Pill cultivation, he dared not put on any airs.

Because he knew, despite the young man’s cultivation only being at the Foundation Establishment stage, when it came to real combat strength, likely no one present could defeat him.

“According to the intelligence, this Tier Three Array possesses the Demon Spirit Transformation, with power equivalent to an Early-Stage True Core Cultivator,”

“Elder Hu, Elder Li, I leave this demon spirit to you!”

“Leave it to us and rest assured!” Hu Shan and the red-robed middle-aged man nodded.

“I have a Tier Three Low-Grade Forbidden-Breaking Talisman, but activating this talisman requires a quarter-hour to fully activate. During this time, I cannot be distracted.”

“Elder Wu, Elder Meng, while I activate the Forbidden-Breaking Talisman, I’ll rely on you to withstand the power of the array. Remember, do not let any attack reach me, or there is a risk of the talisman damaging due to mana conflict.”

“We only have this one Forbidden-Breaking Talisman left!”

“Rest assured, even if we fall, not a single attack will reach you!” The small and thin old man nodded in agreement.

“As for you,” Fengg Wuji said, directing his gaze to the Foundation Establishment stage cultivators,

“Once we arrive at Wangchuan Lake, wait outside the array. Remember not to go in!”

“Once I break the array, led by you eight Late-Stage Foundation Establishment cultivators, split into eight squads, and slaughter all the cultivators at Wangchuan Lake!”

“Yes!”

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