Except for the slightly salty sea breeze gently blowing from the mountain, the surroundings were silent and still. This tranquility put the few people on the hill even more at ease, allowing them to close their eyes and enter a meditative state with boldness.
Time passed swiftly. After an hour, the group had recovered most of their spiritual power, and their complexions appeared much more normal.
The middle-aged cultivator opened his eyes, glanced at the condition of the men and women, and without hesitation commanded, “Let’s go. We can’t stay here any longer! Those things are probably catching up soon.” After saying this, he stood up and took the lead.
Although the Qi Refinement stage men and women were somewhat reluctant, they dared not delay and likewise ended their meditation. They each took out their magical instruments, ready to take flight together. But just at that moment, loud cries suddenly erupted from the sky above the small island, followed by billowing, boiling milky-white mist.
“Not good!” The middle-aged cultivator’s expression instantly changed drastically. The others turned deathly pale in an instant.
From the thick mist in the sky, over a dozen enormous gray monstrous birds shot out. These bizarre birds were about ten feet in size, with crimson fleshy crests on their heads, sharp beaks, and vicious claws. Their bodies emitted a faint blue light, giving them a fierce and hideous appearance.
After appearing, they did not immediately dive toward the island below. Instead, they swiftly circled in the air before scattering, blocking the escape routes of the cultivators. They seemed highly skilled at coordination.
Seeing this, the middle-aged cultivator’s heart sank even further.
“Go, quickly head into that forest. We’ll split up and escape when we have the chance!” He had some experience dealing with avian demonic beasts and immediately called for the others to rush toward the nearby forest at high speed. The rest, having lost their composure, naturally had no objections and followed closely with their instruments.
At that moment, the monstrous birds in the sky let out a cacophony of sharp cries. They slowly closed in from above, centering on the group of people.
Seeing the demonic birds behave this way, the men and women grew even more panicked, increasing their speed. In the blink of an eye, they reached the air above the forest and abruptly descended.
But then, an unexpected scene unfolded!
Just as the five of them flew close to the forest at a low altitude of about three zhang, a patch of emerald light suddenly flashed. Their vision brightened, and after a moment of dizziness, they found the scenery before them completely transformed. The forest was gone, replaced by an entirely unfamiliar mountain range. Astonishing spiritual energy rushed toward them.
“It’s an illusion array!” exclaimed the woman in blue brocade robes, the most striking among the three female cultivators, in surprise.
“Could it be that there are fellow cultivators here?” the burly youth said with extreme delight.
“Perhaps! Regardless, this is our chance to survive. Let’s hope this illusion array can fool those Eagle Hawk Beasts!” The middle-aged man was also greatly surprised, murmuring quietly.
Hearing this, the others couldn’t help but glance upward toward the illusion array.
At that moment, the vicious birds circling in the air suddenly lost their target and became restless. However, after exchanging a few sharp cries, they continued their descent unchanged.
“It’s no use! It seems the Eagle Hawk Beasts aren’t affected by these illusions. Hurry toward that mountain range. There’s an aura of restrictions there—perhaps there really are other fellow Daoists there.” The middle-aged cultivator said with a grim expression, his escape light flashing as he flew forward.
The other men and women exchanged glances, their faces tense as they followed.
But after flying a short distance, they were blocked by a suddenly appearing white light barrier.
Seeing this, the middle-aged cultivator was not alarmed but instead pleased. He immediately reached out and felt around, producing a message talisman. Muttering an incantation, he raised his hand, and the talisman transformed into a streak of fire, vanishing into the light barrier in an instant. The others watched this scene nervously, not daring to utter a word.
A moment later, the dozen or so monstrous birds finally flew into the illusion array. Discovering their targets, they unceremoniously swooped down from all directions, their wings stirring up faint but dazzling blue light.
The middle-aged cultivator’s expression darkened. He glanced at the white light barrier behind him, gritted his teeth, and quietly issued a few commands.
The others also looked grim but raised their hands, releasing various rays of light as they summoned their magical instruments, preparing for a tough battle.
Just as the Eagle Hawk Beasts reached the air above the group and were about to descend for close combat, something unexpected happened again.
From within the white light barrier, over a hundred beams of multicolored light shot out. Though only as thick as a thumb, they were incredibly sharp, instantly piercing the low-flying Eagle Hawk Beasts with countless holes. Immediately, thudding sounds rang out one after another!
These demonic beasts didn’t even have time to let out a cry before they fell dead to the ground.
“This is…”
Including the middle-aged cultivator, the group was overjoyed and couldn’t help but turn to look at the situation within the light barrier.
What they saw first startled them, then left them stunned. Inside the light barrier stood over a dozen towering giant apes. At first glance, they thought some new demonic beasts had appeared, and their hearts sank. But then they noticed something unusual. Upon closer inspection, they realized these apes were pitch-black and gleaming—they were mere mechanical puppets. These ape puppets raised their hands in unison; the light beams earlier must have been fired from their palms.
Only then did the group truly rejoice.
Subsequently, the giant apes silently lowered their arms. A shimmering light suddenly appeared, and the puppets vanished without a trace.
While they were still bewildered, the white light barrier before them flickered several times and then spontaneously split open, revealing a passage about ten feet wide.
Seeing this, they exchanged even more bewildered glances!
“I am currently in seclusion and cannot rise to greet you. Fellow Daoists, please rest within the array for a moment before leaving on your own.” A man’s voice calmly emerged from within. However, judging by his words, the array’s owner seemed to have no intention of meeting them.
“Thank you, Senior, for saving our lives. Since these demonic birds have been eliminated, we will rest here briefly and dare not disturb your quiet cultivation further!” Although the middle-aged cultivator sensed no ill intent, he dared not enter the array without knowing the other’s background. Braving the possibility of displeasing him, he spoke with forced courage.
“Heh, it seems you’re quite cautious! But since that’s the case, what exactly happened? How did you end up being chased down by a pack of second-level demonic beasts?” The man let out a light laugh, sounding completely unconcerned. Yet his following words carried a hint of curiosity.
The middle-aged cultivator relaxed slightly and quickly replied respectfully, “We are disciples of the Green Spirit Sect. We ventured out to sea to gather some spiritual herbs but accidentally attracted the attention of these Eagle Hawk Beasts. They’ve been pursuing us ever since. If not for your intervention, Senior, we would surely have faced grave danger.”
After the middle-aged man expressed his gratitude, the man inside made no further comment, only giving a soft “Hmm” before falling silent. This made the cultivators somewhat uneasy again.
The middle-aged cultivator also felt apprehensive but dared not leave immediately. He signaled the others to remain calm.
“Are there only this few of you from the Green Spirit Sect? Why is there no senior from your sect leading you? Don’t you know that venturing out to sea with your level of cultivation is pure suicide? Even without a Core Formation stage cultivator, sending a few more Foundation Establishment stage disciples would have prevented you from being hunted by second-level demonic beasts.” After a moment of silence, the man’s cold voice came from within the array again.
Hearing this question, the middle-aged cultivator was first taken aback, then hesitated for a moment before smiling bitterly.
“Senior, our Green Spirit Sect is only a minor sect. Although we once had a Core Formation stage elder, he fell over twenty years ago during a beast tide. Even Foundation Establishment stage cultivators are few in our sect.” The middle-aged cultivator spoke with some hesitation.
As he said this, he worried that the other might be probing their sect’s details with ill intentions. But then he thought, this person’s cultivation was astonishing. If he wanted to eliminate them, he could simply deploy those puppets without going to such lengths. If he were evasive or deceptive, he might anger the other party, which would be suicidal. Thus, steeling himself, the middle-aged cultivator risked disclosing the truth about his sect.
He didn’t believe his dilapidated sect had anything worth coveting.
“A beast tide! Which year did that happen? Was it related to demonic beasts?” The man’s voice carried a trace of surprise.
Hearing this question, the middle-aged cultivator was even more startled. The other young men and women also showed expressions of astonishment.
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