In the dense jungle, a black shadow suddenly flashed and landed in a lush tree, peering through the gaps of the branches to observe a group of people, about a hundred meters away, resting under a large tree. In the forest, Xiao Yan raised his head and looked at the sky, hesitating slightly. His breathing was steady without any fluctuation. Although his target was right in front of him, he did not rush to make a move. Not only was Fan Ling himself a Dou Ling, but the two old men by his side were also around the Dou Ling level. Coupled with other strong guards, even with the help of the Pharmacist Elder, it would be difficult for Xiao Yan to eliminate them in a short time. Therefore, he had to find the best moment to strike, or else, if he exposed himself, there would be some trouble. After all, the Blood Sect’s power, even within the entire Black-Corner Region, was quite formidable.
Xiao Yan’s gaze locked onto Fan Ling and his group. After resting for nearly ten minutes, they finally stood up again. However, just as Xiao Yan thought they would follow their previous route, they suddenly turned a corner and dashed towards the west of Black Imprint City.
“Uh…” Surprised by the sudden change, Xiao Yan was stunned. Could they have been discovered? This thought flashed through his mind, but he quickly dismissed it. The strongest among Fan Ling’s group was a Dou Ling, and they could not possibly detect his concealment. Moreover, even if they did, they wouldn’t have changed their route, as a person who appeared to be only at the Da Dou Shi level would not warrant such fear.
“What are these guys up to?” A hint of doubt crossed his mind. Xiao Yan lightly tapped the tree trunk with his toes, and his body, like a bat in the night, floated down from the tree, then followed closely behind the group.
The two groups, spaced about a hundred meters apart, rushed toward the west of Black Imprint City. After about twenty minutes, the Pharmacist Elder’s voice suddenly sounded in Xiao Yan’s mind: “Boy, be careful. There are many powerful auras hidden in the mountain pass ahead. One of them is even stronger than the Battle Emperor aura from the auction earlier. Moreover, the aura is icy cold, similar to Fan Ling’s.”
Xiao Yan, who was about to charge forward, suddenly halted. His face changed, and he forcibly twisted his body, hiding behind a tree. “Are we being set up?”
“It doesn’t seem like it…” The Pharmacist Elder pondered. “By the way they are concealing their auras, it looks like an ambush… To deal with just a Da Dou Shi, do they need to go to such lengths?”
“Ambush?” Slightly taken aback, Xiao Yan felt a bit relieved. He frowned, “But why would a Battle Emperor and a group of people ambush in such a secluded place?”
His eyes flickered, and he suddenly glanced toward Black Imprint City. Realizing something, he exclaimed in shock, “Could these guys be planning to steal the auction items?”
“Hmm, it’s very likely… Whether it’s the Earthly Class Dou Technique or the Yin-Yang Mystical Dragon Pill, both are valuable enough for the Blood Sect to put in this much effort. And such robberies are not uncommon in the Black-Corner Region.”
Upon hearing this, the Pharmacist Elder paused but did not deny Xiao Yan’s guess.
“What should we do? Fan Ling has already entered the ambush area. Looking at the still quiet mountain pass, it’s clear that they are all Blood Sect people. Since Master has sensed a stronger expert than the Eighth Gate leader in the mountain pass, won’t the broken map be even harder to get?”
Xiao Yan frowned, feeling helpless.
“Let’s wait and see how things develop…” The Pharmacist Elder said in a deep voice.
Xiao Yan nodded slightly, scanning his surroundings, then suppressing his aura to the minimum, quietly slipping into a patch of high ground forest. Hiding in the cluster of trees, he used the terrain to keep the forest clearing below in view. His gaze swept over the silent forest. If it weren’t for the Pharmacist Elder’s warning, Xiao Yan would probably have charged into the forest with Fan Ling, unaware of the hidden traps.
To the east of the small forest, there was a winding path, and to the west, the silhouette of Black Imprint City could be faintly seen. From the terrain, this small forest seemed to be a must-pass road on the west side of Black Imprint City, which explained why the Blood Sect chose to ambush here.
Lying motionless like a corpse, Xiao Yan compressed his breathing to only a few times every minute. After all, there was a Battle Emperor in the forest. If not for the Pharmacist Elder’s help, Xiao Yan alone would not have been able to hide so safely under the enemy’s nose.
After Fan Ling and his group entered the small forest, the area fell into extreme silence. Even the birds shivered and hid in their nests, too afraid to make a sound, sensing the killing intent spreading from the forest.
A strange, eerie silence enveloped the area, lingering for a long time… Xiao Yan narrowed his eyes, almost lying flat on the ground. At one moment, his fingers, touching the ground, trembled slightly. His eyes snapped open, and he lifted his gaze to the path leading to Black Imprint City.
There, faint hoofbeats could be heard.
“Are they coming?” Xiao Yan muttered, his eyes growing sharper. On the distant road, a group of people riding fast horses was galloping towards the other side, kicking up a cloud of dust.
“Squeak…” As the hoofbeats grew louder, a slight sound of bowstrings being drawn echoed in the quiet forest.
At the edge of the forest, the figures on horseback gradually came into view. When Xiao Yan saw the woman in green robes leading the group, his heart skipped a beat. “These Blood Sect people are indeed after the Yin-Yang Mystical Dragon Pill… But aren’t they afraid of the Heaven Serpent Mansion’s retaliation? If the latter can compete for such treasures, their power must be considerable, right?”
“Yeah, it’s possible…” The Pharmacist Elder said indifferently, “The Battle Emperor in the forest below is probably the leader of the Blood Sect. Since he is here, he won’t let the Heaven Serpent Mansion people leave. As long as no one returns alive, the Heaven Serpent Mansion will only rage. After all, such mid-way ambushes happen almost every day in the Black-Corner Region.”
“Leaving no one alive? Pretty ruthless.” Xiao Yan remarked, unsurprised. Such matters, once leaked, would result in a deadly battle between the two forces. Given the treasure at stake, there would be no room for negotiation. The Heaven Serpent Mansion, having spent such a fortune, would not let it go to waste.
In a moment, the group passed the path, and soon, the silent forest appeared in their view. The leader of the Heaven Serpent Mansion was the beautiful Elder Qing from the auction. As she rode, she looked at the forest, her brows furrowing. As an elder of the Heaven Serpent Mansion, her strength and experience were exceptional, and she knew the caution needed when entering forests. Carrying the precious Yin-Yang Mystical Dragon Pill, she was even more cautious.
She raised her hand, signaling the group to slow down. She waved her slender hand, causing the space before her to ripple, and a jade-green energy snake emerged, slithering rapidly into the grass.
As the energy snake silently entered the forest, a gust of wind suddenly sounded, and an arrow struck its head. The snake struggled, then dissipated into nothingness.
When the energy snake was killed, Elder Qing, who was near the forest, suddenly shouted, “Be careful! There’s an ambush inside!”
“Haha, as expected of the Heaven Serpent Mansion’s elder. Your technique of condensing Dou Qi into a snake is truly remarkable.”
Elder Qing’s shout was followed by a raucous laughter from the forest. A blood-red figure shot out and landed on a treetop, its red eyes, filled with an unmasked sinister coldness, scanning the group outside the forest.
“Fan Lao?” Seeing the tall man in a blood-red robe, Elder Qing’s face changed. “What is your meaning? Are you declaring war on the Heaven Serpent Mansion?!”
“Haha, not a declaration of war, but I am interested in the Yin-Yang Mystical Dragon Pill!” The red-robed man laughed, his smile tinged with unmistakable menace.
“Retreat! Everyone retreat! As long as one escapes, report this to the Lord immediately!” Hearing the mention of the Yin-Yang Mystical Dragon Pill, Elder Qing’s heart sank. Knowing there was no room for negotiation, she did not hesitate. With a fierce shout, she leaped off her horse and dashed into the forest along the sides of the road.
“Shu, shu, shu…” As the Heaven Serpent Mansion members scattered, a barrage of arrows, glowing with cold light, shot out from the forest. Under this relentless rain of arrows, even Elder Qing had to slow down, dodging the arrows.
In the middle of the road, the scattered Heaven Serpent Mansion members were forced back together. Meanwhile, nearly a hundred Blood Sect warriors, dressed in red and wielding blood knives, emerged from the dark forest on both sides.
These Blood Sect warriors, expressionless like puppets, had the same malevolent and ruthless look in their eyes as Fan Ling.
“Elder Qing, hand over the Yin-Yang Mystical Dragon Pill, and I will spare your life! Otherwise, death!” The red-robed man’s figure moved like a phantom, appearing above the encirclement, his sinister voice echoing in the air.
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