Li Zheng was a veteran of countless battles. He knew all too well that the Secret Realm never lacked desperadoes lurking in the shadows, waiting for a chance to seize treasure.
With the enemy hidden and his own group exposed, they were at a disadvantage. He dared not be careless. His sharp gaze swept swiftly across the surrounding woods, fixing on the shadowed areas nearby, before he called solemnly into the dense forest ahead, "I am Li Zheng, a true disciple of the Four Seas Sect! May I ask which fellow cultivators are here? Since you have been waiting so long, please come out and meet us!"
He announced his sect and status to intimidate whoever was there with the Four Seas Sect's influence, hoping to drive off those with ill intentions and avoid needless bloodshed.
Yet after his words fell, the woods remained utterly silent. Not a single figure appeared. Only the wind echoed through the trees, carrying an eerie, sinister chill.
After a brief silence!
A sudden flurry of rustling erupted from the thick grass around them!
The sounds of snapping dead branches and trampled weeds followed one after another.
Figures lurking deep within the forest stopped concealing themselves and slowly stepped out from the dark shadows of the trees.
There were seven or eight of them, all wearing coarse-cloth combat outfits. They were burly and fierce, their auras vicious, their bodies steeped in bloody killing intent. One glance was enough to tell that these were ruthless men who had spent years licking blood off their blades.
At the front of this band of villains stood their leader, a tall, powerfully built man with an ugly face.
His skin was rough and dark, his features hideously savage. A deep blade scar ran down the center of his face,