Unwelcome Guests Arrive

The moment he was discovered, the Shadow Division scout knew something was wrong and immediately prepared to use an escape technique.

However, a blazing white radiance illuminated the area as if it were daytime. Just as he transformed into an illusion and prepared to flee, he was forcibly pulled back, reverting to his human form.

The Shadow Division, bearing that name for a reason.

Regardless of their cultivation methods, all members of the Shadow Division simultaneously practiced the Shadow Division's Great Shadow Escape. This escape technique progressed gradually, much like a cultivation method, with practitioners able to begin training from the second stage of Qi Refining.

Initially, it only allowed them to hide in shadows, making them difficult to detect, deceiving the eyes. When moving, they were as silent as a night cat, not particularly powerful.

But this Great Shadow Escape followed the same advancement path as cultivation methods. When cultivated to a deeper level, a single thought could transform them into an escaping shadow, traversing the void. Even if a cultivator reached the level of a seventh or eighth-tier great expert, this escape technique would only become stronger and more practical.

Such an escape technique was extremely rare throughout the world, a secret of the Shadow Division that was not to be passed down. Even among the Shadow Division members who had mastered this technique, only a very few possessed the ability to teach it to others.

Anyone seen using this escape technique was, without a doubt, a member of the Shadow Division.

Currently, this scout had cultivated the Great Shadow Escape to a level where he could burrow into the earth and escape, which was already a testament to his considerable talent in escape techniques.

Yet, even with his escape technique cultivated to this extent, he could barely initiate it and was unable to flee.

The scout observed the opponent's appearance, his mind rapidly cycling through all possible methods that could prevent his escape. This was also one of the essential courses for all Shadow Division scouts; they had to memorize all secret techniques, magic treasures, environmental factors, and so on, that could counter the Great Shadow Escape, recognizing their characteristics to identify them immediately.

And, how to counter them in reverse and escape to safety.

The primary skill of Shadow Division scouts was essentially running away, and their second skill was the professional expertise in gathering intelligence. The reason for this development, besides the mandatory training in the Great Shadow Escape, was that over time, those who survived within the entire Shadow Division were all adept at running away...

With the first two mandatory courses consuming most of their energy, they generally weren't skilled at fighting, which was a natural consequence. Moreover, among cultivators of the same rank, they were considered to have lower combat power.

There were indeed omnipotent individuals, but they were legendary figures numbering too few to be significant.

The scout had certainly not slacked off during his professional training. At this critical juncture, after all the information flashed through his mind, he instantly locked onto one specific method.

"White Day Celebration Lantern!"

Following that, his mind immediately conjured:

White Sun Evil Sacrifice.

Joy Lantern Priest.

In an instant, the scout's scalp tingled. How could he encounter these abominations here?

Damn it, there were hardly any living people left in this godforsaken place, so why were all sorts of demons and monsters showing up?

Before he could think further, the teams flanking him had already drifted closer.

The scout let out a whistle, and the cloak he wore suddenly shook. Handleless flying swords, like swimming fish, scattered outwards, stabbing towards the approaching white-robed figures.

The flying swords pierced their bodies, drawing forth sprays of blood that turned into icy droplets, yet the white-robed figures seemed unfazed and continued their advance.

The scout chose a direction, his body feeling weightless as he drifted along the ground. As they crossed paths, he flicked his wrist, and a thin, sharp thread sliced across the neck of one of the white-robed figures, severing its head.

Scalding blood erupted into the air. The scout didn't even look back, continuing his charge.

However, he suddenly stumbled, nearly falling to the ground. Glancing back, he saw the decapitated white-robed figure extend a hand and grab his left battle skirt.

Blood was still gushing from the white-robed figure's neck. Despite having no head, it appeared not to be dead, and it reached out with another hand, gripping his battle skirt tightly.

With this momentary delay, the surrounding white-robed figures had already completed their encirclement. The white-robed figure holding the White Day Celebration Lantern floated silently three inches above the ground, drifting closer.

The scout's heart sank, resentment welling up within him.

If he were on a normal mission, why would he need to wear this kind of military gear...

But there was no time to delay. Facing a Joy Lantern Priest who countered him perfectly, had a higher cultivation realm, and superior magic treasures, even though he knew how to reverse-counter the opponent's secret technique, it was already useless.

Because in at most three breaths, he would be dead.

He gritted his teeth and recalled his scattered flying swords.

The silver-gleaming flying swords converged and charged towards the Joy Lantern Priest, while one also flew towards his left arm.

With a flash of silver light, his left arm was severed at the shoulder. He formed a hand seal with his right hand and grunted.

His left arm exploded into a mist of blood. The mist enveloped him, transforming into several streams of blood-red light that scattered in different directions.

At the same time, the Joy Lantern Priest, holding the White Day Celebration Lantern in one hand, waved his other large sleeve, sweeping the charging flying swords into it. As his arm fell, the flying swords, twisted into pretzels and utterly ruined, dropped from his sleeve.

The Joy Lantern Priest looked up at the scattered streams of blood-red light and immediately gave up the idea of pursuit, laughing instead of showing anger.

"To cultivate the Great Shadow Escape to such a level with a mere scout, and even to know the demonic path's blood sacrifice escape technique, the Shadow Division's methods of escape are truly unparalleled."

The Joy Lantern Priest held the White Day Celebration Lantern. The lantern automatically rotated, the inscriptions on it disappearing, and its light dissipated. The scattered white-robed figures returned and gathered behind him.

The blood on the white-robed figures pierced by the flying swords slowly vanished, and even their damaged robes automatically healed.

Only the white-robed figure that had been decapitated stood up, picked up its head, and tried to reattach it several times, but the head would fall off again.

Upon closer inspection, the wound on the head severed by the scout's thin thread had begun to rot. In the freezing weather, within a short period, the neck had been corroded and shortened by an inch.

The Joy Lantern Priest shook his head and waved his hand. The white robe on the figure flew out of its own accord and disappeared into the Joy Lantern Priest's sleeve.

The remaining headless corpse automatically fell to the ground. Its physical body rapidly withered, and with a gust of cold wind, it crumbled into dust, scattering with the wind.

The Joy Lantern Priest glanced back at the two rows of figures behind him. Only thirty-five remained, with the left side longer and the right side shorter, looking increasingly awkward.

After only a few glances, he waved his large sleeve, and a sudden surge of force struck one person on the left. As his sleeve fell, the white robe of that person flew into his sleeve. The person within the white robe withered into a dried corpse, falling and turning into dust.

"Much better..."

He raised the White Day Celebration Lantern in his hand. The lantern spun again, revealing a "囍" character on its front. The pale light circled, illuminating the direction of the Jinlan Mine.

"Someone suitable is this close?"

He was overjoyed. He had thought there would be no suitable materials in the Wasteland, but unexpectedly, there was one nearby. He floated in mid-air, like a phantom, carrying the white lantern, drifting towards the Jinlan Mine.

He floated all the way to the village entrance. He glanced at the Locust tree forest to his right, which exuded a strange aura, and then at the barren slope to his left. The white lantern in his hand rotated slowly, its "Double Happiness" character aimed at the Abyss of Despair on the left.

His White Day Celebration Lantern guided him, indicating a domain to the left with low danger and low fatality. To the right, however, was something his White Day Celebration Lantern had never illuminated before, something extremely dangerous.

Even now, the white light emanating from the lantern in his hand could not illuminate the Locust tree forest to the right at all, as if the white light were being swallowed by it.

Without further thought, he stepped onto the path in the middle.

Instantly, the world changed, and he stepped into the Cècè's Abyss of Despair.

Looking back, the white-robed figures who had followed him had all vanished.

On the hillside to his left, he saw a terrified Cècè and several cannibals rushing up the slope.

Looking up, he saw a goat at the end of this domain, standing upright, its Blood Essence surging and demonic energy billowing.

A flicker of confusion crossed the Joy Lantern Priest's eyes.

He considered himself well-traveled, but he had never seen such a bizarre domain before.

Before he could make a move, the goat glanced at him, instantly retracted its surging Blood Essence and demonic energy, pushed off with its hooves, and disappeared into the mist at the end of the domain.

The Joy Lantern Priest held up his lantern and shook his head. Under the light, he could see at a glance that the remaining people in this bizarre domain were all illusions, none of them capable of inflicting harm.

He watched as the new cycle began, quietly observing Cècè, who, to prevent the child from being caught by the cannibals, threw it into the abyss, and then watched Cècè die with a hint of curiosity in its eyes. After watching a complete cycle, his gaze became incredibly calm.

It was merely a cyclical domain, like an earthbound spirit, formed by the deep resentment of someone on the verge of death. No wonder the fatality rate was not high.

The Joy Lantern Priest, carrying his white lantern, ignored everything that was happening here and walked forward. Reaching the mist at the end, he took a step, crossing into it.

However, the next moment, just as he thought the white lantern had illuminated the path ahead and he could pass through easily, he found himself back at his starting point. Everything happened naturally; he hadn't sensed it beforehand, nor had his white lantern.

At this moment, his brow furrowed, and he became serious.

The fatality wasn't high, but it was very troublesome, very tricky.

Old Yang, who had quietly finished practicing his punches in the village and then quietly cultivated in Cècè's Abyss of Despair, returned to the village.

"Er Han, Yu Ziqing, prepare to face the enemy."

"They're here? How many? What's their strength? Can we win?" Yu Ziqing fired off a series of questions.

Old Yang looked up. Not only Yu Ziqing had arrived, but Er Han was already standing beside him with a grim expression, along with dozens of burly men and sturdy women with surging Blood Essence, all arriving with grim faces.

If a normal cultivator dared to face this group head-on, they would either be beaten to death on the spot or exhausted to death.

Old Yang quickly calmed the restless crowd.

"Don't worry, that guy got overconfident and dared to walk into Cècè's territory. He won't be able to get out anytime soon."

Thank you to Bai Gou Guoxi for the 10,000-point tip, thank you for your generosity and support.