Ambush

"Young Master Shen, save me! Save me!"

Zhao Hantao, drenched in sweat and looking disheveled, entered from outside.

The moment he saw Shen Changchuan, he immediately shouted, his body almost collapsing to its knees.

"Brother Zhao, please get up quickly. What happened?"

Shen Changchuan quickly stood up and helped him.

"Young Master, an outside Yao Beast is attacking the village. I can't hold them off and have come to you for help!"

"I beg you, Young Master, for the sake of my past respect and obedience, please save my family and village!"

Zhao Hantao pleaded, tears and snot streaming down his face.

From his intermittent recounting, Shen Changchuan roughly understood the situation.

Last night, a Yao Beast descended from the mountains and attacked Zhao Family Village.

Zhao Hantao was no match for it after a battle. He could only have his family members hold it off temporarily while he rushed to Great Bay Village for reinforcements.

"I see. How strong is this Yao Beast?"

After understanding the situation, Shen Changchuan pondered for a moment before asking.

After all, it concerned seventy percent of the harvest from his two mu of spirit fields.

Shen Changchuan naturally couldn't stand by and do nothing.

However, he was cautious.

He decided to understand the enemy's situation thoroughly before making a decision, rather than rushing out like a reckless fool.

"Uh, it's around Peak Qi Gathering Fourth Layer."

Zhao Hantao was taken aback by Shen Changchuan's question and hesitated for a moment before finally answering.

"Alright, Brother Zhao, lead the way. We'll depart now."

Upon learning that the attacking Yao Beast was merely at Peak Qi Gathering Fourth Layer, Shen Changchuan's tense heart immediately relaxed.

He directly agreed to Zhao Hantao's plea for help.

He was fully confident.

He had killed a Qi Gathering Fifth Level Yao Beast, a Crocodile Demon, just a month ago.

Now that his strength had improved again, Was he really afraid of a mere Qi Gathering Fourth Layer Yao Beast?!

What a joke.

He was incredibly powerful now!

Shen Changchuan confidently grabbed Zhao Hantao's arm, ready to head out.

"Uh, wait, Young Master Shen, are we just leaving like this?"

"Yes, do we need to prepare anything else?"

"An urgent situation is like a fire; we need to hurry. If we delay, the village might suffer many casualties."

"No, Young Master Shen, are you going alone?"

Zhao Hantao said hesitantly.

In his memory, Shen Changchuan was still only at Peak Qi Gathering Third Layer.

Wasn't going alone like sending himself to be food for that Yao Beast?

"No need, don't worry, I have my own ways."

He recalled that the last time they met, he was only at Peak Qi Gathering Third Layer.

The other party might be doubting his strength.

However, Shen Changchuan was too lazy to explain and urged him to set off.

After all, if the Yao Beast destroyed the spirit grains on the spirit fields, he would also suffer heavy losses.

"Then I'll trouble you, Young Master!"

Zhao Hantao lowered his head, a hint of joy flashing in his eyes.

Shen Changchuan paid it no mind.

After informing Han Qinhu, He left Great Bay Village.

Following Zhao Hantao's lead, they sped towards Zhao Family Village.

Two figures, one in front and one behind, moved swiftly through the forest.

Tall trees and lush grass underfoot rapidly receded behind them.

It looked like, they would reach their destination in less than half an hour.

And during this time, Shen Changchuan had no intention of showing off.

For instance, he didn't plan to use his perfected Light Body Technique to display speed beyond the Qi Gathering Fourth Level and impress Zhao Hantao.

Shen Changchuan had no interest in showing off in front of Zhao Hantao, who was just a grown man and not some beautiful maiden.

On the contrary, he was heading there to fight a Yao Beast.

When it came to combat, Shen Changchuan had always been cautious.

So, even though he and Zhao Hantao, facing a Peak Fourth Layer Qi Gathering Yao Beast, had the advantage of two against one, Shen Changchuan tried his best to conserve his Magical Power.

This was to ensure he had enough Magical Power left upon arriving at Zhao Family Village.

Therefore, Shen Changchuan simply followed Zhao Hantao at a normal pace.

Along the way, Shen Changchuan also asked a few simple questions.

Zhao Hantao answered concisely.

To maintain their breathing rhythm while moving, neither of them spoke much.

However, for some reason, as they moved through the forest, Shen Changchuan felt a vague sense of unease.

After traveling about thirty-four kilometers, with only twenty kilometers left to reach Zhao Family Village, Shen Changchuan noticed, the path was becoming increasingly remote.

It seemed they had entered deep into the mountains and wilderness.

Tall, ancient trees grew freely, reaching for the sky, their dense foliage completely blocking out the sun.

Sunlight struggled to penetrate the canopy.

The surroundings grew dim.

Shen Changchuan's gaze fixed on Zhao Hantao, who was leading the way ahead, a sense of unease growing within him.

Something was wrong!

Ever since refining the Azure Origin Water Grass, his spiritual sense had improved significantly, allowing him to perform internal observation, a feat only achievable by cultivators at the late Qi Gathering stage.

Although his spiritual sense couldn't yet leave his body, his powerful mind gave him a heightened sensitivity to his surroundings.

Something was wrong.

Quiet!

It was too quiet!

All along the way, there had been the chirping of birds and the buzzing of insects in the forest.

But after entering this dense woodland, those sounds had vanished!

Though he didn't know why, Shen Changchuan's heart began to race.

He didn't act rashly, maintaining his pace behind Zhao Hantao.

He subtly activated his Spirit Eye Technique, a faint white glow appearing in his eyes.

Shen Changchuan's gaze suddenly sharpened, his heart feeling as if it were gripped by an invisible hand.

Because at this moment, not far away, a hidden formation was concealed underground, with several formation flags buried in the inconspicuous grass around it, ready to be activated at any moment!

At the same time, behind those massive tree trunks, there were three figures, each separated and scattered, hiding perfectly, not revealing the slightest trace of their aura.

The three figures and the hidden formation on the ground, at this moment, formed a large net, quietly hanging ahead, waiting for the prey to enter!

"This is an ambush? But why?!"

Looking at Zhao Hantao ahead, whose waist was slightly bent, diligently leading the way.

Shen Changchuan felt a sense of disbelief.

This guy, who met him for the first time and put on such an incredibly humble demeanor, why would he collude with others to ambush him?!

Didn't he know his identity? Why would he still do this?!

Why do this?!

Shen Changchuan truly couldn't understand.

His heart sank.

At this moment, Shen Changchuan was very certain, that Zhao Hantao definitely knew about the trap hidden ahead and the personnel ambushing behind, and was very likely one of them!

Because Shen Changchuan had already recalled the part that felt wrong from the beginning.

The news of his recent breakthrough and improvement, had not been told to this Zhao Hantao.

In Zhao Hantao's perception, he, Shen Changchuan, was still only at the Peak Qi Gathering Third Layer realm.

So, if a Yao Beast at the Peak Qi Gathering Fourth Layer attacked the village, and he, a cultivator at Qi Gathering Fourth Level, couldn't handle it and came to Great Bay Village for help, how could he be at ease sending a mere cultivator like himself, at the Peak Qi Gathering Third Layer, to support him?!

When he left, the other party didn't stop him at all due to the difference in strength.

Instead, after he agreed, a hint of joy seemed to flash in his eyes.

No matter how you look at it, it's impossible that there's no connection!

Perhaps, he was one of the masterminds!

"Maybe, the reason he knew my identity as Shen Fuxing's son was because he had been targeting me for a long time, with me as his goal?!"

In an instant, numerous thoughts flashed through Shen Changchuan's mind.

However, these thoughts only flickered through his mind and passed, Shen Changchuan didn't have time to ponder them carefully.

The most important thing right now, was to resolve the current crisis first!

Shen Changchuan's mind rapidly considered ways to escape.

Turning and fleeing was impossible.

According to the perception of the Spirit Eye Technique, the one in the middle, and the farthest away, had a cultivation realm of around Peak Qi Gathering Sixth Layer.

While the others scattered to the left and right, The one on the left is Qi Gathering Fourth Level, the other on the right is Qi Gathering Fifth Level.

This distance, is too close.

Once he turned to flee, he would only expose his back to the enemy!

Shen Changchuan wasn't sure if his perfected Light Body Technique could allow him to escape from the pursuit of a peak Qi Gathering Sixth Level cultivator, along with two other enemies whose cultivation realms were not weaker than his own.

Most likely, he couldn't.

Therefore, he could only fight with all his might!

A ruthless glint flashed through Shen Changchuan's mind.

He had already made up his mind.

His figure slowed down.

"Young Master Shen, what's wrong?"

Sensing Shen Changchuan's slowing pace, Zhao Hantao quickly stopped and looked at Shen Changchuan, asking with concern.

"Hoo hoo, we've been traveling continuously, and I'm a bit low on Magical Power. Elder Brother Zhao, let's rest here for a bit."

"After all, we have to fight that Yao Beast once we reach Zhao Family Village. It won't do if our Magical Power is insufficient."

With eight or nine zhang left before entering the formation, Shen Changchuan feigned being half-drained of Magical Power, stopped, and said with a slight gasp.

A flicker of urgency flashed in the depths of Zhao Hantao's eyes.

They were only a few zhang away from the ambush formation, why did he stop now!

This awkward position, made him feel like an ant on a hot pan, spinning in circles.

Shen Changchuan seemed oblivious.

He flipped his palm and took out two spirit stones, approaching the other party with a familiar air and handing one to Zhao Hantao.

"Here, Elder Brother Zhao, don't worry. We'll recover our energy with spirit stones, it'll only take about fifteen minutes."

As he spoke, he stuffed a spirit stone into Zhao Hantao's embrace.

Zhao Hantao instinctively reached out to take it, however, in that very instant, Bang!

A fist, enveloped in Magical Power, struck Zhao Hantao's dantian at close range!

Caught completely off guard, Zhao Hantao took the blow head-on. His eyes bulged, and his dantian was instantly torn apart by the powerful Magical Power!

"Careful!"

At the same time, the figure hidden deepest, the peak Qi Gathering Sixth Level cultivator, reacted first, sensing something was wrong, and shouted.

But, it was too late!

A golden light flashed through the air like lightning, instantly piercing the trunk of a large tree to the right and directly striking the head of a figure hiding behind it.

The Qi Gathering Fifth Level figure hiding there didn't even let out a scream before instantly losing all life.

"Second Brother!"

At this moment, the figure hidden behind a tree trunk on the left reacted to the shout and was horrified to see his second brother's head explode where he was ambushing!

"Fourth Brother! Be careful!!!"

From the distance of the dim forest, the shout of the Qi Gathering Sixth Level cultivator echoed.

The figure ambushing on the left turned his head, and was horrified to discover, five terrifying wind blades, connected in a string, slicing through the air, heading straight for him!