Turning the Tables with a Clever Stratagem; Crushing the Soul Cultivators and Meeting an Old Friend

Whether the Devil Cultivator were aware of the situation and set up a trap in advance remains unknown.

However, this possibility certainly exists, and the dangers involved must be guarded against.

Cao Yan's original intention was to simply charge in, eliminate all enemies encountered, and rescue his Junior Brother Kong, who was trapped in the town.

This makes sense, because logically speaking, since the people have been trapped for so long without being captured, besides the powerful protective Formation, it's more likely that the enemy's strength isn't as great as expected, so there's nothing to worry about.

However, if the enemy intends to use you as bait, and has the strength to take you down but chooses not to attack, then it would be dangerous to rush in. This situation is especially likely to occur in War Zone.

"I see that Senior Brother Chen seems to have a plan in mind. Why don't you just say it directly?"

Qi Fen had a knack for responding to conversations, and asked with a smile.

Chen Dengming nodded slightly and said, "Judging from the current situation, no one is attacking the besieged town yet, and it may not be breached anytime soon. Senior Brother Kong and the others should be safe."

Therefore, we need not rush to provide assistance. If the enemy has indeed laid an ambush, we should now use their own methods against them. We should set up an ambush at the place where we previously clashed, and when their men come to investigate, they will take the bait and we will annihilate them."

Yang Lan was surprised. "But we can't be sure that the two Soul Devouring Sect cultivators who were killed earlier were the same group of Devil Cultivator who surrounded Senior Brother Kong and the others. What if we encounter another group of Devil Cultivator, or no one at all?"

As Yang Lan finished speaking, her voice trailed off, because the expressions on everyone's faces indicated that they favored Chen Dengming's plan.

Yang Lan wasn't saying it was impossible, but the probability was low, because two Foundation Establishment Devil Cultivator weren't Qi Refining Stage.

Similar to the sects in the Eastern Region, the Devil Cultivator also have strict plans for where to assign elite forces like Foundation Establishment cultivators.

In such a small area with such close proximity, it is impossible to simultaneously deploy two teams to perform different tasks. Not only would it be a waste of resources, but it would also cause interference. Unless absolutely necessary, such a decision would generally not be made.

Therefore, those two Foundation Establishment cultivators were very likely part of the same group of Devil Cultivator who were besieging Kong Ruiqin.

This logic is not hard to understand, and Cao Yan immediately decided to adopt Chen Dengming's plan.

The group immediately set off, spreading out at close range, and headed towards the location where they had previously dealt with the two Foundation Establishment Devil Cultivator.

At this moment, in the dense fog-shrouded forest, faint sounds could be heard, like the whispers of Ghost Soul, sending chills down one's spine.

A group of mysterious people were gathered in the mist, communicating with each other. They wore gray-brown robes, ghostly masks, and large banners. The language they used was an obscure, coded language that sounded like ghostly wails.

In this eerie environment, the presence of this group of people seemed to imbue everything with an air of foreboding and fear.

One of them said in a chilling tone, "Has there been any news from Junior Brother Zhao and the others yet? The Sound Transmission Jade Talisman isn't working?"

"There's no news yet. Could they be on their way back?"

"That's unlikely. Even if they were en route, they could have replied to messages. How could they be so careless at a time like this? Could something have happened?"

"Let me use my soul-searching technique to find their location."

The man at the head, wearing a black demon mask, coldly produced a specially made map.

Suddenly, he made a hand seal and cast a spell, drawing out a wronged soul from the Soul Guiding Banner beside him.

The wronged spirit immediately screamed and roared, its face full of scars, revealing a ferocious and savage appearance, clearly indicating that it had been a hot-tempered and unapproachable character in life.

"A wronged soul at the Qi Cultivation Seventh Level, not bad. Using you for location tracking should be more accurate."

The man wearing the demon mask sneered and pressed the wronged soul into the map with a single finger.

In an instant, the wronged spirit shrank to a black dot, moving rapidly across the map before finally settling on a particular spot.

"So this is it." The cultivator wearing the black demon mask's eyes flashed, and he summoned the ghostly spirit back and sent it into the banner.

"This location is no different from where Senior Brother Zhao was before."

The other two exchanged glances. One of them, wearing a white ghost mask, frowned and said, "Senior Brother Zhao's Storage Bag won't be separated from him. Should I go check?"

"No!"

The man in the black demon mask pondered for a moment, then said, "You two stay here. I'll go check it out myself."

Both of them, "Senior Brother He," changed color.

Senior Brother He, wearing a black demon mask, coldly said, "Don't you know my strength? In this situation, it's most suitable for me to go. Even if we encounter experts from the Longevity Sect, I'm confident I can escape."

"Okay then."

"Then be careful, Senior Brother."

Upon hearing this, the two could only nod.

Indeed, if they were to encounter a formidable foe from the Longevity Sect, given that even Senior Brother Zhao and the others had met with misfortune, it would be very difficult for the two of them to escape.

This Senior Brother He, with his Foundation Establishment Late Stage strength, and the Soul Guiding Banner containing three Foundation Establishment Yin Souls and numerous Qi Refining Yin Souls, is truly a powerful figure who has fought his way out of mountains of corpses and seas of blood.

A cultivator who has achieved the False Core Great Cultivator is virtually unmatched, and even if he encounters a powerful enemy, he is confident he can escape.

With a flick of his wrist, Senior Brother He, wearing a black demon mask, shook the Soul Guiding Banner. Instantly, thousands upon thousands of vengeful spirits roared and charged out, like thousands upon thousands of grotesque and twisted human faces, surrounding and enveloping him like stars around the moon, before merging into the eerie mist and quickly disappearing into the distance.

Fifteen minutes later.

In the desolate forest where they had previously clashed, branches and leaves were withered, tree trunks were broken, and broken branches and leaves covered two mutilated corpses, along with two Storage Bag scattered on the ground.

Chen Dengming and his men had already arrived in the forest and lay in ambush, waiting for their target to appear.

It was nearly midnight. The moonlight was bright, but the night was even darker. The surrounding trees and bushes were so dense that it was impossible to discern their positions.

Chen Dengming then used the Wood Escape Technique to shrink inside a large tree, with the Storage Bag of the two Devil Cultivator placed on the ground beneath the tree.

Not only did he use the Wood Escape Technique to lie dormant, but he also used the Spirit Refining Art Technique to conceal the aura of his own soul, making him seem as if he had truly transformed into a piece of wood, becoming one with the tree. He was confident that even if Soul Devouring Sect really came, they would have difficulty detecting his presence through the sensing of their soul.

"Exciting, so exciting! They used a sneak attack again! Why did I fall in love with this tactic after only using it once?"

This won't do; it goes against the teachings of the Evergreen Sect. We must remain calm and composed, and remember not to be reckless or aggressive. Stay calm.

Zhou Yunji used earth escape to hide in a dark corner far away and ambush, feeling very excited.

The thought of ambushing and killing a few more Soul Devouring Sect cultivators later made him even more excited, and he could only relieve the pressure by constantly reminding himself to stay calm.

Time passed quickly, and only a quarter of an hour later...

The air seemed to gradually drop imperceptibly, and an eerie atmosphere seemed to be swept into the woods by the gentle breeze.

A dozen or so elusive, almost invisible ghostly figures appeared silently from all directions and surged into the forest.

A chilling atmosphere instantly spread, and even the wind seemed to transform into a mournful howl, filled with an aura of curses.

In the distance, the moonlight quietly illuminated a tall figure wearing a black demon mask on a treetop.

Senior Brother He from the Soul Devouring Sect didn't even approach the Battlefield; he only sent out a dozen or so Yin spirits to explore Battlefield.

In the end, these ghosts all lingered beside the two Storage Bag on the ground, or wandered around the two mutilated corpses, emitting eerie and chilling laughter.

Chen Dengming remained inside the large tree, coldly sensing the ghostly figures outside, his mind unmoved.

He had dealt with these things many times, and it was clear that these dozen or so were just the lowest-level ghosts, and they hadn't even noticed him hiding inside the tree.

But the current situation is also troublesome. That Soul Devouring Sect cultivator is so cautious that he doesn't show himself, but only sends his spirits to inspect the Battlefield.

Just then, more than a dozen ghostly spirits flashed by and disappeared into the forest, where they were taken away by the cultivator surnamed He.

The next moment, the cultivator surnamed He turned and left without looking at the Storage Bag in the forest or the corpse of his fellow cultivator.

Chen Dengming thought to himself that this was troublesome, but he remained calm and did not show himself.

The other five men lying in ambush were also cursing under their breath, but seeing that Chen Dengming was not making a move, they could only force themselves to remain calm and not show themselves.

Time passed quickly, minute by minute.

Just as Chen Dengming thought he had miscalculated, a ghostly figure appeared out of thin air and suddenly flashed into the woods.

Immediately afterwards, a tall figure wearing a demon mask and holding a huge Soul Guiding Banner appeared directly in the forest, replacing the ghostly figure as if the figures had overlapped.

His eyes fell on the corpse on the ground, and with a wave of his hand, two Storage Bag flew up and landed in his hand.

Just as he was about to look down...

"Do it!"

A low shout suddenly came from the woods on the left.

Almost as soon as the sound faded, flying swords, exorcising talismans, and even a huge, strange magical Law Artifact resembling a large bowl appeared all at once, emitting Spiritual Light, converging and enveloping the Devil Cultivator surnamed He.

"Interesting. Someone actually ambushed me. The Longevity Sect has found an interesting opponent this time."

The Devil Cultivator surnamed He frowned slightly, a hint of surprise and disbelief flashing in his eyes. Suddenly, the Soul Guiding Banner in his hand shone brightly with dark light, and thousands upon thousands of Yin spirits roared and floated out, like a well-trained black army, rolling and howling, with a fierce momentum, protecting the Devil Cultivator surnamed He inside, and launching an attack on the attacking magical Law Artifact!

Attack against attack; one man becomes an army, and an army becomes a battle formation!

"Boom boom boom--"

The magical Law Artifact clashed with the army of vengeful spirits, creating a sound like muffled thunder.

Some of the spirits were defeated, but many more, under the command of three clearly extremely powerful spirits, easily blasted away the Law Artifact and talismans.

The Devil Cultivator surnamed He moved, about to transform into a black tornado and depart amidst the protection of countless yin spirits.

"Where He Li?!"

Cao Yan's roar suddenly came from the Dongfang, followed by a crimson fire stick that burned with a purplish-red light, shooting towards the Devil Cultivator surnamed He like a purplish-red ray of dawn. The powerful spiritual might instantly covered the entire mountain forest.

"Hmm? Cao Yan of the Longevity Sect?"

A flash of lightning appeared in the eyes of the Devil Cultivator He Li. He smiled coldly, showing no fear. As the Soul Guiding Banner danced, thousands of Yin Souls, guided by the three Foundation Establishment main souls, instantly transformed into an angry black dragon, forming a single entity. It opened its huge mouth and roared as it devoured the Fire Stick.

With a loud "thud!"

The purplish-red light was instantly swallowed up.

The mountains and forests instantly turned pitch black.

But the next moment, countless lights tore through the black mist, and scorching flames lashed out like fiery whips, lashing many of the evil spirits into nothingness.

However, only a soul banner fluttered in mid-air, and three Foundation Establishment main souls, along with hundreds of wronged souls, clashed with the fire stick.

He Li's figure had disappeared at some point.

"Bang--"

"Clang!"

Almost simultaneously, the magical Law Artifact and talismans unleashed by Zhou Yunji and the others who had appeared all struck empty air.

Where are they?

Just as Yang Lan was secretly alarmed, she suddenly felt a shiver run through her body, and a chill ran through her in an instant.

A black demon mask appeared behind her, and a transparent ghostly hand appeared out of nowhere, about to pierce through her back.

But at that moment, the ghostly hand trembled, and a painful groan suddenly came from behind.

"Who? They actually know the Divine Sense attack technique that my Soul Devouring Sect excels at?"

In the instant of He Li's intense mental anguish, he quickly became highly vigilant.

The female cultivator in front of him was greatly alarmed and lunged forward to avoid him, as a barrage of magical Law Artifact and talismans bombarded him almost simultaneously.

He Li was about to leave when he suddenly felt his lower body stiffen and become uncontrollable.

A tenacious Wood Elemental Spiritual Energy, as if it were firmly rooted in a mountain, invaded his feet.

"Ah!--"

He roared, unleashing a surge of powerful Law Power that forced the mycelium out of his body.

But at the same time, countless magical Law Artifact and talismans were already bombarding the area.

"Hateful!"

A look of surprise flashed across his eyes, and he used the Ghost Substitute Technique to change his location and leave.

"Boom!--"

A huge crater was instantly blasted open on the spot, with scorched earth and sparks flying everywhere.

He Li's figure had already shifted again, reappearing at the location of the Soul Guiding Banner.

But the instant his figure appeared, replacing a ghostly substitute, hundreds of bright, silver lightning-like sword lights suddenly contracted and rolled in, the astonishing clang and sharp airflow generated by the high-speed friction were terrifying.

In addition, as if by unspoken agreement, Cao Yan's figure had appeared behind him at some point. A talisman he summoned in front of him shone brightly, transforming into a giant fire mirror that shot out a dazzling and powerful attack, firmly blocking the army of Yin spirits composed of three Foundation Establishment spirits.

"You bastard!"

He Li let out an angry roar and immediately summoned another magical Law Artifact from his Storage Bag. It seemed to instantly form a huge black chrysanthemum, blooming and rolling out, emitting a suppressed aura that blocked the hundreds of sweeping and killing blade lights, creating a lot of sparks.

"There's a treacherous brat, skilled in the art of Divine Sense, lurking in the shadows! Where is he? Where is he—"

He Li cursed inwardly, and his powerful Divine Sense quickly spread out to search.

This was a critical and tense situation he had rarely experienced.

He felt as if he had been constantly targeted by a powerful enemy hidden in the shadows, and the threat posed by this enemy was even more terrifying than that posed by Cao Yan, a Foundation Establishment Late Stage Cultivator.

But before he could find Chen Dengming's location, Chen Dengming had already shown himself. The Heart-Illuminating Mirror of Shattering Delusions instantly shot out a lightning-like beam of light, streaking across the dark night sky and shooting towards He Li.

He Li off guard, He Li was struck by the mirror light and roared in pain. The black chrysanthemum-shaped defensive Law Artifact around his body also shrunk under the force of the attack.

Just then, the attacks from the other people's Law Artifact came crashing down all at once.

He Li glared at Chen Dengming, who had just appeared, and then let out a long howl.

The Soul Banner trembled violently in an instant, and thousands of Yin Souls suddenly broke away from the main soul, scattering in all directions like thousands of black balloons, indiscriminately bombarding the people in the mountains and forests below.

The three Foundation Establishment main souls that were being controlled simultaneously let out painful and desperate roars, suddenly contracted rapidly, and their auras became extremely unstable.

Cao Yan's expression changed instantly. He immediately withdrew the talisman and lunged downwards, summoning his three-colored canopy defensive magic Law Artifact. He shouted, "Watch out!"

Boom! --!

Three earth-shattering, terrifying explosions rang out as if in one loud voice, causing the entire mountain forest to tremble with a horrifying sound. Trees and the ground shook, and leaves fluttered down.

Strangely, only a small portion of the energy spread like a whirlwind, while the more terrifying explosive attack occurred on a mental level, forming a mental wave that made everyone dizzy and swept in all directions. It shocked Qi Fen, Yang Lan, Yu Lihu and others, causing their bodies to tremble violently, their heads to feel as if they were being hit by a giant hammer, and their eyes to roll back.

The Black Cloud Leopard hiding thousands of feet away all let out a whimper, feeling nauseous and dizzy, shaking their heads uncomfortably, and spitting out several mouthfuls of saliva.

On the Battlefield, only Cao Yan and Chen Dengming fared slightly better, only experiencing a brief moment of dizziness before recovering.

Just as the two were about to continue their attack with their Law Artifact, they discovered that the Devil Cultivator He Li had already transformed into a streak of black light and fled away, enveloped by the black chrysanthemum-shaped Law Artifact.

At this point, pursuing a Foundation Establishment Late Stage Cultivator familiar with the terrain within War Zone is not impossible, but it is extremely dangerous.

Both of them frowned, exchanged a glance, and then abandoned the idea of continuing the pursuit.

It is no easy feat to force the opponent to the point of abandoning the Soul Guiding Banner, the three Foundation Establishment main souls, and countless Yin souls.

And since He Li lost the Soul Guiding Banner he had painstakingly gathered and refined from Yin Souls, his combat power would inevitably be reduced by more than half.

If we meet again in the future, the threat will be much smaller.

The spirits of those in the Foundation Establishment Realm are not so easy to collect; simply killing Foundation Establishment does not guarantee successful control and manipulation for one's own use.

"Junior Brother Chen"

Cao Yan descended from the sky, smiled at Chen Dengming, and was about to bow to him.

But then Chen Dengming suddenly frowned, looking puzzled as he walked toward the Soul Guiding Banner, which surprised me.

After losing Cao Yan's control, the Soul Guiding Banner slowly fell from the sky, attracting a large number of lingering spirits from the surrounding area, which then gathered there automatically.

These wandering spirits seem to have made the Soul Guiding Banner their home. If they leave the Soul Guiding Banner, they become lonely ghosts, unable to go anywhere, and can only roam freely. They gradually become evil spirits or simply disappear into the world.

But what caught Chen Dengming's attention at this moment was a ghost among the remaining thousands of ghosts that looked rather familiar.

This ghost, with its fleshy face, eyes like copper bells, and ferocious appearance, upon closer inspection, turned out to be none other than the butcher— Zhu Xun!

Chen Dengming's eyebrows furrowed, and he suddenly clenched his fists, almost in disbelief, as he sent out his Divine Sense to communicate with the ghost.

"Fellow Daoist Zhu, is that you?"

(Bonus chapter complete. Still asking for monthly votes! Let's try to break into the top 100, or at least accumulate 10,000 votes!)

A friend recommended a friend's book about transmigrating into a cultivation world. Su Yu became a collateral descendant of an ordinary Cultivation Family. Apart from being handsome, he was useless, with mediocre cultivation talent and an ordinary background.

Fortunately, Su Yu brought with her a proficiency panel from the game she played in her previous life. Ignoring all limitations such as Spirit Root and comprehension, she could improve her strength by practicing repeatedly from nine to five to accumulate proficiency.

Living for ten thousand years, becoming an immortal or an ancestor is a piece of cake!

Sect Heavenly Pride and powerful ancestors are all fleeting clouds; only cultivation...