Ambush at the Valley Entrance

Three flying ships, like three sharp arrows, tore through the increasingly dense and viscous gray-black mist outside Burial Demon Valley, speeding towards the source of the heart-palpitating malevolent energy deep within.

The deeper they went, the more severe the environment became. Not only was the yin and death energy several times denser, but a faint scent of blood began to permeate the air, along with an ancient, chaotic, and malicious pressure, as if some terrifying entity that had slumbered for eons was slowly awakening.

Mo Yuan, who had just broken through to Foundation Establishment, sat cross-legged on the Azure Wood Boat, doing his best to stabilize his realm.

The feeling of being in the Foundation Establishment stage was completely different from Qi Refining. His spiritual sense perception range had expanded several times over, and his perception and control of Heaven and Earth Spiritual Energy were also more refined and meticulous.

Although the lake of purple-gold True Essence in his Dantian was not large, the power contained in each drop of True Essence far surpassed what it was before.

More importantly, the strand of undying Thunder Emperor's Will integrated into his Dao Foundation naturally exuded a faint pressure of thunder around him. Ordinary yin and evil energies could not get close, and even the Thunder Dragon Evil-Slaying Spear in his hand appeared even more mystical.

His breakthrough undoubtedly injected a shot of confidence into the entire team.

The disciples of Mount Mao looked at him with reverence and excitement. Chen Feng and Zhao Gan even moved closer.

"Senior Brother Mo, congratulations on reaching Foundation Establishment!" Chen Feng said sincerely, his tone more respectful than ever.

In the cultivation world, the strong were revered. Although Mo Yuan was young, his strength and potential already far surpassed theirs. This "Senior Brother" was spoken with genuine conviction.

Zhao Gan also scratched his head and chuckled, "Senior Brother Mo, the commotion you made when you broke through just now really scared those guys from Dragon Tiger Mountain and Ge Zao Mountain. Now, let's see who dares to look down on our Mount Mao!" His words carried a sense of proud vindication.

Mo Yuan smiled slightly, retracting the thunderous pressure he unconsciously emitted to avoid pressuring his fellow disciples.

"It was just luck. The dangers ahead are unknown, and we still need to work together."

He glanced at Chen Feng and Zhao Gan. "Senior Brother Chen's sword arts are sharp, and Senior Brother Zhao's foundation is solid. If combat arises later, I will need your help."

His attitude was humble, and he did not become arrogant due to his increased cultivation, which made Chen Feng and Zhao Gan feel even more at ease. They quickly pledged to do their best.

Just then, Xuan Ji, the Martial Uncle responsible for piloting the flying ship and scouting ahead, suddenly shouted in a deep voice, "Careful! There's array fluctuation ahead, prepare for battle!"

Almost at the same moment he spoke, the space in front of the three flying ships distorted.

Countless dark, tentacle-like shadows shot out from the void, intertwining into a vast net that blotted out the sky. It carried a strange power that corroded spiritual energy and ensnared the soul, descending upon the three flying ships.

Simultaneously, from behind the jagged rocks on either side, dense volleys of poisoned bone arrows and balls of evil energy radiating yin and malevolent shockwaves rained down.

"Netherworld Soul-Devouring Net! It's an ambush by the Netherworld organization and the Black Fiend Sect!"

Martial Uncle Xuan Ji's expression darkened. His Peach Wood Sword was instantly unsheathed, its golden light surging. A sharp sword aura was about to strike the black net.

"Junior Brother Xuan Ji, wait!"

The ancestor who had been silent suddenly spoke. He held an ancient array disk in his hand, dotted with starlight. "This net is connected to the earth's yin and malevolent energy. Forcibly breaking it might trigger a wider range of energy turbulence, interfering with the flying ships' stability."

"Senior Brother Qingming, please use your 'Clarity Dao Sound' to disrupt its energy nodes! Disciples of all sects, form defensive arrays and clear the flanking harassments!"

The orders were given clearly, demonstrating the ancestor's rich experience and battlefield command ability.

A yellow-robed old Daoist leading the Dragon Tiger Mountain disciples heard this and immediately formed hand seals, chanting true words. A wave of Dao sound, which was upright and peaceful yet possessed the power to cleanse evil spirits, rippled out like water, impacting several key connection points of the black net, causing its light to flicker unstably.

The disciples on the three flying ships also acted immediately.

Under Martial Uncle Xuan Ji's command, the Mount Mao disciples quickly formed a small Three Talents Sword Array. Their sword lights merged into a single stream, blocking most of the incoming bone arrows and evil energy balls.

The Dragon Tiger Mountain disciples unleashed various magical artifacts and spirit talismans, their golden light shining like an impenetrable wall.

The Ge Zao Mountain disciples were the most peculiar. Instead of attacking directly, they quickly threw out several array flags, setting up a small defensive spirit light array around the flying ships, enhancing their overall defense.

Mo Yuan did not immediately join the sword array. His sharp gaze swept across the battlefield.

He noticed that the cultists attacking from behind the strange rocks were not acting randomly. They were subtly divided into several small squads, coordinating with each other. Their attacks were also quite methodical, clearly indicating a powerful individual was directing them from behind.

Moreover, he keenly sensed a hidden, extremely subtle but powerful aura within the shadow of a particularly tall stone pillar on the left. It was at least at the mid-Foundation Establishment stage and was likely the commander of this ambush!

"Martial Uncle Xuan Ji, there's a strong enemy hidden in the shadow of the stone pillar on the left. It should be the enemy commander!" Mo Yuan immediately transmitted his voice to Martial Uncle Xuan Ji.

Upon hearing this, Martial Uncle Xuan Ji's eyes flashed with cold light. He had also sensed that aura.

"I'll go deal with him! Mo Yuan, you've just entered Foundation Establishment. This battle is a good opportunity to familiarize yourself with your strength. Assist Senior Brother Qingming in breaking the net and eliminate those annoying flies!" With that, his figure flickered and transformed into a golden light, charging directly towards the shadow of the stone pillar. He instantly engaged a rising dark figure, golden light and ghostly fire intertwining, and waves of energy surging.

Receiving the order, Mo Yuan no longer hesitated.

He stepped off the Azure Wood Boat, executing the Swift Lightning Step. His figure moved like a phantom to the flank of the flying ship, where a squad of five or six Black Fiend Sect cultists, led by a minor leader at the ninth level of Qi Refining, were frantically launching evil energy attacks towards the flying ship.

"Stop him!"

The minor leader at the ninth level of Qi Refining saw Mo Yuan approaching alone. Although he felt the aura of a Foundation Establishment cultivator, he relied on his numbers and grinned as he ordered his subordinates to surround and attack.

Mo Yuan's eyes were icy. He didn't even use the Thunder Dragon Evil-Slaying Spear.

He simply formed a sword with his fingers, and the thunderous True Essence within him surged. A strand of white-gold lightning, fused with Geng Metal Thunderous Evil, danced at his fingertips.

"Noisy."

He flicked his finger casually! A condensed-as-silk, extremely fast white-gold lightning arrow shot through the air!

"Pfft, pfft, pfft!"

The lightning arrow, as if possessing sentience, drew a bizarre arc in the air, instantly piercing the foreheads of three cultists, leaving behind a small, charred hole. Without even a groan, the three fell dead. Its momentum undiminished, it continued towards the minor leader.

The minor leader's face turned ashen with terror. He desperately conjured a bone shield to block!

"Crack!"

The bone shield was like paper in front of the lightning arrow, shattering instantly! The lightning arrow directly penetrated his chest, and thunder erupted, carbonizing his internal organs in an instant!

Instant kill! And a casual instant kill at that!

The remaining two cultists were so terrified they lost their wits and turned to flee.

Without even looking, Mo Yuan flicked his wrist, sending out two subtle lightning arcs that struck the back of their heads with pinpoint accuracy, ending their lives.

Clean and efficient! After reaching Foundation Establishment, his control over his power became even more refined. Dealing with these Qi Refining stage evil cultivators was almost effortless.

His swift elimination of a squad of enemies immediately drew the attention of cultists in other directions, as well as the astonished gazes of disciples from Dragon Tiger Mountain and Ge Zao Mountain.

"What powerful lightning arts!"

Among the Dragon Tiger Mountain group, a young man with a resolute face and a long sword on his back couldn't help but exclaim. He was one of Dragon Tiger Mountain's core disciples, Zhang Tianyun (Zhang Tianyuan's cousin), and his cultivation was also at the early Foundation Establishment stage.

Over at Ge Zao Mountain, Luo Li, who had previously sparred with Mo Yuan in the martial arts competition, showed a flicker of surprise in her clear, cold eyes.

She could feel that Mo Yuan had become far stronger than during the competition. The majesty and destructive aura contained within his lightning made even her heart palpitate.

Mo Yuan didn't stop. He moved again, like a thunder god patrolling his domain. Wherever he passed, lightning flashed, and cultists inevitably fell.

He didn't just kill indiscriminately. Instead, he selectively eliminated those who posed the greatest threat to the flying boat's defenses, while also closely monitoring the changes in the Netherworld Soul-Devouring Net.

Under the interference of Elder Qingming's Dao sound and the long-range attacks of several Foundation Establishment cultivators, the black net was already on the verge of collapse.

Mo Yuan spotted a node where the energy flow was sluggish. The Thunder Emperor's Will within him stirred slightly, and an invisible pressure descended, nearly freezing the energy at that node!

He then pointed his fingers together, and a purple-gold lightning barrier, imbued with the majesty of the Thunder Emperor's Will, shot out!

"Break!"

"Chiiiiii—!"

Like a hot knife through butter, the resilient Netherworld Soul-Devouring Net was easily torn open by the lightning barrier, creating a massive gap! The entire net's structure instantly collapsed, dissipating into a sky full of black mist!

"The net is broken! Charge through!" Elder Qingming rejoiced and immediately gave the order.

The three flying boats unleashed their full power. Taking advantage of the enemy's formation being broken and their commander being tied up by Martial Uncle Xuan Ji, they instantly broke through the ambush zone.

Just then, the dark figure battling Martial Uncle Xuan Ji in the distance let out a roar of unwillingness. Feinting a move, it transformed into black smoke and fled.

Martial Uncle Xuan Ji didn't pursue deeply. He returned to the flying boat. A trace of ghost fire stained his sleeve, but his aura was steady, indicating he had the upper hand.

"Clear the battlefield, tally the casualties, and continue forward!" Martial Uncle Xuan Ji said coldly.

After the count, only a few disciples from the three sects had sustained minor injuries, and no one had fallen. On the contrary, they had annihilated nearly thirty enemy cultists, marking a small victory.

Through this battle, Mo Yuan, with his formidable strength and precise judgment, not only enhanced his prestige within Mount Mao but also truly earned the recognition and respect of the elites from Dragon Tiger Mountain and Ge Zao Mountain.

Zhang Tianyun proactively cupped his hands towards Mo Yuan and said, "Fellow Daoist Mo's lightning arts are divine; I am truly impressed."

Luo Li also nodded slightly in acknowledgment.

Mo Yuan returned their greetings one by one, his demeanor neither humble nor arrogant.

The group rested briefly before setting off again.

Everyone knew that the ambush they had just experienced was merely the beginning. The closer they got to the ancient demon ruins, the more terrifying the dangers that awaited them would be.

However, with Mo Yuan, a newly advanced Foundation Establishment cultivator, as a powerful reinforcement, their confidence had also increased significantly.

The flying boats sailed resolutely towards the source of the malevolent energy and the scent of blood.

Mo Yuan stood at the prow of the boat, his robes fluttering, his eyes sharp as lightning. His first battle after reaching Foundation Establishment had already revealed his potential.

In the upcoming journey to the ancient demon ruins, he was destined to play an even more crucial role.

And with the Thunder Emperor's Will within him and the Five Thunder Divine Method rewarded by the system, he was filled with anticipation for the coming storm.