A couple of deafening booms came from afar. A huge red mushroom cloud rose in the east, and explosions continued to rumble. Clearly, there were more than a dozen evil cultivators.
The five Han Clan disciples each brought out a second-tier talisman. It transformed into a vast sea of crimson flames and shot toward Chen An and his group.
Chen An didn't dare be careless. He hurriedly brought out a pale-blue command flag and gave it a gentle wave. Blue light rippled across the flag, and a blue water curtain several zhang tall abruptly appeared before him.
He then brought out a palm-sized blue shield. It instantly grew larger and blocked the way in front of him.
Rumble!
A tremendous roar rang out. The crimson flames shattered the blue water curtain, but the blue shield held back the flames.
When the flames dispersed, Han Changming and the others had disappeared.
They appeared more than ten zhang beneath the ground, enclosed by a huge yellow light barrier.
As they had planned beforehand, if they encountered an overwhelming cultivation force, they were to flee at once.
They had already used the Communication Disk to notify Han Deling to escape and not fight to the death.
Before long, seawater seeped in. Han Delei took out a blue short ruler carved with a blue shark and gave it a gentle wave. The shark seemed to come alive, spitting out a ray of blue light that transformed into a dense blue barrier. It enclosed the twelve cultivators and carried them swiftly through the seawater.
Han Changming could see a group of Fish-Lizard Beasts not far from them.
Suddenly, a huge blue sphere appeared in front of them, blocking their way. It was Chen An.
Han Delei gritted his teeth and said, "Fifth Brother, you and I will hold them off. The rest of you, scatter and run. Meet at the agreed location. If the others don't show up, you can head back to the market first. Your safety comes first. Move!"
The blue short ruler in Han Delei's hand shone brightly, transforming into a blue shark two zhang long.
Han Changming and the others scattered and fled. The faster they ran, the better the chances their clan uncle would survive.
The evil cultivators clearly had no intention of letting them go. They split up and gave chase.
An evil Qi Refining cultivator followed close behind Han Changming, hot on his heels.
Han Changming took out more than a dozen blood-soaked chunks of beast meat and hurled them at two Qi Refining cultivators.
Wrapped in a blue light barrier, the cultivators sped onward, and the meat did not hurt them.
The bloody smell of the meat attracted numerous demonic beasts, which charged toward the evil cultivators and Han Changming.
Han Changming crushed a second-tier Water Escape Talisman, more than doubling his speed.
Suddenly, a group of huge sharks charged straight toward him. Each had a row of sharp teeth, and a second-tier demonic beast led the pack.
Han Changming's heart sank. He hurriedly moved upward.
Before long, Han Changming surfaced. He could still see the small island, where flames soared into the sky and spiritual light flashed in every direction.
He had no idea how the other members of his clan were faring. With his own life at stake, all he could do was pray that the ancestors of the Han Clan would protect them and keep them safe.
He brought out a palm-sized azure boat. It instantly grew larger, and he leaped aboard, flying east at great speed.
Three days later, an azure flying boat appeared above a tiny island several li across. Han Changming's face was pale, and he clutched a Spirit Gathering Stone in his hand.
A dozen black streaks followed behind Han Changming. They were more than a dozen huge Black Giant Eagles.
As soon as Han Changming landed, he hurriedly put away the Azure Wind Boat.
A sharp whistling filled the air as a vast swath of black wind blades rained down from above.
Han Changming hurriedly tossed out a stack of Chain Fireball Talismans. They transformed into dozens of crimson fireballs that crashed into the blades.
Rumble!
The dozens of crimson fireballs shattered the black wind blades. Once the flames dispersed, Han Changming had vanished.
Wrapped in a yellow light barrier, Han Changming burrowed quickly underground.
That was the one good thing about cultivating earth-based techniques: when faced with demonic birds, he could swiftly burrow underground to escape.
After the time it takes an incense stick to burn, Han Changming appeared inside a cave more than a hundred zhang across.
Because he had encountered demonic birds, he couldn't make it to the island his clan uncle had mentioned. He decided to hide for a while, then head straight back to the market.
Before that, he needed to make a batch of talismans. He had nearly used up the ones he carried.
Yellow light glimmered in Han Changming's hands as he pressed them against the ground.
Rumble!
A huge yellow boulder rose from the ground, its surface smooth.
Han Changming sat quietly for more than half an hour. Once his magic power had fully recovered, he took out Blank Talisman Paper and began making talismans.
Two days later, Han Changming emerged from the cave. He brought out the Azure Wind Boat, leaped aboard, and flew northwest.
He hadn't gone far when several streaks of light appeared on the horizon, speeding toward him.
Han Changming furrowed his brows, hurriedly changed course, and landed on the island.
He formed a hand seal. Yellow light shone across his body, and he burrowed underground.
A streak of blue light appeared on the horizon, rapidly descending toward the island.
The blue light was a blue flying boat. Two young women stood aboard it: Ye Xin and Ye Xue. They looked terrified, clearly in trouble.
"Little sister, I'll hold them off. Take this Water Escape Talisman and run!" Ye Xin took out a Water Escape Talisman and handed it to Ye Xue.
"No, Sister! We'll leave together. I can't abandon you."
Ye Xin furrowed her brows and scolded her, "The two of us together make too big a target. I'll buy you some time. Go!"
Ye Xue bit her lower lip, took the talisman, and crushed it. A pale-blue barrier appeared, enveloping her.
Wrapped in the blue barrier, Ye Xue sank beneath the sea and disappeared.
Just then, a streak of azure light appeared above the island. It was an Azure Flying Shuttle with five men standing aboard. At the front stood a bald man around thirty years old, at the eighth level of Qi Refining, his eyes full of lechery.
Behind a huge yellow boulder in the distance, Han Changming's head poked out of the ground. He stared at Ye Xin and furrowed his brows.
If it had been anyone else, he wouldn't have cared. But he had known Ye Xin for several years and rather liked her. If she died, he would have to find another buyer.
The Azure Flying Shuttle slowly descended, and the five men stepped off.
"You two, go after that girl. Don't let her get away," the bald man ordered.
Two fifth-level Qi Refining cultivators acknowledged him and headed toward the sea.
Ye Xin naturally wouldn't let them have their way. She tossed out more than a dozen Chain Fireball Talismans. They transformed into dozens of crimson fireballs, which hurtled toward the five men.
"Hmph! You wouldn't take the easy way, so now you'll get it the hard way. Forget that girl. Take her alive, and we two brothers will have ourselves some fun." The bald man rubbed his head and leered at Ye Xin.
He brought out a Yellow Shield. It swelled in the wind and blocked his path.
More than a dozen crimson fireballs slammed into the Yellow Shield, engulfing it in a vast sea of crimson flames. Before long, the flames dispersed.
The five men each summoned a defensive barrier and brought out their magic weapons to attack Ye Xin.
Before you continue