Outside Inkcloud Ward, on a battlefield in the wilderness, a group of human-rank Spirit Tamers from different regions, gathered here by the Righteous Path's summons, struggled to hold on.
They were a patrol squad tasked with scouting the enemy. Among them were Wandering Disciples from great sects, collateral descendants of Aristocratic Clans, and unknown rogue cultivators from the grassroots, with cultivation ranging from seven to nine turns.
That day, the squad had unexpectedly come under attack by a pack of Corpse Demon Hounds a little over a hundred li outside Inkcloud Ward.
The enemy seemed to be commanded by three formidable late-stage human-rank experts. Using the demons' strength, they were slowly driving the squad into a valley surrounded by mountains, intending to use the terrain to trap them and wait for a chance to kill them.
At first, the patrol squad had planned to kill the three enemies and win distinction, but their opponents were extremely cautious, remaining hidden behind the hounds without ever showing themselves.
Then the squad tried to break out, but the enemy had planned for their unprepared targets, struck first, and seized the initiative. In barely a hundred breaths of fighting, several squad members were wounded in succession. The enemy even took advantage of the favorable wind to deploy Bewitching Spirit Poison Smoke, accelerating the depletion of their spirit essence.
In the end, the men helplessly realized that even escaping had become nearly impossible.
They organized repeated charges and breakout attempts, only to be driven back each time.
If this continued, all five members of the squad would likely lose their lives here.
"This won't work. They had over a hundred Corpse Demon Hounds. We killed twenty or thirty, but well over half are still left."
"Our spirit creatures are dead or wounded and won't be