The vast, dense forest stretches as far as the eye can see, an endless expanse of lush green. Occasionally, a gentle breeze blows, and suddenly, enormous green corridors appear to spread out from afar above the verdant sea of trees, finally disappearing into the distance, creating a truly magnificent sight.
Above the forest stretched a clear blue sky. Several figures swiftly flew across the open expanse, their sharp, hawk-like eyes carefully scanning the forest below. Although the dense forest was vast, their immense spiritual perception allowed them to clearly perceive everything within it. In particular, the faint traces of aura lingering in a certain spot sent a jolt through them.
At a certain moment, several pairs of eyes pierced through the gaps in the forest and spotted a newly opened cave in a shady mountain hollow. At that moment, the three men simultaneously revealed cold smiles.
"Now let's see where you can run!"
"Surround them! We must not let a single one of them leave here alive!"
At the elder's command, the two beside him nodded emphatically. With a swift movement, the three figures descended rapidly, each occupying a side, surrounding the cave below.
Surrounded by three powerful experts from the Yuan Zong, no matter how capable this group was, they could not escape. They also believed that with Xiao Yan's severely injured body, he would never have the chance to create a second terrifying Fire Lotus like the one last time.
However, at the same time the three old men descended, footsteps echoed in the dimly lit cave. Following their gaze, five figures appeared before them. The one in the lead was none other than Xiao Yan. At this moment, thanks to the medicinal power of the seventh-grade pill, his injuries, while not fully healed, were more than half restored. In addition, the continuous flow of medicinal power within his body was repairing his wounds, so his overall condition was much better. His previously bloodless face had regained its rosy hue, and even his aura had improved considerably.
At this moment, Xiao Yan had already become a Two-Star Origin Emperor!
The group stepped out of the cave in unison, their chilling gazes immediately landing on the three elders of the Tribulation Crossing Sect. When the three saw Xiao Yan, now full of energy again, their facial muscles twitched involuntarily. The terrifying scene of the exploding Fire Lotus was still vivid in their minds. Now that Xiao Yan had recovered to this extent, what would happen if he condensed the Fire Lotus again...?
Fortunately, when the three saw that Xiao Yan did not have the Fire Lotus between his hands, their tense emotions relaxed slightly, and a coldness crept into their eyes as they looked at the five people in front of them.
"Kid, let's see how you escape our grasp this time!"
With a low shout, the three figures before him trembled violently, and a vast aura of pressure immediately swept out from their bodies, shaking the surrounding mountains and forests. However, Xiao Yan and the others remained completely unmoved. Feeling the terrifying aura of pressure rapidly spreading around them, Xiao Yan smiled coldly, his lips slightly parted, and he said calmly:
"Senior, please."
As soon as the words were spoken, a powerful aura, no less formidable than that of the three men, surged out from within the cave, instantly blocking the aura of the other three. The gazes of the three men changed drastically at that moment.
"This is..."
" Yuan Zong?!"
"Who's lurking around like that? If you've got the guts, step forward and speak!"
The elder at the head of the group frowned. He hadn't expected that a mysterious Yuan Zong expert would suddenly appear at this time. This would make it much more difficult for them to capture Xiao Yan and the others. Fortunately, judging from the aura, the opponent was only an Yuan Zong. Although there was some pressure, it was still within their tolerance.
"Hahaha, you call me sneaky? Compared to you disgusting bastards, I'm much more upright, aren't I? At least, my Heavenly Cloud Manor wouldn't use living people as sacrifices, unlike you, who wouldn't even spare your own little saintess. After all these years, you're still indulging in wishful thinking."
Just then, a loud, mocking laugh suddenly came from inside the cave. Immediately afterwards, an old man dressed in a brocade robe appeared in front of Xiao Yan and the others, looking at the three of them with disdain.
"It's you..."
" Luo Hao!"
Upon seeing the person before them, the expressions on the faces of the three elders of the Tribulation Crossing Sect changed drastically. They exclaimed in surprise, and their expressions simultaneously became solemn.
Luo Hao, the deputy master of the Heavenly Cloud Manor, Six-Star Yuan Zong. Because of his seven brothers, he is also known as the Seven Heroes of the Luo Clan in the Central Region. He usually stays in the north of the Central Region and rarely shows his face. The Luo Hao in front of us is the third oldest.
Although Luo Hao is currently alone, these three, knowing Heavenly Cloud Manor well, are naturally aware that each of the Seven Heroes of the Luo Clan possesses extremely strong combat power. This isn't because their own cultivation is particularly powerful, but rather because all seven are powerful array masters. Their insights into array formations are arguably unparalleled on the continent. Heavenly Cloud Manor is also the only powerful force on the entire continent that uses the Dao of Array Formations as its tradition. With the formidable power of their array masters, any one of them could easily fight two experts of the same level. If they were to go all out, even the three of them might not be able to defeat Luo Hao.
Thinking of this, the expressions on the three old men's faces grew even uglier. Who would have thought that at this point, they would run into the people of the Heavenly Cloud Manor? The four major forces were already at odds with each other and often fought amongst themselves. Now that they had met face to face, it seemed that this matter would not be so easily resolved.
" Luo Hao, do you want to interfere in the affairs of my Tribulation Crossing Sect?"
After a long pause, the elder among the three men finally spoke, his face darkening and his tone sinister.
"Heh heh, so what if I get involved? Dealing with the three of you isn't a problem for this old man."
Upon hearing this, Luo Hao chuckled, unconcerned. He had never had a good impression of this group, especially since Xiao Yan had some connection with Luo Jin. Doing this would not only save Xiao Yan and his group but also curb their arrogance, so why not?
" Luo Hao, don't be so arrogant. Although your Seven Heroes of the Luo Clan may have some reputation in the Central Region, your Heavenly Cloud Manor is ultimately just a group of Yuan Zong. If the Sect Master of my Tribulation Crossing Sect were to personally come, the consequences would be something you couldn't bear!"
"You mean my Heavenly Cloud Manor is afraid of you? So what if you 'Yuan Zun? If you think my Heavenly Cloud Manor is easy to bully, then come at me! Others may fear your Tribulation Crossing Sect, but my Heavenly Cloud Manor is not!"
No sooner had the former finished speaking than Luo Hao's cold shout followed. The chilling intent in his words made the faces of the three opposite him even more unpleasant. Heavenly Cloud Manor was one of their four major powers, so it naturally had its own foundation. To think that they could intimidate the latter with their own Yuan Zun experts was a bit too simplistic.
As the three Yuan Zong experts' faces darkened, Luo Hao immediately let out another cold laugh and continued:
" Xu Shuang, with me here today, you're destined not to be able to take these kids with you. If you still want to stay, then I don't mind the Tribulation Crossing Sect losing three elders."
Upon hearing this, the three men were immediately shaken. They had already intruded into the territory of the Heavenly Cloud Manor late last night. If they were trapped here by Luo Hao, and other powerful figures from the Heavenly Cloud Manor were to be summoned, it would likely be even more disadvantageous for them. After pondering and struggling for a long time, Xu Shuang gritted his teeth in hatred, his venomous gaze slowly sweeping over Xiao Yan and the others, finally lingering on Luo Hao. Then, he led the other two beside him, abruptly turned around, and flew rapidly towards the southern horizon.