Chapter 92: Ambush

“This doesn’t make sense. How can a rogue cultivator use the Heart Demon Technique? It’s a divine ability!” exclaimed the sword cultivator Shixiong who had previously engaged with his blade, disbelief evident in his voice.

No one answered his question.

Chen Luo carefully observed their surroundings; within his perception, no fog existed. Having cultivated Soul Projection, such mist could not deceive him.

The dark clouds above grew even denser, hinting at an impending thunderstorm.

Boom!

A figure suddenly collapsed straight onto the ground.

Everyone turned towards the sound, witnessing a stranger fall, their hand pressed against the Poison Insect Disciple’s chest. The assailant’s entire arm was blackened and visibly infected by poison - a sure sign of imminent death.

This individual had just launched a sneak attack on the Poison Insect Disciple.

Unfortunately, they underestimated the potency of the disciple’s venom. Even through a deer-hide glove, they couldn’t escape its effects as the poisonous insects bit through it.

Realizing what had transpired, the ambushed Poison Insect Disciple clutched his chest and began violently coughing on the ground.

Although he managed to fatally poison his attacker, he himself suffered greatly. His heart nearly exposed, blood continued to seep from the wound.

The group swiftly gathered around him.

“Something seems off,” Chen Luo suddenly spoke up.

In the next instant, a massive copper bell plummeted from the sky.

Buzz!

As the bell struck the ground, a deafening wave of sound radiated outward.

A burly man wearing a skull necklace stood atop the copper bell, emitting a sinister cackle as he surveyed the crowd.

Simultaneously, the floor beneath them split open, and a black-haired corpse puppet burst forth. Numerous spiders crawled out from cracks in the walls, swarming like a tidal wave to surround everyone.

Standing beside Chen Luo, Mowen Jian finally took action, unleashing a fierce surge of sword qi.

With a swift motion, his longsword flew from its sheath, slicing through the air. Mowen Jian himself leaped upwards, effortlessly soaring over the others, and aimed a single strike at the bell-wielding brute who had emerged first.

Chen Luo also sprang into action, raising his sword.

An invisible bat was cleaved in two by his blade.

The bat appeared silently; if Chen Luo’s reaction had been slightly slower, it would have bitten into his neck.

‘Fluctuations of spiritual energy detected behind the left wall.’

Instantly upon receiving this feedback from the mummified brain, Chen Luo swiftly darted towards the left side.

With a sickening sound, a white bone arm emerged from nearby, its claw-like fingers piercing through the Tian Jian Peak Shixiong standing behind Chen Luo. The disciple, still recovering from his earlier display, had not regained his composure. As initially assessed by the Foundation Establishment brain, this Shixiong lacked any significant trump cards; after his brief moment of bravado, he became vulnerable and was the first among them to be taken out.

The others nearby quickly reacted, intending to provide support. However, before they could move, another wave of attacks ensued as a swarm of bats flew out from adjacent buildings.

As Chen Luo stood up, the second Foundation Establishment brain in his mind provided feedback:

‘Very faint traces of formation markings detected underground, suggesting a possible ambush trap.’

Looking down, Chen Luo realized he was precisely positioned over one of the formation’s nodes. Although he couldn’t identify the specific formation, it didn’t hinder his understanding of their adversaries’ intent.

“Ambush!” Chen Luo’s heart skipped a beat, and he promptly shouted a warning.

“There’s a formation! Run!”

With that cry, he was the first to turn and sprint away.

However, with all enemies now revealed, there was no way they would let him escape easily.

Just as Chen Luo’s fellow Wu Dao Peak disciple took two steps, his chest caved inward from the impact of a black-haired zombie, slamming him against the wall. His legs twitched briefly before falling still, lifeless. The remaining Wanwu Peak disciple was surrounded by the swarm of bats. Despite continuously unleashing venomous insects, the sheer number of enemies overwhelmed him. After poisoning a significant portion of the bats, the Wanwu Peak disciple gradually ceased moving.

In the blink of an eye, three out of eight team members had perished.

“Shijie, let’s go quickly!”

The Poisonous Insect junior brother, lying on the ground, also succumbed to exhaustion. Although slightly stronger than the other Wanwu Peak disciple, his power wasn’t extraordinary. These lurking rogue cultivators had observed them for quite some time, specifically targeting their weaknesses.

While gu poison is formidable, it couldn’t withstand the overwhelming numbers of bats.

The dense swarms of spiders and bats drained his supply of venom rapidly, leaving him without the strength to escape. For disciples of Wanwu Peak, their entire prowess relied upon gu poisons.

They refined qi to nurture gu and cultivate toxins.

Gu poison formed the foundation of their abilities; once depleted, their internal spiritual energy would be emptied as well.

“Blood bats, ghost spiders! That treacherous wench from Nine Poisons Valley!”

Chu Hongye swept her palm, sending nearby bats flying away. Three poison bottles floated around her, emitting black, purple, and blue mists that coalesced to form protective veils. Shielded by these fumes, Chu Hongye remained unharmed for the moment.

“Oops, you’ve guessed it! Truly deserving of your reputation, Elder Sister Chu.”

The swarm of spiders parted, revealing a woman dressed in a green skirt who emerged from within. Her face was concealed behind a sheer veil, adorned with silver jewelry, while her slender legs were exposed, bare feet stepping on the rocky ground. Amidst the venomous insects surrounding them, she exuded a disturbingly captivating beauty.

“Ji Baoyue!”

Upon seeing this woman, Chu Hongye’s eyes instantly turned red.

They had known each other for quite some time. During her missions at the foot of the mountain, Chu Hongye had crossed paths with Ji Baoyue multiple times, their encounters resulting in mutual victories, making them long-standing rivals.

“I should have known; no wonder these rogue cultivators dared to raid Xixia Market,” Chu Hongye accused. “It turns out Nine Poisons Valley was backing them all along.” She demanded, “By attacking our market, are you declaring war against the Divine Lake Immortal Sect?”

In the cultivation world, wars between sects were rare. Each sect cultivated within their designated territories, with interests already clearly divided. Disputes were typically resolved through negotiations, as the cost of war was too high. Unless absolutely necessary, no one would engage in such irrational behavior.

The concept of vanquishing evil for justice did not apply here. Instead, it was all about “survival of the fittest.”

“Whatever those rogue cultivators did has nothing to do with Nine Poisons Valley,” the woman replied with a charming smile, her gaze sweeping over the remaining four individuals. Her eyes seemed to speak volumes without uttering a word. “Don’t make unfounded accusations!”

Upon hearing this, Chu Hongye’s expression instantly turned cold, realizing that a peaceful resolution might be impossible this time.

Sects maintained a superficial peace, but behind the scenes, underhanded activities never ceased. Their group had simply been unlucky, stumbling upon such a situation at the wrong moment. Whether they survived now depended on their individual capabilities.

“How about blaming rogue cultivators for inciting chaos and murdering Chu Hongye, head disciple of Divine Lake Immortal Sect’s Wanwu Peak?” Ji Baoyue began advancing, as swarms of spiders and bats converged towards their position.

Meanwhile, Mowen Jian and the bell-wielding brute had taken their fight outside.

The black-haired corpses also closed in from all sides, with another unseen necromancer lurking in the shadows.

“Take Poisonous Shidi and leave first,” said Chu Hongye.

She swiftly grabbed the nearly unconscious Poisonous Insect junior brother, tossing him next to Chen Luo. Simultaneously, a translucent insect flew out from her chest, instantly elevating her strength from the eighth layer of Qi Refinement to the pinnacle of the ninth layer, indicating she was prepared to risk everything.

Among the four leading disciples, excluding Wu Dao Peak’s senior brother, the remaining three were powerful Late Stage Qi Refinement cultivators. Chu Hongye herself stood at the ninth layer, just slightly weaker than the strongest among them, Yuan Gang.

At the thought of Yuan Gang, Chu Hongye grew increasingly concerned.

If they were ambushed here, it was likely no better for the other three groups. Additionally, there was still no news of Lian Qiang; whether he perished or escaped remained unknown.