PDLP Chapter 48 Standoff and Chaos
Chapter 48 Standoff and Chaos
The summit was bustling with activity as cultivators from various sects gathered, all eagerly anticipating the upcoming treasure-hunting competition. No one noticed the deadly trap hanging overhead.
The summit of the small western mountain was silently locked by the Yin Fire Formation, concealing a deadly intent, while on the arena, more than ten figures stood quietly.
Everyone assumed they were Yan family guards, but little did they know that these dozen or so people, dressed in Yan family uniforms and surrounded by a thin mist to conceal their aura, were actually elite members of the Ghost Spirit Sect in disguise.
Wang Chan was among them, concealing his true appearance and aura with the thin mist. The Li brothers followed closely beside him. The group stood steadily on the high platform, disguised as guards from the Yan family, coldly looking down at the densely packed, oblivious Yue Kingdom Foundation Establishment cultivators below, their hearts filled with killing intent.
As the start time of the competition approached and most of the cultivators were in place, Wang Chan turned his head and asked the core cultivator of the Ghost Spirit Sect, who was bowing and waiting beside him, in a deep voice with a hint of impatient ruthlessness: "How is the preparation of the Yin Fire Formation going? Can it be activated immediately to wipe out everyone here?"
The cultivator bowed respectfully and solemnly, "Young Master, the great formation has been completely set up. It is only waiting for your command to seal off the entire mountain peak instantly. Anyone inside will have no chance to escape. All the Foundation Establishment cultivators from Yue Kingdom who are attending the meeting have arrived, and the vast majority are trapped within the formation's coverage area."
As soon as he finished speaking, the cultivator pointed to the outermost corner of the formation and added in a serious tone, "Only three people have escaped the formation's domain and are no longer confined by it."
Wang Chan looked in the direction he pointed, his gaze piercing through the layers of people, instantly locking onto two figures in the corner.
In the most secluded corner of the crowd, a couple of cultivators from the Hidden Moon Sect stood side by side, immersed in their deep affection, whispering sweet nothings to each other, completely oblivious to their surroundings, standing just outside the boundary of the formation.
On the other side, at the very edge, Han Li stood alone, far from all the other cultivators gathered. He kept his aura contained and coldly observed the commotion in the arena, appearing completely detached. He was also outside the range of the Yin Fire Array.
The mere three people were insignificant compared to the dozens of Foundation Establishment cultivators present, posing no threat to the overall situation.
The moment he saw the situation clearly, Wang Chan's lips curled into a vicious smile beneath his mask, his eyes blazing with murderous intent, and his entire body radiating a chilling and malevolent aura.
He didn't take those three who slipped through the net seriously at all. As long as the great formation was activated and the entire area was sacrificed, those three wouldn't be able to cause any trouble, even if they were outside.
They could just capture and kill him easily.
With a chilling killing intent pressing down on his chest, he opened his mouth, about to give a loud order to activate the Yin Fire Array and refine all the Yue Kingdom cultivators in the arena.
But at that critical moment, when the killing intent was about to descend but had not yet subsided!
Several whooshing sounds suddenly came from the direction of the core area of Yanling Fort not far away.
Two streaks of light pierced through the clouds, and two flying boats, one black and one white, sped through the air at incredible speed, instantly traversing the sky and crushing towards the western mountain peak.
Following closely behind the two flying boats were ten figures wielding various flying magical artifacts; they were the ten Foundation Establishment elders of the Yan family.
All the cultivators looked up at the sound, their faces filled with astonishment, and fell silent instantly.
The jet-black flying boat was the fastest, swooping down first and landing on the open ground at the summit. The boat's hull flashed intensely before suddenly receding.
Several figures landed steadily in the air, their auras powerful and oppressive. They were Tian Buque, the Chen Clan's Crimson Serpent Twin Demons, and Yan Yan, the patriarch of the Yan family.
Almost simultaneously, all ten Foundation Establishment elders of the Yan family landed, quickly lined up, and stood steadily behind the four.
In contrast, the white flying boat high in the sky remained suspended in mid-air, motionless, showing no intention of landing.
A powerful barrier of divine sense completely enveloped the entire flying boat, effectively blocking all internal and external probes. No matter whether one scanned with divine sense or observed with the naked eye, it was impossible to detect the slightest movement inside the boat, making it mysterious and unpredictable.
The sudden and dramatic turn of events completely disrupted the rhythm of the game.
Wang Chan, who was originally hidden in the thin mist and disguised as a cultivator from the Yan family, froze instantly with the sinister smile hidden on his face, and the chilling killing intent that was about to be unleashed around him suddenly solidified.
Through the thin mist, his gaze was fixed on Yan Yan and his group, who stood calmly on the ground. He was shocked and his eyes were filled with disbelief, astonishment and gloom.
Looking up again at the mysterious white boat in mid-air that seemed to isolate him from all detection, he had a guess in his mind, and his expression became even more unpleasant.
He believed his plan was meticulous and his calculations were perfect. He had grasped the Yan family's weaknesses and controlled the entire treasure hunt. Everything was going according to plan.
But the sudden appearance of the lineup, the mysterious white flying boat, and Yan Yan's calm and composed demeanor...
All of this indicated that the situation had already quietly slipped out of his control, and the development of events had completely exceeded all his expectations!
The situation changed drastically, and unexpected events occurred, making it impossible to conceal anything.
On the arena, the dozen or so Ghost Spirit Sect cultivators, led by Wang Chan and the Li brothers, simply stopped concealing themselves and removed the thin mist that covered their bodies.
As the hazy mist dissipated, the Ghost Spirit Sect members, dressed in counterfeit Yan family uniforms, were completely exposed to the sunlight. Due to their cultivation techniques, each member of the Ghost Spirit Sect exuded a sinister and malevolent aura, making them particularly conspicuous in the scene.
All the Foundation Establishment cultivators from the Yue Kingdom who were sandwiched in the center of the formation saw with their own eyes that the people hiding on the arena were actually a group of experts from the Ghost Spirit Sect. Even the most obtuse of them instantly realized that the situation was dangerous and that there was a hidden killing intent.
Everyone's expression changed drastically, a chill ran through them, and they instinctively took steps back, hurriedly retreating towards the edge of the formation, wanting to get away from the dangerous place in the center of the arena.
Given Han Li's cautious nature, he had already considered retreating the moment the situation showed signs of weakness, wanting only to extricate himself and escape from this vortex of life and death.
But he restrained himself and did not flee rashly.
Firstly, none of the hundreds of cultivators present dared to flee first. At this moment, five Core Formation cultivators had already appeared in the sky and on the ground, their oppressive aura enveloping the entire area. Whoever was the first to move and flee would become the target of everyone's attacks, easily locked onto by the Core Formation experts and perish first.
Given the current situation, which is clearly a standoff and power struggle between the Ghost Spirit Sect and the Yan family, the safest way to survive is to wait and see what happens.
Secondly, Dong Xuan'er, amidst the crowd, was currently surrounded and fawned over by several male cultivators from the seven sects. The men vied to curry favor with her, while she remained completely unaware of the deadly crisis unfolding before her, instead appearing leisurely and enjoying the spectacle.
Remembering his master Hong Fu's instructions and concerned for Xuan'er's safety, Han Li had no choice but to grit his teeth and suppress his thoughts of escaping, quietly hiding in a corner.
On the arena, Wang Chan's face was ashen. He strode forward and walked straight to the front of the Ghost Spirit Sect's formation.
His gaze was fixed on Yan Yan, his teeth clenching into cold, hard words, filled with resentment and anger: "You old scoundrel from the Yan family! What exactly does your Yan family mean? Are you trying to betray our promise?"
The morning light shone down, making Yan Yan's long, crimson hair shine brightly and dazzlingly.
He stood before the crowd, his expression calm and indifferent, a mocking sneer playing on his lips. He retorted unhurriedly, "Betrayal? What makes you say that, Young Master Wang? My Yan family has never made a single promise to submit to your Ghost Spirit Sect."
Wang Chan's chest was churning with anger as she demanded sharply, "You clearly agreed after the clan meeting yesterday..."
Yan Yan remained calm and interrupted him directly in a cold voice, each word clear and impeccable: "Yesterday I only mentioned that the Yan family was preparing for the entire clan to migrate. When did I ever promise to submit to the Ghost Spirit Sect? It was all your wishful thinking and unfounded speculation."
Wang Chan was speechless after being rebuked, then laughed in anger, his eyes flashing with malice. He turned to Tian Buque and said coldly, "Tian Buque, since you've personally shown up to support him, could it be that this old scoundrel has turned around and pledged allegiance to your Hehuan Sect?"
At this moment, Tian Buque had no intention of focusing on the confrontation.
He glanced sideways at Dong Xuan'er in the crowd, noticing several male Foundation Establishment cultivators fawning over her and trying to please her. A hint of gloomy displeasure unconsciously crossed his brow.
Upon hearing Wang Chan's direct questioning, his expression instantly changed. The gloom in his eyes vanished, replaced by a seductive smile. His tone was languid yet brimming with provocation: "What? When did the territory of Yue Kingdom become the private domain of your Ghost Spirit Sect? Does my presence here require the approval of Young Master Wang?"
He slightly raised his eyes, his aura suddenly tightening, and stated forcefully, "Furthermore, the Yan family has not submitted to my Hehuan Sect. It's just that today, I, Tian Buque, am here to support and protect the Yan family. Young Master Wang, do you have any objections?"
At the very edge of the arena, Han Li stood quietly, taking in the entire confrontation.
When he saw Tian Buque's face and aura, his expression instantly darkened, his heart trembled, and his sense of crisis was completely aroused.
He unconsciously and quietly took a few steps back, trying to stay as far away from the core of the conflict as possible.
Just as the two sides were locked in a stalemate and on the verge of exchanging blows, a series of dull, cracking sounds suddenly rang out from the mountains.
In an instant, the giant protective array that had perpetually enveloped the entire Yanling Fortress and protected the entire territory suddenly dissipated. The bright, restrictive spiritual light peeled away inch by inch, turning into tiny specks of light dust that scattered and dissolved in the wind, completely fading away.
Once the protective barrier of the fortress was broken, the view of the world suddenly opened up, and the next moment, an even more shocking scene unfolded.
Deep within the heart of Yanling Fortress, a massive airship broke through the buildings and slowly took off.
Following closely behind, nearly thirty flying boats of varying sizes and shapes took off one after another, forming an orderly queue, cutting through the sky, and steadily flying towards the eastern horizon.
Those cultivators with slightly stronger spiritual senses present could clearly sense that on each flying boat stood members of the Yan family dressed in their uniform attire, all fully prepared and ready to depart. Clearly, they had made thorough preparations long ago and were not hastily evacuating.
Meanwhile, within Yanling Fortress, now deprived of the great array's protection, a violent uproar erupted in the mortal realm.
Countless ordinary members of the Yan family scurried through the streets and alleys, connecting with each other, calling out and running about, creating a noisy and chaotic scene.
Some hurriedly packed their bags, while others gathered their clansmen in procession. The ancient castle was completely devoid of its former peace and tranquility, and everywhere was filled with the hurried chaos of the entire clan's migration.