Chapter 467

Chapter 467: Unexpected Ambush

“Peak Master Xing, that person is quite powerful. I don’t know where he came from, but I haven’t seen him among other sects,” said Zhong Lou in a room.

Jin Yu nodded beside him and added, “According to other disciples from the sect, he underwent a thunder tribulation in the secret realm, then directly broke through from the Spirit Transformation Stage to the late Void Refinement stage…”

Listening to their reports, Peak Master Xing, seated at the front, nodded slightly, his expression serious.

Such a talented individual was unknown to their He Dao Sect, which was unacceptable for an elite sect.

The key point was that this person had many mysteries surrounding him; he could break through several realms in a row and was struck by world-destroying thunder, leaving no doubt about his talent.

Perhaps he might even be the reincarnation of an ancient powerhouse. Such a cultivator could not be underestimated; it would be wise to investigate his identity thoroughly.

“Alright, I will report this to the sect after I return.”

Just as Peak Master Xing was about to ask for more details, his expression suddenly changed.

Zhong Lou and Jin Yu also turned their attention to the outside of the warship.

“Boom!”

With the sound of a tremendous explosion, the warship, which had been moving steadily, began to shake violently.

“What is happening?”

“What just occurred?”

…

Everyone felt the tremor and looked puzzled.

“Could it be that some cultivators are attempting a robbery?” someone in the warship guessed.

But they were from the He Dao Sect, and their warship clearly bore the He Dao Sect’s emblem; who would be foolish enough to try to rob them?

Just as everyone was confused, a loud laugh echoed from outside the warship:

“People from the He Dao Sect, get out here!”

Upon hearing this, everyone’s faces turned angry.

As disciples from the He Dao Sect, they had never been provoked like this; someone had the audacity to attempt a robbery against them so brazenly. This was absolutely intolerable!

The next moment, the cultivators inside the warship jumped out and arrived above the warship.

What met their eyes were merely three figures cloaked in black robes, two old men and a child.

Seeing this scene, the crowd couldn’t help but laugh.

But when they sensed the realms of the three, their expressions subtly changed.

They could not see through the realms of these three individuals!

Even though they had just emerged as elite cultivators from the secret realm, including some at the Spirit Transformation and Void Refinement stage, they still felt a significant pressure.

There was only one answer: these three were all cultivators at the Unity with the Dao stage who had mastered the essence of the Way.

In front of everyone, Peak Master Xing had already emerged, but upon seeing the three figures, he keenly sensed that something was wrong.

With such a grand display in stopping their warship and launching an attack, it was evident that the three were well-prepared.

However, as a Peak Master-level cultivator, Peak Master Xing maintained a calm demeanor and shouted at the three, “Who dares to block our path? State your names!”

The child among the three replied with a childish voice, “Hmph, do the dead really need to know our names?”

“Of course, it’s unnecessary,” the elder beside him answered his own question.

As they spoke, the three positioned themselves to block the two warships of the He Dao Sect.

“Peak Master Xing, what should we do?” Zhong Lou and Jin Yu asked from the side, their faces filled with concern.

Although the enemy had only three members and they had at least dozens of people, the three were likely high-level cultivators at the Unity with the Dao stage and could act without fear.

But they were different; the warship contained many Spirit Transformation Stage cultivators, and even a Void Refinement stage cultivator was no match for cultivators at the Unity with the Dao stage.

Moreover, every loss among the elite members in the warship would be a significant blow to the sect, especially since they were not in the secret realm, and the sect’s death quota could not be applied here.

Looking at their side’s top combat power, there was only Peak Master Xing.

Although he and Jin Yu were also true disciples of the sect and had mastered the essence of the Way, they had gained some benefits from this secret realm, they were still at the Void Refinement stage. Together, they might barely match one Unity with the Dao stage cultivator.

In such a dire situation, both felt uneasy.

Listening to the inquiry beside him, Peak Master Xing furrowed his brows, sensing the difficulty of the situation. If he did not take effective measures, the He Dao Sect could suffer severe losses today.

Despite his unease, Peak Master Xing remained calm and said to the two beside him, “I have already sent a message with a long-distance talisman to notify the sect. They should send reinforcements soon.”

“Wait for me to tie up two of them; you two work together to deal with one of them. Then, have the other disciples board the airship, activate the formations, and head towards the sect.”

In an instant, Peak Master Xing had devised a plan to confront the enemies.

Zhong Lou and Jin Yu agreed, as true disciples of the sect, their skills and wits surpassed those of other cultivators of the same level. Even facing cultivators at the Unity with the Dao stage, they showed no fear. This was what true disciples of the sect were!

Before everyone had much time to react, the three in the sky suddenly attacked.

“Stop them!”

Peak Master Xing produced a hammer-shaped magical artifact in his hand and flew up towards the two.

Meanwhile, Zhong Lou and Jin Yu flew toward the other one.

After engaging, the voice of Peak Master Xing sounded in everyone’s ears through Transmission:

“Disciples from the He Dao Sect, all board the airship, activate the formations, and proceed at full speed without delay.”

Upon hearing this order, several Void Refinement stage cultivators frowned slightly; they did not choose to retreat but flew forward to assist Zhong Lou and the others.

Though they were no match for the Unity with the Dao stage cultivators, their numbers could provide some help to the two true disciples!

Seeing that many Void Refinement stage cultivators did not follow his orders and instead defied him, Peak Master Xing’s expression became complicated, with a touch of appreciation amidst the complexity.

However, after engaging with the child-like cultivator in front of him, Peak Master Xing’s expression suddenly changed.

"Late Stage of Unity with the Dao! Which sect do you belong to that dares to make a move against the He Dao Sect?"

"Hehe, you don’t need to worry about that, Peak Master Xing. Today, you will all die here."

The child chuckled in a fluent childish voice.

Peak Master Xing remained silent, but his demeanor grew significantly serious.

As a Peak Master-level figure, he was strong enough to lead the team in this secret realm expedition, having reached the Late Stage of Unity with the Dao more than ten years ago.

He initially thought his opponents were just ordinary cultivators at the Unity with the Dao stage, which gave him enough confidence to face them two against one.

However, if one of the opponents was also at the Unity with the Dao stage, the situation would change.

Once cultivators reach the Unity with the Dao stage, every small realm they advance involves a deepening of their understanding of the essence of the Way.

A Late Stage of Unity with the Dao cultivator has far surpassed an Early Stage cultivator in this understanding.

Every step forward in one’s own path brings significant improvement, and this small realm advancement is something cultivators below the Unity with the Dao stage cannot comprehend.

Originally confident about holding off the two, Peak Master Xing now felt less assured.

Furthermore, there might be others behind these three.

Nevertheless, he had to block the two for now; otherwise, if one of them broke free, the other disciples of the sect would be in danger.

In an instant, Peak Master Xing unleashed his essence of the Way!

He had comprehended the essence of the Way of Metal, which focuses heavily on attack.

As Peak Master Xing used his essence of the Way, the child across from him also activated his own. With the clash of their essences, the spiritual energy around them was instantly depleted, and the other cultivators nearby quickly moved away.

The battle between Late Stage cultivators of Unity with the Dao was not something they could participate in.

However, as the two battled, the elder among the three managed to free his hands and then shifted his gaze towards the other members of the He Dao Sect below.

With no one blocking him now, he was ready to unleash a massacre.

A late Void Refinement stage cultivator on the warship sensed the danger, quickly activating the formations on the ship.

This warship was a large flying artifact specially designed for the He Dao Sect. At critical moments, it not only flew quickly but also had strong defenses when all formations were activated.

Facing cultivators at the Unity with the Dao stage, everyone felt less confident.

"Shi Shidi, you take the other disciples and leave this place!"

Zhong Lou, who was engaged in battle above, shouted to the late Void Refinement stage cultivator.

The situation was complicated, and there were many Spirit Transformation Stage cultivators on the ship who could easily be affected by the essence of the Way. They had to leave first and foremost.

"Understood."

The late Void Refinement stage cultivator did not hesitate and piloted the warship away from the center of the battle.

With all the formations activated, the warship’s flying speed surged to a new level.

"Hehe, think you can escape?"

The elder who had freed his hands merely smiled slightly and quickly pursued after them.

While pursuing, the elder did not forget to use spells to attack.

As a cultivator at the Unity with the Dao stage, even without using the essence of the Way, his ordinary spells had extraordinary power.

Every attack from the elder caused the flying warship to tremble violently.

Peak Master Xing, engaged in battle with the child, took notice of the situation with the warship. Upon seeing the elder at the Unity with the Dao stage pursuing the warship, a hint of anxiety appeared on Peak Master Xing’s face.

Although the sect’s warship was strong, it couldn’t withstand the attacks of a Unity with the Dao cultivator for long.

Peak Master Xing intended to withdraw and go to the rescue, but the child saw through his intentions and blocked him, preventing his escape.

Meanwhile, Zhong Lou and several late Void Refinement stage cultivators faced off against one of the elders.

Though Zhong Lou’s side had about ten late Void Refinement stage disciples, their opponent was a cultivator at the Unity with the Dao stage who mastered the essence of the Way, and his strength was not at the Early Stage but in the Mid Stage.

Against Zhong Lou’s group, he showed no sign of losing and instead steadily gained the upper hand.

If it weren’t for the two in Zhong Lou’s group entangling their essences, they would likely have been defeated quickly.

Even so, everyone was in a dire situation, and soon two Void Refinement stage cultivators were heavily injured.

If this continued, they would struggle to hold on for much longer.

Though Peak Master Xing had already sent a Transmission, this place was a distance away from the He Dao Sect. Even if high-level cultivators from the sect used formations for Teleportation, it would still take some time to arrive.

Given the current situation, they were in imminent danger before the high-level cultivators arrived.

“Brother Shi, what should we do now?”

“Brother Shi, how are we going to handle this?”

…

In the warship, Shi Pu found himself surrounded by several Spirit Transformation Stage cultivators. The cultivators from both warships gathered here.

The other Void Refinement stage cultivators had already flown out to engage the enemy.

Sensing the elder pursuing closely behind and watching the warship’s formations gradually beginning to break, Shi Pu’s mind became a tangled mess.

At this point, he didn’t know what to do but could only rely on the warship to hold on for a while.

However, the Unity with the Dao cultivator behind was too powerful. Once the formations on the warship broke, they would likely face certain death.

They had worked hard to escape from the secret realm, and if they died here, no one would be content.

“Brothers, if the formations break, we will fight him!”

The warship fell into silence. They were only at the Spirit Transformation Stage, which might be considered high-level among smaller sects, but now they felt utterly powerless, regretting their insufficient strength to join the battle.

“Junior Brother Cui, what should we do?”

Beside Cui, several Spirit Transformation Stage cultivators looked serious.

Hearing the question, Cui furrowed his brow. Behind him was a Unity with the Dao cultivator; what could he do? He had already exhausted some of his methods in the secret realm.

Now, as a Nascent Soul Stage cultivator, he was even weaker than the few beside him.

Just when Cui was at a loss, a sudden brightness appeared in his eyes.

“Wait for me; I will go find Junior Brother Ji!”

Upon hearing about Junior Brother Ji, the others’ eyes lit up, but then dimmed again.

“Though Junior Brother Ji wields a spiritual treasure, this time, our opponent is a Unity with the Dao cultivator.”

Cui waved his hand.

“Forget it; we need to take a chance. Maybe Junior Brother Ji has other ways!”

As Cui hurried away, another person on the warship recalled Ji Yang.

This person was Tai Jin. Though he didn’t know what to do in such a situation, a scene he witnessed before lingered in his mind.

The one able to trade with the Peak Master of the Heaven Demon Sect definitely had extraordinary strength.

Moreover, this Junior Brother Ji had previously successfully escaped from the Heaven Demon Sect, even managing to kidnap someone in the process.

The two rushed towards Ji Yang’s room.

“It should be about time.”

In the room, Ji Yang gazed towards the elder, who was gleefully attacking the warship.

He had expected to return to the sect safely but didn’t anticipate such an unexpected turn on the way back.

This surprised Ji Yang, especially as he had joined the He Dao Sect and not a small sect.

But the power of the incoming enemies astounded Ji Yang even more. Three cultivators at the Unity with the Dao stage, including one at the Late Stage, clearly indicating they were well-prepared.

He intended to act sooner but, upon seeing the warship about to escape, Ji Yang held back, not wanting to expose himself.

Now that enough time had passed, it was time to act.

Otherwise, this warship would be destroyed.