Chapter 363

Chapter 363: Ambush

As they ventured deeper, Zhou Luo and the others discovered more and more treasures.

Though these areas held various constraints, all of them were at the Foundation Establishment stage and carried their own countermeasures.

Relying on the power granted by the Spirit Stone, Zhou Luo’s divination grew increasingly adept.

Aided by its exceptional accuracy, the duo made smooth progress, and the passages requiring choices gradually diminished.

Finally, even caverns ceased to appear, replaced instead by downward-leading tunnels.

These tunnels were guiding them toward the very core of the towering mountain.

Following some distance behind them, Qi Chuan couldn’t help but feel privately grateful he had followed along.

Otherwise, relying solely on himself, he likely wouldn’t have uncovered the key to breaking the situation so swiftly.

The more this proved true, the stronger his desire grew to capture Zhou Luo and take him back to the sect for thorough examination.

Traversing a long corridor, Zhou Luo and Shangguan Qianxue emerged into a small chamber.

The space was confined, surrounded entirely by smooth rock walls. Only the floor held a sizable pattern laid out with spiritual stones.

The pattern was intricate, emanating a dense force. The spiritual stones beneath it functioned steadily, their power undiminished.

Zhou Luo, being a formation master, raised an eyebrow.

This was an extraordinarily complex and large formation, of no low rank. Entirely self-sustaining, it could maintain its operation for centuries without succumbing to power depletion.

Recalling the circumstances encountered along their journey, he surmised that this Golden Core master must also have originated as a formation master.

"My Senior Brother is a formation master. We can contact him," Shangguan Qianxue also recognized it as a formation and offered a solution.

"No need. We can attempt it first ourselves," Zhou Luo responded.

These words struck Shangguan Qianxue as quite unexpected.

In her view, given Zhou Luo’s cautious approach, the wisest course when faced with such things was to let others handle it.

It was the prudent method.

Yet he had refused. Was he confident in solving this formation?

Doubt lingered in Shangguan Qianxue’s mind. She pinched a message talisman in her right hand, then silently put it away.

She decided to witness precisely what capabilities he possessed.

Zhou Luo stood before the formation, choosing not to reveal his formation disc in front of Shangguan Qianxue.

This Second Level formation was beyond his ability to dismantle. His refusal of her suggestion was motivated by a different purpose.

Immediately, gripping the Fu Yao magic sword, he stepped forward.

The moment he made contact with the formation, the surrounding spirit light abruptly flared. The formation activated instantaneously.

Space distorted, and countless luminous blades surged towards him from all sides.

These blades radiated a fierce, piercing aura, vast and relentless.

Zhou Luo swung the Fu Yao magic sword, sweeping out an expanse of scarlet flames.

Whoosh—

The flames flashed and swayed. That torrent of fire rushed toward the blades.

Bolstered by his spiritual power, it dissolved them in an instant.

And these light blades were merely the beginning.

As Zhou Luo continued forward, the surrounding ground suddenly trembled, whereupon countless green bamboo shoots erupted from the soil, blocking his path.

In the blink of an eye, hundreds of stalks stood arrayed before him, lush green and resilient.

Before Zhou Luo could act, those bamboo stalks abruptly swayed, unleashing countless leaves that fell like a hail of arrows.

Zhou Luo swiftly drew his sword to parry, while the bamboo, as if animated itself, surged forward en masse, pressing down and sweeping toward him.

Shifting his form, he defended against the onslaught while simultaneously evading the bamboo’s coordinated assault.

Shangguan Qianxue, witnessing this from nearby, widened her beautiful eyes in mild shock.

She had actually assumed the man possessed some method to break the formation. Who knew he’d resort to such brute force.

Thinking this, Shangguan Qianxue quickly moved forward as well.

This formation shifted endlessly. If she lagged too far behind, the man might have used other means to lose her.

With her joining the fray, Zhou Luo’s burden lessened considerably.

Yet, this was after all a Second Level formation. Under the relentless barrage of its attacks, their progress grew arduous, their defense barely holding.

It was at this critical juncture that Zhou Luo, caught slightly off guard, took a direct hit from the formation’s attack. His body hurtled backward, crashing heavily onto the ground.

Shangguan Qianxue hadn’t anticipated such a sudden turn. Blocking her own share of attacks, she called out anxiously.

"Are you alright?"

But there was no response. Zhou Luo lay motionless, seemingly unconscious.

Fortunately, no further attacks fell in that specific area; otherwise, his body would have been pierced long ago.

Faced with this emergency, Shangguan Qianxue had no choice but to first ward off the attacks before her, then cautiously edge closer to the fallen figure.

Just as she bent to assess Zhou Luo’s condition, she sharply sensed a torrent of fierce energy slicing through the air behind her.

The energy surged violently, streaking towards Zhou Luo’s position with alarming speed.

Confronted by this overwhelming force, Shangguan Qianxue paled instantly, her heart leaping into her throat with caution.

Such an abrupt and potent aura erupting at this precise moment could only mean one thing—an enemy ambush.

As she spun around, ready to intercept, a chilling voice rang out.

“I only want to take him. Try to stop me, and I won’t hold back.”

The words barely hung in the air before a crushing pressure erupted—the unmistakable aura of someone at the mid-level Foundation Establishment stage. Its weight furrowed Shangguan Qianxue’s brow.

It was this split-second distraction that proved costly. The figure streaked past her.

But in that fleeting moment, she recognized the face—Qi Chuan, who had traveled with them before! So he had been trailing them all along, his target clear, his disdain for her palpable.

Her fingers tightened around her sword hilt, her mind racing: Should I interfere?

Now upon them, Qi Chuan offered no words. His expression icy, he simply gripped his longsword and swept it out.

A brilliant, golden sword light erupted, slicing through the air with such sharp, explosive speed it sent ripples vibrating through space itself.

The lethal beam aimed directly for Zhou Luo’s legs—not a death blow, perhaps, but enough to cripple him permanently and crush all resistance.

He had shadowed the duo patiently, biding his time until the optimal moment presented itself.

And that moment had just arrived. Bearing witness to Zhou Luo being struck down by the formation, sensing the collapse of his aura, Qi Chuan seized the chance. Attack now—neutralize the threat decisively.

The golden sword light descended, a hairsbreadth from impact… when suddenly Zhou Luo, previously lying motionless, executed a startlingly swift carp leap! The feigned weakness vanished instantly; his aura blazed anew.

Cold fury etched on his features, the Fu Yao magic sword materialized in his hand. A dazzling, seven-colored sword light surged forth, tearing through the air and shattering Qi Chuan’s incoming beam in an instant.

“So it was you!” Zhou Luo stood firm, his voice dripping with cold accusation. The suspicion he’d harbored for days solidified into anger. That earlier unease… this formation… he hadn’t enlisted Shangguan Qianxue’s aid because he needed the hidden snake to show itself. Only its fangs were sharper than he expected. Qi Chuan! Of all people! The man had recognized his true identity long ago, merely playing a waiting game.

Seeing Zhou Luo’s swift recovery and undeniable readiness, Qi Chuan’s smirk didn’t falter; he betrayed no flicker of surprise at the failed ruse.

Planting himself firmly, his gaze locked onto Zhou Luo, he chuckled, a chilling sound devoid of warmth. "Zhou Luo, truly you surpass my estimations—cleverer even than I imagined. A pity then… that you encountered me."