Chapter 455

Chapter 455: Going All-In

The sun blazed brightly. Zhou Luo piloted the flying boat to hover before a colossal gorge.

Towering cloud-piercing peaks flanked the gorge on both sides. Mist coiled in the upper reaches, dense forests cloaked the slopes, and an absolute silence reigned.

The surrounding sky was clear and boundless, a gentle breeze brushing past without revealing the slightest anomaly.

Yet Zhou Luo, a Second Level Formation Master, sensed the fluctuations of a formation here with acute perception.

Indeed, fronting this seemingly tranquil gorge lay an invisible formation.

The array maker had concealed it masterfully. Likely, the formation patterns were engraved deep within the bedrock of the flanking mountains. Substantial effort and cost had been expended to hide the formation’s base. Then, the mist itself was cleverly manipulated to trace the lines of a vast and intricate array.

The setup was exquisite. An ordinary Second Level Formation Master wouldn’t detect anything amiss.

But Zhou Luo was a peak Second Level formation master. Moreover, he’d been vigilant against ambushes from the Demon Cultivator throughout their journey.

So, as they approached the airspace above the gorge, he immediately sensed the abnormality surrounding them.

As his words fell, Ye Qian promptly summoned a verdant green treasured sword. Yao Wu shielded Zhou Changguang behind her, her face etched with vigilance.

"Is it that Demon Cultivator?"

Ye Qian wasn’t a formation master and hadn’t perceived the anomaly. Yet, she chose to place absolute faith in Zhou Luo’s judgment, already channeling her spiritual energy.

"Unclear."

Zhou Luo didn’t dare be careless. He activated the flying boat’s defensive formations.

A light glow radiated outwards, coalescing into a protective dome that shimmered with formidable power.

A long moment passed. Utter silence surrounded them. It seemed as if there was nothing there at all.

"We change course."

Yet Zhou Luo stood resolute in his assessment. He pivoted the flying boat and steered it sideways, aiming to circumvent the treacherous gorge.

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

The instant he turned the vessel, several talismans shot upwards from the dense jungle below.

These talismans, glowing with varied hues and carrying immense power, detonated the moment they appeared.

Rumble! Rumble! Rumble!

The earth-shattering force contained within the talismans erupted instantaneously. It coalesced into a vast, churning river of crimson, trapping the flying boat squarely in its center.

This river didn’t flow with water, but with endless flames.

Flames surged and roared, radiating scorching heat. Even sheltered within the flying boat’s protective formation, the four aboard felt the searing wave engulf them.

"Quite the extravagance," Zhou Luo remarked, his voice cold and hard, eyes sharp as blades.

This was a set of upper-level Second Level talismans. Its power surpassed ordinary medium-quality Second Level symbols, nearing the destructive potential of top-quality Second Level talismans.

Ordinarily, crafting such a set demanded exceptionally rare materials and required the spiritual symbol master’s rune-making skill to be at the pinnacle. Typically, only a peak Second Level spiritual symbol master would even attempt it.

Their foe had used such a costly set solely to block their path; the scheme behind this was clearly significant.

Simultaneously with the eruption of the blazing crimson river, figures blurred into existence within the distorted space, each radiating fearsome energy.

Leading them was a middle-aged man. He gripped a long golden whip that cracked violently as he swung it, tendrils of golden lightning coiling menacingly around its length.

With her attack, countless golden lightning bolts roared forth, carrying boundless power, crashing towards the defensive formation of the flying boat.

At the moment he struck, an old man in a blue robe also attacked beside him. Holding a black long ruler, and with his mana manipulation, the ruler suddenly expanded enormously, like a pillar holding up the sky, and smashed down violently, with terrifying power spreading out.

The two attacked simultaneously, directly targeting the flying boat’s formation.

The fierce momentum shimmered with dazzling radiance and, before even nearing, compressed space, causing the entire flying boat to shake incessantly.

"I’ll handle it."

Before Zhou Luo could act, Ye Qian stepped forward first.

Her gaze was icy cold. With a sweep of the emerald-green magic sword in her hand, an emerald-green light pillar soared into the sky, and her whole body was enveloped in a blinding aura.

She thrust her sword towards the two. A fiercely brilliant emerald rainbow that made one unable to open their eyes pierced through the void, and terrifying power erupted violently. Countless vines crawled out from mid-air, entwining and crushing the two attacks.

Being at peak Foundation Establishment, her very first assault was an overwhelming offensive.

Bang—

The two sides collided. The endless vines, brimming with vast vitality, crawled continuously from the air, crushing both attacks.

Whether it was the golden lightning or the giant ruler, all were blocked by the endless vines and could advance no further.

"Zhu Zhi Feng, didn’t you damn say everyone from the Biquan True Sect had left? How come a peak Foundation Establishment one pops up?" the old man holding the black long ruler roared.

They had prepared thoroughly for this assassination and waited purposefully for the Biquan True Sect disciples to leave. Yet, to their surprise, among the four, there hid a disciple of the Biquan True Sect.

The techniques of the Biquan True Sect were famed throughout the Jinyun Continent for trapping foes, and every strike perfectly countered their large, open assaults.

On the flying boat, hearing the familiar name made Zhou Luo raise an eyebrow.

He gazed behind the two and saw an old man in a white alchemy robe striding forward on waves of heat, his aged face set with utter resolve.

This person was none other than Zhu Zhi Feng.

"Leave this woman to me. You two, quickly kill that fellow and seize the Xuanming Jade Essence."

His voice was calm, utterly unaffected by the unexpected event.

This assassination was his final opportunity.

To extend his lifespan, to break through to the Golden Core stage.

He braved hostility with the Biquan True Sect to painstakingly arrange this ambush, and naturally now, he couldn’t just watch them depart safely.

No choice—in life-threatening peril, any risk must be taken.

Luckily, the other wasn’t an Immortal Sect disciple, which explained their absolute need for the Xuanming Jade Essence.

This presented Zhu Zhi Feng with a chance to reclaim the Xuanming Jade Essence.

As for whether it might offend the two Immortal Sects later, that was beyond his current concern.

"Alright."

The two exchanged a glance, simultaneously retreated sideways, transformed into streaks of light, and charged toward Zhou Luo on the flying boat.

Ye Qian wanted to chase after them.

But Zhu Zhi Feng drew out a cyan-blue potion and swallowed it. His aura abruptly shifted, soaring to the peak realm, and he became a streak of light, blocking her path.

"You all forced this on me."

A ferocious look twisted his aged face, and a Purple Gold greatsword materialized in his grasp.

Swinging the greatsword, he stirred up brilliant beams of light and locked into fierce combat with her.

Meanwhile, the middle-aged man arrived first on the other flank. He unleashed his golden whip again, producing a crackling thunder-like noise.

A golden lightning bolt, driven by his power, blasted toward the flying boat’s formation.

"Guard Changguang. I’ll take care of it."

Zhou Luo glanced at Yao Wu and instructed.

"This Gu insect is for you."

Yao Wu instantly retrieved an Xuan Huang Gu insect from her storage ring and delivered it straight to Zhou Luo.

Seeing the Gu insect, Zhou Luo placed it unhesitatingly on his chest.

The next instant, the Gu insect emitted an Xuan Huang glow, enveloping his entire body, and a surge of potent bodily power flooded through him.

Zhou Luo eyed the onrushing golden lightning, his crystalline skin gleaming with blinding radiance. He leaped upward, stowed his Cheng Sky Sword, and threw a punch head-on to withstand the blow.

"Unaware of your own limits?"

The middle-aged man sneered.

His full-power strike needed at least an upper-grade Foundation Establishment magical artifact to endure. Trying to block it bare-handed was as good as suicide.

Boom—

Amidst the golden lightning, an enormous collision noise thundered across the sky, more savage and horrifying than any thunder.

Zhou Luo burst out from within the golden lightning, lunging straight at the now nearby middle-aged man.

Upper-grade Foundation Establishment magical artifact?

His body was already of the Highest Quality Foundation Establishment magical artifact!