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As Xunuo and the others regained their magical strength, they began to consider strategies for ambushing their next opponent. However, Xunuo felt something was off. The previous tactic of using Thunderbolt Child and Thunder Ball to force the enemy into a corner had relied on surprise. Now that the enemy was prepared for such an approach, the chances of success were slim. A change in strategy or ambush location was necessary.
Xunuo knew that Thunderstorm had been in charge of selecting the ambush site from the beginning, so he quickly asked Thunderstorm about the surrounding environment and whether there were better locations for an ambush. Thunderstorm slapped his forehead in realization. "How could I forget? We need to move quickly; this place is not suitable for an ambush at all. There are definitely better spots nearby." Xunuo hurriedly retracted the magic array and, under Thunderstorm's lead, dashed in a specific direction.
Initially, Thunderstorm had chosen this location because there were no better options along this road; in fact, it was quite unsuitable for an ambush. The ambush site needed to be placed on the enemy's path, making this choice rather unfortunate. Now, however, there was no such concern. The opponent had been lured here by Mei Sanli, so wherever they set up their ambush would be where Mei Sanli would lead them—there was no need to wait at such an inappropriate location.
After a moment, Thunderstorm led them to the side of a great river. This river was wide enough that its far bank could not be seen; its waters were thick as ink and emitted a strange odor. The river flowed tumultuously, creating towering waves, while above it loomed a continuous stretch of dark clouds. This river seemed to divide one realm from another, with each bank forming its own distinct world.
This river was renowned for its ability to separate realms; its waters were inhospitable to all living things—goose feathers did not float upon it, and birds did not cross it. Cultivators below the Golden Core level could not traverse it with their flying tools, and even magical artifacts struggled to fly over the river. Only a few flying palaces built by powerful Cultivators spanned both banks, connecting the two sides.
The ambush site chosen by Thunderstorm was situated right next to the Blackwater River, with a continuous stretch of Hill on one side and a Riverside Valley several dozen feet wide in between. Proudly pointing at the Riverside Valley, Thunderstorm declared it an ideal spot, but Xunuo shook his head. "It's too obvious," he said, as if announcing to the enemy that an ambush lay in wait.
Turning his gaze toward the hills, Xunuo leaped and ran among them for a moment before waving his Main Array Flag. The entire hill rose from the ground, transforming into a towering mountain. With this change, the high mountains flanked by dark waters created a deep valley that appeared much more suitable for an ambush. After considering this, Thunderstorm nodded in agreement; using reality to mask illusion would make it difficult for enemies to discern truth from deception. He then sent a Sound Transmission Talisman to Mei Sanli, informing him of the new ambush location.
Upon receiving the message, Mei Sanli immediately corrected his course and sped toward the new site. He didn’t care where they set up their ambush; rather, what excited him was that this transmission brought another piece of information: that the entire route taken by the Merchant Alliance Delegation had been annihilated.
The disguised White-Haired Cultivator moved with incredible speed, rivaling that of Xunuo Against the Wind Boat. The five pursuing Cultivators behind him struggled to close in despite unleashing their full power, which only fueled their anger further. Guided by Xunuo Divine Sense, Mei Sanli dove into the Mountain Valley, skimming closely along its floor. Meanwhile, five beams of sword light shot past from another mountain peak with cold disdain. Just as these five Cultivators reached the summit, they suddenly found themselves facing an expanse of water below them.
Leading the charge into the magic array was a middle-aged black-faced Cultivator wielding a blazing long sword beneath his feet. Knowing he possessed the highest cultivation level among them allowed Xunuo to quickly deduce that he was a Fire Root Cultivator. Accordingly, he conjured torrents of water to wear down and suppress his magical power.
At that moment, Mei Sanli, Thunderstorm, and others appeared outside the magic array. Under Xunuo's direction, several magical artifacts simultaneously struck toward a mid-stage Foundation Establishment Cultivator within the array.
Reflecting on their previous battle's gains and losses combined with this new array's illusionary torrents of water—while it would sap their opponent's power similarly to a sea of fire—it lacked the corrosive effect of fire poison, thus diminishing its potency slightly. This time around, they faced an opponent who highlighted his affinity for fire roots as a Cultivator. With assistance from Mei Sanli, there was potential to take advantage of any chaos and eliminate one enemy quickly; if successful, their array's power would strengthen significantly and allow them to deal with other foes without much risk.
Mei Sanli had just consumed several doses of Heavenly Fragrance Jade Dew, and the frenzy within him had yet to subside. Without inquiring whether he had obtained the Foundation Pill, he activated the Golden Spear, transforming it into the Spiked Behemoth and charged into the formation. Xunuo glanced at the tragic sight of the Spine Beast and nearly broke into a sweat. This artifact would be rendered useless after this battle.
Liu Canghai's Nine-Headed Bone Whip was particularly suited for this environment. One end plunged into the sea, and as various artifacts struck towards the Foundation Stage Cultivator, it surged from the water, instantly ensnaring its opponent while all nine heads bit down simultaneously. By the time the opponent managed to shake off the Nine-Headed Bone Whip, they were already severely injured. This Foundation Establishment Mid-Stage Cultivator resisted for a while longer before suddenly realizing that Corpse Poison had entered their body. Trapped within Mountain Valley, they had been ensnared by Mei Sanli and others using Soul-Restraining Grass Poison but had managed to escape without being poisoned to death. Unexpectedly, moments later, they were struck by Corpse Poison again. The cultivator's mind was thrown into chaos, and they were first caught off guard by a claw from the Spiked Behemoth that shattered their defenses, followed immediately by various artifacts that tore them to pieces.
It wasn't until this cultivator perished that the other four Cultivators within the formation steadied themselves and began probing for a way to break through. Xunuo felt a sense of relief; things were developing favorably for their side. The Middle-Aged Black-Faced Cultivator unleashed a Flame Shield to protect himself completely before summoning his Flying Sword to start testing the formation's defenses. His Flying Sword was inferior to the Intermediate Magical Artifact Gengjin Wutu Sword by several degrees. Although it caused the formation to shake violently, it failed to cut through even slightly.
Xunuo observed the formation for quite some time before confirming that they did not possess any Intermediate Magical Artifacts, leaving him puzzled. When Xunuo departed from Cloud City, he had utilized the Qian Kun Two Instruments Formation to slay a Foundation Establishment Mid-Stage Loose Cultivator. In that battle, Xunuo had seized two Intermediate Magical Artifacts.
Since temporarily residing in Three Star City, Xunuo had developed some rapport with Liu Canghai. Through Liu Canghai's introduction, he joined Mei Sanli's team and later ventured into unknown areas of Three Star Underground City. Along the way, every Foundation Stage Practitioner he encountered possessed artifacts of decent quality. Thus, Xunuo naturally assumed that cultivators in this area were not lacking in artifacts and that it was only reasonable for Foundation Stage Cultivators to possess Intermediate Magical Artifacts. However, upon seeing this group of Cultivators' equipment now, his preconceived notions were shattered; it seemed that it wasn't an abundance of artifacts in this area but rather that his own team was excessively formidable, with their artifacts far surpassing those trapped within the formation.
However, since the opponents lacked decisive means, Xunuo could employ more tactics to wear down their magical power and even participate in their annihilation. The next target Xunuo designated was the only Foundation Establishment Practitioner among them.
This practitioner possessed water spirit roots, allowing them to maintain their magical power in this environment; however, their artifacts were somewhat lacking—especially their Defensive Artifact—which was exceedingly ordinary and was being battered back by Thunderstorm's Azure Void Earth Hammer. The Disguised White-Haired Elder and an old woman named Liu Yamei seemed to share a deep connection. Not only did they coordinate well when casting Soul-Restraining Grass Poison against enemies, but they also worked seamlessly together when unleashing two Flying Swords. Mei Sanli's Spiked Behemoth forced him to jump into the sea; however, with the Nine-Headed Bone Whip intermittently appearing beneath the water, he could only struggle desperately on the surface.
After several sword strikes failed to breach the formation, the Middle-Aged Black-Faced Cultivator abandoned that plan. While his artifacts were inferior, his magical power and Divine Sense were not weaker than those of Elder with Long Eyebrows. Moments later, he sensed a colleague in distress. He had no choice but to change tactics and attempt to forcibly open the Spatial Barrier to gather everyone together; only then would there be hope of breaking through.
The Fire Sword flew horizontally into empty space and with a crack opened a fissure in the Spatial Barrier. The defensive power of the Spatial Barrier was far weaker than that of the formation itself; seeing this plan might work, Black-Faced Cultivator poured his magical power into it as his Fire Sword struck fiercely at the Spatial Barrier.
Xunuo initially intended to join in on eliminating that Foundation Establishment Practitioner but upon seeing Black-Faced Cultivator breach the Spatial Barrier hurriedly shook his Formation Flag to stabilize the formation first. After several flashes from Black-Faced Cultivator’s sword strike returned empty-handed.
Black-Faced Cultivator's expression darkened; he hadn't anticipated that this formation's mobility would exceed his expectations. However, he wasn't afraid of competing in magical power; with his Fire Sword flashing repeatedly towards the Spatial Barrier. Xunuo broke out in a cold sweat as most of the formation's power had been consumed within this space.
Fortunately, after a brief moment, Mei Sanli and others managed to kill their opponent. As enemies continued to dwindle in number, Xunuo could gradually reduce the independent space within the formation and concentrate its power more effectively. With three opponents remaining inside the formation, Xunuo finally maneuvered Black-Faced Cultivator’s Flying Sword with ease. Even Black-Faced Cultivator could clearly feel that he could no longer control his Flying Sword at will; an icy chill gripped his heart.
Mei Sanli finally regained some clarity. After swallowing Heavenly Fragrance Jade Dew several times, he knew it would have side effects, but he managed to suppress them temporarily without affecting his combat abilities. As he continued to attack the third opponent, Mei Sanli inquired about Thunderstorm and the situation of their previous battle, specifically whether they had obtained the Foundation Pill.
He heard that the team of Cultivators did not possess any Foundation Pills, which caused Mei Sanli to furrow his brow. This was somewhat contrary to his expectations. His initial judgment was that the three teams of Cultivators were roughly equal in strength and might have divided the Foundation Pills to bring back to Cloud City. If that were the case, taking down two teams of Cultivators would yield enough Foundation Pills for several people. However, if the Foundation Pills had not been divided, this battle could result in either acquiring all the Foundation Pills or ending up with nothing at all. Such a gamble on life did not align with their earlier preparations and was inconsistent with Mei Sanli's nature of being unable to control his fate.
After this battle, regardless of gains or losses, they would have to cease operations because Tuba Five's team was certain to be completely wiped out. Once the news spread, they would need to evacuate quickly and flee to the End of the World. With this thought in mind, Mei Sanli became even more furious and intensified his attacks.
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