klisemfg Chapter 162 The Fish Has Taken the Bait
Chapter 162 The Fish Has Taken the Bait
The scorching air distorted his vision, and Zhuang Yu's pace gradually slowed down.
He was not a reckless person; the closer he got to the location of the strange fire, the more he felt an inexplicable sense of oppression.
The feeling didn't come from the heat, but from a potential crisis, as if countless eyes were watching from the shadows.
He stopped and no longer dared to move forward rashly.
The powerful divine sense of a mid-stage Nascent Soul cultivator extended outwards like invisible tentacles, carefully exploring every inch of the surrounding space.
The air seemed to freeze, and the sound of churning magma became indistinct; only the sound of a heartbeat could be clearly heard.
Zhuang Yu's gaze was as sharp as a hawk's, scanning the surrounding rocks inch by inch, not missing a single suspicious detail.
He could sense an incongruous energy fluctuation ahead, like a venomous snake lurking in the shadows, ready to strike at any moment.
Instead of rushing directly into this eerie area, he turned slightly to the side, his steps light, intending to observe from the side.
He moved like a cheetah in the dark, his movements silent and without making a sound.
This turn of events was completely beyond Hong Qi and the others' expectations.
They thought Zhuang Yu would charge straight into the trap with his strength as usual, but they didn't expect him to be so cautious.
Their perfectly laid encirclement was compromised by Zhuang Yu's actions, creating a flaw that was difficult to repair.
Hong Qi, who was originally hiding behind the rocks, froze instantly with a sinister smile.
He gripped his longsword tightly, cursing inwardly, "That kid..."
What a slippery eel!
He took a deep breath, suppressing his anxiety, and winked at Ah San and Ah Si behind him, signaling them to get ready.
However, what he didn't notice was that Zhuang Yu had already discovered their ambush.
"Interesting." Zhuang Yu's lips curled up slightly, revealing a playful smile, but his steps did not falter at all, and he continued to carefully circle around.
He could clearly sense a faint fluctuation of spiritual energy hidden behind the rock on the right.
He slowly approached, like a hunting beast silently drawing near its prey.
When he had completely circled around to the side, he finally saw the figure hidden behind the rocks.
A ragged, unaffiliated cultivator was nervously observing him; this man was a sentry dispatched by Hong Qi.
Before the rogue cultivator could even cry out in surprise, he felt a gentle breeze brush past him from behind.
He turned around abruptly, only to see a long, strong hand silently reaching out towards him...
That hand, like a ghost, instantly gripped the rogue cultivator's throat.
The rogue cultivator's eyes widened. He struggled desperately, flailing his limbs wildly in the air, but he could not break free from Zhuang Yu's restraints.
Zhuang Yu's movements were light and swift, like a cheetah hunting its prey, without the slightest hesitation.
His other hand shot out like lightning, snatching the signal flare from the rogue cultivator's hand.
He then threw the rogue cultivator on the ground like a tattered sack, making a dull thud.
The entire process was completely silent; not even the surrounding grass made a sound, as if Zhuang Yu's body had merged into the air.
He acted like a ghost, taking care of the sentry silently and without a sound.
"It seems the fish have taken the bait." A cold smile appeared on Zhuang Yu's lips as he glanced around, a glint of cold light flashing in his eyes.
Hong Qi, who was behind the rock, noticed that there was no movement from the sentry's side and a bad feeling immediately arose in his heart.
He shouted sternly, "Attack! All-out attack! Don't let him get away!"
At Hong Qi's command, more than a dozen figures instantly emerged from behind the rocks and in the bushes.
They all looked fierce and menacing, wielding sharp blades, and pounced towards Zhuang Yu.
Swords clashed, a murderous aura filled the air, and a strong stench of blood permeated the atmosphere.
"Finally couldn't hold back anymore?" Zhuang Yu sneered, showing no panic as he faced the enemies surging from all directions.
With a swift movement, he moved like a ghost, weaving through the confined space and skillfully dodging the attacks of the rogue cultivators.
He skillfully used the surrounding terrain, using rocks as cover from time to time to dodge wave after wave of attacks.
At the same time, he took out a defensive magic item from the mysterious space.
It was an ancient shield, its surface engraved with strange runes, emitting a faint golden light.
The golden light instantly enveloped Zhuang Yu, forming a sturdy protective shield.
The attacks from the rogue cultivators landed on the light barrier, but were like stones sinking into the sea, without causing a ripple.
Their attacks landed on it, only causing ripples to spread across the light shield.
"What... what kind of magic weapon is this?" Hong Qi's face turned ashen as he stared at the indestructible golden light shield around Zhuang Yu, utterly shocked.
He had never seen such a powerful defensive artifact.
The two sides' offensives reached a stalemate, and the rogue cultivators, despite their best efforts, were unable to break through Zhuang Yu's defenses.
Not far away, behind a lush ancient tree, Wang Yao was watching the battlefield with bated breath.
Her hands were clenched tightly together, her knuckles turning white from the force.
She watched Zhuang Yu's figure anxiously, silently praying in her heart, "Zhuang Yu, you must be safe and sound."
Just then, Hong Qi's gaze swept over the spot where Wang Yao was hiding, and a sinister glint flashed in his eyes.
He winked at the Indian man beside him, who immediately understood and nodded slightly.
The two exchanged a glance, and Ah San quietly moved towards Wang Yao's direction.
At this moment, Zhuang Yu was entangled in a battle with many rogue cultivators and was unable to notice this detail for the time being.
"Hmph!" A sinister smile crept across Hong Qi's lips as he muttered, "Looks like we need to deal with his weakness first..."
The sounds of churning lava, the heavy breathing of the rogue cultivators, and the clanging of clashing weapons intertwined, drilling into Zhuang Yu's ears like demonic noises, making him feel agitated.
Out of the corner of his eye, he caught a glimpse of a furtive figure—Ah San—moving toward the ancient tree where Wang Yao was hiding.
Damn!
Zhuang Yu cursed inwardly; he had to get rid of these bastards as soon as possible.
However, these rogue cultivators clung to him like maggots, making it impossible for him to escape.
He brandished his longsword, the sword light flashing like a bolt of lightning, forcing back several approaching rogue cultivators.
But even more rogue cultivators surged forward, their eyes gleaming with greed, as if they had seen a treasure within their grasp.
"Get out of my way!" Zhuang Yu roared, and a powerful surge of spiritual energy erupted from his body, sweeping out like a hurricane and blasting away the surrounding rogue cultivators.
But this brief gap gave the Indians an opportunity to take advantage of it.
He had already approached the ancient tree, a sinister smile on his face, as if he could already see Wang Yao's terrified expression.
Wang Yao hid behind an ancient tree, watching Zhuang Yu being surrounded and attacked by the crowd, feeling extremely anxious.
She clutched the small magical artifact in her hand tightly. This artifact was the only thing her mother had left her. Although it wasn't very powerful, she still wanted to do her part.
As Ah San drew closer, Wang Yao took a deep breath, stepped out from behind the tree, and tightly gripped the small magical artifact in her hand, aiming it at Ah San.
"Stop!" Wang Yao shouted. Although her voice was not loud, it was exceptionally clear in the noisy battlefield.
Ah San was stunned for a moment; he hadn't expected Wang Yao to dare to step forward.
He smiled contemptuously and said, "Little girl, come with me obediently, and I'll treat you well."
"Don't even think about it!" Wang Yao mustered her courage and aimed the small magical artifact in her hand at Ah San. A faint light shot out from the artifact and struck Ah San in the chest.
Ah San grunted and swayed slightly. He hadn't expected that this inconspicuous little magic weapon could actually hurt him.
Enraged, he was about to attack Wang Yao when he suddenly felt a powerful pressure locking onto him.
Zhuang Yu broke through the encirclement of the rogue cultivators and rushed towards Ah San like a bolt of lightning.
His eyes burned with fury, as if he wanted to incinerate the Indians.
"You dare touch her!" Zhuang Yu's voice was as cold as ice, filled with murderous intent.
Zhuang Yu roared, like a wounded beast, unleashing a burst of spiritual power that was almost tangible. The visible shockwave sent the surrounding rogue cultivators staggering about.
He stopped defending and switched to offense. His long sword moved like a venomous snake, and with a flash of light, several rogue cultivators were sent flying backward with screams.
Blood splattered, staining the charred rocks on the ground red.
Every step he took carried the force of thunder, causing the ground to crumble and scatter with each step.
His figure moved as fast as a ghost, weaving through the crowd. Every time he drew his sword, blood spurted out and screams echoed.
The attacks from those rogue cultivators were like tickling Zhuang Yu, unable to cause him any harm at all.
Looking at Zhuang Yu, who seemed like a god of death descending upon him, Ah San's sinister smile froze, replaced by deep fear.
He felt a chill rise from the soles of his feet to the top of his head, making him feel cold all over and his teeth begin to chatter.
He staggered backward, but tripped over a protruding rock and fell to the ground in a sorry state.
"No...don't come any closer..." Ah San cried out in terror. He tried to get up and run away, but found that his legs were weak and he couldn't muster any strength.
Zhuang Yu was like a demon god who had emerged from hell, his cold eyes fixed on Ah San.
He raised his longsword, the tip pointing directly at the Indian, the blade gleaming with a chilling light.
"You...you..." Ah San's lips trembled, but he couldn't utter a complete sentence.
Zhuang Yu gave Ah San no chance to catch his breath. He roared and his longsword, accompanied by a whistling sound as it tore through the air, pierced straight into Ah San's chest.
The blade sliced through the air with a sharp whistling sound, like the scythe of death, carrying the aura of reaping lives.
"puff!"
The longsword pierced the Indian man's chest without any resistance, and blood gushed out, staining the ground red.
Ah San's eyes widened, his body convulsed violently a few times, and then he completely lost his life.
The other rogue cultivators, witnessing this scene, stopped what they were doing as if they had seen a ghost. They had never expected Zhuang Yu to be so powerful and so ruthless.
The group, who had been so aggressive just moments before, were now somewhat flustered, and their hands hesitated as they brandished their weapons.
The way they looked at Zhuang Yu was as if they were looking at a devil from hell.
Just then, the ground began to tremble slightly, and a scorching heat emanated from afar.
A rumbling sound emanated from inside the volcano, as if a huge beast was awakening.
Zhuang Yu frowned, a sense of foreboding rising in his heart.
He turned his head and looked in the direction from which the sound came. He saw a red light shooting into the sky in the distance, and the scorching heat wave even distorted the surrounding air.
"Roar……"
A deafening roar erupted, like a thunderclap, echoing throughout the entire volcanic area.
A powerful pressure surged in like a tidal wave, making it hard to breathe.
Zhuang Yu's gaze was fixed on the red light. He could clearly feel an incredibly powerful aura rapidly approaching.
He took a deep breath, and the anger in his eyes gradually dissipated, replaced by an unprecedented seriousness and solemnity.