The arid desert sand swirled in the wind, making the visibility in the area to be quite low. John and the others ventured forward unhindered, while Iris led the way. The group casually chatted as if nothing was concerning them, while a group of individuals up ahead watched on as John and the rest approached.
"Are the formations all set?" a male youth asked.
"Yes, Rydan. They're all set. Once those idiots walk into it, they're as good as dead," another youth replied, snickering with laughter afterwards.
"Good. They may have been protected if they ventured with their sect members, but these four idiots ventured out alone despite all being in the Meridian Forging Realm. They're probably relying on that John in their group to protect them, but all he is is a brute with strength and no brains. Once he's caught in these formations, he's as good as dead," Rydan replied with cold confidence.
He still remembered the strength at which John had gripped his arm. He could tell that John's physical strength was beyond what was normal for a Late Meridian Forging youth, and even he had to admit that John was a talented cultivator. However, that bit of strength he displayed was worth nothing once he got trapped in the formation they had set up.
As a formations cultivator, Rydan's strength excelled when he used formations. While he still believed his Early Heaven Tribulation cultivation was enough to overwhelm John in a direct fight, he didn't want to take any chances. This mission had been assigned to him from higher up, and he wanted it to go flawlessly.
"Here they come," Rydan said to the group of youths around him. "Get into position, and let no one escape."
…
Iris's steps remained steady, while John, Adam and Chase followed directly behind her. The four were chatting calmly, as if nothing was wrong. While they knew there was an ambush ahead, they trusted in John's strength to protect them, and so none of them were concerned.
While the Starforge Clan and its Elder's were able to pressure and threaten Adam on the outside, inside this land was completely different. As long as they were around John, the three of them knew they were in safe hands.
There were only a handful of youths in this entire land that were able to threaten John, and only one belonged to the Starforge Clan. However, with Kadin's status as the Young Master of the clan, he would not do such dirty work himself.
While the group was discussing something, Iris suddenly stopped, as did the group behind her. Her bright blue eyes were glowing with profound light, as if she could see through the fabric of space and time.
"Here?" John asked calmly.
"Mhm. The trap formation is thirty yards ahead, while the youths are hiding behind those large boulders up ahead," Iris replied. "There's four of them, and the leader seems to be that Rydan we ran into a few days ago."
"Oh? Its him? He seems to be one of Kadin's lackeys, so Kadin must have given the command for this mission," John replied thoughtfully while rubbing his chin.
"We should just leave here," Adam replied. "I don't want to make any trouble for you and get you involved with my clan's mess. You're not involved yet, so you can still avoid their wrath."
Adam knew what John would do if the Starforge Clan ambushed them, and did not want his friend to become an enemy of a power as strong as the Starforge Clan.
"You insult me," John replied while glancing over his shoulder. "Do you really look down on me this much?"
"What? I would never look down on you," Adam replied hastily.
"Then why would you think of me as someone who would abandon a friend in need? Do you really consider me to be that coldhearted of a person?" John replied questioningly.
"Ah," Adam opened his mouth to reply, but fell into silence. He finally realized that by telling John to not get involved, that he was insinuating that John was not someone who would stand up for his friends, even if his life was on the line. He had seen what John had done for him before, and realized that he truly had been insulting John.
He glanced around at Chase, who was smiling at Adam warmly. He could tell from his smile that Chase would also do his best to protect Adam, even if it meant making enemies of powerful clans.
"You can always count on us," Chase replied warmly. "Even if we can't protect you, we can all go down together."
Adam felt warmth in his heart at Chase's and John's words, feeling the true weight of friendship for the first time. He glanced over to Iris as well, who looked at him sideways.
"What are you looking at me for?" Iris replied dismissively. "I just go where John goes. If he wants to throw his life away for you…then I suppose I'll do the same."
John and Chase couldn't help but snicker lightly as they heard Iris's words, as although she appeared dismissive, they could both tell that she had started to consider Adam a friend as well. However, she would never admit that, and so she made a roundabout excuse for helping Adam.
Adam gazed at his friends in silence for a moment before a warm smile appeared on his face. He had never expected to find family or friends again after being exiled from the Starforge Clan, but now knew he had found both once again.
"Thanks, guys," Adam replied sincerely while wiping his eyes from any signs of tears. It had been a long time since he had felt such friendly and welcoming warmth from others. "So what are we going to do now?"
"What do you mean?" John asked. "I'm going to spring their trap, and show them the true meaning of despair before sending them to the afterlife."
"You're going to trigger the formation?" Iris asked with surprise in her voice. "Its hidden under the sand, but it's quite powerful from what I can tell."
"I'm sure it is, but at the same time, this is a good trial for me to gauge the Starforge Clan's capabilities. If even someone like Rydan can defeat me, then I might as well offer Adam and myself up for slaughter when we run into Kadin," John replied confidently.
The three stared at John as if he were a madman, but sighed in defeat after a moment of silence. They knew only John was someone crazy enough to walk into a trap formation deliberately, especially one made by someone in a higher realm than them.
However, they also knew there was no convincing him of not doing so, and so the three of them retreated several hundred yards, as they knew a raging battle was about to break out. While the others retreated, John walked forward a few dozen yards and stopped.
Although it was almost imperceptible, he could feel the power of a formation brimming directly in front of him.
'If Iris hadn't told me of this formations exact location, I might not have spotted it in time. It seems as though the Starforge Clan is quite capable.'
After a short pause, John stepped forward once more, towards the formation, and the beginning of his enmity with the Starforge Clan.
