Chapter 382: Awkward Convergence (1)
Lu Heng was not aware of the despairing emotions of the two demonic spirits.
At this moment, he had already distanced himself from the neighborhood where Lian Cangqing resided, and found himself on another street within the city.
On the right side of this long street, there is a dried-up riverbed. Along the banks of the riverbed, willow trees are planted.
Once upon a time, this place must have been adorned with luxuriant willow trees, shimmering emerald waves, and breathtaking beauty.
However, in the current state of withered decay and ruins, the riverbed has long dried up, revealing an unsightly sight in the air. The two rows of willow trees, once graceful, have twisted and withered, resembling the contorted and lifeless carcasses awkwardly positioned along the sides of the riverbed.
After the arrival of Lu Heng and Xiao Ai, they glanced around to confirm that Lian Cangqing didn't pursue them.
Xiao Ai exclaimed, "The Wolf God, do we need to continue chasing those wicked demons?"
Lu Heng said, "Naturally, we must pursue them, for we cannot allow those wicked demons to disrupt the formation within the city. If they were to take away the Sword Formation, it would surely result in utter chaos!"
Without lingering in place, Lu Heng hastened towards the distant street corner with Xiao Ai, attempting to annihilate the demons before they could steal all the formation diagrams.
Meanwhile, at a dilapidated courtyard somewhere within the city, the three escaped demons regrouped once again.
After exchanging glances, astonishment appeared on their faces.
"Have the Demon of All Trees and the King of Ember perished?"
These five demons previously made a blood oath, pledging unity and loyalty during this expedition to Zhuxian Town. By relying on this blood oath, they can roughly sense the positions of the others as well.
This is the reason why they can swiftly regroup despite fleeing in all directions throughout the city.
However, as of now, within their perception, the Demon of All Trees and the King of Ember, who also made the blood oath, have already perished…
"Could it be that the sinister cultivator who just appeared earlier was also targeting the Sword Formation?" questioned the ferocious Green-eye Demon with a crimson mane, a green complexion, and menacing fangs, filled with uncertainty.
The three-headed female demon cultivator, Helian Kui, furrowed her brow and said, "The news of the Sword Formation is known only to the five of us, and the outside world is unaware. How could that person possibly know…"
Helian Kui and the Green-eye Demon both looked towards the Rebel Wanderer standing beside them. This operation was orchestrated by the Wanderer, the instigator of this rebellion. The four demonic cultivators were all convinced by its persuasion to join, and it was also the strongest among the five, leading them all.
Given the unexpected turn of events, Helian Kui and the Green-eye Demon naturally defer to the Rebel Wanderer as their leader.
In the chilling cold wind, the Rebel Wanderer said, "That sinister cultivator is enveloped in an eerie aura, truly an unprecedented level of darkness. This humble wanderer has never encountered someone so consumed by death yet still alive."
"Perhaps it is an ancient creature that survived from the primordial era, as it was injured during the Earthly Catastrophe and could only linger on, hence its overwhelming aura of death."
The Rebel Wanderer looked once again at the ancient city before them, and said, "With a single strike, the Demon of All Trees and the King of Ember fell inexplicably, yet took so long to perish. Clearly, while it possesses uncanny preemptive techniques, its abilities of annihilation are not formidable, not to the extent where we are unable to resist."
"In our next encounter, there will be no need for us to flee. We shall engage in a direct confrontation with it… And it may not emerge victorious."
The words of the Rebel Wanderer made both Helian Kui and the Green-eye Demon reflect upon their actions.
Indeed, while the techniques of that sinister cultivator may be incredibly intimidating, the fact that it took so long to kill the Demon of All Trees and the King of Ember truly reveals the difference in their true abilities.
Once they made their decision, they no longer felt anxious, and proceeded to leave this dilapidated courtyard, heading towards other areas within the city.
This ancient and vast ancient city is peculiar in its nature. Even the divine consciousness of innate cultivators is compressed within a radius of ten meters, rendering them unable to perceive anything beyond.
Therefore, they still needed to search for the twelve squares where the Sword Formation was concealed.
However, as the three demonic creatures departed from the dilapidated courtyard and returned to the street, there suddenly appeared a peculiar black figure in the nearby shadows of the street.
The figure was clad in a black robe, slender in stature, yet the features of their face remained concealed within the shadows cast by the robe, making it impossible to discern their appearance.
Moreover, faintly but discernibly, this dark figure emitted an immensely strong aura of death, reminiscent of someone on the verge of dying.
Upon sighting this dark figure, the three demonic creatures immediately formed a formation and focused intently, awaiting what was to come.
"Who are you?" The three heads of Helian Kui simultaneously exclaimed in unison.
These three heads, respectively, possess a youthful and adorable girl's countenance, a seductively enchanting woman's visage, and a benevolent and amiable elderly face.
The three heads spoke simultaneously, and their voices resounded in unison, evoking an inexplicable sense of horror in those who heard it.
However, the peculiarities of Helian Kui were ineffective at frightening the dark figure blocking their path ahead.
The dark figure coldly gazed at the three demonic creatures, remaining silent for a while, before turning around and walking away. Their pace was slow, and after taking a few steps forward, they unexpectedly glanced back in this direction before resuming their journey.
This situation, astonishingly, seemed to suggest that the three demonic creatures were meant to follow it?
Such a peculiar situation was even more unusual than the sudden appearance and attack from the sinister cultivator they encountered earlier.
Helian Kui and the Green-eye Demon were bewildered, while the Rebel Wanderer furrowed their brow and said, "Let's go! Follow it!"
Speaking thus, the Rebel Wanderer promptly followed suit.
Upon witnessing this, Helian Kui and the Green-eye Demon had no choice but to follow along, yet they were filled with deep trepidation. In hushed tones, they spoke, "Wanderer, this dark figure's arrival is truly ominous. The aura of death emanating from it surpasses even that of the sinister cultivator we encountered earlier… Could it be that they are somehow connected?"
The Rebel Wanderer shook their head and said, "They are not affiliated. We encountered this dark figure before, precisely the mysterious entity that interfered with Lian Cangqing and Ao Tianxing's bloodshed outside of the Qushui Village earlier."
"It is evident that it has a deep connection to this place, perhaps even being one of the ancient malevolent creatures sealed within the city!"
"Our plan to obtain the ancient Sword Formation is greatly beneficial to them as well. Therefore, it is not surprising that they have revealed themselves to guide us."
"The true ones to be guarded against are the sinister cultivator who suddenly attacked us, the Wolf God of Hanyu Mountain, and the eccentric Lian Cangqing and Ao Tianxing…"
Following at a distance behind the enigmatic dark figure, the three wicked demons soon caught sight of a dilapidated small square emerging on the horizon.
And at the moment when this small square appeared, the mysterious dark figure, who had been walking ahead of them all along, let out a muffled groan as if struck by some kind of heavy blow, and dissipated directly into the air.
Upon witnessing this scene, the Rebel Wanderer reaffirmed their earlier speculation.
"Indeed! This dark figure is an ancient entity sealed within the city!"
Without bothering about the fate of the dissipating dark figure, the three wicked demons proceeded directly towards the nearby small square, swiftly encircling the statue at its center from three different directions.
The Rebel Wanderer exuded a strong aura of rebellion and proclaimed, "I implore both of you to lend me your assistance and help me enter!"
The formation that was originally meant to be composed of five individuals, now reduced to only three, poses a tremendous challenge for the three wicked demons.
However, in the presence of the ancient Sword Formation, there is no possibility of retreat!
