Chapter 2423: Ambush

"I didn't expect a True Immortal to chase us like a mad dog," Six-Wing said, opening his eyes with a hint of resentment. "But don't worry, he won't be able to do anything to us until the spirit fluid runs out."

"That's because your earlier words provoked him significantly," Ice Phoenix scoffed. "He hates you to the core, which is why he's pursuing us so relentlessly."

"What do you know?" Six-Wing retorted coldly. "If I hadn't used words to destabilize his mind first, we wouldn't have had the chance to use our secret techniques to create distance at the start. If worst comes to worst, we'll just leave this continent and return to Fengyuan first. I refuse to believe he'd keep chasing us to other continents, would he?"

"Leaving Xutian is actually a good idea," Ice Phoenix said, her beautiful eyes brightening. "As a True Immortal who has descended upon Xutian Continent, he must have some important matters to attend to. Once I escape back to Fengyuan Continent, he might have reservations and stop his relentless pursuit."

"If that's the case, then it's for the best," Six-Wing nodded grimly.

After resting for most of the day, the two dared not remain in the mountain belly. They burst out of the small mountain as two dazzling streaks of light and resumed their flight.

However, this time, just as their escape lights hovered in the air, the surroundings suddenly rippled, and four faint figures materialized, emanating an extremely terrifying aura.

Six-Wing and Ice Phoenix were startled. Their escape lights immediately receded, revealing their forms as they stopped high in the sky and scrutinised the four individuals.

These four individuals wore diverse attire; there were two men and two women, and all of them surprisingly possessed Mahayana cultivation.

"What is your intention, fellow Daoists?" Six-Wing demanded, his eyes narrowing after observing them. "Are you specifically here for us?"

"You are Daoist Six-Wing, correct? If I'm not mistaken, we four are indeed here waiting for you," a green-faced man in blood-red robes said, a hint of strangeness in his voice.

"Oh, so you do recognise me," Six-Wing said, his expression shifting slightly, yet his tone remained cold. "I don't recall offending any fellow Daoists of my cultivation level in Xutian."

"Don't misunderstand, fellow Daoist," the green-faced man replied with a half-smile. "We aren't here to cause you trouble, but merely to ask Daoist Six-Wing for a small favour."

"A favour?" Six-Wing's anger, already simmering from being constantly pursued, finally erupted. "Is this how you ask for a favour? What if I refuse?" Seeing the four Xutian Mahayana cultivators' hostile demeanour, he could no longer suppress the surge of violence in his heart, and a fierce glint flashed in his eyes as he roared.

If these individuals failed to give him a satisfactory answer, he might genuinely retaliate immediately.

In any case, with his powerful escape techniques, even if he couldn't defeat the four of them combined, fleeing with Ice Phoenix would still be an effortless task.

"There's no need to be angry, Daoist Six-Wing," the green-faced man said, his expression unwavering, instead countering with a confident question. "The favour we ask of you will not only greatly benefit us but also be a tremendous help to yourself. Aren't you currently being pursued, Daoist Six-Wing?"

"What do you mean by that?" Six-Wing's heart jolted, and the fierce expression that had appeared on his face instantly vanished.

"It's quite simple," the green-faced man said calmly. "What we want you to do is lure the person who has been chasing you to a specific location. As long as he dares to follow, he will never return. Isn't that a mutually beneficial arrangement?"

"You want to ambush him?" Six-Wing was truly astonished.

"Precisely, that is indeed our intention," the green-faced man admitted frankly. "However, to accomplish this, we will require the cooperation of you two Daoists."

Ice Phoenix, standing nearby, was utterly astonished by these words.

"Do you know the identity of the person chasing us?" Six-Wing asked with a sneer after a moment of uncertainty. "And you think just the four of you can handle him?"

"Who said only the four of us are involved in this?" the green-faced man chuckled, a hint of pride on his face. "Regardless of this person's origins, since he dared to perform blood sacrifices involving billions of living beings in our Xutian, even if he were a True Immortal descended to the mortal realm, he wouldn't leave Xutian Continent alive this time."

"Haha. Good, very good," Six-Wing burst into laughter after hearing this, and immediately agreed to help. "With your assurance, fellow Daoist, I accept the task."

Although the green-faced man found Six-Wing's reaction slightly peculiar, since the other party had readily agreed to help, he naturally didn't bother to ponder it further. He immediately flicked his sleeve, and a jade slip flew out towards Six-Wing.

"It contains the exact location to lure that fiend," the green-faced man said with great significance. "As long as you can lead him there, he's absolutely doomed. I trust Daoist Six-Wing will not disappoint us."

"Don't worry," Six-Wing replied calmly, recovering his usual composure as he took the jade slip. "Even for the sake of my own life, I won't botch this."

"Very good," the green-faced man said, nodding and cupping his fist. "Then we wish you swift success, fellow Daoist. We four still have important matters to attend to, so we shall take our leave first."

With a ripple of distortion,

The four Mahayana cultivators vanished from their original spots, just as they had arrived.

Six-Wing, however, remained motionless in his spot, his face filled with thoughtful contemplation.

"Six-Wing, do you really intend to be a decoy?" Ice Phoenix suddenly asked.

"As long as we can eliminate this major threat, what does it matter if I act as a decoy once?" Six-Wing replied slowly. "It's certainly more reliable than running back to Fengyuan and taking such a huge risk."

"But you personally witnessed him slay three Mahayana cultivators in one breath," Ice Phoenix said, clearly full of doubts. "Do you really think these Mahayana cultivators can eradicate this madman from the immortal realm?"

"Didn't you hear what they just said?" Six-Wing said with a sneer, a hint of mockery playing on his lips. "'Even if a True Immortal descended to the mortal realm, they wouldn't leave Xutian Continent alive.' Since they dare to boast like that, they must have prepared many contingencies. They just have no idea that the one they're dealing with is truly a True Immortal. This is perfect; since they dare to use me as a decoy, let them fight to their mutual destruction."

"What if that madman from the immortal realm breaks out of the ambush?" Ice Phoenix said, still full of apprehension after a moment of thought. "It's impossible for him not to understand that he's being lured into a trap. In his fury, he probably won't continue this cat-and-mouse game of chasing and stopping. If he goes all out, our situation could be much worse than it is now."

"I've considered that too," Six-Wing said with a cold smile. "Even if that madman is a True Immortal, he's still a True Immortal with most of his power sealed. Under a surprise attack from so many Mahayana cultivators, even if he possessed immense power and managed to break through the encirclement, he would undoubtedly be severely injured. In such a state, simply recovering would take an unknown amount of time; how could he possibly then continue to bother chasing us? So, this calculated move against an unsuspecting opponent is precisely our golden opportunity to shake off the pursuit. Even if it involves some risk, it's absolutely worth trying."

This time, Ice Phoenix seemed entirely convinced by Six-Wing. After some thought, she finally nodded.

"Good, since you have no objections," Six-Wing said, placing the jade slip on his forehead and extending his divine sense into it. "Let me first see where they've prepared the ambush."

"Let's go, I know the location now," Six-Wing said without hesitation after withdrawing his divine sense from the jade slip. "That madman from the immortal realm should be catching up to us soon." He then took the lead, ascending into the air and vanishing as a long streak of light.

After letting out a sigh, Ice Phoenix rolled on the spot, transforming directly into a shimmering, crystalline ice phoenix, and followed closely behind.

High in the sky, an unknown distance away, a seemingly frail youth in black robes was leisurely controlling a vibrant cloud, flying in the same direction.

Simultaneously, Han Li, who had just finished casting a spell, opened his eyes in delighted surprise while standing before an altar.

"Found it," he exclaimed. "This altar shows the coordinates of the Small Spirit Realm's entrance."

"Senior Han, is this true?" Zhu Guo'er, who was assisting him with the spell, immediately became invigorated upon hearing this.

"Indeed," Han Li replied with a smile. "My long efforts weren't in vain after all." As he spoke, the spell dispersed, and the massive, disc-shaped light screen that had been floating above the altar instantly flickered and dissipated into thin air.

"Senior Han," Zhu Guo'er asked excitedly, "now that we know where the entrance is, should we head there immediately?"

"Don't rush," Han Li said, frowning slightly as he recalled the map of the entire Xutian Continent and compared it to the newly acquired coordinates. "According to the Xutian map, the entrance to the Small Spirit Realm is no longer on Xutian itself but deep underwater, quite a distance from the continent."

"What? Deep underwater?" Zhu Guo'er was stunned upon hearing this. "That entrance might be quite difficult to find, wouldn't it?"

"Don't worry," Han Li said with a faint smile, turning to the Hua Shi Old Ancestor, who stood respectfully by his side. "I had already anticipated this kind of situation. Hua Shi, you'll need to exert more effort when the time comes."

"Rest assured, Master Han," Hua Shi Old Ancestor replied respectfully. "The underwater world is like land to this disciple; I will take care of finding the entrance."

Han Li nodded in satisfaction. Immediately, a glow enveloped his body, and he ascended into the sky with the other two individuals.

After a few blinks, they were standing on the giant boat.

Moments later, the giant black boat paused briefly, then shot away with a hum.

Seven days later, in a highly secluded desert, a masked man stood on a sand dune, his hands clasped behind his back, gazing coldly at the sky.

Below the sand dune, the area had already been entirely excavated by magical means. Tens of thousands of elite disciples of the Blood Dao stood densely packed there, yet not a single sound was made.

At the location where the disciples stood, a super-formation array, spanning nearly half the desert, had already been fully inscribed. It was strikingly inlaid with thousands of high-grade spirit stones, and a group of special disciples, each holding a formation plate, sat quietly near various array nodes.

Meanwhile, high in the sky, appearing like vast dark clouds, another super light array had also been prepared, but it was completely obscured by a profound and invisible restriction.

Within this super light array, over a dozen Xutian Mahayana cultivators were also patiently waiting for something.