After the great tremor, the thunderous formation showed no signs of collapse.

Instead, the formation, like a giant inverted bowl of azure light, roared like an enraged beast, unleashing a barrage of thunderous bellows.

“Zzzt zzzt”

Streaks of lightning burst from the formation, transforming into several azure whips of thunder, lashing towards Yuan Ming and his two companions in the hollow.

Yuan Ming hastily drew his Cold Star Sword, waving it defensively.

Elder Lu Shen pressed his hands against the ground, and upon rising, three earthen walls sprouted, encircling him and blocking the electric lashes.

Bai Ye also summoned a golden longsword, weaving it around him for protection.

After a round of thunderous lashings, the lightning finally stabilized.

“Elder Lu Shen, are you all okay? Are you well?” He Wendao’s voice, filled with urgency, called out from beyond the obscured vision due to the intense lightning.

“It’s just a mere trapping array, easily broken with a flick of the wrist,” Lu Shen exchanged a glance with Yuan Ming and Bai Ye, snorting coldly.

“Fellow Bai Ye, can you discern the foundation of this formation?” Yuan Ming leaned in to ask.

“I don’t recognize it; it seems difficult to break through. Did you say earlier that there was something off about He Wendao?” Bai Ye shook his head, replying in a low voice.

“His performance against the second-level beast and his timely retreat from the range of this trapping array were both abnormal,” Yuan Ming stated.

Upon hearing this, Bai Ye’s expression grew even more complex.

While the two conversed in hushed tones, Lu Shen had already taken out a Vajra Staff as thick as a child’s arm, its surface enveloped in a hazy yellow halo. Clasping the staff with both hands, he channeled surging mana into it, causing the once dim Vajra Staff to blaze with light, and a powerful surge of earth-attribute mana erupted from it.

“Break!”

With a thunderous shout, Elder Lu Shen gripped the Vajra Staff and slammed it into the ground.

The staff struck the earth, unleashing an even grander burst of earthy yellow light, invoking the force of collapsing mountains in an attempt to destroy the formation beneath.

Centered around Lu Shen, the ground shattered under the impact, dust and debris filling the air.

Yuan Ming and Bai Ye were also affected, each conjuring their magical weapons for defense.

The dust cloud left no inch of ground within the formation’s range untouched, as if plowed by a giant blade.

Yet, outside the formation, there was no sign of disturbance. Before the dust could fully settle, roars of thunder sounded again, and columns of lightning, thick as bowls, shot in from all directions, dispersing the dust and striking towards Yuan Ming and his companions.

“Be careful,” Yuan Ming warned.

As he spoke, he waved his hand, and a black inkstone flew out, rapidly expanding to shield him from the descending lightning.

After blocking the first lightning column, Bai Ye was hit by a second, thrown back with half his body charred and smoking, clearly injured.

Elder Lu Shen summoned a bright round mirror, which, although it blocked the lightning strike, was severely damaged and nearly destroyed.

The attacked formation, rather than showing any signs of damage, became even more densely packed with lightning.

“Elder Lu Shen, how are you?” He Wendao’s anxious voice came from outside. “Strange, even using a top-grade magical weapon like the Vajra Staff, I couldn’t break it,” Elder Lu Shen pondered aloud.

“Perhaps the Vajra Staff is not as powerful as its name suggests. Why don’t the three of you join forces? Maybe you can break through in one fell swoop,” He Wendao suggested from outside.

Hearing this, Elder Lu Shen looked towards Yuan Ming and the fallen Bai Ye.

After a long struggle, Bai Ye finally stood up, coughed, and looked at Yuan Ming.

Yuan Ming suddenly spoke, “Fellow He, state your terms. We can negotiate.”

“No, no, you misunderstand. How about this: if you all act together and attack the formation, maybe you’ll succeed,” He Wendao said with a slight smile, then added.

Seeing that He Wendao made no demands, Yuan Ming understood and shouted to the gathered disciples of the Shengye Sect in the distance, “Disciples of the Shengye Sect, listen! He Wendao is a spy. Scatter and flee immediately, and do not return.”

The distant disciples looked at each other in confusion, none moving.

Xu Tian shouted, “We won’t leave; we must rescue our master.”

Luo Xing’er also said, “Right, Brother Xu, we won’t go.”

The other disciples, even more perplexed, were at a loss.

Yuan Ming rebuked Xu Tian, “Xu Tian, I was sent by your grandmother to protect you. Trust me. If you survive, tell your Aunt Qu Jiang that Ming’er can no longer fulfill his filial duties. Leave now.”

Xu Tian, realizing who the trapped Ha Gong was, was shaken, and Luo Xing’er looked at Yuan Ming incredulously.

Hearing this, Elder Lu Shen’s eyes flashed with surprise, but he quickly recovered. “Shengye Sect disciples, heed my command: scatter and flee immediately. Those who disobey will be considered traitors,” Elder Lu Shen ordered.

At his command, the Shengye Sect disciples scattered in all directions.

Xu Tian gritted his teeth, grabbed Luo Xing’er, slapped a talisman, and with a flash of yellow light, they disappeared underground.

Seeing this, He Wendao waved his hand, and a flying sword shot out from his sleeve, striking at the fleeing disciples. Several were injured and fell, but fortunately, most escaped the valley.

“Stop!” Lu Shen was furious.

“He Wendao, accumulate some virtue,” Yuan Ming said with a cold laugh.

“If only you had cooperated more, letting so many little fish slip through the net. What a pity,” He Wendao said, no longer pursuing the fleeing disciples, walking to the edge of the formation with a gentle smile.

“You’re not alone, are you?” Yuan Ming asked. “It’s useless to stall; accept your fate. You’re all doomed here today,” He Wendao said with a smile, looking at Yuan Ming.

“Are those mysteriously perished cultivators near Xiao Lake City all lured and killed by you in this manner?” Yuan Ming inquired.

“You think too highly of them. They’re not worth the trouble. You should feel honored,” He Wendao replied.

“He Wendao, why do you do this?” Lu Shen roared in anger.

“Elder Lu Shen, your question is naive. On the path of cultivation, killing for treasure is common. The virtuous claim their place. Why the surprise?” He Wendao sneered in response.

“You…” Elder Lu Shen was at a loss for words.

“Where’s your accomplice? It’s time for them to show up, right?” Yuan Ming’s lips curled into a mocking smile.

Before his words faded, two figures approached from the direction of the valley entrance. One was a pale-faced young man in white, with a cold demeanor and a white hawk perched on his shoulder.

The other was a towering, bald man with a physique like an iron tower, his muscles sharply defined, carrying a bronze greatsword one foot wide and five feet long, exuding an oppressive aura.

“Brother He, you’ve worked hard. This haul is not bad, eh? Three Foundation Establishment cultivators, plus a bunch of Qi Refining ones. This should let us rest for a while,” the young man in white laughed heartily.

“It’s all thanks to Brother Sha Hao’s exquisite illusions,” He Wendao said. “Did you stop the flying boat?”

“We were a step too late. As soon as the formation was activated, the flying boat probably received Lu Shen’s message and fled,” Sha Hao said.

“Let them run. It won’t affect Pu Zhengqing’s renowned reputation. The bounty on you is going up,” He Wendao laughed.

Hearing the names “Sha Hao” and “Pu Zhengqing,” Yuan Ming was slightly taken aback.

Although he had never met this person, he recognized the name. Connecting it with the previous illusions, it wasn’t hard to identify him.

When the Biluo Cave was destroyed, the treasures found in the storage ring of the great elder Xi Cangqiong were not befitting of his status as a sect leader.

Sha Hao, as Xi Cangqiong’s direct disciple who disappeared, was naturally the most likely to inherit his legacy.

That meant the soul cultivator with a bounty of 100,000 spirit stones in the Xiao Lake City Cultivator’s Guild was also his alias, and the previous illusions were his handiwork.

“I’ve yet to receive a bounty on me, somewhat dull,” the iron tower giant, Shi Dian, spoke in a deep voice.

“You can’t compare to Brother Sha Hao. That Ha Gong had some smarts, trying to negotiate terms with me. Quite amusing,” He Wendao pointed at Yuan Ming through the electric light of the formation.

“Ha Gong? Sounds like someone from the Southern Border?” Sha Hao frowned slightly, wary.

“Who cares where he’s from? Why bother? Kill him first,” the iron tower giant said.

“Alright! Let’s not drag this out,” Sha Hao nodded in agreement and said, “Shi Dian, do it.”

“Okay.” Shi Dian, the giant, responded, pulling the bronze greatsword from his back and approaching an inconspicuous pile of rocks, inserting the sword into a crevice.

With a “sizzling” friction sound, half the greatsword sank into the ground, leaving only half exposed. A purple spirit stone set in the hilt glowed, continuously channeling mana into it.

Yuan Ming’s gaze sharpened, knowing the formation’s core must be nearby.

A sharp bird cry pierced the sky.

A black bird, about a zhang in length, circled high above. It resembled a falcon, with a hooked beak and slender talons, its glossy black feathers adorned with purple patterns. It was the winged creature Yuan Ming had named “Lei Yu.”

Lei Yu had just arrived from afar, and although it flew as fast as lightning, it was still a step too late. If it had been quicker, it might have been able to break the thunderous trapping formation.

Now, Lei Yu dived towards the formation, its slender talons sparking with purple electricity.

“Eh?” Sha Hao exclaimed in surprise, “Go, catch it alive.”

The white hawk on Sha Hao’s shoulder spread its wings, transforming into a streak of white light that swiftly intercepted Lei Yu. In an instant, they clashed in the air. Although Lei Yu was as fast as lightning, it was no match for the second-level peak white hawk and was soon chased away into the distance.

Lei Yu was still in its juvenile phase. Although Yuan Ming had taken good care of it and placed it in a thunderstorm-prone area for cultivation, it was only at the strength of a first-level beast. With the white hawk and the three cultivators present, it was like a moth to a flame.

Yuan Ming pondered his next move when he suddenly looked up to see a human-sized azure thunderball forming in the center of the thunderous formation above their heads. Inside, lightning flickered and thunder roared, containing an immensely powerful spiritual pressure.