NOVEL NEXT Chapter 37: Coordination
After the Li family's request was announced, Li Shilian left the auction hall with Li Zhirui.
Some cultivators saw the three of them leaving openly and had a gleam in their eyes that seemed to harbor other intentions, but thinking of the two Foundation Establishment cultivators among them, they ultimately chose not to follow.
However, not everyone was so cautious and able to suppress the greed in their hearts.
In a corner unnoticed by others, two cultivators with similar appearances, both in the Foundation Establishment stage, started to follow.
"The Hu Sha brothers?" A cultivator noticed this and showed a hint of surprise on their face. "It remains to be seen whether these three Li family cultivators will survive."
These two were infamously notorious Foundation Establishment loose cultivators from Yunping State. Born twins and having gained an opportunity, they had mastered a Combined Assault Technique with terrifying power. Even though they were only at the early stages of Foundation Establishment, a fair number of mid-stage cultivators had died at their hands.
Even if the strength of those two from the Li family was decent, having a Qi Cultivation burden with them made a complete escape seem rather difficult.
"Uncle Shilian, someone is following us!" Li Shiren sensed a trace of a presence and immediately informed Li Shilian.
Li Shilian was already aware and a murderous intent appeared in his eyes as he said in a cold voice, "Since they wish to follow, let them follow."
It was also an excellent opportunity to display the Li family's strength, to prevent people from perceiving the Li family as only superficially powerful while hollow on the inside, and to stop them from taking the Li family lightly.
Their conversation didn't exclude Li Zhirui, who faced this change of events with composure, or rather, he had anticipated such a situation from the beginning.
Not to mention whether or not their identities had been exposed in the private room, the mere fact of seeking to purchase a third-order Devil Beast before leaving was enough to attract some greedy cultivators. After all, who would come to an auction for a third-order Devil Beast without carrying enough Spirit Stones?
The Spirit Boat sped along, yet it could not shake off the Hu Sha brothers. After entering the sea area, the two were no longer hiding, clearly intending to intercept the three from the Li family.
"Why must my fellow Daoists so persistently chase us down?" Li Shilian said with a resigned expression.
"Hahaha, since you know you can't escape, why not surrender without a fight? We brothers will treat you with some dignity," said Hu arrogantly and with an outrageous attitude, not taking Li Shilian and Li Shiren seriously at all as two Foundation Establishment cultivators.
Li Shilian sighed wistfully and said, "It is a pity that decades of your hard cultivation will be destroyed today."
"Hmph! You think you can kill us brothers? What a delusional dream!" Hu sneered coldly, drawing the Tiger Soul Blade, and with a sudden leap akin to a tiger pouncing down a mountain, he attacked Li Shilian with the immense strength of a tiger.
"To be cultivators, yet to cultivate mundane sword techniques, how utterly laughable!" Li Shilian's fingers moved rapidly, conjuring a flying sword from earth and stone in the blink of an eye. Its solid and sharp aura emerged, and with the power of a mountain boulder, it struck first and sent Hu flying even though he had moved later.
But Li Shilian did not press his advantage because the other Hu had made his move. Holding another Tiger Soul Blade, he did not swing it but instead conjured black specks of light that turned into ferocious Vengeful Ghosts, encircling Li Shilian completely.
"This Tiger Soul Blade you wield has actually fused with the spirit of a Tiger Devil?" Li Shilian's face showed a hint of surprise, marveling that such a precious Magic Artifact had fallen into the hands of this loose cultivator.
"Die!" As the elder Hu brother energized the Magic Artifact, the Tiger Soul Blade that flickered with flecks of cold light turned completely black, the blade exuding strands of malevolent energy that infused the Vengeful Ghosts, enhancing their power.
Surrounded by a multitude of Vengeful Ghosts, Li Shilian could barely hold his ground, his precarious state causing the elder Hu to laugh out loud.
It's a pity that the momentary advantage blinded him, failing to notice that Li Shilian's desperate struggle was entirely to protect Li Shiren, ensuring that he would not be disturbed while setting up the Formation.
But the time Li Shiren needed had already been secured.
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Li Shiren threw out an Array Plate, each Array Flag finding its own place, and as his fingers rapidly formed the spell, a second-rank Golden Wind Great Array was set up within just a few breaths of time, trapping the Hu Sha brothers within the Formation.
"Not good!" As soon as the Formation was completed, the elder Hu Sha brother knew they had been calculated against, and the Formation's power was immense. If they became deeply trapped within it, both brothers would likely lose their lives there.
"Second brother, use all your strength for the Hu Sha Combined Strike!" the elder Hu brother knew this was their only chance to escape. If they couldn't break through the Formation, they were left with only death.
Connected through their shared birth, the Hu Sha brothers' spirits and energy combined into one as they both raised the Tiger Soul Blade, pouring in all their Mana and merging a great number of Vengeful Ghosts, suddenly creating an overwhelmingly strong blade light that slashed towards the Formation.
"Jin Yu, fan the winds!" Li Shiren's expression shifted slightly, and he promptly summoned the Jade Beak Eagle, whose Mana converged in its wings. It ferociously fanned towards the Formation, engendering a wild wind that peeled a layer off the island's soil.
Such fierce winds, under the control of Li Shiren, all merged into the Golden Wind Great Array, turning into countless Wind Blades that shot towards the blade light, attempting to weaken its force, but to little avail.
"Attack those two Cultivators!" Li Shilian, who was watching from outside the Formation, suddenly spoke.
Li Shiren instantly realized what to do and yelled, "Jin Yu, Shocking Divine Cry!"
Li Shiren also manipulated the Formation, turning the golden wind into all manner of weapons, their momentum embodying the White Tiger, carrying the terrifying force of a beast king descending the mountain as they pounced on the Hu Sha brothers.
At the same time, a resonating long cry that pierced through the skies thunderously exploded within the Formation, reverberating non-stop, bolstered by the wild winds.
This was a nascent Combined Assault Technique that Li Shiren and the Jade Beak Eagle had developed, and even in its rough state, its power was extraordinary, forcibly extracting the brothers who were deep in a profound trance.
The Combined Assault Technique, driven by their shared momentum, plummeted in power as the brothers separated, ultimately turning to ash amidst the boundless Wind Blades.
The moment the brothers were separated, Li Shiren extended his hand, sending an unstoppable golden wind to prevent the brothers from coming together again.
"Damn it, how can this man be so powerful, yet his name has never been heard!" the elder Hu brother gritted his teeth in resentment.
If they had known in advance that Li Shiren was an Array Master, and that the ordinary Golden Wind Array could display such terrible force in his hands, they certainly wouldn't have followed him!
Alas, the world held no foresight or pills for regret. Since they had dared to follow, they should have been prepared for the possibility of failure and death.
Though they saw no chance for survival, the Hu Sha brothers were reluctant to yield and continued to resist fiercely.
Yet their strength dwindled, wounds accumulated, and what remained was but a futile struggle before death.
Soon, the brothers died with resentment, their eyes wide open with regret and indignation.
After briefly tending to the battlefield, Li Shilian drove the Spirit Boat, turning it into a meteor that streaked across the sky, carrying the others back to Da Rong Island at the fastest speed.
He worried that there might be Cultivators hiding nearby!
This was also why Li Shilian did not act but allowed Li Shiren to face the Hu Sha brothers alone; he needed to guard against potential hidden enemies.
Fortunately, apart from the Hu Sha brothers, no other Cultivators blocked their way, allowing the three of them to return to Da Rong Island smoothly.
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