Fiery Cloud Instant Sect cultivators?
A doubt rose within Shu Han's heart. Was this not the heartland of the Southern Forest? Why had other Fiery Cloud Instant Sect cultivators come? Could it be that Wei Haolong or Song Changyi had managed to escape and summoned reinforcements? But that would be too swift!
Shu Han mused, given the present uncertainty, it would be best to speak less, inquire little, and observe more.
Su Wanyi positioned herself protectively around Shu Han. At such proximity, he could detect her intoxicating scent, as if he stood amidst a meadow of blossoms.
Setting her cascading hair aside, all members of the Forest Clan were undeniably beautiful, with the saintly maiden Su Wanyi even more stunningly radiant.
Taking a moment to appreciate the maiden's beauty, Shu Han turned his Clear Bright Spiritual Eye towards the distance and sure enough, spotted a team of five Fiery Cloud Instant Sect cultivators.
Two of them were of Foundation Establishment late-stage cultivation, and three were of mid-level. All unfamiliar faces, they headed straight for the divine tree, which suggested they weren't summoned by Wei Haolong or Song Changyi.
The group of Fiery Cloud Instant Sect cultivators arrived at the base of the divine tree, inspecting it with evident glee.
Soon after, they acted in unison, conjuring searing flames that morphed into fiery blades, hacking relentlessly at the base of the tree.
The divine tree shimmered, many of its flowers shaken off, soon showing signs of faltering stability.
Witnessing this, rage filled Su Wanyi's eyes, her whole being yearning to charge forth. Yet, she restrained her urge. Shortly after, eight figures leaped onto the branches from behind, positioning themselves behind Shu Han and Su Wanyi.
"Sacred maiden! We have arrived belatedly!"
Shu Han was taken aback. So, Su Wanyi had already contacted reinforcements.
With gritted teeth, Su Wanyi commanded, "Go! Turn these accursed Fiery Cloud Instant Sect cultivators into nourishment for the divine tree!"
"As you command!"
Instantaneously, the eight figures leapt off the branches, skulking through the underbrush below.
Indeed, they bore a deep animosity towards the Fiery Cloud Instant Sect cultivators.
Shu Han couldn't help but inquire, "Hadn't our Forest Clan forged an agreement with the Fiery Cloud Instant Sect? Taking such direct action, aren't you afraid of inciting war with them?"Su Wanyi responded, "My lord, your impaired memory might have left you uninformed. The war with the Fiery Cloud Instant Sect had already begun!"
"Two years ago, six priests from our tribe met with the higher echelons of the Fiery Cloud Instant Sect at the border of Nan Dou Forest to renew our agreement. To our horror, the Fiery Cloud Instant Sect treacherously broke the pact, ambushing us with a group of Core Formation cultivators and massacring our kin. Of the six priests, only three survived; all other tribe members present were slaughtered. In the following two years, the Fiery Cloud Instant Sect brazenly invaded our heartlands, ruthlessly felling our divine trees and capturing our people. Within these two years, the Forest Clan's population dwindled by sixty percent; over a thousand divine trees were felled. We, the Forest Clan, now teeter on the brink of extinction!"
Such treachery! No wonder the Forest Clan would kill on sight.
Amazement gripped Shu Han's heart. How was he unaware of such significant moves by his sect? Moreover, why were Song Changyi and Wei Haolong oblivious too?
Something was amiss.
In the distance, the eight of the Forest Clan clashed fiercely with the five from the Fiery Cloud Instant Sect.
Though the Forest Clan was less powerful, their ferocity was unmatched, pushing the Fiery Cloud Instant Sect members into successive retreats.
Seeing this, Su Wanyi, harnessing her spiritual power, prepared to launch covert arrows from her longbow.
However, suddenly, a pillar of fire descended from the heavens, grievously injuring four Forest Clan members near the divine tree.
Terrified, Su Wanyi quickly pulled Shu Han down to crawl along the branch, her face pale with alarm. "Disaster has struck! An elder from the Fiery Cloud Instant Sect approaches! My lord, we must remain still!"
An elder!
Through his Clear Bright Spiritual Eye, Shu Han recognized the robed elder in the sky.
Wasn't that Zhong Erle? What brought him here?
With a disdainful glance at the fleeing Forest Clan below, Zhong Erle snorted coldly. With a flourish of his grand sleeve, an earthen dragon of fire roared forth, trapping each of the tribe members within its fiery prison.
"You disciples are utterly useless," he rebuked. "To think you pride yourselves as covertly nurtured, competent disciples, yet you're pushed back by these feeble Forest Clansmen! Get on with it; seal these Forest Clan members and take them away!"
"Yes, Elder!"
The Forest Clan members trapped within the earth dragon's fiery prison struggled in vain to break free. The gap in strength was undeniable, given that the attack was from a Core Formation expert.
Whispering, Shu Han asked, "What can be done for them?"
Su Wanyi's face darkened with anger as she replied, "Against a Core Formation cultivator attack, there's little to be done. My lord, your safety is paramount. Let us move discreetly, and I shall escort you out."
Shu Han weighed his options. With the Fiery Cloud Instant Sect holding the upper hand and Elder Zhong surely recognizing him, revealing his identity would grant him protection from both the elder and possibly forestall the Forest Clan's pursuit.
Yet, instinct told him this wasn't the optimal choice.
Firstly, he had garnered the trust of the Forest Clan's saintess. Should he abandon this identity now, procuring the millennial divine tree in the future would prove daunting.
Secondly, the Fiery Cloud Instant Sect's operation was covert, unknown even to Song Changyi. This classified it as deep-seated intel. How would the sect deal with him, considering his rank and this newfound knowledge?
Moreover, the Fiery Cloud Instant Sect always seemed off to him. Excluding Song Changyi and Wei Haolong, he found it hard to trust anyone else.
Thus, Shu Han chose to move with Su Wanyi. Quietly turning, he prepared to leave the area with her.
Suddenly, a powerful rallying cry rang out from behind.
"Endlessly alive! The forest remains unquenchable! Fiery Cloud Instant Sect, you'll never enslave the Forest Clan!"
These words rekindled the spirits of the entrapped Forest Clan members, and the remaining seven bellowed in unison, chanting the same rallying cry.
Shu Han looked back, watching as the eight Forest Clan members transformed into human torches. They burned their very life essence with determined resolve, attempting to breach the fiery earth dragon prison.
Yet, the strength of a Core Formation was not something easily overcome by merely burning one's life force.
Frozen in place, Shu Han lamented their fate, murmuring, "It's in vain; their cultivation isn't high enough, and the power they've traded for is like pouring a cup of water on a burning cart of hay."
"No!"
Tears streaked Su Wanyi's face as she solemnly looked at her kin, their forms ablaze. Her voice was filled with sorrow yet pride, "This is the spirit of our Forest Clan people. We might be defeated, but we'll never surrender! Endlessly alive! The forest remains unquenchable!"
But moments later, sadness clouded her eyes, "Regrettably, many from the Forest Clan willingly became lackeys of the Fiery Cloud Instant Sect, even betraying the locations of our ancestral trees!"
A realization struck Shu Han. The Forest Clan member in human robes he'd seen earlier had defected to the Fiery Cloud Instant Sect. No wonder Su Wanyi had him executed on sight.
From the Forest Clan's perspective, that traitor was detestable and deserved his fate.
Having listened to Su Wanyi, Shu Han felt a twinge of sympathy for the Forest Clan.
For generations, they lived in Southern Forest, living in harmony, only to face sudden calamity. At this rate, within a few years, the Fiery Cloud Instant Sect would uproot the Forest Clan entirely. Especially with Song Jinglun would poise to break through to the Nascent Soul stage in eleven years.
Although he felt pity, the situation seemed irreversible. Unless a cultivator with power surpassing Song Jinglun intervened, the day of the Forest Clan's annihilation was near.
In the world of cultivation, no one could remain unscathed by the world's whirlpool with just pacifist desires.
Fiery Cloud Instant Sect cultivators?
A doubt rose within Shu Han's heart. Was this not the heartland of the Southern Forest? Why had other Fiery Cloud Instant Sect cultivators come? Could it be that Wei Haolong or Song Changyi had managed to escape and summoned reinforcements? But that would be too swift!
Shu Han mused, given the present uncertainty, it would be best to speak less, inquire little, and observe more.
Su Wanyi positioned herself protectively around Shu Han. At such proximity, he could detect her intoxicating scent, as if he stood amidst a meadow of blossoms.
Setting her cascading hair aside, all members of the Forest Clan were undeniably beautiful, with the saintly maiden Su Wanyi even more stunningly radiant.
Taking a moment to appreciate the maiden's beauty, Shu Han turned his Clear Bright Spiritual Eye towards the distance and sure enough, spotted a team of five Fiery Cloud Instant Sect cultivators.
Two of them were of Foundation Establishment late-stage cultivation, and three were of mid-level. All unfamiliar faces, they headed straight for the divine tree, which suggested they weren't summoned by Wei Haolong or Song Changyi.
The group of Fiery Cloud Instant Sect cultivators arrived at the base of the divine tree, inspecting it with evident glee.
Soon after, they acted in unison, conjuring searing flames that morphed into fiery blades, hacking relentlessly at the base of the tree.
The divine tree shimmered, many of its flowers shaken off, soon showing signs of faltering stability.
Witnessing this, rage filled Su Wanyi's eyes, her whole being yearning to charge forth. Yet, she restrained her urge. Shortly after, eight figures leaped onto the branches from behind, positioning themselves behind Shu Han and Su Wanyi.
"Sacred maiden! We have arrived belatedly!"
Shu Han was taken aback. So, Su Wanyi had already contacted reinforcements.
With gritted teeth, Su Wanyi commanded, "Go! Turn these accursed Fiery Cloud Instant Sect cultivators into nourishment for the divine tree!"
"As you command!"
Instantaneously, the eight figures leapt off the branches, skulking through the underbrush below.
Indeed, they bore a deep animosity towards the Fiery Cloud Instant Sect cultivators.
Shu Han couldn't help but inquire, "Hadn't our Forest Clan forged an agreement with the Fiery Cloud Instant Sect? Taking such direct action, aren't you afraid of inciting war with them?"Su Wanyi responded, "My lord, your impaired memory might have left you uninformed. The war with the Fiery Cloud Instant Sect had already begun!"
"Two years ago, six priests from our tribe met with the higher echelons of the Fiery Cloud Instant Sect at the border of Nan Dou Forest to renew our agreement. To our horror, the Fiery Cloud Instant Sect treacherously broke the pact, ambushing us with a group of Core Formation cultivators and massacring our kin. Of the six priests, only three survived; all other tribe members present were slaughtered. In the following two years, the Fiery Cloud Instant Sect brazenly invaded our heartlands, ruthlessly felling our divine trees and capturing our people. Within these two years, the Forest Clan's population dwindled by sixty percent; over a thousand divine trees were felled. We, the Forest Clan, now teeter on the brink of extinction!"
Such treachery! No wonder the Forest Clan would kill on sight.
Amazement gripped Shu Han's heart. How was he unaware of such significant moves by his sect? Moreover, why were Song Changyi and Wei Haolong oblivious too?
Something was amiss.
In the distance, the eight of the Forest Clan clashed fiercely with the five from the Fiery Cloud Instant Sect.
Though the Forest Clan was less powerful, their ferocity was unmatched, pushing the Fiery Cloud Instant Sect members into successive retreats.
Seeing this, Su Wanyi, harnessing her spiritual power, prepared to launch covert arrows from her longbow.
However, suddenly, a pillar of fire descended from the heavens, grievously injuring four Forest Clan members near the divine tree.
Terrified, Su Wanyi quickly pulled Shu Han down to crawl along the branch, her face pale with alarm. "Disaster has struck! An elder from the Fiery Cloud Instant Sect approaches! My lord, we must remain still!"
An elder!
Through his Clear Bright Spiritual Eye, Shu Han recognized the robed elder in the sky.
Wasn't that Zhong Erle? What brought him here?
With a disdainful glance at the fleeing Forest Clan below, Zhong Erle snorted coldly. With a flourish of his grand sleeve, an earthen dragon of fire roared forth, trapping each of the tribe members within its fiery prison.
"You disciples are utterly useless," he rebuked. "To think you pride yourselves as covertly nurtured, competent disciples, yet you're pushed back by these feeble Forest Clansmen! Get on with it; seal these Forest Clan members and take them away!"
"Yes, Elder!"
The Forest Clan members trapped within the earth dragon's fiery prison struggled in vain to break free. The gap in strength was undeniable, given that the attack was from a Core Formation expert.
Whispering, Shu Han asked, "What can be done for them?"
Su Wanyi's face darkened with anger as she replied, "Against a Core Formation cultivator attack, there's little to be done. My lord, your safety is paramount. Let us move discreetly, and I shall escort you out."
Shu Han weighed his options. With the Fiery Cloud Instant Sect holding the upper hand and Elder Zhong surely recognizing him, revealing his identity would grant him protection from both the elder and possibly forestall the Forest Clan's pursuit.
Yet, instinct told him this wasn't the optimal choice.
Firstly, he had garnered the trust of the Forest Clan's saintess. Should he abandon this identity now, procuring the millennial divine tree in the future would prove daunting.
Secondly, the Fiery Cloud Instant Sect's operation was covert, unknown even to Song Changyi. This classified it as deep-seated intel. How would the sect deal with him, considering his rank and this newfound knowledge?
Moreover, the Fiery Cloud Instant Sect always seemed off to him. Excluding Song Changyi and Wei Haolong, he found it hard to trust anyone else.
Thus, Shu Han chose to move with Su Wanyi. Quietly turning, he prepared to leave the area with her.
Suddenly, a powerful rallying cry rang out from behind.
"Endlessly alive! The forest remains unquenchable! Fiery Cloud Instant Sect, you'll never enslave the Forest Clan!"
These words rekindled the spirits of the entrapped Forest Clan members, and the remaining seven bellowed in unison, chanting the same rallying cry.
Shu Han looked back, watching as the eight Forest Clan members transformed into human torches. They burned their very life essence with determined resolve, attempting to breach the fiery earth dragon prison.
Yet, the strength of a Core Formation was not something easily overcome by merely burning one's life force.
Frozen in place, Shu Han lamented their fate, murmuring, "It's in vain; their cultivation isn't high enough, and the power they've traded for is like pouring a cup of water on a burning cart of hay."
"No!"
Tears streaked Su Wanyi's face as she solemnly looked at her kin, their forms ablaze. Her voice was filled with sorrow yet pride, "This is the spirit of our Forest Clan people. We might be defeated, but we'll never surrender! Endlessly alive! The forest remains unquenchable!"
But moments later, sadness clouded her eyes, "Regrettably, many from the Forest Clan willingly became lackeys of the Fiery Cloud Instant Sect, even betraying the locations of our ancestral trees!"
A realization struck Shu Han. The Forest Clan member in human robes he'd seen earlier had defected to the Fiery Cloud Instant Sect. No wonder Su Wanyi had him executed on sight.
From the Forest Clan's perspective, that traitor was detestable and deserved his fate.
Having listened to Su Wanyi, Shu Han felt a twinge of sympathy for the Forest Clan.
For generations, they lived in Southern Forest, living in harmony, only to face sudden calamity. At this rate, within a few years, the Fiery Cloud Instant Sect would uproot the Forest Clan entirely. Especially with Song Jinglun would poise to break through to the Nascent Soul stage in eleven years.
Although he felt pity, the situation seemed irreversible. Unless a cultivator with power surpassing Song Jinglun intervened, the day of the Forest Clan's annihilation was near.
In the world of cultivation, no one could remain unscathed by the world's whirlpool with just pacifist desires.
