Chapter 20 The First Ambush

Chapter 20 The First Ambush
Chen Ran gently stroked the small spirit beast on his shoulder, his expression thoughtful. “If they are watching,” he said, “they will wait until we are vulnerable.”

“Or divided,” Luo Qingshan added.

Han Yue stepped forward and spoke in a steady. “Then we do not give them that chance.”

They all turned to Lu Tian waiting for his decision. His gaze moved across each of them slowly. He saw the ten different strengths and instincts but all of them were still unrefined.

“If we stay here,” Lu Tian said at last, “we become prey.”

Liang Jie smirked. “Finally, something I agree with.”

“But if we move blindly,” Zhao Lian added, “we walk into their hands.”

Lu Tian nodded slightly. “Which is why we do neither.” He turned toward the deeper forest. “We continue hunting.”

A brief silence followed.

Then Wu Zhen grinned. “Good.”

Feng Xiang’s figure was already fading back into the trees. “I will scout ahead,” he said.

Luo Qingshan stood, brushing the dirt from his hands. “I will adjust our formation spacing,” he added. “If they are watching, we must assume they understand basic tactics.”

Tang Bo began pulling several talismans from his sleeve. “I will prepare defensive arrays in case we are forced to stop suddenly.”

Mei Ru’s lips curved faintly. “I will make sure they do not always see what is real.”

Chen Ran nodded, his small spirit companion letting out a soft, alert chirp. “I will monitor the surrounding beasts.”

Han Yue drew her sword slightly, the faint sound of steel against its sheath cutting through the quiet air. “Then we move as one.”

Lu Tian stepped forward. “Yes.”

The group began to move cautiously into the depths of the forest.

High above them, hidden among the dense branches, a figure watched their departure with narrowed eyes.

“…Interesting,” the scout murmured as he withdrew.

Far deeper within the forest, the leader of the hunting party stood with his arms folded, listening as the scout relayed what he had seen.

“They noticed us,” the scout finished.

The leader smiled faintly. “Good.”

One of his companions frowned. “Should we change plans?”

The leader shook his head slowly. “No,” he said. “We simply adapt.”

His gaze lifted toward the distant direction where Lu Tian’s group had gone. “Let them grow confident,” he continued. “Let them believe they are in control.”

His smile sharpened. “Then we take everything from them at once.”

On the other side of the forest, Lu Tian walked at the front of the group with a calm expression and steady pace while his senses were stretched outward.

Behind him, the formation had already taken shape.

Han Yue remained slightly to his right, her hand never straying far from the hilt of her sword, her presence was quiet yet unwavering like a drawn blade waiting for the moment to strike.

Xiang Feng advanced on the left, his spear held at a relaxed angle, though the subtle shifts of his grip betrayed a readiness to react at any instant.

Wu Zhen followed closely behind, his steps heavy but controlled, his entire body carrying the dense, grounded aura of a fortress that could not easily be shaken.

At the center, Luo Qingshan moved with careful precision, his eyes constantly scanning the terrain as though mapping invisible lines only he could see, while Tang Bo walked beside him, his fingers occasionally brushing against the talismans hidden within his sleeves.

Zhao Lian and Chen Ran remained toward the rear, their roles less visible but no less critical, as Zhao Lian monitored the condition of the group while Chen Ran’s small spirit companion darted quietly between branches, relaying subtle warnings through faint, almost imperceptible sounds.

Mei Ru walked silently near the middle, her presence was so soft that even those beside her forgot she was there sometimes, while Liang Jie lingered slightly off to the side, his saber resting loosely against his shoulder, his sharp eyes flickering with restrained impatience.

Feng Xiang moved ahead of them like a shadow among shadows.

For a time, nothing happened. Then everything changed when Wu Zhen’s foot pressed down on a patch of seemingly ordinary ground and a faint glow erupted beneath him.

Luo Qingshan’s eyes widened instantly. “Formation!”

The word had barely left his mouth when  a surge of spiritual energy burst from the ground as forming a glowing array that snapped shut around the group like a cage of light.

Then six figures emerged from the trees with swift and coordinated movements. Their robes were marked with the symbol of a coiled black serpent.

“Now!” one of them shouted.

Attacks rained down immediately with blades flashing through the air and techniques surging with killing intent. The ambush had been perfectly timed.

Wu Zhen roared as the ground beneath him erupted, his body instinctively tensing as he absorbed the brunt of the initial impact, the force driving him to one knee as cracks spread through the earth around him.

“Break it!” Liang Jie shouted, his saber already cutting through the air toward the nearest attacker.

But the formation pulsed violently making their movements slowed.

“it is a Disruption array,” Luo Qingshan said sharply, his voice tight with focus. “It’s interfering with our flow of qi.”

Another attack came. But it was aimed at the rear this time. Zhao Lian barely reacted in time, pulling Chen Ran back as a blade sliced through the space where he had been standing.

Chen Ran’s spirit companion shrieked sharply, leaping onto his shoulder as he stumbled backward.

“They’re targeting the rear first!” Zhao Lian warned.

“Of course, they are,” Liang Jie muttered, deflecting another strike with a sharp clang. “Cowards.”

“Not cowards,” Han Yue said calmly as she stepped forward. “Efficient.”

Her sword left its sheath in a single smooth motion and she slashed towards them, sending a strong sword qi.  One of the attackers was forced back instantly, his expression tightened as he realized he narrowly avoided the strike.

Han Yue did not try to pursue but simply stepped into position.

Xiang Feng moved next. His spear shot forward, forcing another enemy to retreat while maintaining distance between them. “Don’t scatter!” he called.

At the center, Luo Qingshan’s hands moved rapidly, his mind racing as he analyzed the formation surrounding them. “It’s anchored at three points,” he said quickly. “If we break one…”

A sudden tremor cut him off. The ground beneath Tang Bo’s feet flared again. “Secondary trigger,” Tang Bo said grimly. “They planned for resistance.”

Above them, a faint distortion shimmered. Then Mei Ru moved and for a brief moment, her figure seemed to blur. Then there were three of her. The illusions spread outward instantly, each one moving in a different direction, their presence overlapping with reality just enough to confuse the attackers’ perception.

One of the Black Serpent disciples hesitated and that was enough as Feng Xiang silently appeared from the shadows behind him. His blade slipped across the man’s throat before the illusion even faded and the body collapsed without a sound.

“First,” Feng Xiang whispered.