Staying Alive Cautiously in the Celestial Realm and Becoming the Strongest

The mountain path was narrow, the forest deep and secluded, with no signs of human habitation around.

The Blood Cloak Guard's hunting dogs dashed ahead while the Tiqi pursued closely behind.

Suddenly, the agile hunting dog stopped in its tracks, sniffing agitatedly at the ground, becoming quite restless.

Qiu, riding at the front, pulled on the reins of his mount and said with furrowed brows, "The scent's gone."

Demons are extremely cunning. It was common for such situations to occur, with the pursuit often ending in vain.

Flap flap flap!

Just as all four men halted to observe, an unusual noise suddenly came from the nearby woods.

A flock of startled birds took flight from the dense forest.

And this sudden development inevitably caught everyone's attention.

Swoosh!

To everyone's utter surprise, just as their attention was diverted, a large net suddenly descended from the sky!

Whiz whiz whiz!

At the same time, a series of sharp arrows shot out from the forests on both sides of the mountain path.

"Enemy attack!"

Qiu reacted swiftly, instantly realizing something was wrong, his eyes widened in fury as he drew the Goose-quill Saber strapped to his side.

But compared to Wang Chen, who trailed at the end of the formation, he was still a step behind.

The very instant the birds scattered, Wang Chen keenly sensed danger.

Without a second thought, he reached into the leather bag hanging on his saddle and grabbed a bundle of short sticks.

With a flick of his right hand, the seven-segmented short sticks quickly unfolded, interlocking to form a long spear!

This collapsible Qiling Spear, a treasured secret from the Ling Family's vault, had been a constant part of Wang Chen's arsenal ever since he learned the Liaoyuan Spear Technique from Wang Hui.

An inch longer, an inch stronger; the spear is known as the king of all weapons, most suitable for mounted combat and breaking through formations, able to exert formidable power in actual combat.

He looked up to see the net descending and immediately unleashed the spear like a dragon, thrusting upward from below into the net.

The spear was cold as frost; the power of the Evil Wheel erupted mightily, actually sending the large net that covered an area of several zhang flying away!

In the next moment, Wang Chen swept with his spear, deflecting the several arrows that were aimed at him.

A ghostly figure silently appeared behind him, abruptly leaping forward, clutching a silver-gray dagger aimed fiercely at the vital spot on Wang Chen's back.

The attacker's strike was incredibly sudden and was executed with silent stealth.

It was undoubtedly the technique of a top-notch assassin!

However, Wang Chen, as if he had eyes in the back of his head, abruptly turned and thrust out the Qiling Spear, instantly piercing the assassin's chest.

A counter-lance on horseback!

Pfft!

The silver-white spearhead passed unimpeded through the assassin's heart, protruding from their back.

The masked assassin's eyes widened in disbelief, the dagger in hand falling powerless as the breath left their body in an instant.

Wang Chen flicked his wrist, flinging the assassin hanging on the spear away.

"Mother Wu Dang, saving the people for the benefit of all!"

It was at this moment, gray figures emerged on both sides of the mountain path, shouting slogans as they charged at the four riders.

Not only that, but large rocks started rolling down, blocking the path of the Blood Cloak Guards in a blink, cutting off their escape route.

"With saber in hand, kill the blood dogs!"

Hearing such slogans for the first time, Wang Chen nearly spat out blood on the spot.

"It's the Yellow Lotus Sect!"

Qiu, who had just fended off a wave of arrow attacks, bellowed, "Send the signal for reinforcements immediately!"

This Junior Flag had finally realized that it was not a demon but an ambush specifically set by the Yellow Lotus Sect targeting the Blood Cloak Guard!

Whistle~

A signal flare shot straight into the sky, exploding into a brilliant burst of fireworks.

These signal fireworks, designed for warning and requesting aid, were standard equipment for every member of the Blood Cloak Guard. With a pull of the fuse, they could be instantly launched into the sky, clearly visible even from several dozen miles away.

The woods were not very far from Linjiang City.

"Form up!" Commander Qiu shouted.

The number of Yellow Lotus Sect cultists that appeared was significant, and since the mountain path was blocked, the only option was to huddle and wait for reinforcements.

Two Blood Cloak Guards immediately turned to protect Commander Qiu's flanks, forming a Three Talents Formation.

The Blood Cloak Guards were used to fighting and skirmishing on the front lines, and their experience was extremely rich.

Their coordination was also very tacit.

"Wang Chen!"

Commander Qiu suddenly realized something was wrong—he had inadvertently excluded Wang Chen from their formation!

This was a mistake that should not have occurred; however, caught by surprise, Commander Qiu had not thought too much about it. By the time he realized the error, the Yellow Lotus Sect cultists were already charging with various weapons in their hands.

It was too late to change formation!

"Forget about him!"

Dong Zhihui, agitated, responded from behind, "We shouldn't have brought such a greenhorn in the first place!"

He absolutely didn't want to disrupt their formation during a life-or-death moment.

Commander Qiu felt a pang of sorrow, thinking how young Wang Chen was with such high talent; it would be a pity for him to die here.

But as the commander of the squad, he had no other choice but to brandish his Goose-quill Saber and strike at a Yellow Lotus Sect cultist!

Meanwhile, Wang Chen had already dismounted his horse, wielding his spear to face the overwhelming swarm of bandits!

He had some understanding of the Yellow Lotus Sect, but today was the first time he saw a living cultist.

The Yellow Lotus Sect was a heretical sect that appeared in the southern part of Great Liang decades ago. Its name reflected the belief that all life is sorrow, and its followers worshipped Mother Wu Dang, who they claimed was the elder sister of Daoist Mother Wusheng, possessing incredible divine powers and majestic abilities.

With the slogan of helping the people and saving the world, the Yellow Lotus Sect often lured the lowest classes and common people through providing porridge and medicine, gaining substantial influence among the populace.

Over the past few decades, the Yellow Lotus Sect had instigated several uprisings, and at their strongest, they even captured a prefecture city.

But they were quickly suppressed by the Imperial Court of Great Liang, with their leaders killed or fled, their momentum nearly eradicated.

Since then, the activities of the Yellow Lotus Sect turned covert. Their prolonged entanglement with the Blood Cloak Guard created a hatred deeper than the ocean!

In fact, the Yellow Lotus Sect was just one of the heretical sects active throughout Great Liang.

Thud!

The Qiling Spear pierced through a Yellow Lotus Sect cultist's body, his eyes wide as he summoned the last of his strength, wielding his Long Saber to slash at Wang Chen, trying to perish together with him.

But Wang Chen swiftly retracted his spear, causing his attacker's counterstrike to miss completely.

The tip of the spear swept out again, heavily slamming into the shoulder of another Yellow Lotus Sect cultist, hurling that person into an adjacent tree and breaking his neck.

In a swift motion like a hawk capturing a rabbit, Wang Chen killed two Yellow Lotus Sect cultists, and their spattered blood soaked the forest.

Yet, more Yellow Lotus Sect cultists fearlessly charged at him, each with bloodshot eyes, making monstrous screams, and in the blink of an eye, they surrounded Wang Chen.

"Kill him!" one of the Yellow Lotus Sect cultists bellowed.

But the next moment, a cold gleam swept across his throat, spurting out a gush of crimson blood!

Yet he wasn't the only cultist whose life was taken in that instant.

Sudden flashes of cold light burst forth, mercilessly sweeping through the surrounding bandits, with the sounds of impacts, screams, and bodies rupturing echoing incessantly.

Liaoyuan Nine Strikes' Sweeping Thousands of Troops!

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The first update delivered.