Above the crisscrossing swamp waterways, Wang Ping first activated the Spirit Gathering Array and the Water Moon Bell. Then, he cast two Armor Talismans—one on himself and the other on the unconscious Female Knight.

Yu Lian was wrapped around Wang Ping’s arm, her vertical pupils staring at the enemies pursuing them from behind. There were three people in total. The one in the middle flickered with golden light, clearly a Gold Cultivator. He was thin, wore a gray, close-fitting cotton outfit, and had on a red-and-white demonic ghost mask.

To the Gold Cultivator’s left was a Wood Cultivator. He wore a tiger-skin coat and looked like a hunter from the deep mountains. As he flew, he continuously used his Qi Sea to communicate with the world’s Wood Spirit Qi, attempting to use it to interfere with Wang Ping. To the Gold Cultivator’s right was a Star God, completely shrouded in darkness. His body looked illusory, as if it didn’t exist in the material world.

Yu Lian communicated everything she saw to Wang Ping through the world of her Spirit Sea. Now aware of the situation, Wang Ping took three poison-laced Curse Talismans from his storage bag and threw them. Of the three pursuers, the Gold Cultivator simply erected a Protective Shield to block them head-on, the Wood Cultivator cast detoxification Magic on himself, and the Star God made his body completely illusory.

Wang Ping saw all of this, and his heart sank.

’The one in the middle must be Wulang!’ Yu Lian’s thoughts emerged. ’He’s a perfect match for the description in Wulang’s profile.’

Hearing Yu Lian, Wang Ping stopped holding back. He summoned his Golden Armor Soldiers and threw out a dozen more Curse Talismans laced with various poisons. Then, while the three were dealing with the poisons, he changed direction and quickly scanned his pursuers.

It was indeed Wulang. The lean body and the mask he liked to wear in battle were exactly as described in the profile.

’I can’t believe they’ve gone to such lengths to kill me. I really underestimated the competition here.’

The more critical the situation, the calmer Wang Ping became. He gazed at the half-submerged forest ahead and said, "I thought these preparations would be unnecessary, but it seems someone just had to run right into them."

’They’re underestimating us. Do they really think just the three of them can stop us?’ Yu Lian flicked her tongue, a hint of killing intent rising in her emotions.

While they were communicating, Wulang suddenly accelerated, trying to cut off Wang Ping, who was maneuvering within the Wood Spirit Qi. Guessing his intent, Wang Ping immediately sent two Golden Armor Soldiers to intercept him. A series of metallic CLANGS echoed as the Golden Armor Soldiers were defeated, but they successfully delayed Wulang.

This brief clash allowed Wang Ping to get closer to the Water Forest ahead. Just then, the Star God bizarrely drifted over to Wulang and slipped into his shadow. The next moment, Wulang’s figure seemed to merge with space itself, allowing him to instantly leap a great distance.

’It’s a void ability!’

Yu Lian blurted out.

According to existing information, there are three main categories of Star Gods: Void, Ruin, and Blessing. Their abilities don’t borrow from the Five Elements Rules, nor do they conform to Nine Heavens Magic. Void, in this context, refers to spatial nodes that transcend the material world within specific Five Elements Rules, containing all sorts of incredible powers.

And this one’s ability was clearly displacement.

They can displace themselves, and they can also displace their opponents.

Therefore, Wang Ping immediately activated a Spirit Communication Talisman and a Luck-Borrowing Talisman, distorting the Spiritual Qi Rules in the hundred-zhang space around him. He also summoned seven iron-bamboo swords to form a ’killing array’ and connected his senses to Yu Lian’s highly sensitive spiritual consciousness.

But Wulang and the Star God didn’t appear. Instead, the Wood Cultivator following behind used some unknown Celestial Gate Magical Treasure. A fierce wind swirled around him as he rapidly approached the edge of the Wood Spirit Space Wang Ping had created, using his own Wood Spirit Qi to neutralize the distorted space. 𝓯𝓻𝓮𝙚𝙬𝓮𝙗𝒏𝙤𝒗𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝒐𝓶

Wang Ping immediately guessed that Wulang was planning a one-hit kill, leaving him no room to counter.

Given the current situation, it was entirely possible he could be killed in one blow. Wulang, a Gold Cultivator, was a natural counter to a Wood Cultivator. With one or two special magical treasures and a Star God with void abilities for a close-range assault, Wang Ping might not even have time to use his Purgatory Banner if they got in his face.

Moreover, to ensure nothing was left to chance, Wulang had specifically brought along a Wood Cultivator to neutralize his abilities.

’Don’t get distracted. I’ll deal with him!’

As Yu Lian spoke, her body, coiled around Wang Ping, emitted an azure halo. As the Water Spirit Qi formed, she opened her mouth wide and spat out an even larger torrent of it.

It was Ocean Summoning!

The calm water surface beneath them was stirred, and a huge wave crashed toward the Wood Cultivator. But the Wood Cultivator didn’t slow down. Countless pine needles grew from the surface of his body, neutralizing the Water Spirit Qi in the crashing wave and buffering the giant wave’s momentum.

’This guy is so annoying!’

Just as Yu Lian was about to use ’Ocean Summoning’ again, Wang Ping stopped her, because he had now reached the Water Forest.

He dove headfirst into the water, causing the pursuing Wood Cultivator to hesitate for a moment.

But the next moment, Wang Ping appeared on the other side of the Water Forest. Only now, a Thunder Law Altar stood beside him.

BOOM!

Thunder cracked!

A bolt of True Thunder struck the Wood Cultivator, who was wreathed in Wood Spirit energy, making his whole body tremble. His face filled with terror as a second bolt of lightning struck, then a third, and a fourth...

The bolts didn’t seem very powerful, but just as the Wood Cultivator breathed a sigh of relief, a massive bolt of True Thunder had already formed silently overhead!

"Run!"

Wulang revealed himself, appearing in an area beyond the reach of Wang Ping’s Wood Spirit. His body, full of golden light, was now tinged with specks of black mist, making him look exceptionally strange.

BOOM!

The True Thunder struck at the same moment as his shout.

But this was not an attack one could simply flee. The initial, weaker bolts of lightning had seemed harmless, but they had actually paralyzed the Wood Cultivator’s Qi Sea. Though the paralysis would only last for a few breaths, it was more than enough.

"Changqing..."

Wulang roared with fury. The True Thunder had burned the Wood Cultivator’s body to a crisp, and then vines shot up from the Water Forest and tore his charred remains to pieces.

"Changqing, if I don’t kill you this time, I swear I’m no longer human!"

Wang Ping ignored Wulang’s furious roar, but he didn’t grow complacent over the successful ambush. He could feel the aura of another Second Realm Cultivator approaching rapidly.

’Let’s keep running. Head for Gray Water Pond,’ Yu Lian suggested. ’Even if my parents won’t help for my sake, they will for the sake of the seniors at the temple.’ She could feel that the person now on their way was no simple foe.

"Mm, okay!"

Wang Ping had been thinking the same thing. Although he had the power to stay and fight, it was too risky and not to his advantage.

With this in mind, Wang Ping snatched the storage bag that a vine had tossed up to him. He then poured all his power into the Water Forest’s array to channel the Thunder Law Altar, brewing a gigantic magnetic field of True Thunder in the air to keep Wulang at bay.