Volume One: The Dragon Rises from the Wilderness Chapter Sixty-One: Strangers on the Road, Unaware of Each Other

Yu Ye sensibly kept his distance.

The three—Tao Feng and his companions—looked after him with some concern, believing he lacked cultivation and ability, and advised him to stay clear for a while.

For a great battle was about to erupt!

But who was the enemy?

Yu Ye, leading his horse, had just hidden himself at the edge of the woods when two dark figures appeared twenty or thirty paces away.

Two middle-aged men landed one after the other, both of lean appearance, exuding a faint murderous aura and an inexplicable air of authority. They glanced left and right, exchanged a look, and strode purposefully toward the campfire.

One raised his voice: "Which Taoist sect do you three belong to, and why have you committed violence against others?"

The other said, "Surrender quietly and submit to judgment. If you do, your past crimes will be forgiven. Otherwise, you will be utterly destroyed—body and soul!"

"Haha!" Tao Feng and his companions stood before the fire, stroking their beards and laughing. "We are all cultivators of the Qi Condensation stage; who is more noble than whom? Yet you speak so arrogantly, deciding life and death—how absurd!"

"Think carefully, fellow Daoist, lest you regret it!"

"Hmph, enough talk. Cultivators of the third or fifth layer dare challenge their superiors? Courting death!"

Both middle-aged men were Qi Condensation cultivators—one mild, the other irascible—and as they spoke, they pressed forward to within ten paces.

In an instant, two streaks of sword-light shot upward into the night sky.

Tao Feng, Yu Xin, and Meng Qingqing showed no fear; each drew their longsword and stood ready.

Yu Ye, watching from the edge of the woods, was secretly astonished.

It was obvious: after suffering losses, the Jianghu men of Qingye Town had reported the matter to their superiors. These two pursuers must be cultivators from Qizhou, and their abilities surpassed any expert Yu Ye had yet encountered. If battle broke out, Tao Feng and his companions might hold out for a while, but defeat seemed inevitable.

Yet the three seemed to have remained there deliberately—did they have some hidden advantage?

The two sword-lights circled briefly in the night sky, then plunged down like meteors.

The three standing before the fire suddenly leapt backward, forming hand seals as they moved. A strange radiance exploded upward, enveloping the two Qizhou cultivators and their flying swords in the blink of an eye. Their figures could still be seen—visibly furious, they kept urging their swords, trying to break free.

The radiance, six or seven paces in diameter, looked like a glittering little hill, trembling violently and emitting booming sounds.

Yu Ye stared in shock.

What was that—was it a formation described in the ancient texts?

What is a formation? It borrows the shape and terrain, invoking the changes of the five elements and the arts of restriction to create an array. It can entrap, confuse, imprison, or kill—ever-changing and immensely powerful.

No wonder Tao Feng and his companions were so confident—they had set a trap with a formation in advance. But could such a formation prevail against two Qi Condensation experts?

Tao Feng, Yu Xin, and Meng Qingqing spread out, each standing a little over a yard from the glowing array, continuing to form seals, clearly reinforcing the formation and urging its lethal force.

Boom, boom, boom—

Under the night sky, the formation's radiance twisted and warped, the sounds growing ever more violent, as if it might rupture and collapse at any moment.

The faces of the three grew grave.

Yu Ye watched anxiously.

The formation was truly impressive—a superb means for the weak to overcome the strong. But once it broke, the consequences would be dire.

Yet he could offer no help.

He knew nothing of formations!

Just then, voices rang out in succession—

"Heaven’s net descends to the mortal world, sifting away three thousand hatreds."

"Where does Supreme Purity dwell? A single thought soars to the ninth heaven."

"Dragons roar and shake the earth; sit calmly and watch the clouds arise."

"The dream of the mundane world is yet unbroken; on this lonely road, I do not know you..."

Four figures burst from the woods, each agile as the wind, swiftly arriving before the glowing array and fanning out to form hand seals.

Tao Feng had anticipated this, laughing heartily: "The blue luan grows new feathers, dead wood dreams of spring; it’s the year to vanquish demons and prove the Dao!"

Faced with this sudden turn, Yu Ye was momentarily dazzled.

He had thought Tao Feng and his companions arrogant and overconfident. But the cunning and ruthlessness of cultivators surpassed even that of Jianghu men. To deal with the Qizhou cultivators, Tao Feng and his group had not only lured them into a trap and set a formation, but also arranged for reinforcements in ambush.

Moreover, these reinforcements arrived with extraordinary presence.

The four newcomers were also Qi Condensation cultivators, likely at the second, third, or even fourth layer. Including Tao Feng, Yu Xin, and Meng Qingqing, there were seven Qi Condensation experts, plus the aid of the formation. Together, they surely held victory in their grasp.

Yes, that was another lesson learned!

When facing a formidable foe, one must not charge recklessly, ignoring other tactics. As the saying goes: courage without strategy is folly; strategy without action is cowardice. Only those with both great wisdom and courage are true heroes!

Yet the dialogue between the four and Tao Feng was baffling—what did it mean?

Boom, boom—

The seven cultivators surrounded the array, forming seals and driving its deadly force.

Inside, the two trapped men fought desperately to resist.

With each exchange of attack and defense, the array boomed, its light flickering and twisting. On that summer night in the wilds, the scene was both spectacular and lively—yet it was a life-and-death struggle, thrilling and perilous.

Yu Ye found himself quite exhilarated.

His own battles, whether against men or Qizhou cultivators, had always been swift—a single strike, a single kill, life and death decided in an instant. But this grand spectacle, with such commotion, was truly an eye-opener.

However, the situation did not seem favorable.

Though outnumbered two to seven and trapped within a formation, the two Qizhou cultivators still fought back fiercely—they were no ordinary foes.

Boom!

As Yu Ye speculated, a thunderous explosion erupted, followed by a dazzling flash, as if lightning had shattered the earth. A gale swept up dust in his face.

His horse, frightened, neighed shrilly.

Yu Ye hastily tightened his grip on the reins.

He heard the sounds of bodies falling and cries of pain.

The formation's glow had vanished; even the campfire was blown away by the wind. The seven who had joined forces to besiege the enemy were all sprawled on the ground, disheveled and battered. Only two were still standing, though their clothes were torn and hair disheveled. Faces contorted in fury, they each raised their flying swords.

Yu Ye’s heart sank.

Disaster!

The strength and skill of these two Qizhou cultivators far exceeded expectations. They had broken the formation and escaped—Tao Feng and his companions were in grave danger!

Sensing the danger, Tao Feng leapt up, shouting, "Fellow Daoists, defend yourselves—!"

But the Qizhou cultivators struck first.

"Ah—!"

Someone, still struggling to rise, fell with a shriek beneath the flashing sword light.

The rest of the group, terrified, hurriedly pulled out talismans and hurled them in a panic. Amid the explosions, one Qizhou cultivator was forced into a desperate defense. The other, however, evaded the barrage, his sword light darting straight for Tao Feng.

Tao Feng, unable to dodge, slapped a protective talisman to his chest. A flash of light repelled the oncoming sword, sending it spinning back. He staggered back two steps, then suddenly leapt three or four yards into the air, bringing down his sword in a furious slash.

The Qizhou cultivator, though murderous and fresh from breaking the formation, was unsteady and blood dripped from the corner of his mouth. Unprepared for such frenzied resistance, he had to recall his sword to block. With a muffled bang, he stumbled.

Tao Feng, however, was sent flying four or five yards, crashing to the ground. Gritting his teeth, he struggled to his feet—his heart racing, limbs weak. But with no way back, life or death now decided, he could only raise his sword once more.

"Ah—!"

Another scream rent the air.

Tao Feng’s heart leapt with alarm—then with hope.

The other Qizhou cultivator, beset by talismanic explosions, had no chance to wield his sword. Yu Xin and the others seized the moment, swarming over him. He could not withstand the onslaught, and in an instant fell beneath a hail of swords.

Tao Feng called out, "One foe remains—let’s join forces to take him down!"

The remaining Qizhou cultivator, seeing his companion fall, attempted to retreat.

But Yu Xin and the others had already closed in.

With his escape route cut off, the Qizhou cultivator charged for the woods. Once inside, even outnumbered, he could easily slip away.

Tao Feng would not have it, stepping forward to block him.

The Qizhou cultivator waved his hand, sending the sword circling above his head whistling toward Tao Feng.

Bang!

With a crash, Tao Feng was flung five or six yards, landing hard and coughing up blood. Scrambling up, he found his longsword lost, so he threw out a talisman instead.

Boom!

In the blaze of fire, the Qizhou cultivator reached the forest’s edge.

There stood a riderless horse—its owner, no doubt frightened, had long since fled.

Yu Xin and the others, still over ten yards away, could not catch up. Their talismans failed to hit the mark, and they shouted in panic—

"Stop him—!"

"Don’t let him get away—!"

If the Qizhou cultivator escaped, all that had happened tonight would spread through the marshlands, making things even more perilous for Tao Feng and his group.

Yet none could match him alone, and together they could not close the gap.

As the Qizhou cultivator plunged into the woods, a sudden groan echoed out. He pitched forward, then someone seized him and hurled him from the trees. His flying sword fell, its glow extinguished, into the grass.

At that moment, a young man stepped from behind a large tree, one hand holding a longsword, the other retrieving the short sword from the grass.

Tao Feng cried with delight, "Ha! Brother Yu, well done!"

Yu Xin and Meng Qingqing shared his relief, though they could hardly believe it.

"Brother Yu, did you really slay a Qi Condensation cultivator?"

"That man was at least at the eighth layer of Qi Condensation. If not for the backlash from the formation and his grave injuries, not even all of us together could have killed him, let alone you."

Tao Feng wiped the blood from his mouth, frowning in suspicion: "Indeed, Brother Yu, how did you manage to kill a Qi Condensation expert?"

Yu Ye stepped before them, raising his sword: "I was hiding behind the tree. The man happened to run by, I happened to strike him—and he died."

Yu Xin and Meng Qingqing examined the corpse—sure enough, there was a sword wound in the lower abdomen.

Yu Ye handed the short sword to Tao Feng.

"This flying sword is yours, Brother Tao."

"Haha! A most timely blow, Brother Yu—truly perfect!"

Tao Feng, though not lacking in skill, had never owned a flying sword since the fall of his sect. To defeat so powerful a foe and gain such a treasure, he could not help but laugh with joy.

Then someone sighed: "The dream of the mortal world has ended, and even on this lonely road, I know you. Farewell, fellow traveler..."