Mortals: Take Mo Juren at the start

If the previous scrolls could still be deciphered, there was absolutely no way to counter the methods used by the man in the green robe now.

This is clearly some kind of special formation, but it is beyond comprehension because there are no array-setting tools in sight. Only dozens of spiritual talismans are drawn in the air, and then it becomes what it is now.

This formation seems to be able to directly invoke the rules, and in terms of both power and mystery, it is far stronger than the nine interconnected formations they hastily set up.

It should be noted that these nine great formations are not simple; each one is fraught with danger, and when they are combined, they can unleash even greater power.

Unfortunately, the opponent was clearly aware of this as well, so they never entered the formation and instead chose to attack directly from the outside with overwhelming force.

This also rendered the nine great formations unable to fulfill their true purpose, leaving them only for pure defense.

But there was no other way. Time was too short and there was no preparation. This was the limit of what they could do. And given the enemy's intelligence, it was unlikely that they could lure them into the formation.

"The formation can't hold for long, we must make plans as soon as possible." Inside the main formation, looking at the scene outside, the Cave Heaven Rat King said with a solemn expression.

"Plans? What plans? Things have come to this, do you think we can escape?" The Yaksha clan expert, Tu Lu, said with bloodshot eyes and murderous intent.

“Fellow Daoist Tulu is absolutely right. We don’t even know the way out, so escaping is simply impossible. The only option now is to fight to the death.”

"He has just broken out of the seal, so he certainly cannot be at his peak. Otherwise, he would not have chosen to ambush and kill those three fellow Daoists, but would have directly crushed them."

"That's right, as long as we work together and join forces, we may not be afraid of the other side..."

"..."

Everyone chimed in with their own opinions, and as the analysis continued, the initial worries in their hearts gradually dissipated.

Indeed, the combined strength of eight experts at the Integration Realm, most of whom were at the late stage of Integration Realm, was not to be underestimated.

However, there is an issue that cannot be ignored: the importance of working together. If this cannot be achieved, then no matter how many people there are, they will just be a disorganized mess and will be meaningless.

This is not just talk. When it comes to a life-or-death situation, who can guarantee that they won't be used as bait and abandoned?
Trust is of utmost importance!
The most obvious example is Xue Lingzi and Ming Xuzi. These two powerful individuals from the same clan have irreconcilable conflicts and would never dare to entrust their backs to each other.

There were probably only a few people like Mo Juren with relatively close relationships, but to say that there was absolute trust between them was impossible.

The only advantage at the moment is that the enemy is too powerful, so we have no choice but to unite for the time being. If we fight separately, there will only be one outcome: we will be defeated one by one and eventually be wiped out.

No one present wanted to see such a terrible price paid, so even though there was no trust between them, they still managed to fight the enemy together.

Listening to the surrounding discussions, Mo Juren felt heavy-hearted.

At least the other party has the possibility of resisting, but he doesn't. This kind of battle at the Integration Realm level is far beyond his capacity to withstand. Even if he is only slightly affected, he will almost certainly die.

Right now, his only means of self-preservation is the protection of the three experts at the Integration Realm. But that's only under normal circumstances. If the situation becomes critical and their own safety is hard to guarantee, how can they possibly take care of him?
This is not just his wild imagination or needless worry; it is a situation with a very high probability of happening.

Unfortunately, his strength was too weak. Even if he thought things through clearly and analyzed things reasonably, it would still be of no use given the huge gap in their abilities.

This trip to the secret realm was the biggest crisis he had encountered since entering the world of cultivation. He could die at any moment, but he had no way to deal with it.

Just as his thoughts were in turmoil, a clear, cold voice suddenly reached his ears; it was none other than Fairy Feng Yu:
"Don't worry, since I promised Yunhuang, I will do everything in my power to protect you."

"Thank you, senior!" Mo Juren had to admit that he was truly moved. Not everyone would be willing to make such a promise under these circumstances.

For example, the Cave Rat King, who used to be his sworn brother, now has no response at all. Of course, he may not have noticed, but there is still a sense of loss.

As for Xuanjin Sanren, they had no real relationship to begin with, so naturally, they couldn't expect anything from him.

In short, what follows will be extremely dangerous for him, and there is no guarantee that he will survive.

Time passed slowly, and as the thunder dragons in mid-air continued to bombard it, the great formation finally could not hold on any longer, and at a certain moment, the huge light curtain it had formed shattered.

The nine great formations are closely connected; their prosperity or decline is intertwined.

The moment the light barrier shattered, all the formations were instantly severely damaged. The eight auxiliary formations were completely destroyed, and only the main formation was able to hold on, but it was only one step away from being broken.

Looking at the last remaining large formation, the man in the green robe smiled coldly. However, the hand seals in his hands suddenly changed, and the continuously falling lightning dragons all disappeared instantly.

This scene caused the people in the formation to look at each other in bewilderment, wondering what the other party's purpose was. Surely it wasn't that they suddenly had a change of heart and decided to let them go?
Obviously, this was impossible, and as everyone thought, although the thunder dragon disappeared, the blood-red clouds in the sky still remained.

The man in the green robe suddenly curled up a strange, wicked smile. His hand seals changed again, and in an instant, the clouds churned violently once more before suddenly pouring down.

In an instant, the area around the formation was completely enveloped by dense crimson clouds.

"This..." Inside the formation, everyone was dumbfounded. They thought the other side would break the formation in one go and then go on a killing spree, but the result was completely unexpected.

This shattered everyone's long-held plan to fight to the death as soon as the formation was broken, leaving them completely clueless about how to proceed.

What does this mean?

"Who knows? But one thing is for sure: it's definitely not a sudden change of heart to let us go."

"Releasing us is naturally out of the question, but trapping us is a certainty. Fellow Daoists, why don't you sense the situation of this blood cloud!"

"Blood Cloud?"

Upon hearing this reminder, everyone released their divine senses to investigate and instantly discovered the strangeness.

This blood cloud not only blocked the view, but also completely disrupted divine sense, making it impossible to detect the situation outside.

In this way, everyone was completely blind, unaware of what the man in the green robe was doing. This was not a good thing; the other party was very likely preparing some even more powerful method, and if it came to that, they might not even have a chance to resist.

"What should we do? Should we keep waiting?"

"Of course not. Being led by the nose by the other side is too passive, and even our remaining advantages are very likely to be gradually wiped out..."

"Then charge out and fight them to the death..."

"The enemy will surely think of this too, and may have some precautions. We must be careful later. Moreover, we must not split up and fight separately, as that would only create an opportunity for the enemy to defeat us one by one..."

"That's simple. I have a special set of treasures here. Everyone will carry one, and they can sense each other's location at any time..."

"That would be perfect. Let's get ready quickly, we'll move together later..."

"..."

After some discussion, everyone immediately began preparations. At that moment, the Cave Rat King suddenly shook his arm, and a small golden mouse, no bigger than a fist, appeared.

He looked directly at Mo Juren and said:

"The following actions are too dangerous, so please don't participate. Just stay in the formation and wait for the outcome. Fortunately, the formation hasn't been damaged too much and can still hold on. Also, I'll leave this 'Moon Devouring Rat' to you. It's my spirit beast and has the strength of the late-stage Void Refinement realm. I'll use it to protect you for now."

"..." Upon hearing the suggestion from the Cave Rat King, Mo Juren didn't know what to say. The other party's intentions were good, but in the end, he was still worried that he would become a burden.

There is only one enemy at present, that is the man in the green robe. If he really wants to attack me, what is the point of a Moon Devouring Rat at the late stage of the Void Refinement realm?
However, although he thought this way, he did not show it. After all, the other party's concerns were reasonable, and his own strength was indeed a burden.

Thinking this, he immediately intended to accept the other party's proposal, but unexpectedly, he was suddenly interrupted by Fairy Phoenix Feather beside him:

"It's not safe for him to stay here. Let him stay with me!"

"Fairy, please don't misunderstand. I have no intention of abandoning Brother Mo. It's just that the green-robed man's target is definitely someone like you or me who is at the Integration Realm, not a junior like Brother Mo who is at the Nascent Soul Realm."

"The battle that follows will be extremely dangerous, and we may not be able to attend to it all. It would be safer for us to stay here," the Cave Rat King quickly explained.

He wasn't lying; that was truly what he thought. Although he had no romantic feelings for Mo Juren, he befriended him so that one day he could establish a connection with Senior Xuanming.

Unless he was truly forced to, he would never allow anything to happen to him.

This analysis was so reasonable and well-founded that Fairy Phoenix Feather couldn't refute it. She simply stopped dwelling on it and looked directly at Mo Juren, saying:
"It's up to you. If you want to come, I will do everything in my power to protect you. If you don't want to, then you can stay here for now, but the risks are still considerable."

“Then I will stay.” Mo Juren made the decision without hesitation. He was well aware of his own situation; he was a complete burden. If he went along, not only would he be in danger, but he might also harm the other party.

Instead, it would be better to stay here for the time being. With the defensive formation, the protection of the spirit beast, and some of his own trump cards, he should be fine.

Furthermore, what the Cave Rat King said was not without reason. The green-robed man's primary target must have been a group of Nascent Soul Realm experts. He was just an ant and not worth his attention at all.

"If you've made up your mind, then fine." Fairy Fengyu didn't try to persuade her any further. Instead, she shook the spirit beast ring on her wrist, and a crimson fireball appeared out of thin air.

When the firelight faded, what was revealed was the opponent's spirit beast, a little crimson raven with a lovely name: 'Crimson Flame'.

He had already gotten to know 'Crimson Flame' during their previous journey and learned about the other party's situation. Despite his unremarkable appearance, he was a genuine True Spirit Bloodline.

It possesses a trace of the bloodline of the legendary ancient top-level true spirit 'Three-Legged Golden Crow', a terrifying existence that is no weaker than a true dragon or a heavenly phoenix.

It is precisely for this reason that, although Chi Yan is only at the mid-stage of the Void Refinement realm, he possesses the strength to fight against a powerhouse at the early stage of the Body Integration realm.

The other party was one of Fairy Phoenix Feather's true trump cards, something she would never easily part with, yet now she intended to give it to him. This kindness once again deeply moved Mo Juren.

Touched, he refused without hesitation, not out of politeness, but because it was pointless.

To reiterate, if the man in the green robe were to attack him, even with the addition of a Crimson Flame that could fight against someone at the early stage of the Fusion Realm, it would still be of little use.

Without the Crimson Flame, it would be like losing a part of Phoenix Feather Fairy's arm, greatly increasing the danger she would face when confronting the man in the green robe.

In short, he appreciated the other party's kindness, but he would never do such a thing.

Phoenix Feather Fairy hadn't expected the other party to refuse, but after a moment's thought, she understood and felt a sense of relief.

Putting everything else aside, she greatly admired the other party's character. Her efforts to protect Yunhuang to the far north at her request were not in vain.

Just as she was thinking about whether to try to persuade him again, Mo Juren interrupted her again before she could even speak, and at the same time expressed his own opinion.

After listening, Fairy Phoenix Feather fell silent.

Indeed, if the man in the green robe really wanted to attack him, even leaving Chi Yan behind would be of no use. After all, he was only at the mid-stage of the Void Refinement realm, and the so-called battle against the early stage of the Body Integration realm was only theoretical. In actual combat, it was a completely different story.

The strength of that green-robed man was such that even a late-stage Nascent Soul cultivator would be no match for him, let alone Chi Yu.

Thinking of this, she stopped insisting, but instead took out another jade box and handed it forward, saying:

"There is a 'Void Escape Talisman' in here. After using it, you can instantly escape into the void for about fifteen minutes. Although it is only a temporary solution, it can still have some effect. You can take it."

"Then thank you very much, senior." This time, Mo Juren did not refuse and accepted it directly. After opening it, he found a mysterious talisman that was half a foot long and shimmering with sky-blue light.

Compared to those two spirit beasts, this item is actually more practical; it can truly save your life in a critical moment.

A moment later, everyone was ready. They exchanged glances, then simultaneously flew out of the formation, disappearing into the dense blood cloud. (End of Chapter)