Raise a sword!

Jiang Peng hadn't expected that after discovering the unfamiliar plea for help, she would choose to observe secretly first.

Despite being so careful, they still ended up being scammed.

This was his sixth day in the mountains, and the third time he and Sun Yinxi had divided the search area and gone deeper into the forest.

During that time, he only encountered the evil cultivator once, and he killed him without hesitation.

Jiang Peng couldn't help but feel a bit contemptuous of the evil cultivators, given their supposedly despicable nature.

But as soon as they stepped into the unfamiliar mountain forest, they immediately encountered a huge problem.

"Zhao Shan'ao? You've become a heretical cultivator?" Jiang Peng looked at Zhao Shan'ao, who looked like a wild man, his face covered in blood and his body disheveled, in disbelief.

Zhao Shan'ao clearly had no intention of arguing with Jiang Peng. He grabbed Jiang Peng from the ground and shoved him behind him.

"Run! That's a Foundation Establishment stage monster!"

Seeing Zhao Shan'ao's face full of grief and indignation, Jiang Peng did not run away. Instead, she slowly dusted herself off and came to Zhao Shan'ao's side.

Seeing Zhao Shan'ao, who used to be arrogant and inarticulate, in such a pitiful state, and considering her own situation and the conversation she had overheard when she approached, Jiang Peng pondered for a moment and roughly understood the reason.

The opponent is playing a game of besieging a point to attack reinforcements, and Zhao Shan'ao is that point.

Jiang Peng asked, "How many days have you been on the run? How many disciples have you harmed? Why didn't the Foundation Establishment elders come to your aid?"

Seeing that Jiang Peng was not fleeing, Zhao Shan'ao stopped urging him and replied bitterly, "We have been on the run for three days, and seven of my fellow disciples have died at the hands of that evil cultivator. I don't know why the elders have not yet arrived."

Jiang Peng was increasingly surprised.

"Do you know the other person is playing you?"

"Know."

"How can someone as proud and arrogant as you be so easily fooled? How can you still have the nerve to live?"

Zhao Shan'ao's expression froze, and he glared at Jiang Peng with hatred.

"If I die, then the evil cultivator will have to treat someone else like this... I can't bear to see my fellow disciples end up like me."

Jiang Peng shook her head slightly, ignoring Zhao Shan'ao, and looked in the direction where she had been knocked away.

A figure in black robes appeared in the open space ahead, seemingly watching Jiang Peng and Zhao Shan'ao's conversation with great interest.

The reason she didn't run away was because golden characters flashed before Jiang Peng's eyes the moment she was knocked away.

[Insect Clone: ​​Tier 1 Puppet]

Clearly, the opponent's true form might be a Foundation Establishment cultivator, but what is in front of Jiang Peng at this moment is merely a puppet with some special characteristics.

The fact that it's at the first level proves that the upper limit of the opponent's power does not exceed the Qi Refining level.

This can also be seen from the moment when the opponent launched a sneak attack and Jiang Peng was knocked away.

If Jiang Peng were a genuine Foundation Establishment cultivator, he would have been seriously injured and on the verge of death long ago, instead of just experiencing a surge of qi and blood that subsided in a moment.

Even so, Jiang Peng did not act rashly.

Jiang Peng didn't know how far away a Foundation Establishment cultivator could control a puppet, but it probably wouldn't be too far.

Although she didn't know why the other party was acting as a puppet, Jiang Peng had absolutely no intention of luring out the real person.

"Zhao Shan'ao activated the Mother-Child Tracking Talisman long ago, but the Foundation Establishment Elder who should have come to his aid has not appeared... Whatever the reason, we can't count on them."

Jiang Peng took a deep breath and bowed to the insect clone in front of her.

"Senior, you are already in dire straits yourself, why make things difficult for us juniors?"

Upon hearing this, the insect clone immediately became interested.

"Interesting. These past few days, all those Cangshan Sect bastards I've dealt with have put on that righteous, demon-slaying face, only whimpering and begging for mercy before they die. You, on the other hand, are the most clever. We have all the fantasy novel genres you like, welcome to visit..."

Jiang Peng straightened up and said frankly, "It's just a sect mission. I had no choice but to come here. I hope that you will let me leave, considering that I am sensible enough."

"Heh heh, let you go? You're having quite the daydream! Letting you go is impossible, but keeping you alive to play around with for a few days is not so bad."

"Boy, activate your Mother-Child Tracking Talisman and lure a few more of your fellow disciples over! If you lure three, we'll leave you with a whole corpse; if you lure five, we'll cripple your cultivation and spare your life; if you lure ten..."

Jiang Peng took out the tracking talisman without hesitation, but did not activate it.

"What if we attract ten people?"

Zhao Shan'ao, standing to the side, had eyes that looked like they were about to burst.

"You surnamed Jiang, how dare you risk the lives of your fellow disciples to survive?!"

Jiang Peng couldn't help but look at Zhao Shan'ao with a mocking expression.

"If you can do it, why can't I?"

"I was forced into this situation!"

"Wasn't Jiang forced into it?"

Zhao Shan'ao's eyes widened in disbelief. "My tracking talisman was activated long ago and spontaneously combusted. You were lured here because that Foundation Establishment evil cultivator stole someone else's talisman! It has nothing to do with me!"

"As long as you're alive, it's related to you." Jiang Peng sneered. "Heh, if I hadn't secretly witnessed your pathetic state, why would I have stayed behind to investigate?"

"I..."

The insect clone opposite seemed quite patient, watching Jiang Peng and Zhao Shan'ao bicker with great interest.

Meanwhile, seeing Zhao Shan'ao speechless, Jiang Peng seemed to become increasingly agitated.

"If I were you, I would have killed myself long ago. How could I have the face to remain in this world!"

He suddenly waved his hand, and a purple flame burst forth from his sleeve.

The terrifying temperature immediately changed Zhao Shan'ao's expression, and the sharp glint that flashed in the fire terrified him so much that he took two steps back and collapsed to the ground.

In an instant, the magic sword traversed the distance between Jiang Peng and the insect clone.

The insect clone opposite seemed to have no time to react before its head was already spinning and flying into the air. The flesh at the wound had already been charred black by the high temperature, so there was no blood.

"A puppet made of flesh and blood." Jiang Peng narrowed his eyes slightly.

From the moment the distress signal came through the mother-child communication talisman, he had already begun to secretly conceal his strength and prepare for battle, so that if he encountered a Foundation Establishment evil cultivator, he would at least have some power to resist.

This buildup of momentum lasted for half an hour.

Although the power of that sword strike just now did not exceed the scope of Foundation Establishment, it was definitely not something that an ordinary Qi Refining cultivator could withstand.

Clearly, even a Qi Refining Realm puppet controlled by a Foundation Establishment cultivator wouldn't work.

Moreover, this sword strike happened suddenly, completely exceeding the opponent's expectations.

One moment they seemed to be fighting internally with Zhao Shan'ao, the next they unleashed a thunderous attack.

"You...you killed a Foundation Establishment cultivator?"

Zhao Shan'ao's exclamation finally rang out only after the insect clone's head hit the ground.

He stared in disbelief at the puppet lying on the ground not far away, then looked at Jiang Peng beside him.

Before he could speak again, Jiang Peng had already grabbed him by the collar and lifted Zhao Shan'ao up like a chick.

With spiritual energy flowing into her Wind Chasing Boots, Jiang Peng didn't hesitate for a moment and quickly fled back the way she came. At the same time, she didn't forget to fully activate her talisman, causing it to spontaneously combust.

Less than a quarter of an hour after escaping, Jiang Peng spotted Sun Yinxi's figure not far ahead.

And it's not just Sun Yinxi.

Beside Sun Yinxi stood a young female cultivator, who was none other than the Peak Master of Ni Chang Peak.

"What brings her here?"