"Do you think you can escape this thunder formation?" Though Ye Lanshan was covered in grime, her face barely visible, her eyes gleamed with an unsettling brightness.
At this moment, Zhou Haiming began to panic. Trembling, he asked, "You... you actually know formations." But he quickly calmed down: "So what if you know formations?"
In an instant, several threads of mystic energy condensed in his hand, weaving into an intricate pattern in the air, from which three zombie-like puppets emerged.
Ye Lanshan was startled. When she had lured him here, there hadn't been a single puppet around. How had they appeared?
"Didn't expect this, did you? I still have puppets. Now that you're alone, let's see what you can use to deal with me."
Ye Lanshan steadied herself and declared, "Do you really think these puppets can help you within this formation?"
Zhou Haiming dodged falling thunderbolts while charging toward her.
Ye Lanshan knew she couldn't let him escape the formation. She pulled several talismans from her space, bit her finger, drew the Five Thunder Curse on them, and sent them flying at him.
Zhou Haiming instantly yanked a puppet in front to block the talismans. Ye Lanshan then retrieved more talismans from her space, inscribing not only the Five Thunder Curse but also the Mystic Ice Curse, Fire Cloud Curse, Purple Nether Curse, and Azure Sky Curse.
Seeing so many talismans hurtling toward him, Zhou Haiming retreated, pulling more puppets as shields until he reached the edge of the formation and forcibly broke it.
After shattering the formation, he fled backward. Though escaping, his voice remained arrogant: "Little girl, no rush. We have plenty of time. Let's see who outlasts who."
The moment Zhou Haiming fled, Ye Lanshan wanted to give chase, but she had no strength left. If not for the last bit of spiritual energy sustaining her, she would have collapsed.
Watching Zhou Haiming disappear into the distance, Ye Lanshan felt a surge of irritation. Having a hidden, cunning, and powerful enemy lurking in the shadows was truly troublesome.
Still, Ye Lanshan wasn't afraid. After all, her reputation as a genius in the cultivation world wasn't earned for nothing, especially now that she had a hidden space as a cheat.
She took a pill from her space, sat cross-legged, and meditated for half an hour, easing her injuries slightly.
When she opened her eyes, the sun was just rising. Though the area was ravaged by her thunder formation, it didn't stop her from enjoying the beauty of the sunrise.
While many things in this continent differed from the cultivation world, time was similar. The sunrises and sunsets here were just as beautiful as those in the cultivation world.
Only at moments like this did Ye Lanshan feel like she belonged to this world.
Just as she was admiring the sunrise, someone stumbled toward her, pursued by several others.
Ye Lanshan's briefly lifted mood was shattered. She frowned in annoyance, but when she looked closely, she was shocked. Wasn't that Liu Jing? Why was she being chased?
Without a second thought, Ye Lanshan rushed down and shielded Liu Jing behind her.
"Little girl, I advise you not to meddle," a richly dressed young man threatened. "Otherwise, don't blame us for being ruthless."
"Is that so? I'm in a bad mood anyway. How about I take it out on you?" Ye Lanshan licked her lips. The gesture should have been seductive, but on her, it carried no hint of allure.
"Wings of Carnage," Ye Lanshan unleashed her most common move, though the flames were now even more vibrant.
"Rippling Rain," the young man, clearly not expecting Ye Lanshan's strength, used his strongest technique just to block her attack.
His face darkened. He knew this mission was doomed. They had almost succeeded, but this woman was asking for trouble. Someday, he'd make her pay for meddling.
"Let's go," he said coldly, turning without hesitation.
But Ye Lanshan had no intention of letting them leave. After all, uprooting weeds prevents regrowth. She didn't want future trouble from this incident.
"Did I say you could leave?" she said in a low voice.
The young man turned back. "We don't know each other. Why go to extremes?"
"I've always hated trouble," Ye Lanshan chuckled lightly. "Rather than risk you coming after me later, it's better to settle this here and now."
"Do you really think we're afraid of you? Attack!" The young man's eyes fixed on Liu Jing. "Let's see how one person can protect her."
Ye Lanshan didn't waste words. She unleashed her skills one after another.
Though Ye Lanshan was formidable, her opponents weren't pushovers either. With her injuries, she couldn't overpower them quickly.
A sharp gust of wind cut her lip. She licked the blood away and laughed softly. "I've been foolish. Why make this so complicated?"
She pulled out her old dagger, coating it with a thin layer of flame. The blade was already sharp, and with the added fire and her speed, she easily slit their throats.
They never imagined Ye Lanshan could move so fast. Before they could react, their necks were cut. In disbelief, without even a plea for mercy, they slowly collapsed.
But Ye Lanshan wasn't faring well either. Though she had briefly recovered, her injuries were only alleviated, not healed. Fighting this group had worsened them.
Still, she ignored her own condition, quickly pulling a bottle of pills from her space. She fed one to Liu Jing and took another herself.
Only when Liu Jing woke did Ye Lanshan relax. But that relief caused her to faint.
Liu Jing, just regaining consciousness, saw her protector collapse. She fumbled for a shriveled pill on herself, fed it to Ye Lanshan, and carefully gave her some water.
"Hmm, where is this? Why is it so dark?" Ye Lanshan woke to find everything pitch black, unable to see even her own fingers.
Liu Jing looked at the sun, still high in the sky, and said, "The sun hasn't set yet."
"You must be joking." Ye Lanshan strained her eyes, trying to see her surroundings, but still saw nothing.