When the cultivators descended from the mountain earlier, most were impatient and rushed ahead eagerly. Lin Feng, however, remained calm. He didn't vie for that slight 'head start.' In his view, the Quicksand Pits were vast; there was plenty of ground to search. There was no need to scramble for the same spot as others. Besides, this was his first time here. Faced with the unknown, he maintained a healthy dose of wariness. As he walked forward, he carefully observed his surroundings while also giving a meaningful glance to Xiao Qiu, who had climbed onto his shoulder, signaling it to stay vigilant. Consequently, he found himself at the very rear of the crowd.
What Lin Feng didn't expect was that he barely stepped onto the sandy edge of the Quicksand Pits when an inexplicable wave of unease washed over him. Simultaneously, Xiao Qiu on his shoulder stiffened violently, its fur standing completely on end. It let out a shrill, terrified scream right into his ear!
It was at that precise moment Lin Feng saw the black radiance erupt from the sand ahead and heard the agonized screams of the group engulfed by it near the left periphery. His heart lurched with shock. He was just about to take a closer look when he suddenly sensed an intense surge of true energy behind him. Immediately after, a muffled grunt of pain reached his ears. Reflexively turning his head, he saw Yu Ping hurtling down from the mountain, blasted straight towards him!
"Wu Luosen!! You dare ambush me?!"
Amidst his shock and confusion, Lin Feng heard Yu Ping's enraged roar echoing from the air. He instantly understood what had happened, his astonishment deepening rapidly. Then, he witnessed Yu Ping's true energy flare chaotically as if preparing a counterattack, only for it to abruptly stall. Instead, Yu Ping coughed up a mouthful of blood himself. His energy in disarray, he landed heavily nearby, staggering backward. Seeing him about to fall, Lin Feng instinctively dashed forward and caught him.
Steadying Yu Ping, Lin Feng asked urgently, "Elder Yu! Are you alright?! What happened?!"
Yu Ping swept a glance at Lin Feng, a flicker of gratitude in his eyes, quickly replaced by furious disbelief as he glared back up at Wu Luosen on the mountaintop. Gnashing his teeth, he spat out, "Despicable! That old scoundrel Wu Luosen actually ambushed me!"
His voice betrayed his disbelief at the sudden betrayal. Even as he spoke, he frantically circulated his true energy to probe his internal condition. His expression instantly turned horrified. "Disaster! Corrupt Yin energy has invaded my core! How is this possible... Quick! Get me away from here!"
The last command was directed at Lin Feng. Simultaneously, Yu Ping flipped his hand, producing several pills which he swiftly swallowed. His face cycled sickeningly between ashen gray and deathly white, a ghastly sight.
Lin Feng was bewildered, but he recognized the critical situation. He immediately complied with Yu Ping's instruction, supporting him as they swiftly retreated backwards, heading towards the denser crowd. Whatever was unfolding, he reasoned, sticking together with everyone else was the prudent move.
What Lin Feng and Yu Ping didn't realize was that this very action played perfectly into their enemy's hands...
On the mountain, Wu Luosen remained standing where he was, a cold sneer playing on his lips as he watched Yu Ping after his successful ambush. He hadn't truly expected to kill Yu Ping outright with the surprise attack; severely wounding him was already a satisfying outcome. His reluctance to press the advantage stemmed from fear of Yu Ping's potential death throes. He wasn't willing to face that risk alone—he was waiting for 'the other one'.
When he saw Yu Ping, supported by Lin Feng, rapidly retreating into the Quicksand Pits, Wu Luosen's eyebrow arched. A contemptuous smirk spread across his face as he murmured to himself, "Seeking death willingly... That saves me the trouble of chasing you down..."
He lifted his gaze, sweeping it across the distant scene. Within the Quicksand Pits, the black miasma erupting from the ground had coalesced into a colossal circular 'wall,' resembling a prison cage trapping everyone below. It was still spreading, not only closing off the front, rear, left, and right completely but even beginning to seal the sky overhead.
"Heh, unexpectedly smooth... A true 'one net catches all.' Excellent... Excellent!!"
Excitement and ruthless cunning flashed in Wu Luosen's eyes. With a sudden flick of his wrist, several black formation flags shot out from his sleeve. They flew towards specific points at the mountain's base, embedding themselves into the earth in a flash. Instantly, streams of black miasma surged from the spots where the flags had landed, sealing the last remaining 'gap' at the foot of the mountain. Now, the stretch of the Quicksand Pits near them, spanning several kilometers, was entirely enclosed by the churning black mist!
Down in the Quicksand Pits near the mountain base, Lin Feng and Yu Ping had just retreated into the panicking throng when they saw the path they had come from sealed by the encroaching black miasma. Their expressions simultaneously darkened. They immediately sensed the danger. By the time they thought about turning back and breaking out, it was already too late. Yu Ping lifted his head, scanning their surroundings, his face grim.
"It's a Formation!!"
The initial events had been too sudden; he hadn't had time to think deeply. If he had realized earlier that these changes signified a formation activating, he would never have retreated into it. Now, they had walked straight into the enemy's trap, becoming fish caught in a net!
Lin Feng had also pieced it together. His expression grave, he surveyed their prison. His spiritual sense could only probe the nearest section of the formation's barrier. Given his current knowledge of formations, he couldn't penetrate its secrets. His gaze darted around restlessly. Suddenly, he looked upwards. While the ground perimeter was sealed, the sky above wasn't completely closed off yet; a narrow gap remained.
Lin Feng wasn't the only one to spot this potential 'escape route.' Many other cultivators trapped within the formation noticed it too. The quickest among them were already leaping onto their flying swords, shooting towards the sky like arrows.
What happened next, however, plunged everyone into terror. As the first few cultivators soared upwards, before they could even get close to the 'gap,' a mass of black mist congealed directly in their path. The mist solidified into indistinct, shadowy figures that instantly pounced upon them like starving tigers. Focused solely on escape, the cultivators were caught entirely off guard. The shadowy figures slammed into them. Immediately, the cultivators began thrashing violently within the encompassing black mist like drowning men, instantly losing control of their flying swords. The swords plummeted from the sky, their riders crashing into the sand below with heavy thuds. Before the horrified onlookers below could even discern if the fallen cultivators were alive or dead, their bodies sank beneath the yellow sand as if swallowed by quicksand, vanishing from sight in the blink of an eye!!
This horrific spectacle made everyone below stare at each other, aghast. Many felt a surge of cold relief that they hadn't rashly tried to fly upwards. When they looked up again, the sky overhead was now pitch black, the outside world only dimly visible through the murk. They were utterly, completely trapped.
Chastened by the fate of those who had just perished, no one dared attempt another reckless escape. Instead, they slowly backed away from the surrounding barrier, shrinking together towards the center. Spotting Yu Ping within the crowd, they surged towards him like drowning men spotting a lifeline. But their hope quickly turned to dismay when they saw his grievous injuries. Panic surged anew, plunging the scene back into chaos.
Lin Feng, however, frowned silently, staring at the spot where one cultivator had fallen. When the mass of black shadows had appeared in the air, he had felt a chilling sense of familiarity. Those shadows were unmistakably... Nether Souls!
"Nether Souls!! They are Nether Souls!! This formation... it's composed of Nether Souls! Everyone, be careful!!"
Among nearly three hundred Golden Core cultivators, there were inevitably those with broad knowledge. Someone immediately recognized the terrifying truth and screamed out in terror. This pronouncement instantly amplified the pandemonium. Voices clamored over each other: some urgently questioned the speaker about the nature of the formation; others desperately debated escape strategies; still others turned beseeching eyes towards Yu Ping, demanding to know what they should do...
...
On the mountain, Wu Luosen watched the colossal formation activate successfully and finally allowed himself a satisfied smile. Suddenly, his eyebrow twitched. Alert, he snapped his head towards the right. A figure had appeared silently within the shadows of the trees there. With a single flicker, it stood beside him.
It was an old man clad in dark robes, his hair stark white. His skin clung tautly to his bones, giving him the appearance of someone nearing the end of his days. Yet, his eyes held a deep, unnerving vitality. He glanced down at the immense black dome covering the Quicksand Pits below and remarked calmly, "Oh? You managed to drive Yu Ping into the formation as well?"
Wu Luosen smirked coldly. "Indeed. I didn't expect it to go quite so smoothly. He took a full hit from my Soul-Corrupting Palm. He won't recover in time to resist the power of the Soul Seizing Formation. Saves us the effort of dealing with him directly."
He paused briefly, then asked, "What about those who left earlier? Taken care of?"
The black-robed elder nodded slightly. "I received word from my disciple as I activated the formation. All thirteen who broke away upon landing have been dealt with."
"Good," Wu Luosen replied with satisfaction. "While I won't be returning to the Seasuppressing Alliance after this, it's best not to leave any loose threads."
The black-robed elder inquired, "Since the Soul Seizing Formation is activated, how long before it finishes its work?"
Wu Luosen radiated confidence. "Rest assured, it won't take long... When it's done, I take the souls, you take the fleshly bodies. Each gets what they seek!"