Chapter 47: Encountering an Interception

Stopping in the Forest of Jallo, Ji Jiuxuan glanced around at her surroundings; all was silent. She had never expected Min Chengjun to use the instantaneous array plate so directly.

"Little Jiu, seeking spirit beasts in the ancient woods will have to be postponed. We need to return to the sect first," Min Chengjun crouched down, looking at Ji Jiuxuan, his voice tinged with apology.

Ji Jiuxuan sensed the unusual atmosphere. "It's alright. If there's a chance to attend an auction, Uncle, you can take me to see the world then!"

"Alright." With that, Min Chengjun stood up, and the spaceship reappeared, taking them aboard and flying towards the Xuantian Sect.

What had happened to make the always composed Min Chengjun hasten his return?

"Someone is following us. They're quite formidable," the shadowy figure's voice sounded, and Ji Jiuxuan instinctively looked toward the stern, but saw nothing.

"Don't worry. The ship is cloaked by a concealment array. We won't be discovered for now."

The shadow's reassurance made Ji Jiuxuan wonder anxiously—who could make her uncle so nervous as to rush them straight back?

Meanwhile, Meng Chengfang stood beside Min Chengjun, his tone no longer careless. "These people really have no regard for their lives, daring to rob Brother Min."

"The Hammerstone Sect has always lacked sense," Min Chengjun replied, his voice cold and edged with murderous intent. Being followed had not been anticipated; he hoped it was mere suspicion. If they were truly trespassing, he could kill them all, though the three young ones were at greater risk. He couldn't tell exactly how many the enemy had brought, but sensed the number was not small.

"How is Peak Leader Feng?" The original plan had been to delay a day and meet up with Feng Chen, but the hostility sensed at the venue was unmistakable.

He hoped it was only a false alarm.

"I've notified him. He'll catch up tomorrow."

To be safe, Min Chengjun began laying arrays on the ship.

Ji Jiuxuan, watching quietly from the side, could feel the strength of the arrays. "So casual—are the pursuers that strong?"

Otherwise, her second uncle wouldn't be so cautious.

"Yes, a bit stronger than your second uncle. There's one you saw at the tournament. The others aren't weak either. The old man is especially dangerous. Though his life is nearly spent, his cultivation is strong and he's reckless."

Such men, desperate at the end of their lives with no hope of advancement, truly fear nothing.

"The one stronger than Second Uncle—is it the old man?" She wouldn't have mentioned him otherwise.

"Yes."

With the shadow's confirmation, Ji Jiuxuan grew worried for everyone's safety. "Shadow, if you face the old man, can you kill him?"

Her uncle was strong, but had to worry about the three of them. From the shadow's description, the enemy had brought more people.

"I can, but unless necessary, I shouldn't act." He instinctively felt his presence should remain hidden; otherwise, trouble would follow.

"Alright." Even though the shadow wouldn't act unless necessary, Ji Jiuxuan felt much more at ease. She began to speculate about the enemy's intentions.

She had expected an attack in the Forest of Jallo, given its vastness—it would have been easy to disguise a murder as a spirit beast attack.

But the pursuit continued, and when they reached the sky above a desolate plain, the following airship suddenly cast an array over their vessel.

"Didn't you say this ship was concealed? How are they keeping up?" The route back to Xuantian Sect had many paths; she never expected the enemy to track them so precisely.

The ship shook under the array's influence, but soon stabilized.

A treasured sword appeared in Min Chengjun's hand, its golden blade glowing with spiritual power and oppressive aura.

Without hesitation, Min Chengjun formed seals and attacked the array, Meng Chengfang hastening to assist.

Their ship's defenses were top-tier; under the array, it managed to break free and sped up.

"You three stay inside. Don't come out." After arranging them, Min Chengjun looked back, his expression grave.

No matter how fast the ship flew, the pursuers caught up.

A powerful attack shook the ship's defenses to the brink.

"Chengfang, guard here. I'll meet them." With that, he flew out through the ship's barrier.

Meng Chengfang stood by the array, alert.

Ji Jiuxuan, watching Min Chengjun fly out, asked nervously, "Uncle Meng, who are they?"

"Hammerstone Peak," Meng Chengfang replied, neither hiding nor explaining, for the situation was complex.

"Min Chengjun, leave that girl in yellow behind and I'll let you go," an aged figure stood on the opposite deck, his tone as if granting charity, infuriatingly arrogant.

Ji Jiuxuan noticed that Feng Hanxiao and Qin Yuzhou glanced at her, prompting her to look at her own pale yellow dress.

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The man said "girl," excluding Qin Yuzhou. Today, Feng Hanxiao wore pink, so she was ruled out as well.

Their target was her?

Given the scene, this wasn't about robbing spirit beasts.

Back at the square outside Spirit Valley, she had been the acknowledged unlucky one; the scrawny dragon she won was so hideous people wanted to throw it away.

"Hammercloud, I advise you to leave now and preserve a few more days of your life," Min Chengjun said coolly, his gaze probing beneath a murderous glare.

Seeing this, Meng Chengfang knew Min Chengjun was truly angry.

"Wretched brat!" Hammercloud raged, now most sensitive about his dwindling life span, though it was fact. "Since you seek death, I shall grant it!"

He swung a massive hammer at Min Chengjun's face, spiritual power rippling outward in waves.

A protective array instantly formed in Min Chengjun's hand, his golden sword summoning countless streams of golden energy to strike at Hammercloud, the whistling force intimidating.

"Old scoundrel, aren't you afraid your Hammerstone Sect will suffer retaliation?"

Hammercloud laughed loudly. "If you all die here today, who will know I killed you?"

Ji Jiuxuan watched from within the array, anxious. Elder Hammercloud was clearly not a good person, his face dark and terrifying.

"Let's see if you have such ability."

Though Min Chengjun's cultivation was slightly lower, his foundation was solid and his strength formidable.

The two fought evenly. The other Hammerstone Sect members, seeing Min Chengjun entangled by their elder, drew their weapons and launched themselves toward Ji Jiuxuan's ship.

Suiyan Fang attacked Meng Chengfang directly, while two other men tried to seize Ji Jiuxuan.

But before they could touch her, the surrounding array bounced them far away.