Seeing that the formation flags and formation disks were already set up, Han Li took a deep breath and was about to cast a spell when he suddenly heard a sharp howling sound flying in from the far distance at tremendous speed. Then, at the edge of the sky, a flash of blue light appeared, and a blue streak of light shot toward them like a sea dragon breaking through the waves, arriving above their heads in the blink of an eye.
The blue streak of light withdrew, and in the air appeared a strange figure with two swords strapped to his back.
Han Li and the others below caught a clear look at the person's attire and were all startled.
The man was gaunt and thin, with wild white hair reaching down to his shoulders, wearing a short-sleeved black leather jacket, and with a peculiar basket hung at his waist. His face was covered with strange red spots and featured a pair of fierce triangular eyes. Judging from his spiritual energy fluctuations, he was actually a mid-stage Core Formation cultivator.
The strange man, upon seeing so many Core Formation cultivators gathered here, was momentarily taken aback. But when his gaze fell upon the red light shield and Han Li's formation-setting equipment, his expression changed dramatically.
"Are you brats looking for death? How dare you peek at something under this Island Master's protection while I'm away! Get the hell off my island right now!" The strange man opened his mouth and roared with a fierce gleam in his eyes.
"Island Master?"
"Your things?"
Hu Yue and Jin Qing looked at each other in bewilderment, and Han Li and the others were even more confused.
Wasn't this supposed to be an uninhabited deserted island?
"Fellow Daoist, you're the master of this island?" Hu Yue furrowed his brows and asked calmly.
"This Lord has been living on this island for several hundred years, so of course I'm the Island Master!" the strange man said bluntly.
"However, when Brother Jin and I came last time, we didn't seem to see you, Fellow Daoist," Hu Yue asked unhurriedly.
"What? You've been here before? Hmph! You must have come the same way as this time—while I was out on business!" The strange man's eyes glowered, and his irritation only grew.
"In that case, you're the only one on this island. Your title of Island Master is self-appointed, isn't it?" Hu Yue sneered, a touch of mockery at the corner of his lips.
With the restrictions about to be broken through, he naturally had no desire to deal with this oddball standing in front of him.
"Hmph, don't try to run me in circles! Either way, you've committed a capital offense by damaging my restrictions! Since you won't leave, then stay here and never go anywhere again!" A strange yellow light flashed in the strange man's eyes. Then he reached down, unhooked the basket from his waist, and hurled it forcefully downward.
Instantly, the bamboo basket transformed into a frigid streak of white mist and shot straight toward Hu Yue.
At this, Han Li and the other cultivators were stunned.
Was this man completely out of his mind?
Hadn't he noticed that there were so many Core Formation cultivators on the other side? He just attacked without hesitation. Had he lost his mind?
When Hu Yue saw the man attack, he was both shocked and enraged. He flicked his sleeve, and two red beams flew out to meet the white mist.
With a muffled "bang," the white mist was shattered to pieces, scattering in all directions.
"So it's all bark and no bite!" Hu Yue felt relieved seeing this and couldn't help but taunt him.
"Heh heh heh..." The strange man said nothing but let out an eerie laugh. A chill ran down Hu Yue's spine, and then his expression suddenly changed as he cried out.
"What's going on? My flying knives—"
He saw that the two flying knives, after breaking through the white mist from the basket, were now trembling in place as if they had malfunctioned.
Then the white mist, which had already scattered into countless specks of light, quickly reassembled together. With a flash of radiance, it reformed into the shape of the basket.
And those two flying knives were now trapped inside the basket, enclosed within a sphere of white mist, unable to break free for the time being.
This scene of a magical treasure being subdued left Hu Yue with an expression of disbelief, while Han Li and the others turned visibly pale.
But the strange man gave them no time to deliberate. With a cold snort, he shook his shoulders, and two streaks of gray sword light descended from the sky, slashing straight toward Hu Yue.
Standing near Hu Yue, Jin Qing felt he couldn't just stand by and watch. He flicked his finger, and a small white seal about the size of a thumb flew from his palm, swelling larger as it met the wind, and smashed heavily toward the gray light.
With a peal of thunder, three magical treasures blazed with dazzling light, their auras intertwining in a fierce clash.
At this moment, Cultivator Jian glanced at Han Li and Qu Hun, then silently raised his hand, and a flying fork imbued with black and white qi shot straight at the strange man himself.
Han Li sighed inwardly.
Since a fight had broken out, he and Qu Hun couldn't very well remain idle. They would have to deal with this strange man first.