When they saw Prince Huo's flying vessel from the Huichun Island Domain come to an abrupt halt several hundred meters before the spatial trap, those who had laid the trap were quite surprised.
Their trap had been set up almost perfectly. If Prince Huo's flying vessel had advanced even slightly further, they could have sprung it — shut the door and beat the dog, so to speak. In that scenario, they would have had at least a seventy to eighty percent chance of wiping out Prince Huo and his entire party.
Unfortunately, they had been off by the narrowest of margins. A single step more, and they could have avoided a bloody battle entirely, eliminating their enemies without lifting a sword.
Still, the forces on the Sanci Island Domain side were not particularly panicked by the vessel's halt. They had prepared multiple contingency plans from the start.
If the trap failed to lure Prince Huo and his people in, they had other strategies ready.
It was just that the alternative plan relied purely on brute force — raw power to overpower the enemy.
And so, on this occasion, the Sanci Island Domain had rallied a batch of powerful cultivators from surrounding factions, setting an airtight net in place.
Their numbers were at least triple those of Prince Huo's group.
With such a numerical advantage, and with the benefit of an ambush, they felt their odds of victory could be kept well above ninety percent.
"Commander Gao, that old fox Prince Huo really does live up to his reputation — he actually sensed it. How aggravating!" A man with one eye and long, unkempt hair muttered in frustration.
The person he was addressing was a tall, brawly-built man with a bronze complexion, sharp features, and short hair. He was a high-ranking figure within the Sanci Island Domain, and his strength was among the very top in the entire domain.
For this ambush, this Commander Gao Kui was the mastermind.
Gao Kui let out a cold snort, clearly also somewhat disappointed by how things had unfolded. In his view, this ambush could have ended without a single drop of blood being spilled.
Since the enemy had not fallen into the trap, a bloody battle was now inevitable.
In a straight fight, their numerical superiority was unquestionable. However, under the chaos of open combat, casualties would be hard to avoid.
If the enemy was driven to desperation and fought like cornered beasts, there was no guarantee they would come away without losses on their own side.
"Listen up, everyone — in this battle, Prince Huo is the primary target. No matter the cost, we must take that old fox's head. Governor Ding is the second priority. As for the rest of the minor players, let them run or flee — it doesn't matter. As long as Prince Huo stays behind, this trip won't be in vain. If we manage to kill both Prince Huo and that man surnamed Ding, this mission will be a resounding success, and I'll personally make sure every one of you is rewarded!"
Gao Kui rallied his forces with conviction.
The others cracked their knuckles and rolled their shoulders, eager for the fight. They had brought a substantial force this time, of course — though in an ambush like this, it was really the clash between experts that mattered.
The lower-ranked cultivators were there to mop up the battlefield and serve as expendable fodder.
Their analysis had identified four true peak-level experts on Prince Huo's side: Prince Huo himself and Governor Ding accounted for two, and the other two were Prince Huo's personal bodyguards — the left and right arms he never traveled without.
But this time, their own side had brought three times as many experts.
In other words, they had roughly twelve cultivators of comparable caliber.
Beyond those twelve, they also had another contingent of slightly lower-level but still elite fighters.
With this kind of strength arrayed against them, Gao Kui was confident the odds of taking down Prince Huo and his people exceeded ninety percent.
"Come, gather around — our ambush route is laid out like this…" Gao Kui began pointing and gesturing across a map.
"Remember: for the two personal bodyguards, we'll commit two against each one. Don't try to kill them — just pin them down and keep them occupied. For Governor Ding, we'll also assign two to tie him up. That leaves six to gang up on Prince Huo. The remaining two will serve as flexible reserves — wherever there's a gap that needs filling, they move in. Adapt as the situation demands. Now, let me assign positions…" Gao Kui began calling out names.
Prince Huo was their primary target, and naturally, Gao Kui intended to lead the charge personally.