Twelve high-stage Heavenly realm cultivators were arrayed in a staggered formation, completely surrounding Prince Huo and his party's flying ship.
The formation was clearly something that had been plotted well in advance. It had also been perfectly rehearsed.
Gao Kui's face was suffused with a smug expression, his gaze fixed on his prey as he wore a mocking smile. "Prince Huo, did you really think you could slip away from Huichun Island Domain undetected? We've been watching you closely these past days. Unfortunately, that old fox of yours is far too difficult to track. But this time, you've finally grown careless. We eventually uncovered your movements. How do you like this spot for your ambush?"
Prince Huo smiled faintly. "The location you've chosen is quite good."
"As a burial ground, I trust you're satisfied?" Gao Kui's hatred for Huichun Island Domain ran deep.
His tone was laced with vicious fury.
Prince Huo nodded. "Indeed. A burial ground here is more than acceptable."
"Then let me send you on your way!" Gao Kui threw his head back and laughed.
Prince Huo, however, replied with perfect seriousness: "I believe you're mistaken. When I said burial ground, I meant yours."
Gao Kui was stunned for a moment, then burst into laughter. "Prince Huo, I never thought that on the brink of death you'd still be this humorous. Do you seriously believe that in a situation like this, you can still escape?"
"Escape? Who said anything about escaping?" Prince Huo looked genuinely bewildered. "Did I ever say I was going to escape?"
His expression was utterly convincing as he turned to Commander Ding beside him with a puzzled look.
Commander Ding wore a bright, cheerful smile and shook his head. "No. Who said anything about escaping?"
Gao Kui's temper flared up in an instant.
This Prince Huo and Commander Ding were absolutely infuriating. With death staring them in the face, why couldn't they show even a hint of panic?
They were far too uncooperative.
The situation was starting to look rather absurd.
"Prince Huo, since you remain so stubbornly deluded, you can repent at your leisure on the road to the Yellow Springs!" Gao Kui howled, then waved his hand and gave the order. "Kill them! Kill them all!"
Prince Huo let out a cold laugh. Suddenly, a shrill, piercing cry rang out in his ear. The next instant, blinding red light surged straight into the sky.
The sharp, fierce silhouette of the Vermilion Bird divine bird instantly blanketed half the void.
With a slight release of its divine might, the blinding red light transformed into rolling torrents of energy, crashing down to engulf the several cultivators charging at the forefront.
Those cultivators hadn't even had time to react before they were swept up in the red light. The Vermilion Bird divine bird slightly adjusted its wings, and these cultivators were completely consumed by the radiance.
Long Xiaoxuan was not about to be outdone. His True Dragon dharma body surged to life in an instant as his enormous claws reached left and right, snatching two high-stage Heavenly realm cultivators who had charged toward his side directly into his grasp.
Two miserable screams rang out. Those two cultivators had failed to dodge at all, and Long Xiaoxuan's Mountains and Rivers Shattering Claw crushed their divine souls in a single strike.
Jiang Chen was equally decisive. With the Holy Dragon Bow in hand, he channeled the Son of Heaven's Dragon Qi. The potent dragon energy combined with the Holy Dragon Bow as he loosed two arrows in rapid succession, each aimed at a separate target.
Jiang Chen was currently at the sixth level of the Heavenly realm, but his true strength far exceeded that of a mere sixth-level cultivator. Even against cultivators at the ninth level of the Heavenly realm, he was confident he could hold his own in direct combat.
Much less was he worried about these cultivators at merely the seventh level of the Heavenly realm, especially with the Holy Dragon Bow's ranged power.
Once the Holy Dragon Bow was activated and combined with the Son of Heaven's Dragon Qi, it was potent enough to provoke even the gods themselves, let alone these trifling seventh-level Heavenly realm cultivators.