Chapter 126: Bandits
After resting for ten days in Nanguang, Steward Qian bought everything that needed to be bought and replenished everything that needed to be replenished, and the caravan set off again.
This time, they didn’t take the waterway; they switched to the land route, following the legendary treacherous "Southern Wasteland Ancient Path," heading straight for Hundred Flowers City.
When they left Nanguang, the atmosphere in the team was quite relaxed.
Steward Qian felt that with the three Guest Elders protecting them, there wouldn’t be much of a problem.
Tu Gang still had a cold face, Hou Tong was still laughing and joking, and Fang Hao was pondering how to collect medicinal herbs once they reached Hundred Flowers City, clutching the Pill Formula he had just bought.
But this good mood didn’t last for many days.
The name "Southern Wasteland Ancient Path" was truly well-deserved.
The road became increasingly difficult to travel; on both sides were primeval forests that blocked out the sky and sun, filled with miasma and teeming with poisonous insects and fierce beasts.
From time to time, they could see the remains of livestock on the roadside gnawed down to the bones, which made people’s hair stand on end.
After walking for about five or six days, they entered a canyon area called "Ghost’s Fear."
This place was a trench between two mountains, and the road was so narrow that only one carriage could pass through.
Overhead, there were tangled vines, blocking out the light, making it gloomy and eerie.
"Everyone, perk up! This place is not safe!" Steward Qian shouted at the top of his lungs, his voice echoing in the canyon, sounding even more chilling with the reverberations.
Tu Gang gripped his sword hilt, scanning the cliffs on both sides like a hawk.
Hou Tong also put away his smile, holding several Talismans in his hand.
Fang Hao also tensed up, running his Clear Spring Spirit Eyes to the limit, carefully observing his surroundings.
What you fear is what comes.
Just as the caravan reached the narrowest part of the canyon, a sudden change occurred!
"Woo—!"
A shrill horn sounded from overhead!
Immediately following this, hundreds of figures emerged from the cliffs on both sides with a rustling sound!
Each one was dressed in animal skins, their faces painted with oil, holding bows, arrows, and javelins, their eyes fierce and filled with Killing Intent!
"There’s an ambush! Form a defensive array!" Tu Gang reacted the fastest and roared!
Unfortunately, it was too late!
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!
A dense rain of arrows covered them like a dark cloud!
These arrows were no ordinary goods; the arrowheads were coated with poison, flashing with a faint light, and even carried armor-piercing Talismans!
Puff, puff, puff!
The caravan guards hurriedly raised their shields, but the enemy’s arrows were too fierce and too fast!
In an instant, more than a dozen guards were hit and fell to the ground, their wounds turning black, and it was clear they wouldn’t survive!
"Kill!" The bandits howled, swinging down from the cliffs on vines!
Their numbers were more than double that of the caravan!
Furthermore, the three leaders were exuding a Spiritual Pressure that was clearly at the Golden Core Stage!
"Three Golden Core Cultivators!" Steward Qian’s face turned pale with fright, and his voice went out of tune.
On the caravan’s side, the one with the highest cultivation was Tu Gang, at the Great Perfection Foundation Establishment; how could they block them?
"Fight them to the death!" Tu Gang’s eyes turned red; he knew they couldn’t run, so they had to fight for their lives!
He swung his long blade and charged up with his personal guards, heading toward one of the Golden Core bandits!
Hou Tong was also anxious and threw out several fire Talismans, blasting away a few small minions who rushed over, but another Golden Core bandit had already pounced in front of him with a sinister grin!
"Old Monkey, go to hell!" The bandit struck out with his palm, the palm wind carrying a fishy, black Qi!
Hou Tong barely managed to sacrifice a small shield, but how could he withstand the power of a Golden Core Cultivator?
The small shield shattered instantly, and Hou Tong sprayed blood as he flew backward, hitting the canyon wall and becoming motionless.
Fang Hao was also entangled by a Late Foundation Establishment Stage bandit leader; he danced the yitian sword so tightly that it was impenetrable, barely protecting himself, but he couldn’t spare any hand to help others.
The battle was a completely one-sided massacre!
Although the caravan’s guards were well-trained, the gap in strength was too great; under the siege of three Golden Core bandits and over a hundred fierce bandits, they fell like wheat being harvested.
Steward Qian was decapitated by a bandit with a single slash, his eyes wide open in death.
Tu Gang, despite being heavily injured, killed one of the enemy’s Foundation Establishment Cultivators, but was quickly split in two by an axe from that Golden Core bandit!
In less time than it takes to burn half a stick of incense, the entire caravan, except for Fang Hao who was still struggling to hold on, was dead!
The goods were frantically looted by the bandits, and the scene was chaotic.
The bandit leader fighting Fang Hao grew increasingly shocked; this kid was clearly only at the Great Perfection Foundation Establishment, so why was he so difficult to deal with?
His sword technique was tricky, his movement technique was strange, and he couldn’t be taken down after a long time!
"Third Brother! Stop playing! Kill him quickly!" A Golden Core bandit who was counting the goods roared impatiently.
"Damn it!" The bandit leader gritted his teeth, took out a Talisman filled with black Qi, and prepared to activate it!
Fang Hao’s heart sank; he knew he couldn’t hide it anymore!
If he kept hiding, he would end up dead here too!
He leaped backward abruptly to open up distance, and in the astonished gaze of the opponent, he moved his mind!
Hum!
A dark golden figure appeared in front of Fang Hao like a mountain!
It was two zhang tall, entirely dark gold, radiating a cold, powerful, and heart-palpitating Middle Nascent Soul Stage pressure!
It was none other than the golden puppet!
"Wh... what is this?!" The bandit leader was so scared that his soul flew away and his spirit scattered, forgetting to activate the Talisman in his hand!
The golden puppet didn’t care if he was surprised or not; upon receiving Fang Hao’s command, its huge fist punched out with a sonic boom that tore through the air!
Bang!
The bandit leader didn’t even have time to scream before his whole body was beaten into a cloud of blood mist!
This sudden change stunned all the bandits!
"Nascent... nascent soul puppet?!"
The two Golden Core bandits’ eyes were about to pop out, their faces filled with terror and greed!
"Kill him! Grab the Puppet!" Greed instantly overwhelmed fear, and the two Golden Core bandits pounced on Fang Hao simultaneously!
As long as they killed the master, this priceless treasure would be theirs!
Unfortunately, they thought too much.
Under Fang Hao’s control, the golden puppet was like a tiger entering a flock of sheep!
One punch for each; those two Golden Core bandits were like paper in front of the golden puppet, unable to withstand even one move, and were instantly killed!
The remaining Foundation Establishment and Qi Refinement Stage minions were cleaned up easily by the golden puppet as if it were swatting flies!
In less than ten breaths of time, the previously arrogant bandit gang was completely wiped out!
The canyon was left with only corpses everywhere and scattered goods.
Fang Hao let out a sigh of relief and sat on the ground, his face pale.
Controlling the golden puppet consumed a huge amount of energy; he felt completely drained.
He looked at the corpses of his companions, feeling a tightness in his chest.
Although they weren’t very close, they had traveled together, and in the blink of an eye, they were separated by life and death; this world was too cruel.
He didn’t dare to stay long, so he quickly got up, prepared to clean up the battlefield, and then quickly left this hellish place.
But just as he had taken the Storage Ring off the bandit leader, a more terrifying and vast pressure, like Mount Tai pressing down, descended from the sky!
"Oh? A Nascent Soul level Puppet? Little guy, you have good luck."
A slightly surprised and playful voice rang out.
A middle-aged Cultivator wearing a cyan Dao robe, with an ordinary face but eyes as deep as the sea, appeared in the sky above the canyon, looking at the golden puppet with great interest.
A Nascent Soul Cultivator!
And his aura was even a notch stronger than Cloud Crane!
Fang Hao’s heart sank to the bottom in an instant!
Just escaped the wolf’s den, only to enter the tiger’s lair.
