A turn of events.

The metallic scent of blood hung in the air as the savage wolves finished feasting upon the girl's corpse.

Seventeen anxious minutes had passed since Zhang Mei first deployed her martial spirit.

Inside the prison barrier, Zhang Mei had an ugly expression as she stared daggers at Wei Wushang, who was calmly meditating like he hadn't just caused the death of an innocent person.

Zhang Mei turned her head to look at the wolves but unintentionally caught a glimpse of Li Zhihua's corpse. She immediately felt the urge to vomit but somehow managed to suppress it.

Then she looked at Wei Wushang once more and saw that he remained as peaceful as ever, and for some reason it intensified Zhang Mei's feelings of discomfort.

'He seemed so pleasant, but I was gravely mistaken about this maniac.' Zhang Mei thought, feeling an sudden impulse to push Wei Wushang out of the barrier, not wanting to breathe the same air as this murderer any longer.

However, she didn't.

She didn't have the heart to actually kill someone. Not everyone in this world was as callous as Wei Wushang.

But then there was also the fact that, Wei Wushang had previously considered the possibility of her betraying him, whether out of distrust or for any other reason.

Hence, Wei Wushang had quite a while ago skillfully positioned himself between Zhang Mei and her brother as a precaution, ready in case she attempted to shrink the prison barrier anymore than necessary.

Swish~

The spiritual essence in the air flowed into Wei Wushang's body, causing the spirit sea within his dantian to rise at an slow pace.

While Wei Wushang concentrated on replenishing his spiritual essence reserves, he remained aware of the outside world. His extended divine sense formed an invisible net, covering a 25-meter radius, vigilantly monitoring any changes occurring within its reach.

Wei Wushang's Myriad Thoughts martial spirit provided him with an abundance of thoughts, enabling him to effortlessly multitask while cultivating.

For newcomers on the path of cultivation, mastering this skill of dividing their focus and multitasking while cultivating typically takes many months of bitter struggle.

It's particularly challenging, considering the act of cultivating demands intense concentration. Even the ability to keep one's divine sense active while cultivating is difficult until one becomes more accustomed to the process of cultivation.

Numerous instances exist where inexperienced cultivators have fallen prey to wild animals or even gotten killed by mortals while lost in their practice of cultivation. Therefore, most novice cultivators opt for safer environments to cultivate.

But in Wei Wushang's case, he was confident that with time and practice, he could even find the precise amount of spiritual essence needed to keep his martial spirit running continuously, allowing it to produce thoughts without interruption.

If he could achieve this, then it would allow him to cultivate effortlessly even in the midst of everyday tasks. This was a significant advantage provided by his Myriad Thoughts martial spirit.

'The explosions from the battles have stopped. Sigh, I'm truly helpless against them. I must accept this fact already!' Wei Wushang reminded himself strongly.

He then focused on problems he could influence.

'Right now, although the danger from these wolves is almost resolved, it is not good enough for me. Once the external threat vanishes, this brother and sister pair will likely turn against me.'

'Hmm, eliminating them isn't out of the question. Zhang Mei will soon deplete her spiritual essence, and Zhang Hao will exhaust his spiritual essence reserves fighting off the wolves. They'll soon become as vulnerable as regular humans, and I have confidence in my fighting skills to take them down in such a state.' Wei Wushang's mind brewed with murderous thoughts.

'But the only shortcoming is that their deaths will only keep me safe for the moment!' Wei Wushang pondered deeply.

Things weren't always simple as they seemed.

'Despite the exceptional abilities of my Myriad thoughts martial spirit, it doesn't grant me a boost in physical strength. I undoubtedly need that strength to survive the dangers of this forest and reach the Desolate Harmony Sect safely.'

'Relying on this sister-brother pair is my only assurance to stay alive and reach my destination. I need to somehow persuade them to cooperate until we reach the sect. But... how?'

Wei Wushang further analyzed the scenario and came up with a rough plan, 'Perhaps I could remind them that it was my choice to sacrifice the Li Zhihua that saved their lives. They need to understand they owe me. But just that will not suffice.'

'I must also make them see my value, that without me, their chances of survival drop to nothing in this dangerous environment. This is the only logical course of action. It's settled then, I'll make them see reason one way or another.' Just like that, Wei Wushang had his next step clearly outlined.

At this instant, Zhang Hao opened his eyes and leaped to his feet like an arrow. He exclaimed, "Finally, I have enough spiritual essence to activate my martial spirit."

Wei Wushang camly opened his eyes and addressed Zhang Hao, "Well done brother Zhang. Now please get rid of these beasts and show us your heroic might."

Zhang Hao felt awkward at Wei Wushang's praise and turned hastily to confront the wolves.

Before he could act, a beam of light descended from the sky and obliterated all the wolves in the blink of an eye!

Amidst the trio's stunned expressions, the light surged toward the prison barrier and smashed it like fragile glass before swiftly capturing the three youngsters and vanishing into the distance.

However, the beam of light didn't remain airborne for long. After covering a distance of a dozen kilometers, it abruptly descended to the ground.

The three youths landed somewhat awkwardly but without much impact.

Looking around, they found themselves in a secluded valley surrounded by serene, rolling hills. The ground was covered in soft, green grass, with patches of wildflowers adding splashes of color. Tall, slender trees with delicate leaves grew along the edges of the valley, their branches swaying gently in the cool night breeze.

In the center of the valley, a small waterfall cascaded down a low cliff like a curtain of silver, creating a crystal-clear pool at its base. The waterfall's gentle flow made the pool sparkle in the moonlight, and the sound of the water was soothing and continuous.

Ignoring the mesmerizing scenery, Zhang Hao hastily turned to Zhang Mei with much concern. "Mei'er, are you alright? W-what was that light earlier?"

Zhang Mei struggled to respond, her voice shaky, "H-how would I know, brother. Maybe it was senior Jiulong who saved us from the wolv–" She stopped mid-sentence, her attention caught by Wei Wushang, who lay on the ground with an extremely grave expression on his face, staring up at the sky.

The sight deeply unsettled her!

Never had Zhang Mei seen such horror in Wei Wushang, not even during their encounters with the bloodthirsty wolves.

'Oh no, don't tell me!' Zhang Mei's gaze followed his, a dreadful premonition rising in her bosom.

"Mei'er, what's wrong?" Zhang Hao noticed the sudden switch in his sister's demeanor. He followed her gaze upward, and immediately an insurmountable dread seized him.

High above, a monstrous figure loomed ominously in the sky. Who else but the demonic path cultivator Xu Hanmo!

Xu Hanmo looked down from above imposingly, his body bathed in blood. Of the six arms he once had, four were missing. Of the remaining two, one was clutching a gaping wound in his stomach to keep his organs from spilling out, while the other held Xu Jiulong's severed head like a trophy.

Xu Hanmo's entire lower half had been gruesomely severed, and a pool of crimson blood formed beneath him. But despite his pitiful state, neither Zhang Hao, Zhang Mei, nor Wei Wushang could feel anything but paralyzing fear as they gazed up at his demonic figure.

"Now, whom should I kill first?" Xu Hanmo's hoarse voice oozed with murderous intent.