The shout from the blood-robed disciple left the others puzzled, but Lin Qian knew exactly what was going on.
While the others were still in the dark, Lin Qian had already leaped off the chariot. His body surged with crimson-gold thunderous soul energy, which formed into a massive sword aura, slashing at the seemingly empty air in front of him.
As Lin Qian moved, Zhao Long also sprang into action. Yellow-tinted Hua Xia soul energy condensed into countless spear shadows, raining down on the right side of the sky like a torrential downpour.
Sword aura roared through the air, and spear shadows filled the sky.
As Lin Qian and Zhao Long unleashed their attacks, the empty space before them suddenly erupted with blood. A dozen figures appeared out of thin air, their bodies wounded by the sword and spear auras.
Among them, four people had already died, their lifeless bodies plummeting from the sky.
"Swift-Hidden Clan!" Seeing the exposed figures, Li Yunfeng exclaimed in shock as he stood up from the chariot.
Beside him, Zhang Zide also looked down with a grim expression, finally noticing that the blood-robed disciple who had been fighting off the soul beasts was also occasionally defending against attacks from seemingly empty spaces.
Ye Xin, seeing the revealed figures of this strange clan, showed a look of astonishment.
The newly appeared figures were somewhat short in stature, with skin whiter than snow, transparent, colorless hair, and pure white eyes devoid of any other colors, making them unsettling to look at.
"The South Gathering was supposed to involve only humans and sea clans, with major figures overseeing the entrance portal. The number of participants was limited. How did the Swift-Hidden Clan manage to get in?" Zhang Qi exclaimed in disbelief as he stared at the white-skinned Swift-Hidden Clan members.
Ye Xin, puzzled, turned to Zhang Wenshuan to ask about the Swift-Hidden Clan and what kind of race they were.
"The Swift-Hidden Clan's innate ability allows them to hide their presence, making them nearly undetectable. The higher their cultivation, the longer they can remain hidden. Additionally, they are incredibly fast, making them difficult to catch, and they excel at ambush tactics. In direct combat, they rely on their speed to gain the upper hand," Zhang Wenshuan explained. "However, this clan avoids direct confrontation unless absolutely necessary. They will do everything in their power to create favorable conditions for themselves before launching a sneak attack."
"Like how they lured those blood-robed disciples from the Blood Spirit Valley into fighting the soul beasts while hiding, waiting for the right moment to strike."
"And those Blood Spirit Valley disciples battling the soul beasts were also bait, meant to distract us while they prepared to ambush. Fortunately, Lin Qian and his subordinate detected them beforehand—truly impressive." Zhang Wenshuan's gaze toward Lin Qian and Zhao Long was filled with admiration.
Detecting the Swift-Hidden Clan before they attacked was no easy feat. Judging by the aura of the revealed figures, they were clearly skilled experts in the Life-and-Death Realm.
"When did you discover us?" one of the Swift-Hidden Clan members asked, glancing down at the corpses of his companions, his face filled with confusion.
Lin Qian sneered. "I noticed you when your scouts started tailing us from twenty miles away."
"...Impressive!" The Swift-Hidden Clan member, his expression a mix of shock and wariness, finally praised Lin Qian before shouting, "Retreat!"
With his shout, the Swift-Hidden Clan member quickly retreated, his form gradually fading into transparency as he disappeared from Lin Qian's sight.
Meanwhile, the other exposed Swift-Hidden Clan members followed suit, vanishing one by one as they retreated beyond their line of sight.
The two Blood Spirit Valley disciples below also noticed that the Swift-Hidden Clan members they had sensed earlier were now retreating, allowing them to focus more on dealing with the soul beasts attacking them.
As Lin Qian watched the direction in which the Swift-Hidden Clan had disappeared, his eyes narrowed.
Having lived two lives and fused his souls, Lin Qian's spiritual awareness was far beyond that of an ordinary person. Enhanced by the Hua Xia Empire's national destiny, his soul perception was astonishingly powerful.
While scouting beasts extended his sight to explore every nook and cranny of this small world, Lin Qian's own soul perception served as a defensive line, extending over dozens of miles.
When the chariot was en route, he had already sensed the Swift-Hidden Clan's scouts tailing them. However, he hadn't realized that they were neither sea clan nor human, but rather an entirely different race.
Though he hadn't known about the Swift-Hidden Clan initially, Zhang Wenshuan's explanation made everything clear.
"The South Gathering may have already slipped out of the control of the sea and human clans," Lin Qian murmured, frowning as he hovered in mid-air.
First, there were the numerous Black Blade Fish Clan members, including a clan leader who shouldn't have been able to enter. Now, the Swift-Hidden Clan, an outside force, had also appeared.
The situation was becoming increasingly complicated, but Lin Qian only grew more excited.
Chaos presented opportunities, and in chaos, there was a chance to completely seize control of this wild small world.
As these thoughts ran through his mind, Lin Qian's crimson-gold thunderous soul energy surged, forming a massive thunderous sword aura that radiated a dangerous energy.
In the next moment, he hurled the sword aura downward, creating a golden thunderous pillar that shot toward the back of one of the Blood Spirit Valley disciples.
Thud!
The sound of something piercing flesh echoed as the disciple turned to see what had happened.
When he looked back, cold sweat drenched his body, and he felt a chill run through him.
The Swift-Hidden Clan member, who had seemingly left earlier, had somehow returned, clutching a short knife, ready to stab the disciple in the back.
But the Swift-Hidden Clan member couldn't move forward because his body was now riddled with the lightning sword aura, which coursed through him, immobilizing him completely.
"Get out!" Lin Qian roared in fury, directing his shout at the empty sky. The overwhelming imperial aura, combined with his powerful soul, swept across the area like a storm.
Pfft! Pfft! Pfft!
One by one, the previously retreating Swift-Hidden Clan members were forced out of hiding, coughing up blood as they clutched their chests in terror. Without bothering to conceal themselves, they fled into the distance at breakneck speed.
"Trying to run after showing off?" Lin Qian sneered, his imperial soul energy mingling with his crimson-gold thunderous soul energy. In a flash, he shot after the fleeing Swift-Hidden Clan members, tearing through the air with such speed that the shockwaves caused the chariot to wobble violently in his wake.