Could these people’s target also be Ink Sea City?
If that’s really the case, what a coincidence.
Thinking of this, the man let out a faint cold laugh before disappearing into the darkness.
The night deepened. Zhen Juncheng sat inside the tent, feeling a sense of unease.
The feeling of being watched lingered, but no matter how he looked, he couldn’t find a trace of evidence.
There are only two possibilities.
First, his guess was wrong.
But Zhen Juncheng, being an apex Meridian Opening expert, had confidence in his instincts.
So, this possibility was extremely slim.
Second, the person spying on him was much stronger, able to make him feel vaguely aware but unable to pinpoint the source.
If that’s the case, the situation is dire indeed.
After all, very few in the Beyond the World realm could achieve such a feat.
And those people, without exception, were apex martial artists from various sects.
If they were involved, the mission would be doomed to fail.
There might even be a threat to their lives.
The more Zhen Juncheng thought about it, the more disturbed he became, losing any desire to sleep, and went outside the tent.
At this moment, a few people were on night watch by the campfire.
Though it was midsummer, the mountain forest remained bitterly cold at night.
So, the men warmed themselves by the fire, drinking and chatting about how they’d distribute their gains after a successful mission.
Long before their departure, Zhen Juncheng had promised them a generous reward upon success.
With wealth tantalizingly on offer, they tirelessly followed him all the way to Ink Sea City.
Hearing this, Zhen Juncheng frowned slightly.
He had repeatedly warned them not to discuss the mission privately.
After all, eavesdroppers might be lurking, unseen.
However, after hesitating, he chose to ignore it.
These weren’t all his subordinates; many were Elders from the Wanghai Tower.
Though lower in status and rank, they couldn’t be reprimanded harshly.
Especially now, weakening their morale would be unwise.
So, he cleared his throat softly and approached the fire.
At his presence, the men quickly stood up.
"Elder Zhen!"
"Greetings, Elder Zhen!"
In the chorus of salutations, Zhen Juncheng nodded slightly, smiling, "Thank you all for your hard work."
"Elder Zhen, you’re too kind. This is what we should do."
Regardless of whether they were Wanghai Tower Elders or not, they showed utmost respect towards Zhen Juncheng.
In terms of identity and status within Wanghai Tower, only Jiang Shengwu and the deceased Shen Jiu were above him.
Zhen Juncheng didn’t put on airs; he sat down and took a couple of generous swigs from his wine flask.
The atmosphere lightened immediately.
Someone, in high spirits, went into the woods and soon returned with a few wild chickens.
After plucking feathers and cleaning, they skewered them with sharpened sticks and roasted them over the fire.
Soon, the enticing aroma of the meat filled the air.
As they turned the roasting chickens, they engaged in lively conversation, enjoying the rustic charm.
Zhen Juncheng gradually relaxed as well.
The shadow lingering in his heart started to fade; he listened with a smile, occasionally chiming in.
As the chickens cooked to perfection, lacking proper utensils, they just passed them around by hand, eating and drinking, fueling the merry atmosphere.
But suddenly, a faint sound of something cutting through the air reached Zhen Juncheng’s ear.
Before he could react, an arrow had already shot into the campfire.
Boom!
The flames erupted, sending countless embers flying towards those by the fire.
Zhen Juncheng was shocked but, being Wanghai Tower’s top expert, reacted swiftly.
At the explosion, he immediately leaned back, pressing himself against the ground, and rolled away unceremoniously.
Though awkward, the move saved his life.
Compared to him, those slower to react suffered terribly.
Flames pierced through those closest to the fire.
In reality, these embers were scorching red-hot iron beads.
Instantly, the camp was chaos as the smell of burning flesh mixed with agonized screams and collapsing bodies.
By then, Zhen Juncheng had retreated to a distant place.
Still shaken, he looked up to see nearly everyone by the fire was dead.
The ground bore a massive pit, over a meter deep.
Zhen Juncheng’s heart pounded, sweat dripping from his brow.
Had his response been slower, he’d have been gravely injured, if not dead.
But he still didn’t know who the enemy was, or even their location.
Meanwhile, the commotion alerted those resting in the camp.
These people understood the gravity of the situation and hid instead of rushing out.
The once lively camp turned eerily silent, save for the moans of the wounded near the fire.
Under the dim firelight, Zhen Juncheng gazed solemnly at the dark forests.
By now, the night watchmen sent into the dark hadn’t returned with any news.
Evidently, they must have perished.
The thought weighed heavily on Zhen Juncheng.
The night watchmen weren’t novices; among them was a close friend.
All were killed without a sound, revealing the adversary’s terrifying power.
Considering this, Zhen Juncheng thought of retreating.
The wealth of Ink Sea City was tempting, but not worth his life.
Moreover, he had no idea who was attacking or their identity.
So, he moved silently, crawling like a snake, to escape the forest.
However, no matter where or when, impatience prevails.
Suddenly, a voice shouted from the camp’s tent.
"To the friend of the sect who attacked, I am of Wanghai Tower. Surely, there’s some misunderstanding..."
Hearing this, Zhen Juncheng sneered inside.
Fool.
The enemy attacked with lethal intent, clearly aiming to annihilate them.
At this point, relying on the Wanghai Tower name was a futile, deadly mistake.
Predictably.
Before the person finished speaking, another arrow whooshed through the air, followed by a scream from the tent.
Soon after, all was silent again.
Zhen Juncheng trembled, not for the person’s death.
But because the enemy’s methods seemed familiar.
Evidently, the swoosh was an arrow flying at high speed.
Adding to the arrow that caused the explosion, Zhen Juncheng suddenly realized something.
In the Beyond the World realm, only one sect could stealthily corner them so direly.
The long-hidden Mechanical Sect.
In an instant, Zhen Juncheng felt both regret and panic.
If he had known they’d face the Mechanical Sect, he wouldn’t have dared to come.
The reason was simple: members of the Mechanical Sect were madmen.
Complete madmen.
But now it was too late for regrets.
Zhen Juncheng could only hope the Mechanical Sect had sent few members, leaving the forests unblocked.
That would mean a chance to survive.
With this thought, Zhen Juncheng restrained his aura and slowly retreated with a serpentine motion.
Little did he know, his every move was observed by the man atop a tree a hundred meters away.