Chapter 3536: Encircled
Chapter 3536: Encircled
Before the twins had even managed to send Lin Mu a proper message, he had already felt that something was wrong.
The sudden surge of their Qi tore through the faint connection he shared with them, sharp and chaotic enough that it sent a jolt through his senses. It was not the steady fluctuation of play or hunting. It was violent, compressed, and strained.
Someone was attacking them.
And then he felt it.
The unmistakable resonance of immortal weapons being summoned.
The moment the twins drew out their weapons, Lin Mu’s expression darkened completely. He had spoken to Xiao Yin and Xiao Yang about this countless times. Their Peak Grade Immortal Weapons were not meant to be used lightly. Those weapons were not just tools of combat, they were treasures that could incite madness, greed, and bloodshed among cultivators.
They were only to be drawn when the situation had become truly dire.
The fact that the twins had done so meant that things were already far worse than Lin Mu had hoped.
And when the fragmented message finally came through their link, short and urgent, confirming that they were in trouble, Lin Mu did not hesitate for even a heartbeat.
His lingering sense of unease from the past several days finally snapped into place.
His intuition had been right all along.
"SHRUBBY! TO ME!" Lin Mu roared as he burst out of the rented courtyard.
WHOOSH
Little Shrubby, who had been wandering through the city markets with Meng Bai, instantly felt his master’s call. The kitten sized liger froze mid step, his fur bristling as his instincts flared violently.
"Huh? Shrubby, what is it?" Meng Bai asked, startled when he saw the beast’s body tense up as if struck by lightning.
WHOOSH
Before Meng Bai could say anything else, Little Shrubby vanished in a blur of red light. The ground cracked slightly where he had been standing, leaving behind a faint scorch mark.
"Did something happen?" Meng Bai muttered, his brows furrowing as he stared at the empty street.
Little Shrubby shot into the sky, his form rapidly expanding as he accelerated. Flames and lightning wrapped around his body as he transformed fully, turning into a massive blur of crimson and blue.
Within seconds, he caught sight of Lin Mu, who was already flying at full speed out of the city’s perimeter.
Lin Mu landed cleanly on Shrubby’s back without slowing him down and pointed straight toward the distant forests.
"Xiao Yin and Xiao Yang are in trouble," Lin Mu said, his voice calm but heavy.
That single sentence was enough.
BOOM!
A thunderous sonic boom exploded behind them as Shrubby pushed his speed even further. Lightning tore through the sky, flames roared along his limbs, and a blazing trail of red and blue streaked across the horizon like a falling star.
The twins were nearly two hundred kilometers away from the city, deep within the forested region. Under normal circumstances, even immortals would need an hour to cross that distance.
With Shrubby, it would take less than twenty minutes.
Still, Lin Mu felt no relief.
He could feel the constant pressure through their link, the steady drain of energy, and the chaotic movement of combat. His thoughts raced as he tried to assess the situation.
How many were there?
Who had provoked them?
And most importantly, how far had things already escalated?
"We’re fighting them, Master," the twins said in unison through their connection, their voices tense but controlled.
"Are there any strong ones?" Lin Mu asked immediately.
"They’re not particularly strong individually," Xiao Yin replied, her mental voice sharp. "But there are many of them. It’s hard to estimate the exact number, and more keep arriving."
Lin Mu’s eyes narrowed.
"Hold on," he replied. "I’ll be there soon."
The Sword Cradle Divine Sheath on his back began to hum softly, resonating with his intent. The sound was low, almost gentle, yet filled with restrained killing intent, as if the swords within were eager to be unleashed.
Countless thoughts flashed through Lin Mu’s mind.
’Had the Dead Needle Abyss acted again?’
’Was this related to the wedding?’
Or was it simply greed and arrogance from cultivators who thought themselves untouchable?
In the end, none of it mattered.
What mattered was that someone had cornered his companions.
"And here we thought this world would be calmer than usual," Lin Mu thought grimly. "Trouble really does find us wherever we go."
Moments later, the plains beneath them gave way to dense forest. Even from the outskirts, Lin Mu could see the disturbance deep within.
Flashes of light tore through the canopy.
Fire exploded upward, water surged violently, and sharp gusts of wind shredded trees apart. Among the chaos, two distinct flashes stood out clearly. One white, one black. Both pulsing with a familiar Yin Yang energy.
"There," Lin Mu said.
Shrubby adjusted course instantly and plunged into the forest.
The battlefield came into view in a matter of seconds.
Xiao Yin and Xiao Yang were fighting at the center of a wide clearing that had once been dense forest. Now it was reduced to shattered trunks, scorched earth, and overturned soil.
"How are beasts this strong?" one of the Boundless River Sect disciples shouted, disbelief clear in her voice.
"They’ve already taken down nearly a hundred of our men!" a prince of the Alabaster Plains Kingdom said, staring at the devastation with a pale face.
All around them, soldiers and sect cultivators lay scattered. Some were unconscious, others groaning in pain. A few hung limply from broken branches, while others floated face down in nearby lakes and streams, barely breathing.
"Don’t panic," a prince of the Olive Canopy Kingdom called out loudly. "More reinforcements are on the way."
The richly dressed woman who had first demanded the twins stood at the rear, her eyes shining with excitement rather than fear.
"They’re incredible," she whispered, her voice trembling slightly. "Such strength. Such beauty. They will be a perfect addition to our collection."
HISSS HISSS
The twins snarled, rage flashing through their eyes as they heard her words. Without hesitation, they lunged at her together, killing intent surging violently.