In fact, Hua Jian couldn’t control what kind of illusions the creatures affected by her Array of Bewilderment would see.
So what she fed Linglu wasn’t some kind of mind control drug, but simply spiritual herbs that could ignite the beast’s spirit.
After all, none of the four people here were on her side. The two sword cultivators were fiercely fighting each other, and the two cultivators closest to Linglu were her prime targets for attack.
As she expected, after consuming the good stuff she fed it, Linglu’s blood-red eyes first fixed on her.
After all, Hua Jian was the closest to Linglu at the moment.
“I just fed you something good!” Just before Linglu’s large antlers charged at her, Hua Jian’s body rapidly scattered into a flurry of colorful petals, slipping once again into the forest.
As she left, Linglu snorted and turned its gaze to the remaining two.
Before they could say anything, the now completely enraged Linglu charged at them like a wild bull.
“Escape Technique! That Yaochi girl can use Escape Technique!”
“How could an Outer Sect disciple know Escape Technique? Is Yaochi really that wealthy?!”
The two cultivators immediately recognized the spell Hua Jian had used. Though they didn’t know exactly what Escape Technique it was, they realized that they couldn’t catch a cultivator at the same level who could use Escape Technique by themselves.
They had originally thought it was just two junior sisters fighting weakly so they could easily take advantage of the situation. But as soon as the fight started, the tone shifted drastically.
That sword cultivator girl was surprisingly strong, in no way weaker than the strongest among the three of them.
And the Yaochi girl was even more mysterious— she held a combination of illusions and Escape Technique, making her both offensively capable and able to flee with ease in the Outer Region of the Secret Realm. The three of them simply couldn’t catch her.
For a moment, Lu Tong even wanted to negotiate with Hua Jian. “We thought you were just little mice, but your fighting power is decent. How about a peaceful split?”
For such a thought, Hua Jian could only wonder why they hadn’t thought of that earlier. They were already fighting; stopping now wasn’t that simple!
Besides, the current favorable situation was thanks to the sword cultivator girl holding off two of the trio and Hua Jian taking the opportunity to turn the Wanling Sect cultivator’s Linglu against them.
This tactic was purely coincidental, no technique at all, and she wasn’t confident she could repeat it next time.
What would she do when facing these three alone? She didn’t believe they would happily let her go.
Those who dared to attack first couldn’t be spared!
Hua Jian kept the Array of Bewilderment active, occasionally using vines to disrupt the two cultivators’ movements, making it harder for them to dodge Linglu’s attacks smoothly.
During this, she noticed that the two cultivators were also hesitant to attack Linglu directly. When faced with the beast’s assault, they only tried to dodge.
One even wanted to strike back but was scolded by the other.
“The spirit beast is the Wanling Sect cultivator’s lifeline. I’m accidentally hitting his weak spot…” Hua Jian quickly understood the situation.
A few days ago, she had chatted with some Wanling Sect senior sisters and heard about such quirks.
Slapping a Wanling Sect cultivator wasn’t a big deal.
But if you slapped their contracted spirit beast, they’d fight to the death.
Right now, Lu Tong was just like that— frustrated and anxious, wanting to lash out at Hua Jian but unable to find her.
At the same time, facing his Linglu’s attacks, he hesitated to strike hard.
If the deer got hurt, it was his money lost!
Holding in such resentment, Sun Zi finally couldn’t take it anymore. After Linglu charged at them again, he suddenly swung a palm onto Linglu’s head, forcing it to stagger backward a few steps.
Although the Antidote Pill could dispel the fog’s effects, Hua Jian’s Array of Bewilderment was no ordinary trick.
Even the Saint Sect’s Lingdan Miaoyao couldn’t completely negate the fog’s influence.
Under the fog’s effect, Sun Zi’s emotions grew increasingly agitated until he couldn’t hold back any longer. His palm strike ignited the entire situation.
“What the hell are you doing?!”
Seeing their precious Linglu struck like that, Lu Tong shouted, swinging a fist at Sun Zi.
“I’m hitting this beast! You’re a beast too! A beast!”
“Dare hit my deer, and I’ll kill you!”
With the Antidote Pill’s effect gone, the two cultivators, driven mad by the fog, clashed violently.
At the same time, the red-eyed Linglu, just pushed back, charged again. Its sharp antlers gleamed white and crashed into Lu Tong and Sun Zi, sending them flying.
This was deadly. The spirit beast’s physical prowess surpassed cultivators. Linglu’s full-strength charge struck two defenseless cultivators, knocking them down, writhing in pain on the ground.
Linglu wasn’t satisfied yet; it then mercilessly trampled on the closer Sun Zi.
Watching this, Hua Jian’s brow twitched. After receiving consecutive heavy blows, Sun Zi turned into a white light and vanished from the Secret Realm.
When life is threatened, the Secret Realm Token automatically protects the owner by sending them out of the realm. The treasures he carried scattered on the ground.
After taking down Sun Zi, Linglu continued to attack Lu Tong. But this time, it failed to finish him off.
Just before the antlers could fall, something seemed to forcibly bind it, preventing it from moving forward.
“Wretched beast! How dare you attack me!” Lu Tong spat blood from the corner of his mouth and shakily stood up.
A gold-red rune glowed brightly on the back of his hand— his Contract Rune with Linglu, allowing him to forcibly control the spirit beast’s movements.
But such forced control severely harmed the spirit beast. Previously, Hua Jian had hesitated to do this. Now, driven by anger and fear, Lu Tong made his decision without hesitation.
Then… Bam!
A thick, sturdy vine, as wide as a bowl, lashed heavily across his back, flinging him away.
His enemy wasn’t only Linglu; the real enemy had been hiding in the fog, quietly waiting for the perfect opportunity.
Now was the best chance to end everything.
So Hua Jian struck, delivering a blow that completely incapacitated Lu Tong, then wooden spikes sprouted from the ground, striking at Lu Tong’s lower body as he tried to get up.
“Ah…”
Seeing Lu Tong’s legs tighten involuntarily made Hua Jian break into a cold sweat.
She… really didn’t mean to this time.
“Sorry, I’ll send you out for treatment right away!” Hua Jian silently apologized, then gathered her spiritual energy and launched a final strike on the completely incapacitated Lu Tong, sending him out of the Secret Realm.