Under the view of the Clear Bright Spiritual Eye, it became evident from the direction of the transmitted messages that the Forest Tribe members had formed a circle around them and were rapidly closing in.
Shu Han instantly deduced their malicious intent.
If everything had gone according to Wei Haolong's agreement, the chief priest of the tribe should've approached them openly along with his tribe members for a direct conversation.
However, they were surreptitiously approaching from all directions and exchanging intelligence.
Shu Han immediately warned in a cold tone, "Brothers, we might be in grave danger! Be prepared to escape at any moment. Our visitors mean harm!"
"What?"
Wei Haolong replied in disbelief, "That's impossible! I had clearly made an agreement with their priest. The Forest Tribe wouldn't go back on their word. Brother Yu, I understand your caution, but there must be a limit. There's no sign of anything amiss around us. Why are you so certain the Forest Tribe means us harm?"
Song Changyi, on the other hand, bristled with combat readiness, "If they dare ambush us, I'll ensure they never return! Mere Forest Tribe members, I, as the son of the head of the Fiery Cloud Instant Sect, will not fear them!"
One in denial.
One eager for battle.
This was a perilous situation!
Shu Han sternly retorted, "Enough!"
Addressing Wei Haolong, he said, "Have you lost your mind? Activate your Clear Bright Spiritual Eye and observe the root network below. There are at least fifty Forest Tribe members around us, exchanging information. Is this the behavior of those with good intentions? I understand your eagerness to find the Heartseeker Holy Blossom, but what would happen to your mother if anything were to happen to you here?"
Swallowing hard, Wei Haolong looked into Shu Han's determined eyes and felt a surge of fear. He knew Shu Han was always prudent and wouldn't raise a false alarm.
Turning to Song Changyi, Shu Han chided, "Stop thinking about fighting all the time! Is this the awareness you have as the son of the sect leader? With the leader on the verge of breaking through to the Nascent Soul stage, can you imagine the consequences if something happens to you here in the Southern Forest? The Fiery Cloud Instant Sect might go to war with the Forest Tribe to avenge you, destabilizing the sect. What if this affects the sect leader's breakthrough to the Nascent Soul stage? You always talk about the well-being of the sect, yet act so thoughtlessly?"
Song Changyi was left speechless. "I..."
Wei Haolong asked, "Should we leave now?"
"Not yet!"
Shu Han continuously scanned the surroundings with his Clear Bright Spiritual Eye, saying, "They haven't entered the range of my Clear Bright Spiritual Eye's vision yet. We don't know which direction their priest is coming from. If we rashly attempt to break out and run into their priest, we'll be in real danger."
Wei Haolong let out a long sigh, "Why? Our last conversation went well. Why are they doing this? If they had malicious intentions, I wouldn't have returned from Southern Forest the last time."
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"Now is not the time to ponder over that!"
While being on guard, Shu Han inquired, "How strong is the Forest Tribe?"
Song Changyi responded, "The Forest Tribe is unique and has fewer members, but they are considerably powerful. Typically, a tribe member who lives past a hundred years can attain the strength of the Foundation Establishment stage. If they genuinely intend to attack, there probably won't be any Qi-refining cultivators participating."
Hearing this, Shu Han's heart raced. Does that mean there are at least fifty Foundation Establishment cultivators and at least one Core Formation cultivator surrounding them?
The Forest Tribe is so powerful, yet they get suppressed by the Fiery Cloud Instant Sect?
Song Changyi continued, "Brother Yu, you mentioned earlier there are over fifty of them. I find that very strange. It's rare for the Forest Tribe to move in such large numbers. Moreover, over fifty at the Foundation Establishment stage would mean almost all of the tribe's combatants."
Shu Han replied, "Regardless, our current situation is dire. Once I locate the position of their priest, we should immediately retreat in the opposite direction. With our combined strength, we can catch them off guard, creating an opening."
Both Wei Haolong and Song Changyi nodded, preparing to summon their lifebound magic treasures.
"Don't take out your magic treasures! Stay calm!"
Shu Han advised, "As you mentioned, every tree in the Southern Forest is an informant for the Forest Tribe. Revealing our magic treasures prematurely would alert them. We should continue to act nonchalantly."
With heightened alertness, Shu Han suddenly detected movement within the one-thousand-meter range of his Clear Bright Spiritual Eye.
Shu Han spotted a sneaky figure to the north. His Clear Bright Spiritual Eye immediately locked onto him, giving Shu Han his first glimpse of a Forest Tribe member.
This individual wore clothes woven from leaves and had skin that could turn a pale shade of green. As he moved through the treetops, he was silent, blending seamlessly with the forest.
His face closely resembled that of a human but with more delicate features and dark green pupils.
The most distinct difference between the Forest Tribe and humans was their hair. Their hair resembled long vines with lush green leaves growing on them. At the tip of these vines, budding white flowers could be seen.
Having spotted one member, Shu Han expected more to enter his field of vision soon.
Scanning the surroundings, sure enough, members of the Forest Tribe approached from all directions.
Unlike human cultivators, Shu Han couldn't gauge their power levels. However, when his gaze shifted to the east, it was immediately drawn to a woman dressed in intricate attire made of flower petals. He was astonished by the strong life force emanating from her.
She looked young and beautiful and was surrounded by devout members of the Forest Tribe.
After a quick survey, Shu Han deduced she was the Forest Tribe's priestess.
"Go! There's only one priestess, to the east. We head west!"
As soon as he spoke, Wei Haolong and Song Changyi transformed into two fiery orbs, creating powerful shockwaves at their point of origin, disappearing in an instant. Shu Han immediately used the "Shrinking Earth into Inches" technique to follow them.
As the trio sped off with full force, they snapped an ancient tree that was hundreds of meters tall in half, startling the encroaching Forest Tribe members.
The stunning woman in floral attire frowned, and the vine-like hairs on her back, which seemed to have a life of their own, blossomed behind her.
This was a sign of her anger.
A Forest Tribe member serving the priestess asked in astonishment, "How did they detect us?"
"Send orders! Have the western tribe members intercept them! I'll be there soon to claim their lives! Despicable human cultivators!"
"Yes!"
One of the Forest Tribe members approached an ancient tree, connecting his vine-like hair to it. A green glow surged from each vine, entering the tree and rapidly transmitting through the underground root network.
Immediately, the priestess transformed into a green streak of light, chasing after Shu Han and the others at a breakneck speed.
The order transmission was swift. Before Shu Han and his companions had flown far, over a dozen Forest Tribe members emerged from the forest below. Song Changyi and Wei Haolong exchanged glances, both preparing to unleash their magic treasures to break through the encirclement.
However, Shu Han suddenly felt a menacing presence from behind. He shouted urgently, "Don't waste time on these members! Their priestess is catching up! Run at full speed, I'll handle them!"
Instantly, Shu Han clenched two Thunder Tribulation talismans in his hand.
Understanding the urgency, Song Changyi and Wei Haolong swiftly made way. Shu Han flung one of the talismans, scattering it ahead like a shower of petals.
Suddenly, a massive thunderstorm erupted in the skies above the Southern Forest.