Seeing the thunderbolt descend from the sky...

Senior Brother Wang's face changed slightly. Even though the flying boat was sturdy, the power of thunder was not to be underestimated. Compared to Immortal Family spells, it was just as strong, if not stronger.

He furrowed his brows, waved his hand, and a stream of spirit power shot into the deck of the flying boat. Instantly, the formation at the bottom of the boat activated, and a semi-transparent shield of spirit power enveloped the entire vessel.

Boom!

Everyone felt as if the whole world had turned into a blinding white expanse, their eyes rendered useless in that moment.

Electric serpents coursed over the flying boat, which began to shake violently. However, after a few breaths, it gradually stabilized.

Senior Brother Wang let out a sigh of relief, while the two outer sect female cultivators turned pale with fright. As for the young boys and girls on the deck, they screamed in terror, trembling under the thunder's assault.

Alaric Ye quickly regained his vision.

Senior Brother Wang murmured, "This shouldn't be happening... Every flying boat is inscribed with a lightning-avoidance array. Even in a thunderstorm, it's hard to be targeted by lightning."

"Maybe... we just have bad luck?" Senior Sister Wu forced a smile.

Just as she finished speaking, another bolt of lightning descended from the sky.

The target was still the flying boat!

Senior Brother Wang's face turned ashen. "Not good! Quickly, send out the Top Xuan Talisman for help!"

Gritting his teeth, he injected another stream of spirit power into the flying boat. Just as the spirit power shield formed, a deafening boom echoed.

This time, Alaric Ye closed his eyes in advance, but the lightning's brilliance was so intense that even with his eyes shut, it was blinding.

As Alaric Ye closed his eyes, Senior Sister Wu slapped her storage bag, and a piece of talisman paper glowing with golden light flew out.

"Top Xuan Sect's reception flying boat number five is under unknown attack. Nearby righteous cultivators, please come to our aid! Go!"

Whoosh!

The Top Xuan Talisman transformed into a golden streak of light and disappeared from everyone's sight in the blink of an eye, its destination unknown.

Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

The flying boat began to shake violently again under the thunder's assault. This time, they weren't as lucky as before. Amidst the shaking, the flying boat lost control and plummeted towards the ground.

Boom!

At that moment, everyone heard a series of violent explosions.

The explosions came from the bottom of the flying boat.

Crack!

Suddenly, the flying boat split into seven or eight pieces from the middle. Alaric Ye, pale-faced, clung tightly to the ship's railing as he rapidly descended towards the ground.

Fortunately, the flying boat wasn't flying too high. Given Alaric Ye's current physical strength, a fall from a hundred meters, with the dense forest below, might not be fatal.

Bang!

The fragment of the flying boat that Alaric Ye was on crashed into a large banyan tree. The tree trunk couldn't withstand the impact and exploded, toppling over.

Alaric Ye, his head buzzing from the fall, felt excruciating pain all over his body. He was pierced by branches in several places, and his bones felt like they were falling apart. After more than ten breaths, he finally crawled out from the gap in the overturned flying boat fragment.

"What the hell is going on!" Alaric Ye's face was pale with fright.

At that moment, he heard a piercing, maniacal laugh.

"Hahaha, these are some fine kids. Quickly, capture all the ones who aren't dead. They're perfect for making corpse puppets, furnace cauldrons, and servants!"

"This time, we have to thank the Top Xuan Sect for this generous gift!"

"Those hypocrites at the Top Xuan Sect have been too complacent for too long. For such an important task as receiving disciples, they didn't even send out a Foundation Establishment cultivator!"

"They wanted to, but the Top Xuan Sect has been weak for hundreds of years. Do they have enough Foundation Establishment cultivators? If they send out too many, aren't they afraid we'll raid their headquarters?"

"Oh~ There are a few pretty outer sect female cultivators. Running around the world at just the fourth level of Qi Refining! Hehe... Want to commit suicide? No way, we already anticipated this trick from you righteous female cultivators!"

The scene was chaotic, with children's screams, cries, the maniacal laughter of the demonic sect members, the thunder and lightning in the sky, and the pouring rain all blending together.

***

For a moment, Alaric Ye was terrified.

"It's the Demonic Sect!"

Even a three-year-old knew that members of the Demonic Sect were ruthless killers who committed all sorts of evil.

Escape!

It was clear that the three Top Xuan Sect cultivators protecting the children had already been defeated. Ambushed by the Demonic Sect, they had lost their ability to resist. As for the dozens of children, they weren't even considered cultivators. Even if they had Black Iron swords, they were less than chickens to these heartless demonic cultivators.

Alaric Ye had no intention of being captured by the demonic cultivators to become a corpse puppet or a furnace cauldron... That would be a fate worse than death.

With a swift movement, Alaric Ye darted into a dense forest, using leaves to cover himself completely. He held his breath, but his heart felt like it was about to leap out of his chest.

Every moment felt unbearably long.

After twenty breaths, an ugly middle-aged woman in a blood-red robe came into Alaric Ye's view.

A giant bat perched on the woman's shoulder, squeaking incessantly.

"Is there a little one here? Got it!

Little one, let's play a game of hide and seek, shall we? If I find you, I'll take you back to be a furnace cauldron!"

As she spoke, the middle-aged woman licked the corner of her mouth and passed by the bush where Alaric Ye was hiding.

After a long time without seeing the woman return, Alaric Ye, unable to hold his breath any longer, began to breathe heavily.

But at that moment, a hand suddenly grabbed Alaric Ye's left foot!

"Hahaha... Found you! You're quite a good-looking boy!"

Alaric Ye was almost scared out of his wits. He kicked out with his right foot, but it had no effect. His right foot was also grabbed by the ugly woman.

She lifted him up like a little chick.

Alaric Ye bent forward and clawed at the woman's face, but she easily dodged by leaning back.

"Quite fierce! I like that! Boy, come home with me, hahaha!"

The ugly woman laughed maniacally.

At that moment, a black figure the size of a palm flashed by. With a "bang," a huge hole appeared in the ugly woman's head.

Her smile froze!

She saw the boy's eyes turn icy cold. On her head, a giant cockroach with two large pincers was perched. It was truly bizarre!

"Demonic person, die! Die! Die!"

The cockroach raised its sharp pincers and stirred her brain, causing white and red fluids to splatter.

In that critical moment, Alaric Ye couldn't afford to hide anymore. He released Little Strong!

At such close range, with the woman completely unprepared, Little Strong's pincers, which could even pierce steel plates, made short work of her head.

She was killed instantly by Little Strong's sneak attack, without even a chance to scream!