They had been ambushed!

Although Leaf Gray's head was spinning dizzily, he quickly grasped the truth of the situation. He couldn't help but tense up; he was merely a minor cultivator with three opened apertures, utterly unprepared for such a scenario.

From a hill below, a yellow beam of light shot skyward, directly targeting the location of the Sect Master and Leaf Gray. The pillar of yellow light was extremely fast, arriving in an instant.

The Sect Master's beard and hair bristled, his robes flapping loudly. With one hand, he swiftly drew a circle in front of him, spiritual power surging from his fingertips.

A visible barrier of spiritual power instantly took shape. Circular in form, it shielded the Sect Master and Leaf Gray behind it. Within the barrier, countless intricate runes swam like tadpoles.

Boom!

The yellow light struck the barrier, blocked completely. However, the yellow light gushed forth like a spring, continuous and unending, relentlessly bombarding the shield.

The Sect Master glared fiercely, spiritual power ebbing and flowing from his palm as he maintained the barrier, locked in a stalemate with the yellow light.

Leaf Gray had never witnessed such a miraculous battle scene before and was momentarily mesmerized.

While the yellow light and the spiritual barrier were locked in conflict, another loud sound erupted from the ground on the other side. Leaf Gray turned to look and saw a burly figure, towering like an iron pagoda, shooting into the sky and charging directly towards them. Below the figure, rocks on a small hill shattered, evidently crushed under his feet.

The charging figure was enveloped in a blood-red radiance, as if his very lifeblood was evaporating, appearing extremely fierce and malevolent.

At this moment, the Sect Master was engaged in a contest of strength with the yellow light. The burly cultivator clearly intended to seize this opportunity to close in and attack. His speed was astonishing; in an instant, he was upon them, just thirty zhang away from the Sect Master.

The Sect Master's hand seals changed abruptly. The spiritual barrier, still resisting the yellow light, shifted its orientation slightly.

The impacting yellow light, striking the smooth, mirror-like barrier, had its trajectory altered, deflecting towards the burly figure charging in.

The burly figure clearly hadn't anticipated this. By the time he saw the yellow light rushing towards him, it was too late to evade. He could only let out a furious roar, crossing his arms in front of him to block.

The next moment, the burly figure was engulfed by the yellow light. The impact sent him staggering, and the smell of scorched flesh filled the air.

Witnessing this, Leaf Gray nearly couldn't suppress a cheer. Although his perception wasn't sharp enough to grasp the dangers of the brief conflict, the Sect Master's move had a flavor of 'Divine Skill of the North, the Art of Shifting Stars' – truly effortless and exquisitely peerless.

However, immediately afterward, he was enveloped by an immense sense of dread. Instantly, his entire body turned cold, as if his blood had frozen solid.

Before he could even comprehend what was happening, the Sect Master grunted painfully. A faint bloody light flashed before Leaf Gray's eyes, and the smell of blood assaulted his nostrils.

His world spun dizzyingly. When he regained his senses and looked down, he was shocked.

There was now a foot-long wound on the Sect Master's abdomen. The flesh was torn and curled back at the edges, where traces of something green lingered, wriggling like maggots feeding on bone.

He had no idea when the Sect Master had been injured, or who had wounded him.

At that moment, the Sect Master was channeling his spiritual power, carrying Leaf Gray as they fled rapidly in one direction at extreme speed.

The wind howled past their ears. Protected by the Sect Master's spiritual power, Leaf Gray remained unharmed. It was only at this point that he could clearly see how many people were attacking the Sect Master.

One was the burly figure he had seen earlier. Another was a thin man, likely the one who had cast the yellow light spell in the initial ambush. During the pursuit, he continuously launched spells to interfere, though the Sect Master managed to neutralize them one by one.

Wait, there was a third person!

In the air behind the Sect Master, a faint, flickering figure clung closely in pursuit. This figure was ghost-like and elusive, difficult to see clearly. However, judging from her slender silhouette, it seemed to be a woman. Each time her figure became visible, she was closer to the Sect Master.

They couldn't escape like this. The spells cast by the thin man significantly hampered the Sect Master's speed.

Moreover, the Sect Master was already injured.

By now, Leaf Gray understood perfectly: the Sect Master had been wounded by that elusive female figure. The three attackers had clear roles: the thin spell-caster diverted the Sect Master's attention and energy, the burly man served as a direct distraction, and the real killing blow came from the woman hidden in the shadows.

However, they seemed to have underestimated the Sect Master's strength. This meticulously planned assassination attempt had been evaded by the Sect Master, who even had spare capacity to protect Leaf Gray's safety.

The situation was clearly unfavorable for the Sect Master. If he were alone, even if he couldn't defeat the three, he could have escaped. This was the territory of The Firmament Palace; he only needed to hold out for a moment, and reinforcements would surely arrive. He had already sent out a message when first ambushed.

But he also had to protect Leaf Gray, preventing him from fighting at full strength. Continuing like this, within a few dozen breaths, he would be surrounded and attacked by the trio. Once the full-scale battle commenced, Leaf Gray would undoubtedly die. Just the residual waves of power from a battle between cultivators of their level were more than Leaf Gray could withstand. His current safety relied entirely on the Sect Master's dedicated protection.

Given the circumstances, there was only one option left: to gamble!

Having made up his mind, the Sect Master spoke: "Leaf Gray, have you heard of the Spirit Creek Battlefield?"

Leaf Gray hurriedly replied, "I have not!"

He didn't know why the Sect Master was asking this during their escape, but he truly had never heard of the Spirit Creek Battlefield. His knowledge of this world was too limited.

"No matter, there's no time," the Sect Master sighed. While fleeing, he took out a jade slip and pressed it against his forehead.

Then, he retrieved a large seal. The seal was square, pure white, and made of an unknown material. Spiritual light flowed over its surface, marking it as no ordinary object. He chanted in a low voice, "I, Arthur Lockridge, Tenth Generation Sect Master of The Vermilion Guild, humbly petitions Providentia. Today, I accept Leaf Gray of Tranquil Province as a formal disciple of The Vermilion Guild. Let Providentia bear witness!"

As he spoke, the Sect Master sprayed a mist of blood onto the seal. The already glowing seal became even more radiant and colorful.

An indescribable, profound sensation descended from the heavens, settling upon the large seal.

"Your hand!" the Sect Master commanded.

Leaf Gray hastily extended one hand. The Sect Master raised the seal and pressed it firmly onto the back of Leaf Gray's hand.

Boom! Leaf Gray felt as if he had been struck hard by a massive hammer, immediately becoming dazed and disoriented.

"Stay alive. I will have someone find you!" the Sect Master's voice sounded by his ear. Simultaneously, Leaf Gray felt the Sect Master stuff something into his embrace.

Seeing this, the three pursuers intensified their chase even more urgently. The thin man continuously launched yellow beams of varying sizes, forcing the Sect Master to dodge and weave.

Taking advantage of this distraction, the ghost-like female figure closed the distance to the Sect Master rapidly, seemingly on the verge of striking.

Just then, the Sect Master's figure suddenly plummeted downward, crashing down amidst a wild, mountainous area.

The area was desolate, overgrown with weeds as tall as a person. Yet, the Sect Master seemed very familiar with this place. He accurately located a dilapidated hall among the tall grass. With a sweep of his sleeve, the weeds flew aside, revealing the hall's true form.

Upon seeing the hall, the thin man's face darkened. "Stop him, quickly!"

The trio had been silently pursuing, exuding an aura determined to kill the Sect Master. But upon seeing that hall, they visibly panicked.