The group’s eyes narrowed sharply. The Martial Emperor elder spoke again, saying, “Spirit boar, are you truly not giving our Shangguan family any face?”
The fair-faced youth shook his head.
“Hmph, spirit boar, don’t think we’re afraid of you!” With that, the Martial Emperor elder unleashed the aura of a first-level Martial Emperor, while a sixth-grade high-level spiritual force emanated around his head.
Not only the first-level Martial Emperor elder, but others also erupted with powerful auras.
Among them, the grey-robed elder, besides being a seventh-level Martial Monarch, was also a sixth-grade high-level spirit tamer.
Tong’er, surprisingly, was a sixth-grade mid-level spirit tamer.
Additionally, there was one sixth-grade mid-level spirit tamer, two sixth-grade low-level spirit tamers, two fifth-grade high-level spirit tamers, two fifth-grade mid-level spirit tamers, and two fifth-grade low-level spirit tamers.
This left Lin Xiao utterly shocked.
This team of twelve was entirely composed of spirit tamers!
Moreover, all were fifth-grade low-level or above.
No wonder their yuan force cultivation seemed so unstable; their yuan force was likely boosted through elixirs.
Their true focus of cultivation was spiritual force.
With such spiritual force, producing large quantities of elixirs to enhance yuan force cultivation wasn’t particularly difficult.
As expected of a spirit tamer lineage, able to nurture twelve spirit tamers of fifth-grade low-level or higher.
This was undoubtedly a formidable team, with terrifying combat strength.
No wonder they were so confident.
Such a team had the strength to confront an early seventh-tier spirit beast, also boosted by elixirs and herbs!
Of course, Lin Xiao couldn’t help but marvel at the spirit tamer lineage’s methods. Their ability to conceal spiritual force was impressive. Without actively probing with strong divine sense, he hadn’t even sensed their spiritual force levels.
Probing someone’s spiritual force cultivation with focused divine sense would be noticed by the other party.
Such an act was highly disrespectful, which was why Lin Xiao hadn’t actively probed their spiritual force cultivation.
Sensing the group’s spiritual force auras, the fair-faced youth’s expression changed, and he said, “As expected of a spirit tamer lineage. If I weren’t prepared, I might not have gained the upper hand!”
With that, two more men emerged from his side.
Both appeared as middle-aged men. One was burly, with a broad face and immense strength, his exposed arm muscles seeming to brim with explosive power.
The other was extremely thin, with a sinister face and eerie green eyes, resembling a wolf.
Both exuded the aura of high sixth-tier spirit beasts, clearly also transformed spirit beasts.
With a wave of their hands, countless spirit wolves and a group of spirit lions appeared on the peaks flanking the valley, their spirit beast auras surging toward the group.
The spirit beast horde included a few fifth-tier and fourth-tier spirit beasts, but far more first, second, and third-tier ones.
Though high-tier spirit beasts were few, the low-tier ones densely surrounded the valley, trapping the group.
The Shangguan family’s expressions changed drastically.
“Spirit boar, you usually act alone. Today, you’ve allied with the wolf and lion packs!” the Martial Emperor elder roared, questioning, “Have you been planning to attack us all along?”
The fair-faced youth smiled calmly and nodded, saying, “Correct. A spirit tamer lineage is immensely wealthy. Such a large team is worth our alliance.”
“Who leaked our whereabouts?” Tong’er’s eyes flashed with cold light as she asked sharply.
The solitary spirit boar, allying with two high sixth-tier spirit beasts, must have learned their route in advance to set up this ambush.
Otherwise, with the spirit boar’s cultivation and character, it would never collaborate with others.
“Was it you?” Suddenly, the grey-robed elder turned to Lin Xiao, his spiritual sense surging into Lin Xiao’s mind.
“Mind control!” Lin Xiao’s brows twitched.
Earlier, this grey-robed elder had spoken in his favour when he joined the team. Yet now, he was the first to suspect him?
Without confirmation, he directly used mind control on him?
At this moment, others also turned to Lin Xiao, their eyes cold.
Only Tong’er showed doubt.
“Snort!”
Lin Xiao silently repelled the grey-robed elder’s spiritual sense, his expression cooling as he said, “Everyone, I know nothing about your Shangguan family. If it were me, why would I follow you all this way, seeking trouble?”
This made the group pause, realising Lin Xiao’s words made sense.
The enemy clearly knew their route in advance. Otherwise, if Lin Xiao had informed them after meeting the group, they wouldn’t have had time to plan an alliance and set up an ambush here.
If Lin Xiao were a spy and knew their route, he wouldn’t have needed to join them just before reaching the valley.
Lin Xiao’s strength wasn’t particularly impressive, so joining them now would only mean exposing himself to attack.
That didn’t add up.
At this moment, the grey-robed elder, who had just used mind control on Lin Xiao, looked shocked.
A mere sixth-level Martial Monarch junior could resist his sixth-grade high-level spirit tamer’s mind control?
“Could it be one of us?” Tong’er wondered silently, her gaze sweeping the group, others sharing the same thought.
“Let’s focus on the enemy together! With such a formidable spirit tamer team, if we unite, it’s uncertain who will win,” Lin Xiao said at this moment.
If they focused on guarding against or dealing with a traitor now, their chances against this spirit beast group would diminish.
Hearing Lin Xiao, though still suspicious, the group knew they had to face the enemy now.
However, they remained wary of those around them.
“Prepare to fight,” the Martial Emperor elder shouted.
“Swish! Swish! Swish!”
Long swords formed from spiritual force materialized around the group, numbering in the thousands, each radiating powerful spiritual fluctuations.
This made the three transformed spirit beasts frown. Spirit tamers were indeed troublesome. They had brought a large number of spirit beasts, but the spirit tamers’ spiritual force manifestations were highly destructive. Each sixth-grade low-level spirit tamer could manifest over a thousand swords, distributing power as needed, negating much of the beasts’ numerical advantage.
Of course, without this spirit beast horde, if all the spirit tamers focused their spiritual force against them, the power would be even greater.
At this moment, besides the sixth-grade spirit tamers manifesting swords, the six fifth-grade spirit tamers each drew a nearly one-meter-long, four-edged giant throwing dart, which hovered before them, spinning rapidly.
The giant darts’ four sharp edges seemed capable of cutting through anything, ready to shoot out and slice in any direction.
