The Nameless Region Chapter Five: The Deadly Ambush

Xiaona's appearance on stage drew quite a bit of attention. After all, a woman with such a stunning figure, yet bearing a ruined face, was a rare sight. Still, it was only enough to catch some eyes—except for Zhou Xuanhong in the audience, who was cheering her on with unrestrained enthusiasm.

As the boy leered at Xiaona within the array, the test completed. A pillar of crimson light shot up to the heavens, bathing the Dragon Gate platform and its surroundings in a blood-red glow. In that moment, every gaze was irresistibly drawn to the soaring scarlet beam.

“This... this...”

Everyone was left speechless in shock. This was the red-level talent—words like ‘cultivation prodigy’ were no longer sufficient to describe its significance.

A book slipped from the hand of the male immortal among the three, hitting the ground unnoticed as his eyes widened in disbelief at Xiaona within the array. Shock was swiftly followed by elation, fear, and confusion—all manner of emotions flickering across his face.

The female immortal seemed at a loss, casting a pleading look at her companion. She no longer knew how to handle such a situation. She was but a mere Foundation Establishment cultivator; faced with a legendary red-grade talent, she felt utterly inadequate, even inclined to curry favor.

The man forced himself to remain calm, stepping in to take over with a gentle smile. “Miss, would you be willing to accompany me to meet the Sect Master of the Formative Evolution Sect? We can set out immediately.”

Xiaona stepped out of the array as the pillar of red light slowly faded. She smoothed her hair, glanced at Zhou Xuanhong in the crowd, and offered him a gentle smile.

Zhou Xuanhong burst out laughing and shouted to those around him, “Did you see that? That’s my wife—a chosen daughter of heaven with a red-grade talent! Hahaha!”

The male immortal’s attention was caught by Zhou Xuanhong’s words. He cupped his hands and addressed him, “Young man, why don’t you come and be tested too? I sense a robust aura from you—have you already reached the middle stage of Qi Refining? Why didn’t you come up earlier?”

“What? He’s a mid-stage Qi Refining genius too?”

“I recognize him—he’s Zhou Xuanhong, heir to the Zhou family, the leading house of Luoshui City. It’s said he possesses a yellow-grade talent, but he’s always shunned cultivation. I always thought he was just a mortal.”

“I remember him too—he was begging at the city gate recently. Who would have guessed he’s hiding such strength—a mid-stage Qi Refiner willing to beg!”

The immortal’s insight was keen. Hearing the crowd’s chatter, he quickly understood Zhou Xuanhong’s background. Still, his main concern was Zhou Xuanhong’s talent. Upon hearing it was only yellow-grade, his interest waned and his smile faded.

Zhou Xuanhong was unfazed, striding up to the Dragon Gate platform with confidence. “I’m just here to accompany my wife, Immortal. I trust you understand?”

“Of course,” the man replied.

As Zhou Xuanhong entered the testing array, a yellow light appeared as expected. The immortal’s demeanor grew even cooler, and he turned his full attention to Xiaona, engaging her in eager conversation and leaving Zhou Xuanhong to one side.

Zhou Xuanhong took no offense, shamelessly inserting himself into the discussion. Because of his relationship with Xiaona, the three immortals didn’t dare rebuke him directly.

The man took a talisman from his storage pouch, activated it, and a white spirit crane soared into the sky, vanishing in the blink of an eye.

“It’s not safe to linger here—we must return to the sect immediately!”

Zhou Xuanhong frowned. “Senior brother, isn’t this a bit rash?”

The immortal gave him a flat look, clearly displeased at having his judgment questioned. “There’s no need for concern; there should be no real danger.”

With that, he produced another talisman, which transformed into a large, translucent disc floating in the air. With a wave of his hand, he gathered all those with cultivation talent onto the disc, then brought it to rest at Xiaona’s side, inviting her aboard.

“Junior sister, after you.”

Zhou Xuanhong brazenly climbed aboard beside Xiaona, even taking her hand, which made the male immortal frown.

There were still hundreds of youths who hadn’t been tested, but none of them mattered anymore. In the immortals’ eyes, all of them combined weren’t worth a single strand of Xiaona’s hair.

Without a word of explanation, the man piloted the disc into a stream of light that shot after the spirit crane, leaving the crowd bewildered and uncertain.

High in the sky, a glowing barrier shielded them from the rushing wind. As the mountains and rivers below sped by, the tested youths gasped in awe. Was this the power of the immortals?

The man and Xiaona stood at the front, and he handed her a jade bottle. “Junior sister, this is a bottle of healing pills. They may help with the scars on your face.”

The two women also produced healing salves and medicines. “Junior sister, this is for you...”

Seeing the three immortals showering Xiaona with kindness, the other youths looked on in envy and resentment, especially Miss Chen. She had always been the center of attention, but now she wasn’t even worthy of a glance from the immortals. Her heart swelled with jealousy, envy, and hatred toward Xiaona.

It was even worse seeing Zhou Xuanhong acting so intimate with Xiaona—the sort of attention he had never shown Miss Chen, now lavished on another.

“Hahaha, thank you, senior brothers and sisters, for your generosity. My wife is shy and doesn’t want to accept your gifts, so I’ll take them on her behalf,” Zhou Xuanhong said, thick-skinned as ever, and stashed all the medicines into his own storage pouch without a care for the exposure.

Noticing the storage pouch, the immortal was surprised. “That pouch of yours...?”

Zhou Xuanhong chuckled. “I used to be the Zhou family heir of Luoshui City. The family is gone now, but they left me this pouch.”

He knew he’d soon be entering the world of cultivation, so it was best to have a legitimate origin for the pouch. The Zhou family was a convenient excuse; who would investigate such a thing?

The journey to the Formative Evolution Sect was a long one. Through casual conversation, Zhou Xuanhong learned that the man’s name was Yi Xiaozhi, an inner disciple of the Formative Evolution Sect at the middle stage of Foundation Establishment, and the highest-ranked among the three. The buxom woman was Hua Yuanyuan, who had presided over the sect’s recruitment earlier—also an inner disciple, at the initial stage of Foundation Establishment. The quiet woman was Chen Lian, from the Chen family of Luoshui City, but she showed no fondness for Miss Chen, making it clear she had little love for her family.

Yi Xiaozhi asked, “Junior sister, where were you born? I’ve read widely; perhaps I know your hometown.”

Xiaona shook her head. “My family was destroyed—otherwise my face wouldn’t be like this. I’d rather not talk about it, if that’s alright.”

“My apologies, I was being insensitive. Hua, Chen, why don’t you keep our junior sister company? We’re about to enter the Yin Corpse Sect’s territory, so I need to focus on our journey.”

Suddenly, Xiaona looked at the grinning Zhou Xuanhong with a hint of apology in her eyes and murmured, “I’m sorry...”

Yi Xiaozhi sat cross-legged at the front of the disc, gripping a mid-grade spirit stone, and the disc’s speed surged.

“Well, well, isn’t this the Formative Evolution Sect’s little flock? Let’s see what quality goods you’ve picked up this time—rushing back so urgently, you must have a real treasure!”

A mocking voice exploded in everyone’s ears, so loud that the uninitiated youths collapsed on the disc, unconscious and convulsing.

Even Zhou Xuanhong, Miss Chen, and two others at the mid-stage of Qi Refining felt as if they’d been struck by a hammer, a piercing ringing in their ears, blood rising in their throats and spilling from their mouths.

Xiaona, too, looked as if her head would split, but she did not faint, stubbornly leaning against Zhou Xuanhong.

What power! Zhou Xuanhong was shaken to his core. With nothing but a word, this foe had gravely injured him—a sixth-layer Qi Refiner. If the enemy had truly attacked, a single finger would have been enough to snuff him out.

“Which senior dares strike at us juniors? This is the season of sect recruitment—for now, I represent the Formative Evolution Sect. I beg you to consider the consequences before you act!” Yi Xiaozhi’s face was pale, fear barely suppressed as he shouted, voice trembling between submission and threat. In his heart, he was desperately hoping for his sect’s elders to come to their rescue—this enemy was at the Golden Core stage!

The attacker did not reveal himself, but formed a massive hand of energy above the disc, grabbing them as easily as a ball, the protective shield straining under the pressure.

“Little one, you’re only thirty-two and already at this level? Quite a promising seed for your sect. Makes me want to strangle you in your cradle. Let’s see what treasure you’re so eager to bring home.”

An overwhelming spiritual force smashed through the shield, sweeping over every person on the disc. When it reached Xiaona, it stopped abruptly.

“This... this is the Profound Yin Jade Body? Impossible! How could such a monstrous physique be born in a backwater like this?”

After several confirmations, the voice erupted in wild laughter. “Hahaha! Heaven never bars all paths! I, Old Ghost Shishan, have lived to see a Profound Yin Jade Body again—heaven never bars all paths!”

Yi Xiaozhi’s face went deathly pale. He knew the enemy meant to kill them all. Just then, an enraged voice thundered from the distant sky: “Old Ghost Shishan! You dare covet a disciple of my sect? Shall I come and blockade your mountain gate?”

Old Ghost Shishan’s reply was manic: “Try it! Go ahead and blockade it! I don’t care about your damned Corpse Yin Sect!”

The ghostly figure appeared, surging up from a grave below, dragging the disc in his giant hand as he fled in the opposite direction. He didn’t bother killing Yi Xiaozhi and the others, instead flinging them away in all directions like stones, and summoned a corpse shrouded in black mist from the grave to stall the reinforcements from the Formative Evolution Sect.

Zhou Xuanhong felt as helpless as a chick, hurled violently through the air. The spiritual power was so overwhelming it tore him and Xiaona apart, sending him plummeting like a falling star. A profound sense of powerlessness flooded his body and mind, leaving him dazed.

Had Xiaona’s whispered apology been a warning? How had she known someone would come to abduct her?

The Formative Evolution Sect’s expert arrived at the scene, but didn’t linger. To him, these not-yet-initiated disciples and mortals were as insignificant as ants. Yi Xiaozhi and his companions would survive, but the rest would likely perish.

What mattered most now was the prodigy with the red-grade talent mentioned in Yi Xiaozhi’s crane talisman. As for ordinary cultivators like Zhou Xuanhong with yellow or green-grade talents, there would always be more to find.

Yi Xiaozhi managed to stabilize himself in midair, but could do nothing to help the others. Old Ghost Shishan had deliberately thrown him farther than the rest, using greater force. He could only watch, helpless, as the newly recruited disciples crashed to the ground, their bodies reduced to bloody pulp.

Chen Lian and Miss Chen landed close together. Though Chen Lian had no desire to intervene, she saw the plea for help in the other’s eyes—she was being looked to as a lifeline.

“Ah, in the end, blood will out.”