After an intense discussion, the eight Foundation Establishment cultivators realized the immense threat posed by the Golden Core evil spirit. Not only had its power grown stronger after the breakthrough, but it also seemed capable of manipulating the grand array. With this in mind, they made a critical decision: to split into four teams, with two Foundation Establishment cultivators per group. This would improve their efficiency in finding the spirit's hiding place while also avoiding the risk of being picked off individually.
"We'll move in pairs," said the Yunlan Mountain leader, his calm gaze sweeping across the group. "This way, we can cover more ground and still support each other in case of danger."
Everyone understood that the situation was urgent. If they delayed any further, the spirit would regain its strength, and their situation would become even more precarious.
"Let's proceed, and find the evil spirit as soon as possible," Fengming Daoren added gravely as he paired with another Foundation Establishment cultivator, preparing to explore deeper into the array.
Wang Quan, stationed in the outer perimeter with a few Qi Refinement cultivators for guard duty, couldn't shake off a sense of unease. The power of a Golden Core evil spirit was not something that ordinary Foundation Establishment cultivators could easily contend with. Though splitting into pairs might expedite the search, it remained a risky endeavor.
As the teams dispersed into different directions of the array, their spiritual senses swept across the dense deathly energy, seeking any trace of the hidden spirit. Yet, the pervasive deathly mist acted like an invisible shield, hindering their senses.
Time passed slowly. The four Foundation Establishment groups moved through the array, while Wang Quan and the others remained vigilant on the outskirts. For a moment, everything seemed calm, as if the danger had subsided.
But then, a sharp spiritual energy fluctuation erupted from the depths of the array, followed by a chilling scream.
"Something's wrong!"
Wang Quan's heart sank as he immediately sensed the disturbance. One of the teams had encountered the evil spirit's ambush. Without hesitation, he extended his spiritual senses to investigate.
"It's the second team! They've been ambushed by the spirit!"
Fengming Daoren's face darkened as he too felt the terrifying energy. The sheer intensity of the power far surpassed anything within the Foundation Establishment stage.
The group quickly rushed toward the source of the scream, but when they arrived, they found one of the Foundation Establishment cultivators from the second team already lying dead, his body consumed by deathly energy, his spirit shattered beyond recovery.
"Damn! He's already dead..."
Fengming Daoren's expression grew heavier as the gravity of the situation became clearer.
The other Foundation Establishment cultivator was gravely injured, his body covered in wounds, and his spiritual energy almost depleted. Clutching his chest, he rasped, "The Golden Core evil spirit... it can convert cultivators' souls, turning them into evil spirits! We were nearly all captured... my companion has already been completely transformed..."
Before he could finish, the injured cultivator's life force faded, and deathly energy began to seep into his body. A sinister red light flickered in his eyes.
"He's been transformed too!"
Wang Quan shouted, horrified as the fallen cultivator slowly stood up, his body now controlled by the evil spirit's deathly energy.
Fengming Daoren swiftly swung his sword, crackling with thunderous energy, slicing through the corpse and dispersing the corrupted soul. However, the chilling scene left everyone shaken to their core.
"That evil spirit... it can not only kill but also corrupt and control our souls!"
A Qi Refinement cultivator's voice trembled with fear. Faced with such a powerful foe, splitting up now seemed like a death sentence.
As the search continued, another team suffered a similar fate, narrowly saving one member while the other was killed and transformed into an evil spirit. The situation grew increasingly dire, and the strength of the Golden Core spirit was far beyond their expectations.
"We can't continue splitting up! This spirit is too powerful. If we keep acting individually, we'll be picked off one by one!"
Fengming Daoren's voice was grim. He realized that their strategy of splitting into teams was no longer viable. The Golden Core evil spirit's strength was terrifying, and it was even capable of converting Foundation Establishment cultivators into evil spirits. If they continued like this, they would all be wiped out.
The remaining Foundation Establishment cultivators agreed, their faces etched with worry. Their earlier plan to split up had aimed to speed up the search, but now it was clear that the evil spirit's cunning and power made it impossible for small teams to survive.
"We have no choice but to regroup. If we stay together, we'll stand a chance of surviving,"
the leader from Yunlan Mountain said coldly, though anxiety flickered in his eyes. The deaths of two teams had made it painfully clear that they were facing an intelligent and formidable adversary.
"But even if we regroup, dragging this out will only lead to a slow death..."
One of the remaining Foundation Establishment cultivators said, his voice filled with despair.
Wang Quan's expression remained calm, but his mind raced. He knew that if they didn't find the evil spirit and eliminate it soon, their situation would only grow more perilous. Regrouping might prevent them from being picked off one by one, but it was still only a temporary solution. Sooner or later, the spirit would find a weakness.
"The spirit must be hiding in the core of the array, using it as cover and waiting for us to exhaust our spiritual energy..."
Wang Quan speculated. Given that the evil spirit could manipulate the array and transform fallen cultivators, it must have a deep understanding of the array's workings. The only way to defeat it was to break the array. Otherwise, even if they acted together, they would all eventually meet their doom.