The War of the Gods in the Great Void God King

The journey was long, and traveling alone would be too slow. He planned to find a caravan traveling along the way to join him, which would allow him to reach Tiandu City as quickly as possible and also allow him to learn about the current situation and news in Tiandu City, paving the way for his subsequent cultivation.

Jiang Fan walked along the mountain road for half a day. In front of him, on a wide open plain, a caravan of more than twenty people was resting. The carriages and horses were simple, but the goods were neatly bundled.

All of them were dressed as ordinary people, with no trace of spiritual energy fluctuations, and they must have been merchants traveling between Tianyuan City and Tiandu City.

He strode forward, bowed respectfully to the middle-aged man at the head of the group, and said in a calm tone:

"Esteemed leader, I am traveling alone to Tiandu City, traversing the perilous Tianmo Mountains. Would you be willing to join my group?"

The leader was named Zhou Kui. He had been traveling between the two cities for business for more than ten years and had been walking this mountain road. He was a steady and kind person. He looked Jiang Fan up and down and saw that he was dressed in simple gray clothes, a lone young man, and had an open and honest expression. He did not seem like a bad person, so he smiled and nodded in agreement.

"Young brother, you're too kind. The Tianmo Mountains are teeming with monsters, and it's too dangerous to travel alone. Traveling together will allow you to look out for each other. Just follow us all the way."

"Thank you for your kindness, leader."

After thanking them, Jiang Fan joined the group, got into the carriage, and set off with everyone.

During their journey, Zhou Kui and Jiang Fan sat in a carriage, and he repeatedly warned them about the dangers along the way:

"Young brother, is this your first time traversing the Heavenly Demon Mountain Range? You must not stray from the group. Wolves, venomous pythons, and low-level demonic beasts are everywhere in the deep forests. We are all mortals with no cultivation whatsoever. If we are alone and encounter demonic beasts, we will be powerless to fight back. In previous years, many lone travelers or young people on their journeys have perished in these mountains."

The other merchants in the group echoed this sentiment, their faces filled with deep apprehension. Many of them had personally experienced attacks by monsters in previous years, leaving a lasting shadow in their hearts.

Jiang Fan nodded gently and replied with a warm expression:

"Thank you for your advice, leader. I will keep it in mind and will never leave the group without permission."

He knew in his heart that although there were many demonic beasts in the Heavenly Demon Mountain Range, his own cultivation level was not afraid of those demonic beasts at all, and he could deal with any of them as long as they were not too strong.

However, Jiang Fan could not reveal his cultivation level at the moment, so he did not explain the reason and quietly followed the group.

The caravan set off again, and everyone hurried on their way, crossing mountains and valleys, passing through streams and dense forests, traveling by horse-drawn carriage all the way.

After a full day's journey, none of the expected monsters or unusual activity in the forest appeared. The entire forest was eerily quiet; all the birds and beasts had vanished, and even the chirping of ordinary insects could not be heard. A deathly silence enveloped the surroundings, sending chills down one's spine.

At first, everyone thought it was just a coincidence, but the further they went, the quieter the forest became, and the more oppressive it felt. Many merchants in the group felt uneasy and whispered to each other, and the unease slowly spread.

Zhou Kui had traveled this route for many years and had never encountered such a strange sight. In the past, even on the outer edge of the mountain range, he could often hear the cries of beasts and the sounds of birds and animals moving about in the forest. But today, it was deathly silent, which was extremely abnormal.

He frowned, turned to look at Jiang Fan beside him, and said in a serious tone, "Young man, I've walked this road for over a decade, and it's never been this quiet before. It's highly suspicious."

Jiang Fan raised his eyes and scanned the eerily quiet dense forest around him. His senses quietly spread out, capturing every movement within a hundred meters. A hint of understanding flashed in his eyes, and he responded calmly:

"Something is definitely not right. All the monsters in the mountains and forests have disappeared. There are only two reasons: either a high-level monster is entrenched here, using its power to intimidate all the low-level monsters, or someone has deliberately blocked the mountain roads, hiding here to set up an ambush and deliberately drive away the creatures of the mountains and forests."

Upon hearing these words, Zhou Kui and the surrounding merchants turned pale instantly. Their already tense nerves tightened even more, and everyone subconsciously huddled together, gripping their short knives tightly. They unconsciously sped up the carriage, wanting to get through the desolate woods as quickly as possible and reach the open road ahead.

"An ambush? Could it be the Black Wind Bandits from the mountains?"

A young merchant's voice trembled, "I've long heard that there's a band of cultivator bandits in the Heavenly Demon Mountains called the Black Wind Bandits. They specialize in robbing passing caravans of mortals, killing and robbing them. They're incredibly ruthless, and many caravans that have encountered them have been wiped out."

"Black Wind Bandits? Rumor has it that the leader of the Black Wind Bandits is a peak Qi Refining cultivator, with more than a dozen Qi Refining stage bandits under his command. Even ordinary rogue cultivators would have a hard time escaping if they encountered them, let alone us unarmed mortals."

Zhou Kui's face grew increasingly grim. He gripped the short knife at his waist and said, "I hope it's not them. If we really run into them, none of us will escape death."

Fear gripped the group, and they quickened their pace, their eyes scanning the dense forest on either side warily, lest bandits burst forth at any moment.

Jiang Fan remained calm and composed, seemingly at ease, but in reality, his senses were firmly locked onto the surrounding mountains and forests. He had already detected several sinister auras lurking in the shadows, which were none other than the Black Wind Bandits that everyone had been discussing. They had been lying in ambush for a long time, just waiting for the caravan to step into the encirclement before they began to rob and slaughter.

Without making a sound, Jiang Fan came to the front of the group, protecting Zhou Kui and the other mortals behind him, secretly activating the Golden Dragon King bloodline, ready to make a move at any time.

He could have spotted the bandits' ambush earlier, but since they were hiding in the dense forest and their strength was unknown, he decided to observe the situation and find out all their manpower and strength before making a move to avoid future troubles.

The deathly silence in the mountains and forests continued to spread, and a faint smell of blood gradually filled the air. It was the lingering scent of the caravans that had been killed in the past. As people smelled the odor, the despair in their hearts grew stronger, and many of them felt their legs go weak and could barely walk.

Suppressing his fear, Zhou Kui loudly reassured the crowd:

"Everyone, stay calm and quicken your pace. Two more miles ahead is an open road. Once we get out of this dense forest, the Black Wind Bandits won't dare to make a move."

As soon as the words were spoken, the sound of orderly footsteps suddenly rang out from both sides of the dense forest. More than a dozen figures in black, weapons in hand, rushed out, their bodies surrounded by clear fluctuations of spiritual energy. Their cold gazes were fixed on the caravan. The Black Wind Bandits, who had been lying in ambush for a long time, had finally revealed themselves.

The black-clad bandits instantly surrounded the entire caravan. Sharp longswords and poisoned short blades were all aimed at the unarmed mortals. A chilling murderous aura swept over them, making the merchants stiffen and even making it difficult to breathe.

A burly man stepped forward, his body robust, his spiritual energy surging, and his aura of peak Qi Refining swept in all directions. He was the leader of the Black Wind Bandits. His face was covered with fat, his eyes were fierce, and he laughed loudly.

"Hahaha, a bunch of fat sheep delivered right to our doorstep! Today you crossed the Heavenly Demon Mountain Range and ran into us, the Black Wind Bandits. Your fate is sealed!"

"Those who know what's good for them will immediately hand over all the goods and silver, and perhaps I'll spare their lives. If they dare to resist in the slightest, I'll kill them all today and throw their corpses into the mountains to feed the monsters!"