Chapter 579 - 575: Besieging Yan Wuji
Chapter 579: Chapter 575: Besieging Yan Wuji
After a long moment, Chen Tianyuan finally suppressed his excitement.
He sent someone to inform the Supreme Elder while simultaneously injecting Inner Qi into his Communication Jade Talisman to send a message to the other six sects.
"Our sect’s True Inheritor, Fang Han, has found Yan Wuji’s hiding place. It’s in a forest approximately five hundred li north of Cyan Pine City. I ask that you all immediately dispatch your Grandmasters to this location to encircle and kill this beast."
...
「Vajra Temple」
Abbot Kudu was meditating in his chamber when he heard the message from the Communication Jade Talisman. The prayer beads in his hand paused for a moment.
His eyes, which were always half-closed, suddenly snapped open.
He didn’t say a word, simply rising and heading for the residence of Supreme Elder Hui Ming.
...
「Overlord Blade Sect」
Sect Leader Lei Pojun was practicing with his blade on the training grounds. When he heard the message from the Communication Jade Talisman, the massive, broad-bladed sword he was wielding stopped abruptly in mid-air.
A savage grin appeared on his lips.
"Finally found him."
He shouldered the giant blade and strode with purpose toward the residence of Supreme Elder Lei Lie.
...
「Lingyun Sword Sect」
Sect Leader Xie Changkong stood on a mountain peak with his hands clasped behind his back, gazing at the endless mountain ranges in the distance. Upon hearing the message from the Communication Jade Talisman, a cold glint flashed through his gentle eyes and was gone.
He immediately turned and headed for the residence of Supreme Elder Bai Yujing.
...
「Tingyu Building」
Tower Lord Shen Tinglan was sitting by a window, a scroll in his hand.
When he heard the message from the Communication Jade Talisman, he slowly closed the scroll and stood up.
His plain face showed no expression, but within his placid, well-like eyes, a faint glint of light flickered.
...
「Baihua Valley」
Valley Master Hua Nishang was in her garden, pruning flower branches.
Upon hearing the message from the Communication Jade Talisman, the shears in her hand paused for a moment.
She looked up, a cold curve gracing her lips.
"So they finally found that demon."
...
「Netherworld Pavilion」
Pavilion Master Ling Wuyuan was sitting alone in the main hall. When he heard the message from the Communication Jade Talisman, he stood up and said,
"Hmph. He does have some Talent after all. It wasn’t a waste for my Netherworld Pavilion to contribute a top-level Tracking Secret Technique!"
He strode outside.
Not long after, the Grandmasters of the Seven Sects set out, rushing toward Yan Wuji’s hiding place with the utmost speed.
...
Deep in the dense forest, Fang Han suppressed his aura, hiding in the shadow of an ancient tree like a lifeless rock.
He channeled *Ghost Shadow* with all his might, reducing his presence to an absolute minimum.
He maintained *Netherworld Guide*, locking onto Yan Wuji’s cold and violent aura from ten li away, constantly monitoring his movements.
Yan Wuji’s aura remained in the same spot, steady and rhythmic. He was clearly meditating to regulate his breathing.
He was probably refining the Essence Qi he had devoured.
’The mysterious person who taught Chu Feng the Demon Skill back then...’
Fang Han’s gaze pierced through the gaps in the leaves, looking toward that patch of forest as thoughts churned in his mind.
The case of the Qingxuan Sect’s former True Inheritor, Chu Feng, cultivating the *Blood Demon Skill* had hit a dead end. The mysterious person who taught him the Demon Skill had committed suicide by poison before being captured, severing all leads. They were never able to find out where the *Blood Demon Skill* came from.
Now, with the Tiejiang Gang revealed to be practicing a Demon Skill, he couldn’t help but suspect that the mysterious person who taught Chu Feng the Demon Skill belonged to the Tiejiang Gang.
The kind of person who hides their identity within the Tiejiang Gang and specializes in doing their dirty work.
Many factions had people like that.
’That must be it!’
The more Fang Han thought about it, the more plausible it seemed. But then, another question surfaced in his mind.
Chu Feng’s Demon Skill came from the Tiejiang Gang...
But where did the Tiejiang Gang’s Demon Skill come from?
’Did they obtain it by chance? Or is there another mysterious power behind them?’
Fang Han’s brow furrowed slightly.
If it were the former, it would be one thing. But if it were the latter...
Even Demon Skills were graded on different levels. A Demon Skill capable of creating a Grandmaster was by no means ordinary. Just how powerful would a faction that could produce such a Demon Skill be?
’The more I think about it, the more terrifying it becomes...’
Fang Han couldn’t help but suck in a sharp breath of cold air.
If the Tiejiang Gang had merely acquired the Demon Skill by accident, everything would still be within controllable limits.
But if there was an even larger power standing behind them...
The thought was truly, bone-chillingly terrifying.
"..."
Fang Han took a deep breath, suppressing the stray thoughts in his mind.
Right now, the most important thing was to deal with Yan Wuji.
The other matters could be investigated slowly after this business was concluded.
Time passed in silence.
The sun moved from its noon zenith toward the west.
Fang Han continuously maintained his perception through *Netherworld Guide*, locked onto Yan Wuji’s aura.
That aura never moved.
He must still be meditating, refining the Essence Qi he had devoured, and hadn’t left his hiding spot.
An unknown amount of time passed—
The light in the forest dimmed slightly.
Within Fang Han’s perception, several auras appeared, so powerful that they made every living creature in the forest tremble with fear.
These auras were approaching this stretch of forest.
Each one was as deep as an abyss, carrying the oppressive feeling that only a Grandmaster could possess.
’Seven Grandmasters!’
A bright glint flashed across Fang Han’s eyes.
A full seven Grandmasters had arrived. It was clear all Seven Sects had dispatched a Grandmaster.
This showed the determination of the Seven Sects to eliminate Yan Wuji.
To avoid alerting Yan Wuji, Fang Han took the initiative to move forward and greet the seven Grandmasters.
A moment later, a deep cyan figure was the first to appear at the edge of his vision.
Gu Changqing wore a deep cyan robe, his hair tied up with a Wooden Hairpin. His face was gaunt, and his pace seemed unhurried, yet with every step, his figure drifted several yards forward.
Immediately after, a golden figure appeared from another direction.
Hui Ming was clad in a golden kasaya, holding a string of dark brown prayer beads. His expression was serene, but a faint glint of light flickered within his half-closed eyes.
A figure in pink followed close behind.
Liu Meiniang wore her usual light pink long dress, her face like a peach blossom. She twirled a small flower condensed from Gang Qi between her fingers, toying with it gently.
To be precise, she was cultivating; this must be a unique Cultivation Method for a Martial Technique.
Four more figures appeared from the remaining directions.
One was a burly man with the build of a bear, carrying a jet-black giant blade on his back that resembled a door panel. It was none other than the Overlord Blade Sect’s Grandmaster, Lei Lie.
Another was a middle-aged man with a clear and handsome face, dressed in a moon-white robe. A simple, ancient longsword hung at his waist, and his aura was as sharp as a newly unsheathed blade. This was the Lingyun Sword Sect’s Grandmaster, Bai Yujing.
A third was a middle-aged man in a gray-green robe with a plain face and an unassuming presence. This was the Tingyu Building’s Grandmaster, Shen Mo.
Beside him stood an old man with his hands clasped behind his back, dressed in a wide, jet-black robe. His skin was a pale white, as if he hadn’t seen the sun in a long time. His eyes were deep and unfathomable, and his entire being exuded a gloomy aura. This was the Netherworld Pavilion’s Grandmaster, Li Hanjiang.
Fang Han cupped his fists and bowed to the seven of them.
"Fang Han greets the Grandmasters."
Gu Changqing’s gaze fell on Fang Han. He nodded slightly, his voice calm but tinged with approval.
"Well done. Where is Yan Wuji now?"
Fang Han raised his hand, pointing to a densely wooded area to the northwest, and said,
"Yan Wuji is hiding there."
Li Hanjiang’s deep eyes looked in the direction Fang Han was pointing. He spoke, his voice hoarse and low.
"Are you certain?"
"Certain."
Fang Han met Li Hanjiang’s gaze, his voice firm.
"I’ve been sensing it repeatedly. The aura belonging to Yan Wuji has remained in the same spot without moving."
The seven Grandmasters exchanged a look.
Hui Ming put his palms together and softly chanted a Buddhist mantra.
"This time, we absolutely cannot let that demon escape again."
"Let’s go."
Gu Changqing spoke. His voice was calm, but it held an undeniable finality.
The seven figures moved in unison.
They spread out, silently closing in on the area.
Lei Lie circled around to the left.
Hui Ming took a roundabout path from the right.
The others silently enveloped their target from different directions.
The seven Grandmasters were like seven invisible nets, closing in from all sides.
’Why... do I feel so uneasy?’
Fang Han stood his ground, watching the seven figures disappear into the dense forest. He felt no relief at the impending ambush.
Instead, an indescribable sense of unease, like ink bleeding into water, silently spread through his heart.
Seven Grandmasters to ambush one man, Yan Wuji.
Even if Yan Wuji was also a Grandmaster, he had absolutely no chance of survival.
That was the obvious outcome.
So why did he feel uneasy? Had he overlooked something?
He frowned slightly, his gaze fixed nervously on that patch of forest.
The very instant Fang Han looked toward the forest, a terrifying roar erupted from within it.
Ancient trees snapped! Shattered rocks flew everywhere!
A dark red figure—a result of his Inner Qi—dashed in one direction, smashing through every tree and rock in his path. This figure was Yan Wuji.
He had sensed the danger and was trying to break out.
But it was obviously too late.
BOOM—!
A giant golden palm, carrying the force of a mountain, slammed viciously into the forest floor in front of Yan Wuji.
The air was violently compressed by this palm strike, letting out a deafening explosion.
Yan Wuji’s forward charge was brought to an abrupt halt by the violent shockwave. The ground for several yards around his feet cracked and shattered, sending stone fragments flying like rain.
"Trying to run?"
Lei Lie’s voice boomed like muffled thunder. He had appeared on Yan Wuji’s left side at some unknown point.
He gripped the door-panel-like jet-black giant blade with one hand. With a flick of his wrist, the blade flipped over, wrapped in a terrifying Sword Gang that could tear through anything, and slashed horizontally at Yan Wuji!
The strike was simple and unadorned, with no fancy Transformations. But as the blade’s edge cut through the air, it silently sliced it open, leaving a thin, clearly visible black line in its wake.
SWISH!
Yan Wuji’s pupils shrank. Not daring to meet the attack head-on, his figure drifted back several yards like a phantom.
But the instant he retreated, a Cyan Sword Light stabbed out silently from the shadows behind him.
Gu Changqing.
This sword strike came without any warning—no sound of tearing air, no overflowing Sword Qi, just a simple, straightforward thrust.
But as the sword’s tip neared the center of Yan Wuji’s back, an exquisitely condensed Sword Intent, sharp enough to pierce mountains, erupted from it.
Yan Wuji’s expression changed drastically. In his haste, he only had time to gather his blood-red Inner Qi at the center of his back while forcefully twisting his body to the right.
PFFT—!
The tip of the sword grazed past his left ribs. The supremely condensed Sword Intent left a deep wound under his ribs, and blood instantly soaked through his gray robe.
"Amitabha Buddha."
Hui Ming’s voice was serene, but his actions were merciless.
He had appeared on Yan Wuji’s right side at some unknown point. He slowly raised his withered hand, the palm flaring with golden light, and sent a strike out from a distance.
A golden Palm Seal, as solid as a physical object and several yards wide, slammed toward Yan Wuji with the force to shatter mountains.