Chapter 435 - 238: Celestial Essence (Part 2)
Chapter 435: Chapter 238: Celestial Essence (Part 2)
The man on the Black Panther’s back let out a long cry. His spear swept out like rolling thunder, shattering all the Sword Qi slashing toward him.
At the same time, the Black Panther beneath him let out a low roar and, without hesitation, carried the man as it turned and charged into the forest.
"You think you can get away?"
Xiao Yu, Gao Lin, and the others roared, chasing after them with overwhelming killing intent. Within the dim forest, a piercing crimson light flashed as Sword Qi tore through the air.
"Senior Brothers, don’t pursue a cornered foe!" Xu Yang shouted.
’Something isn’t right.’
’There’s something very wrong with that man. It’s like he’s deliberately trying to lure us away.’
’Our entire group is wearing the uniforms of Purple Sun Sect Inner Sect Disciples. The man knows exactly who we are, yet he’s playing dumb to provoke us. He obviously has an ulterior motive.’
But no one listened to him!
He rushed into the woods, only to find that Gao Lin and the others had already given chase for several dozen yards. Even Tian Kuan, who had been sent flying by a spear thrust earlier, was now seething with killing intent as he pursued them. Only the injured Hong Lei remained, standing dazed before the cave entrance.
"Junior Brother Xu, don’t chase them! Stay here with me. It’s enough that Senior Brother Gao and the others are going after them!" Hong Lei shouted.
With everyone else giving chase, he felt a bit spooked being left all alone.
Although Xu Yang sensed that something was wrong, he wanted to stay here with Hong Lei even less. ’If there’s really a problem, I don’t want to face it while saddled with a half-crippled Hong Lei.’
’There’s more safety in numbers.’
But he had only run for about a dozen yards when his keen senses picked up on a powerful aura rapidly approaching the cave from behind him.
"AHHH..."
The next moment, a blood-curdling scream tore through the forest.
Xu Yang looked back. Through the trees, he saw a tall figure wreathed in dense black energy, with Hong Lei impaled and held aloft on his spear.
The blood-stained spear had pierced straight through Hong Lei’s chest.
Hong Lei let out a horrific scream, his face contorted in agony. He desperately reached back to pull out the spear that had run him through, but it was an impossible task.
"Junior Brother Xu, save me!" he shouted, having spotted Xu Yang through the trees.
In truth, he was beyond saving. His heart had been pierced; even a Spirit Medicine couldn’t save him now.
It was only the powerful Life Energy of a Marrow Cleansing Minor Achievement Martial Artist, coupled with his absolute control over his body, that made him appear to be full of vigor.
"Die!"
The figure wreathed in black energy shook his spear. Hong Lei, still impaled in mid-air, was instantly torn to pieces, his remains scattering in every direction.
’Someone from the Blood Lotus Sect!’
Xu Yang instantly knew the man’s origins. Only members of the Demon Sects cultivated this type of black Gang Qi. Even if a disciple from an orthodox Sect cultivated an Anomalous Gang Qi, it would never be black.
"So you’re Xu Yang? Prepare to die!"
The eyes of the figure shrouded in black flashed with a cold light. He strode forward, undeterred by the shower of Hong Lei’s blood.
Just as Xu Yang was about to face the enemy, another scream reached his ears.
It came from the direction Gao Lin and the others had gone. ’If I’m not mistaken, that was Xiao Yu’s voice.’
Xu Yang’s expression changed!
The six people who had given chase with Gao Lin were all at the Marrow Cleansing Great Success stage. ’For casualties to occur so quickly... could they have run into a terrifying Celestial Essence expert?’
"Run!" Lu Chuping’s terrified voice rang out. Immediately after, a massive signal flare exploded across the sky.
It was the Purple Sun Sect’s distress signal!
He knew Gao Lin and the others were signaling the giant eagle that had come with them, telling it to return to the Purple Sun Sect for reinforcements.
At the same time, a terrifying aura began to spread through the forest. Even from a hundred or two hundred yards away, he felt his heart pound in terror, his body feeling as if it might split apart.
The terrifying aura was far beyond the scope of the Marrow Cleansing stage. From the direction Gao Lin and the others had pursued, it was as if the mountains were crumbling and the earth was splitting apart. A tremor spread across the ground.
RUMBLE...
At that moment, he heard the sound of the earth being torn asunder. It was like a meteor strike. A terrifying wave of dirt and rock surged through the forest, pulverizing massive trees in its path. A dragon-like plume of dust shot into the sky, accompanied by the screams of Hu Ze, Lu Chuping, and the others.
’Run!’
Without the slightest hesitation, he turned and fled.
Though he was worried about Gao Lin, he knew going back would be useless. Even if he revealed all his trump cards, he couldn’t possibly contend with that terrifying aura.
BANG!
The ground beneath his feet cracked, and his figure vanished, shooting into the distance like a thunderbolt.
BOOM!
The next moment, a thick ray of light from the spear slammed into the spot where he had just stood, tearing a huge gash in the ground.
The man who had killed Hong Lei with a single thrust gave chase without hesitation, spear in hand.
’Marrow Cleansing Great Success!’ A terrifying glint flashed in his eyes.
’Xu Yang has already reached Marrow Cleansing Great Success!’
Gang Qi surged from his body. He launched another ray of light from his spear, which pierced through several large trees in a row.
BOOM!
Golden Gang Qi flashed beneath Xu Yang’s feet as he shot into the air. The ray of spear light grazed past his body as it shot by.
His keen senses had already detected the attack from behind, allowing him to easily avoid it.
He had no intention of turning to fight, even though he was confident he could kill this Blood Lotus Sect disciple in less than five moves.
He didn’t dare to delay. If that terrifying aura caught up with him, ten lives wouldn’t be enough to save him.
He was already on the Blood Lotus Sect’s kill list. If the owner of that terrifying aura found out he was here, they might give up chasing Tian Kuan and the others to come kill him instead.
Soon, he had led the figure shrouded in black energy for several hundred yards. When he could no longer sense the terrifying aura, he accelerated, speeding through the forest like a golden thunderbolt and gradually widening the distance between them.
"You can’t escape, Xu Yang! Today, there’s nowhere to run and nowhere to hide! I will take your head and offer it to my brother!" the figure behind him roared, his voice thick with killing intent.
’Another lunatic who wants to kill me!’
Xu Yang felt the hatred and killing intent in the eyes of the Blood Lotus Sect disciple behind him. He had killed many Blood Lotus Sect disciples and had no idea who this man’s "brother" was.
Killing intent flashed in his eyes.
’Originally, I was wary of that terrifying aura and didn’t want to kill this man, only to escape.’
’But since he hates me this much, I can’t let him live.’
He stopped widening the distance between them, instead maintaining a certain gap, letting the man continue to chase him from behind. He planned to run a bit further before making his move.
"Who was your brother?" Xu Yang asked.
"Zhang Sai!" Zhang Bei snarled.
"Oh, so it was him," Xu Yang said, feigning realization. "I killed him with just a few punches. I didn’t expect you to be so strong when your brother was such a worthless piece of trash."
In the battle at Qiushui Manor, the first one he had killed was indeed Zhang Sai.
"You bastard! You’re dead today!"
Zhang Bei’s eyes blazed with fury, his killing intent boiling over. But no matter how desperately he chased, he couldn’t close the distance with Xu Yang.
He wasn’t sure how much time had passed, but Xu Yang estimated they were now several miles from where they started. It was impossible for the Blood Lotus Sect’s expert to have caught up.
He stopped and suddenly turned to face Zhang Bei, who had been latched onto his trail.
"Little bastard, why did you stop running? Finally realize you can’t escape?"
Zhang Bei roared, his savage killing intent so strong it was almost tangible. Black energy surged around him, making him look like a fiend that had clawed its way out of Hell.
With a flex of his arms, his long spear moved like a roaming dragon. An ink-black ray of light pulsed from its tip, tearing through the air with a sharp shriek.
Towards the man who killed his brother, he had nothing to say. He only wanted to take his head for revenge and, in doing so, earn great merit.
After Xu Yang killed Guan Du, the bounty on his head from the Blood Lotus Sect had soared even higher.
His original role was to be the rear guard, responsible for killing any Purple Sun Sect disciples who weren’t lured away. He never expected Xu Yang to be as cautious as ever. ’Even after reaching Marrow Cleansing Great Success, the bastard still didn’t fall for the bait.’
This spear thrust was unstoppable, charging forward relentlessly, yet it held a hint of unpredictability as it bore down on Xu Yang.
Killing intent exploded in Zhang Bei’s eyes as he frantically poured his black Gang Qi into the spear. Before the weapon even arrived, its sharp aura shattered the surrounding plants, the ray of light from its tip moving like an unpredictable dragon.
"You’ve pushed your luck far enough!"
Xu Yang’s gaze turned sharp, and two rays of brilliant light shot from his eyes.
He moved!