Chen Hu’s face looked cold and sinister. Just as he wanted to dodge, he felt the True Qi inside his Dantian was in utter chaos, swirling around uncontrollably.
Chen Hu was instantly shocked. With his True Qi in disarray, if he were struck by the Pill Furnace that was tumbling towards him, he would be gravely injured or killed.
Suddenly, Chen Hu glanced to his side and saw a figure not far away in mid-air. It was Tang Zhu, dressed in simple attire.
Tang Zhu had always had a striking beauty, and Chen Hu had harbored some feelings for her, with the two occasionally exchanging secret glances.
Yet, at this moment, Chen Hu did not hesitate at all. He reached with his right hand to his waist and pulled out the Nine-Section Steel Whip wrapped around it.
In mid-air, Chen Hu flicked the whip, wrapping its end around Tang Zhu’s waist nearby.
Tang Zhu, in mid-air, thought that Chen Hu was trying to save her when he suddenly wrapped the whip around her waist.
She turned to him with a charming smile, but in the next instant, Chen Hu suddenly whipped, using the Nine-Section Whip to fling Tang Zhu towards the Pill Furnace coming at him.
Tang Zhu’s charming smile froze on her face as she realized she was being flung straight towards the massive shadow of the Pill Furnace. The situation unfolded so quickly that she didn’t have time to react. With a soft thud, her face slammed into the edge of the furnace wall.
A sizzling sound ensued as half of her face seared against the scorching Pill Furnace, releasing a wisp of white smoke.
A scream erupted just as Chen Hu let go of the Nine-Section Whip.
Colliding with the side of the furnace, Tang Zhu managed to veer the Pill Furnace slightly off course from Chen Hu. Using the momentum, in a split second, Chen Hu dodged the Pill Furnace and landed on the ground.
With a heavy thud, the massive Pill Furnace smashed Tang Zhu into the ground.
From the waist down, Tang Zhu was crushed beyond recognition, the flesh and blood simmering under the heated furnace, emitting thick white smoke...
Chen Hu gazed expressionlessly, cold sweat beading on his forehead.
Tang Zhu, not far from Chen Hu, crawled towards him, her lower body a bloody mess...
Tang Zhu raised her head, half her face already ruined, her eyeball dangling, linked by a few strands of flesh. In her other eye, an immensely hateful and venomous glare shone. "Chen Hu, why did you harm me like this?..."
Her voice was shrill like a malevolent spirit.
Chen Hu’s face turned pale, retreating two steps as his lips trembled, saying, "Don’t... don’t come any closer..."
They had fallen near the edge of the stone wall, and as Chen Hu retreated, his back pressed against the wall, with Tang Zhu crawling close to him.
"Why... did you harm me?"
Tang Zhu’s half-ruined face and piercing voice terrified Chen Hu into a panic.
Her terrifying appearance was even more dreadful than a real ghost.
In Chen Hu’s moment of chaos, Tang Zhu suddenly reached out and grabbed Chen Hu’s foot.
The moment Tang Zhu grabbed his foot, Chen Hu’s soul seemed to leave his body, his face turning ashen. He wanted to shake off Tang Zhu’s hand but suddenly staggered and fell.
Tang Zhu’s hand, covered in rotting flesh and blood, was clutching an empty shoe as she lay motionless.
Chen Hu fell to the ground, his body weak with fear. He frantically kicked backward, retreating a distance while looking in terror at Tang Zhu lying there...
Tang Zhu was already dead, but Chen Hu remained lying on the ground, unable to rise. His eyes fixed on Tang Zhu, fearing she might move...
In that brief moment, he truly felt as if he was prey to a hellish ghost...
Meanwhile, the other people had all crash-landed in a haphazard manner.
Only Shang Xiangyu, a Martial Artist at the Primordial Qi Realm Great Perfection, remained unaffected by the rampant Heaven and Earth Primordial Qi.
He now stood like stone in front of the tilted Pill Furnace, eyes gray and lifeless, murmuring, "The furnace exploded? How could this happen? Why did it explode?..."
Pan Yong, with a dirty face, climbed up from the corner of the cave, slowly approaching Shang Xiangyu from behind.
He glanced at Shang Xiangyu’s despondent silhouette and the overturned Pill Furnace not far away, noticing the blackened interior filled with an intense burnt smell even from his position.
Seeing Shang Xiangyu standing still before the furnace as if petrified, Pan Yong’s eyes flickered, he cautiously stepped forward and said, "Master Shang..."
Just as Pan Yong spoke, Shang Xiangyu turned and looked at him, his eyes bloodshot, his face distorted, nearly deranged, murmuring, "I clearly extracted the medicinal power of the Black Blood Fruit, why did the furnace explode? Why?"
Seeing Shang Xiangyu’s state, Pan Yong was shocked, ready to retreat, but was suddenly grabbed by Shang Xiangyu by the neck.
Shang Xiangyu tightened his grip on Pan Yong’s neck, lifting him off the ground.
Shang Xiangyu’s face contorted in madness as he stared at Pan Yong, asking, "Was it you? Did you tamper with it? Wasn’t it?"
Pan Yong waved his hands repeatedly, but Shang Xiangyu’s grip was like an iron clamp; he could barely breathe, let alone speak.
In the moment Duan Rong landed, he consumed a medicinal pill left by Shen Ping and sat cross-legged, starting to regulate his breathing.
At that moment, Duan Rong noticed the commotion over here and suddenly opened his eyes. A hint of solemnity flashed in his gaze. He walked slowly to a large rock closest to the cave entrance. If Shang Xiangyu strangled Pan Yong, he would leave immediately.
It was then that the madness in Shang Xiangyu’s eyes gradually faded, and he suddenly released his grip on Pan Yong’s neck.
Pan Yong, with a look of lingering fear, re-sheathed the dagger into his sleeve. He almost acted, but truly lacked the courage to stab Shang Xiangyu, who had reached Primordial Qi Realm Great Perfection.
Pan Yong’s neck was bruised and purple, and he gasped for air, his voice hoarse as he said, "Master Shang, you personally guided the herb processing and alchemy. When did I ever tamper?"
"When would I dare to tamper?"
As Pan Yong spoke, he actually prostrated on the ground and began to weep bitterly.
Seeing Shang Xiangyu release Pan Yong, Duan Rong took a few more steps into the cave, sat cross-legged in a corner again, and began to regulate his breathing.
At this moment, the violent Heaven and Earth Primordial Qi in the air had dissipated. Duan Rong began to gather and circulate the chaotic True Qi within his Dantian again.
Shang Xiangyu looked at the prostrated Pan Yong, sighed heavily, glanced dejectedly at the toppled Pill Furnace beside him, and walked out of the cave without a word.
Pan Yong lay prone for a long time, then slowly raised his head, only to find Shang Xiangyu had already left. He got up, wiped the tear stains off his face, and his expression instantly turned cold.
At this moment, Chen Hu finally snapped out of his terror. From the pile of remains beneath the Pill Furnace, he extracted his Nine-section Whip. With a slight shake, he dislodged the bits of flesh clinging to it.
Then, he directly wrapped the Nine-section Whip around his waist.
By this time, Duan Rong had finally finished regulating his breathing and stood up.
Pan Yong got up from the ground, and Yin Cong approached from behind, hesitantly asking, "Senior Brother, what should we do?"
Pan Yong glared at Yin Cong and said, "How should I know?"
After speaking, Pan Yong turned on his heel and walked out of the cave.
As Pan Yong left, Duan Rong also walked out slowly.
Yin Cong glanced at Tang Zhu’s decaying corpse, then at the pale-faced Chen Hu and the toppled Pill Furnace, and quickly exited the cave, catching up with Duan Rong’s silhouette, saying, "Duan Rong, wait for me."
Chen Hu stood there, glancing at the shoe grasped in Tang Zhu’s hand. He ultimately didn’t have the courage to retrieve it. His expression turned fierce as he spat on Tang Zhu’s corpse before finally leaving the cave.
Duan Rong and Yin Cong walked on the pitch-black mountain path, and Yin Cong suddenly whispered, "Duan Rong, did you see? Tang Zhu was killed by Chen Hu. That guy is really ruthless."
Duan Rong said, "I didn’t see!"
Actually, Duan Rong saw it very clearly. From his position, he saw it even more clearly than Yin Cong.
Yin Cong said, "But I saw it..."
Just as Yin Cong was speaking, a figure suddenly darted out from the dense forest beside them and coldly asked, "What did you see?"
It was Chen Hu’s voice.
In the darkness, Yin Cong’s expression was terrified, trembling as he said, "I... I didn’t see anything..."
Chen Hu rasped, "Tang Shimei, she died by hitting the exploded Pill Furnace herself! Understand?"
Speaking, Chen Hu suddenly grabbed Yin Cong by the collar. "Remember that?"
Yin Cong’s lips trembled as he said, "Senior Brother, what are you going to do?"
In the darkness, Yin Cong saw the menacing gleam in Chen Hu’s eyes, and he suddenly said, "Duan Rong, save me..."
Duan Rong sighed and suddenly said, "Senior Brother Chen, haven’t you caused enough trouble?"
Chen Hu released Yin Cong’s collar, staring at Duan Rong in the dark, saying, "I don’t care about your background. Here’s a piece of advice: minding your own business might just let you live longer."
Duan Rong expressionlessly faced the dark shadow before him and coldly said, "Senior Brother Chen, do you really think anyone cares about Tang Shimei’s death? I think it’s just you worrying yourself to death."
Earlier, when Tang Zhu died in front of everyone, none of them asked a thing and simply exited the cave. That already explained it.
After Duan Rong finished speaking, he stepped on the rocky cliff, jumping down to the edge of the precipice. Yin Cong immediately followed.
Chen Hu looked into the darkness, watching Duan Rong’s silhouette disappear, his right facial muscle twitching uncontrollably.
Duan Rong’s words really hit him where it hurt.