The main concern was the battle involving Third and Fourth Senior Brothers. The sounds from one of the fights had already ceased, turning the engagement into a two-on-one.
’Of the two senior brothers at Marrow Cleansing Great Success, one must have died. The other is being surrounded by two enemies. If I don’t deal with this person in front of me quickly, I’ll be in danger too.’
’What a waste of all that Spirit Iron. Another windfall for the Blood Lotus Sect.’
’If I had known, I would have grabbed a few pieces on my way out of the Fire Cave.’
PSSH!
A wisp of Gang Qi exploded on the cloth wrapping Cold Abyss. Shreds of fabric flew everywhere, revealing a dark hilt.
CLANG...
Amidst a crisp ringing like a dragon’s cry, Cold Abyss flew from its sheath. It burst forth like a flash of silver light, and in that instant, the surrounding temperature plummeted as an overwhelmingly sharp and fierce aura flooded the area.
A large, golden hand shot out like a bolt of lightning, firmly gripping Cold Abyss’s hilt in mid-air.
Xu Yang’s speeding figure came to an abrupt halt. His fierce aura seemed intent on splitting the heavens, and his entire being transformed into an unsheathed Treasure Saber, radiating a sharp edge.
Without the slightest hesitation, he swung Cold Abyss. The blade’s light descended like a silver streak, chopping down toward the Black-robed Blood Envoy’s head.
"A Half-Spirit Weapon!" the Black-robed Blood Envoy shrieked, his back instantly drenched in a cold sweat.
He never would have guessed that the cloth-wrapped object Xu Yang had been carrying on his back was actually a Half-Spirit Weapon.
In that instant, he felt his guts twist with terror, and alarm bells screamed in his mind.
Even at Marrow Cleansing Great Success, his body couldn’t withstand the slash of a Half-Spirit Weapon. Only the physical body of a Celestial Essence Martial Artist could directly endure such an attack.
Before the blade even arrived, its fierce aura made the hair on his body stand on end, and his Heart Spirit felt as if it were about to split apart.
Without any hesitation, the Black-robed Blood Envoy retreated rapidly while pushing his Protective Gang Qi to its absolute limit.
"Do you think you can escape?"
Killing intent boiled in Xu Yang’s eyes. Infused with Golden Gang Qi, the light from Cold Abyss’s blade suddenly flared out by three feet, and a searing heatwave rolled through the air.
PSSH!
As if cutting through tofu, the Black-robed Blood Envoy’s black Protective Gang Qi was sliced open with ease. Although he managed to avoid a fatal blow to the head, the golden blade light still slashed into his chest, severing bone, carving open his torso, and exposing his gleaming internal organs.
AAGH...
Blood sprayed as a scream pierced the eardrums.
The Black-robed Blood Envoy’s vision went black with pain. The cloak covering his head was blasted to pieces, revealing the twisted face of a middle-aged man.
Xu Yang’s gaze was ice-cold, his expression severe. He strode forward and thrust his saber through the man’s throat, and the scream was abruptly cut short.
The Black-robed Blood Envoy’s eyes widened, filled with unwillingness to accept his fate.
If he had known Xu Yang carried a Half-Spirit Weapon, he wouldn’t have pursued him so relentlessly. Even with the weapon, Xu Yang would never have been able to kill him.
SPLURT!
Xu Yang yanked Cold Abyss free. Blood gushed from the Black-robed Blood Envoy’s throat like a spring, spraying out in spurts.
Looking at Cold Abyss again, it was utterly unstained by blood, its surface smooth and bright.
Sheathing the Treasure Saber, he snatched up the Black-robed Blood Envoy’s collapsing body and vanished into the mountain forest like a great bird.
He began looting the corpse as he ran.
A few silver banknotes. He had no idea of the total value and wasn’t in the mood to check, so he just stuffed them inside his robes.
He continued searching the body and found a bottle of Elixirs, which he also took right away.
He searched again but found nothing else.
After running at top speed for another fifteen minutes with the corpse, he saw a bottomless great canyon with a pool of jade-green water below. With a powerful heave, he threw the Black-robed Blood Envoy’s body into the water.
The sounds of battle could no longer be heard in the distance, but Xu Yang didn’t stop. He ran wildly for another fifteen minutes before leaping into a large, leafy tree to hide.
Time slowly passed. After about fifteen minutes, the sound of something slicing through the air came from the forest.
Xu Yang was shocked, his whole body tensing up. ’I ran this far, and someone still managed to catch up?’
He peeked quietly through a gap in the leaves and saw a figure completely shrouded in a black robe speeding over from the direction of the Fire Valley. The figure moved like a ghost weaving through the forest, each footstep landing on either a rock or a tree trunk, as if to avoid leaving any tracks on the ground.
He carried a saber on his back and held a Beast Hide Bag in his hand.
’He’s not here for me. The operation is over, and he’s retreating.’
’They aren’t retreating together? They’re splitting up?’
’This time, the merit is substantial!’ Qian Kuan thought excitedly.
’By joining forces with the other Blood Envoys, not only did we kill two Marrow Cleansing Great Success disciples from the Purple Sun Sect and a batch of Outer Disciples, but we also stole the Purple Sun Sect’s purified Spirit Iron.’
’All this merit combined should be enough for me to exchange for a Spirit Medicine. I might even be able to successfully break through to the Celestial Essence Realm.’
’I can also hide some of this Spirit Iron.’
He thought to himself that everyone had hastily grabbed the Spirit Iron and fled separately. No one knew exactly how much anyone else had taken. If he secretly hid some and handed the rest over to the Lotus Envoy, no one would ever know he had kept some for himself.
’The other Blood Envoy went to hunt down Xu Yang. I wonder if he succeeded. If not, our merits will be greatly diminished.’
As Qian Kuan thought of this, his heart sank.
The Lotus Envoy had ordered that Xu Yang and Qiao Yong must be killed. Qiao Yong had died in the Fire Valley, but Xu Yang had escaped.
If Xu Yang didn’t die, their merit would be significantly less.
’What a dense tree. Perfect for hiding someone.’
A large, leafy tree suddenly appeared up ahead. As someone who constantly moved in the shadows, such a thought arose in his mind: if an expert were hiding in that tree, no one would ever be able to spot them.
His body moved like a phantom through the woods, his path taking him directly under the tree.
As he passed, he instinctively and curiously glanced up into the tree, his gaze meeting a pair of eyes filled with murderous intent.
His opponent was like a leopard lying in wait for its prey, pouncing from the tree like a lightning bolt, wrapped in a powerful aura.
ROAR!
A faint roar echoed in his ears. He saw the man’s entire body turn golden in an instant, as if cast from gold. The domineering Golden Gang Qi blasted a hole through the dense foliage of the large tree.
At the same time, he saw a giant golden bear materialize behind the man, radiating a tyrannical and vicious aura.
’Martial Dao Imagery?’
’Why would an expert who has already comprehended Martial Dao Imagery be hiding here?’
Qian Kuan’s pupils contracted violently. It felt as if a giant hand had suddenly seized his heart, and the circulation of his blood seemed to grind to a halt.
BOOM!
Black Gang Qi erupted like a mountain flood, rapidly enveloping his body.
Qian Kuan’s body burst with black light as he tried to retreat in terror, but it was too late.
Xu Yang, glowing gold and surging with his Martial Dao Imagery, dove from the tree like a thunderclap, unleashing both his Golden Gang Skill and Martial Dao Imagery at once.
Mountain-Shattering and Mountain-Breaking!
Qian Kuan had only just lifted his foot when Xu Yang’s large hand, wreathed in Golden Gang Qi, slammed into his chest. A Force akin to a landslide or tsunami poured out madly.
BANG!
Like a heavy hammer striking a leather drum, the black Protective Gang Qi shattered on impact, transforming into a terrifying Force that swept out in all directions. The surrounding trees exploded with a series of bangs.
Qian Kuan trembled, unable to react further as the golden hand struck his chest with overwhelming force.
CRACK!
A sickening crack of breaking bone echoed out. Qian Kuan’s chest caved in on the spot. Dirt flew up from under his feet as the powerful force slammed him a foot deep into the ground, burying him up to his knees in soil.
AAGH...
His vision went black with pain. He could no longer spare a thought for the Beast Hide Bag of Spirit Iron in his hand. He frantically struck out with both palms in a final, desperate counterattack.
’If I’m going to die, I’m taking this ambusher with me!’
BOOM!
Xu Yang dodged to the side. The black Gang Qi erupted, instantly snapping a thick tree behind him and sending splinters flying.
The phantom of the giant golden bear roared. Xu Yang had already appeared behind Qian Kuan like a ghost, his Mountain-Shattering and Mountain-Breaking Palm Force striking out once more.
BOOM!
The air let out a muffled roar, sending out visible ripples. Before Qian Kuan could even turn, the golden palm had already landed on his back.
CRACK!
Like a radish being pulled from the ground, Qian Kuan, who had been driven into the earth, was blasted out. His spine snapped, his upper body folding over his lower half as he fell to the ground several dozen feet away.