Yu Ci was only feeling that this was troublesome, while the people at the Sun Light Sect were about to lose their minds!
“Run, run, all you know how to do is run… If you have guts, come and fight me head-on! That little b*stard, a gutless coward!”
Huang Tai’s face twisted with rage as he cursed at the endless clouds and mist, long having discarded the dignity of a leader into the depths of a bottomless abyss. His boiling blood rushed to his head, causing his face to flush red, making the inch-long scar on his forehead glow an even brighter crimson, becoming more and more conspicuous.
This was a souvenir from the one and only direct confrontation between him and Yu Ci the day before.
With Huang Tai’s mid-level Divine Connectivity cultivation, well-trained subordinates, and a poisonous tool like the “Thousand Mouth Bees” at his side, he shouldn’t have been injured at all. However, in their brief clash, Yu Ci’s fierce and ruthless swordsmanship, willing to gamble his life, had caught him off guard.
At that time, Yu Ci was fending off a battle formation of twenty-five warriors, while Huang Tai was preparing to activate his weapon for a decisive strike. But in that very moment, Yu Ci’s sharp sword Qi tore through the warriors’ defenses and lunged toward him, using a life-for-life tactic to try and behead him.
Distracted by the sudden attack, Huang Tai barely managed to retreat thanks to his superior cultivation, his Yin Spirit unleashing its potential, allowing him to dodge just in time. Otherwise, it wouldn’t have been just a mere injury.
Taking advantage of Huang Tai’s momentary retreat, Yu Ci escaped with ease, leaving him so enraged he nearly spat blood.
It was then that Huang Tai realized that the sword Qi left on him wasn’t as harmless as it seemed.
What appeared to be a shallow scratch, like a scrape from a tree branch, actually had traces of sword Qi seeping into him. Although it hadn’t reached his brain, the chilling cold hidden within the strike still sent shivers down his scalp. Nearly ten hours had passed, and though his blood still boiled, under his burning skin, it felt as if a block of ice had settled. The biting cold sank deep into his chest, freezing his very heart.
“This sword Qi is so damn sinister!”
The more discomfort he felt, the more irritable Huang Tai became. Thinking back, he hadn’t even utilized thirty percent of his strength during the battle, yet Yu Ci managed to escape easily, leaving him with a hidden wound. He had lost both face and advantage—how could he not be angry? How could he not hate?
The warriors around him all hung their heads low, not daring to meet his gaze.
Yesterday’s battle hadn’t just been humiliating for Huang Tai. Even the warriors had lost four of their own. Two of them had been accidentally k!lled by Huang Tai’s out-of-control “Thousand Mouth Bees,” dying horrific deaths.
Now, the morale of the group had plummeted to the lowest point.
Liu Siwei coldly watched as Huang Tai vented his frustrations. He knew it was time to say something. “We can’t keep chasing him like this.”
Huang Tai didn’t immediately recognize who was speaking and glared angrily, but when he saw it was his partner, he held back his fury and spoke in a low voice, “Old Liu, what do you mean?”
“We need to retreat as soon as possible! Yesterday’s battle has already allowed us to gather that b*stard’s blood and Qi imprint. All we need to do is return and ask Steward Tu to take action. With the Nine Heavens Ten Earths Soul Locking Method, even if that b*stard flies to the heavens or burrows into the earth, he won’t escape our grasp.”
Huang Tai didn’t like the suggestion. “We’ve come this far, and you want to pull back? Old Liu, if we stop chasing now, wouldn’t that little b*stard laugh at us?”
“Chasing him will only make us look like fools!”
Liu Siwei raised his voice, “Look at what we’ve been doing these past few days. How many fierce birds and beasts have we encountered? He’s alone and can move easily, but we’re a group—there’s no way to avoid these ambushes! How many times have we fought these frustrating battles?”
“That b*stard was able to gather Dragon Fish Grass in the Sky Rift Valley, which means he’s incredibly familiar with this place. For all we know, he’s been deliberately leading us around in circles in the valley these past couple of days. If we keep this up, it’s not a question of whether we can catch him—it’s a question of whether we’ll be worn out before he is!”
“Rubbish!”
Huang Tai couldn’t contain his rage any longer and roared like thunder. “We have over twenty men, taking turns on duty, with two hours of rest every day! That little b*stard is all alone in the valley—who’s going to keep watch for him at night? If anyone’s going to be worn out, it’s him, not us!”
The warriors all bowed their heads even lower, while Liu Siwei sneered and pressed forward. “You still have time to rest. What about me? In the past two days, you’ve been pushing me to the brink, making me use ‘One Breath, Three Calls’ eight times just to barely track that guy. Each time drains a huge amount of my vitality. Even if I stop now, it will take a month or two to recover. Have you ever considered that?”
Huang Tai was momentarily stunned, and Liu Siwei pressed on with his words:
“Even if I can hold on a few more times, the Soul Searching Mirror isn’t omnipotent. After using ‘One Breath, Three Calls’ a few times to forcibly activate it, Old Ding’s remnant soul inside is already depleted. The soul we replaced it with yesterday was from one of our own people, but how long can that last? Speaking of which, we’re chasing after that mark…”
Huang Tai impatiently waved his hand, “We’ve been chasing someone down in the valley for two days, all for a mark? If we return now, it’d be embarrassing to report. In my opinion, we should keep pursuing. That little b*stard is running out of tricks. He keeps repeating that same sword Qi. With those moves, at most he can strike five swords… no, three is his limit. By then, he’ll be like a chicken waiting to be slaughtered!”
“But you still have to let him strike those three swords first. The fact is, he’s determined to escape the moment we make contact, and his familiarity with the terrain in the surrounding mist is baffling…”
“You’re ruining the morale of others…”
“Yellow-faced b*stard!”
Liu Siwei finally snapped. “Don’t pretend to be ignorant while acting foolish! You’re scared of Steward Tu’s punishment, but don’t you dare put our brothers’ lives at risk to cover your mistakes! What may be just a simple task for Steward Tu is something we have to sacrifice our lives for! If you want to finish that man off, how many more of our brothers’ lives do you plan to throw away?”
Huang Tai was furious. It was one thing for Liu Siwei to defy him, but now he was rallying the surrounding warriors, openly challenging his authority—an offense deserving death!
More importantly, Liu Siwei’s words struck Huang Tai where it hurt most. The Sect Master had warned him, yet he rashly sent Lu Ding, Si Long, and others to capture the target, leading to their total annihilation. That was an unforgivable mistake. If he couldn’t capture Yu Ci in time to make amends, what awaited him when Steward Tu arrived would be far worse than just punishment.
Now, Liu Siwei had no regard for the consequences, tearing off all pretenses and exposing Huang Tai’s selfish motives. No matter how this situation ended, Huang Tai’s reputation in the sect was sure to be ruined!
“You da*mn…”
Before the final word left his mouth, Huang Tai’s eyes suddenly widened.
A figure had just swept past right under his nose!
Only a second later, a muffled groan from the outer perimeter confirmed a sect guard had fallen in the last moments of his life.
Someone shouted: “He’s here!”
Huang Tai shoved the people in his way, almost pushing Liu Siwei over the edge of the cliff. Huang Tai couldn’t care less; his eyes were wide as he stared into the mist, but he couldn’t see a thing. In his urgency, he roared:
“Where’s the damn Soul Searching Mirror?”
Liu Siwei was also startled by the sudden shadow but responded coldly when he saw Huang Tai’s attitude: “The effect of ‘One Breath, Three Calls’ just ended. We’ll need at least half an hour before it can be used again!”
Huang Tai nearly ground his teeth to dust, glaring at Liu Siwei viciously before turning back and shouting, “Chase him!”
Even though Huang Tai’s authority had greatly diminished, his command was still absolute. The majority of the warriors immediately followed him in pursuit.
However, Liu Siwei didn’t move, and neither did the two confidants beside him. One of them quietly asked, “What should we do now, boss?”
“Follow them and watch. We couldn’t catch him with the Soul Searching Mirror before, and now it’s even more impossible! Hmph, that Yu Ci certainly knows how to seize an opportunity, timing everything perfectly. Yet, in the past few days, he wasn’t acting like this at all…”
Shaking his head, Liu Siwei cradled the Soul Searching Mirror and jumped down. The nearby footholds had already been carefully calculated, and his two subordinates guarded him from the front and back, making the descent smooth. Still, if Liu Siwei knew what had happened to three Divine Connectivity stage cultivators who used a similar formation months ago, he would have been far more cautious.
Suddenly, in the mist, a cold gleam flashed.
Outside of Liu Siwei’s awareness, it was as if time had rewound.
Months ago, there had been another person in a similar situation, possessing about the same cultivation level as Liu Siwei. Like him, this individual had jumped down, body suspended in midair. Like him, there had been no defense, and a sword had pierced a vital point. Similarly, the person’s strength had been weakened, their condition far from its peak. The only difference was that the one wielding the sword had, by then, received sword intent teachings from Ye Bin and had mastered innate Qi, causing their power to multiply!
Liu Siwei barely had time to register the surprise on his face before the sword Qi pierced his neck.
The sword’s light was too fragmented, like sand caught in the throat. The “sand” slipped into the chest and piled up at the top of the head, tearing everything in its path into shreds.
“That idiot, Huang Tai!”
This was Liu Siwei’s final thought.
Yu Ci charged out of the mist, just in time to meet a personal guard leaping down from behind.
As the guard’s face filled with horror, Yu Ci thrust his sword straight through the abdomen, the sword Qi destroying the guard’s internal organs, cutting him down on the spot.
The guard let out a single scream.
Yu Ci didn’t immediately withdraw his sword, instead using the weight of both bodies to sharply increase his speed, propelling himself ahead of Steward Liu. Only after he adjusted his movement did he pull out the sword and swiftly retreat into the distance.
As for the man below who had just realized what was happening, Yu Ci didn’t spare him a glance.
With his initial impression, Huang Tai chased for over five miles. His mind gradually calmed down. He realized that if he continued like this, he would achieve nothing but further embarrassment. After all, to hunt down Yu Ci, he needed the Soul Searching Mirror. Without Liu Siwei’s cooperation, Huang Tai was as blind as a bat.
Unfortunately, the two had just fallen out, and trying to patch things up now was no easy task.
At that moment, he heard a scream near the spot where they had landed earlier.
His entire body jolted, and his hairs stood on end. Without a word, he turned and hurried back. Just as he leaped three zhang forward, he heard the sound of rushing wind above his head. Instinctively, he dodged to the side, only to see a vaguely familiar corpse, shrouded in mist, falling straight down.
Then, another one!
This time, Huang Tai saw the face of the corpse clearly. Startled, he reached out and caught the falling body. The force of the catch sent a shockwave through his chest, making him groan, but that no longer mattered.
“Steward Liu!”
Someone nearby shouted.
However, Steward Liu could no longer respond. His shocked expression was still clear on his face, but his features had stiffened into death, with no sign of life. A fine red line marked his throat.
Huang Tai’s mind went blank for a moment, then he suddenly snapped out of it and roared, “The Soul Searching Mirror! Where’s the Soul Searching Mirror?”
An experienced warrior stepped forward to investigate. He raised Steward Liu’s still-warm hand, but Huang Tai’s rage and strength instantly drained away.
The Soul Searching Mirror was gone, and even the storage ring had disappeared.
Above, another scream echoed: “He’s here, he’s here! Steward Liu was k!lled by him, k!lled…”
“Curse your ancestors!”
Huang Tai erupted in fury, roaring as he waved his sleeve. With a hum, thousands of fiery needles tore through the mist, shooting toward the direction of the scream. The sharp sounds of countless explosions echoed as the fire needles collided with rocks, and then… the screams fell silent.
The remaining ten or so warriors stood frozen in fear, not daring to make a sound.
Huang Tai also fell silent. After a long pause, he slowly began to walk again, chuckling darkly. In that chilling laughter, he waved his hand dismissively. “Let’s go, let’s all leave, to hell with it!”
With that, he started climbing again, not toward the scene of the incident, but straight upward, never looking back.
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