Chapter 147: Nie Renchou, Dead!

"Nie Renchou!!"

After a brief silence, Guan Shanhai roared and transformed into a streak of light, chasing the direction where the blood-colored figure had vanished.

Swoosh!

Swoosh~

Zhou Tong, silent as ever, followed closely behind.

Two Earth Altar realm experts vanished from sight in the space of a breath.

"…"

"Do you think Nie Renchou can escape?" Pang Yunrui asked, gazing at where the three had disappeared.

"Probably," Qin Liangjing replied uncertainly. "Nie Renchou's lightness skill has reached the pinnacle—he moves with the speed of a blood shadow; even a typical Peak Foundation Establishment cultivator can't catch him."

"Forget him," Shen Ge sighed. "There's nothing left to explore here. Let's go."

Inside the ancient ruins, the end of the trial path stood empty—besides the stolen Holy Spirit Pearl, perhaps some unclaimed Infernal Stones remained within the second trial's labyrinthine Shi Lin.

The surrounding ancient ruins, worn by ten thousand years of time, had long been abandoned, leaving no valuable remnants.

Chen Mu, Pang Yunrui, Shen Ge, and Qin Liangjing briefly conferred and decided not to waste time rummaging through the ruins like other desperate cultivators.

They retraced their steps and soon passed through the gradually fading light gate, leaving the ancient sect's trial grounds.

Outside, the sunlight was blinding, and the air was far fresher than within the ruins.

Yet, the moment the four stepped out of the light gate, their feet barely grounded, they heard a series of violent energy roars echoing from the distant sky!

Looking up, they saw two brilliant lights colliding and crossing each other several miles away.

One was a radiant, majestic golden sword light, cutting through space with righteous energy, its blade motion like a gentleman walking the righteous path—grand and imposing.

The other was a vicious, brutal blood-colored saber shadow, sinister and ruthless, each slash seeming to summon the wails of ten thousand vengeful spirits.

Two utterly opposed forces continuously clashed, unleashing thunderous booms that shredded the clouds above into fragments.

"Such a powerful commotion! Are these Earth Altar realm experts fighting?" Qin Liangjing's expression hardened.

Pang Yunrui, impulsive as ever, grabbed a cultivator who had exited the ruins earlier and was still trembling as he watched the distant battle. "Brother, what's going on over there? Who's fighting?"

The cultivator, recognizing Pang Yunrui's identity, dared not delay. "It's… it's Nie Renchou of the Xuemo Sect! He'd just escaped with the stolen Holy Spirit Pearl when he was blocked by 'Gentleman Sword' Li Chenghao! These two have a deep grudge—they didn't say a word before attacking. It's terrifying!"

"'Gentleman Sword' Li Chenghao?"

Shen Ge's eyes widened. "The one ranked thirty-first on the Qilong List? He's a pillar of the orthodox sects, always opposed to the Mo Sect."

The cultivator added, "Exactly! And the two Earth Altar realm elders who chased out—Guan Shanhai and Zhou Tong—they've caught up too. Looks like they're after Nie Renchou's Holy Spirit Pearl!"

The four instantly understood the situation.

Nie Renchou had become the target of all—forced to face Li Chenghao while dodging ambushes from two Earth Altar realm experts.

"Go! Let's see!" Chen Mu decided instantly.

It wasn't that he wanted to join the scramble—he simply knew that observing a battle between an Earth Altar realm master and a top-tier Qilong List prodigy would greatly benefit his own cultivation, and perhaps he could glimpse some of Nie Renchou's techniques. That man was treacherous and cruel; he needed to be watched closely.

Of course, if anyone died…

"Alright!"

Qin Liangjing, Shen Ge, and Pang Yunrui all agreed immediately.

The four immediately activated their movement arts, like four arrows streaking toward the direction of the roaring energy.

The battle ahead was fierce—and constantly shifting.

Nie Renchou clearly didn't want to be cornered; he fought while retreating, seeking an opening to escape.

Li Chenghao's swordplay was superb, righteous and imposing, pinning him down relentlessly.

Guan Shanhai and Zhou Tong moved like two venomous snakes, circling the perimeter, launching sharp attacks that targeted Nie Renchou—and sometimes "accidentally" struck Li Chenghao. The scene grew chaotic and dangerous.

The four chased over a dozen miles, and from afar they saw Nie Renchou's blood aura raging wildly—he, a mere Peak Foundation Establishment cultivator, was fighting with the terrifying strength of a beginner Earth Altar realm expert!

His saber techniques were bizarre and cruel; his movement was ghostlike, often evading lethal blows at the last possible instant—and even counterattacking.

Yet he faced three experts.

Li Chenghao's strength was equal to his own—his swordplay was refined, his lightness skill peerless, and his righteous energy suppressed Nie Renchou's demonic arts.

Guan Shanhai and Zhou Tong were veteran Earth Altar realm masters, seasoned in battle. Individually, they might not defeat Nie Renchou quickly, but together, their flanking pressure was deadly.

Nie Renchou surged left and right; his reputation as the Blood Shadow Saber Madman was no lie—countless souls had fallen beneath his blade. Now, cornered like a wounded beast, he fought with terrifying ferocity, nearly breaking the encirclement several times.

But Li Chenghao's Gentleman Sword clung to him like a shadow, always forcing him back.

This chase and siege lasted about half an hour.

Nie Renchou's aura finally began to decline irreversibly.

He was merely a Peak Foundation Establishment cultivator; such intense use of demonic arts drained him immensely, and he had even activated a forbidden technique that sacrificed his potential.

His blood aura thinned; his speed and strength dropped.

"Nie Renchou, die!" Li Chenghao seized his chance—a brilliant sword light descended like divine punishment.

Guan Shanhai and Zhou Tong struck simultaneously, left and right, sealing every escape route.

"All of you deserve to die!" Nie Renchou screamed in despair and fury, swinging his blade desperately to block.

Boom!!

A massive explosion erupted—the bloodlight was utterly drowned by golden sword qi and two torrents of overwhelming force.

When the energy cleared, Nie Renchou knelt half-dead, covered in blood. A cracked curved saber lay beside him. His chest was pierced through by Li Chenghao's sword qi, and multiple wounds from Guan Shanhai and Zhou Tong's strikes marred his body.

His eyes grew dim, filled with hatred and unwillingness—then his head slumped, and he died.

The once-mighty, infamous Blood Shadow Saber Madman Nie Renchou had finally perished here.

Coincidentally, Nie Renchou's body lay within a hundred meters of Chen Mu.

So…

【Corpse detected. Retrieve?】

"Yes!"

With the card in hand, Chen Mu reached into his pocket without showing any expression to check it.

Equipment card!

Inside was sealed a bead—the Holy Spirit Bead!

……

Nie Renchou's corpse lay limp on the ground, his blood staining the soil.

Guan Shanhai and Zhou Tong lunged forward almost simultaneously, like wolves pouncing on prey, frantically rummaging through his body, their faces twisted with urgency and greed.

Yet after tearing open every stitch of Nie Renchou's clothing, even his shoes and socks, searching every inch inside and out, they found nothing but a few vials of Xuemo Sect pills and some loose silver coins—the Holy Spirit Bead, which should have been on Nie Renchou's person and radiating a seven-colored aura, had vanished without a trace!

"Where's the bead?!"