Chapter 438

【DISCOVERED CORPSE, PICK UP?】

"YES!"

……

CARD IN HAND.

CHEN MU'S HANDS DID NOT STOP, HIS BODY MOVING QUICKLY.

THE SHORT, STOUT OFFICIAL, THE FASTEST TO FLEE, HAD ALREADY REACHED OVER A HUNDRED ZHANG AWAY, ON THE VERGE OF VANISHING INTO A THICK THICKET, A SLIGHT LOOK OF RELIEF ON HIS FACE.

JUST AS HE WAS ABOUT TO ESCAPE, CHEN MU'S NEXT BLADE RAY, WITH A MORE DECEPTIVE ANGLE AND FASTER SPEED, CAME FROM BEHIND AND STRUCK DIRECTLY AT HIS BACK!

THE SHORT, STOUT OFFICIAL'S HAIRS STOOD ON END; AT THE MOMENT OF LIFE AND DEATH, HE GRITTED HIS TEETH, A FLASH OF PAIN CROSSING HIS FACE, AND PULLED OUT A BLACK BONE TALISMAN ENGRAVED WITH TWISTED RUNES, EMITTING UNSTABLE SPACE RIPPLES, AND CRUSHED IT WITHOUT HESITATION!

"WHUM~!"

A THICK, STICKY BLACK LIGHT, AS IF SWALLOWING LIGHT ITSELF, INSTANTLY ENVELOPED HIS WHOLE BODY; WITHIN THE BLACK LIGHT, THE DISTANT WAILING OF SOULS COULD BE HEARD.

"WHAT IS THAT?"

CHEN MU'S BROWS RISESLIGHTLY AS HE STARED AT THE SCENE ON THE OTHER SIDE.

HIS BLADE RAY STRUCK THE BLACK LIGHT—LIKE A MUD OX ENTERING THE SEA—ONLY STIRRING INTENSE RIPPLES WITHOUT BREAKING THROUGH.

SWISH!

THE BLACK LIGHT SUDDENLY CONTRACTED INWARD, AND THE NEXT MOMENT, TOGETHER WITH THE SHORT, STOUT OFFICIAL, HE VANISHED FROM THE SPOT.

IN THE AIR A HUNDRED ZHANG AWAY, A FAINT SPACE RIPPLE FLICKERED; THE SHORT, STOUT OFFICIAL'S STUMBLING FIGURE FLASHED BRIEFLY ON A HILL FARther AWAY, THEN DIVED WITHOUT LOOKING BACK INTO THE DEEP FOREST, HIS ENERGY QUICKLY DISTANCING AND DISAPPEARING.

"SO FAST?"

CHEN MU, SEEING THIS, DID NOT CHASE.

DO NOT PURSUE A DESPERATE ENEMY; MOREOVER, HE USED A POWERFUL TREASURE—HIS QI MUST BE SEVERELY DAMAGED, AND HE WON'T BE A THREAT IN THE SHORT TERM.

MORE IMPORTANTLY, THE NOISE FROM THE COLLAPSED AREA BEHIND HIM WAS GROWING LOUDER, AND THE HEAVENLY AND EARTHLY QI WAS GROWING INCREASINGLY FEROCIOUS.

"TAKE TANG BIN AND LEAVE THIS PLACE IMMEDIATELY!"

CHEN MU SHEATHED HIS SWORD AND SAID IN A GRAVE VOICE TO ZHOU YAN AND THE OTHERS, WHO WERE STRUGGLING TO STAND UP, SERIOUSLY INJURED BUT SPIRITED.

"YES! THANK YOU, MY LORD, FOR SAVING OUR LIVES!"

ZHOU YAN AND THE OTHERS RESPONDED WITH EXCITEMENT, QUICKLY FORMING PAIRS—ONE ON GUARD, THE OTHER CAREFULLY LIFTING THE UNCONSCIOUS TANG BIN—AND RAPIDLY SEARCHED THE BODIES OF THE OFFICIALS AND THE SEEMING LEADER OF THE MO SECT FOR IDENTIFICATION ITEMS, MAPS, AND OTHER POTENTIALLY USEFUL OBJECTS.

JUST AS THE GROUP HAD RETREATED LESS THAN A LI—

BOOM!!

A ROAR FAR MORE VIOLENT THAN ANY BEFORE, AS IF HEAVEN WAS CRUMBLING AND EARTH WAS SHATTERING, CAME FROM BEHIND THE AREA WHERE THEY HAD JUST FOUGHT.

THE GROUND SHOOK LIKE A DRUMHEAD, MAKING THEM STUMBLE, ACCOMPANIED BY THE CRACKLING SOUND OF BREAKING ROCK.

THE GROUP TURNED BACK IN HORROR—SEEING THE HILLTOP, ALREADY CRACKED AND COLLAPSING, SUDDENLY BULGED UPWARD, THEN EXPLODED IN A ROAR!

A GIANT BLACK HOLE, OVER FIFTEEN ZHANG IN DIAMETER AND DEEP BEYOND SIGHT, APPEARED SUDDENLY; DUST, SHATTERED ROCKS, AND THICK EMERALD-GREEN TOXIC GAS FORMED A MASSIVE SMOKE COLUMN RISING TOWARD THE SKY.

SHHH! SHHH!

TWO FIGURES, ONE BEHIND THE OTHER, SURGING WITH VAST, TERRIFYING HEAVENLY AND EARTHLY POWER, SHOT OUT FROM THE TERRIBLE BLACK HOLE, RACING TOWARD THE CLOUDS.

IT WAS ELDER TIE TANG AND THE MO SECT ELDER!

AT THIS MOMENT, ELDER TIE TANG'S CLOTHING WAS TORN IN MULTIPLE PLACES, HIS HAIR AND BEARD DISHEVELED, BLOOD DRIED AT THE CORNER OF HIS MOUTH, AND EXPOSED SKIN SHOWED SEVERAL EMERALD-GREEN CORROSION MARKS—CLEARLY INJURED DURING THE BATTLE IN THE CAVE AND THE COLLAPSE.

BUT HIS BACK WAS STRAIGHT, HIS EYES BLAZING WITH SPARKLING LIGHT, HIS SURROUNDING EARTH-COLORED GARRIUS CHURNING LIKE A TIDE, DRAWING EARTH QI FROM A RADIUS OF SEVERAL LI, LIKE AN ANCIENT WAR GOD WALKING FROM THE EARTH—HIS ENERGY VAST, HIS BATTLE SPIRIT HIGH!

THE MO SECT ELDER, BY CONTRAST, WAS IN A TERRIBLE STATE.

HIS SIGNATURE EMERALD-GREEN ROBE HAD BEEN REDUCED TO RAGS, HANGING LOOSELY ON HIS BODY, REVEALING A SHRUNKEN, SKELETAL FRAME COVERED IN COUNTLESS FINE CRACKS, FROM WHICH THICK EMERALD-GREEN PUS AND TOXIC GAS CONTINUOUSLY OZED.

HIS HAIR WAS DISHEVELED, HIS FACE PALE AS A GHOST, AND ONLY HIS EYES BURNED WITH GREEN FLAMES OF HATRED, MADNESS, AND A SLIGHT FEAR.

THE TOXIC MIST SURROUNDING HIM WAS THIN AND DIM—CLEARLY HIS ESSENCE WAS SEVERELY DAMAGED, EVEN STRUGGLING TO MAINTAIN HIS BASIC FORM.

BOTH ROSE INTO THE SKY, WITH NO MORE HESITATION, LETTING LOOSE FULLY!

ELDER TIE TANG BREATHED OUT, HIS VOICE LIKE RUMBLING THUNDER.

"EVIL BEAST, DIE!"

WITH A ROAR, HE LAUNCHED A SERIES OF CONNECTED FISTS—EACH FIST DRAWING VAST EARTH QI, FORMING VIRTUAL MOUNTAINS THAT CRASHED DOWN LIKE LANDSLIDES, CHARGED LIKE EARTH DRAGONS TURNING, OR BLOCKED LIKE GIANT SHIELDS—HIS ATTACKS DIRECT, HEAVY, AND OVERWHELMING, PRESSING WITH PURE FORCE.

THE MO SECT ELDER SCREECHED CONTINUOUSLY, HIS VOICE HOARSE AND GRATING, LIKE AN OWL CRYING BLOOD.

HIS HANDS FLASHED QUICKLY, MIXING HIS RESIDUAL EMERALD-GREEN TOXIC GAS WITH HIS OWN ESSENTIAL BLOOD TO FORM NUMEROUS MINIATURIZED BUT MORE CONDENSED TOXIC INSECTS, SKELETONS, AND GHOST SHADOWS, CARRYING CUNNING SPELLS THAT CORRUPTED THE SPIRIT AND DECOMPOSED GARRIUS, FLYING LIKE MOTHS INTO THE FLAME TOWARD THE MOUNTAIN VISIONS.

MEANWHILE, HIS BODY DARTED AND FLITTED, TRYING TO USE DECEITFUL MOVEMENT TO FIND AN OPPORTUNITY TO COUNTER OR ESCAPE.

BUT DUE TO THE GAP IN POWER AND HIS INJURIES, HE WAS COMPLETELY ON THE DEFENSIVE.

HIS TOXIC SPELLS WERE ALWAYS RESTRAINED, NEUTRALIZED, AND SHATTERED BY THE HEAVY, STEADY EARTH GARRIUS.

EVEN WHEN A FEW SLIPPED THROUGH AND STRUCK ELDER TIE TANG, THEY WERE ABSORBED BY HIS ROBUST BODY AND PROTECTIVE GARRIUS, FAILING TO INFlict CRITICAL DAMAGE.

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

HIGH ABOVE, WIND AND CLOUDS WERE TORN APART; EARTH-COLORED AND EMERALD-GREEN LIGHTS COLLIDED AND EXPLODED IN DEAFENING, CONTINUOUS ROARS.

THE WILD ENERGY RIPPLES SPREAD OUTWARD, REDUCING THE FOREST BELOW TO RUINS—TREES FELL IN ROWS, ROCKS SHATTERED.

EVEN FROM SEVERAL LI AWAY, CHEN MU AND THE OTHERS FELT THE HEART-STOPPING PRESSURE AND THE GUSTS OF WIND BLASTING TOWARD THEM.

"THIS IS THE POWER OF A Tiangong CULTIVATOR FIGHTING AT FULL STRENGTH…"

ZHOU YAN AND THE OTHERS, PALE-FACED, WHISPERED.

THE BATTLE DID NOT LAST LONG.

THE MO SECT ELDER WAS ALREADY SERIOUSLY INJURED, AND AFTER PROLONGED FIGHTING WITHOUT GAINING THE UPPER HAND, HE SAW ELDER TIE TANG GROWING STRONGER, HIS ATTACKS LIKE A TIDAL WAVE, WHILE HIS OWN ESSENCE WAS BEING DEPLETED, HIS TOXIC MIST GROWING THINNER.

A FLASH OF FURY AND HATRED PASSED THROUGH HIS EYES; HE SPAT OUT A PULSE OF HIS HEART'S ESSENTIAL BLOOD, WHICH MERGED WITH HIS RESIDUAL TOXIC MIST TO FORM A THICK BLOOD-EMERALD ESCAPE LIGHT—SPEED INCREASING SEVERAL-FOLD—AND TURNED AWAY FROM THE FIGHT, FLYING TOWARD THE NORTHWEST—

AWAY FROM THE JULING SECT'S MOUNTAIN GATE AND WULONG FUCHENG—FLEEING FOR HIS LIFE!

"WHERE DO YOU THINK YOU'RE GOING!"

Elder Tie Tang roared, his body transforming into a solid earth-yellow rainbow of light as he chased after them without pause.

Two streaks of light, one ahead and one behind, slashed across the sky like meteors, vanishing at the horizon's edge in the blink of an eye, leaving only gradually calming energy turbulence and a desolate, ravaged earth.

On a hilltop with an open view, Chen Mu stood with his hands behind his back, gazing for a moment at the direction where the two Tiangong Realm experts had disappeared.

His expression was calm, yet deep in his eyes, he seemed lost in thought.

He had witnessed the power level of the Tiangong Realm many times firsthand, and his path forward grew ever clearer in his heart.

"Let's go, back to Wu Long Mansion."

Chen Mu turned and spoke to Zhou Yan and the others behind him, who were supporting each other and bandaging their wounds.

"Yes, my lord!"