Chapter 369

After a glance at the huge underground space, Wu Tie transformed into a stream of light and fled swiftly.

His mana and Dao cultivation surged forward, and Wu Tie's Earth-traversing Golden Light speed was unmatched.

After he left, the 4808 cavities constantly spewing innate water-fire absolute killing qi suddenly withered, shriveled, and then rapidly collapsed; countless large and small fissures split the thick crystal stone rock walls, and above, at a height of thirty thousand zhang, the earth shook violently.

Within a radius of a thousand li, the mountain ridges split open with countless large and small fissures, and streaks of black-and-red earth qi shot up into the sky.

Unlike when Lu Yu earlier cast a spell to suppress it, the black-and-red earth qi now spewing out, though ferocious and strong, gave a feeling of being on one's last breath, like a dying flare, and could vanish at any moment.

The Huo family's subsidiary camp fell into chaos, Huo Xinxin and others screamed and cursed wildly, the earth trembled, continually sinking downward, the thirty-thousand-zhang-thick rock stratum shattered, and the subterranean cavity with a diameter of a thousand li caused the mountains above to collapse entirely.

Wu Tie almost ran along the ground as he fled.

Occasionally, when mountains or trees blocked the way ahead, Wu Tie passed through them like a ghost.

Having achieved mastery of the Five Elements Great Dao, when he employed Earth-traversing Golden Light, as long as the obstacles ahead were still within the Five Elements, Wu Tie passed through them unhindered, like a fish entering water.

Moreover, each time his body passed through mountains or trees, Wu Tie's escape-light speed increased sharply.

The more Five Elements obstacles blocked his path, the faster his escape-light speed became.

Midway through his flight, Wu Tie took out the jade talisman from Li Dayou that warned the Forbidden Magic Hall, crushed it in his hand, and sent an urgent mana communication.

In an instant, Wu Tie had already sped out several hundred li.

In the mountain hollow ahead, a small earth-and-wood-built town was clearly visible. Wu Tie slowed his escape-light, returned to human form from Wu Zhiqi, then drew the standard-issue saber of the Divine Martial Army, also slinging across his back the damaged Six-refined Spirit Saber given by Zhao Yu, and strode toward the town.

When the town was still more than two li away, Wu Tie's figure gradually blurred; a dim patch of light and shadow appeared on him, this mottled light and shadow blended well with the surrounding forest, making his figure hard to discern even at close range.

This is the 'Vegetation Stealth' technique of the Divine Martial Army's scout camp, a very practical art for concealing one's form and infiltrating enemy-controlled territory.

In Huo Xiong's memory, after learning this technique from the scout camp, he had used it several times to escape deadly situations, which is also recorded in the Divine Martial Army's archives.

After Wu Tie employed the Vegetation Stealth technique, he crept step by step into the small town.

Around the Flower Insect City, deep in the old mountains and forests, there also exist some small villages and towns of about a thousand people; these settlements gather mostly reckless, overconfident hunters and herb gatherers.

They basically lived outside the rule of the Zhongheng state officials, hunting and gathering herbs on their own, trading goods with city merchants, paying no taxes, no grain tribute, and performing no military service; although their living conditions were harsh, many still chose this way of life.

In these villages and towns, there are no shortage of felons who have escaped the city lord's pursuit after committing serious crimes, but their offenses are not grave enough to warrant action by powerful organizations like the Divine Martial Army or the Forbidden Magic Hall.

Thus, such villages and towns are usually chaotic and dangerous for ordinary people.

Wu Tie had eavesdropped on Lu Yu and others for several days; when they talked, they inadvertently leaked some information, such as how many people were stationed at each of the several escape points the Ren clan had set up outside the city.

Also, for example, the black-clothed elders had arranged a small base of the Heavenly Patrol Secret Guard in this village right before Wu Tie's eyes.

Having obtained the innate spiritual treasure, Wu Tie knew that the mountain region would collapse on its own; he did not want to be dragged into that huge trouble, so his only recourse was to borrow an incident to make his escape.

Nothing could serve as a better pretext than discovering a secret base of the Heavenly Patrol Secret Guard, then single-handedly fighting and battling strong foes without retreat.

Using the Vegetation Stealth technique, Wu Tie carefully approached the town's wall built from logs thick enough to encircle with arms.

Then he stepped with one foot onto a dry, arm-thick broken branch.

With a 'crack', three heads popped out from the wall, and one of them shouted loudly, 'Who goes there?'

Wu Tie's body swayed, the Vegetation Stealth technique immediately became unstable, revealing half of his figure; with a 'click' the trigger sounded, a strong crossbow suddenly appeared and fired three heavy bolts at him.

Wu Tie slightly turned his body; two heavy bolts grazed his body, leaving two white marks on his skin.

Another heavy bolt struck his chest heavily; the poison-coated bolt pierced his chest, shot out from his back, leaving a transparent hole the size of a goose egg on his right chest.

Wu Tie grunted, drew the Myriad Blades Cart he had taken from the black-clothed elder, and without a word activated this three-refined immortal weapon.

With a 'hiss', a sharp tearing-through-the-air sound rang out; a million flying knives howled, enveloping this section of the wall, and the hundred-zhang-long wall together with the three vigorous youths on it were simultaneously shattered.

In the village, more than ten powerful auras shot up into the sky: one Womb Storage Realm, and more than ten Life Pool Realm.

More than ten burly men clad in rough animal-skin garments, indistinguishable from ordinary hunters and herb gatherers, rushed out at great speed from the several wooden huts surrounding the town.

Sharp cries rang out from within the town; the whole settlement stirred, ranks upon ranks of burly men in animal-skin garb brandishing various weapons marched out in orderly formation like a small army.

Most of these sturdy men were of Chonglou Realm cultivation, some were Sensing Mystery Realm, each with a face full of flesh and a murderous air.

Their total numbered around three hundred, trained and formed into a crescent-moon formation that encircled Wu Tie.

Wu Tie hesitated a moment, seeming to want to retreat, but gripping his Myriad Blades Cart tightly, he let out a loud shout and charged forward at the crowd.

The Myriad Blades Cart howled as it swept over the crescent-moon formation of the three hundred men ahead.

A sweep of the flying knives blasted over a hundred brave soldiers into fragments.

Three Life Pool Realm cultivators took the brunt; they turned into black smoke trying to flee, but could not outrun the Myriad Blades Cart, and a sweep of the flying knives erased them without trace.

The Womb Storage Realm cultivator roared in anger, suddenly donning a thick suit of armor that emitted black profound light over his entire body; he flashed to Wu Tie's front, gripping a heavy round-headed war hammer, and hammered it down on Wu Tie.

With a 'Boom', Wu Tie's standard Divine Martial Army uniform shattered; his bare torso had its bones completely broken, flesh and blood flew, and he spat mouthfuls of blood as he was flung far backward.

"Die fighting, never retreat, Divine Martial Army!" Wu Tie roared, raising his small Myriad Blades Cart, spitting blood while struggling to stand, then charged toward the village.

In the high sky, a small gray vortex suddenly appeared.

Accompanied by a low shout, more than ten figures rushed out from the gray vortex.

Clad in black tight-fitting leather armor and emanating a fierce killing aura, more than ten members of the Forbidden Magic Hall emerged in single file from the gray vortex, their leader being the youth who had delivered the Myriad Blades Cart to Wu Tie that day.

"Colonel Huo... what's going on?" the youth barked sternly.

"Heavenly Patrol Secret Guard... secret outpost... I have spent considerable time investigating and finally tracked them here... they have secret contacts with the Ren clan inside the city and with some elements of the Flower Insect City's main force." Wu Tie bellowed hoarsely, spitting blood as he shouted.

This is absolutely not a wrongful accusation against the people of this town.

The other day, while Wu Tie was eavesdropping, he distinctly heard Ren Duxing say that they routinely supplied this town with a batch of meat and fine wine.

After spitting a mouthful of blood, Wu Tie roared at the rapidly descending Forbidden Magic Hall members in the sky: "Why don't you retreat quickly? Among them there is a Womb Storage Realm cultivator!"

The dozen or so Forbidden Magic Hall reinforcements that arrived were all Life Pool Realm cultivators.

Hearing Wu Tie's roar, the burly man of Womb Storage Realm who had punched him into heavy injury gave a cold snort, shot up into the sky, and flew toward the group of Forbidden Magic Hall members to attack.

The leading youth gave a cold snort, flicked his finger, and shot out a dim gray void major translocation sigil.

The Womb Storage Realm burly man who had charged out of the town let out a strange yell, shot up into the sky like a fire on his rear, and tried to smash the void major translocation sigil with a punch.

However, the youth who had thrown the void major translocation sigil, together with his three companions forming the four cardinal directions, launched a fierce attack at the Womb Storage Realm burly man; the latter's punching blast shattered the combined assault of the four, reducing it to ashes and smoke, and all four vomited blood and fell back.

But the void major translocation sigil burst forth with a radiant glow, within which three figures faintly appeared.

Sima You, along with another two men whose aura was terrifyingly strong, wearing tall caps.

"Here…" Sima You's eyes flashed a hint of gloomy light: "Patrol Heaven Secret Guard's earth rats… the stench on your bodies, even from 108,000 li away, I can smell it crystal clear."

Sima You roared excitedly: "There's no need to say more—the assassination of the Lord of Nine Mountains Prefecture was surely your doing."

"Seize them for me, not a single one may die—each one, torture them severely!" Sima You shouted excitedly.

These days he's been busy investigating the matter of the Lord of Nine Mountains Prefecture being seriously wounded in an assassination attempt; the assassins ended up dead cleanly, not a single one captured alive. The Zhongheng Kingdom's lord, who has been serving at the side of the Divine Emperor of Great Jin, has already expressed his dissatisfaction before the Divine Emperor of Great Jin, and the pressure from the Forbidden Magic Temple is unprecedentedly great.

The Lord of the Forbidden Magic Temple even sent a direct reprimand document to Sima You: "If you can't get the job done, then replace you with someone who can!"

Sima You, anxious to the point of nearly going berserk, suddenly stumbled upon this nest of Patrol Heaven Secret Guard members… this was his lifeline!

Sima You's eyes blazed red with excitement; his body flickered and he appeared before that great man of the Fetal Storage Realm, pressing a light palm against his chest.

The heavy armor on the great man shattered silently, his meridians snapped inch by inch, and his limbs and bones completely detached.

With just one strike, the great man bled from all seven orifices and lost all ability to move.

Sima Expertly slapped a suppressive talisman onto the great man's forehead, completely eliminating any chance of his soul self‑destructing, then reached into his mouth and yanked out all his big teeth.

He clenched his fist, and the great man's mouthful of big teeth shattered all at once.

Wu Tie could see clearly that the great man's mouth held about thirty big teeth, twenty‑one of which were hollow, filled with various kinds of medicinal powders and liquids; one could imagine they were instant‑acting soul‑hook poisons capable of killing or even shattering the soul.

Wu Tie clicked his tongue in amazement.

He exhaled, then collapsed heavily onto the ground, lying spread‑eagled.

Sima You and the two great experts he brought personally took action; the strongest people in the town were only at the Life Pond Realm, while the others at Chonglou Realm and Sensory Mystery Realm were sent crashing limp by a light shake of Sima You's small bell, collapsing helplessly to the ground.

The town also had hundreds of women and children acting as cover; these women and children, with their shallow cultivation, were easily subdued by Sima You.

Wu Tie lay on the ground, his chest wound a gruesome mess, with several spots exposing his innards, blood flowing all around him.

The youth from the Forbidden Magic Temple who had delivered the Ten‑Thousand‑Blade Cart to Wu Tie rushed up to Sima You and, in hurried brief words, recounted how they had come here.

It's simple: they had been monitoring another suspect force in a nearby city.

They had received Wu Tie's emergency distress signal, and, homing in on the aura left on his body by the signal, they tore through the void; upon learning that the opposing side possessed a Fetal Storage Realm expert, they immediately summoned Sima You to descend personally.

That's all there is to it.

Sima You couldn't help but nod and smile; he strode over to Wu Tie, personally produced a thumb‑sized golden pill and shoved it into Wu Tie's mouth, then took out a bottle of powder, flicked his wrist, and scattered specks of gloomy light evenly over Wu Tie's chest wound.

His chest felt an intense tingling; Wu Tie watched as the shattered bones on his chest wriggled on their own, the bone pieces reconnecting, tiny sprouts of flesh growing rapidly, the wound writhing shut, and within the time it takes to finish a cup of tea it was completely healed.

Moreover, once that golden pill entered his belly, it released a majestic medicinal potency.

The massive medicinal power surged through his body; Wu Tie shivered pleasantly, coughing up a few mouthfuls of clotted blood, then rose to his feet.

Wu Tie performed a respectful military salute toward Sima You: "Sir, may I ask your esteemed name?"

Sima You smiled and nodded, then gave Wu Tie a hearty pat, praising: "I am Sima You, Secretary‑Hall Chief of the Zhongheng Prefecture branch of the Forbidden Magic Temple… you're Huo Xiong? Excellent, excellent."

Sima You glanced at the Ten‑Thousand‑Blade Cart in Wu Tie's hand, nodded approvingly: "It was not in vain that I bestowed upon you these three‑refined immortal weapons; this time you've actually earned merit."

"Think it over clearly—will you continue serving in the Divine Martial Army, or would you rather join my Forbidden Magic Temple?"

Sima You grinned: "If you stay in the Divine Martial Army, I guarantee you'll cultivate the Nine‑Turn Primordial Technique, greatly advancing your cultivation, and I'll secure you at least a fourth‑rank commandant post within three years… if you join my Forbidden Magic Temple…"

Sima You nodded seriously: "I will not let you down."

Wu Tie's face went blank; he looked at Sima You and murmured: "Sir Secretary‑Hall… I am… a military household…"

Sima You laughed even happier: "Join my Forbidden Magic Temple, and you'll stand out among military households… and if you earn merit, I'll guarantee you a minor noble rank—it's not impossible at all."

That was said quite thoroughly.

As Wu Tie hesitated, the blood‑red small bell in Sima You's hand gave a soft chime, and a sheet of blood‑red jade fragments sprayed out.

Sima You casually crushed the jade shard, and his expression turned extraordinarily vivid.

"Heh, heh, this is because I, Sima You, am usually decent in my dealings, so everyone thinks I'm easy to bully, right?"

"Your Huo family's sneaky—this so‑called survey business surely hides something… my Forbidden Magic Temple hasn't even come to investigate you thoroughly, yet you dare to file a counter‑complaint? You've lost a Huo Xue, wounded several Elders, and the clan's immortal weapons have been destroyed… is this my Forbidden Magic Temple's incompetence?"

"I, I, I'll damn your grandmother!"