Chapter 360: Wait and See

"Whoosh!"

At this critical moment, a sound of something piercing through the air shot out from the Lotus Cave.

Zanpu Dunzhu tilted his head slightly, and the pillar of True Qi grazed past his ear, embedding itself into the mountain rock.

He released Chen Che, turned abruptly, and grabbed the incoming Xie Wanning, black Qi rapidly coiling around her body and binding her tightly.

"Saintess, couldn't you wait any longer?"

Zanpu Dunzhu's large hand gripped Xie Wanning's fair, swan-like neck, a sharp glint flashing in his eyes. "Since that is the case, the Heavenly Book belongs to me..."

Zanpu Dunzhu paused, gripping Xie Wanning's chin firmly; he saw the Ghost Gate Needle stuck in her jaw.

"You are not the Saintess!"

Zanpu Dunzhu pulled out the Ghost Gate Needle, and Xie Wanning's original appearance returned. Zanpu Dunzhu let out a roar of disbelief, turned to look at Chen Che, and said in a fit of rage, "You actually dared to play me?!"

Chen Che crouched on the ground, holding the Sect Master Token of the Taiyi Sect in his hand, blood from the corner of his mouth already smeared onto it. He sneered, "Lord Cult Leader is used to deceiving others; I didn't expect you to be deceived yourself."

"Good, very good!"

Zanpu Dunzhu threw Xie Wanning to the ground; Xie Wanning's face turned beet red as she covered her throat and coughed violently.

"Where is the Saintess?" Zanpu Dunzhu looked back at Chen Che, his eyes practically spitting fire.

Chen Che glanced at the Token, which still showed no reaction: "Guess whether I'll tell you?"

Zanpu Dunzhu laughed out of extreme anger: "I have laid dormant for a hundred years; how could I let a little brat like you ruin my plans? Since you won't talk, then go to hell!"

Zanpu Dunzhu's gaze sharpened, and the black Qi in his palm condensed into a sharp cone, shooting toward Chen Che.

Chen Che's brows twitched; he rolled to the side, and the cone shot into the mountain wall, emitting a loud boom. The wall collapsed, and countless boulders tumbled down.

Having failed the first strike, Zanpu Dunzhu did not rush to attack again, but instead raised his arm, and Xie Wanning, still wrapped in black Qi, returned to his hand.

"Although you brat are at the end of your rope, you are still troublesome, but she is not."

Zanpu Dunzhu said insidiously: "Let's play a game. You hand over the Saintess to me, and I will let her go. How about that?"

Chen Che's brows were tightly locked as he looked at the pained Xie Wanning.

"Or are you saying you would rather let her die for the sake of the Saintess? If so, then I will kill everyone in the Taiyi Sect one by one. Sacrificing a hundred for one—I don't mind, it just depends on whether you truly have that... courage."

Zanpu Dunzhu noticed the agitation and panic in Chen Che's eyes and let out a mocking laugh. "Choose quickly, or I can choose for you."

Zanpu Dunzhu applied force with his wrist, and Xie Wanning's eyes rolled back, her entire body stiffening.

Cold sweat dripped from Chen Che's forehead. He clenched his fists, glanced at the Token again, and cursed inwardly: "Old thing, if you don't come out now, we'll be going to join you!"

"Shoo!"

"Boom!"

A True Qi Lotus smashed down from above. Zanpu Dunzhu waved his hand to block it, but was still disrupted by the explosion, stepping back and releasing Xie Wanning.

"I am the true Saintess of the Taiyi Sect. The Heavenly Book is on me; if you want it, come and kill me!"

Yang Simin arrived, pulled the Ghost Gate Needle from her face, and shouted at Zanpu Dunzhu.

Chen Che looked at Yang Simin with a stunned expression and gritted his teeth: "Go!"

"Why should I go just because you tell me to?! When did I ever say I wanted you to protect me or save me?!"

Yang Simin glared at Chen Che with a stubborn look, her hands changing hand seals. "I decide my own fate, and your life... can only be taken by me!"

True Qi diffused from her body, and a massive True Qi Lotus bloomed. Yang Simin stood in the center of the lotus, as ethereal and transcendent as a fairy in the heart of a flower.

As the lotus bloomed, strands of golden light also flew out from her body. Those golden characters floated above Yang Simin's head, light and free like birds in flight.

"The Heavenly Book is on me. I can release it at any time. If you don't want the Heavenly Book to leak out, you must listen to me!"

Yang Simin threatened Zanpu Dunzhu.

Zanpu Dunzhu gazed at the lively, jumping characters, his expression infatuated. Seeing this Divine Miracle between heaven and earth again, he still could not help but be attracted by its profound wonder, immersing himself in it.

"Heavenly Book... Heavenly Book... I have finally seen the other half of the Heavenly Book..."

Zanpu Dunzhu looked at Yang Simin and placated her: "Saintess, I can listen to you, but please give the Heavenly Book to me and transfer it to me. I want to examine it thoroughly from beginning to end!"

Yang Simin said in a commanding tone: "Right now, make those death servants stop attacking!"

"Alright, alright, no problem..."

Zanpu Dunzhu lowered his head, then suddenly raised it, his eyes filled with longing and madness for the Heavenly Book.

"Careful!"

Chen Che suddenly shouted and lunged toward Yang Simin.

However, the cone formed by black Qi had already been fired, flying explosively toward Yang Simin. Wherever the cone passed, even space became distorted.

"Stop!"

Seeing that it was too late to save Yang Simin, Chen Che drained his last bit of strength to perform an Artisan Technique, and Earth Walls rose from the ground, forming layers of fragile defensive barriers.

The cone easily broke through the Earth Walls, piercing one after another, pressing forward relentlessly.

"Pfft!!"

"Chen Che!!!"

Xie Wanning's eyes widened, and she let out a heart-wrenching scream.

Yang Simin was struck with panic, her trembling eyes full of shock and horror.

She looked in disbelief at Chen Che, who was blocking in front of her. The cone had pierced through his body, the sharp tip protruding from his abdomen, and bright red blood spilled all over the ground.

"Cough, cough..."

Chen Che painfully coughed up several mouthfuls of blood, but the coughing agitated his wounds, causing pain that went deep into his marrow.

He turned his head, sweating profusely, and said with heavy resentment: "Old thing, would it kill you to come out sooner!"

Behind Chen Che, the second True Qi Spirit Body of Taixuan appeared, yet it still failed to block the attack of the black Qi cone.

The cone pierced through both of them, but fortunately, under the timely intervention of the Taixuan Spirit Body, the damage from the cone successfully avoided Chen Che's vital points.

Taixuan pulled out the cone, and Chen Che spat out another mouthful of blood, collapsing forward.

Yang Simin hurriedly hugged him, her gaze falling upon his blood-soaked back; for a moment, her heart nearly stopped, followed by a pain that felt like it was tearing her apart.

This pain was actually even more intense than when she had witnessed her mother, Yang Wanqing, being killed by Chen Che back then!

"Girl, take him and go, hide."

Taixuan said to Yang Simin without even turning his head.

It took a good while for Yang Simin to snap out of it; she gave a hum of acknowledgment, helped Chen Che up, and dashed toward the back mountain.

Taixuan flicked his finger again, shattering the black Qi that bound Xie Wanning; once freed, Xie Wanning did not delay for a moment, immediately rising to chase in the direction of Yang Simin and the other.

Taixuan sized up Zanpu Dunzhu, and Zanpu Dunzhu also sized up Taixuan.

"Injuring my disciple and attacking my sect—this grudge is set in stone."

Taixuan said coldly.

Zanpu Dunzhu chuckled, his laughter full of mockery and disdain: "I had heard of you long ago, and after reading the Heavenly Book, I admired you even more, but I never expected that someone like you would actually be dead."

"I am not like you; I am not so attached to my own life. If it is time to die, then I die; otherwise, I would only become a scourge sooner or later."

Taixuan said in a cold voice.

Zanpu Dunzhu chuckled and said: "I am determined to obtain the Heavenly Book. You have read the whole thing, so you should understand. Besides, you are only a spiritual body now and are no match for me; at most, you can only delay me for a while, so it is best not to do something so futile."

"I indeed cannot block you for too long, but since I have left behind this strand of True Qi, it must fulfill its purpose. As for whether you can obtain the Heavenly Book, I am not worried in the slightest."

Taixuan said with a proud expression: "The potential possessed by that brat of a disciple of mine is something you cannot imagine. Even if he is not your match right now, believe me, you will absolutely not succeed today."

Zanpu Dunzhu sneered: "He is about to die; where does your confidence come from? But it doesn't matter. I said it: I am determined to obtain the Heavenly Book, and no one can stop me!"

"Then let us... wait and see!"

Taixuan threw the black Qi spike in his hand back toward Zanpu Dunzhu; the spike pierced toward Zanpu Dunzhu's face with a sharp whistling sound, but it stopped two centimeters from his face and dissipated into black Qi.

Taixuan rushed over immediately after, relying on his spiritual body to entangle Zanpu Dunzhu.

………