Chapter 515: with translation of chapter title

Seven people, six at Yuan Dan Initial Realm, one at Yuan Dan Middle Realm!

Heng Xian, judging from their aura and sense of danger, carefully analyzed the strength of the seven.

The plump man at Yuan Dan Middle Realm is the strongest; the remaining six are, in order, Gongsun Lier, Ye Zimei, Shen Kai, and Wu Gongzi…

He has defeated many Primordial Dan Realm experts, but defeating does not mean killing; the opponent is no mere cat or dog, and of course has the ability to flee!

Here, if the opponent flees in a magical duel, it amounts to exposing one's target!

Thinking this, he flickered his form, pretending to appear deliberately from the other side, and unintentionally ran into a few.

The seven noticed him immediately.

The few exchanged a glance; Wu Gongzi's mouth curled into a slight smile as he swished open his folding fan: "Indeed, after wearing out iron shoes to no avail, it comes without effort!"

Heng Xian's face shifted, and he snapped: "Really, a lingering evil spirit!"

He flickered his form, employing the Thirty-Six Escape Techniques, like a swimming fish, and in a flash appeared on the other side of the forest.

"Where are you going?"

Gongsun Lier and the six immediately employed spellcraft to pursue.

Shen Kai instinctively glanced toward the tent's direction, frowned slightly, then followed Gongsun Lier and the others in pursuit.

The forest is vast, thorns everywhere, jagged rocks scattered; one person can easily flee within, but for others to give chase is somewhat difficult.

Gongsun Lier and the others blocked left and right, yet each time Heng Xian barely managed to escape.

Ten li, fifty li, a hundred li, three hundred li…

Upon reaching five hundred li, both the fleeing Heng Xian and the seven pursuers discovered a fatal problem—

Spiritual power consumption is too great; the demonic qi in this realm is too thick to be replenished immediately!

Yet, like an arrow on the bowstring, they had no choice but to act—one side determined to capture the other, the other determined to flee.

This is an awkward ending.

However, at six hundred li, Heng Xian, fleeing like a frightened stray dog, suddenly vanished into a mountain stream hot spring.

Gongsun Lier and the seven involuntarily came to a halt.

Scanning the hot spring, jagged rocks stood all around, misty vapors lingered, stretching over ten li; moreover, the demonic qi lingered without dispersing, slightly tainting their spiritual sense.

The seven exchanged glances; Wu Gongzi wiped the sweat from his brow and coldly snorted: "Heng Xian, you cannot escape!"

Gongsun Lier also said provocatively: "Being a disciple of the Tianyuan Great Sect and ranked first on the Earth Rankings—what does it matter? Having a heaven-defying sword Dao, being the youngest Sword Venerable of Dongyu for thousands of years—what does it matter? You're still like a stray dog, only thinking of fleeing for your life!"

Having said that, they all turned their gaze to Ye Zimei.

Ye Zimei extended two fingers, placed them between her brows, and her eyes glowed slightly.

This is the innate divine ability "Secret Prayer of Breaking Illusory Void" of the Liu Shan Pavilion in the North Cang Sea; within a certain radius, any trace cannot escape its perception.

However, shortly after, Ye Zimei lowered her fingers, shaking her head with a bewildered expression.

The Yuan Dan Middle Realm man said in a low voice: "He escaped?"

Ye Zimei shook her head: "I can be certain he is still in this vicinity; he hasn't fled far!"

Shen Kai chuckled: "If that's the case, the Liu Shan Pavilion's technique of breaking illusory void isn't as fearsome as the legends claim!"

Ye Zimei wasn't annoyed, her willow-leaf brows slightly askew: "Shen Daoist, why mock and sneer? If the Secret Prayer of Breaking Illusory Void can't find someone, there must be a reason!"

"What reason?" Nan Gong Lier asked.

Ye Zimei looked ahead: "He's hiding in the Death Gate!"

"Death Gate?" the crowd wondered.

Ye Zimei said: "Heaven and earth form the eight trigrams—opening, rest, life, injury, closure, vista, shock, death; each trigram bears an ominous sign; the forty-nine of the heavenly derivation still retain a sliver of life,

My secret technique, of course, cannot possibly be flawless!

Wu Gongzi said: "You mean he's hiding inside the Death Gate?"

Ye Zimei nodded: "Exactly! The Death Gate is a deathly hole, very hard to find!"

Gongsun Lier chuckled: "Do you think he could, in his panicked flight, instantly locate the Death Gate's direction?"

Wu Gongzi said: "Could it not be mere coincidence?"

Shen Kai shook his head, speaking solemnly: "You don't understand him; as an outstanding young talent of the Tianyuan Sect, even the elders of my Divine Blade Sect praise him highly—given his methods and stratagems, there is no such thing as coincidence!"

The seven fell silent, then searched again with naked eyes and spiritual sense.

Still, they found nothing.

Gongsun Lier looked at Ye Zimei: "Please, try to find the direction of the Death Gate!"

"I'm looking!"

Ye Zimei frowned slightly, fell silent for a few breaths, then pointed at the hot spring: "It can only be under this water!"

"Simple!"

Wu Gongzi pulled out two iridescent leeches tangled together from his bosom and placed them at the edge of the hot spring.

A strange thing happened: the two leeches struggled desperately, tumbling nonstop; each tumble spawned over a dozen baby leeches that swiftly swam outward.

Soon the entire hot spring was filled with leeches, penetrating every crevice!

The crowd couldn't help but lament the terror of sorcery; if they were in the hot spring themselves, they'd likely have to jump out.

Immediately, they all focused their attention on the spring water, guarding against Heng Xian's sudden appearance.

Yet after waiting a full three incense sticks' worth of time, nothing unusual occurred.

"Would Heng Xian allow the leeches to burrow all over his body?" Gongsun Lier asked.

"Of course not!" Shen Kai replied firmly.

"Then the hot spring naturally isn't the Death Gate's location!" Gongsun Lier looked at Ye Zimei.

Ye Zimei frowned slightly: "If the hot spring isn't it, then any other place could be—seven feet, straight eight, horizontal three, northwest nine…"

As soon as her words fell, the seven lunged out in seven different directions.

Just then, a dazzling sword light suddenly shot out from behind a large stone; as soon as the sword light appeared, the heaven-splitting, earth-covering "Killing Sword Intent" surged forth like a tide.

"Be careful!"

The seven shouted in unison.

Immediately go lock onto that sword light.

However, following the "chirp-chirp" sword cry that echoed in all directions for several dozen li, the seven's senses were instantly disrupted.

Whoosh!

The sword light flashed to the brow of a man at the Yuan Dan Initial Realm.

The man's reaction was not slow; he immediately retreated, shouting the incantation: "Great Blessing Armor Thirty Technique, Earth Armor, defend!"

Hum——

A thick, quasi-substantial earthen wall appeared around his body.

Yet the seemingly impregnable earthen wall was shattered in a single blow.

Pfft!

The man's brow was pierced by the sword; his formidable magic could not be unleashed, his protective aura and sea of consciousness shattered, brains flying, he flipped backward.

"Block that sword!"

Everyone shouted.

However, the sword qi shifted and appeared behind another Yuan Dan Initial Realm man, revealing the true form of the sword light——

An ancient, simple sword with overwhelming killing aura!

The man was startled; with a right-hand seal he immediately produced a bronze mirror natal magic treasure, blocking behind him and radiating unparalleled strange light.

But it was too late!

The hilt of that ancient sword was grasped by a pair of hands; Heng Xian looked down from above, his face showing no emotion, only coldness.

The sword light, wrapped in the heaven-overwhelming "Punishing Sword Intent", in the posture of punishing the world, slashed across the mirror's surface, breaking the man's protective aura and severing his neck.

The entire head was left with only a layer of skin, dangling to one side, and collapsed into the water.

(End of chapter)