Chapter 47: Who is the Siskin?

The Rong State originally had five Qi Condensation guest cultivators, whom the Rong clan had hired at a great price.

Later, upon discovering that Tong Gaolu harbored rebellious intentions, Rong Tuo acted with unexpected decisiveness; he immediately had the five guest cultivators join forces to ambush him while he was out hunting.

In Rong Tuo's view, this was a task that should have been easily accomplished, nothing could have been simpler.

Five Qi Condensation cultivators against Tong Gaolu alone.

The advantage was theirs!

Even if Tong Gaolu could turn the heavens upside down, he would not escape this lethal trap and was destined to lose his life here.

Yet, Rong Tuo had not expected that in that battle, Tong Gaolu would hammer three of the five Qi Condensation guest cultivators to death, leaving only Huang Zaichen and Qian Qi to barely escape with their lives.

And Qian Qi, having witnessed Tong Gaolu's might—which seemed as if it could resent the heavens for being unfair and the earth for being unyielding—was so terrified that he defected to Tong Gaolu's side.

Struck by a fierce shout from Rong Tuo.

Qian Qi, this short, middle-aged man, was instantly at a loss, looking awkwardly toward Tong Gaolu with flickering eyes.

"General, I..."

"A fickle villain, keeping you will inevitably lead to harm!"

Tong Gaolu sighed, a brilliance lit up in his hand, and he gripped a pair of purple-gold demon-breaking hammers. He swung them fiercely at the terrified Qian Qi!

A sound like a muffled drum instantly came from the air. Qian Qi hurriedly waved a small red flag, manifesting countless red clouds to protect his body, but the momentum of this hammer was extraordinary; it directly scattered the red clouds, and as the remaining force descended, it sent Qian Qi flying several zhang away, blood spraying from his mouth and nose.

"What?!"

The three members of the Rong clan all changed color. Qian Qi was, after all, at the fourth layer of Qi Condensation, yet he couldn't even block a single move?

Rong Jin was the first to lose his composure; with one hand forming a seal, he exhaled a gust of wild wind from his throat.

Rong Tuo drove his chain talisman artifact, and dots of black light dripped down, coiling toward him like a long snake. Rong Rong Xuantao and Huang Zaichen also each used their own methods, and for a time, spiritual light shot everywhere.

Facing the siege, Tong Gaolu merely opened his mouth and let out a thunderous roar, causing the void to rumble and drowning all the attacks in sound waves.

Among these people, Huang Zaichen, whose cultivation was the weakest, had his embryonic breathing disordered by this shout; his vision went black, and he nearly fell from the sky.

Tong Gaolu ignored everything, arriving before the dying Qian Qi, and with a swing of his hammer, smashed him into a puddle of mush.

In this fleeting moment, a Qi Condensation cultivator had already died...

Among the besiegers, besides Chen Hang, there were clearly four others, but they were all terrified, and no one dared to be the first to strike again.

"Fellow Daoist, aren't you here to take Tong's life? Why are you just watching?"

Tong Gaolu didn't even wipe the blood from his face, looking only at Chen Hang, and said, "Could it be that you are afraid?"

"Not at all, I just wanted to see how this physical Dao technique of the Grand General fares."

"How does it fare?" Tong Gaolu sneered.

"Very well, it ought to belong to me!"

Chen Hang smiled, grasped an object from his sleeve, and threw it into the air. Instantly, thunder roared and boomed.

At this sight, Tong Gaolu was shocked for the first time.

"Thunder-Fire Thunderbolt Pearl! Isn't this the talisman artifact of Daoist Yangshan... Wait, Yi'er has fallen into your hands?!"

Chen Hang made a light gesture with his hand, and countless thunderbolts flashed down. At the same time, the green bamboo thorn in his hand turned into a streak of emerald light and flew out, instantly stabbing straight at Tong Gaolu's eyes.

Clang!

Tong Gaolu blocked the purple-gold hammer in front of him, barely stopping the exploding thunderbolts. After just one exchange, he secretly clicked his tongue in wonder.

Driven by Chen Hang's embryonic breathing, this mid-grade talisman artifact was many times fiercer than when it was in the hands of Daoist Yangshan! Fortunately, his physical body was solid; if it had been anyone else, they would have been completely paralyzed.

He knew his greatest reliance was not his cultivation, nor any mid-grade talisman artifact, but his indestructible physical body! Therefore, he did not tangle with Chen Hang, but set up his escape light, intending to get close and kill him.

But Chen Hang had long known his intention and would not allow him to get close, staying far away and fighting him on the move.

Thunderbolts flashed incessantly, pinning Tong Gaolu down with a barrage of explosions, while the green bamboo thorn occasionally interspersed, drawing sparks on his skin but failing to pierce through.

Tong Gaolu's physical body was indeed exceptionally sturdy; whether it was the Thunder-Fire Thunderbolt Pearl or the green bamboo thorn, they could only make him look disheveled, but could not be fatal.

"Fellow Daoist, do you still intend to watch from the sidelines?"

Tong Gaolu sacrificed a golden hammer, throwing it high into the sky like a streak of mournful golden rainbow, making the air whistle.

Chen Hang did not dare to take this blow head-on, driving his True Qi Essence Jade to barely block it for a moment. Using this interval, he hurriedly turned into light and left, transmitting his voice to Rong Tuo.

"Fellow Daoist, you know I have a talisman left by my ancestor, but I need to get within half a zhang to reveal its effect, and it will take several breaths of time... Oh no!"

Seeing Chen Hang avoid the blow and being pinned in place by the thunder-fire, Tong Gaolu, who was extremely agitated, roared wildly and forcibly raised his other golden hammer, throwing it at Rong Tuo.

Except for the Universe Bag of the Five Light Sect, he was originally the most destitute rogue cultivator and had not learned any Dao techniques.

If it weren't for the chance encounter where he glimpsed the "Earth Palace Golden Chapter," the combined efforts of the imperial guest cultivators would have easily killed him long ago.

But now, Tong Gaolu's strength was enough to shake mountains and destroy cities, so even Chen Hang and Rong Tuo could not underestimate it and could not take it head-on.

Seeing the golden hammer smashing toward him, Rong Tuo let out a strange cry, blowing a gust of wind that sent sand and stones flying, but the minor Wind-Calling and Mist-Summoning technique was clearly no match for the force infused in the golden hammer; at the first touch, it was instantly scattered.

Rong Tuo had no choice; at the critical moment, he could only throw out a small golden figure from his bosom.

As the small golden figure exploded in mid-air, Rong Tuo's figure took the opportunity to escape, narrowly avoiding death.

"Close combat... I understand, it seems this is the only way."

Chen Hang formed a seal, put away the pearl and the green bamboo thorn, communicated with Tu Shan Ge with his mind, and then lowered his escape light.

"Tong Gaolu, don't you want your son to live?"

Chen Hang shouted coldly.

As Chen Hang put away the talisman artifact, Tong Gaolu finally got a moment to breathe. Just as he crawled up from the ground in a disheveled state, he saw in the distance a yellow-robed youth holding the armless Tong Yi walking over.

"This is?" Rong Tuo's eyes lit up.

He knew Chen Hang had set up his escape light yesterday to bring a few people to his side; now, seeing this, he realized the one brought was Tong Yi.

At this moment, he received another voice transmission from Chen Hang, and his heart instantly became alert.

"Yi'er?" Tong Gaolu looked at his miserable son, his rage growing even more intense.

"If you want him to live, then cut off one of your arms."

Chen Hang pointed at Tong Yi and said indifferently.

"You..."

Tong Gaolu's face turned green. He was silent for a moment, then suddenly sneered.

"If I cut off an arm, can we both live afterward? Your embryonic breathing is powerful, I can't do anything to you, and I can only be suppressed by your talisman artifact! But can you break my shell?"

Tong Gaolu's eyes grew colder: "Kill him then! It's just one offspring, I can still reproduce!"

"Dad..."

Tong Yi had originally been overjoyed to see Tong Gaolu, but these words left him stunned on the spot, and his face revealed a look of resentment and viciousness.

"You old beast, you thief, do you want to watch me die? What kind of thing are you! A lowly horse slave..."

Tong Yi cursed viciously, the foul language endless, even Rong Tuo was stunned, and began to giggle.

"... This bastard!"

Tong Gaolu felt extremely stifled, wishing he could tear Tong Yi's mouth apart.

"Since you are unwilling to cut off your arm, then so be it."

At this moment, Chen Hang suddenly grabbed the collar of Tong Yi, who was still cursing, and threw him far toward Tong Gaolu, saying:

"I am a kind-hearted person, and I still cannot bear to see people part, so let your family be reunited."

Hearing this, Tong Gaolu was secretly delighted, and not waiting to see what other schemes Chen Hang had, he hurriedly opened his arms to embrace him.

Tong Yi was his son, no matter what... If it weren't for the fact that this person's aptitude was indeed extraordinary, Tong Gaolu himself would have wanted to kill Tong Yi.

But the moment Tong Gaolu embraced him.

Suddenly!

A cold and tyrannical True Qi exploded, rushing straight into his body!

His five internal organs were about to be frozen stiff, the cold air rampaging like a wild dragon, stirring everything in his body upside down!

Even though Tong Gaolu's physical body was not bad, he was still frozen stiff, stuck on the spot.

Rong Tuo, who had been informed by Chen Hang, did not hesitate, took out a bright red talisman, endured his fear, arrived within about three meters of Tong Gaolu, and urged it with his embryonic breathing.

The talisman slowly floated up, strands of red spiritual light intertwining. After a full four or five breaths, it gradually condensed into the shape of a blood-colored flying shuttle.

"Why... is it not ready yet?"

Huang Zaichen, who was floating far away in the sky, couldn't help but chatter his teeth. This time, he was driven entirely by a surge of blood and loyalty to dare to come.

But when they truly fought, he, Rong Jin, and Rong Rong Xuantao were just beating the drums on the side and were of no use.

"Damn it! Why is it still not ready!"

Beside Tong Gaolu, Rong Tuo was also anxious.

At this distance, if Tong Gaolu woke up, he could slap him into a puddle of mud with just one palm.

Amidst everyone's bated breath, the blood-colored flying shuttle finally condensed and manifested completely, emitting a clear, low hum, and just then, Tong Gaolu's eyelids began to tremble violently!

"Move! Kill! Kill! Kill!"

Rong Tuo's heart and gallbladder were split, and he shouted several times.

The flying shuttle leaped up, turning into a streak of rainbow, and amidst a tooth-aching grinding sound, it finally struggled to drill through Tong Gaolu's skull and slowly dissipated.

"Ah!!!!"

Tong Gaolu, who had just barely escaped the entanglement of the "Cold-Fighting True Qi," let out a heaven-shaking scream, clutched his head, and roared at the sky.

The sound waves tore countless cracks in the ground. Rong Tuo felt a dull pain in his chest, and seeing the crazed Tong Gaolu, he didn't dare to stay, fleeing far away with all his might.

"Still not dead? Truly a good Dao technique!"

Chen Hang praised, sacrificed the "Solid-Sinking Inkstone" obtained from Tong Jizhen, dropped it onto Tong Gaolu's head, and drove it to self-destruct!

The power of this explosion was at the cost of the talisman artifact's self-destruction, and it was only slightly inferior to the blow of the blood-colored flying shuttle!

The talisman artifact, sacrificed with essence blood, was destroyed. Chen Hang's body trembled, and his face instantly turned pale.

The others saw this and were overjoyed, hurriedly using their own methods, striking dozens of times, causing sparks to fly from Tong Gaolu's shell.

Finally, it was Chen Hang who used the green bamboo thorn, piercing Tong Gaolu's skull several times, before finally ending his life.

"Truly a physical body like a Heavenly Demon..."

Chen Hang walked to Tong Gaolu's side with difficulty, put away his corpse, and Rong Tuo, watching all this, had his eyes flicker slightly.

"Then I shall take my leave. Do not forget the conditions you promised me, Fellow Daoist."

Chen Hang bowed, and in his sleeves, several strands of plain, cold, and ghostly cyan-blue True Qi floated out, dancing like dragons and snakes, looking quite beautiful.

"He still has True Qi?"

Rong Tuo, who was already hesitant, saw this scene and completely extinguished his thoughts, hurriedly bowing and watching Chen Hang leave.

Chen Hang didn't say much, used his embryonic breathing to roll up Tu Shan Ge, and turned into a streak of white light, rushing into the sky.

After half a cup of tea, the white light descended by a small mountain stream. In Tu Shan Ge's terrified eyes, Chen Hang's aura withered, and he spat out several mouthfuls of blood.

"Master! What happened to you?"

He grabbed Chen Hang and shouted.

"Fighting Tong Gaolu, my embryonic breathing was exhausted, and just now, self-destructing the talisman artifact made my injuries even heavier..." Chen Hang coughed up another mouthful of blood and said, "I was afraid Rong Tuo would become greedy, so I forced myself to hold my breath to barely scare him off."

"Doesn't Master still have the Cold-Fighting True Qi?"

"That was a trick, it was already exhausted... Where would I get so much Cold-Fighting True Qi?" Chen Hang smiled bitterly.

"You help me guard, I need to recover some embryonic breathing first."

After speaking, he took out a talisman coin and began to absorb the spiritual energy.

Tu Shan Ge nodded busily. Just as he wanted to use his divine power to cover the scene, the grass and trees suddenly rustled, and then a female voice came.

"Are you injured? I finally waited for this moment."

Between the mountain forests, a streak of brilliant red light swept over violently, killing its way out!

Tu Shan Ge wanted to block it, but it was too late, and he could only watch helplessly as the red light slashed toward Chen Hang's head, his eyes splitting.

Boom!

Countless clanging airflows surged, condensed like metal, and easily blocked the red light that was destined to succeed.

"Master?"

Tu Shan Ge was stunned.

Nearby, Chen Hang was surrounded by a layer of translucent armor. He was rising from the ground leisurely, his aura continuous and dense, vast and thick, completely different from the withered appearance before, as if he had never been injured at all.

"You are too impatient. I thought you would wait a few breaths before making a move?"

Chen Hang said indifferently.

"You are not injured? You were pretending to deceive me!"

The female voice was shocked and uncertain: "Wait, when did you notice me?!"

"You thought you were hiding well? If I wasn't worried about that flying talisman artifact of yours, I would have killed you long ago."

Chen Hang's eyes were deep and dark:

"Zhou Chuyu, is that the name? There are mountains and water here, just right to be your burial place!" ===== CHAPTER 48 =====