Chapter 120: Ambush (Request Subscription)

In the depths of Daqingshan, between Jinshan County and Danxia County, Qi Shanye trod starlight as he shot across the sky, calculating time even as he flew.

Suddenly, Qi Shanye halted midair and plunged downward toward the wild, sprawling mountains below.

Before he even landed, a star tower no larger than a palm suddenly materialized in his hand.

“Rise!”

The instant he hurled the star tower, Qi Shanye launched thousands of high-grade star tokens and a vast quantity of star cores.

As soon as these high-grade star tokens and star cores—teeming with immense star power—neared the tower, their colossal star energy was instantly drained clean; both tokens and cores turned to dust in an instant.

The star tower, now saturated with vast star power, took root upon the ground and sprouted upward like a living thing, soaring a thousand meters in mere moments, piercing the clouds, while star energy from all directions was frantically sucked into it.

A massive vortex of star energy even formed in the heavens.

Numerous star beasts in the mountains were startled; one powerful fourth-rank star beast, whose territory lay nearby, crept cautiously closer to investigate.

As it neared within a hundred meters of the tower, the newly risen star tower pulsed with star energy, and the colossal vortex shifted abruptly toward the fourth-rank star beast.

The fourth-rank star beast let out a terrified roar.

But in a single breath, it was swallowed whole by the tower and instantly reduced to ash.

Qi Shanye watched this scene and sighed inwardly: “Pity—this power only manifests while raising the tower. Otherwise, ten Hu Xuechuan wouldn’t survive one.”

At the same moment, Hu Xuechuan, having left the autumn examination realm of the Chen Guo Dao Academy, appeared instantly within the Yanzhou Branch of the Tianyang Star Hall.

He had previously used the Zhaixing Tower in Yanzhou to observe the Chen Guo Dao Academy’s autumn examination realm.

The instant he returned to the mortal world, Hu Xuechuan activated the Dingxing Pan to its full power; starlight flickered across its surface, and the grid-like lines of celestial coordinates shrank rapidly. In just ten breaths, the red dot’s position on the Dingxing Pan was locked.

What startled Hu Xuechuan further was that the red dot’s glow was growing steadily brighter.

This meant Qi Shanye, whose aura he had locked, was unleashing star power without restraint.

Was he fighting someone?

Had he encountered a life-or-death crisis?

Or was he fishing?

Or was he doing something major?

Normally, Qi Shanye concealed his aura to the extreme.

Previous times he’d been detected, the disturbances were minor.

But this time, Qi Shanye was unleashing full power—under such conditions, the Dingxing Pan now pinpointed his location within a hundred meters.

Moreover, this precise location would remain trackable for fifteen minutes.

If he moved fast enough, following this location, he would surely find Qi Shanye.

He had never been able to find him before—but now that he’d located and locked Qi Shanye’s position, Hu Xuechuan found himself filled with new ideas.

After a single breath of thought, Hu Xuechuan made his decision.

Chase him!

He must chase him.

Qi Shanye’s movements were too hard to pin down.

This opportunity was too rare.

So even if Qi Shanye was fishing, he had to go—but who would be the fisherman, and who the fish, remained uncertain.

Still, he had to deceive the Star Lord.

As he leapt into motion, he sent out several starlight messages.

When Hu Xuechuan arrived at a vast, empty plaza outside the Yanzhou Branch of the Tianyang Star Hall—a place designated as forbidden ground by the entire Yanzhou branch and Dao Academy—

He immediately received an urgent report from a subordinate.

It stated that the leader of the Blood God Sect’s Yanzhou branch had been spotted at the Yanzhou Danxia Branch Academy, and the academy was urgently requesting his assistance as the branch’s commander.

The Blood God Sect was the sworn enemy of every Star Hall and Dao Academy—and the most despised of all foes.

You might encounter followers of the Worship of the Dipper Cult in the wild, but if you spotted a Blood God Sect member, it meant a fight to the death.

For every Blood God Sect disciple’s advancement was built upon the piled corpses of Star Hall and Dao Academy disciples.

This urgent report had ample justification.

After a moment’s thought, Hu Xuechuan forwarded the report directly to Star Lord Du Tingyun, while also declaring he would rush to provide support, citing intelligence that the Blood God Sect’s Yanzhou branch leader might be targeting a group of Tianyang Star Hall disciples currently on mission.

After sending this starlight message, Hu Xuechuan waited anxiously for his other personnel to assemble.

As for the Star Lord—he dared not stop him from rescuing his own!

In the Chen Guo autumn examination realm, Star Lord Du Tingyun received Hu Xuechuan’s starlight message.

At a glance at its contents, Du Tingyun sneered.

The Blood God Sect’s Yanzhou branch leader’s whereabouts?

That was indeed an unblockable excuse.

For if Du Tingyun interfered, the Danxia Branch Academy in Yanzhou might truly lose a dozen or even dozens of disciples.

Then the blame would fall squarely on Du Tingyun.

But who actually caused the deaths? That was another matter.

“This Hu Xuechuan, emboldened by his connections in the main hall, grows ever more arrogant. Last time with Zhou Qingzhu, he made everything so mysterious—what is he secretly plotting?” After a few breaths of thought, Du Tingyun sent a starlight letter to one of his trusted aides.

Inside the Yanzhou Branch of the Tianyang Star Hall, Hu Xuechuan waited thirty breaths before four capable subordinates arrived.

All four were fifth-rank Joudou Realm experts.

“Commander, you summoned us urgently—what orders?” one asked.

“Don’t ask. Just follow me.”

Hu Xuechuan drew forth the Zhaixing Token; light and shadow shifted, and a towering star tower instantly materialized before them.

This was the physical form of the Yanzhou Branch of the Zhaixing Tower.

Seeing the physical tower appear, one subordinate paled: “Commander, are we leaving the Yanzhou headquarters? If we all depart, the branch will be left defenseless.”

“Defenseless? Who dares attack our branch?”

“Besides, we’ll be back in no time.” Hu Xuechuan glanced at the subordinate, his eyes cold with displeasure.

There was no choice—Zhou Qingzhu had been exiled to the Star River Battlefield after the last incident, and Hu Xuechuan feared Qi Shanye was fishing, so he had to rely on these men.

Hu Xuechuan had already decided: if this man dared utter another word, after this mission, he’d be sent to the Star River Battlefield.

A subordinate who doesn’t obey isn’t a good subordinate—he must be replaced early.

“That’s true. Please give your orders,” the fifth-rank Joudou expert immediately bowed under Hu Xuechuan’s glare.

Hu Xuechuan was a man who dared slap the Star Lord’s table—he was not someone this subordinate could defy.

“Send word to the branch: enter alert status. Activate the guardian array to fifty percent.” Still, Hu Xuechuan made preparations—better safe than sorry.

“Yes!”

In the next instant, Hu Xuechuan’s Zhaixing Token emitted a soft glow, enveloping his four subordinates, and Hu Xuechuan stepped directly into the Zhaixing Tower with them.

After paying a heavy toll of starlight, the five vanished from within the Yanzhou Branch of the Zhaixing Tower.

At the same moment, a figure appeared in the distance, watching the Zhaixing Tower’s Yanzhou Branch slowly fade into the void, and casually sent a starlight message.

“Hu Xuechuan has entered the Yanzhou Branch of the Zhaixing Tower and departed.”

Ten breaths later, inside the Danxia County Branch of the Zhaixing Tower, Hu Xuechuan and his four subordinates appeared out of thin air, then stepped out of the branch.

The head of the Tianyang Star Hall’s Danxia Branch Academy had already been waiting.

He was also one of Hu Xuechuan’s trusted men.

“Have the arrangements been made?”

“All set. We’ve located a Blood God Sect hideout and dispatched forces to sweep it.”

“Good. Well done.”

“Let’s go!”

In the next instant, Hu Xuechuan shot skyward, stepping on starlight as he raced toward the location where Qi Shanye had raised the tower.

Among the mountains, Qi Shanye watched the tower still sucking in star energy, his anxiety mounting.

In the next instant, all starlight within and around the tower vanished; the star vortex disappeared.

The tower-raising was complete.

This Lingji Star Hall’s Chen Guo branch tower—having followed him for years—had finally succeeded in raising again.

Simultaneously, he received another starlight message; upon reading its contents, Qi Shanye was slightly startled.

“So fast?”

“It seems the Chen Guo autumn examination realm didn’t delay him much—less than a hundred breaths. Du Tingjun is weak.”

“A coward, too!”

As he cursed, Qi Shanye dashed into the twenty-year-sealed branch tower and shoved open a glowing portal labeled “Lingji Star Hall.”

He swiftly entered, heading straight for the former Scripture Hall.

The Zhaixing Tower’s one great advantage: if authority was delegated, data was simultaneously preserved.

Even if the main tower of the Lingji Star Hall was destroyed and sealed off from the outside world, branch towers with proper authority still retained the relevant records.

Fortunately, this branch tower had that authority.

Qi Shanye rushed to the familiar spot in the Scripture Hall and began rapidly searching and reviewing.

Ten breaths later, he found the data he remembered.

“So that’s how it is. No wonder so few can achieve nine rounds of blood and marrow purification to form a flawless primordial star body. No wonder—but this boy might just manage it.”

Muttering to himself, Qi Shanye sent the data and its recorded secret technique to Xu Jin via starlight message at maximum speed.

Then, in a flash, he leapt out of the Zhaixing Tower branch.

“Hm?”

Under the operation of the Mingji Star Pattern, Qi Shanye had faintly sensed several powerful stellar energy fluctuations.

He had little time left.

“Retract!”

Qi Shanye instantly activated the Star-Picking Token; the newly erected Star-Picking Tower began to contract and shrink under his command.

“Hope it’s not too late. Sixty breaths!” Qi Shanye sensed the increasingly clear aura from afar and sighed inwardly.

“Old Mo, move now. Go all out—I’m counting on you to stay alive.” Qi Shanye sent a starlight message.

Outside the Yanzhou Branch of the Tianyang Star Temple, Mo Ji removed the longbow from his back, swept his hand across it, and instantly the air blazed with starlight.

“You’re playing this big? If you don’t explain yourself later, I’m done helping you.”

As he sent the starlight message, Mo Ji drew his bow fully, and one after another arrow forged entirely from stellar energy materialized. The entire bow began to glow with blinding starlight, and the starlight on the bow grew ever brighter under Mo Ji’s continuous infusion.

The stellar energy fluctuation grew increasingly terrifying.

Fourth-rank. Fifth-rank.

When the stellar energy surged to the peak of the fifth-rank, a guard inside the Yanzhou Branch of the Tianyang Star Temple suddenly noticed the terrifying aura.

The next instant, a large group of Star-Patrol Guards burst out of the Yanzhou Branch, charging straight at Mo Ji.

“You little bastards—too late!”

With a booming laugh, Mo Ji released one finger, and nine terrifying arrows forged from stellar energy, trailing thick fiery tails, shot toward the temple’s protective starlight array like nine falling meteors.

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

Like meteors crashing to earth, the nine starlight arrows slammed into the Yanzhou Branch’s protective starlight array at terrifying speed.

The protective array, only activated to fifty percent, suddenly shuddered violently.

Each arrow impact sent out a massive ripple of stellar energy.

When the sixth arrow struck, cracks began to spiderweb across the protective starlight; when the eighth arrow landed, the Yanzhou Branch’s protective starlight shattered.

The ninth arrow plunged into the Yanzhou Branch, instantly carving out a massive crater dozens of meters wide and killing six or seven fleeing disciples of the branch.

Reduced to ash in an instant.

“Damn it, wasted a tenth of my stellar energy.”

As he spoke, Mo Ji swallowed a handful of pills—all kinds of elixirs to restore stellar energy.

That single strike had drained nine-tenths of his internal stellar energy.

Feeling his internal stellar energy rapidly recover, Mo Ji shot skyward and charged into the interior of the Yanzhou Branch of the Tianyang Star Temple. Inside the Autumn Exam Secret Realm of the Dachen Guo Academy, Xu Jin, having just finished the fifth round of elimination matches, suddenly received a starlight message.

Xu Jin assumed it was a reminder about the arena, but the message contained a thousand-character passage.

It detailed the ninth round of Blood-Cleansing and Marrow-Washing, along with a secret method to complete it.

As he memorized it, Xu Jin was deeply moved.

So Old Qi had gone to find the method for the ninth Blood-Cleansing and Marrow-Washing.

He’d even stirred up Hu Xuechuan.

Since Old Qi returned after hunting down the Demon Cult, Xu Jin had spent over half a month with him, during which they talked extensively; Old Qi occasionally mentioned his situation and past.

Xu Jin knew that although Old Qi now moved freely within Jinshan County, his situation was still perilous.

If exposed, he could die at any moment.

The main reason was that Old Qi’s essence blood had fallen into Hu Xuechuan’s hands and was being continuously tracked by Hu’s Star-Anchor Disc.

Xu Jin didn’t know how Old Qi obtained this ninth Blood-Cleansing and Marrow-Washing method, but stirring up Hu Xuechuan meant his situation was extremely dangerous.

In an instant, Xu Jin grew deeply worried.

But he remembered that Old Qi had been caught by Hu Xuechuan several times before—and always escaped.

“This time, it’ll probably be the same?” Xu Jin mused.

As he pondered, another starlight message flew in.

Xu Jin opened it at top speed, glanced once, and his expression turned grim.

【Dear disciple, your master must flee for a while. Under your sister’s bed are two jade tablets containing most of the Lingji Star Temple’s star patterns and star techniques. After you forge your Star Core, read and learn them yourself—until I return. The Plowboy】

The moment he read the message, Xu Jin’s heart lurched; for an instant, his eyes turned red.

Was Old Qi in mortal danger?

Otherwise, why send a message like a last will?

“If you don’t come back, I won’t learn! I’ll wait for you to return before I study!” Xu Jin sent back a starlight message at top speed.

Among the mountains, Qi Shanye saw Xu Jin’s message and laughed.

“Brat!”

Then Qi Shanye retracted the Star-Picking Token and fully activated the tower’s contraction.

This Star-Picking Tower’s Lingji Star Temple branch had been cultivated and taken away by Qi Shanye himself; its entire structure was saturated with his aura. If he didn’t retract it, even if he concealed his form, his head would glow like a moon—he couldn’t escape.

He had to retract the tower, flee far away, then slowly mask his aura to possibly evade Hu Xuechuan’s Star-Anchor Disc.

Now, it all depended on that guy.

In the sky, Hu Xuechuan, flying swiftly, suddenly felt the Star-Picking Token vibrate repeatedly, causing him to frown.

He slowed his speed, sank his spirit into the token, and read the starlight message.

The moment he saw its contents, his face changed drastically.

He really had a plan!

The Yanzhou Branch headquarters had been attacked!

In an instant, Hu Xuechuan understood: this must be Qi Shanye’s backup move.

He was using the surprise attack on the Yanzhou Branch to force Hu Xuechuan to return and defend it, giving Qi Shanye a chance to escape.

Fortunately, when he set out, he’d listened to a subordinate’s advice and activated the branch’s protective array at fifty percent.

He hadn’t activated it fully because full activation drained too much stellar energy.

Even at fifty percent, the protective array couldn’t be shattered by an ordinary fifth-rank expert; it required at least four or five fifth-rank Dou-Dou Realm masters attacking simultaneously to break through.

Qi Shanye could possibly have recruited one or two fifth-rank experts as allies.

But five or six? Impossible.

If he could truly gather five or six fifth-rank experts to strike together, he wouldn’t have been hunted for over three years like a stray dog.

“Raise the protective array to seventy percent. Everyone, defend with all your strength.” Hu Xuechuan issued an order.

After giving the order, Hu Xuechuan prepared to accelerate and continue chasing Qi Shanye’s direction—the Star-Anchor Disc indicated he was close.

He’d reach him in no more than a hundred breaths.

But just as he prepared to accelerate, a flood of starlight messages flew in like snowflakes.

【Master, an attack has occurred—the protective starlight array has been breached.】

【Master, rogue Lingji Star Temple remnants have attacked—heavy casualties; twelve disciples already slain.】

【Master, please return immediately—the attacker is the Lingji Star Temple’s Star-Arrow Mo Ji.】

【Master, please return immediately—Teacher Liu has fallen in battle.】

【Master, this Mo Ji has headed toward our Star Temple’s treasure vault.】

One message after another left Hu Xuechuan frozen in place.

It was Mo Ji, that butcher!

Only Mo Ji, that butcher, had the power to pierce the starlight array’s defenses.

Should he return or not?

Suddenly, Hu Xuechuan realized he was trapped in a dilemma.

He’d been tricked!

He’d been completely fooled by that old fox, Qi Shanye.

If he returned, by the time he reached Danxia County, it would take nearly a hundred breaths; then, teleporting directly from Danxia’s Star-Picking Tower to Yanzhou’s would take another hundred and twenty breaths.

Half a minute.

That half-minute was enough for Mo Ji to breach the Yanzhou Branch’s treasure vault, loot it, and flee.

Then he’d lose both ends.

Qi Shanye would escape, and the Yanzhou Branch headquarters would suffer heavy losses.

Moreover, Hu Xuechuan knew clearly: if he turned back, Qi Shanye would immediately sense it and warn Mo Ji, who would then withdraw early—and Hu Xuechuan would gain nothing.

But he couldn’t not return.

The Lingji Star Temple and the Tianyang Star Temple were mortal enemies!

Years ago, the Tianyang Star Temple and the Cangming Branch had jointly annihilated over a hundred thousand members of the Lingji Star Temple.

Including family members, the death toll exceeded a million.

No amount of retaliation could be deemed excessive.

In other words, if he dared not return, Mo Ji might truly slaughter every last person in the Yanzhou Branch.

Even if he didn’t wipe them all out, he could kill dozens or hundreds of elite disciples.

That would mean heavy casualties, a massive loss of strength—and Hu Xuechuan would bear grave responsibility.

If things went badly, he might lose his position as branch master.

Especially since the Star Lord, Du Tingyun, had always disliked him.

He couldn’t not rescue them.

But if he returned, he’d truly suffer a crushing defeat.

He will also receive a major demerit.

But Hu Xuechuan was also a man of decisive action; after hesitating only three or four breaths, he made his decision.

We must rescue him, but Qi Shanye must also be pursued.

This is a rare opportunity.

Such a clear lock-on as this is something Qi Shanye rarely escapes from.

“The two of you, return to Yanzhou Star Temple at full speed. Remember, if you encounter Mo Ji, charge forward quickly—so long as you don’t let him create distance, the two of you can surround him and definitely threaten him!”

“Additionally, I have ordered three other branch directors from other counties in Yanzhou, all of whom have reached the Fifth Stage—Doubled Stars Realm and can use the Star-Picking Tower’s teleportation function, to teleport via the Star-Picking Tower and urgently reinforce the Yanzhou Branch Temple.”

“When the five of you—Fifth Stage Doubled Stars cultivators—coordinate, you can easily surround and annihilate Mo Ji.”

“After repelling Mo Ji, immediately organize personnel from all counties and spare no cost to fully eradicate the Blood God Sect and Worship of the Dipper Sect within our borders—even if you must purchase intelligence at high prices from Chen Guo’s Spring Rain Bureau.” Hu Xuechuan gave instructions to his trusted subordinates.

This time, the main temple of the Yanzhou Branch Temple was attacked, the Starlight Protection Array shattered, and over ten men killed—it was a major demerit, a major demerit for me as the branch temple’s director.

Only a great achievement can offset this major demerit and let me land safely.

Otherwise, even if I have powerful patrons above me, they won’t be able to speak for me.

“Understood, my lord!”

“Go quickly, report at all times!”

“Yes!”

In the next instant, two figures swiftly left the formation and rushed toward Danxia County.

Meanwhile, Hu Xuechuan, accompanied by two of his Doubled Stars subordinates, once again stepped upon starlight and flew at high speed toward the red dot on the Constellation Compass marking Qi Shanye’s location.

Hu Xuechuan was slightly anxious—this hesitation and the issuing of orders had cost him at least ten or more breaths.

Ten or more breaths: not short, not long—but it might be the very chance Qi Shanye needs to escape alive.

Fortunately, the red dot on the Constellation Compass, marking Qi Shanye’s position, had not yet begun to move.

It remained where it was.

He still had a chance.

Yet only ten breaths later, the red dot on the Constellation Compass suddenly began to move.

Among the mountains, the Star-Picking Tower’s Danxia Branch Temple finally shrank to the size of a palm and vanished into Qi Shanye’s palm.

In the next instant, Qi Shanye shot skyward, riding starlight in swift flight.

Glancing back, he had already seen the starlight formed by Hu Xuechuan: “There’s still a chance.”

At the same instant, Hu Xuechuan also saw the starlight formed by Qi Shanye as he fled.

This was the closest he had come to Qi Shanye in three years!

“Chase!”

At the Yanzhou Branch Temple of the Sun Yang Star Temple, Mo Ji casually fired an arrow that obliterated a Star Condensation Realm instructor, then stormed into the branch temple’s treasure vault.

Before entering the vault, he fired three arrows in rapid succession, slaughtering all twenty-odd ordinary Star-Patrol Guards who had just arrived—his expression unchanged.

Since all his fellow temple brothers, including their families and relatives, had been killed by the Sun Yang Star Temple’s bandits, killing Sun Yang Star Temple scum had become routine.

No right or wrong—only blood vengeance!

“Old Mo, I’ve already fled. I still have some chance of escape, but the mission succeeded! Be careful—I noticed two or three of Hu Xuechuan’s men have returned to reinforce. You should withdraw immediately!”

“Shall I go rescue you?” Mo Ji sent a message.

“Don’t let both of us get caught. By the way, I have a disciple—might come looking for you someday. If you get the chance, lend him a hand.”

“Get lost. Help your own disciple!”

As he sent starlight messages, Mo Ji swept through the Sun Yang Star Temple’s Yanzhou Branch Temple treasure vault at top speed.

Nothing of great value remained.

Truly precious star artifacts would never be stored here.

But there were still large quantities of Mid-Grade Star Jade Tablets and a few High-Grade Star Jade Tablets, along with numerous Star Cores.

Over a thousand star weapons—but unfortunately, he couldn’t take them all!

In the next instant, he gathered several thousand Star Jade Tablets and Star Cores, took two star weapons he deemed worthy, then swiftly exited the treasure vault.

Before leaving, he fired two arrows.

The remaining Star Jade Tablets inside the vault exploded, triggering a star explosion that instantly reduced the entire Yanzhou Branch Temple treasure vault to ash.

Starflame surged into the sky!

Amid the chaotic dust, Mo Ji’s figure flickered in and out as he fled swiftly.

Ten breaths later, Mo Ji had already left Yanzhou City.

At that moment, three branch directors sent to reinforce arrived at the Yanzhou Star-Picking Tower branch.

“I pulled off a big one—successfully withdrawn. Need to lie low for a while. Remember: stay alive.” Mo Ji sent a starlight message to Qi Shanye.

(End of Chapter)