Chapter 363 - 289: The Dragon’s Roar Sword Explodes (2)

Chapter 363: Chapter 289: The Dragon’s Roar Sword Explodes (2)

"I’m sorry," Zhang Tianwen said, a hint of guilt in his eyes. "I’ll find you a good sword later."

"It’s nothing," Shen Xingchen said, waving his hand and exhaling. "Let’s get out of here. The commotion from that battle was too great. It might have attracted the attention of those Golden Core cultivators. It’s not safe."

"Alright."

Zhang Tianwen nodded. With a wave of his sleeve, Yu Changsheng stored the corpse of the Profound Yin Poison Soul Spider, then chose a direction and led the group away.

The aura of the Ten Thousand Spirits Technique enveloped the group of four, completely concealing their own presences as they sped away from the area without slowing down.

「An incense stick’s time later...」

Three figures landed on the spot. They were none other than Chen Buhuo, Juelingzi, and the Purple-robed Cultivator.

"This place..."

Chen Buhuo’s gaze hardened as he stared at the ravaged landscape, letting out a long breath.

"A huge battle took place here. From the looks of it, it ended not long ago."

The Purple-robed Cultivator scooped up a handful of soil and rubbed it between his fingers, his eyes narrowing slightly.

"Judging by the lingering auras, it has to be those brats. But..."

The Purple-robed Cultivator fell silent. His gaze landed on a large crater on the ground, which had been corroded by the dark green blood of a Profound Yin Poison Soul Spider and was now emitting Black Qi. He looked thoughtful.

’But... for them to have survived an encounter with a Tier Three Middle Stage Profound Yin Poison Soul Spider... these brats are truly astonishing.’

’And it wasn’t just survival. Did they manage to escape and even turn the tables and kill the Profound Yin Poison Soul Spider?’

The Purple-robed Cultivator was incredibly perceptive. He had deduced a great deal from just a few traces left at the scene, and the look of disbelief in his eyes deepened.

"A Tier Three Middle Stage Profound Yin Poison Soul Spider... Even I might not be its match, yet those brats managed to slay it. I don’t know what methods they used, but it couldn’t have been easy. This must be when they’re at their weakest. They can’t have gotten far. Let’s hurry and pursue them."

After speaking, the Purple-robed Cultivator took a deep breath, a rare look of gravity appearing in his eyes. He performed a finger technique, and streaks of purple light danced in the air, forming an arrow that promptly dissipated.

"Hm? I can’t find them? Their technique for concealing their presence is quite good."

The Purple-robed Cultivator’s expression turned ugly. He stared at the spot where the arrow had dissipated, his gaze dark.

"It hasn’t been that long; they can’t be far. We’ll split up and search in three directions. Inform me the moment you find any trace of them. None of you can handle them alone, so don’t act rashly."

"Oh, and we’re already in the inner region of Huishui Mountain. There are plenty of vicious High-level Spirit Beasts here. Be careful not to provoke them. Go!"

At the Purple-robed Cultivator’s command, he waved his hand, and the three of them became three streaks of light, shooting off to search in different directions.

Meanwhile, in another part of the forest, Yu Changsheng’s group was racing onward. They passed one Spirit Beast after another, but thanks to the concealing effect of the Ten Thousand Spirits Technique, they didn’t provoke any of them. The beasts, in turn, did not bar their way and simply let them pass.

Chen Buhuo and Juelingzi, however, were not so lucky. Despite their superior cultivation, Spirit Beasts would periodically leap out to obstruct their path within Huishui Mountain. Even though they slew the beasts, their progress was inevitably slowed.

As one party was delayed while the other was not, the pursuers’ speed fell behind Yu Changsheng’s. Coupled with the sheer size of Huishui Mountain, finding the small group again would be no easy task.

"Now that we have the Nascent Building Grass, we should look for an opportunity to get off this mountain and head back to the sect. As for those Golden Core cultivators, let’s just do our best to avoid them."

Zhang Tianwen, carrying Shen Xingchen on his back, followed closely behind Yu Changsheng. He moved like an agile monkey through the forest, alternating between great leaps and stealthy advances as they pressed on.

"Alright, that’s the only option."

Yu Changsheng nodded. He kept his Divine Sense spread out and pushed the Ten Thousand Spirits Technique to its limits, its aura flowing over them to hide all traces of their passage.

Among the four, even Shen Xingchen was now suffering from the backlash of self-destructing his Lifebound Magical Treasure. His power as a Sword Cultivator was greatly diminished. If they ran into the Golden Core cultivators now, escaping would be nearly impossible.

Within Huishui Mountain, a thick, watery mist hung in the air, and treacherous marshes dotted the landscape. Fortunately, Yu Changsheng’s timely warnings allowed them to avoid these hazards without incident.

「A day and a night passed in this manner.」

The group remained on high alert, their nerves stretched taut. After finally crossing through the inner region of Huishui Mountain, Yu Changsheng felt a shift and slowly exhaled.

"We’re back in the outer region. Stay alert. We’ll find a different way down the mountain from here."

Yu Changsheng spoke softly, the tension in his mind easing just a fraction. Now that they were here, the map they had bought before entering the mountain was useful once more. He scanned his surroundings, compared them to the map in his memory to get his bearings, and then chose a direction and took off at high speed.

Back in the outer region, they could clearly sense that the surrounding Spirit Beasts were of a much lower Realm. There were no Tier Three beasts, and even Tier Two beasts were rare. The group breathed a collective sigh of relief and, casting aside most of their worries, picked up the pace as they descended the mountain.

WHOOSH...

The wind howled, and the air grew thick with moisture again. The group barreled straight through the forest, trees blurring past them, until the sound of a battle up ahead made them hesitate.

"Hm?"

Yu Changsheng paused, sensing the fluctuations of a Technique up ahead. He glanced back at Zhang Tianwen.

"What is it?" Zhang Tianwen asked in confusion.

"There’s a group of people fighting ahead. We could go around, but the other directions are all swampland. A detour would cost us a lot of time," Yu Changsheng answered frankly.

"Fighting?" Zhang Tianwen blinked, then considered it for a moment. "What’s their cultivation level? If a detour is that much trouble, let’s just pass straight through. It should be fine."

"There are six people in total, split into two groups. Their cultivation is mostly Mid-stage Foundation Establishment, around the Fifth or Sixth Layer. There’s also one at the Foundation Establishment Seventh Layer," Yu Changsheng replied after a moment of sensing.

"That’s manageable. Let’s just go straight through," Zhang Tianwen said, letting out a noticeable sigh of relief.

"Alright." Yu Changsheng nodded and, without further hesitation, continued forward.

Not far ahead, waves of energy from Techniques rippled through the air. Six people, split into two camps, were locked in a heated battle.

"Wang Yungang! Don’t you and your Cloud Sea Medicine Gathering Team go too far! We were the ones who found this Golden Cauldron Yin Iron first! Do you really think Ling Feng’s Medicine Gathering Team is just a bunch of pushovers?"

A middle-aged Cultivator in a green robe shouted in fury after parrying a blow from the man he had called Wang Yungang.

A trickle of blood ran down his forehead. He unleashed the full might of his Foundation Establishment Sixth Layer cultivation, but it was still clearly not enough to match Wang Yungang.

"Heh, Luo Meng, listen to you. Treasures in Huishui Mountain belong to the fated. How are you going to prove you found this Golden Cauldron Yin Iron first?"

Wang Yungang sneered, the mockery in his eyes blatant as he stared at Luo Meng.

"You!" Luo Meng seethed, pointing at Wang Yungang. His chest heaved, and he spat out a mouthful of blood through gritted teeth. "If our Leader Ling weren’t away, would you dare be so arrogant? Aren’t you afraid of his retaliation when you get back?"

"Oh? You mean that brat Ling Feng? Heh." Wang Yungang shook his head and sneered. "The outcome would be the same even if he were here. Besides..."

Wang Yungang paused, his icy gaze sweeping over Luo Meng and his two companions. His voice turned frigid. "If I kill all of you here in Huishui Mountain, who’s to say it was me?"

"Second-in-Command, Leader Ling isn’t here! We’re no match for Wang Yungang. Look for an opening, and we’ll cover your escape!"

The other two members of Ling Feng’s Medicine Gathering Team drew close to Luo Meng. Both were covered in wounds and panting heavily. They were both at the Foundation Establishment Fifth Layer and spoke with bitter smiles as they shielded him.

"This..."

Luo Meng bit his lip, his silence speaking volumes. Feeling the extent of his internal injuries, a bitter taste filled his mouth.

"Trying to escape? A nice thought, but you’re nowhere near qualified."

Wang Yungang smiled faintly and shook his head. At his signal, his two companions raised their long blades, their gazes excited and bloodthirsty as they stared at the three men.