Chapter 336: Ran Away

Now, Song Jiulai couldn’t keep up the act.

She realized that once that Soul Banner came out, she wouldn’t be able to stop it. If she got sucked in, it would be a true disaster.

’Things are getting dangerous. Retreat, retreat, retreat!’

Ignoring her injuries, she popped another Fourth-rank Qi Replenishing Pill into her mouth and prepared to retreat.

Song Jiulai had gotten what she wanted this time, but she still cursed under her breath, ’So he’s a Demon Cultivator. No wonder he was being so sneaky.’

The commotion from the Soul Banner was huge and would easily attract other Cultivators.

If anyone discovered a Demon Cultivator here, he would surely be exterminated.

No matter how reluctant the Demon Cultivator was, he couldn’t afford to be careless in the face of this crisis.

The moment the Soul Banner appeared, ghostly wails and wolfish howls filled a hundred-li radius.

The very sky and clouds seemed to change color. Cultivators would be able to sense the piercing, ghostly cries no matter how far away they were.

Intent on a swift victory, the Demon Cultivator manipulated the Soul Banner to strike at Song Jiulai.

This Soul Banner was no ordinary Earth Grade Magic Treasure. It was an evolving type, soon to become a Ten Thousand Souls Banner—it was no laughing matter.

Wielded by a Mid Golden Core Stage cultivator, its Divine Sense suppression was overwhelming.

Song Jiulai knew that short of teleporting, she had no chance of escape.

Meanwhile, the Little Golden Dragon in her Dantian seemed to sense this. Having just absorbed two strikes from the Blood Hand Claw, it now opened its mouth.

An identical Blood Hand Claw shot out from Song Jiulai’s body.

It howled straight toward the Ten Thousand Souls Banner.

However, it was clear the Blood Hand Claw hadn’t "eaten" its fill; both its power and form were a notch weaker than the Demon Cultivator’s original attack.

But this display of the Cultivation Technique was enough to leave him stunned.

"How do you know the Bone-cutting Blood-shocking Claw?!"

’This isn’t a Cultivation Technique for the Human Clan! Only we Demon Cultivators should be able to practice it!’

Song Jiulai didn’t answer. Her hands formed a series of seals, and the Moonlight Sword Technique materialized in mid-air.

’The Black Demon Seal is out of the question, and the Prosperous Scenery Tower isn’t appropriate either.’

At her current power level, these two Earth-grade Treasures were useless against a Mid Golden Core Stage cultivator, so Song Jiulai had no intention of bringing them out.

The Moonlight Sword Technique contained an extremely faint trace of the Power of Time, and even the Demon Cultivator before her sensed something was off.

But even if something felt off, her sword technique combined with the Blood Hand Claw could only hold back the Ten Thousand Souls Banner for a mere instant.

The moment they clashed, both the Blood Hand Claw and the Moonlight Sword Technique were obliterated without a trace.

’She might manage against a Golden Core Early Stage cultivator, but it’s already impressive that she can even put up a fight against someone at the Mid Golden Core Stage!’

’This Human Clan female cultivator is too strange,’ the Demon Cultivator thought, watching Song Jiulai move despite her grave injuries. ’I absolutely cannot let her live!’

"Die!"

With a great roar from the Demon Cultivator, the Ten Thousand Souls Banner descended.

The sky around them changed color as black clouds roiled violently.

As the Ten Thousand Souls Banner bore down, Song Jiulai felt an immense suction force pulling at her body.

This time, her Divine Sense reeled. The Ten Thousand Souls Banner wanted to absorb her very soul.

Her body was pulled uncontrollably toward the Ten Thousand Souls Banner.

Song Jiulai, for her part, seemed to have given up the struggle.

He watched Song Jiulai coldly, a mocking smile tugging at his lips, like a mouse watching a cat that has lost the will to fight. "A mere Golden Core Early Stage cultivator. I could kill you with one hand."

Song Jiulai’s face was still streaked with blood. Upon hearing his words, she just sneered, "And yet, your last two attacks failed to kill me."

The Demon Cultivator was speechless.

His fury mounted. "I will grind your bones to dust!"

’Don’t worry,’ the system said. ’I’ll teleport you out right before you get sucked in. Even if we can’t finish him, we can at least infuriate him to death!’

But as luck would have it, this time, Song Jiulai’s fortune was on her side.

Just as the Demon Cultivator was about to strike, he suddenly sensed something. His eyes narrowed, and a rare look of panic flashed across his face.

Without a moment’s hesitation, he recalled the Ten Thousand Souls Banner, no longer bothering with the matter of Refining Song Jiulai.

He turned and fled without a shred of hesitation!

Of course, the scoundrel was insidious and vicious. Even as he fled, he launched another Blood Hand Claw down at Song Jiulai.

"I will kill you one day!"

With those parting words, the Demon Cultivator’s figure vanished in an instant.

Song Jiulai was struck by the Blood Hand Claw, and this time, every bone in her body truly shattered.

Even as she plummeted toward the ground, she could only barely muster a single sliver of Spiritual Energy, but she stubbornly used it for something else entirely.

Instead, with a beckoning gesture, she pulled Ma Feng’s Jiezidai away from his corpse.

The Demon Cultivator had been in such a hurry to flee that he hadn’t even dealt with Ma Feng’s corpse or his Jiezidai.

Having done this, Song Jiulai crashed to the ground.

She hadn’t even used that last sliver of Spiritual Energy to protect her body for a somewhat safer landing.

Her body slammed into the earth with such force that it left a large crater.

The impact left her dizzy and disoriented.

She lay on the ground, blood pouring not just from her mouth, but from her nose and ears as well.

Even the sky above her was a blurry, crimson red.

’At least I secured the goods.’

The system, which could monitor Song Jiulai’s physical condition in real time, knew she wasn’t dead. ’Your condition is getting ridiculous. Take a Fourth-rank Blood Replenishing Pill,’ it urged.

"No..."

Song Jiulai no longer had the strength to speak.

But fortunately, communicating with the system didn’t require her to speak aloud. ’Someone’s coming. This is perfect. That fucking moron of a Demon Cultivator... just you wait. He wouldn’t let me go? The day I reach the Golden Core Stage, I’m coming for his goddamn life!’

If he hadn’t sensed someone approaching, that Demon Cultivator would never have run.

And whoever was coming was likely someone he couldn’t handle.

Even at the Mid Golden Core Stage, he couldn’t instantly kill her, a cultivator at the Late-stage Foundation Establishment.

Although part of that was because the Demon Cultivator was in a rush to escape and hadn’t used his full power, it still gave Song Jiulai confidence.

Her bones were shattered, but her Dantian was unharmed.

The Little Golden Dragon and the Little Green Dragon had protected her Dantian.

The power of the Nine Transformations Dragon Bone was keeping her alive, meaning that Song Jiulai had only suffered what appeared to be horrific external injuries.

As long as her situation wasn’t like Su Huanli’s, she could recover on her own, given enough time.

In the next instant, a figure appeared in the sky above.

Unable to use her Spiritual Energy or Divine Sense, Song Jiulai could only make out a blurry shadow.

The person seemed to be observing something before landing on the ground a moment later.

They slowly walked over to stand before Song Jiulai.

After he landed, two more figures arrived.

Song Jiulai heard someone call out, "Senior!"

Lying on the ground, Song Jiulai could only move her neck slowly and with great effort.

Then, the newcomer knelt down and placed a Fourth-rank Blood Replenishing Pill in Song Jiulai’s mouth.

Surprised, Song Jiulai’s eyes flew wide open.

Blood seeped from the corners of her eyes due to the pressure on her bones, giving her a terrifying appearance, but she was finally able to see the person in front of her clearly.

It was a male cultivator in white robes. He had the transcendent air of an immortal and an undeniably righteous aura.

With his wide outer robes and Immortal Sleeves, this male cultivator did not seem like an ordinary one.

He was currently frowning, sizing up Song Jiulai.

"Senior!"

The people who had been following caught up from behind. They were shocked to see Song Jiulai lying there. "Was that Soul Banner targeting her? How did she get so seriously injured?"

Song Jiulai was even more surprised.

’Dong Yulan?’