Chapter 364 - 227: Shadow Needle (2)

Chapter 364: Chapter 227: Shadow Needle (2)

The people who could enter were mostly disciples from various sects and factions. Although Desperate Gorge seemed extremely dangerous, it didn’t stop them from seeking their own opportunities.

"All right."

"Since we’ve arrived, it’s time we bid you farewell, Senior. We will definitely remember your words and won’t expose you."

The two said earnestly.

"Mm."

Su Xing just nodded. In truth, he didn’t care whether they exposed him. It would be better if they didn’t, of course, but Su Xing never had any intention of leaving a crucial part of his plan in the hands of others.

After bidding the two farewell, Su Xing continued deeper inside. He could feel the space around him growing increasingly solid, as if it were becoming as hard as a wall.

Su Xing even felt that if one moved fast enough, they could get stuck in space itself without it even needing to be torn. Anyone whose physical body wasn’t strong enough would be hopelessly trapped here by this Dragon-locking Pillar.

"..."

Su Xing glanced around in surprise. Everything still looked the same. The deeper he went, the fewer energy fluctuations he could sense, but the space was definitely growing more solid.

"This Dragon-locking Pillar is worthy of its reputation as a sect-guarding treasure."

Su Xing sighed in admiration.

To him, however, this was hardly an obstacle. While his spatial abilities were affected, Su Xing’s greatest strength had always been his physical body. The solidifying space did nothing to slow him down.

He strode forward, continuing his journey into the depths of Desperate Gorge.

While Desperate Gorge wasn’t a particularly grand canyon, it was still several dozen kilometers long and reached depths of three to four hundred meters in places, making it quite large. Coupled with the steep terrain, finding any single object here was no easy task.

However, Su Xing wouldn’t be like those people he saw when he first entered, meticulously searching every nook and cranny. That kind of behavior, like meticulously looting a map in a video game, was the most foolish approach. After all, reality wasn’t a game where everything you picked up would be useful.

He just needed to find the place with the most experts,

and then he could play the role of the oriole stalking from behind. Since the higher-ups permitted this, it shouldn’t be a problem for him to snatch the prize.

As for whether he could win...

Su Xing figured that he had once managed a double-kill against two Tier Eight Powerhouses by shattering his sword, albeit with Li Longxuan’s help. This time, shattering a couple more swords and taking on a bit more risk shouldn’t be a problem.

Su Xing was well aware that it was impossible to confront a Tier Eight Powerhouse without being willing to take any risks. After all, he was still only Tier Six.

As Su Xing headed deeper into Desperate Gorge, he completely opened up his five senses. His terrifying hearing instantly blanketed an area dozens of kilometers in radius, pulling every rustle of wind and grass into his perception.

Ever since he started practicing the Unity of Immortal and Martial Arts, Su Xing’s five senses had become even sharper. At this moment, the majority of Desperate Gorge fell under Su Xing’s sole surveillance.

After filtering out the miscellaneous, useless sounds, the sounds of a fight and a conversation gradually reached Su Xing’s ears.

"Haha! I finally found it!"

"Put it down!"

"Put it down? Caged Bird, are you getting too arrogant?!"

This snippet of dialogue came from far away, accompanied by the sounds of a fierce battle. From this, Su Xing could tell they had already found that flower and had even started fighting over it. And among them was that Caged Bird, Li Yu.

To be honest, Su Xing was very curious about this friend of Yin Crow. He was once an unparalleled genius of the Cyan Cloud Sect, yet he had inexplicably killed his fellow disciple and fiancée, betrayed the Cyan Cloud Sect, and ended up reviled and abandoned by all.

But...

Su Xing had a brief encounter with this Li Ye before entering Desperate Gorge and found that he didn’t seem like a psychopath. That made the situation all the more interesting. What exactly happened to Li Ye back then?

Why did he suddenly kill someone,

and why did he betray his sect and master, give up his future, and instead head to Jile Valley to become a wanted criminal?

And then there was Yin Crow.

Thinking of this, Su Xing grew even more curious about what Li Ye wanted that flower for. Who was he trying to save?

Of course, the item Li Ye was fighting for might not be the flower. It could be something else that had sparked their conflict. But whatever could cause two Tier Eight Powerhouses to fight over it was certainly no ordinary thing.

Moreover, his principle was to never let a potential opportunity slip by. Since he’d already stumbled upon this scene, he naturally had to go see it for himself.

Su Xing lightly tapped his right foot on the ground and instantly shot forward several hundred meters, hurtling toward the canyon’s interior.

At that moment, Su Xing felt as if he was smashing through one wall after another, charging forward like a heavily armored tank.

From a distance, in the vast Desperate Gorge, only Su Xing and a rare few others could maintain such a terrifying speed. The Dragon-locking Pillar had actually given Su Xing an advantage.

...

「Deep within Desperate Gorge.」

Two figures were locked in a life-or-death chase along the precipitous cliffs. Every few seconds, they would clash and then rapidly separate. The terrifying shockwaves from their exchanges were enough to make the cliff face crumble, sending a trail of rubble crashing down below.

If this weren’t the depths of Desperate Gorge, devoid of low-tier Extraordinary Beings, who knows how many people would have died inexplicable deaths from this alone.

The one fleeing in front was a man in tight-fitting clothes. He looked to be in his forties, giving off the impression of a man in his prime. A giant golden dragon was emblazoned on his back, suggesting a connection to the Dragon Gate.

The man chasing him held a sword in his right hand. He wore purple robes, and his jet-black hair flowed down to his back. He looked peerlessly magnificent.

If his name wasn’t Caged Bird Li Ye, anyone seeing him for the first time would surely think he was a righteous man from a prestigious sect.

From their exchanges, it was clear that the man from Dragon Gate fleeing in front was not at all Li Ye’s equal in strength—in fact, he was far weaker. However, he seemed to possess some Secret Technique that allowed him to run slightly faster than Li Ye.

However,

although he was a bit faster,

the gap in their strength was too great.

This resulted in a stalemate during their frantic chase: the man from Dragon Gate couldn’t shake Li Ye, and Li Ye couldn’t catch him.

"Yi Changhao, where do you think you can run? Your Dragon Gate has turned this Desperate Gorge into a deathmatch cage! You stole Yin Crow’s Shadow Needle. Hand it over, and I’ll spare your life!"

Li Ye threatened.

But everyone knew such a threat was empty. The other party wouldn’t hand over the Shadow Needle, and even if he did, Li Ye would be unlikely to spare his life.

"Haha! The Dragon-locking Pillar weakens you all! Even if I’m not as strong as you, don’t even think about catching me! As for the Shadow Needle, a demon lord’s weapon fell into my hands. Why should I give it to you?!"

"Li Ye, you’re no longer the prized disciple of the Cyan Cloud Sect you once were! Now you’re nothing but a wanted criminal!"

Although the man in front couldn’t beat Li Ye, when it came to a battle of words, he wouldn’t lose by an inch.

As they spoke, the two of them smashed straight through a four-meter-wide boulder on the cliff face. The massive rock boomed and then plummeted downward, landing on the ground with a tremendous CRASH.

"Tsk."

Li Ye clicked his tongue. It might have been an illusion, but when the man in front called Yin Crow a demon lord, a flicker of helplessness and savagery flashed in Li Ye’s eyes.

"Heh, quite the sharp tongue." Li Ye’s voice grew colder, and the force behind his attacks intensified. "Let’s see you escape from my grasp today, if you have the skill."

"Then you can just try!"

"Hahahaha!!!"

The man laughed with wild abandon, as if he paid no mind to a Tier Eight Powerhouse like Li Ye. In reality, his heart was pounding in his chest, scared half to death. After all, he was only at Tier Seven Peak. One careless mistake, and he would die a truly miserable death!

If it weren’t for the Dragon-locking Pillar’s help, which greatly reduced Li Ye’s speed, he would have been dead long ago with his paltry tricks.

Therefore, as he struggled to hold on, he racked his brain, thinking of a way to break this deadlock.