"I'll be back soon."
With just a few steps, Song Changsheng turned into a streak of light, shooting off into the distance…
In a narrow, winding canyon, Song Yulong wore a grim expression as he looked at the black-robed pursuers relentlessly closing in behind them.
"Brother, what do we do now?" asked a worried young woman beside him.
They had already burned through many of their trump cards during the chase. But the enemy had a late Foundation Establishment cultivator wielding a spiritual weapon, along with several other Foundation Establishment cultivators. In every aspect, they were outmatched.
"If it comes to it, I'll use that thing. I'll stay behind to hold them off. You take Qing'er and the other cultivator and make a run for it," Song Yulong said grimly, his voice firm with resolve.
Song Yushi's eyes reddened with emotion. "It's all my fault," she said guiltily. "I shouldn't have saved her. Then we wouldn't be in this mess."
"This isn't your fault," Song Yulong shook his head as he glanced at the unconscious woman they were carrying. "The moment we chose this route, it was inevitable we'd run into people like them. Even if we hadn't saved her, they still wouldn't have let us go; they'd silence any witnesses."
Just a few days prior, they had disembarked from their flying vessel under the Golden Crow Sect's command. Word of the ambush that killed a Golden Crow Sect elder and the disappearance of a core disciple had already reached them. In response, the Golden Crow Sect had launched a massive search effort.
To avoid trouble, they had specifically chosen a remote path. For a while, everything had gone smoothly until a day ago, when they passed a small stream.
That was where Song Yushi discovered a woman floating in the water.
At first, Song Yulong hadn't planned to get involved. Situations like this were usually the result of treasure disputes or grudges between cultivators. But Song Yushi, moved by compassion, decided to investigate. They found that although the woman was badly wounded and unconscious, she wasn't in critical condition.
Song Yulong had originally planned to treat her injuries and then hide her in a safe place.
But during the treatment, Song Yushi discovered an identity jade tag on the woman's one belonging to a Golden Crow Sect disciple, and seemingly one of high rank.
Song Yulong had immediately guessed who she might be. As much as he didn't want to bring her along, especially with the responsibility of escorting three Foundation Establishment Pills back to the clan, there wasn't time to hesitate.
Before he could make a decision, a group of black-cloaked figures attacked.
From the moment they appeared, their killing intent had been unmistakable.
Outnumbered and outmatched, Song Yulong's party had no choice but to flee with the unconscious woman.
After a full day and night of pursuit, they were reaching their limits, and the enemies were gaining ground fast.
Song Yushi bit her lip, wracked with guilt. No matter how you looked at it, this was her fault.
"Watch out!"
Suddenly, Song Yulong shoved her aside, just as a streak of scarlet light flew past her shoulder and struck a nearby hill, reducing it to rubble.
Cold sweat poured down Song Yushi's back. If Song Yulong hadn't pushed her, she'd be dead.
"Stay focused. That spiritual weapon of theirs is no ordinary item," Song Yulong warned, his face grim.
"Where do we go now?"
"Stick to the original route," he said firmly. "I've already sent a distress signal to the clan. As long as we hold on a little longer, they'll send help."
With the three Foundation Establishment Pills in their hands, the clan would never abandon them. The real question was whether they could hold out until then.
Meanwhile, not far behind them, a black-robed assassin spoke to the black-robed supervisor leading the pursuit.
"Sir, we need to finish this quickly. We're approaching the Wutong Mountains, which are home to two Foundation Establishment clans. If they make it there, things could get complicated."
The supervisor's eyes flashed with cold resolve. He didn't fear those clans, but this wasn't their territory, and a confrontation could be messy.
After a brief pause, he reached into his robe and took out a tiny black sword barely an inch long, exuding a dense aura of murderous energy.
A look of pain crossed his face. This was a treasured artifact he had nurtured for a long time, a top-grade Tier-2 item, reserved for life-and-death situations.
But now, he had no choice but to use it.
"Demonic Execution Sword Slash!"
The tiny black sword in his hand instantly transformed into a jet-black streak of sword light, shooting straight toward Song Yulong's back.
While flying at high speed, Song Yulong's heart suddenly filled with alarm. He immediately twisted in mid-air to dodge, but the sword light clung to him like a maggot to rotting flesh; it refused to let go no matter what evasive maneuvers he tried.
Sensing the overwhelming killing intent radiating from the sword light, Song Yulong's heart sank into despair.
"Schiiing"
The jet-black sword light slammed into Song Yulong's back. A faint blue glow flared over his body in an attempt to resist the lethal blow.
But the light lasted only an instant before it was torn apart. The sword light pierced straight into his body, violently rampaging through his organs and meridians like a wild beast.
"Pffft"
Song Yulong suddenly coughed out a large mouthful of blood. Like a bird with its wings broken, he staggered in the air before plummeting downward.
The scene horrified Song Yushi, whose face went pale. She rushed to catch him and asked urgently, "Big brother, are you okay?!"
Blood poured from Song Yulong's mouth and nose. Struggling to stay conscious, he clutched Song Yushi's hand and weakly said, "That attack… It carried intense killing energy… It's already corroding my organs. I won't last much longer. Take Qing'er and that girl, go now. I'll buy you time."
"No! Big brother, hang in there! We're leaving together. We'll all leave together!" Tears fell from Song Yushi's eyes like a string of broken pearls. She could feel a destructive force wreaking havoc inside her brother's body, but she had no way to stop it.
Song Yulong reached up with difficulty and wiped away her tears. "Don't cry… If you don't leave now, none of us will make it. Take care of Qing'er for me."
Looking at her blood-covered father, Song Muqing had completely frozen up. She could only stare blankly, too stunned to react.
"Yushi, take the Foundation Establishment Pills. Go!" Song Yulong used the last of his strength to shove a jade box into her hands.
"Go? None of you is going anywhere today."
A cold voice rang out. The black-robed overseer had somehow appeared right behind them, watching with an icy glare.
Three other black-robed men surrounded them from all sides, cutting off all paths of escape.
Seeing this, despair filled Song Yulong's eyes. He was already on the verge of death, and Song Yushi was only an early Foundation Establishment cultivator. There was no chance they could break out. This was a certain-death scenario.
"…Even if I die, I'll take a couple of you down with me!"
A flicker of cold light passed through Song Yulong's eyes as his hand quietly grasped a spherical object hidden within his sleeve.
Though his movement was subtle, the overseer still caught it after all. Song Yulong was wounded. With a cruel grin, the man sneered,
"If you behave, I might grant you a quick death. But if you struggle, I guarantee your end will be miserable.
This girl here is your sister, right? Quite the beauty… smooth skin and delicate features… I bet she tastes pretty sweet, too."
"Bastard!"
Fury surged within Song Yulong. The rage overwhelmed his injured body, causing him to cough up another mouthful of blood. These people… they were monsters.
Song Yushi's face went deathly pale. Her body trembled with rage as she gripped her spirit sword tightly, positioning herself protectively in front of her brother and nephew. But inside, she was overwhelmed by hopelessness.
Suddenly, from the sky, a massive crimson sword appeared, radiating explosive energy. It struck a black-robed attacker from behind, one who was only at the early Foundation Establishment, catching him off guard and leaving him seriously wounded.
The overseer's face darkened in shock. "A high-grade Tier-2 Crimson Sword Talisman?!"
"Quick, kill them all!" the overseer screeched. He then summoned a pitch-black wheel-shaped magic weapon, hurling it at the unconscious girl behind Song Yushi.
On instinct, Song Yushi shielded her brother and nephew with her body.
Just as the wheel was about to crash down on them, a massive bronze bell descended from above, enveloping the group. The black wheel smashed into the bell's surface, creating ripples but failing to leave a mark.
"A high-grade spiritual artifact?!" The overseer clenched his teeth in frustration. "So close!"
"Who's there? Show yourself!"
His voice echoed through the forest, but the only reply was a jet-black iron ruler flying toward him.
Clang!
The ruler collided with the black wheel, sending sparks flying. The two attacks canceled each other out, ending in a draw. But the overseer's face darkened further.
Though it looked like a tie, it was a loss for him. His black wheel was a high-grade spiritual weapon, while the opponent's iron ruler was only low-grade. The difference in quality made it clear: this newcomer's cultivation was superior.
Three black-robed men gathered around the overseer, all wearing serious expressions. Even now, they still hadn't located the attacker's position.
"Hiding in the shadows like a coward, only daring to strike from the dark?" the overseer bellowed.
"Pfft."
A mocking chuckle echoed through the forest.
A young man in a blue robe appeared atop the enormous bronze bell, gazing down at them with cold eyes.
"For filthy rats who lurk in the dark doing vile deeds, you've got a lot of nerve calling someone else cowardly," he said. "Who the hell are you people? How dare you run wild in Lingzhou?"
Song Changsheng could hardly stop himself from laughing. These men were wrapped up like mummies, yet they had the gall to call him a sneak.
The black-robed overseer stared at the blue-robed youth in astonishment. The young man was only mid-stage Foundation Establishment, yet when their eyes met, a clear black and white, a wave of unease inexplicably crept into his heart.
"Young man, sometimes knowing too much isn't good for your health. If you turn around and walk away right now, I won't stop you," the black-robed overseer said after weighing his options.
His instincts screamed at him not to engage; he wasn't confident he could take down this young man. Right now, the top priority was completing the mission assigned by the sect leader. Everything else could be compromised.
Song Changsheng gave a faint smile and replied, "Sure."
The overseer had just started to feel relieved when Song Changsheng's next words made his face twist with rage.
"But I'm taking these people with me. They're my clan members," Song Changsheng said coldly, hands clasped behind his back, eyes calm and unwavering.
"Bastard! You refuse the easy way, I'll give you the hard one! All of you, attack!" the overseer bellowed in fury and charged forward with the three other black-robed men.
[Flickering Shadowstep]
Without the slightest change in his expression, Song Changsheng stepped forward and vanished.
A heartbeat later, he reappeared beside one of the black-robed men and unleashed a fierce punch.
The man was caught completely off guard; he hadn't even registered how Song Changsheng had appeared beside him. Panicking, he swung his Tier-2 magic blade in a desperate attempt to block the strike.
But Song Changsheng didn't even try to dodge.
His fist met the blade head-on, and with a sickening crack, the immense force traveled through the weapon into the black-robed man's arm, instantly shattering his bones and sending him flying backward like a ragdoll.
"He tanked a Tier-2 magic weapon... with his bare hand?!" The overseer's expression shifted. One of his men had been instantly taken out!
Song Changsheng's lips curled into a cold smile. "You're next."
Seeing his form blur and vanish again, the overseer's face contorted in panic. He immediately activated a blood-colored barrier that protected him from all directions, eyes darting around in alarm.
But to his shock, Song Changsheng didn't go for him. Instead, he reappeared in front of the already-injured black-robed man, the one who'd been hit by the Crimson Sword Talisman earlier.
In his hand was a black-and-white gourd, from which he released a torrent of brilliant blue flames that engulfed the man in an instant.
There was no resistance. The black-robed man was completely consumed by the fire, reduced to a pile of white ash in seconds.
"You bastard!" the overseer roared, flames of fury blazing in his chest. This kid was toying with him!
"Overseer, we have to fall back! The mission's failed!" shouted the remaining black-robed man, his face pale with fear after witnessing two of his comrades fall in moments. The will to fight had completely left him.
"What did you say?! Do you know what it means to fail this mission?!" The overseer snarled like a rabid beast, glaring at the man as though he might kill him on the spot.
The sect master had given them a death order; failure was not an option. And the consequences of failure… were worse than death.
But Song Changsheng didn't plan to drag things out. He could feel Song Yulong's life slipping away fast; he had to end this now.
"Crimson Sword Talismans strike!"
He threw out the last two Crimson Sword Talismans. In the sky, two enormous crimson swords manifested, one cleaving toward the wounded Foundation Establishment early-stage cultivator, the other toward a mid-stage one.
The wounded man stood no chance. Unable to defend himself, he died on the spot.
The other, despite being stronger, only managed to suffer a light injury, but he didn't get to breathe for long.
Song Changsheng immediately reappeared behind him with the Heaven-Measuring Ruler in hand, smashing it down. Blood sprayed from the man's mouth as he was struck hard.
The overseer's eyes went bloodshot. His body surged with crimson energy, and he let out a furious roar:
"Blood Sea Overwhelms the Sky!"
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