Chapter 206

Chapter 206: The Approach of Death

The humming sound spread, and the rippling waves blocked the increasingly converging Blood Surge. Next, a brilliant sword light slashed forward with overwhelming force, creating enormous waves in the Blood Surge.

“Quickly, let’s go!” Hongmo Zheng soared forward, helping Li Hui fend off the sporadic splashes of Blood Surge.

Qian Qiu Yue’s battle body had vanished, and Li Hui didn’t even see how she drew her sword. With his low cultivation and weak eyesight, simply being able to escape with her was already a stroke of luck.

“Bang, bang, bang…” Hongmo Zheng sacrificed the Formation Disk and two magical items, taking advantage of the unmatched sword light to carve a path forward.

With only ten paces to go before breaking free from the Blood Surge, the deep purple waves surged back.

The speed of the retreat was much faster than he anticipated. The last ten paces felt like an insurmountable chasm blocking their path.

“I’ll risk it!” Hongmo Zheng left one magical item behind, detonating everything else ahead, creating ripples to obstruct the Blood Surge’s return.

Li Hui was utterly shocked. Previously, with Hongmo Zheng and Qian Qiu Yue maintaining the situation, he hadn’t absorbed the full extent of the danger. Now, trapped in the Blood Surge, he realized just how terrifying and troublesome it was. The Yin-Yang Nine Heads, merely receiving the sporadic Blood Surge, ignited in flames, with his eyebrows and hair crumbling to ashes in an instant. Even though his skin was as tough as fine iron, it started to corrode with a hissing sound.

Now, all nine heads were completely bald, looking like arhat heads.

“Faster, faster!” Hongmo Zheng shouted.

Even ordinary practitioners at the Bosa stage were struggling; Li Hui couldn’t imagine how long he could hold out on his own.

“Go!” Qian Qiu Yue rose, summoning two radiant jade walnuts that silently exploded within the Blood Surge, creating a glow of about ten feet to push it away, leaving only five more paces to break free.

Furious, Hongmo Zheng cursed and used his last magical item. He then slapped his belt, releasing a blinding wave of light.

Amidst the light was a Giant Crocodile thrashing around, roaring as it tried to break free from its restraints, but the moment all its might met the Blood Surge, it vanished into thin air. The crocodile widened its eyes in panic, using all its strength to claw forward.

Hongmo Zheng stepped onto the crocodile’s back, using it as a bridge to escape, while Li Hui and Qian Qiu Yue kept pace, navigating a perilous escape through the Blood Surge.

The sound of the Blood Surge echoed powerfully; the giant crocodile, terrified, spewed fiery light outward in a desperate attempt to resist, but it couldn’t withstand the encroaching Blood Surge and was quickly consumed, its body vanishing without a trace.

“Is this the Remnant Soul of the All-Manifestation Realm?” Li Hui turned to look in astonishment.

“No, it’s not the Remnant Soul of the All-Manifestation Realm; it’s a special soul beast from Wan Nest Island, usually formed by gathering wandering souls with Heavenly Treasures and Earthly Treasures, creating fixed shapes as guardians. I captured one by chance before, but that place is too dangerous—there are at least thirty of these creatures. At that time, I didn’t have my current strength, so I let it go.” Hongmo Zheng patted his robe full of holes, cursing, “Goodness, what a huge loss!”

“Indeed! The consumption was quite significant!” Li Hui quickly stored the Yin-Yang Nine Heads, still hoping they could escape by burrowing underground. The Ghost Gel was slowly soaking in; its effectiveness hinged on “burrowing,” and it would take a few more days to see results.

Besides the Yin-Yang Nine Heads needing restoration, the Primitive Shell Symbol could no longer be used, and all the magical items he had used to set up the formation were destroyed, causing him great heartache.

The sea of blood flooding into the Purple Fortress had indeed receded.

The Blood Surge trapping the three of them coalesced into a mass, neither sinking nor floating; upon closer inspection, one could see it slowly vaporizing, thickening the air and making it hard to breathe, causing chest tightness and panic.

“Let’s move; this place is still unsafe.” Hongmo Zheng advanced with long strides, Qian Qiu Yue floated gracefully, and Li Hui moved elegantly. All three were exceptional individuals as they quickly left the Underground Cavern and ascended.

Reaching the seventh level, they felt the tightness in their chests return, the panic mounting.

“Dugu Yi is here.” The three heightened their vigilance simultaneously, only to suddenly slip and see their figures fade away, separating from one another.

By the time Li Hui regained his senses, he stood before a stone platform about five or six feet high, where Dugu Yi sat with his eyes closed, expressionless, as if in meditation.

“Not good! I can’t move.”

Li Hui struggled slightly but realized it was futile. He quickly sensed the Heavenly and Earthly Arrays, preparing for the worst. At the crucial moment of life and death, he would detonate all the talismans embedded in his acupoints, sacrificing everything to deal a heavy blow to the enemy.

His senses felt astonished when he detected that the Fortune Ascending Talisman had actually produced a second layer of radiance, indicating it had reached the middle-grade treasure talisman level, and the surface of the talisman vibrated forcefully, signifying it could be activated at any moment.

“When did the Fortune Ascending Talisman improve? And it’s full of energy; maybe it can still be of use.” Li Hui didn’t have time to trace the origin of this change and fully focused on the current predicament.

Before long, Dugu Yi opened his eyes, a cold smile on his face. “This time, I’ve finally caught you; my sect’s emergency arrangements weren’t in vain. Let’s set aside the matter of the Ink Demon for now; the Dao Rhythm Residual Talisman is the foundation of my Jade Symbol Sect, and it must be in our hands. Li Hui, I know you’ve had a hard journey, with powerful enemies outside. My sect doesn’t want to create further complications. I wish to accept you as a personal disciple, and the future position of sect leader will also be yours.”

“Hahaha, old fellow, do you really have such good intentions?” Li Hui was no longer the naive little practitioner he once was; his vision had vastly improved. “Let me guess, accepting me as a personal disciple will allow you to obtain the sect’s fortune, enabling the Dao Rhythm Residual Talisman to descend upon your head. Otherwise, even if you kill me, it would be futile. If it’s not yours, it’s not yours; the heavens will not let you have it!”

After a long silence, Dugu Yi sighed, “Success and failure are but a turn of events! Dalong has set its sights on my Jade Symbol Sect’s talisman techniques; if I don’t give them, they will come to seize them. How could the Three Sects and Four Sects work together so consistently otherwise?”

“King Xiaoshan is just the frontman, yet no one expected the Hongmo Sect to abduct all the practitioners from Linggui City. What does it matter if a king from the Ascension Ranking’s top thirty turns into a dog for the Hongmo Sect?”

“Humph, I have to thank the Hongmo Sect for causing immense losses to the Three Sects and Four Sects. The patterns within Dalong Sect will surely change because of this. Don’t even talk about assimilating my Jade Symbol Sect’s territory; it’ll be a blessing just to protect our own corner!”

Li Hui felt perplexed. Dugu Yi, decisive in his actions, suddenly became long-winded, making him quite uncomfortable.

“Don’t be surprised; a person near death speaks kindly!” Dugu Yi suddenly rose, and his body began to rot gradually, along with his clothes turning to ash. His expression remained calm as he spoke, “How fearsome is the Blood Surge? My sect expended too much in protecting the remaining disciples. After the blockade outside the Purple Fortress ends, we will immediately send them away. However, this body cannot endure the backlash any longer and is about to vanish! It’s pity that my soul cultivation is incomplete, and with natural deficiencies, I cannot achieve possession.”

“Old fellow, you truly have ill intentions.”

“Hahaha, what good or bad intentions do cultivators have when they go against the heavens? Just fleeting clouds and smoke.” Dugu Yi said with a laugh, “I will no longer be around. In a few years, I will be forgotten, regardless of flooding after my death. If I have a single wish, it lies with you. Since my sect cannot obtain the Dao Rhythm Residual Talisman, I cannot let Ge Yuntao have it either. Thus, I will send you away from here.”

Before Li Hui could respond, light from the talismans erupted at his feet, seemingly pulling him. His figure faded away with a crash…