Chapter 258: He Has Come

Inside the Phoenix Forbidden Zone, in the jungle, Xu Qing moved with unparalleled speed, pushing himself to his current limits. However, throughout this process, his entire body was wracked with intense pain.

This was due to the corrosive aura of the Forbidden Poison Pill, which was causing his body to rot from the inside out. Although his resistance had significantly improved since then, he had spent too long sealed within the Blood Realm. This extended period, coupled with his successive severe injuries, had left Xu Qing utterly depleted and extremely weak.

Fortunately, the integration of the Life Lanterns had imbued him with the burning power of five fires, glowing brighter than ever before. This provided him with an astonishing surge of energy. Due to his physical wounds, the fiery light even emanated from his body, illuminating the surroundings.

From a distance, Xu Qing appeared like a man aflame, a startling sight. As he moved forward, his shadow revealed its eye, gazing at Xu Qing with a hint of curiosity. At that moment, a surge of purple energy erupted within Xu Qing, forming a suppressive force that directly struck the shadow.

The shadow immediately cried out, quickly adopting a fawning posture.

"Even in this injured state, I still have the strength to suppress you to death," Xu Qing said coldly. "And... cherish the merits you've earned." The shadow quickly conveyed a compliant emotional fluctuation.

In truth, seeing Xu Qing so severely wounded, it had indeed harbored a sliver of malevolence. However, it was truly terrified of Xu Qing's suppression. Just as during Xu Qing's battle with Sheng Yunzi, the shadow had not dared to disobey orders to block the opponent's spiritual apertures, nor had it dared to deliberately hold back. This wasn't its true nature; everything it did was out of fear of Xu Qing.

This fear was key to Xu Qing's control over the shadow. Therefore, it hadn't dared to reveal that flicker of malice earlier, instead hiding it behind curiosity. Yet, to its surprise, Xu Qing still detected it.

In contrast, the Vajra Sect Patriarch was very sensible at the moment, following closely beside Xu Qing with an expression of unwavering loyalty. Xu Qing glanced at him and gave a slight nod. He then manipulated the shadow to cover his two Life Lanterns, preventing his internal flames from dissipating.

Next, he cast a grim look behind him. He could feel three figures pursuing him relentlessly, as if stuck to his bones. If not for his six-fire speed, he feared he would have been caught long ago.

"If I were in my normal state right now, I could certainly fight them!"

Xu Qing lowered his head, forcing himself to endure the waves of dizziness caused by his injuries and weakness. He bit his tongue, using the pain to barely keep himself alert and maintain full speed as he surged forward.

All of his poison had been used on Sheng Yunzi. In that battle, Xu Qing had no choice but to use all his abilities; he had to go all out. Only the black worms that had eaten the immortal ice and fallen asleep remained; the others were all inside Sheng Yunzi.

Dawn was not far off. As Xu Qing sped on, he bit his tongue again, instantly accelerating into the distance.

"I need to find a way to shake off these three protectors behind me and leave the Phoenix Forbidden Zone as soon as possible..."

"The attitude of the Seven Blood Eyes Sect is hard to predict; I need to observe further."

"The best method might not necessarily be to leave the Phoenix Forbidden Zone. Surviving here would also work." Xu Qing pondered, and though the cost of this matter was significant, the thought of the Life Lanterns he had acquired brought a decisive glint to his eyes. In this cruel chaotic era, everything inherently required a desperate struggle.

With this thought, Xu Qing changed direction, heading straight for the depths of the Phoenix Forbidden Zone. At the same time, his mind recalled the moment of his previous life-or-death crisis: the voice from the depths of the Forbidden Zone and the unparalleled aura that had permeated the world.

"Was the erasure of the Seven-Colored Glazed Lamp's mark caused by its aura, or was it intentional?" Xu Qing narrowed his eyes. He didn't believe it was merely a coincidence; it was highly probable that it was the latter.

"Why would it be intentional?" Xu Qing couldn't figure it out, but his speed didn't falter. As he moved, he raised his right hand and grabbed several nearby herbs, swallowing them immediately.

This wasn't the first time he had done this during his escape. In fact, whenever he spotted useful herbs, he would consume them. Regardless of their potency, swallowing them always offered some aid to his injuries. However, the herbs were unprocessed, so their full medicinal effects couldn't be realized. Still, it was better than nothing. Xu Qing also checked his storage bag; there were still some black pills inside.

"Black pills are more effective when used at night, when the heterogeneous substance is dense."

Despite the current crisis, Xu Qing took a deep breath to calm himself. He calculated that he would need about five days to fully recover.

"Five days... and I also need to consider the response of the Lingyun Sword Sect. So five days is too long. I must reach the depths of the Phoenix Forbidden Zone and shake off these three within two days at most." Xu Qing swayed, stepping onto a treetop, and felt the wind around him.

"I can only continue using the Forbidden Poison Pill!"

Xu Qing assessed his injuries. With a silent sigh, a ruthless glint appeared in his eyes. He retrieved the Wish Box again, opening it directly. His speed fully burst forth, and he used the wind to spread the poison pill's aura behind him.

Meanwhile, in the jungle behind him, Sheng Yunzi's three protectors pursued him grimly and rapidly. Their killing intent towards Xu Qing was extremely strong because Old Ancestor Lingyun had made it very clear: if Xu Qing didn't die, the three of them would. Therefore, their killing intent was intense during the chase. At the same time, they were shocked that Sheng Yunzi had actually been defeated by Xu Qing and had his Life Lanterns stolen, which they found unbelievable at the moment.

This realization also made them more cautious during the pursuit. They even conjured protective artifacts while speeding, and used wind spells to disperse the surrounding air.

"This kid is good at using poison; we need to be careful!"

"Exactly, this child must be incredibly sinister. We can't be careless." The three exchanged glances and chose not to separate, instead staying together. They weren't foolish. Even with Xu Qing severely wounded, the person who had nearly killed Sheng Yunzi had to be treated with caution, no matter how injured he was. Even in their haste, they couldn't lose their composure.

Xu Qing, fleeing ahead, had already noticed this. With a sigh in his heart, his eyes flashed. If the three had separated, he had planned to ambush one and eliminate them for healing purposes. But if they didn't separate, the aura of his Forbidden Poison Pill could spread more effectively and concentratedly. Even if the three continuously cast wind spells to disperse it, just one lapse in their caution would allow his Forbidden Poison Pill to take effect.

He had plans for both scenarios. At this moment, he looked down at his hand, which was slowly regenerating flesh. He hunched over and continued to move forward.

As dawn slowly broke, one of the three Golden Core elders behind Xu Qing, during the chase, caught a glimpse of his companion and his expression suddenly changed. He noticed a patch of decay on his companion's face.

"Your face!"

The man froze, touched his face, and his expression shifted. The other two immediately checked themselves and, seeing no signs of poisoning, breathed a sigh of relief. Yet, their vigilance only intensified.

"Damn it!" A cold light flashed in the poisoned cultivator's eyes. He attempted to suppress it using his methods, but with little effect. His final choice was the same as Sheng Yunzi's: to take a life-replenishing pill to counteract the onset of the poison.

"This can't go on. This poison I've contracted is strange and hard to suppress. We've been so careful, yet we still fell victim to his scheme!"

"If this continues, with even a slight lapse in attention, we could be continuously poisoned and potentially suffer a disastrous setback!" the poisoned man spoke quickly, and the other two also showed determination in their eyes.

"We need to finish this quickly!"

The three exchanged glances, gritted their teeth fiercely, and instantly unleashed their techniques. In a flash, their speed erupted, increasing by 30% from their initial pace. They transformed into three long rainbows, accelerating even faster towards the front.

Xu Qing, ahead, sensed their acceleration, and a cold glint flashed in his eyes.

He still had one final trump card: finding a way to activate the Forbidden Poison Pill, unleashing its power to a great extent and creating a zone of extinction. As for the difficulty of activation, Xu Qing felt he might not be able to achieve it completely. However, by using the Golden Crow Refining All Spirits and the power of the Life Lanterns, even if he couldn't fully activate it, just a small fraction would undoubtedly be terrifying. He believed that after doing so, the three pursuers behind him would not be able to survive within that zone of extinction.

"Should I gamble on this..."

This trump card was essentially a mutual destruction move. Xu Qing pondered his chances of survival.

"One chance in ten..." Xu Qing fell silent, suppressing the thought. He assessed his injuries; his hands had mostly regenerated by now. Though still bloody and mangled, they had regained their form and were much better than before.

"Continue fleeing!" Xu Qing lowered his head, about to resume his escape. But this time, before he could take a few steps, his footsteps suddenly halted. His pupils contracted as he stared ahead.

Ahead of him, a figure emerged from the jungle.

It was an old man. He wore a long purple robe. Despite his wrinkled face, his eyes were bright, and his entire demeanor exuded elegance. He stood there, his presence entirely out of place amidst the gloomy forbidden jungle. A distortion surrounded his body, making it seem as though light itself was drawn to him.

In his hand, he held and toyed with a black chess piece. As Xu Qing looked at him, his gaze swept over Xu Qing's bloody and mangled body.

"Put away your poison."

Xu Qing lowered his head and put away his poison. His guard remained high, but he knew that facing this person, both in terms of strength and status, he could only obey. The old man before him was the Seventh Peak Lord of the Seven Blood Eyes Sect, Master Seven. However, Xu Qing kept a hidden intention. Although he put away the Wish Box, he left spiritual power within it, ready to activate it in extreme circumstances.

Almost as Xu Qing put away the poison, Master Seven's figure blurred, reappearing suddenly behind Xu Qing and looking towards the jungle. At that moment, the three Golden Core cultivators in the jungle burst forth at full speed, rushing out instantly. However, the moment they burst out, their expressions drastically changed. They suddenly halted, breathing rapidly, all three looking tense and instinctively retreating.

If they were within the Seven Blood Eyes Sect, they wouldn't have reacted this way, as they would have assumed the Seven Blood Eyes Sect wouldn't dare act publicly. But in this forbidden zone, the three of them dared not gamble. Hesitating, the Golden Core cultivator in the middle forced himself to cup his fists and spoke in a low voice.

"Greetings, Seventh Peak Lord."

"This young man has caused great trouble, injuring our Lingyun Sword Sect's prodigy and stealing our sect's Life Lanterns. We are here by Old Ancestor Lingyun's command to apprehend and deal with him. We hope Master Seven will understand."

Master Seven calmly glanced at the three, then waved his hand.

In an instant, a vast, indescribable, heaven-shaking power suddenly erupted from the void, directly forming a terrifying gaping mouth above the three cultivators. The moment the three Golden Core cultivators' expressions drastically changed, this enormous mouth devoured them in a single gulp!

Chewing sounds echoed through the quiet jungle, a testament to the brutal act.

Xu Qing's body trembled. He watched the scene, then looked at Master Seven, opening his mouth but unsure what to say. Master Seven, with his hands behind his back, walked into the distance, his voice drifting back.

"What are you standing around for? Let's go back. I still have a game of chess to finish."