Chapter 438: Blue Bull Flees Rapidly

Above the Ink-Wash Mountains, Xu Qing and the captain were rapidly fleeing across the sky. Their crimson armor was mostly shattered, and their bodies were covered in shocking wounds. Many of their injuries were already festering, and their auras were extremely weak. Both had sustained several fatal blows: Xu Qing's arm was paralyzed, his stomach had multiple holes, and his heart area was a bloody mess, as if it had exploded and he had barely been revived. The captain was in a similar state; besides a severe wound to his kidney area, his neck appeared almost severed.However, the vitality of the Blackheaven race was undeniable. Despite such injuries, they continued to speed forward with all their might. As black blood splattered, their eyes held a persistent and indifferent resolve, as if death meant nothing to them.

Behind them, Shanhezi and his companions were in hot pursuit. Kong Xianglong was not with them; his figure was currently racing at full speed in another direction, heading towards the source of a signal. As they pursued, Shanhezi and the others exuded a dense, murderous aura. They occasionally cast spells, their magical fluctuations intensifying with a strong blood energy.A continuous roar echoed at this moment. Xu Qing and the captain were equally formidable. With a flash of cold light in the captain's eyes, numerous long spears materialized behind him, whistling towards their pursuers. This was not a human spell but a powerful manifestation technique of the Blackheaven race.Xu Qing's counterattack was even sharper. As black light filled his eyes, he suddenly turned back. The black light from his gaze instantly flared, transforming the area behind him into darkness, like a rapidly expanding black patch in the sky. It formed into the shape of a giant hand, grasping towards Shanhezi and the others. The darkness within seemed capable of devouring sunlight, expanding to hundreds of feet in the blink of an eye, a truly astonishing sight.

This sight startled Shanhezi and his group, making them almost believe they had encountered true Blackheaven members. The captain's heart also skipped a beat, as this technique was indeed a very authentic Blackheaven art.Amidst the booming sounds, Shanhezi and his companions had no choice but to evade, using all their might to dispel the black light. Even as their minds raced with their own thoughts, Xu Qing's offensive was not over.His body suddenly paused. Facing Shanhezi and the others, his breathing became rapid, and the black light in his eyes shone again, emitting an ultimate darkness. His right hand slowly lifted, then fiercely grabbed towards the three—Shanhezi, Wang Chen, and Ye Ling.With this grab, a powerful mental force erupted, giving Xu Qing's simple grasp a tangible power. However, it was not the massive black hand from before, but rather... control!

In an instant, Shanhezi, who was at the forefront, trembled, his eyes showing struggle. But this struggle quickly vanished. He abruptly turned his head to look at Wang Chen, a fierce glint in his eyes. His blood energy burst forth directly, and his body, seemingly uncontrolled, charged rapidly towards Wang Chen, intending to attack him.This sudden turn of events caused Wang Chen's expression to change drastically, and Ye Ling was also shocked. The two had no time to pursue; they quickly moved to block Shanhezi. In her transformed state, Ye Ling even spat out a mouthful of blood, which formed a blood sword that struck in front of Shanhezi. This technique was specifically designed to counter mental control. At that moment, Ye Ling instinctively recalled the method Kong Xianglong had taught them for dealing with Blackheaven racial abilities.With a resounding boom from the strike, it was as if an invisible thread had been severed. Shanhezi shuddered and recovered, but his expression was incredibly listless, and his eyes revealed horror.Xu Qing's mind buzzed, and he spat out a mouthful of blood, his face showing exhaustion as he fled without looking back.

As he passed the Saintly Clan's caravan below, he showed no hesitation, his expression cold. He raised his right hand and grabbed towards the ground. Instantly, a four-legged beast trembled, was directly controlled, and lifted into the air. Its body twisted as if crushed by nothingness, collapsing into a bloody mess in the blink of an eye. Its life force was forcibly extracted, rushing straight towards Xu Qing.With a single intake, Xu Qing absorbed the life force into his body, and the exhaustion on his face visibly receded. Just as he was about to continue, Shanhezi and the others resumed their pursuit from behind.Xu Qing let out a cold snort and abruptly waved his hand. To their horror, dozens of Saintly Clan cultivators, along with seven or eight of their four-legged beasts, were lifted into the air. Controlled by Xu Qing, they charged straight towards Shanhezi. Their eyes instantly filled with hatred, as if Shanhezi and his companions were their mortal enemies, and they roared as they attacked.Having done all this, Xu Qing whistled away into the distance. The captain beside him was momentarily stunned. Xu Qing's actions were completely unexpected and deviated somewhat from their plan. However, he quickly recovered, suppressed his inner turmoil, and sped away with Xu Qing. They quickly distanced themselves.

In mid-air, Shanhezi and his group were filled with rage and immediately attacked. With a roar, the bodies of the controlled Saintly Clan members instantly disintegrated, crushed by Shanhezi and his two companions. What was strange was that none of these Saintly Clan members screamed; even in their final moments before death, their eyes were still filled with hatred.On the ground, due to Xu Qing's previous actions, the Saintly Clan caravan was in disarray. The remaining Saintly Clan cultivators were terrified, and even the Golden Core cultivators among them were extremely anxious, their expressions rapidly changing.At the same time, the young man with Six Palaces combat power abruptly ascended. "Fellow human Sword Holders, we are a caravan from the Saintly Clan's Heavenly Apex Nation, and we possess a decree from Marquis Yao of your Feng Hai Prefecture!" As he spoke, the young man quickly took out a jade slip, crushed it, and a rune instantly materialized. It was a Yao family rune, representing protection!Having done this, his expression turned grim as he looked at Shanhezi and his two companions. Shanhezi and the others had ugly expressions and snorted. They ignored the Saintly Clan caravan, leaped over it, and continued their pursuit in the direction Xu Qing and the captain had fled.

As they chased, the three instinctively exchanged glances, seeing the doubt and shock in each other's eyes. Chen Erniu's actions seemed relatively normal to them, but Xu Qing's actions... stirred great waves in their hearts. Xu Qing's second move was not only an authentic Blackheaven technique but also terrifyingly powerful, giving them the feeling that he was far from an ordinary Blackheaven member. Indeed, had they not personally witnessed Xu Qing's transformation earlier, and seen his immense spirit light during the Heart Questioning, they would have truly felt that he was a Blackheaven member.Especially the control over Shanhezi; while it seemed to be only physical, Ye Ling and Wang Chen saw clearly that Shanhezi's consciousness was also affected, not just his body. The same was true for those Saintly Clan members.As for the specifics, their limited understanding of the Blackheaven race prevented them from being clear, but an instinctive sense of dread arose. "It's clearly just an act, but why does it feel so real..." Shanhezi thought with a bitter smile, sighing. Ye Ling and Wang Chen also gave bitter smiles. As they continued their pursuit, Xu Qing and the captain's traces had vanished. Kong Xianglong soon arrived, his expression grim, and ordered a search.

Thus, time passed, and deep night soon fell. Inside a hidden cave in the Ink-Wash Mountains, Xu Qing sat cross-legged, occasionally spitting out black blood, focusing all his energy on healing his wounds. The captain sat beside him, his expression grim and silent.After a while, a faint black light flickered in Xu Qing's eyes. He looked up, gazing at the moon in the night sky, and spoke in a low voice, "The moon in the Saintly Clan Domain has no spirit."The captain looked at Xu Qing. After a moment of silence, he too looked at the moon outside and sighed softly. "My lord, I miss home too."Xu Qing glanced at the captain. The address "my lord" was not part of their original plan, but he showed no sign of surprise, speaking calmly, "How are your contacts with the Yi Clan progressing? We need to buy the Profound Heaven Demonic Moon Pills to transform into humans as soon as possible."

"The Yi Clan... Hmm?" The captain had just begun to speak when his expression suddenly changed. He gave a cold glance at the cave entrance. As he watched, a muffled sound came from outside the cave, followed by urgent voices. "A humble cultivator of the Saintly Clan's Heavenly Apex Nation, seeking an audience with the two revered seniors."A cold glint flashed in the captain's eyes. Just as he was about to act, Xu Qing slightly raised his right hand and spoke calmly, "Come in."As his words spread, a figure cautiously entered from the cave entrance. It was the young man with Six Palaces combat power from the Saintly Clan caravan. The captain narrowed his eyes, subtly moving closer to Xu Qing, positioning himself between Xu Qing and the young man.The Saintly Clan youth approached, and upon seeing Xu Qing and Chen Erniu, he took a deep breath, immediately knelt, and showed deference. "Greetings, revered seniors!""How did you find us?" the captain asked slowly, his dark eyes emitting a chilling glow.

"Reporting to you, revered seniors," the Saintly Clan youth said in a low voice, "I possess a rare spirit beast that can track by the scent of blood. After I saw you both during the day, I secretly searched for blood on the road and was thus able to find you."Xu Qing remained silent, watching calmly."What is your purpose here?" the captain asked in a low voice."Revered seniors, the Sword Holders are currently searching outside. Whatever your plans, they will be difficult to execute. Perhaps... I could escort you both back to our Saintly Clan first?""If you have any needs, my Heavenly Apex Nation will spare no effort to fulfill them," he continued. "I only ask that once you are satisfied, you bestow upon me the blessing of Blackheaven!" The Saintly Clan youth looked up, his eyes filled with fanaticism, gazing at Xu Qing and the captain.

The night passed without incident.The next morning, outside the Ink-Wash Mountains, hundreds of red-skinned four-legged beasts belonging to the Saintly Clan trod with heavy steps, galloping into the distance with rumbling ground tremors, just as they always did. The carriages on their backs swayed and bounced with each leap of the beasts, yet none of the mica stones inside were dislodged. Only the Saintly Clan cultivators' shouts and the continuous flicking of their special whips lashed against the beasts, making them quicken their pace in pain.As they ran, they kicked up a great deal of dust, which was then scattered by the wind. From a distance, it looked as if a perpetual storm of dust was rising, blurring the view. By midday, the strong sunlight attempted to penetrate this moving storm but was unable to do so.

However, soon after, as the rapid cracking of whips intensified, the roars of the beasts grew louder, and their footsteps gradually halted, as if their bodies had been forcefully restrained. The dust storm also ceased. As the dust slowly dispersed, the figures of hundreds of four-legged beasts became visible, along with the vigilant Saintly Clan cultivators standing atop them."Human Sword Holders, what is the meaning of this?!" A voice, grim and tinged with anger, came from atop the ninth four-legged beast. Immediately afterward, the young man of significant Saintly Clan bloodline with Six Palaces combat power stood up, gazing into the distance. Where he looked, the void twisted, and soon four figures materialized.The one in the lead was Kong Xianglong, his face grim, his eyes fierce. He scanned over each four-legged beast, as if searching for something. Beside him were Shanhezi, Wang Chen, and Ye Ling, who had spread out and were also observing the four-legged beasts."We have a decree from Marquis Yao!" the Saintly Clan youth reiterated, his expression shifting.

"Silence!" Kong Xianglong waved his hand. With a loud smack, the Saintly Clan youth instantly spat out blood, his right cheek swelling rapidly. His body was sent flying hundreds of feet to the left, crashing into a large rock. "Search thoroughly!" Kong Xianglong said calmly, without even glancing at the Saintly Clan youth.Shanhezi and his two companions immediately flew into the caravan, searching every four-legged beast and inspecting every cultivator. After checking everything, they found nothing. Kong Xianglong snorted coldly and strode away. Shanhezi and the others quickly followed, moving to other areas.It wasn't until they were far away that the Saintly Clan youth stood up, returned to the ninth four-legged beast, wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, and casually spoke, "Continue the journey."Soon, the ground rumbled, and dust clouds rose again as the caravan proceeded towards the border.

An hour later, the youth stood up. As his right hand formed a hand seal, his body rapidly shrunk, seemingly vanishing in the blink of an eye, transforming into an extremely tiny speck of dust. The red skin of the four-legged beast, in his magnified perception, became an endless crimson landscape. It was covered in crisscrossing ravines and countless massive, translucent hairs, like trees or pillars, yet surprisingly soft.At this moment, beneath the shadow cast by one of these enormous hairs, bent like a canopy, Xu Qing and the captain sat cross-legged, cultivating. "Greetings, revered seniors. Please be at ease; the Sword Holders have departed," the Saintly Clan youth quickly approached, kneeling on one knee before Xu Qing and the captain, his eyes filled with fanaticism.