Chapter 176: Manifestation

"Qiyue, if I hadn't drawn that solo portrait for you, my Primordial Spirit accumulation wouldn't have been as deep. I wouldn't have escaped the Blackwater Palace Lord's domain this time and would have died at his hands. You truly are my lucky star." After Meng Chuan narrowly escaped, he found himself missing his wife, who was far away in North River Pass. "I wonder how Qiyue is doing," he thought, "but at least she's safe under Marquis Heavenly Star's protection."

Marquis Heavenly Star possessed unparalleled power.

In the past, he had only learned about the formidable power of Marquis Godfiends through intelligence reports. Now, having exchanged a few blows with the Blackwater Palace Lord, even for a short time, the feeling was much more profound.

"Even with abundant Primordial Spirit power, without a Vajra body, I would likely have been killed by the Blackwater Palace Lord at the very beginning," Meng Chuan thought to himself. "With my current strength, facing the Blackwater Palace Lord is already so difficult. In a one-on-one fight, I'm even less a match for any Fourth-Heaven Demon King or Marquis Godfiend."

Among the three major cultivation systems, Heavenly Fiends are the weakest.

The weakest Marquis Godfiend possesses 'Marquis Godfiend threshold strength,' and the weakest Fourth-Heaven Demon King also possesses 'Marquis Godfiend threshold' strength! While these two seem comparable, Marquis Godfiends possess Dark Star domains, giving them a natural advantage in all aspects.

What about Heavenly Fiends? The weakest Fourth-Heavenly Fiend is at a level 'approaching Marquis Godfiend strength,' a clear notch weaker! Furthermore, they lack Dark Star domains and divine abilities, making their actual strength truly weak. To enable Heavenly Fiends to better infiltrate the human world and live longer, the Heavenly Fiend system created by the demon race primarily emphasizes 'concealment' and 'escape.'

This is also why they are the weakest among the three major systems.

For example, the Blackwater Palace Lord only possessed Marquis Godfiend threshold strength after achieving 'Dao Realm Great Perfection.'

According to intelligence reports:

Of the eleven Fourth-Heavenly Fiends in the Heavenly Fiend Gate, three are at the 'approaching Marquis Godfiend' level, and five are at the 'Marquis Godfiend threshold' level. Two possess normal Marquis Godfiend strength, and only one possesses 'peak Marquis Godfiend strength.'

"Of course, I can't defeat any of them," Meng Chuan understood. "Even the weakest Fourth-Heavenly Fiend, when using forbidden arts, can reach Marquis Godfiend threshold strength. I, on the other hand, can't even unleash ten moves with all my might and wouldn't last long."

"Therefore, if I encounter any Fourth-Heavenly existence in a one-on-one situation, there's only one word: escape!" Meng Chuan thought to himself. "Escape far enough that the enemy can't reach me."

Despite his reflections, Meng Chuan remained casually standing on the roof of the inn.

Two li away, the Blackwater Palace Lord's face was livid.

Such a great distance? Given Meng Chuan's terrifying speed, he had no intention of pursuing him.

"Damn it."

"I made a stealthy move, yet a Great Sun Realm Godfiend still managed to escape?" The Blackwater Palace Lord felt indignant. "I couldn't even kill a Great Sun Realm Godfiend who had only been down the mountain for a few years."

"If I had known this," he thought, "I would have used a forbidden art from the start, and he would have been killed instantly."

The Blackwater Palace Lord felt some annoyance and regret.

But there was no turning back. Under those circumstances, a Fourth-Heavenly Fiend ambushing a Great Sun Realm Godfiend, with complete confidence in victory, would immediately use a forbidden art? Was he insane?

Just like Meng Chuan, when he dealt with the Cat Demon King, he only finally resorted to using his Primordial Spirit power because he felt it would take too much time otherwise. To immediately unleash a forbidden art at the start of a fight, even with complete confidence? How many times would one have to casually use forbidden arts over the long path of cultivation? Each time would harm the body, and with repeated use, the physical damage would accumulate, narrowing one's cultivation path and even drastically shortening one's lifespan.

It was perfectly normal for him not to use a forbidden art at the first opportunity.

"This Meng Chuan is truly arrogant in his success, standing there without moving." The Blackwater Palace Lord gritted his teeth in anger, yet had no way to deal with him.

Standing on the inn's roof, Meng Chuan could see the more than ten li path he had taken to escape earlier.

The Blackwater Palace Lord pursued him, and he fled, a chase that lasted for over ten li!

Along the way, because of his manipulation of water currents, including water from nearby river channels, the escape route, almost a straight line of over ten li, was utterly ravaged. Fortunately, the 'tunnels' where the mortals were hiding were quite deep underground. However, once they emerged, all buildings within those ten-plus li would need to be rebuilt.

"Senior Brother Zhang Junfeng and Senior Brother Yang Fang are only three li away from me; they'll be here soon," Meng Chuan thought with a surge of joy.

Senior Brother Zhang Junfeng and Senior Brother Yang Fang had been trying their best to rendezvous with Meng Chuan. When Meng Chuan was being pursued and fleeing for his life, he was also moving in their direction and had called for aid through his token!

Now, they were very close, only three li apart.

"Junior Brother Meng is calling for aid, we need to hurry."

"With Junior Brother Meng's movement speed, who could force him to call for aid? Is it a Fourth-Heaven Heavenly Fiend or a Demon King?"

"He only called for aid from the two of us, clearly believing that the three of us can handle the danger."

If he believed it was unmanageable, he would have directly called for aid from Yuanchu Mountain!

Many who suffered demon invasions called for aid from Yuanchu Mountain. Requests for aid also had different levels; the higher the level, the more powerful Godfiends Yuanchu Mountain would dispatch as reinforcements. Otherwise, sending Godfiends of insufficient strength would be sending them to their deaths.

Whoosh. Whoosh.

The two of them moved through the rain, rushing at full speed.

Three li, two li... their distance from Meng Chuan continuously shortened.

"Almost there," Meng Chuan thought, feeling the distance shortening. He wasn't confident facing the Blackwater Palace Lord alone, but with three of them teaming up, he had some confidence. Even if they couldn't defeat him, he believed they could hold him back.

"The Blackwater Palace Lord is too strong; if he's left unchecked in the city, more Godfiends will die. We must hold him back," Meng Chuan thought to himself.

The Blackwater Palace Lord watched Meng Chuan two li away. He considered several methods but dismissed them all. At this moment, Meng Chuan was surely very cautious, making it impossible to capture him.

"Hmph." The Blackwater Palace Lord turned to leave.

Seeing this, Meng Chuan deliberately laughed aloud, "Blackwater Palace Lord, why are you giving up so quickly? I'm just a Great Sun Realm Godfiend, while you're a Fourth-Heavenly Fiend. Or perhaps Heavenly Fiends are too weak?"

The Blackwater Palace Lord glanced at Meng Chuan and said indifferently, "Meng Chuan, I hope you're still this lucky next time."

After speaking, the surrounding light subtly distorted, and he completely vanished from sight. In the instant he disappeared, Meng Chuan could discern the Blackwater Palace Lord moving into the distance, clearly leaving.

"We're here." Zhang Junfeng and Yang Fang arrived by Meng Chuan's side.

"We must hold him back; we can't let him escape!" Meng Chuan grabbed one of his senior brothers' arms and immediately activated his movement technique.

Carrying two others, his travel speed was only forty percent of his solo speed, but it was still relatively fast among Marquis Godfiends. In just two flashes, Meng Chuan and his two companions had already reached the spot where the Blackwater Palace Lord had vanished. Although he couldn't see the Blackwater Palace Lord's current position, Meng Chuan only needed to reach his previous location.

"Activate your domain," Meng Chuan had already transmitted earlier.

The white-haired Senior Brother Zhang Junfeng naturally unleashed his full power.

Centered on Senior Brother Zhang Junfeng, a vast expanse of white enveloped the area within two li!

About one li away from Senior Brother Zhang Junfeng, a bald man in black robes materialized. He looked on with some surprise as countless white threads enveloped his surroundings. He also spotted Meng Chuan, Zhang Junfeng, and Yang Fang in the distance. "Three Great Sun Realm Godfiends?" he murmured.