Chapter 47: Murong You's Fate

"Life or death, it all comes down to this moment." Although Murong You's heart was cold, his will to survive grew even stronger.

He used a forbidden technique, rushing towards the mighty river ahead.

Even with a severed arm and severe injuries, the forbidden technique made him move faster than usual.

"Faster, faster!" Murong You frantically fled, constantly keeping an eye on Meng Chuan behind him.

Meng Chuan continued to follow.

"He didn't intercept me? It seems that explosive power must also be some kind of forbidden move. Meng Chuan is extraordinarily talented with limitless potential; he wouldn't dare use forbidden moves too frequently." Murong You felt a surge of relief. Unlike himself, who was desperate enough to use forbidden techniques at any cost to survive, a peerless genius like Meng Chuan would cherish his body and use such moves cautiously, fearing damage to his foundation.

"The Grand Canal!" Murong You's heart leaped with joy as he saw the surging river ahead. He immediately lunged, transforming into an afterimage, and plunged into the water with a splash.

Their chase had lasted for several breaths.

They had actually passed several smaller waterways along the way. For instance, there was a two-zhang-wide urban canal beside the street where Deputy Hall Master Tu and Deputy Hall Master Gao died.

However, narrow waterways were useless; even if he entered one, the enemy on the adjacent street could still detect his presence. If they kept tracking him until Meng Xian姑 arrived, he would surely die.

Only a sufficiently wide and deep river could allow him to escape detection.

"This is the Grand Canal, eighty zhang wide. He can't track me here!" Murong You plunged into the river and immediately dove towards the bottom. The deeper he went, the harder it would be for someone standing on the bank to spot him.

He submerged himself in the riverbed and swiftly swam towards the center of the canal, where it was deepest.

"Hm?"

Meng Chuan stood on the bank. In his perception, Murong You's entry into the river was clear at first, but once he submerged to six feet deep, Meng Chuan could no longer "see" him. He could only sense his aura, which rapidly weakened as Murong You dove deeper.

The further he swam, the deeper he submerged.

Meng Chuan dared not fly above the river. While his current strength allowed him to walk on water, if Murong You were to attack him on the surface, he would be isolated and vulnerable. Being dragged into the water would cost him his life.

"Earth and rock provide the most hindrance to my senses, with water being a close second. If he dives a zhang deep, I won't be able to sense him," Meng Chuan muttered, frowning.

By this point, Murong You had already vanished from his sensory range.

The Grand Canal was five to six zhang deep in the middle, and one to two zhang deep near the banks. It was, after all, a waterway regularly used by large boats.

"He escaped my senses," Meng Chuan thought, standing on the bank in the dark, gazing at the shimmering Grand Canal. Many thoughts flooded his mind.

Meanwhile.

Meng Dajiang and Liu Yebai had both left Dongning City again, as they spent a considerable amount of time away each year.

However, due to the New Year, Meng Xian姑 had been residing at the ancestral home recently. When Meng Chuan launched the distress flare, which Meng Xian姑 herself had bestowed upon him and which contained her true essence imprint, she naturally sensed it immediately.

"Hm?" Meng Xian姑 emerged from her house, cane in hand, and looked up to see the rising flare.

"Meng Chuan is calling for help?"

Meng Xian姑's heart tightened. She lightly tapped her cane on the ground, and an invisible wave immediately spread outwards. The wave propagated incredibly fast, covering a ten-li radius in a blink, and reaching the location of the distress call.

Through her senses, she clearly saw Meng Chuan fleeing in panic, surrounded by Murong You with his white brows and golden eyes, the bear-like Deputy Hall Master Tu, and the proud, confident Deputy Hall Master Gao.

"Murong You? The Hall Master and two Deputy Hall Masters of the Heavenly Demon Gate's Dongning Branch have all appeared. Even the weakest among them has comprehended 'momentum' and can externalize demon qi. As for Murong You, he's virtually invincible among those below the Godfiend realm." Meng Xian姑's expression changed. "Meng Chuan is in danger!"

Her figure blurred instantly as she rushed towards the location at her fastest possible speed.

She hurried relentlessly.

She didn't even bother to scout again, as it would delay her. She had to arrive as quickly as possible! In the past, at Anhai Pass, she always acted in conjunction with other Godfiends. Her role was merely to sense all surrounding movements and manipulate her domain, leaving direct combat to her companions.

"Whoosh."

Eleven breaths later.

The anxious Meng Xian姑 appeared at the spot where Meng Chuan had initially fled in panic.

She immediately saw Deputy Hall Master Gao, cut in half, his body clearly severed by a sharp blade.

"Did a master appear and save Meng Chuan?" Meng Xian姑 paused, then gently tapped her cane on the ground again, spreading an invisible wave.

She immediately discovered the bear-like corpse of Deputy Hall Master Tu lying in a dilapidated civilian house nearby. Deputy Hall Master Tu's fatal wound was a severed neck.

The invisible wave spread for ten li.

She quickly detected Meng Chuan in pursuit of Murong You, who was clearly fleeing in a panic.

"Meng Chuan is pursuing Murong You?" Meng Xian姑 was bewildered.

Seeing the corpses of the two Deputy Hall Masters from the Heavenly Demon Gate's Dongning Branch, she had initially thought that some master had appeared to save Meng Chuan. Now, however, it seemed highly probable that Meng Chuan himself had killed them, and was even chasing the virtually invincible Murong You, who was below the Godfiend realm.

Despite her shock, Meng Xian姑 still hurried towards Meng Chuan.

Each step covered dozens of zhang. With every stride, her cane touched the ground once, spreading an invisible wave.

While scouting with each step clearly affected her speed, Meng Xian姑 was no longer in a hurry. The distance was already very short, and she was absolutely confident that Murong You would not escape.

"Meng Chuan made his move?" Meng Xian姑 clearly detected that as they neared the Grand Canal, Meng Chuan's speed suddenly surged, and he cleaved at Murong You with a blade. The sheer speed astonished Meng Xian姑; his blade art was as fast as lightning and utterly dominant. Even under the forbidden technique, Murong You could only barely resist. One strike, two strikes, three strikes... The third strike, subtle and sinister, finally grievously wounded Murong You, even severing one of his arms.

"How could my Meng Chuan be this strong?" Meng Xian姑 could hardly believe it.

Normally, Meng Chuan had sparred with his father and Meng Xian姑.

But those were sparring matches, meant to hone his skills. Naturally, there was no need to integrate his mind-soul power!

Under the cover of night, Murong You leaped into the Grand Canal and quickly vanished from sight.

Meng Chuan stood on the bank, watching, his brow furrowed. Clearly, he wasn't in a good mood. "He still got away. Murong You will definitely report my information. The demon race will most likely send assassins after me."

He was well aware of his own capabilities.

Without using his mind-soul power, he was merely a genius in one prefecture.

But with his mind-soul power... he was a top-tier genius across the entire world. The fact that he could pursue Murong You, a demon-core cultivator, while still in the Mortal-Body realm, alone guaranteed that the demon race would pay significant attention to this young man from Dongning City.

"Hm?"

Meng Chuan suddenly sensed a powerful aura rapidly approaching, moving much faster than he could when using his mind-soul power.

Soon, a blurry figure flashed past Meng Chuan and appeared on the surface of the Grand Canal. It was an old woman leaning on a cane.

"Grand Aunt," Meng Chuan's eyes lit up.

Meng Xian姑 stood on the water's surface, her cane gently tapping it.

Immediately, the entire surface of the Grand Canal vibrated. Invisible waves spread everywhere, reaching deep into the riverbed. Murong You, who was rapidly swimming away at the bottom, suddenly felt countless threads swiftly wrapping around him. His face changed, and he struggled desperately, but the seemingly ordinary threads were incredibly tough; he couldn't break free.

"It's a Godfiend," Murong You despaired. Only a Godfiend could induce such a sense of utter powerlessness in him.

Moreover, strands of these threads penetrated his body, sealing off all his demon power. Then, these threads dragged Murong You, pulling him directly into the air.

He flew out of the riverbed and rose above the water's surface.

Murong You saw the old woman with the cane standing on the river.

"Meng Xian姑," Murong You thought, filled with despair. "She finally caught up."

"Murong You!" Meng Chuan's eyes landed on Murong You, who was being dragged out of the water fifty zhang away. He immediately felt much more at ease; there was no longer a need to worry about information leaking. "This Murong You swam fifty zhang underwater in just one breath. That speed is comparable to a regular Unblemished Realm expert sprinting on land. Many fish in the water aren't even as fast as him."

Meng Xian姑, leaning on her cane, walked to the bank. Murong You, bound by countless threads like a rice dumpling, flew behind Meng Xian姑, arriving at the bank with her.

"Grand Aunt," Meng Chuan respectfully greeted her.