Chapter 569: Chasing

Wei Que stumbled, covered in horrific wounds. He had first been ambushed by Lu Ye and his companions in the Illusion Array. Although he miraculously broke free, he was already at his limit. Subsequently, he was besieged by the group and then recklessly unleashed his broken arrow treasure. At this point, he was truly on the verge of collapse.

His vision blurred. As he looked up, he could only see Lu Ye's figure diving down from the sky, unable even to discern Lu Ye's face.

A flash of bright blade light. The Mountain-Cleaving Blade easily pierced through the thin protective spiritual energy on Wei Que's body, severing his neck.

They passed each other, Lu Ye's feet ploughing a dozen yards through the ground before he slowly steadied himself.

The persistent sense of danger, like a leech, vanished the moment he delivered that strike. The broken arrow was, after all, controlled by Wei Que; once he died, the treasure lost its power, its light receding, returning to its original form, and falling from the sky.

Lu Ye let out a long breath, turning to look back. Wei Que's headless corpse lay sprawled on the ground, blood gushing from his neck.

A Cloud River Layer Nine cultivator, slain by him and Li Baxian's combined efforts!

Such a feat was largely thanks to the Illusion Array. Trapped within it, Wei Que found it incredibly difficult to withstand their coordinated attacks.

It's worth remembering that in the hunting ground previously, Lu Ye and two others struggled immensely against the Layer Seven He Bing, with Lu Ye even needing to activate his beastification secret art to kill him. Although there are only two layers between Layer Seven and Layer Nine, the difference in strength is vast. Even if Lu Ye and his companions had improved their cultivation since the hunting ground, and even with the addition of Ju Jia, without the Illusion Array, the four of them combined would have been no match for Wei Que. The most likely outcome would have been for him to defeat them one by one.

Wei Que's life force disappeared, startling Tan Sheng and Xia Liang, who were still entangled with the wolf pack. Neither of them had ever imagined that Wei Que, a Cloud River Layer Nine cultivator, would die at the hands of Lu Yiye and his group.

Both were in a terrible state, covered in wounds, their clothes soaked with blood. Although they were incredibly powerful, facing an entire wolf pack's encirclement proved too much. If the wolves hadn't held back, not pushing them too hard, they would likely have lost their lives already. Even so, both were severely injured and their vital energies were chaotic.

Almost immediately after Wei Que's death, Xia Liang suddenly roared, his long blade unleashing a terrifying light as he fiercely swung it forward.

With that strike, the already crumbling confinement array finally gave way, shattering with a crash.

When they saw Wei Que's predicament earlier, they knew it would be difficult to kill Lu Yiye this time, so they had been trying to escape. Trapped within the array, the only way out was to break it. Under their guidance, the aftershocks of their battle with the wolf pack repeatedly impacted the surroundings.

After all, it was an unattended formation. While it had strength, it wasn't insurmountable. Through continuous attrition, and finally with Xia Liang's devastating strike, the confinement array was broken.

"Go!" Xia Liang shouted, his body flashing as he dashed out, with Tan Sheng following closely behind. Although Wei Que had died right before their eyes, neither of them had any intention of avenging him.

Their relationship was merely one of cooperation. Wei Que's carelessness, leading to his death at the hands of a few Cloud River Layer Four and Five cultivators, was his own foolishness. Furthermore, they themselves were in a dire situation; if they didn't escape soon, they too would be left behind.

Two figures rushed out one after another. Wolf howls echoed, and pale green wind blades assailed them, forcing Xia Liang and Tan Sheng to constantly fend them off, adding new wounds.

Unfortunately, the demon wolves could not fly, so if the two wanted to escape, the wolves couldn't stop them.

After Lu Ye killed Wei Que and before he could fully stabilize his surging spiritual energy or deal with Tan Sheng and Xia Liang, he saw the two break the confinement array and escape.

He immediately flashed out in pursuit.

Normally, he would never chase two Layer Nine cultivators; it would be suicidal.

But at this moment, both Tan Sheng and Xia Liang were severely wounded, making it difficult to gauge how much of their strength they could exert. This was the perfect opportunity to finish them off; otherwise, if they recovered, killing them would become incredibly difficult.

Seeing this, Li Baxian quickly followed on his sword, simultaneously shouting, "Yuechan, stay behind and look after Junior Brother Ju Jia!"

Ju Jia had been injured by the broken arrow earlier. Although body cultivators were tough and had strong regenerative abilities, it was still a penetrating wound. Since then, he had remained half-kneeling on the ground, his condition unknown.

The pursuit was enough with just him and Lu Ye. If they could kill them, the two of them combined would suffice. If they couldn't, adding Feng Yuechan wouldn't make a difference.

Feng Yuechan stopped upon hearing this, watching as Lu Ye and Li Baxian transformed into streaks of light, chasing out of the spirit land and deeper into the Vast Wilderness Mountains.

A group of demon wolves, led by their alpha, followed Lu Ye out, clearly intending to assist. But after only half an hour, this group of demon wolves returned.

Not being able to fly had this disadvantage; no matter how fast they ran through the mountains, they couldn't match flying on an artifact. After chasing for a while and losing sight of Lu Ye and the others, the demon wolves had no choice but to return.

By this time, Feng Yuechan had also finished bandaging Ju Jia's wounds. Ju Jia's injuries looked frightening but were actually not serious, requiring only a day or two of rest to recover.

She didn't know the situation with Li Baxian and Lu Ye and tried sending a message, but there was no reply. She could only wait silently.

At this moment, Lu Ye and Li Baxian had already chased for hundreds of miles. Tan Sheng and Xia Liang, fleeing ahead, showed no intention of stopping, only desperately running forward, continuously shedding blood. This further confirmed to Lu Ye that the two were in very bad shape.

Otherwise, there was no reason for two Layer Nine cultivators to appear so desperate.

He recalled how he had been chased relentlessly by them in the hunting ground. Less than two months later, the situation had completely reversed. It truly was a case of "thirty years east of the river, thirty years west of the river" – fortune turning.

While fleeing, Tan Sheng roared, "Lu Yiye, stop! If this continues, no one will have a good outcome!"

They were now deep within the Vast Wilderness Mountains, a region inhabited by many powerful demon beasts. Usually, even if cultivators entered, they would do so stealthily, careful not to cause too much commotion lest they disturb any powerful creatures.

Their current chase was creating a significant disturbance. If they genuinely alerted some powerful demon beasts, Tan Sheng and Xia Liang wouldn't fare well, but neither would Lu Ye and Li Baxian.

Therefore, the best course of action would be for Lu Ye to stop and let them escape.

But facing Tan Sheng's shouts, Lu Ye remained unmoved.

If he missed such a rare opportunity, he would never be able to kill these two in the Cloud River Battlefield again. Both were Cloud River Layer Nine cultivators, capable of advancing to True Lake Realm at any moment, and once they did, they would certainly leave the Cloud River Battlefield.

Lu Ye had been chased to a dead end by them in the hunting ground, and he remembered that grudge. Furthermore, they had discovered a spirit land. If he didn't finish them off this time, the location of the spirit land would surely be exposed, potentially causing trouble later.

Wei Que was already dead. As long as these two could be killed, the existence of the spirit land would at least remain undiscovered.

Lu Ye's resolve to kill was firm, so how could he be swayed by a few words? Moreover, the more Tan Sheng spoke like this, the more it indicated his poor condition; otherwise, he would have simply stopped and fought.

"Lu Yiye, must we fight to the death?" Tan Sheng roared again.

Lu Ye remained silent, but Li Baxian snorted coldly, "If you truly have the ability, then come and fight! Let's see if you die, or if we two brothers perish!"

Tan Sheng, fleeing ahead, almost gnashed his teeth to dust. He and Xia Liang were both Cloud River Layer Nine cultivators. In the past, on this Cloud River Battlefield, they might not have commanded the wind and rain, but they were at least among the top tier of experts. When had they ever been pursued so frantically by two Cloud River Layer Four and Five cultivators?

It was likely no one would believe it if told.

Yet, today, such an absurd thing was happening to them, filling them with rage and frustration.

If not for their severe injuries, how would Lu Yiye and Li Baxian dare to be so presumptuous in front of them?

The injuries sustained from battling the wolf pack were too severe, causing them both to be unable to exert even thirty percent of their usual strength, unable even to shake off their pursuers.

Not only that, but as time passed, their condition worsened, and their speed of flying on artifacts also slowed.

If this continued, it was only a matter of time before Lu Yiye and Li Baxian caught up.

"Brother Xia!" Tan Sheng turned to look at Xia Liang. The powerful blade master from the Mad Blade Sect was pale as paper, his vital energy chaotic, but his eyes were still as sharp as a blade.

Earlier, while entangled with the wolf pack, Xia Liang had sustained more severe injuries than Tan Sheng because Xia Liang had displayed greater strength, making him the primary target of the wolf pack. This resulted in most of the pressure falling on Xia Liang.

Facing Tan Sheng's inquiry, Xia Liang uttered a single, cold word: "Fight!"

Escape was no longer an option. If they continued like this, their condition would only worsen, and by the time they were completely exhausted, they might not even be capable of fighting. While they still had some strength, perhaps there was a chance to kill those two; after all, they were only two Cloud River Layer Four and Five cultivators.

Although Tan Sheng knew this was not the best course of action, there was no better alternative. He nodded slightly, "Then, we fight!"

As he spoke, both flew straight downwards, landing moments later.

Given their condition, fighting while airborne was not suitable, as it would consume more energy. Therefore, fighting on the ground was the best choice.

Just after they landed, Lu Ye and Li Baxian also arrived, stopping about a hundred yards away from them.

Four pairs of eyes clashed across the distance, sparks seemingly flying, and the atmosphere in the wilderness suddenly turned grim.

Li Baxian grabbed the wine gourd from his waist, took a casual swig, and lightly said, "Junior Brother, which one do you choose?"

Lu Ye's gaze fixed on Xia Liang as he slowly took a step forward.

Li Baxian nodded, "Then I'll take the other one." As he finished speaking, he opened his mouth and spat out over a dozen flying swords, which immediately assailed Tan Sheng.

***

At that moment, Tang San's grasp of timing, position, and distance was extremely precise. He knew very well that despite possessing the profound arts of the Tang Sect and a third-stage Mysterious Heaven Skill cultivation, the wolf demon's innate gifts and powerful body meant he might not be an opponent in a direct confrontation. Especially given his young age and insufficient vital energy, he certainly couldn't sustain a long battle. If it hadn't been for that transformed human killing one wolf demon, he might not have acted against two third-stage wolf demons; his own life was paramount.

However, once he made his move, he had to ensure a hit.

The wolf demon was currently in a state of extreme rage, so it didn't register Tang San's presence until his palm had already struck the side of its eye. It suddenly twisted its head, its fangs lunging straight for Tang San.

Tang San's other hand, however, had at that moment grabbed its clothing. Using his small stature to his advantage, he tugged the wolf's fur, changing his direction. He flipped to the wolf demon's other side, practically brushing against the third-stage wolf demon's chest.

His right index and middle fingers formed a sword-finger gesture. Activating the Mysterious Jade Hand, which made his two fingers glow with a pure white jade luster, he swiftly stabbed towards the wolf demon's eye as it turned its head back.

*Puff!* His slender fingers almost instantly pierced into something warm. In terms of physical strength, Tang San was certainly far inferior to this third-stage wolf demon, but once he struck a vital point, given the same level of energy, there was no chance of survival.

The Mysterious Heaven Skill, channeled through the Mysterious Jade Hand, practically twisted and plunged into the wolf demon's brain. As a result, the wolf demon's other eye also burst open instantly, its brain having been churned into a paste. Its roar stopped abruptly, as if its throat had been choked, and its powerful body consequently toppled to the ground.

Tang San pushed off its body with his toes, flipping back to land a good distance away.

This attack yielded such results largely due to his rich combat experience from his previous life. The child's small body and the darkness of night provided the best cover, coupled with the third-stage wolf demon being in a state of extreme rage, which dulled its perception.

In a head-on confrontation, Tang San's Mysterious Jade Hand might not even have been able to penetrate the wolf demon's thick hide. However, the eye was the most vulnerable spot. Piercing the eye and injecting Mysterious Heaven Skill energy meant certain death. The seemingly simple attack he just performed was actually executed with his full might, elevating his mental will to the highest degree.

There were no other sounds around, indicating that only two third-stage wolf demons had been pursuing the human who could transform. This also brought Tang San a sigh of relief; otherwise, he would have had no choice but to flee.

He then walked towards the human, maintaining his vigilance.

When he approached the person, he immediately noticed that the fur that had previously grown on them had disappeared. This made Tang San's heart quicken slightly.

Given his precarious situation as a child and having no relation to the transformed human, the safest course of action would naturally have been not to intervene and wait for the wolf demons to leave. Yet, he chose to act. One reason was that the person being chased was human. Another important reason was the transformation he had just witnessed.

In Tang San's original world of Douluo Continent, there was a type of Spirit Master who possessed a Beast Martial Soul, capable of similar abilities. They could also grow stronger by cultivating their Beast Martial Soul.

If similar abilities existed in this world, being able to learn them would naturally greatly benefit his own strength and make it easier for him to integrate into this world!