Chapter 481 - 352: Come Over and Carry Her
The thought came and went in an instant, and Fang Qingyuan had already made his decision. He had to go check on the situation. Chu Hongshang had come to lend her aid, after all. If he simply abandoned her and the Nanchu Disciples found out, Fang Qingyuan feared Chu Duo would come after him with a vengeance.
Besides, Yuan Duo was watching from the side. If he came across as ruthless and disloyal... ’How would my martial aunt treat me then?’
At that thought, Fang Qingyuan gestured to Yuan Duo, indicating they should go check on Chu Hongshang.
Of course, there was one more thing to do before they left.
With another shake of the long banner in his hand, Fang Qingyuan unleashed about a hundred Iron-Seeking Demon Rats, each the size of a hunting hound. Fang Qingyuan had domesticated these rats long ago, and after a recent mutation, they now possessed stomachs of steel.
Fang Qingyuan summoned them forth. With a single thought from him, the Iron-Seeking Demon Rats scurried toward the spot where the Bow-holding Nascent Soul had perished.
The Bow-holding Nascent Soul had been blasted to smithereens, his flesh and blood scattered across a hundred-zhang radius. It was highly unlikely that anything of value remained. Still, Fang Qingyuan lived by the principle of leaving no stone unturned, so he sent the Iron-Seeking Demon Rats over to try their luck.
He would only be satisfied once they had chewed through every bit of soil in the hundred-zhang radius where the Nascent Soul Cultivator had died. Only then would he feel it wasn’t a wasted effort.
Once that was done, Fang Qingyuan met Yuan Duo’s quizzical gaze and took the lead, flying toward Chu Hongshang’s location.
Yuan Duo followed close behind. Moments later, they arrived.
Seeing her with their own eyes was, of course, much clearer than sensing her with their Divine Soul Thoughts. Chu Hongshang lay limp on the ground, her face flushed and her eyes tightly closed, an image of striking beauty.
Fang Qingyuan and Yuan Duo exchanged a look and advanced cautiously. Upon reaching Chu Hongshang’s side, Yuan Duo summoned her heavy mace Magical Artifact again, preparing to shatter Tu Ling’s physical body with a single blow to prevent any unforeseen problems.
But Fang Qingyuan saw what she was about to do and quickly stopped her.
"Wait, Martial Aunt! This man is Chu Hongshang’s enemy. His soul has been destroyed, leaving only an empty vessel. If you destroy it now, it might give rise to nasty rumors. We should wait for Elder Chu to awaken and see what she wants to do."
Yuan Duo paused. She wasn’t an idiot. It was a delicate situation, just as Fang Qingyuan had said—best to do less and avoid making a mistake.
So, Yuan Duo withdrew her heavy mace and took a Metal Bracelet from her storage bag. With a toss into the air, it transformed into layers of shackles that materialized around Tu Ling’s body.
Once this was done, Yuan Duo breathed a quiet sigh of relief. The oppressive aura from the One-armed Nascent Soul Cultivator had been far too intense.
"Please take this for now, Martial Aunt. It’ll prevent any mishaps."
Fang Qingyuan bent down, picked up the Blood Transformation Demon Saber from the ground, and handed it to Yuan Duo. A Demon Artifact like this was too sensitive; he wanted no part of it.
Besides, it was evidence in the assassination attempt on Chu Hongshang. Even if Fang Qingyuan wanted to pocket it, he couldn’t. Unlike the longbow wielded by the Bow-holding Nascent Soul Cultivator, this Demon Saber would certainly draw scrutiny from all quarters in the future.
Yuan Duo put away the Blood Transformation Demon Saber, then moved closer to examine Chu Hongshang. Faint, ethereal flames flickered across her body—an automatic, self-protective Divine Technique. Any ordinary demonic beast that touched her would die instantly.
After a brief inspection, Yuan Duo spoke.
"She must have overexerted herself in a short burst, damaging her mind and spirit. There seems to be some fear mixed in, too... Hmm, it’s too complicated. I can’t figure it out."
Yuan Duo had only performed a cursory examination to analyze why Chu Hongshang was unconscious. But when it came to the matter of the Divinity Transformation Lion, who could possibly say for sure what had happened?
Neither Fang Qingyuan nor Yuan Duo had been able to perceive how the lion’s head, formed from a swarm of silver insects, had dealt with Tu Ling and Chu Hongshang.
They had only sensed with their divine souls what had happened to the Bow-holding Nascent Soul Cultivator. What the two of them didn’t realize was just how lucky they had been.
"So what now? Call for reinforcements? Or should we take Elder Chu back to the Military Array Camp first?"
Fang Qingyuan looked at Chu Hongshang, feeling conflicted. He didn’t want to stay here a second longer. Right now, all he wanted was to hurry back to his own Qingyuan Sect, enter secluded cultivation for a while, and wait for this whole mess to blow over.
Whether it was Chu Hongshang’s ambush or the appearance of the Old Lion, both spelled huge trouble.
Fang Qingyuan had no idea why the Old Lion had vanished, nor if it would suddenly return.
In any case, Fang Qingyuan didn’t want to linger here for long.
Fang Qingyuan glanced at Yuan Duo, guessing she felt the same way. Sure enough, after pondering for a few breaths, Yuan Duo stated her decision clearly.
"We’ll take Chu Hongshang back to the Military Array Camp first, then notify the Nanchu Sect to send someone. That’s the most prudent course of action."
They were in agreement. The only question left was how to transport her.
Chu Hongshang’s cultivation was profound. Her Nascent Soul physique pulsed with incredibly dense Spiritual Power, not to mention the Flame True Intent she had unleashed at the very end.
All of this was highly corrosive to a divine soul. Even for Yuan Duo, trying to lift and carry her using only her own soul would be incredibly taxing.
What about flying away on a Magical Artifact?
That was probably not an option. For one, the environment in the Barbaric Wilderness was treacherous, thick with poisonous miasma that made flight impossible.
For another, a summoned Magical Artifact couldn’t handle a Nascent Soul Cultivator who was unconsciously projecting the True Meaning of the Great Dao as a protective measure.
"You carry her. I can tell you’ve tempered your body. You should be able to withstand the Flame Divine Techniques she’s unconsciously releasing."
"Me?"
Fang Qingyuan was baffled. He looked at Yuan Duo. ’Aren’t you the more suitable one for the job?’