Chapter 659 - 388: A Big Job
In short, the opponent he intended to turn the tables on was a complete unknown, one he couldn’t be sure of besting and about whom he had a severe lack of information.
After running through some scenarios in his head, Zou Feng reluctantly came to a conclusion.
’If I face her head-on, my chances of successfully killing her are probably less than thirty percent...’
’But why would I fight her head-on?’
’Wouldn’t it be much more satisfying to meticulously set a trap and lure her into it?’
That Immortal Official would never have guessed that her Dao Foundation Realm prey wasn’t focused on fleeing as far as possible, but had audaciously turned the tables and was now lusting after her body.
’As for how to set the trap...’
As he was thinking, Zou Feng’s nose twitched.
’This scent... isn’t this Su Qingyu’s foot... I mean, poison?’
Talk about speaking of the devil. With Su Qingyu as an accomplice, any trap he laid would definitely give that Immortal Official a huge surprise.
’Come to think of it, Su Qingyu fled before I did. How has she not gotten very far?’
She must have been constantly pursued and attacked along the way. After all, as a Poison Cultivator, Su Qingyu would undoubtedly be a prime target for the Tribulation Cultivators of the Yama Underworld.
The fact that he could smell her poison drifting from so far away was further proof that Su Qingyu was currently locked in a bitter struggle.
At this thought, Zou Feng wasted no more time, immediately following the scent of poison in pursuit.
His sense of smell for poison was now shockingly acute. Su Qingyu was dozens of miles away, yet she still couldn’t escape Zou Feng’s nose.
As Zou Feng gave chase at full speed, it wasn’t long before he heard the sounds of battle coming from the dense forest ahead.
Zou Feng immediately leaped into the air, looking down from a distance.
His eyes locked onto Su Qingyu in an instant.
As expected, three Impermanences from the Yama Underworld were besieging Su Qingyu, each unleashing their own Divine Skills.
Among the three Impermanences, there was even a White Impermanence.
Su Qingyu was clearly at a disadvantage, fighting a retreating battle.
Had she encountered a group of Tribulation Cultivators like this when she first arrived in the Northern Domain, Su Qingyu would have stood no chance of resisting.
Fortunately, she had gained quite a few benefits from following Zou Feng during this period. The "exchanges" between the two Poison Cultivators, in particular, had caused her Calamity Poison Body to advance greatly, allowing her to reach the Dao Foundation Realm Middle Stage.
However, there was another important reason she was still holding on and even looked to have a chance of escaping with her life.
All three of the Impermanences were injured.
The injuries were mainly caused by poison.
After all, Su Qingyu’s poisons were now so potent it was as if Zou Feng himself was half in the fight, so it was naturally difficult for the Tribulation Cultivators of the Yama Underworld to fully resist.
Moreover, judging from the scene, Su Qingyu hadn’t been fighting alone. Fellow disciples from the Pinnacle Celestial Immortal Sect must have also contributed significantly.
Quite a few disciples had escaped from the Celestial Hearing Tower, so it was perfectly normal for them to meet up and flee together.
He just didn’t know if the disciples who had fought alongside Su Qingyu had already been killed, since they were now nowhere to be seen.
Having assessed the situation, Zou Feng no longer hesitated. He executed the Drunken Immortal Moon Chasing Step, taking a heavy step in mid-air.
With an explosive crack and a terrifying sonic boom, Zou Feng shot forward like a cruise missile descending from the heavens, appearing behind the White Impermanence in the blink of an eye.
The White Impermanence was already injured, and his attention was completely focused on Su Qingyu. By the time he heard the terrifying sonic boom, Zou Feng was already behind him.
Back when Zou Feng was only at the Dao Foundation Realm Middle Stage, he could already get the better of a White Impermanence.
Now that he had reached the Dao Foundation Realm Late Stage, it was an absolute certainty.
His poison claw shot out and seized the unsuspecting White Impermanence.
Then, as poison flames erupted, the Impermanence was instantly engulfed in his own screams of agony.
But this was a White Impermanence, after all. Just burning him with poison flames wasn’t a guaranteed kill.
So Zou Feng simply tightened his grip, continuing to ramp up the poison flames while spinning and rising into the air.
Pinned firmly by Zou Feng, with all kinds of Exotic Poisons flooding his body and the Silent Extinction Poison Flame burning him from the outside, the White Impermanence had no opportunity to use any of his Evil Arts.
By the time they reached mid-air, the White Impermanence’s screams were growing faint.
Seeing his work was almost done, Zou Feng showed no mercy. He instantly performed Refinement, turning the Impermanence into nourishment for his Soul-Seizing Blood Eyes.
Down below, Su Qingyu, who had been struggling to hold on and was resigned to suffering greatly even if she survived, was suddenly overjoyed.
’It’s true what they say, there’s always a way out. To think I’d run into the one person I most hoped would come to my aid!’
When the two remaining Impermanences saw their leader get snuffed out, they didn’t dare to linger for another second.
After exchanging a look, they split up and fled.
But how could Zou Feng let such valuable nourishment escape? Tossing aside the charred husk of the White Impermanence, he pounced on one of the fleeing figures like a hungry tiger.
Su Qingyu went after the other. She, too, greatly coveted these Poison Cultivators from the Yama Underworld.
The rest of the battle was completely one-sided. By the time Zou Feng finished his Refinement, Su Qingyu had also finished her opponent.
Dealing with three Impermanences so easily—even if it was thanks to the ambush and their prior injuries—still gave Zou Feng a major confidence boost.
It also solidified his decision to try and spring a trap on the Immortal Official, no matter what.
"How did you find me?"
Having drained the Impermanence dry, Su Qingyu had recovered considerably.
At Su Qingyu’s question, Zou Feng’s gaze subconsciously drifted down toward her feet.
Seeing this, Su Qingyu immediately snapped, "It was my poison, not foot odor!"
Zou Feng waved his hand dismissively. "I never said it was foot odor... Anyway, Palace Master, why have you only made it this far?"
Su Qingyu sighed in exasperation. "Do you think it was easy getting here? I was ambushed and pursued by all kinds of Tribulation Cultivators the entire way. The disciples with me were either killed or scattered!"
"I’m actually one of the lucky ones. The truly unlucky ones were the ones caught by a Judge or an Immortal Official..."
After the Celestial Hearing Tower was breached, it became a complete killing frenzy for the Tribulation Cultivators and the traitorous Demon Race.
All their long-suppressed resentment from being under the thumb of the Pinnacle Celestial Immortal Sect seemed to find an outlet at once.
Who knows how many Judges and Immortal Officials also happily joined in this rare feast of slaughter.
’I just wonder if Jiang Wanzhao managed to escape successfully.’
’The number of Judges and Immortal Officials pursuing her can only be higher.’
’However, as a True Inheritor of the Pinnacle Celestial Immortal Sect, Jiang Wanzhao is different from an ordinary Golden Core Realm Cultivator. She must have plenty of trump cards up her sleeve.’
’She won’t necessarily perish here.’
’But even if she escapes by some stroke of luck, with the Celestial Hearing Tower having been breached, she’ll be charged with dereliction of duty no matter what.’
’Jiang Wanzhao’s original plan—to rack up battle achievements in the Northern Domain and get her status as a True Disciple back on track—is now completely up in smoke.’
’I wonder if I’ll be implicated as her right-hand man...’
’But it probably won’t come to that. From what I’ve seen, the Pinnacle Celestial Immortal Sect isn’t that petty, especially since I’m a prodigy with the clear potential to surpass Jiang Wanzhao.’
There was one other thing on Zou Feng’s mind: what had happened to Zhao Feixiong.
When the disaster struck, the guy had recklessly insisted on finding Luo Zhenzhen, apparently to confront her about something.
But shortly after, Luo Zhenzhen had charged out of the Celestial Hearing Tower, seeking to settle the score with him for her father’s death. Zhao Feixiong was nowhere to be seen.
’Was he killed by Luo Zhenzhen, or...’
Zou Feng considered a more outlandish possibility: that Zhao Feixiong, knowing the situation was hopeless and escape was unlikely, still clung to the hope of his marriage to Luo Zhenzhen and became a traitor, joining the Tribulation Cultivator Camp.
Of course, this was just speculation. Zhao Feixiong wasn’t necessarily that foolish.
Perhaps after confronting Luo Zhenzhen, he had lost all hope but couldn’t bring himself to actually harm her, so he simply turned and fled in another direction.
"What are you spacing out for? We need to run! If you want to ’exchange,’ we have to get much farther away first!" Su Qingyu said, seeing Zou Feng staring blankly. She thought he was getting ideas again.
In truth, after they had both performed Refinement on the Poison Cultivator Impermanences, Su Qingyu also had the urge to have a quick "exchange," but now really wasn’t the time.
They might just get their pants half-off before a pack of Tribulation Cultivators pounced on them like hungry wolves, desperate to join the fun.
Hearing this, Zou Feng remained unhurried. He looked up and said, "Palace Master, how would you like to go for a big score?"
"What do you mean?" Su Qingyu’s brow furrowed. She could read the trouble in Zou Feng’s expression.