Chapter 44: Ambush and Battle
"Taoist Friend Zhao, save—"
PFFT.
Before the man could finish, a streak of black light shot from the distance and pierced his chest. He pitched forward, and though he struggled to get up, anyone could see he was done for.
"Run," Shen Yunjiao said, immediately turning and sprinting toward Moyun Workshop.
Zhao Zuo immediately followed Shen Yunjiao, breaking into an all-out sprint. The surrounding snow was blasted away by his Qi Force, forming craters about thirty centimeters in diameter. He ran without a hint of hesitation. As for the co-worker he’d only met a few times, all he could do was offer a silent apology.
"Save some energy. We’ll most likely be caught. Get ready to fight back."
The snowflakes hitting his face felt bitingly cold, but Zhao Zuo’s mind grew ever calmer. ’Shen Yunjiao didn’t abandon me, which must mean the enemy isn’t unbeatable.’
"Okay," Zhao Zuo replied, quickly returning his churning Mana to his Dantian. Though it would slow him down, it would ensure he still had the strength to fight.
"The enemy should be Second Lei. He’s a Body Cultivator and is good at wounding people with hidden throwing weapons," Shen Yunjiao continued.
"What about his strength?" Zhao Zuo asked.
"Comparable to the Qi Cultivation Sixth Layer. The one who’s truly difficult to deal with is his older brother."
The Lei Brothers lived in Red Willow Lane. Both of them had reached the Qi Cultivation Sixth Layer, and they commanded a crew of about fifteen men. They usually acquired resources by hunting Demon Beasts in the Yunlan Mountain Range and ambushing other Cultivators.
Zhao Zuo focused his attention behind him and, sure enough, detected heavy footsteps approaching at an incredible speed—a speed that already surpassed his own limits.
At this rate, Zhao Zuo would almost certainly be caught, while Shen Yunjiao could probably escape.
In addition, there were two other sets of footsteps, not as heavy, a little farther away.
Clearly, the enemy had no intention of letting these two passersby go. Continuing to flee would only put them in a more passive position.
"In a moment, I’ll need Taoist Friend Shen to tie up Second Lei while I take care of his two lackeys. Then I’ll immediately come to support you. If I die, just get away... and that’s all that matters." At this life-or-death moment, Zhao Zuo’s mind grew preternaturally calm, almost entering a so-called hyper-sensory state, giving him a completely new awareness and understanding of his surroundings.
"Fine. If you die, I’ll avenge you in the future." Shen Yunjiao’s brow furrowed slightly. She glanced at Zhao Zuo, a hint of surprise in her eyes, then nodded.
She had been worried for a moment that Zhao Zuo might run away while she was busy with Second Lei, which was why she had hesitated. But the thought vanished in an instant. ’If he does run, it’ll just count as him repaying the favor for those three pastries.’
"If I die, and in the future Taoist Friend Shen transcends the bounds of time, don’t forget to reverse it and resurrect me." Zhao Zuo cracked a joke to ease his tension, then took out a Spirit Revitalizing Pill and a Qi and Blood Pill and held them in his mouth.
"Now!" Shen Yunjiao ignored Zhao Zuo’s crazy talk and spun around, charging back the way they came at an even greater speed, like an arrow loosed from a bow... The red longsword was already in her hand.
Zhao Zuo was half a beat slower, but he also immediately spun around and charged back with all his might.
"Well, if it isn’t Lady Shen. Why not come home with me for a chat?"
Second Lei’s real name was Lei Ming. He was about 2.4 meters tall with a bald head and arms as thick as a bull’s legs. He wore a loose-fitting short shirt, which barely concealed abs like chiseled marble. His entire being radiated the savage aura of an Evil Beast.
CLANG.
Shen Yunjiao didn’t reply. There was only the thunderous clash of her sword against his steel-like fist.
Zhao Zuo sprinted for another ten seconds or so before he finally saw his own opponents. The two men were dressed in black with black cloths masking their faces. Their eyes were filled with a cold killing intent. They looked to be about 1.75 meters tall, and each held a standard-issue short sword Magical Artifact.
The enemies threw their two sword-like Magical Artifacts in unison, using the momentum to close in on Zhao Zuo. They drew grooved daggers from their waists and stabbed straight for his chest. In the first instant of their meeting, the enemies had already coordinated to launch four deadly attacks.
A golden light spread out, solidifying into a barrier that blocked the two incoming sword-like Magical Artifacts. After stopping the enemy’s weapons, the two Vajra Talismans surprisingly remained intact... The energy consumption was also very limited.
’This is bad,’ Zhao Zuo thought. ’The short sword Magical Artifacts must have just been a feint.’
The Sky-Breaking Saber, fully charged with Mana, struck out. It flew toward the enemy on the left, forcing him to retreat and defend. But the enemy on the right suddenly accelerated, melting away like a black shadow. When he reappeared, he was already behind Zhao Zuo, the Spiritual Light on his dagger flaring as he stabbed directly at the back of Zhao Zuo’s heart.
The retreating enemy in front of him bent his body slightly, tensing up. A golden light erupted from him, repelling the surrounding snowflakes and forming a golden barrier. At the same time, his body shot forward like a cheetah, aiming for Zhao Zuo’s throat.
In a flash, the two had completed their pincer attack.
Nourished by his Creation Points, Zhao Zuo possessed a Soul several times stronger than that of Cultivators at the same Realm. Although he couldn’t yet mobilize this immense power, it granted him superhuman reflexes. Now, facing the pincer attack from front and back, his mind became even calmer.
The flow of time itself seemed to slow down in his perception. His Mana circulated with unprecedented speed, and the enemies’ movements looked as if they were in slow motion. He saw the gray gas coiling around the dagger; he saw the mockery and killing intent in his opponent’s eyes.
Zhao Zuo suddenly leaped backward, intentionally moving into the path of the dagger behind him. He twisted sharply at the waist, simultaneously swallowing the two Pill Medicines in his mouth. A faint golden light emanated from his skin.
WHOOSH—!!
With a sharp whistle, the Sky-Breaking Saber easily pierced the two layers of defense from the enemy’s Vajra Talismans, its speed completely unaffected. Empowered by the gale around it, the saber flashed like a silver missile through the snowflakes and tore through the man’s chest.
Blood gushed from the wound like a crimson spring, rapidly staining the white ground.
In the frigid air, the blood steamed, forming a white vapor before the cold began to congeal it into splendid crimson beads. They fell upon the snow like the tattered remains left after a violent downpour.
The enemy’s expression shifted rapidly from triumph to shock and terror, right up until he hit the ground with a heavy thud, like a sack of broken rags. The light gradually faded from his eyes, and his breathing stopped.
The despair that filled him before he died had no outlet. The enemy’s death caused not a single ripple in Zhao Zuo’s heart. He was gradually becoming heartless and cold; the sight of gushing blood no longer fazed him.
Zhao Zuo had truly integrated into this world. The Sky-Breaking Saber stood embedded in the blood-soaked snow, having buried not only his enemy, but also the person he once was.
Meanwhile, Zhao Zuo’s movements were nimble and swift. He spun like a top, seemingly offering his own chest to the enemy’s dagger. By this point, the dagger had already pierced through the golden barrier, and a flash of triumphant joy crossed the attacker’s eyes.
The Golden Light Mirror in his robes erupted with a blinding radiance, as dazzling as the magnificent sun. In an instant, the enemy’s vision was filled with nothing but golden light. The Golden Light Mirror had blocked the dagger’s path.
CLINK!
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