Chapter 413 - 412: Riverbank
Everyone emerged from underground with grim expressions. The memory of the relieved looks on the Blood Slaves’ faces as they died filled their minds, and their hatred for the Blood Nether Association surged to an extreme.
"Let’s go. We should find your companion."
Following the lingering aura and the trail of battle, the group was soon overcome with shock. The path was drenched in blood, a testament to the brutality of the fight!
"Gods, this was really done by a single Sky-Controlling Martial Artist."
"To accomplish this much while being hunted by a King... it’s terrifying!"
"They nearly destroyed this entire mountain range."
"How did he manage it? This is just unbelievable."
Soon after, the handsome middle-aged man and the others reached a part of the forest where the destruction was far greater than anywhere else. They gulped, staring at the aftermath of the battle. ’Gods, don’t tell me two Kings fought here!’
Suddenly, Ling Zhan and Xue Qianlong spotted a body and hurried over. They frowned. The corpse was headless. Its body was covered in gaping wounds, the flesh shriveled and drained of blood, resembling a pile of mangled flesh.
But upon seeing the corpse, Ling Zhan and Xue Qianlong were deeply shaken.
"These clothes... could it be... Qiann Feng!"
"Qiann Feng, the Pavilion Master of Linfeng Pavilion."
Just then, the handsome middle-aged man came over. He looked at the corpse, a flicker of surprise in his eyes, and said, "Before he died, his body was ravaged by an extremely powerful energy, causing his flesh to rupture. But the fatal blow was the decapitating sword strike. The robe he’s wearing is a Defensive Pseudo-Spiritual Artifact, but there’s a weak point at the chest. From the looks of it, it was pierced by a Sword Artifact. To be able to break a Pseudo-Spiritual Artifact, either the swordsman must possess extreme power, or the sword in their hand must be a Spiritual Artifact..."
Hearing this, Ling Zhan and Xue Qianlong exchanged a look. They knew that Qin Ya possessed the Ting Xiao Sword, a Spiritual Artifact. ’Could it be that the one who killed Qiann Feng was...’
A shudder of terror ran through them; they were both stunned by the thought.
"So, this is the King you mentioned, Qiann Feng?"
"Judging from his clothes, yes."
The handsome middle-aged man fell into a thoughtful silence for a moment before speaking slowly. "Killing a King with the power of a Sky-Controlling Martial Artist is utterly impossible. It seems he must have had help."
The group continued to search the mountain range for two more days, but they still found no trace of Qin Ya. In the end, they had to return empty-handed. Ling Zhan and Xue Qianlong, however, refused to give up, searching the mountains for another seven days and nights.
But still, there wasn’t a single clue.
"Xue Qianlong, we... we should go," Ling Zhan said with a sigh.
"Mm," Xue Qianlong nodded, not saying much more. But Ling Zhan could feel that the chill about her was now ten times colder than before.
......
CLIP-CLOP-CLIP-CLOP. The sound of hooves echoed through the spacious forest. A few figures emerged from the vast woods, dressed in brocade robes and riding unicorn-like steeds. They carried longbows on their backs and longswords at their waists. Following behind them were several dozen Martial Artists clad in Armor.
The leader was a handsome young man in a sea-blue brocade robe. He was debonair and dashing, occasionally turning to say a few words to the beautiful woman at his side. Just then, a lion with golden fur darted through the trees.
A sharp glint flashed in the handsome youth’s eyes. He drew his bow and nocked an arrow. WHOOSH! The feathered shaft tore through the air. A pained roar echoed as the arrow plunged directly into the golden lion’s neck. A moment later, the beast fell silent.
"What a shot! Excellent archery!"
"Haha, that’s Young Master Bai for you!"
"A genius from the Chu Province List of Prodigies is truly on another level."
The entourage marveled, but Young Master Bai simply smiled nonchalantly before turning to the beautiful woman beside him. He said gently, "Yanrou, we’ve been hunting for two hours now. Why haven’t you taken a single shot?"
Huang Yanrou smiled apologetically and spoke with a light grace. "My apologies, Young Master Bai. I’m not feeling well today. I’m afraid I’d only embarrass myself if I tried to shoot."
"Heh, you jest, Yanrou." Bai Haichen’s tone then became concerned. "You’re not feeling well? Is there something wrong? Here, I have a Sixth-Grade Healing Elixir. Please, take it."
The onlookers were dumbfounded. ’Damn, pulling out a Sixth-Grade Healing Elixir just to hit on a girl. I can’t even begin to compare to that level of extravagance.’
But Huang Yanrou simply gave a cool smile. "There’s no need. It’s just a small matter, how could I use such a precious Elixir for it? Please, take it back, Young Master Bai."
Bai Haichen shook his head, his tone softening and his gaze filled with deep emotion. "How could a mere Sixth-Grade Pill possibly compare to you? As long as you’re well, I would find a way to get you ten, even a hundred of them."
An ordinary woman would have been moved by such words, but Huang Yanrou, who knew what kind of person he truly was, felt a shiver run through her, her skin crawling with goosebumps.
"You are too generous, Young Master Bai."
"Just accept this Sixth-Grade Elixir."
After speaking, Bai Haichen pressed the Elixir into her hand. He then smiled, turned his steed, and rode forward, giving Huang Yanrou no chance to refuse. In the end, she sighed and put the Elixir away with a complicated look in her eyes.
The group rode on, and before long, they arrived at a riverbank.
"Let’s all rest here for a while."
Huang Yanrou sat off to one side. Bai Haichen soon approached her with a waterskin and some exquisite pastries. "Here, Yanrou," he said, "have something to eat."
"Thank you, Young Master Bai."
Bai Haichen then sat down beside her and started to chat, mostly about trivial matters. Huang Yanrou, clearly disinterested, offered only brief replies now and then.
Suddenly, a look of surprise flashed across Huang Yanrou’s eyes as she gazed toward the riverbank nearby. Seeing her reaction, Bai Haichen followed her gaze and let out a soft "Hmm?"
"There’s someone over there."
Huang Yanrou walked over and saw a person lying on the riverbank. He didn’t look very old, perhaps sixteen or seventeen, with a handsome but incredibly pale face. Though he was lying by the river, his white robes were completely spotless.
Even more surprisingly, he was tightly clutching a longsword.
The blade shimmered with a purple light, exuding a sharp, extraordinary aura.
The others had also noticed the strange person and came over. Huang Yanrou moved gracefully to his side and knelt down. She checked his breathing and felt for his pulse, her brow furrowing. A look of shock crossed her face. ’He’s this badly injured and still alive? How strange... No matter, I have to save him.’
After a moment’s thought, she took out the Sixth-Grade Elixir Bai Haichen had given her, intending to feed it to the young man. Seeing this, Bai Haichen quickly tried to stop her.
"Yanrou, think this through," Bai Haichen said coolly. "We don’t know who this person is. Are you really going to waste a precious Sixth-Grade Elixir on him?"
"Young Master Bai, saving a life is what’s important. What good is a precious Elixir if it’s never used? This is the moment it’s needed."
As she finished speaking and moved to give the Elixir to the young man, a pair of sharp eyes abruptly snapped open. In that instant, the very air around them seemed to freeze!