Upon hearing the scream, both Boss Third He and Xia Shuanghe's expressions underwent a drastic change.
With Zhai Que'er present, the original search operation had already entered a state of semi-stagnation. They had called back their scattered subordinates, positioning them around the perimeter, ready to respond at a moment's notice. The recent scream had emanated from one of these outlying control points. Its shrill and mournful pitch, despite the distance of several miles and the thick layers of earth and stone, failed to be completely muffled.
What followed was a deep, thunderous rumbling that seemed to suggest a surging river flowing beneath their feet.
The temperature was rising!
As various elements converged, not only He and Xia but even the ever-smiling Zhai Que'er furrowed her brows.
Yu Ci listened intently and realized that beneath his feet were countless explosive sounds strung together without pause, merging into the roaring tumult of a great river. On closer examination, the successive shockwaves were each more formidable than the last, wreaking tremendous havoc on the geological strata. In a matter of moments, Yu Ci felt the ground beneath him turning soft and crumbly, with collapses occurring frequently in the underground tunnels afar.
Even without a warning from Shadow Ghost, Yu Ci knew what was happening—two True Immortals had made their move again, and this time it was no tepid probing; they were playing for keeps.
But why so close?
The immense pressure generated by the clash of True Being Cultivators could conservatively be described as weighing tens of thousands of pounds. Moreover, the battle was infused with their intricate and complex Aura shifts, driving the Primordial Qi of heaven and earth, creating a lethal distortion that was utterly irresistible. The unfortunate soul who merely encountered the periphery of their battle was torn to shreds.
The situation deteriorated rapidly, and in such times, Zhai Que'er's directive was succinct: "Retreat, five miles!"
Yu Ci understood that the female cultivator had gauged the extent of the True Immortals' combat effects and was ordering everyone to fall back. But surely that wasn't enough. The combatants could shift positions by miles in a single move; precise calculations were inferior to simply turning tail and fleeing as far and as fast as possible.
However, Yu Ci soon realized that when it came to the experience of dealing with Taoism Immortal battles, he still had much to learn. Even in escaping, one must not lack technique.
During the retreat, Zhai Que'er was the first to retract her aura completely, moving with the stealth of a wraith. Even Boss third He, with his massive frame, managed to silence his movements. As he ran swiftly, his presence was as quiet as if his feet were cushioned by pads of flesh.
Yu Ci, emulating the techniques he had observed, utilized both the Talisman Battle and the Light Extinguishing Escape Method with such proficiency that he matched Zhai Que'er in concealing his aura, earning a meaningful glance from her expressive eyes. When their gazes met, both shared a knowing smile, the reason for which only they understood.
At that moment, another life was lost. Unlike the previous earth-shaking demise, the death throes of the Golden Elixir cultivator, with the severe disturbance of his aura, stood out even amidst the tumultuous clashes of True Being Cultivators.
Boss third He's eyes twitched involuntarily. A Golden Elixir cultivator was a precious resource anywhere, and now in Yin Cave City, with Boss fifth He having met his end, ten had already perished. The loss of two more was a rate of attrition that even the affluent Three Families Market could ill afford.
Zhai Que'er also acknowledged the gravity of the situation by immediately changing her direction. Using an Escape Technique, she passed through stone, with the three others swiftly following suit. Yu Ci noticed that this maneuver created an angle away from the deceased, which seemed somewhat similar to the previous occasion. Although he wasn't entirely clear on the finer details, Yu Ci understood Zhai Que'er's intentions after these two instances:
She was using the deaths of her subordinates as references to gauge the direction of the pressure exerted by the True Immortal's combat. And then...
Zhai Que'er suddenly halted. Yu Ci calculated the distance – precisely five miles. Sensing his surroundings, he noted a drop in temperature and a softening in the roar of the flowing river, indicating that their current environment was much more favorable than before. Turning to look at Zhai Que'er, he saw her lips, a light shade of purple, slightly curved in a smile. It was an expression borne of habit, but also a direct reflection of her confidence and composure.
"Left, seven miles."
The party moved once more at the command, and after several such iterations, another underling from the Three Families Market met an untimely death. But by the time the group halted, the oppressive forces from the outside seemed to have lessened each time. Eventually, Zhai Que'er fell silent, and the others simply followed her lead, leaping high and crouching low, splitting the earth and piercing through stone.
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Gradually, Yu Ci discerned the pattern: the tremors from the clash of True Immortals were constantly shifting, yet they always had their peaks and troughs. At the peak, the impact was deadly strong; at the trough, considerably weaker. What Zhai Que'er had been doing was rapidly calculating the changes in these vibrational peaks and valleys, adding a bit of foresight to dodge the peaks and slip into the troughs, steadily moving outward, naturally reducing the external pressure.
Such a method, not to mention anything else, required an acute sensitivity that left Yu Ci in awe. The combined strength of related experience and calculation was undeniably impressive, compelling his admiration. Yet, it also stirred his curiosity:
How many battles between True Immortals had Miss Que'er witnessed to master such a skill with such ease? Could such expertise truly be acquired in one or two attempts?
After catching his breath, Yu Ci awaited Zhai Que'er's next move. However, the female cultivator unexpectedly remained unchanged, and silence spread until she suddenly broke into a smile, saying, "Facing a formidable enemy, yet you still bring out Separate Consciousness and Thoughts to respond. Is that really wise, Black-robed Senior Brother?"
At her words, her companions were greatly shocked. It was at this moment, amidst the dim gaps of the earth's strata, that a dazzling red light shone through, and the temperature around them soared suddenly, waves of heat rushing forth. Yu Ci squinted his eyes and saw within the red glow a distorted figure charging towards them.
Boss third He reacted swiftly, uttering a low growl as he released a surge of pure True Sha into the strata. The ground shook immediately, and the surrounding earth and stone protruded violently, converging from all sides to isolate the figure in the red light. Yet, what followed was a hand covered in dark red viscous fluid forcefully punching through the layers of earth, its twisted fingertips mere inches from Zhai Que'er, the heat wave assaulting her face.
The female cultivator did not move an inch, merely smiling as she said, "It's a Molten Core Puppet."
No sooner had the words been spoken than a voice came through the layers of earth: "So it's you!"
The voice was hoarse and scarcely human, difficult to discern, yet Zhai Que'er did not find it odd. For a puppet hastily assembled from magma to speak human language was indeed a challenge. But this meant that the two parties had, in effect, come face to face.
"Black-robed senior brother, we truly must be fated," she remarked. "From the North Sea to the North Wilderness, billions of miles apart, and yet we encounter each other so unexpectedly..."
"Encounter?"
The voice from the other side paused briefly before continuing, "An encounter is good. I shall be sure to extend a warm welcome!"
With that, the magma hand piercing through the soil layer wavered, as if trying to locate Zhai Que'er. The female cultivator's response was to kick at the earth, her Corrosive Shadow Power instantly spreading and reducing it to ash, along with the magma hand, grinding it to pieces.
As the earth layer crumbled, the wave of heat surged once more, only to stall abruptly amidst the swirling dust. Behind, Boss third He let out a low roar and charged forward, smashing the Rock Flow Silhouette with a punch. The scorching magma was forced back by the sheer force of his blow, splattering across the surrounding earth with a sizzling sound.
Though the Molten Core Puppet was formed of a black robe, it was, after all, just a puppet, with combat strength merely at the Golden Elixir Level. Even Yu Ci could defeat it in battle, let alone Boss third He.
Seeing the puppet destroyed, Zhai Que'er still did not move. She stood in place, and after a moment, she said, "Moving is not so easy now. My senior brother is rather stingy. Now he's willing to level the playing field, changing the rhythm to prevent me from easily discerning the direction of the pressure. He probably wants to swallow us whole."
Her bright eyes swept over the faces of the other three, the female cultivator's face still bearing a smile. "My master once said, my senior brother is good in every way but one: he has an insatiable desire. If he could lay his hands on a hundred things, he would never be content with ninety-nine. Now that we've caught his attention, you all must be prepared!"
The expressions on the faces of Boss third He and Xia Shuanghe soured. The sensation of being in the thoughts of a True Immortal was by no means comfortable. If things went awry, all ambitions and visions could turn to mere illusions. How could they resign themselves to that?
In such moments, it was time to demonstrate unwavering loyalty. Both companions felt compelled to express to Zhai Que'er sentiments like "we would sacrifice our very lives to ensure Miss's safety." Zhai Que'er remained noncommittal but turned to Yu Ci, who had been silent until now.
"What does the Soul Chaser Master think?"
Yu Ci, with his exceptional expertise in talismans, had earned himself the respectful address of "Master" from Zhai Que'er—an impressive feat. But should today's challenges prove insurmountable, all such titles would be moot. He pondered seriously before saying, "Facing a True Immortal, even Miss Que'er might find it difficult to ensure everyone's safety. Moreover, our large group presents an obvious target. If the black-robed one is indeed relentless, I fear an encounter may ultimately be unavoidable..."
His lengthy explanation boiled down to one clear message: it was time for everyone to flee on their own!
Yu Ci spoke thus not only because being with Zhai Que'er and the others meant he had to conceal some of his special techniques, feeling restricted and hampered, but also because he believed that his chances of escape would increase by more than thirty percent if he were on his own.
And the harsher reality was that Zhai Que'er likely shared this sentiment.
Indeed, the female cultivator nodded gently, "Gathered together, our Aura signatures are indeed conspicuous..."
She was cut off mid-sentence by a sudden exclamation as a massive shockwave approached from afar, passing through layers of earth like a tidal wave crashing forward. Even at a distance, the temperature around them soared at a staggering rate. The air, now unusually active, was charged with an explosive force, akin to gunpowder sitting too close to a fire, ready to ignite at any moment.
A single step might generate enough frictional heat to set off this volatile energy. While it might not cause injury, the resulting blast would mix their Aura into the air, making it even harder to shake off the black-robed pursuer.
"Go!"
With decisive urgency, Zhai Que'er contracted her body and plunged into the ground. The other three reacted similarly. Each movement was subtle, but together, they triggered the conditions for an explosion. With a thunderous roar, the air within the area detonated.
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I have also posted the following more chapters [All free]: https://www.readgates.com/article/74a39e