685 You May Have Your Cunning Scheme, but I Have My Countermeasure (1/2)
The sound coming from the flute reverberated as the lights were reflected on the river. Carrying Bai Chong with his left hand and holding the Mystic Turtle Sword in his right, Meng Qi stared fixedly at Crape Myrtle Star. His success at forcing such a powerful enemy to retreat several times made him feel somewhat proud.
However, he was also aware that his sudden emergence had disrupted the arrangements of Crape Mrytle Star, Blue Stair Assassin's ”God-slaying Sword”, and their cohorts, forcing them to make hasty strikes lest he kidnapped Bai Chong. On the other hand, his momentum had peaked after exchanging blows with several masters earlier. The current situation was the result of one party going on the rise and another on the decline. In a different situation or arrangement, it would not have been so easy for him to succeed.
The wind caused waves that surged in all directions. It was so strong that the Exterior experts could barely stand firm and the trunk of a large tree snapped. Things were on the brink of alerting the Grand Formation of Luoyang.
Meng Qi stomped on the body of the horse with great strength. planning to fly away. He would use the ability of the Void Flight to make a turnaround and break out of the siege of Crape Myrtle Star and the others. That would force the Evil Master to show himself. Just then, he suddenly found that the weight on his left hand had lightened. He instantly had a bad premonition.
The only thing left of Bai Chong, whom he had grabbed with his left hand, was a layer of human skin!
Whatever was inside had long escaped!
”From the Southern Wilderness; an expert at mysterious martial arts...” Information about Bai Chong surfaced in Meng Qi's mind. He had focused all of his attention on masters like Crape Mrytle Star, the assassin from Unrelenting Tower, and Sky-ease Devil so much so that he had neglected Bai Chong.
Bai Chong was not one to wait around to be captured even with his hands tied!
Meng Qi began to make a deduction, allowing his spirit to climb. He threw the layer of human skin at Crape Myrtle Star and Blue Stair Assassin in order to distract them. When he tilted his head to look at the other side of the street, he saw a blood-red speck that did not seem to truly exist hiding among the lights and rapidly fleeing.
”Thud!” Meng Qi stomped so hard on the horse that he broke its back. He used the force to jump across the street. He chased after the blood-red speck and his green robe billowed as he ran, making him look like a giant eagle.
Blue Stair Assassin and Green Stair Assassin of Unrelenting Tower took a step back and merged with the darkness to quietly follow Meng Qi. Crape Myrtle Star and Sky-ease Devil exchanged a look and surprisingly chose to give up!
That was because they had failed to catch Bai Chong off guard and take him down quickly. If they tried to capture him now, he could very well risk everything and trigger the Grand Formation of Luoyang. That would attract the attention of the many masters of Six Fan School and Political Affairs Hall, including ”Noble Purple Spirit” Cui Qinghe.
Either way, Bai Chong would be certain to survive as long as he surrendered half of the entrance map. Their fates, on the other hand, would not be so kind.
The green silhouette flew far away and the small boat on the river also retreated into the shadows. In the blink of an eye, the only things left on the street near the Golden River Bridge were overturned stalls, pedestrians who had fallen to the ground, messy trees, and several masters who had dared not give chase. It was an utterly chaotic scene.
Sun Yuexiu looked away with complex emotions. Staring at the handsome horse that had collapsed on the ground, she whispered.
”A master with such tyrannical strength couldn't possibly be unknown. Which of the masters on the Terrestrial Rankings is he?”
She was both posing the question both to herself and her Senior Sister, Ren Jingxiu.
...
The blood-red speck traveled like an incredibly nimble serpent. He was so slick that he nearly threw Meng Qi off his scent despite the latter's excellent tracking ability. Meng Qi followed closely through the street, refusing to let the speck out of his sight.
Many pedestrians felt only a gust of wind blowing past them. Not even their shadows were seen!
The soothing sound of the river water drifted to his ears. Meng Qi was certain that Bai Chong had fled to the riverside. It seemed that he was planning to escape via water.
This place was so secluded that one would be hard-pressed to find a single shadow here. An archaic stone bridge arched over the river.
With his attention locked onto Bai Chong, Meng Qi charged out of the alley. Suddenly, he noticed that signs of Bai Chong's escape had come to a stop and the latter's breath had suddenly vanished.
”This...” Meng Qi subconsciously slowed down and turned to look at the stone bridge.
On one side of the bridge stood a middle-aged man dressed in a wide robe. His jet-black hair was secured with a wooden hairpin. He looked elegant and relaxed as he stood there silently like the master of heaven and earth and the cardinal of the universe. He possessed an exotic charisma like that of a deity or a devil.
A body laid beside his feet, its translucent skin revealing the blood flowing underneath. All of its bones had turned into a pile of mud. Not one inch of its flesh and skin was intact. The body belonged to the man who had been so vigorous and lively just a while ago—Bai Chong.
”Han Guang!”
”'Evil Master' Han Guang!”
”Heaven Sovereign of the Myths, Han Guang!”
”He is really here!”
Without a second thought, Meng Qi revolved his Interior realm and condensed a dot at his toes. Boundless strength exploded from him as he tried to fly backward in retreat. He wanted to escape the most frighteningly talented and peerless evil spirit among the heretics of the century.
Han Guang leisurely turned his head and his oddly dark eyes met Meng Qi's.
Time suddenly slowed down. Meng Qi felt as if everything had become sluggish and the ”distance” between him and Han Guang had vanished. The latter's devil-like handsome face abruptly came close to his own.
Han Guang did not invoke the Force of Heaven and Earth or even make any movements. His gaze alone was like a rope that dragged Meng Qi to him, plunging Meng Qi into a nightmare. It was hard for Meng Qi to break away from such a spell.
A true Dharmakaya grandmaster was a source of unimaginable terror!
Meng Qi had mentally prepared himself for an encounter with Han Guang, but no matter how many encounters he had had, he could not truly understand the horror of a Dharmakaya master. For a moment, he felt his Vital Spirit being frightened.
The Golden Lotus appeared and the Primeval sat upright. Meng Qi suddenly came to his senses. He prepared to unleash his Dharma Form and trigger the Grand Formation of Luoyang.
”I am a Young Master of the orthodox faction with many friends! Even if Cui Qinghe shows up, he would still have to pay Abbot Kong Wen some respect. You, on the other hand, are a heretical evil spirit, Heaven Sovereign of the Myths, and the enemy of all aristocratic families and sects. Once you fall into the Grand Formation of Luoyang, the consequences would be unpredictable. Aren't you afraid now?”
Meng Qi was fearless in the face of death. His momentum climbed and his indescribable Dharma Form began to materialize behind him.
The corner of Han Guang's mouth lifted to form a sinister smile. His eyes turned deep and dark.
An illusory figure abruptly emerged in Meng Qi's consciousness—a tall and dark figure wearing a black gown and an emperor's crown. Ethereal and lofty, he had a majestic face. He possessed enough power to dominate the three dimensions and tens of thousands of lands. It was as if he was the lord of the universe and the master of the past, present, and future.
The moment this figure appeared, all color in Meng Qi's vision faded. He saw only black and white, and his train of thought had slowed to a standstill.
”Form of the Diabolic Monarch!”
Just then, the statue of Big Golden Buddha appeared in Meng Qi's mind. The Buddha pointed a finger to heaven and another to earth, bringing with it a great peace, benevolence, wisdom, and fearlessness!
”In the Heavens and on Earth, I, the Unique and Righteous, am everywhere!”