Chapter 266 - The Struggle (2/2)
“Heh heh heh heh… You’ll never get out of here alive! I’ll soak every inch of this Forest with the blood from each and every one of you here…”
His voice tunneled through the woods with the ominosity of tolling bells of a funeral procession that everyone could not help but tremble as panic continued its incapacitating grip upon everyone. With Wan Gufeng’s prowess, there was a probability that he could end anyone’s life before his or her jade note breaks.
On the other hand, Xiao Chen was utterly spent; his face was pale as Death itself. Unable to use the magic of the Nine Heaven-scorching Flames again, he waved his hand and gripped at the hilt of the Blood Lotus Demon Blade that appeared magically to him, feeling the sting of the saber’s cold thirst for blood seeping into him. The blade of the saber glinted dangerously with a shade of scarlet and its cold steel ringing loudly, trumpeting its entrance into battle.
He swiped a hand along its sharp edge, feeding the saber with his own blood and the weapon shone brilliantly with a macabre glow of red. Ghastly winds began breezing around everyone present, caressing the sweat-glistened skins of the people present so lightly that an electrifying chill zipped down their spines before they felt it hard to breathe. The demonic blade was ready for battle!
It was a pity that the imposter who had pretended to be Xiao Chen had long fled. Otherwise, he could watch for himself the true spectacle of the actual Blood Lotus Demon Blade manifesting in all its terrible glory!
“Heh heh heh…” Wan Gufeng chortled vilely. “So, boy, let’s see what other tricks you have left! Riptide!” He yelled, swinging his arm in an arcing motion into the air. Winds began churning around him, and a blade of wind hacked down at Xiao Chen with terrifying ferocity!
The blow threatened to split the earth even as the winds howled around the battlefield like wailing spirits. The plants and trees around him cracked at their trunks and stalks, unable to withstand the force of the luminous form of the sword of wind even before it hit the ground and fallen leaves took into the air, tossed around violently by the wild gusts of winds. The rest of the contestants remained devastated beyond any ability to neither help nor react, incapable of believing that Wan Gufeng, despite his grievous injury, could still unleash such a disastrous attack.
“Let’s see it then!”
Xiao Chen responded with a deafening yell and leaped into the air to meet the blow. Like a comet, he climbed into the air, leaving trails of mirage-like hue in his wake. Bold even in the face of the destructive power of the blow, he raised the Demon Blade over his head. It came down in a forceful curve with all of Xiao Chen’s might, releasing a scythe-like blade of magical energy at the gigantic sword of wind.
Everyone below could only watch in silence and braced for a thunderous boom as the blows collided. The blast caused a ripple of force that traveled far and caused several nearby hills to crumble and collapse.
Xiao Chen fell back to the ground, panting for breath at the heavy exertion. “If only I have learned the techniques of the Dominant Sky Ten-fold Slash discipline,” he reflected in haste, otherwise, with this Demon Blade with me, I could have easily defeated this monster!
At a distance away, Wan Gufeng’s arm was quivering profusely due to the shock and pain. Xiao Chen’s countermove had caused him to be wounded by the rebound of his own spell. A newly-inflicted gash had appeared on his forehead, trickling fresh with blood. “This is the true Xiao Chen,” those who were watching thought, gasping with awe, “The Xiao Chen who has the potential to defeat even a conjurer of the Nascent Soul Realm!”
Wan Gufeng heaved a long and heavy breath. He too, beheld Xiao Chen with renewed recognition. The fireballs he used was undoubted part of a powerful sorcery, but what parried his Riptide technique was different; that was true strength. A true raw power that could defeat even his own. He began to realize that Xiao Chen could one day achieve great things. More importantly, he was different from others in the aspects of his mind and spirit. Despite possessing merely the strength of the Core Forming Realm, here he was, fearless and gallant enough to challenge a conjurer of the Nascent Soul Realm!
But as his respect for Xiao Chen grew, so festered his hatred and malice for the young man. He could never allow an enemy of such limitless potential any time and opportunity to grow!
Qingluan and Ziyun’er swiftly saw the rancor and bitterness in his eyes. They darted forward, speeding towards Wan Gufeng in two blurry masses of purple and green. In just a blink of an eye, they reached him, their weapons bared like fangs boring down on his head.
With a cold snort, Wan Gufeng was hardly fazed by the sudden attack. With lightning-quick reflexes, he sent two bolts of magic slamming into Qingluan and Ziyun’er’s abdomens. The two girls crashed backwards, both spitting blood from their mouths.
Despite his wounds, it was clear that Wan Gufeng still wielded powers that no ordinary conjurers of the Core Forming Realm could ever hope to defeat. Xiao Chen bolted forward and caught the two girls before they hit the ground and whispered to them, “Do not attempt any direct attacks. Flank him and divert his attention.”
Receiving their orders, the two girls sprang out of his arms and warped into thin air, reappearing at a flash later at both sides of Wan Gufeng. “Contemptible vermins!” Wan Gufeng screamed and was about to send another pair of magical bolts at them, when he realized Xiao Chen was already near.
Being fearful of Xiao Chen’s might, he quickly abandoned his impulse to attack Qingluan and Ziyun’er and concentrated on his main adversary.
But Xiao Chen was already at his limits; he had channeled every whit of his True Energy to protect himself against the strong winds that stung at him. The winds were resonating to Wan Gufeng’s powers and were reacting as if under his commands. Even as he drew closer to his target, Xiao Chen was extremely wary of any retaliation from Wan Gufeng, but he did not stop using his Divine Sense to scour for weaknesses.
Finally, with his Divine Sense, Xiao Chen found Wan Gufeng’s jade note concealed within the folds of his robes. He got so close that he had to endure a point-blank strike from the old man and quickly swiped away the jade note with his psychokinesis magic before withdrawing away seventy or eighty feet, the jade note tightly clenched between his fingers.
Wan Gufeng’s expression turned into one of dismay and confusion as he realized what could happen. He could be instantly transported away from the Forest if Xiao Chen broke the jade note! “But that’s impossible! I had hidden it carefully! How could he have found it!?” A plea escaped his throat, “Please, young one, a moment! Let us talk!”
His remaining acolytes and disciples would be no match for Xiao Chen and the rest of the conjurers if he is forcibly withdrawn from the tournament. They would be mere lambs for slaughter for the next few days when the hunt for the Hearts resumed. Most importantly, his disqualifications would also spell the end of any hopes for his grandson, Wan Yanyan to enter the Violet Illusory Land.
“Please, young one. Let us negotiate. Return the jade note to me, and I’ll promise no one will be hurt.”