158 Chapter 157: Intense Battle (2/2)
Or so I say, but it was consuming quite a lot of my qi just to defend against this bastard's attack. If this turned into a battle of attrition…
”Just stay where you are, Wu!” Tang Qi Hong shouted behind me. I didn't need to turn around and look behind me to know what she intended.
Tang Qi Hong had sat down and closed her eyes, channeling her qi into the various Spirit Weapons that she already had out. The Nine Shuriken Stars, the Frost Bone Spear and Flame Silk shifted away from the downed Gray Shadow, speeding across the air like bullets and rushed forward to strike Black Shadow.
While they did so, Tang Qi Hong simultaneously directed her Nether Ghost Claw, which was still hovering high in the air, to descend and crush Black Shadow's head within its terrifying grasp. However, it was still slower than the other Spirit Weapons.
This was because the Nether Ghost Claw was forged from the claws of the Nether Field's Bloodthirsty Blade Ghost. Elder Hai Mo had even crafted it personally, to produce such an exquisite and formidable weapon, but it required Tang Qi Hong to gather and channel all of her spiritual qi in order to unleash its true power.
Earlier, when fighting against Gray Shadow, she only drew the Nether Ghost Claw as a deterrent, and not because she actually needed it. In other words, she drew it to show off. Ugh. In any event, she hadn't unleashed its true power yet.
And now I was about to witness what the Nether Ghost Claw was capable of.
Even so, Black Shadow had to be really powerful if he forced Tang Qi Hong to go all out.
An ominous fog of black qi gushed out as the Nether Ghost Claw was suddenly saturated with dense, dark energy. For a moment, I felt as if I had just been plunged into the desolate and terrifying Nether Fields. The skies even looked dark and shadowy for some reason, and the atmosphere was tinged with death.
Dark green will'o wisps hovered above the Nether Ghost Claw, resembling the fearsome fireballs that Tang Qi Hong's Nine-Tailed Fire Fox Formula produced. No, I was mistaken. Tang Qi Hong was using the Nether Ghost Claw in conjunction with her Nine-Tailed Fire Fox Formula, the Spirit Weapon merging and boosting her technique!
Then the blazing fireballs rained down upon the place like a meteor shower, burning everything with its acidic touch.
”OOOOOOOOOOOO!”
I didn't know if I was hallucinating under some nightmarish hallucination, but I could swear that I was hearing an eerie howl that could only belong to the Bloodthirsty Blade Ghost, the terrifying sound emitted from the claw. Moving my Snow Aegis closer, I managed to protect Tang Qi Hong and myself from the blazing rain, which splashed harmlessly across the faint, transparent azure-tinged barriers that my personally forged Spirit Armament produced.
”Nine-Tailed Fire Fox Formula: Nether Fox Hellfire!”
Tang Qi Hong decided to shout the name of her technique for some inexplicable reason. I gave up on providing a retort and instead focused on the blazing battlefield.
Many of the spectators had retreated, shock and fear flooding their expressions as they tried their best to dodge the destructive hellfire raining down on the street. One of them dove under a nearby stall, which was unfortunate to disintegrate completely when one of the cyan fiery projectiles slammed into it, erasing it from existence.
”What the hell?!”
”Oh my lord…!”
”Out of the way!”
”AAAAAH!”
Black Shadow's icy eyes remained as cold and emotionless as ever as he calmly dodged it, but several of the Nether Fox Hellfire still somehow struck him and burned off huge swathes of his clothing. His skin blistered and burned, despite his protective earth aura doing its best to nullify the corrosive, incendiary effects of the ghostly flames.
Even when taking such horrifying injuries, Black Shadow neither displayed any fear nor pain, merely continuing to move so as to avoid being incinerated completely by the relentless bombardment.
”Old Black! Let's retreat for now! Or you'll get burned by the Nether Ghostly Hellfire!”
Evidently Gray Shadow didn't know that this was a technique modified by Tang Qi Hong by melding it with her Nine-Tailed Fire Fox Formula, but his advice was still sound. Black Shadow nodded, imperturbed, and dove headfirst into the hole where he emerged from underground earlier. The metallic drill he wielded also turned into a golden bolt of light and followed him closely, probably disappearing into his spatial device.
Gray Shadow also seized the chance to escape, rolling to his feet and disappearing like a gray cloud. He ran for the nearest street on his two legs.
”Did I say you can go?”
”?!”
Gray Shadow spun around and ssaw that I had somehow caught up with him. I smiled him, stuck my leg in front of him and tripped him, sending him sprawling onto the ground again. He uttered a curse and lashed out at me, but I effortlessly dodged it before stomping on his back.
Seismic Step.
That attack probably broke his spine. Gray Shadow was screaming in so much pain that I actually felt sorry for him.
”I know you're the one who told him to retreat, but is your comrade not coming back to save you?” I asked, trying not to make it sound like a taunt.
Gray Shadow's face was pale as he glared at me venomously. ”You…you will never get away with this!” he spat.
I laughed. ”How very original. I'll have to remember that. Seriously, though…” I smacked him across the head, burying his face in the devastated dirt. ”You're the one who tried to assassinate Qi Hong. Why are you acting as if I'm the villain?”
”Be careful. His accomplice might return anytime.”
Tang Qi Hong was gathering her Spirit Weapons back and keeping most of them in her spatial ring, but she couldn't help but keep some of them out and trained her eyes on the hole where Black Shadow disappeared into, as if expecting him to emerge again.
”How are you?”
”Are you asking me, or this guy?” I asked humorously. Tang Qi Hong made a face and snorted, annoyed.
”You, of course. Why should I care about him? He tried to kill me.”
”Speaking of which…” I grabbed the guy's hair and yanked his head up by his hair. ”Who are you? And why are you trying to kill Qi Hong?”
Gray Shadow sneered defiantly. ”As if I'll tell you!”
”Elder Zhao will definitely find out,” Tang Qi Hong informed him coldly. ”We'll thoroughly investigate this once we get back and report to him. You won't be able to cover for your master forever.”
”I do have an idea who it might be, though.” Frowning, I turned to Gray Shadow. ”Let me guess. You're a member of the Divine Shadow Sect, and was ordered by Liang Shao Yang to assassinate Tang Qi Hong in order to eliminate competition for the position of future sect leader.”
”I told you, I won't tell you anything!” Gray Shadow snapped. I merely chuckled.
”Oh, but you already have. The fact that you didn't deny it or react in shock means that I've guessed correctly but you just refuse to confirm it.”
Gray Shadow opened his mouth, his face pale – from the pain or from shock, I didn't know – and then closed it, realizing that anything else he said would be burying him deeper in the hole he had just dug for himself.
”I should have known.” From Tang Qi Hong's expression, she had made the same guess as me. Clenching her fists angrily, she gritted her teeth and made a vow. ”If I find any evidence that Liang Shao Yang is really the one behind all this, I won't forgive him!”
”Coming through, coming through! Please make way!”
The both of us rose and spotted a familiar figure pushing and shoving his way through the crowd of spectators. He approached me and Tang Qi Hong, and I recognized him as the plump owner of the Cloud Sky Mountain's shop. Stopping beside us, he smiled.
”The two of you should follow me to my shop and rest for a while. I'll restrain that guy as well.”
While he conversed with us, the crowd he just passed through began to stir excitedly, and hushed whispers floated across the ruined grounds.
”Isn't that…Cloud Sky Mountain's Wu Tuo?”
”It's really Wu Tuo!”
”What is he doing here?!”
The spectators quickly retreated when they recognized who he was, looking a little afraid, especially when he glared in their direction. For my part, I had no freaking clue who Wu Tuo was, other than that he owned and ran the shop where we bought the Earth Magnets from earlier.
However, even though his physical appearance was still the same, his presence was different from before. He was emanating an intimidating aura. If the Black Shadow dude from earlier were to pop his head out now, he would be in a world of hurt.
”My apologies.” Wu Tuo bowed apologetically. ”My place was slightly far away, so by the time I heard about the fight and rushed here, it's already over. At least you seemed to have captured one of the two.”
He nodded at Gray Shadow, who I was still restraining.
”Yeah, it seems like the other guy has escaped.” I pondered for a moment. That must be why Black Shadow didn't show up to save his comrade. The moment he sensed this Wu Tuo coming over, he judged that he would be no match for him, and would be at an overwhelming disadvantage with both Tang Qi Hong and me still combat-capable. So he made the strategic decision to abandon his comrade and withdrew.
…for now, anyway.
”If I had arrived earlier, then both of you wouldn't be hurt.”
Wu Tuo looked very apologetic, despite the confidence in his words. I suppressed the urge to roll my eyes and glanced at Tang Qi Hong.
”Are you hurt, Qi Hong?”
”Hmm? No. Ah…that's right! Thanks for protecting me, Wu!”
Tang Qi Hong seemed to recall that I had thrown myself in front of her to shield her from Black Shadow's drill, and also deflected Gray Shadow's killing blow from her when he tried to stab her in the back.
”How about you? Are you sure you're fine? You got bitten by those Emerald Serpents…”
”What?!” Wu Tuo balked. ”Are you sure? Then we need an antidote…”
”No, I'm fine. I'm not hurt at all.” I quickly assured him. The chubby, middle-aged man turned to stare at me in amazement.
”Eh? Really?”
Fortunately, I was saved from explaining when another two people showed up.
”My lord!”
”Master!”
It was two of the shop clerks from before, part of the staff running the Cloud Sky Mountain shop branch. They were hurriying over before standing beside Wu Tuo. Again, their presences were completely different from before, when they were running the store
It seemed as if they were veterans of combat.
When they saw me restraining Gray Shadow, they came over immediately and helped me, producing chains to tie up the hapless assassin. Yanking him to his feet, they tried to move him, but because I basically broke his spine, he toppled over.
”Ouch!”
”Oh, my bad,” I apologized. ”I got too carried away and I think I might have snapped his spine. He might not be able to walk.”
”That's fine,” one of the shop clerks replied. He produced what looked like a gurney, and both he and his colleague began strapping the silent Gray Shadow into it. Evidently he realized the futility of resisting, and was resigned to his fate. The first shop clerk turned briefly to beam at me. ”We got you covered.”
”Thanks.” I lowered my head. ”That helps a lot.”
Wu Tuo then nodded and bowed slightly. Facing Tang Qi Hong and me, he inquired.
”Will the two of you return with me to rest in my shop? Or would you be returning straight to Nine-Tailed Fox Sect instead? Don't worry, if this guy's comrade returns, with me around, he will not dare to attack you.”
”Then we will rest for a while in your shop.” Tang Qi Hong hesitated for a moment and checked her smartphone. ”I've contacted Elder Zhao and he should be here with the Blood Blades shortly. For now, we'll have to depend on you.”
”I understand. We'll protect you under Master Zhao Shi arrives.” Wu Tuo beamed. Tang Qi Hong continued staring at him, the astonishment still not leaving her pretty face.
”Um, are you really Cloud Sky Mountain's Wu Tuo?”
”That's right.” Wu Tuo responded with a gentle smile. ”I've only just arrived in Tushan City recently. Please take care of me from now on.”
Seeing his kind expression, Tang Qi Hong relaxed visibly and withdrew her Cloud Shield.