664 In Murderous Pursuit! (1/2)
Wang Baole's staggering form continued running inside the region of the sword body, disregarding his increasingly serious injuries. He ran without rest, using everything he had in him.
Before he had started though, he left a puppet at the place he had teleported to. Then, without turning back, he raced away.
Fortunately, after some time racing in the sword body, he finally found himself in a familiar area. He was able to identify where he was.
I'm not anywhere near the sword handle… Pale-faced, Wang Baole's spirits sank, and his heart grew heavy as he realized where he was.
He knew he only had two options. He could follow the original plan of traveling to the sword handle and returning to the Vast Expanse Dao Palace, where he could then use the teleportation array formation to leave the ancient sword and return to the Federation. Or, he could venture deeper into the sword body!
The first option was definitely the better choice and the one he preferred. However… even though it might seem simpler and worry-free, there were greater chances of the unexpected happening.
If Daoist You Ran survived and comes after me, I won't be able to avoid his pursuit even if I escape into the sword handle…
I can only bet on his death or that he wouldn't be able to catch up with me in time. Wang Baole fell silent. He was torn. However, the mental struggle didn't last long before decisiveness flashed across his eyes. He turned and started running in another direction—not towards the sword handle but deeper into the sword body!
The blood in his body continued to churn as he ran. Fortunately, his physical body was resilient, and his recovery was boosted by the green lotus. That allowed him to maintain his speed.
Nevertheless, he couldn't keep the blood from rising to his mouth. After flying for some time, he finally couldn't stop himself from spitting out a mouthful of blood.
There were small pieces of flesh mixed with the blood. He didn't know where they came from, but the churning he had been feeling inside him eased considerably after he had spat out that mouthful of blood. However, the moment of ease was followed by dizziness and waves of pain that continued ceaselessly.
Hurt my internal organs… There was a dark look on Wang Baole's face. He extended his senses into his body and concluded that those chunks of flesh had probably been his organs.
Throwing them up had felt like hollowing himself out. Endless exhaustion rose inside him and spread to every part of his body. His vision was growing blurry.
A sudden urge to just lie down assaulted him, threatening to pull him under like a tsunami. Before that could happen, Wang Baole bit his tongue. The pain helped clear the fog from his mind. His eyes cleared as his breathing quickened.
I can't stop. I can't just rely on luck! Wang Baole took a deep breath, gritted his teeth, and continued running. He had chosen to enter the sword body to avoid pursuit. It wasn't because he couldn't gamble on the outcome if he had chosen otherwise but because he dared not do so!
He would be left with no other options should he lose that gamble. If he chose to enter the sword body, the potential for trouble might seem greater, but so was his chances of survival.
After all, the hexes in the sword body posed no danger to him while they were obstacles to others!
Even so, Wang Baole knew how powerful Daoist You Ran's cultivation was and how many tricks he had up his sleeve. If Daoist You Ran did come after him, Wang Baole couldn't simply place all his hopes on the hexes.
I need to keep widening the distance between us and give myself more time so that I can venture deeper into the sword body. There's a greater chance then that Daoist You Ran will find it difficult to pursue me. That's going to be hard though… Wang Baole's eyes flashed as the gears in his head spun furiously. He kept on his path, advancing rapidly towards a place he remembered.