Dark gray ashes drifted down from the heavens, ultimately covering the ground with a thin layer of black. This eerie scene sent a chill up everyone’s spines. No one knew what had happened; even with Xia Mang’s strength, he could only watch helplessly as countless venomous snakes turned to ashes in an instant. As for the cause of this calamity, he was equally in the dark.
A strange silence enveloped the canyon, and the innumerable venomous snakes on either side of the canyon seemed to sense a growing unease. They raised their bodies, emitting a series of hissing sounds filled with agitation, making the atmosphere within the canyon even more ominous.
Han Chong and the others exchanged glances and then slowly retreated to the wagons, protecting Han Xue in the middle. Their vigilant eyes locked onto Xia Mang in the sky.
The tense silence endured for a while before Xia Mang gradually regained his composure. His gaze, somewhat hesitant, swept around and paused on Han Xue’s enchanting face, his eyes once again filled with burning desire. He gritted his teeth, and a sharp hiss came from his mouth. The countless venomous snakes on either side of the canyon, upon hearing that hiss, hesitated briefly before their eyes flickered with ferocity. With a twist of their bodies, they shot towards the caravan like arrows.
Seeing the venomous snakes attack once more, Han Chong and the others swiftly mobilized their Dou Qi. But before they could launch a counterattack, the strange booming sound echoed again in the sky. Numerous fireballs appeared, only to dissipate quickly like fleeting blossoms, finally turning into ashes and falling slowly…
Witnessing this, Han Chong and the others felt a surge of joy. At this point, they could guess that someone was secretly helping them…
“Miss…” Excitement welled up on Han Chong’s face as he looked at Han Xue and whispered.
Han Xue gently waved her jade-like hand, her beautiful eyes scanning the surroundings, but she found no trace of the helper. Her brows furrowed slightly. Could it be that their luck was truly this good? Was it possible that a strong ally would appear just in time?
As her gaze shifted, it inexplicably paused on a certain carriage – where Xiao Yan was situated.
Her eyes lingered on the carriage, her long eyelashes fluttering gently. Before she could ponder further, Xia Mang’s cold voice descended from the sky.
“Who is the expert assisting us? I am Xia Mang. If I have offended you, I ask for your forgiveness. However, this matter is between me and these people. I hope you will not interfere.”
Xia Mang’s gaze swept slightly, and he cupped his hands in a bow. His voice slowly reverberated through the canyon, but there was no response. Just as impatience began to grow within him, an old voice, clear and concise, rang out.
“Get lost.”
The sudden old voice, seemingly from the heavens, echoed in everyone’s ears. At this moment, the joy in Han Chong and the others’ hearts grew, confirming that a strong ally was indeed aiding them.
When the old voice sounded, Han Xue’s eyes also moved away from Xiao Yan’s carriage, scanning elsewhere, as if trying to locate the mysterious helper.
“Are you really going to fight for these useless individuals?” A fierce glint flashed in Xia Mang’s eyes, but after the bizarre scene earlier, he dared not act immediately. He spoke with a sinister tone.
“You have ten seconds to leave, or die!”
The owner of the previous voice gave a curt and straightforward reply, and even Han Chong and the others could detect a hint of mocking laughter in the voice, as if ridiculing Xia Mang’s overreaching.
Being treated so rudely twice, Xia Mang’s eyes turned extremely grim. He had been the tyrant in these parts for many years, and there had been no lack of strong opponents who wanted to eliminate him. However, the mountain range was vast, and it was riddled with snake dens. Once Xia Mang transformed and hid in the deep mountains, finding him would be a daunting task. Hence, his ruthless reputation had only grown over time.
Though his eyes betrayed a chilling intent, Xia Mang’s face showed nothing, instead, he clasped his fists in salute and said, “Since you insist on protecting them, I will give you this favor today…”
Just as he reached the last word, Xia Mang’s eyes suddenly flooded with a cold light. He stomped the air with his foot, his body flashing with a green bolt of lightning. In a blink, he appeared before Han Xue, his robust Dou Qi surging, and a massive wave of energy directly forced Han Chong and the others to retreat in alarm.
“Little girl, few women escape my grasp once I set my eyes on them.”
With Dou Qi surging, Xia Mang let out a lecherous laugh and then reached out to grab Han Xue. His speed was incredibly fast, and Han Xue, with her skills, could not dodge. Thus, she could only watch helplessly as his hand approached her shoulder.
“Seeking death!”
Just as Xia Mang’s palm neared, a cold, murderous shout rang out. Then, an invisible energy wave, like a lightning bolt, merged into the space and instantly exploded in Xia Mang’s chest.
*Boom!*
The low explosion did not cause any visible energy collision, but the Dou Qi engulfing Xia Mang’s body dissipated significantly. A massive force exploded in his chest, sending his scales bleeding, and his figure retreated rapidly.
“Protect Miss!”
The invisible attack forced Xia Mang back. Seeing this, Han Chong and the others swarmed over, surrounding Han Xue, and their eyes fixed on Xia Mang.
Han Xue’s eyes fixed on Xia Mang, who had been badly defeated with just one strike. Though her heart was turbulent, she knew that although this man was disgusting, he was not weak. Moreover, being a Magical Beast, his defensive power was exceptionally formidable. She had not expected that without even seeing the attacker, he had been reduced to this wretched state. How terrifying was the strength of the person who made such a move?
Even in their entire Han family, how many such experts could they find?
Xia Mang retreated nearly a hundred steps before halting with a frightened look. Wiping the blood from his mouth, he stared in horror at his surroundings and exclaimed, “Soul force? Are you an Alchemist?”
Recognizing the invisible force after contact, Xia Mang finally realized that it was the soul force that Alchemists were most adept at. That form of soul attack was clearly a trick favored by Central Continent Alchemists.
*Humph!*
Ignoring Xia Mang’s exclamation, the voice’s owner gave a cold snort. The invisible soul force fluctuated in the space again, then charged at Xia Mang with thunderous might.
Feeling the renewed soul attack, Xia Mang’s scales stood on end, and his fear intensified. Finally, with a scream, he fled, turning into a dark green blur and dashing into the forest. A few flashes, and he vanished from sight.
In that soul attack, Xia Mang clearly felt a bone-chilling killing intent. He knew that if he stayed, the owner of that soul force would surely chop him into pieces of snake meat. Living for so many years, he knew well who he could provoke and who he could not. Offending such a strong person over a beauty was not worth it…
With Xia Mang’s escape, the countless venomous snakes on either side of the canyon also turned to flee. Even the dozen or so giant snakes blocking the path scrambled into the grass. In a short while, the once-blocked canyon was empty again. This scene left Han Chong and the others speechless.
“Damn it, this guy is so good at fleeing. He must have been chased many times before…”
In the silence, someone muttered, causing the group to burst into laughter, as if laughing off their earlier fright.
After chuckling, Han Chong patted his chest. Today, they had truly danced on the edge of a knife, but fortunately, nothing serious happened.
Han Xue’s icy face also softened slightly. Raising her head, she respectfully bowed to the sky, “I am Han Yue from the Han family. Thank you, senior, for your assistance. May I have the honor of meeting you in person and remembering your name?”
“I’m just passing by. There’s nothing to meet about. Leave…”
The faint, old voice drifted down from the sky, making it impossible to pinpoint its exact location.
With those words, the mysterious expert seemed to vanish, leaving no sound behind.
Seeing the quiet surroundings, Han Xue sighed in disappointment. Waving her jade-like hand, she said with a clear and charming voice, “Let’s continue.”
Nodding, Han Chong and the others dispersed, continuing to protect the caravan. Amidst creaking, the convoy set off again.
As the caravan moved, Han Xue returned to her carriage. As she entered, a strange sensation made her glance at Xiao Yan’s carriage. After a moment, she frowned slightly, chuckled at herself, and nimbly leaped back into her carriage.
When Han Xue returned to her carriage, in the carriage behind, Xiao Yan, sitting cross-legged, slowly opened his eyes. He clutched his chest, coughed violently, and smiled bitterly. His injuries were not yet healed, and using his soul force in combat still took a toll.
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