“What? With the absence of Fellow Daoist Han and the other two, our strength will be greatly diminished. Won’t that be a problem? And where is Fellow Daoist Xuan Jiuling now? Surely he doesn’t plan to abandon us as well?” Yin Gangzi frowned and asked directly.
“This is unavoidable. Only if Fellow Daoist Han and the other two personally guard the formation’s core can we rest assured that the Two-Polar Annihilation Formation won’t be sabotaged by the enemy. After all, this formation is a secret array from the Immortal Realm, an indispensable trump card against that true immortal. Given the circumstances, we must prioritize one over the other. As for Fellow Daoist Xuan Jiuling, there’s no need to worry—he has already arrived here,” Ming Zun replied calmly.
The moment his words fell, a faint male voice echoed through the void.
“What, are you all worried that I, Xuan Jiuling, might back out at the last moment? Rest assured, even if all of you change your minds, I alone will still act. The chance to slay a true immortal isn’t something that comes around often.”
“Such bold words—it must indeed be Fellow Daoist Xuan. Since you’ve arrived, why not show yourself and meet us?” Lady Wu Ling relaxed slightly but scanned her surroundings with sharp eyes.
Hearing this, the others also eased their expressions.
“I’ve always preferred solitude. There’s no need for us to meet. Just know that when the time comes, I will act,” Xuan Jiuling’s emotionless voice replied.
At this, the many Great Ascension cultivators present could only exchange glances in silence, simultaneously unnerved by their inability to detect his exact location.
At the edge of the Howling Abyss, a streak of green light flashed across the distant sky before plunging into the abyss.
Suddenly, the green light dissipated, revealing a crystalline flying vessel over ten zhang in length.
At the bow stood Liu Yi and Bing Feng, both pale-faced.
“This time, we’ve suffered heavy losses. Who would’ve thought that madman, despite his earlier exertion, shows no sign of exhaustion and seems even more relentless than before? But we should be safe here for now. We’ll wait a bit to let him close the distance before entering further,” Liu Yi said, glancing back with a trace of fear in his eyes.
“Indeed. Not only have we exhausted nearly all the pills and talismans provided by the Helian Trade Union, but we’ve also depleted the little of our recovered origin power. If those from the Trade Union fail to suppress that madman this time, we won’t even have a chance to escape,” Bing Feng replied, her beautiful face equally grim.
“That old fox Ming Zun claims to have gathered the top experts of the continent. My former master should be among them. Though I hate to admit it, his methods are extraordinary. With him involved, success is almost certain,” Liu Yi said expressionlessly.
“Oh? I didn’t expect you to have such confidence in Brother Han,” Bing Feng remarked, surprised.
“Hmph! If not for that, why would I have demanded Ming Zun promise not to trouble me for a thousand years? With that time, I’ll master my techniques and fear no one in the Spirit Realm,” Liu Yi snorted, his eyes flickering.
“Really? Given Brother Han’s monstrous talent, who knows how terrifying his powers will be in a thousand years? He might even ascend to the Immortal Realm within ten millennia,” Bing Feng said, a hint of mockery in her voice.
“Ascend to the Immortal Realm? Hah! You make it sound so simple. There are hundreds of Great Ascension cultivators in the Spirit Realm, yet in the last hundred thousand years, who has successfully ascended? Even with his heaven-defying talent and great fortune, the odds are less than one in a hundred,” Liu Yi laughed derisively.
“Is that so? But I’m confident Brother Han will eventually reach the Immortal Realm. If we survive this ordeal, how about a wager?” Bing Feng’s expression turned peculiar.
“What wager?” Liu Yi was taken aback.
“Simple. We’ll bet on whether Brother Han can ascend within ten thousand years and attain true immortality,” Bing Feng enunciated each word clearly.
“And the stakes?”
“You’ve always wanted me as your cultivation partner, haven’t you? If I lose, I’ll agree to marry you. But if Brother Han ascends within ten millennia, you must vow to avoid me wherever I am, never competing or interfering with me. And of course, you mustn’t harass me during those ten thousand years,” Bing Feng stated bluntly.
“You truly have great faith in my former master!” Liu Yi’s expression darkened.
“What, are you afraid? If you lack confidence in your judgment, there’s no need for a bet. Just wait to be captured by Brother Han as his spirit beast again,” Bing Feng taunted with a smirk.
“Afraid? Hardly. But the stakes must change. If you wish to bind me for ten thousand years, you must bear the consequences. If my former master fails to ascend in that time, I won’t take you as my wife—you’ll be my concubine, obeying my every command without refusal. And we’ll both swear a Blood Oath to this,” Liu Yi said after a moment of contemplation, his face turning sinister.
“A concubine? A Blood Oath? Fine, I agree,” Bing Feng replied without hesitation, her eyes gleaming.
Seeing this, Liu Yi felt a chill but quickly reassured himself—the odds were overwhelmingly in his favor. He spat out a mouthful of blood essence, which swirled in the air and formed a crimson ghostly face. Chanting incantations, he swore the oath before it.
Bing Feng arched an eyebrow and followed suit, spitting her own blood essence and swearing the corresponding vow.
After sealing the bet, the two exchanged glances, each seeing confidence in the other’s eyes.
Before they could speak further, Liu Yi’s expression suddenly changed as he turned to look behind them.
Almost simultaneously, the sky darkened, and faint rumbles of thunder grew louder, soon becoming a deafening roar.
“He’s coming!” Bing Feng paled.
Without a word, Liu Yi formed a hand seal with one hand and tossed a crimson pill into his mouth with the other. The crystalline vessel beneath them trembled violently before transforming into a green streak, vanishing into the Howling Abyss in a few flashes.
Within moments, a river of blood appeared on the horizon, surging forward at an unimaginable speed. Eight five-clawed blood dragons roared within the river, their golden maws spewing radiant light.
Soon, the blood river plunged into the Howling Abyss, chasing the crystalline vessel.
The pursuit was breathtakingly fast, the distance between them rapidly closing.
In less than the time it takes to drink tea, Liu Yi and Bing Feng could already see the blood-red tide approaching behind them.
“Do you have any more of Ming Zun’s Wind-Evading Talismans?” Liu Yi asked urgently.
“Only one left,” Bing Feng replied hesitantly.
“Then use it now! What are you waiting for?” Liu Yi growled.
Bing Feng flicked her sleeve, releasing a silver talisman that vanished into the vessel. Instantly, countless silver runes flared across its surface before disappearing again.
The vessel emitted a piercing shriek, its speed doubling as it surged ahead, slightly outpacing the blood river.
“Hmph, this trick again. To think a lost realm like this would possess Wind-Evading Talismans from the Immortal Realm—what a surprise,” Ma Liang, standing atop one of the blood dragons, sneered.
“Master, these must be relics left behind by ancient immortals. Otherwise, how could these natives craft such talismans?” Yang Lu, bowing beside him, replied.
“Even so, their possession of such talismans is troublesome. Otherwise, we’d have captured them a month ago,” Ma Liang said impatiently.
“Master, rest assured. Even if there are more of these talismans in the Spirit Realm, they can’t have many. Given their earlier consumption, this might well be their last,” Yang Lu said respectfully, unknowingly hitting the mark.
“I hope so. Yang Lu, don’t you think this is an ideal place for an ambush?” Ma Liang mused, his vast divine sense sweeping the surroundings before his expression turned peculiar.
“Has Master discovered something?” Yang Lu asked nervously.
“Not yet. But the Yin-Sha energy here is so dense it even restricts my divine sense. If they’ve set a trap, this would be the perfect location,” Ma Liang said with a faint smile, though a glint of ice flashed in his eyes.
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