Chapter 27: Drawing Water with a Bamboo Basket — A Futile Effort
Chapter 27: Drawing Water with a Bamboo Basket — A Futile Effort
Song Zhen greedily stared at the Cold Pool, gazing at the Cold Ginseng Grass as if witnessing the sacred moment when he would break through from the Ninth Layer to the Tenth Layer, then step by step shatter the barriers of the flesh, cultivate into a supreme Earth Immortal, and become a true Cultivator.
“Song Zhen has gone too far! Everyone, when we return this time, we absolutely cannot let the Song Family off easily. Especially Song Zhen. We must report him to the Elders of our clan so he dies without a burial place.”
“Who does this mere Song Family think they are, daring to treat us like this!”
“Now it’s probably too late. Everyone knows what kind of person Song Zhen is now. Would he easily let us go?” After Song Zhen left, the remaining five secretly communicated amongst themselves. They harbored deep hatred for Song Zhen and each proposed schemes, but in the end, they were all rejected by Yue Li.
Yue Li said, “Right now, our only option is to fight for our lives. Song Zhen is a peak Ninth Layer expert, his strength even surpasses ordinary Tenth Layer completion experts. With the power of our five, we might still have a few chances to survive.”
“You are mine, Song Zhen! Haha!”
Song Zhen suddenly increased his speed and flew towards the Cold Pool, his eyes fixed intently on the Cold Ginseng Grass.
Oooh!
Everyone watched helplessly as Song Zhen was about to obtain the Cold Ginseng Grass. Suddenly, a soul-stirring beast roar shook the heavens and earth, causing Song Zhen to halt mid-air. He looked back, his face turning ashen green.
“It’s… it’s the Golden-Maned Beast! How did it return? Could it be that kid Ye Yun was already eaten?”
The others also saw the Golden-Maned Beast charging towards them and were all shaken. The Golden-Maned Beast seemed exceptionally furious. It leaped high over Yue Li and the others, directly pouncing at Song Zhen.
The Golden-Maned Beast seemed to be saying to Song Zhen: the Cold Ginseng Grass belongs in its belly. Dare to snatch it from me, and I’ll definitely strip your skin, pull out your tendons, and grind your bones to dust.
At that moment, Yue Li clenched his fist, raised his arm, and shouted, “This is our chance! Everyone, run!”
As soon as he spoke, the others immediately turned and fled towards the exit, their eyes filled with terror. If they couldn’t escape now, they would sooner or later become the Golden-Maned Beast’s meal.
“None of you shall escape! If I can’t get the treasure, there will be other chances. If I let you go, and you happen to leak information about this spiritual treasure, then I would truly be drawing water with a bamboo basket — all for nothing!”
Just as the group began to flee, who would have thought that Song Zhen, standing in the air above the Cold Pool, would use a supreme movement technique to dodge the Golden-Maned Beast’s pounce, instantly appearing in front of the group, blocking their escape route. Meanwhile, the terrifying Adult Stage beast turned and fiercely charged towards them.
“Song Zhen, you… will die a horrible death!” A middle-aged man gripped a longsword and raised it, charging to kill Song Zhen.
“I don’t have time to play with you all! Haha!” Song Zhen seized the opportunity. He knew full well the Golden-Maned Beast’s power and understood that someone had to hold off the beast; otherwise, no one could escape. Right now, Yue Li and the others were the perfect bait. Once he used them, Song Zhen’s survival was assured.
The middle-aged Cultivator, at the Eighth Layer, swung a shocking sword strike at Song Zhen. A rainbow-like Sword Qi sliced through the air, slashing towards Song Zhen. “Even in death, I’ll drag you down with me!”
“Break for me!”
Song Zhen’s expression tightened. He seemed to understand the power of this man’s Sword Qi and dared not be careless. He roared, and majestic True Qi surged out of his body. Song Zhen punched towards the Sword Qi, and a powerful True Qi blast shot out from thin air—it was actually a Vacuum technique.
Boom! Boom!
A terrifying explosion of light erupted in the valley’s Void. The entire valley suddenly shook violently, as if the explosive force could destroy the earth and fill the valley immediately. The remaining domineering True Qi power ravaged the air like a meat grinder; any object that touched it would be ground to dust.
“Worthy of being called the ‘Broken Sword Sage’. It’s just a pity you are not at the Ninth or Tenth Layer. Otherwise, I truly might have died under your Sword Qi. Farewell!”
Song Zhen waved his large hand, turned, and flew towards the valley mouth.
“Ah!”
Behind him, an Eighth Layer Cultivator was locked in a bitter struggle with the Golden-Maned Beast. Little did he know his attacks were completely ineffective against the beast. He could only try to escape, but unfortunately, his speed was too slow. The Golden-Maned Beast snatched him up with its large mouth and swallowed him whole in one gulp.
“Despicable Song Zhen! If I survive and get out, I, Yue Li, swear I will grind your bones to ashes!” Seeing his companion die, Yue Li felt a chill in his heart. He wore a pair of black gauntlets on his hands, which seemed quite unusual.
Instantly, Yue Li and the others were plunged into the tragic situation of being hunted by the Golden-Maned Beast.
“Just a bunch of inexperienced brats. If each of you hadn’t been so greedy for the Cold Ginseng Grass, you wouldn’t have ended up in this situation today. Once I get out, I can handle your families. With just my words alone, turning black into white, no one will disbelieve me. Haha!”
Seeing the brutal fight behind him, Song Zhen laughed triumphantly. As long as he could escape, he would still have a chance to get the Cold Ginseng Grass. All he needed was to deceitfully gather another group of Cultivators as bait, and the Cold Ginseng Grass would be his. Song Zhen had already planned everything out clearly, even what to do after obtaining the Cold Ginseng Grass.
“Senior Song, I’ve already lured the beast away. Why is the Cold Ginseng Grass missing?”
Seeing that he was less than ten zhang from the valley exit, Song Zhen gathered his energy and rushed forward like a gust of wind. But just as he was one zhang away from the exit, suddenly a colossal creature blocked the valley mouth. Looking closely, it was actually another Golden-Maned Beast.
On the back of the Golden-Maned Beast stood a tall, imposing figure. As the mist dispersed, it revealed Ye Yun’s indifferent yet profound Divine Light. He looked down from above, scrutinizing Song Zhen.
“You brat! It’s actually you!”
In that instant, Song Zhen couldn’t believe his eyes. His heart trembled with fear. He hadn’t expected there to be another Golden-Maned Beast, and moreover, that the ant he once looked down upon would appear alongside the beast.
Standing on the back of the Golden-Maned Beast, Ye Yun, as if he had tamed this ferocious giant beast, said calmly, “What a fine senior you are. Despicable and shameless. You first used me as bait to lure out the Golden-Maned Beast, then entered the valley to get the Cold Ginseng Grass and attacked your companions. Once you successfully obtained the Cold Ginseng Grass, I’m afraid even if I didn’t die in the beast’s mouth, I would have died by your hand, right?”
“Hmph, the ends justify the means. The Cold Ginseng Grass can help me break through to the Tenth Layer of the flesh, and perhaps even help me successfully achieve Foundation Building and cultivate to the Earth Immortal Realm. For that, I will employ any means necessary.” Song Zhen’s eyes revealed killing intent, his face cold and stern.
“What you say is not wrong. Everyone’s path of cultivation is different. But you met me. If I were weaker, I probably would have become a pile of white bones long ago.”
From the start, Ye Yun had anticipated that Song Zhen must have ulterior motives, but he hadn’t expected him to be so vicious—not only wanting to kill him but also to poison his companions. This person’s cultivation was domineering, and his schemes were deep. If his realm were a bit higher, Ye Yun probably wouldn’t have survived; he would have merely been a stepping stone on Song Zhen’s path of cultivation.
Thinking of this, a scene suddenly appeared in Ye Yun’s mind: several months ago, he was arduously practicing the Iron Forging Art by the Silver Sand River. If it were the old him, he would never have imagined he would have a day like this—possessing the power to kill a Ninth Layer Cultivator, having the authority to decide others’ life and death. Everything is up to me, not heaven.
Song Zhen’s pupils shone with a chilling aura. His gaze fell upon the Golden-Maned Beast, and the corner of his mouth lifted. “Kid, you really do have secrets. At the Fifth Layer: Qi Transformation, you can subdue a beast comparable to the Tenth Layer. It’s a pity that soon everything you have will be mine. Once I kill you, I will possess the secret to subduing the beast.”
“My secret?”
Ye Yun was stunned for a moment, then suddenly laughed heartily. “To get my secret, we’ll have to see if you still have that chance. Before that, you have to deal with two Golden-Maned Beasts. Go!”
After speaking, Ye Yuan soared high into the air, landing on a rock on the right side of the valley. A faint, cold smile hung on his face. Then his figure flashed, leaving only a Can Ying in the air before disappearing completely.
“What speed… Could it be that this kid has been hiding his strength, playing the fool all along?”
Seeing Ye Yun’s speed, Song Zhen knew he was inferior. A sudden dread gripped his heart. Usually, a Fifth Layer cultivation definitely wouldn’t have such speed or the ability to subdue a beast, yet Ye Yun had done it. All of this was enough to shock him with Ye Yun’s formidable strength. There was only one explanation: Ye Yun must have been hiding his cultivation. His true strength was enough to rival a Tenth Layer Flesh Immortal.
Aoo…!
Freed from Ye Yun’s control, the Golden-Maned Beast seemed to see the sky again. Like an unbridled wild horse, it roared madly, then furiously chased after Song Zhen.
“Brother Yang!”
Near the Cold Pool, Yue Li was covered in blood. He watched as the final companion fell. The Golden-Maned Beast tore him apart in a few strikes, then swallowed him whole, not even leaving bone fragments behind—extremely cruel and bloodthirsty.
“Today, there is no way back, nor a path of survival left. We can only fight to the death.”
Yue Li gritted his teeth hard. A dark red glow seeped out from his lower abdomen and landed on his right hand. As the glow faded, it was actually a black bracelet, emitting an unfathomably deep True Qi fluctuation.
“The Frost Ice Bracelet my mother left me since childhood. I hope you can bring me good fortune!”
Clutching the Frost Ice Bracelet tightly, Yue Li’s Divine Light stabilized. The bracelet flew above his head, and immediately a black light wave emerged, enveloping Yue Li entirely, protecting him like being covered by a golden bell.
Ooh~~
The Golden-Maned Beast also seemed to sense something strange. It calmed down as well, its demonic power continuously swelling. Suddenly, it leaped high and pounced at Yue Li, unstoppable like a missile.
Boom!
Yue Li was knocked back one zhang. Before he could gather his breath, the Golden-Maned Beast charged again. Yue Li felt as if he were Shaken into the air; his entire body felt light and floaty, as if he had lost his center. Even the aura of the Frost Ice Bracelet weakened.
Aow! Aow!
The Golden-Maned Beast seemed to see an opening. It angrily howled at the sky. Its body suddenly grew more robust, condensing its most terrifying power as it pounced at Yue Li.
“Mother, it’s a pity I am not successful. I brought you no status in the Yue Family, nor could I gain father’s favor. Just consider that you never had a son like me!”
At this moment, Yue Li trembled uncontrollably and finally couldn’t help but spit out a mouthful of blood. Seeing the unstoppable Golden-Maned Beast, Yue Li was already in despair.
“The Adult Stage Demon Crystal Core is mine!”
Just as the Golden-Maned Beast was about to crash into the cold light in that critical instant, Ye Yun descended from the sky like a war god. His two feet stomped on the Golden-Maned Beast’s back, trampling the beast into the ground and creating a huge crater. Yue Li was once again sent flying one zhang by the aftershock.
“Ye Yun… Brother Ye!”
As Yue Li stabilized his posture and coughed up another mouthful of blood, he looked up and was utterly shocked, his eyes filled with disbelief. The one who saved him wasn’t some powerful expert, nor the person he had in mind, but that weakling he had once intended to rescue—the one he had looked down upon for being only at the Fifth Layer: Qi Transformation—Ye Yun.
How could he believe that everything he was seeing was real?