Free Web NovelChapter 374: Chapter 298: Fishing in Muddy Waters (Part 2)
As it turned out, Duoluo Cheng had already charged out of the bounds of the Wilderness Forest, only to find himself outside—right in the middle of the Five Directions Star Meteor Killing Array laid by Han Yunlong and his party from the Pill Alliance.
’This is bad.’ But even faced with this sudden turn of events, Duoluo Cheng remained composed. He had no time for detailed thought. He simply pointed from afar at the White Tiger True Intent Illusion ahead. Instantly, the White Tiger illusion seemed to have consumed a potent elixir; its body swelled by a third, and it charged forward once more.
But after Duoluo Cheng made that gesture, what little black hair he had left quietly withered and turned white, leaving his head a patch of dry, grayish-white.
Duoluo Cheng followed closely behind the White Tiger True Intent Illusion. He was determined to break out of this place, even if it meant expending his very life essence. As long as he could escape the Barbaric Wilderness safely, the treasure he had just acquired would increase his chances of Core Formation by more than fifty percent. Combined with the preparations he’d already made, it was safe to say that once he was out, he would become a Golden Core Cultivator.
With hope burning in his heart, Duoluo Cheng’s combat power surged. But fate is often cruel. Had his opponents not been from the Pill Alliance, Duoluo Cheng might have gotten his wish. Alas, there are no ’what ifs’ in life.
From the core of the Five Directions Star Meteor Killing Array, Han Yunlong watched the immensely powerful Duoluo Cheng and let out a cold smile. The frustration he had been forced to swallow because of Fang Qingyuan finally had an outlet.
Han Yunlong formed a seal technique and pointed toward Duoluo Cheng. In an instant, immense pulling forces erupted from the north, south, east, and west, surrounding Duoluo Cheng. The force was so powerful that even he, a Body Refining Cultivator, couldn’t keep his footing and began to stumble about.
But an even more terrifying change came from the crisis overhead. The sense of danger compelled Duoluo Cheng to look up. Since there was no toxic miasma from the Barbaric Wilderness to obscure the view, the sky above was like a river of stars.
But now, a few of the exceptionally bright stars above seemed to waver. Or perhaps his eyes were playing tricks on him. Then, one of them truly began to fall—its trajectory aimed right for his head.
He tried to dodge, but it was too late. His vision went black as it felt like he had taken a heavy punch to the forehead. An immense gravity slammed him violently to the ground.
Prone on the ground, Duoluo Cheng had suffered fractures in thirty percent of his bones. It felt as if a large hole had been torn open in his forehead, from which his essence, energy, and spirit were uncontrollably draining away.
"You bastards!"
He let out a cursed wail. He couldn’t accept his end coming like this. With an inhuman howl, he began scrambling forward on all fours, enduring the crushing weight as he raced ahead.
The White Tiger True Intent Illusion, too, flew into a rage. Though just an illusion, it had mysteriously received a sliver of blessing from the White Tiger’s spirit. With a single glance, it spotted the concealed Han Yunlong within the array and charged straight for him.
Han Yunlong’s expression changed. The Five Directions Star Meteor Killing Array was powerful enough to trap a Golden Core Cultivator; it was one of the trump cards the Pill Alliance leadership had given him. He never imagined that a desperate Duoluo Cheng would be this ferocious.
An ordinary Foundation Establishment Cultivator wouldn’t have been able to get back up after a single strike from the Starfall Killing Technique, even if they survived. But Duoluo Cheng had practiced Body Refining. So, despite numerous broken bones, his injuries were not as severe as Han Yunlong expected.
Scrambling on all fours, Duoluo Cheng’s vision was stained red. Blood from his head wound was trickling into his eyes, but he had no time to wipe it away. With a single thought, several Silver Light Talismans flew out of his storage bag. Before they could touch the ground, they transformed into a number of gleaming silver puppets, forming a protective barrier in front of him.
These Puppet Talismans were his last resort. He had already exhausted his other Low-Tier Talismans upon entering the valley. Right now, he couldn’t activate his other magical artifacts, but he could still use talismans.
Protected by the puppets, Duoluo Cheng moved even faster. The Five Directions Star Meteor Killing Array only spanned a few miles. At this rate, he could break out in a matter of breaths.
But if it were that simple, the Pill Alliance would be utterly useless. They were a Nascent Soul Sect, after all. If they couldn’t even take down a desperate Late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator, how could they have the face to call themselves the tenth major power of White Mountain?
Therefore, though startled, Han Yunlong was not panicked. He didn’t even spare a glance for the charging White Tiger True Intent Illusion. The Dharma Seals his hands were forming shifted rapidly. In a flash, the world plunged into darkness. East and west were inverted, north and south swapped, up and down flipped. It became impossible to discern direction or see the path forward.
The White Tiger True Intent Illusion was completely disoriented. It was trapped wandering in a small corner, unable to break free no matter how frantically it charged.
Duoluo Cheng was in no better shape. He had been about to break free, but that hope proved to be fleeting, vanishing in a flash. At this, his composure finally shattered, and a dark energy began to seep from his eyes.
Within two steps, he was separated from his puppets, unable to sense them any longer. Two steps more, and the crushing pressure upon him suddenly shifted its direction from above to his side, sweeping him a great distance away.
"AAAAARGH!"
Duoluo Cheng howled in impotent rage. Despair flooded his heart. He finally realized he was going to die here.
"I surrender! I beg you, Fellow Daoist, spare my life!"
Duoluo Cheng cried out one last time, but the words had barely left his lips before they seemed to drift off to some unknown place. Nothing, it seemed, could escape the disorienting pull of the array’s spatial shifts.
At this, Duoluo Cheng descended into madness. He whipped out a bewitchingly fiery-red tail feather from his storage bag and mercilessly plunged it into his own chest, right where his heart was.
This bewitchingly fiery-red tail feather was the very treasure everyone had been fighting over. Duoluo Cheng had planned to study it at his leisure once he escaped, but he could no longer afford to wait.
In this desperate situation, he would use it to make a final stand: forcing Core Formation. Even if he failed to survive the ensuing Celestial Thunder, he would not let the villain controlling the array profit from his death.
But for all his planning, the events that followed were far beyond his expectations. The moment the fiery feather pierced his heart, it unleashed a tremendous suction force. All the blood in Duoluo Cheng’s body began to surge into it.
Three breaths later, a withered husk of a body collapsed. Only the fiery tail feather remained, glistening with a scarlet, bloody sheen. At that very moment, a furtive, crimson great bird, seemingly aware of its location and completely unaffected by the array’s spatial distortions, appeared silently. It dipped its head, snatched the feather in its beak, and immediately turned and fled.
Meanwhile, within the array, Han Yunlong’s senses told him that Duoluo Cheng was still fighting for his life in his final death throes.
Behind the array, Jiang Wanqin looked at Fang Qingyuan. His expression was grave, and his eyes were closed in meditation. She was surprised. ’Why did the Sect Leader suddenly enter a meditative trance?’
Jiang Wanqin couldn’t understand it, but that didn’t stop her from standing guard for her Sect Leader. She sat down cross-legged, circulated her Magical Power, and assumed a state of high alert.
And in a place unknown to Jiang Wanqin, a Fish Dragon swam through the void, a Black Tortoise manifested, a White Tiger paced back and forth, and a Bear Spirit channeled the qi of the earth.
Only the fiery red Three-legged Golden Crow appeared agitated, its saliva turning into ceaselessly dripping flames.
