Free Web NovelChapter 123: Chapter 122: Target of All (Part 2)
"KILL!" In an instant, the cries of battle and the thunderous rumbling of the fleeing giant snail echoed for a thousand miles.
Wherever Li Qiye fled, his presence was incredibly infectious. Seeing him on the run, anyone who laid eyes on him became consumed with greed and joined the chase.
"The Sect Leader of the Red Heaven Secret Sect, the Emperor of the Feiying Small Country, the Fortress Lord of the Nine-Headed Dragon Castle, the Sect Leader of the Pan Ku Sect..." Atop the snail’s back, Li Shuangyan’s immortal aura bloomed like a Holy Lotus. When her Pure Body erupted, it was impervious to the Ten Thousand Techniques, allowing her to effortlessly repel the powerful experts chasing them.
At first, many Great Sect Leaders managed to restrain themselves, but as they saw Li Qiye grow increasingly frantic in his escape and the number of people joining the fray swell, they could finally hold back no longer. They, too, surged forward, making a beeline for Li Qiye with the intent to capture him alive.
Li Shuangyan let out a long cry as her Pure Body unleashed its astonishing potential. All Techniques were rendered unable to approach her. With a sword sweep that cleared all eight directions, she forced back the great figures who were closing in.
However, as more and more people joined the pursuit, even with Li Shuangyan’s heaven-defying strength, she was still overwhelmed. For a time, she was locked in a bitter struggle, stretched to her absolute limit.
In that moment, countless people saw red. The only thing in their eyes was the Emperor Technique, the Kunpeng Six Transformations. A grand chase erupted, and everyone lost their minds. Regardless of whether they were a Great Sect Leader or the Emperor of a country, they all desperately wanted to be the first to capture Li Qiye, lest he fall into someone else’s hands.
’Gu Tieshou didn’t follow them!’ Having been part of the chase without making a move, Jiangzuo Iron Armor saw that Li Qiye was exhausted from fleeing and that Li Shuangyan was single-handedly struggling to hold the line. At this moment, he was absolutely certain that Gu Tieshou was not with them.
"Little Ghost, where do you think you can run?!" Jiangzuo Iron Armor finally made his move. With a fierce roar, he shot forward in pursuit.
The moment Jiangzuo Iron Armor struck, the other Princes who had been watching coldly could no longer restrain themselves. With great shouts, they all lunged toward Li Qiye.
With so many Princes joining the fray, even someone as heaven-defying as Li Shuangyan couldn’t possibly push them all back. Instantly, Li Qiye and his companions were plunged into a perilous situation.
"Charge in." Seeing the time was ripe, Li Qiye gave a small smile and ordered Niu Fen to carry them into the Uninhabited Area.
Niu Fen went all out, as if mustering every last ounce of its strength. With a continuous RUMBLE, it charged into the Uninhabited Area in one fell swoop!
In the heat of the chase, they had unknowingly fled into the Extremely Dangerous Area. However, despite their frantic escape, they still hadn’t encountered a single Celestial Beast Longevity Spirit, which only made everyone bolder.
And now, Li Qiye had actually charged straight into the Uninhabited Area. This gave all the pursuing cultivators pause. Every single one of them hesitated and stopped in their tracks.
"We’re going in!" Jiangzuo Iron Armor paused for only a moment before letting out a low shout and charging in, taking the lead.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! At Jiangzuo Iron Armor’s command, an iron-clad cavalry surged up from the rear like a whirlwind scattering the clouds, following him inside.
"Marquis Jiangzuo! The Jiangzuo Family’s Iron Armor cavalry!" Seeing the Marquis suddenly appear with his troops stirred many of the onlookers.
At that moment, everyone realized that Marquis Jiangzuo hadn’t gone back to the Jiangzuo Family to retrieve some treasure at all. He had been lurking in Demon’s Back Ridge the entire time, simply waiting for the opportune moment to strike!
"The Jiangzuo Family has gone in! What are we still hesitating for?" an Emperor from one of the countries yelled, leading his disciples to charge in after them.
"That’s right! A Divine King’s Artifact has emerged, and all the Longevity Celestial Beasts have fled! We’re charging in, not just to seize the Emperor Technique, but the Divine King’s Artifact as well!" a Great Sect Leader bellowed, also taking the lead and rushing in with his followers.
Out of fear of the million-year-old Longevity Spirits and Celestial Beasts in the Uninhabited Area, no one had ever dared to rashly set foot inside. But now, having charged through the Extremely Dangerous Area without seeing a single one, everyone’s courage swelled, and they all followed suit.
Li Qiye directed Niu Fen to charge into the Uninhabited Area. But the moment they were inside, Niu Fen’s speed became like lightning. It was not only completely silent but also even faster than before. All signs of its previous panicked, desperate flight were gone!
Li Qiye easily shook off his pursuers, surveyed the surrounding terrain, and then, with a small smile, plucked a few large, wild fruits.
Li Qiye crushed the fruits, spraying their juice all over Li Shuangyan.
"What are you doing?!" Sprayed with the foul-smelling juice, Li Shuangyan leaped to her feet.
Li Qiye sprayed the juice on himself and a large amount on Niu Fen’s giant shell, then said with a laugh, "It’s nothing. We’re just going to lure the sheep into the tiger’s den."
Marquis Jiangzuo and his men charged into the Uninhabited Area, but they had lost Li Qiye’s trail. This made Jiangzuo Iron Armor spit resentfully, "If I’d known Gu Tieshou wasn’t with them, I would have said we should have struck first and gained the upper hand!"
"Since there are no Longevity Celestial Beasts in this Uninhabited Area, we’ll find him even if we have to tear this place apart!" Marquis Jiangzuo said coldly. He was also grinding his teeth in frustration, sick with regret. He had been too cautious and missed a golden opportunity!
Having entered the Uninhabited Area without seeing a single Celestial Beast or Longevity Spirit, Marquis Jiangzuo and his men felt greatly relieved. The territories ruled by million-year-old Celestial Beasts and Longevity Spirits were known to be vast; any intrusion should have immediately drawn their attention.
Yet, they had entered the Uninhabited Area and hadn’t seen a single one, which could only mean that every last Celestial Beast Longevity Spirit had already fled.
BOOM! Just as Jiangzuo Iron Armor and the others were stewing in their regret, a sudden rumbling sound came from up ahead. In the distance, they saw the giant snail emerging from a deep valley, fleeing even deeper into the Uninhabited Area.
"Nowhere to run!" The moment he spotted the giant snail in the distance, Jiangzuo Iron Armor let out a fierce cry and led his cavalry in pursuit.
"Over there!" The commotion caused by Niu Fen was too great; it instantly alerted everyone else. In a flash, all the cultivators who had chased them into the Uninhabited Area swarmed like angry hornets, heading in the direction of Niu Fen’s escape.
"Don’t let them get away!" At this, the shouts became incessant as countless people gave chase.
This time, however, the giant snail seemed to have grown weary from fleeing and could run no more. By the time it had crawled halfway up the side of a massive mountain peak, it could no longer move, panting for breath.
"Where can you possibly run this time?" In the blink of an eye, dozens of experts from Great Ancient Sects and the Holy Lands of various countries rushed forward, surrounding Li Qiye and his companions so tightly, in layer after layer, that not even a drop of water could trickle through.
"Elder Jiang, this is not something your Jiangzuo Family can monopolize," a Prince said, moving to block Jiangzuo Iron Armor just as he was about to make a move.
"What? You think the likes of you dare contest the Jiangzuo Family for an Emperor Technique?" Jiangzuo Iron Armor’s eyes sharpened as he spoke in a chilling tone.
The Prince retorted just as coldly, "The Jiangzuo Family may be powerful, but do you dare make an enemy of the entire world? My Pan Ku Sect has formed an alliance with sixteen Great Sects and countries. Does Elder Jiang truly wish to make an enemy of us all?"
"That’s right! The Jiangzuo Family cannot monopolize the Emperor Technique!" At that, the many experts from the Great Sects who had Li Qiye surrounded all cried out in agreement.
At this moment, everyone was practically drooling over Li Qiye. No one was willing to miss their chance at an Emperor Technique.
For a moment, as the experts from every sect coveted Li Qiye, the atmosphere grew tense, with swords drawn and bows bent.
"Everyone, how about you listen to me for a moment?" At this time, Li Qiye, sitting leisurely on the snail’s back, spoke with a placid smile. "The way I see it, you should all just leave. Go on, save your own lives so you can enjoy the rest of your days in peace."
"Little Ghost, you have no right to speak here!" Jiangzuo Iron Armor snapped coldly. In his eyes, Li Qiye was already a fish on the chopping block, his to slaughter as he pleased.
Li Qiye didn’t get angry at Jiangzuo Iron Armor’s words. He simply grinned and said, "I’m merely offering a kindness. If none of you will listen to my advice, then your blood will have to be used to dye this land red."
Li Qiye’s words immediately triggered a wave of uproarious laughter. Everyone roared. A disciple from one of the Great Sects pointed at Li Qiye, laughing so hard his stomach hurt. "HA, HA, HA... Is that the funniest joke I’ve heard all year? A puny Little Ghost like you dares to make such shameless boasts!"
"You fool who doesn’t know the difference between life and death. You’re at death’s door and still haven’t realized it!" Marquis Jiangzuo said with a frigid sneer.
Li Qiye glanced at Marquis Jiangzuo and said nonchalantly, "A dog can never change its nature and stop eating shit. The Jiangzuo Prince was a hypocrite his entire life, and his descendants are no better. It seems your Jiangzuo Family is filled with natural-born cowards who go back on their word!"
At this, a few people couldn’t help but shoot disdainful glances at Marquis Jiangzuo. After all, he had made a bet with Li Qiye first, and now he was reneging on it to seize the Emperor Technique by force. It was a breach of trust, the behavior of a petty villain!
Marquis Jiangzuo’s face turned ashen. Finally, he declared grimly, "Since you are already a fish on the chopping block, the bet between us is officially null and void!"
Li Qiye chuckled and scanned the crowd. "Fine," he said. "Since all of you are determined to die, don’t blame me for being ruthless today. This place is destined to become a mountain of corpses. Let me say it again: those who block my path will be killed without mercy!"
"HA, HA, HA!" Another wave of explosive laughter erupted. Everyone stared at Li Qiye as if he were an idiot.
Even Marquis Jiangzuo began to laugh. He sneered, "You ignorant fool. You’re at death’s door and you still think you’re some invincible hero? Such blind arrogance..."
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! However, before Marquis Jiangzuo could finish his sentence, the very peak of the giant mountain suddenly split open.
BOOM! Following a tremendous roar, a vast and peerless aura shot into the sky. In that same instant, a colossal shadow burst forth from the sundered peak.
A massive Celestial Beast appeared before everyone. It resembled a giant ape, but its back was covered in thick, protruding bone spikes. Each spike pulsed with a black light, like a vicious spear aimed straight at the celestial vault.
This giant ape actually had a pair of wings. When it spread them, they blotted out the sky, sending down streams of dark, murderous Laws. Each Law was like an iron chain, ringing with a metallic CLANG.
