Volume 4 Chapter 74

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Volume 4 Chapter 74: Hidden Escape

Despite being shocked that the cold and aloof Zhang Yi was an extraordinarily beautiful woman, Xu Qingfan did not have time to admire her. He pushed his speed to the limit and swiftly fled into the distance.

Earlier, when Xu Qingfan threw the "Thunderbolt Pill", he had observed his surroundings thoroughly. He noticed dense hills and forests to the south, providing a complex terrain perfect for escape, so he flew south without hesitation.

Xu Qingfan knew that both Zhang Yi and Liu Ziqing were either naturally cautious and highly skilled or possessed mystical techniques and were resourceful. Although the power of two Thunderbolt Pills clashing was terrifying, it could only severely injure them, not necessarily kill them.

Indeed, not long after, the terrifying explosion caused by the Thunderbolt Pills finally ended, and peace returned to the earth. Once the dust settled, clarity was restored to the world.

At the site of the Thunderbolt Pill explosion, the ground inexplicably sank several feet, and all the surrounding trees, rocks, flowers, and grass disappeared, leaving only a landscape of dust and ashes.

Amidst this dust and ash, Zhang Yi and Liu Ziqing both knelt on the ground, their faces pale. Especially Liu Ziqing, whose powers had been sealed and was closer to the center of the explosion. Though he relied on a secret technique to survive, he was heavily injured, with large amounts of fresh blood continuously flowing from his mouth.

On the other side, the less injured Zhang Yi suddenly let out a cold snort, stood up, pulled the collar of her garment to hide her beautiful face, and despite her injuries, forced herself to fly quickly in the direction Xu Qingfan had escaped.

Seeing Zhang Yi suddenly fly off, Liu Ziqing was startled. But regardless of whether he tried to call or contact her through his mind, Zhang Yi ignored everyone and simply chased in the direction Xu Qingfan had fled, leaving Liu Ziqing with a helpless smile, realizing he wouldn’t be able to contact Zhang or Lie this time.

After carefully checking his injuries, Liu Ziqing cursed under his breath, knowing that in his current state, he could not secretly return to Qingxu Gate to retrieve the items left there. Shaking his head helplessly, he suddenly took to the skies, flying in a different direction.

It was truly incredible that Liu Ziqing could fly in the sky just by using his Divine Sense.

Meanwhile, after Xu Qingfan transformed into the wind and flew for a short distance, he suddenly felt intense pain in his Divine Sense, and the scene before his eyes gradually blurred. His body, transformed into the Wind of Desolation, even showed signs of dispersing. He was shocked, realizing that his mind was on the verge of collapse and that he couldn’t maintain the transformation for much longer.

Gazing at the hills and forests below him, Xu Qingfan felt a stir in his heart. He revealed his true form, first using his "Wind of Desolation" power to conjure a mass of gray winds around him. With a wave of his hand, the gray winds surged away into the distance. Meanwhile, Xu Qingfan swiftly descended into the forest below, hiding himself.

Sure enough, shortly after, "Zhang Yi" caught up, hovering briefly in the sky above where Xu Qingfan had been, as if pondering whether Xu Qingfan might have concealed himself in the dense woods below. But seeing the gray winds vanishing into the distance, he didn’t hesitate any longer and chased after them.

Below, Xu Qingfan, whose nerves had been tightly wound, let out a long breath once he saw Zhang Yi leave. It was then he realized how long he had held his breath due to tension without even noticing.

After tucking away the last "Thunderbolt Pill" he held into his sleeve, the now-relaxed Xu Qingfan fell to the ground.

Moments ago, there were numerous changes: Number 4, Liu Ziqing, and Number One appeared one after another. Xu Qingfan went from defeat to victory and back to defeat. Each twist and turn was something he had never experienced before, teetering on the edge of life and death multiple times before narrowly escaping. Reflecting on it now, he still felt lingering fear.

If not for his relatively calm mind, Xu Qingfan might have ended up dead when he first encountered Number 5.

After sitting on the ground and catching his breath, Xu Qingfan’s body recovered some strength. He laboriously got to his feet and staggered into the distance.

This place was not safe; if "Zhang Yi" realized he had been deceived, he would likely return here first to investigate.

Yet, Xu Qingfan’s current state was so dire that he couldn’t even perform his flying arts. Aside from the severe blows to his spirit and consecutive battles that had depleted much of his Spirit Qi, the internal injuries from the "Thunderbolt Pill" explosion left his condition far from optimistic.

Despite the pain in his mind and body, Xu Qingfan forced himself to move forward, step by step, into the distance. It took him the time of two incense sticks to leave the small, dense forest and find a hidden cave in a nearby hill to hide in.

Sure enough, not long after Xu Qingfan hid in the cave, "Zhang Yi" returned to the sky above the forest. She had chased a gray whirlwind for dozens of miles, only to find it suddenly disappear. Unable to find any trace of Xu Qingfan, she began to suspect she had been deceived and decided to return to the forest she had passed by earlier.

After using secret techniques to search for a long time, she still couldn’t find any sign of Xu Qingfan in the forest. A hint of confusion flashed in her eyes, and with an unwilling snort, she flew off into the distance.

"Zhang Yi" assumed that during the time she had been deceived, Xu Qingfan had already fled far away. She didn’t realize that Xu Qingfan, gravely injured, had only managed to escape the forest and was now hiding in a cave just outside it.

Watching "Zhang Yi" leave, Xu Qingfan decided not to come out of the cave, fearing she might return. Moreover, he was too severely wounded to move further, and the cave was well-concealed. So, Xu Qingfan chose to stay and heal for a while.

After observing for some time, Xu Qingfan saw that "Zhang Yi" did not come back, and he felt slightly relieved. He then began to examine his injuries.

This series of battles had inflicted the most severe injuries Xu Qingfan had suffered since beginning his cultivation journey. Even during the Jiuhua catastrophe and fighting the demons under Zhang Xusheng, he hadn’t been so gravely wounded.

His external and internal injuries could be managed, but the damage to his mind was not so easily healed.

Sighing softly and hesitating for a moment, Xu Qingfan finally gritted his teeth and took out a blood-red jade bottle from his sleeve. It was the "Blood Spirit Pill" he had obtained before. Although he found its creation method cruel, it was the best healing elixir he had. To heal quickly, Xu Qingfan reluctantly decided he had no choice but to take it.

Xu Qingfan poured out a translucent, light red pill from a blood-red jade bottle, closed his eyes, and swallowed it. Then he focused and began to meditate and heal.

However, what Xu Qingfan didn’t know was that two days after he started healing, a figure of "Zhang Yi" suddenly appeared in the sky above the dense forest. Zhang Yi, showing great patience, had been hiding in the sky for two whole days.

After revealing himself, Zhang Yi stamped his foot in frustration but didn’t hesitate any longer and flew off into the distance.

The appearance of Xu Qingfan, an unknown figure who successively killed the followers of "Lie" and "Zhang," although he didn’t retrieve the "World Defying Demon Sword," made Zhang Yi feel it necessary to report to Zhang first.

…

Across the Shenzhou Continent, there are hidden teleportation arrays set up by the "Ming" organization. This is why Zhang Yi could reach Xu Qingfan’s location shortly after Xu Qingfan killed Number 4.

Because of this, Zhang Yi quickly returned to Zhang’s hidden cave residence.

But the scene before him made Zhang Yi’s heart instantly grow cold.

In front of Zhang’s cave, there was chaos everywhere, with many severed heads scattered around—all belonging to Zhang’s former followers.

After searching for a long time, Zhang Yi found a severed hand in a corner, with a ring that had the word "Zhang" engraved on it.

By now, Zhang Yi had a vague idea of what had happened here.

Zhang’s dwelling had been attacked, and everyone, including Zhang, was killed.

Zhang Yi didn’t need to think much; in the entire cultivation world, only Zhang Xusheng had both the motive and the power for such an act.

Zhang Yi gazed at the severed hand and softly whispered, "Zhang Xusheng!"

Although his tone was gentle, it carried deep-seated hatred.

Even though Zhang Yi knew that Zhang Xusheng was the murderer, he had no way to seek revenge. Zhang Xusheng wasn’t particularly famous in the cultivation world, but within the "Ming" organization, he was an absolutely terrifying figure. Zhang Yi clearly understood that with his current strength, trying to deal with Zhang Xusheng would be like an egg striking a stone.

But since Zhang raised him from childhood, this hatred had to be avenged.

Suddenly, Zhang Yi remembered the preparations Zhang had made to deal with Zhang Xusheng. The greatest reliance was the "Sword Against Heaven." According to Zhang, once the sword fully matured, its soul-binding power could disrupt the balance of souls and blood within Zhang Xusheng, breaking his Immortal Body, and ultimately killing him.

Thinking of this, Zhang Yi’s eyes suddenly lit up with vigor. After burying the severed hand, he swiftly flew towards the distance without stopping.

She needed to find Xu Qingfan, take back the "Heaven-Defying Sword," and avenge Zhang!