Chapter 171: Black Blood Crimson Serpent: Demonic Qilin Blood Poison!
The pearl, radiating a brilliant white light, fell from the sky like a star.
With the white qilin gone, the swirling purple clouds pressed down, their oppressive presence suffocating.
The giant ape’s screams echoed as the Black Blood Crimson Serpent attacked.
The Sui Marquis Pearl! Everyone stared at the descending pearl.
They had been searching for it, and it had been right above them all along.
The young man in brocade, Ghost Howl, the white-haired old man, Li Ximing, the barbarian general, and the others all rushed towards the falling pearl.
A figure in grey suddenly shot out from the shadows.
He flew through the air with incredible speed, passing the others, his hand reaching for the pearl.
Shi Hao recognized him. It was the Ghost Extreme Sect member with the Heavenly Speed Star supernatural ability, the one who had tried to steal the God-Sealing Stone at Civilian Martial Ridge.
Li Ximing, Ghost Howl, and the others were elated. If he obtained the Sui Marquis Pearl, they could escape.
With the Heavenly Speed Star, the barbarian army couldn’t catch them.
But then, something strange happened.
The falling pearl suddenly changed direction, flying towards a rocky outcrop.
The man in grey, his hand closing on empty air, turned and watched in disbelief as the pearl landed in the hand of a young man in a blue Daoist robe.
The young man stared at the pearl, his face a mask of surprise.
Beside him, a beautiful young woman also stared, her eyes wide.
And now, everyone was looking at them, their presence on the outcrop no longer hidden.
In the distance, Hou Bomin and Xiang Gu, who had returned stealthily, also stared in disbelief… The Sui Marquis Pearl had flown to Shi Chongyun?
The Sui Marquis Pearl was a legendary treasure.
For it to choose him, to fly into his hand… he seemed like a figure of destiny, the center of the world.
Shi Hao, however, thought, This is bad!
The Sui Marquis Pearl hadn’t chosen him.
Like the others, his attention had been drawn to the falling pearl.
—The He Clan Jade Disc and the Sui Marquis Pearl, these are the true treasures of lords!
He couldn’t deny the temptation.
But he didn’t intend to fight for it. They were outnumbered and outmatched, facing both the barbarian army and the Ghost Extreme Sect.
And Li Ximing alone was a formidable opponent.
He wasn’t going to risk his life for a pearl.
But he had still used the Sacred Heart Clear Mirror Technique, extending his Primordial Energy, reaching out towards the pearl.
And then, as if drawn by his energy, the pearl had flown into his hand.
Now, holding the Sui Marquis Pearl under everyone’s gaze, he was stunned.
The pearl truly was a wondrous treasure.
A cooling energy emanated from it, washing over him, a refreshing sensation in this oppressive, sinister place.
Even the swirling purple clouds above seemed to recoil, their menacing forms twisting and writhing, but not daring to approach.
However, the young man in brocade, the white-haired old man, Li Ximing, Ghost Howl, and the other experts were now converging on him, intent on seizing the pearl.
The young man in brocade was Chi Mu Juncheng, a nephew of Chi Mu Yan, the leader of the Chi Mu family.
Born into such a powerful family, wealth and comfort were guaranteed. But to achieve true power and influence, he needed something more, something to distinguish himself.
As the nephew of the clan leader, he held a high position, but he was also just a nephew. Although he would inherit a considerable fortune, true power was beyond his reach. At best, he would hold a meaningless position in the court, a figurehead.
Unless he achieved something extraordinary, something undeniable.
Obtaining the Sui Marquis Pearl and presenting it to the Emperor and the Supreme Emperor would be a great achievement, securing his position and influence.
He couldn’t let it fall into the hands of others.
Chi Mu Juncheng was a sixth-rank expert and a supernatural ability user.
His ability was the Star Day Steed.
With a leap, he transformed into a galloping horse, flames erupting around him as he charged towards Shi Hao, his spear thrusting forward.
The flames were from his supernatural ability, while the spear technique was the “Voidwalker Crimson Rainbow Spear,” a secret art of the Chi Mu family.
His attack, a crimson streak of light, like a bloody rainbow, seemed to trap Shi Hao, leaving him no escape.
Although a young master from a wealthy family, Chi Mu Juncheng was ambitious and had trained diligently since childhood, honing his skills.
His spear technique, combined with his supernatural ability, although only sixth-rank, was far more powerful than that of an ordinary sixth-rank martial artist.
Facing this deadly attack, Shi Hao didn’t dare underestimate him. He drew his sword, a whirlwind of sword energy erupting around him, the first three strikes of the Azure Sky Immortal Thunder.
Then, the sword energy converged, and with a single, powerful thrust, his sword pierced through the crimson light, striking the spear’s tip.
A clang echoed as Chi Mu Juncheng, his spear deflected, was thrown backwards.
Shi Hao’s hand tingled… His opponent’s spear technique was more powerful than he had anticipated.
In that brief moment, the man in grey, the white-haired old man, the barbarian general, Li Ximing, Ghost Howl, and the other experts all arrived.
Du Yuejiao’s face paled… How could they escape this?
“Jump!” Shi Hao grabbed her waist, channeled the Three Origins Flowing Pearl Technique, and leaped downwards.
Combining the Three Origins Flowing Pearl Technique with the Profound Wind Technique, he transformed his energy into wind.
He and Du Yuejiao, enveloped in a whirlwind, descended rapidly.
The white-haired old man, the barbarian general, Li Ximing, and Ghost Howl, although fifth-rank experts, couldn’t react in time.
The man in grey, with his Heavenly Speed Star ability, could have caught them, but he was a step too slow… Although his speed was unmatched, his seventh-rank cultivation was a limitation. And he was too close to the white-haired old man. A sudden burst of speed would leave him vulnerable to a counterattack.
They could only watch as the young man and the girl jumped, not daring to follow immediately.
Because they had jumped into the battle between the metal-winged ape and the Black Blood Crimson Serpent.
Who would be so reckless?
Even Du Yuejiao’s face paled as the massive creatures approached.
A woman’s fear of snakes was instinctual, especially a snake this size.
The Black Blood Crimson Serpent, sensing their presence, lunged at them, its jaws wide open.
Shi Hao held out the Sui Marquis Pearl.
The serpent recoiled, its head snapping back.
As he suspected, the pearl had a suppressing effect on it.
The serpent’s massive coils surrounded them, and although its head had retreated, Shi Hao and Du Yuejiao had landed within its reach.
The others didn’t dare follow.
But the metal-winged ape belonged to the barbarian army.
The white-haired old man whistled, and the ape, spreading its metal wings, swooped down towards them, its massive form like a descending mountain.
Suddenly, a gust of wind, and the Black Blood Crimson Serpent lunged at the ape… It didn’t dare approach those holding the Sui Marquis Pearl, but it wouldn’t let the ape, which had injured it earlier, escape.
The serpent and ape clashed again, their battle a whirlwind of motion, and Shi Hao and Du Yuejiao, caught between them, found themselves in the most dangerous yet also the safest place.
But this safety was fleeting.
The Black Blood Crimson Serpent, its scales torn and bleeding, was losing.
The Sui Marquis Pearl was suppressing its power.
While the white qilin had been present, the serpent had been no match for the metal-winged ape.
But after the qilin’s destruction and the appearance of the Sui Marquis Pearl, its power had surged, its regenerative abilities enhanced, and the ape had been forced onto the defensive.
Now, with Shi Hao holding the pearl, its power waned again.
The serpent, its wounds numerous, its massive tail thrashing wildly, sending debris flying, was clearly losing.
Shi Hao and Du Yuejiao faced a dilemma. If they left, they would be surrounded by the barbarian soldiers and the Ghost Extreme Sect members.
If they stayed, the serpent, weakened by the pearl, would eventually be killed by the ape, leaving them vulnerable.
Throwing away the pearl and letting the others fight over it seemed like a good idea.
But without the pearl, the serpent would devour them.
“What do we do?” Du Yuejiao asked urgently.
Shi Hao said, “Wait.”
Du Yuejiao looked at him, puzzled, Wait for what?
The ground beneath them cracked open with a deafening roar, and they fell.
Shi Hao wasn’t surprised. He knew the Black Blood Crimson Serpent’s master had to save them… If they remained there, the serpent, weakened by the pearl, would die.
The one who had destroyed the white qilin was clearly the serpent’s master. He had allowed the Sui Marquis Pearl to be discovered to break the seal and unleash the serpent’s full power.
Clearly, the serpent was more valuable to him than the pearl.
They fell through the chasm…
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