Chapter 44: The Ghost Extreme Sect, the Heavenly Speed Star
“Yaaaa!” A sharp cry, like a ghost’s wail, pierced the air, sending chills down their spines. It came from a man with wild, disheveled hair, his appearance menacing.
Many barbarian soldiers clutched their ears, screaming, and collapsed.
Fu Shiyuan’s expression changed, “The ‘Yin Yang Ghostly Specter,’ Ghost Howl?”
Zhao Leitong said coldly, “The Demonic Ghost Extreme Sect!”
The words “demonic sect” sent a shiver down the spines of the martial artists present.
Although few had actually encountered demonic cultivators, the term evoked images of bizarre and terrifying techniques, of ruthless and unscrupulous methods.
Wherever demonic sects appeared, bloodshed inevitably followed.
A barbarian general, clad in armor and wielding a guan dao, leaped into the air and clashed with Ghost Howl.
The general’s strength was immense, his guan dao creating a whirlwind of dust and leaves as he fought Ghost Howl, forcing him back.
This general was Qiyan Bao, one of the barbarian army’s commanders, a fifth-rank expert.
However, the Ghost Extreme Sect was clearly prepared. Another group of figures emerged from the opposite cliff, charging towards the barbarian troops.
“They’re also after the God-Sealing Stones,” Zhao Leitong said grimly.
“We cannot let the God-Sealing Stones fall into the hands of a demonic sect,” Fu Shiyuan said resolutely.
Zhao Leitong shouted, “Brother Qu Zongping, stay here and act according to the situation. Mu Yan, take your men and escort Wu Liang, He Ling, and Qian Fei to seize the carriage. The rest of you, follow me!”
The two branch leaders charged forward, leading a group of men to intercept the demonic cultivators heading towards the center of the barbarian army.
The others followed, but Shi Hao, Lu Tong, and the rest of their group remained with Qu Zongping, holding their position.
From their vantage point, Shi Hao could assess the overall situation.
The appearance of the demonic Ghost Extreme Sect was unexpected.
However, they clearly weren’t aware of Dark Thunder’s plan; otherwise, they would have waited for Dark Thunder to strike first and then ambushed them.
But Dark Thunder couldn’t wait either. The Ghost Extreme Sect’s escape route was different from theirs.
If the Ghost Extreme Sect seized the God-Sealing Stones and escaped, they wouldn’t be able to catch them.
For Dark Thunder, the overall situation hadn’t changed much. In fact, the Ghost Extreme Sect’s attack on the barbarian army was even beneficial.
However, the three-way battle quickly spiraled into chaos.
Ghost Howl and Qiyan Bao both realized the situation was unfavorable, but locked in combat, they couldn’t disengage. They fought their way towards the center of the battlefield.
The barbarian army still held a numerical advantage, with many skilled commanders, but under attack from both the Ghost Extreme Sect and Dark Thunder, they were in disarray.
Fu Shiyuan, caught in the chaos, clashed with an unknown opponent, his saber flashing, demonstrating his fifth-rank strength. However, his opponent was equally skilled.
The battle was so chaotic that Shi Hao couldn’t tell if Fu Shiyuan’s opponent was Kelie Xiong, the other barbarian general, or an expert from the Ghost Extreme Sect.
Waiting was agonizing.
Everyone felt a growing sense of anxiety.
Initially, they could still make sense of the situation from their vantage point, but now, figures blurred together, indistinguishable in the chaos.
Wherever firelight flickered, thick smoke billowed. And the areas without firelight were too dark to tell friend from foe.
Every moment was an eternity.
Suddenly, a figure soared into the air, wings spreading, as he flew away.
Beside Shi Hao, someone shouted, “That’s Brother Wu Taisen!”
Wu Taisen was clearly a supernatural ability user, his wings his supernatural power.
He circled above, then suddenly shouted, “Over here…”
Before he could finish, an arrow pierced his throat, and he plummeted to the ground.
A group of figures converged below, their weapons flashing in the darkness, like a rolling chariot, unstoppable.
A carriage burst from the battlefield.
Qu Zongping shouted, “They’re here! Get ready!”
The carriage’s escape was also somewhat illogical.
It had been surrounded by chaos, corpses, and obstacles.
But it seemed to be lifted by some unseen force, leaping over obstacles and escaping the battlefield.
The driver was clearly a supernatural ability user. The powers granted by divine crystals were truly bizarre and often incomprehensible.
Arrows flew towards the carriage, aiming for the driver or the horses, trying to stop it.
A whip cracked, deflecting the arrows.
A group of martial artists, using their light-foot skills, tried to catch up to the carriage. At the same time, a group of cavalry charged from the side, trying to intercept it.
The driver was Wu Liang, the supernatural ability user chosen by Dark Thunder. His divine crystal was the “Floating Sinking Star.”
Beside him, deflecting arrows, were his two sworn brothers, He Ling and Qian Fei.
Relying on this supernatural ability, the three of them had rarely failed in their “rob from the rich, give to the poor” endeavors.
The carriage escaped the battlefield, the firelight receding behind them as they raced into the darkness.
Although Wu Liang’s Floating Sinking ability allowed him to overcome any obstacles by making the carriage float, it didn’t increase its speed.
As their pursuers closed in, a group of figures emerged from the forest on the side, intercepting them.
The sounds of neighing horses, clashing weapons, and dying screams filled the air.
The rear guard’s timely arrival brought a sigh of relief to Wu Liang, He Ling, and Qian Fei.
Suddenly, a figure leaped from the cliff above.
Although initially far behind, the figure approached with incredible speed, like a comet.
He Ling and Qian Fei looked back, shouting, “Look out!”
In an instant, the figure bypassed Qu Zongping and the others, landing on the carriage.
He was of average build, dressed in grey, wielding a short, iron halberd. With a flash, the halberd thrust towards Wu Liang’s back.
He Ling, ready and waiting, intercepted the halberd with a clang.
His arm went numb from the impact, barely managing to block the attack.
Qian Fei cracked his whip, aiming for the attacker.
The figure flickered, appearing half a li away, landing on a distant tree. He kicked off the branch and approached again with incredible speed.
Qian Fei’s expression changed, “Heavenly Speed Star?!” This was the supernatural ability granted by the Heavenly Speed Star, a Heavenly Stem divine crystal.
Although he didn’t recognize the man, those who possessed the Heavenly Speed Star were notoriously difficult opponents.
In the blink of an eye, the man in grey was back on the carriage.
His eyes widened, and Qian Fei felt a wave of dark energy wash over him.
The halberd flashed again, piercing Qian Fei’s chest. He fell from the carriage, landing on the ground with a thud, the carriage quickly leaving him behind.
He Ling cried out, “Qian Fei?!”
The attacker was stronger than both He Ling and Qian Fei, and he also possessed a Heavenly Stem supernatural ability. During his first attack, although he had reached the carriage, his position had been unfavorable, allowing them to force him back.
Now, having adjusted his position, he was in a spot where they couldn’t easily attack together, preventing He Ling from coordinating with Qian Fei.
Even Qian Fei, a seasoned martial artist, had been killed instantly, filling He Ling with shock and rage.
He couldn’t understand what the attacker had done. Why hadn’t Qian Fei dodged or blocked?
Hearing He Ling’s cry, Wu Liang turned around and saw the man in grey on the carriage. The man glanced at He Ling, a sinister glint in his eyes.
“Look out!” Wu Liang shouted.
The man swung his halberd, the blade aimed at He Ling’s neck.
He Ling stood frozen, as if resigned to his fate.
Just as he was about to be struck down, a sharp whistle came from behind the carriage.
The piercing sound carried an overwhelming aura of power.
Both the man in grey and He Ling instinctively looked back.
They saw a young man approaching with incredible speed, a short blade in his hand, aimed at the man in grey’s back.
The man in grey could have ignored him and killed He Ling first before dealing with the newcomer.
But the young man’s aura was overwhelming, his killing intent radiating outwards, a chilling cold emanating from him, momentarily stunning the man in grey.
This hesitation gave He Ling a chance to react.
The man in grey had used a demonic technique, a kind of illusion, and He Ling had been caught in it simply by meeting his gaze. Now, the approaching young man, shining like the sun, had broken the illusion, despite its power.
He Ling averted his gaze from the demonic cultivator’s eyes, and the illusion shattered.
With a clang, he blocked the halberd strike.
The young man landed on the carriage, his figure seemingly pulled there by the man in grey, his blade flashing upwards at a bizarre angle.
The man in grey, powerful and possessing a Heavenly Stem supernatural ability, wouldn’t be so easily hit. He flickered and vanished from the carriage, reappearing half a li away.
The young man, his face expressionless and grim, landed on the carriage.
He watched as the demonic expert flickered around the carriage, searching for an opening to attack again.
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