Chapter 176 – Escape
The Zhu Xian ancient sword did not move, in that instant, as if everyone was holding their breath, but the scene was terribly quiet.
There was no sound, no loud rumbles, Ghost Li looked at that Soul-devouring evil stick which had smashed down was a force like a thousand jun, after hitting the ancient sword, it was like landing into cotton, there was no sound.
Angry bellows were heard, Lin JingYu’s entire body leapt up, Qing Yun sect various elders appeared one by one, swift as the wind and quick as lightning they flew over but when they saw that that ancient sword was in Ghost Li’s hands, immediately everyone’s countenance changed. The next moment, more and more Qing Yun sect members gathered, in this chaotic scene, nobody kept to the original prohibitions, everyone trespassed this area which was supposed to be restricted.
Among them were Small Bamboo Valley WenMin and Big Bamboo Valley people, the moment they saw Ghost Li, their expressions changed greatly. WenMin and other Small Bamboo Valley female disciples saw Lu XueQi collapsed to the side, quickly rushed over and helped her up.
As if being disturbed by Qing Yun Sect people, something seemed to be activated, that ancient sword under the watchful eyes, although still in the hands of Ghost Li, but for some reason, on its blade, a change seemed to be happening.
The original simple and slightly crude, non-stone non-jade blade, on that fissure, after Ghost Li’s forceful hit, right now, it seemed to have expanded a little. Right now within that fissure, faint red light slowly emitted out, as if the blood which it had sucked in, became alive, deep within the blade, started to turn agitated slowly.
An initial peaceful great sea, waves started to form slowly, brewing unrivaled storm, enveloped the world!
Silence, silence… anyone could see the change in the Zhu Xian ancient sword but nobody knew what to do, silent before the Illusory Moon Cave, everyone held their breaths and waited.
Nobody knew, whose heart was quietly throbbing?
Ghost Li felt thirsty, subconsciously wanted to release Zhu Xian but the next moment, he discovered, his strength seemed to have completely disappeared instantly, a familiar yet distant feeling, reappeared in his body, and this feeling, was what his enemies feared.
The blood in Ghost Li’s body slowly boiled and seethed, it started to have the pull of flowing outwards and the direction was towards the Zhu Xian ancient sword that he was clenching in his hand.
Ghost Li seemed to comprehend something, exerted strength to release Zhu Xian ancient sword but he had no strength in his hands, and the Zhu Xian ancient sword at the moment was like a demon awakened, clutching him, refused to let him go. And the Soul-devouring stick in his right hand, right now was also stuck tightly to the Zhu Xian ancient bade.
That fissure on Zhu Xian ancient sword, red light gradually from faint to dense, at the same time, like blood flowing through an artery, from that crack, thin faint colour of blood began to spread, from the fissure edges, it flowed swiftly towards both parts of the blade. The ancient blade slowly, submerged by the blood red colour.
Everyone was stunned, including those veteran elders. At the moment, everyone knew something was wrong but no one knew what had exactly happened and what should be done?
And that Zhu Xian ancient sword, seemed to simply ignore the people’s concerns, continued to carry out its own degeneration, the faint blood colour, finally dyed the entire sword blade red, an originally primitive ancient sword, at the moment had became a strange and mysterious blood red sword. Faint red sword glint, slowly glimmering, like a reborn demon’s eye, slowly waking up, watching the surrounding.
The scene seemed to tense up, until, that man holding Zhu Xian, suddenly unleashed a heart wrenching cry.
“Ah!…”
That sound was extremely desolate, the crowd was almost startled, their attention suddenly focused onto Ghost Li.
Ghost Li was pale, trembling unceasingly, his face, hands, the skin surface where it was not covered by clothing, began to obviously swiftly shrank and then gradually withered.
At the same time, a strange and light whistling sound started from the Zhu Xian ancient sword, the red light turned brighter, some sharp-eyed ones had already saw, from Ghost Li’s left hand which was holding the ancient sword, faint red strands were being sucked into the sword blade.
This was an extremely strange scene, there wasn’t a single bit of Qing Yun sect’s just and honorable Good Faction demeanour, everyone at the scene was rendered speechless and no one moved.
Except Lu XueQi.
That woman was initially lying weakly in her senior sister WenMin’s arms but right now for some reason, she suddenly struggled up, sprang towards Ghost Li and that Zhu Xian ancient sword. WenMin was shocked, quickly held her back, Lu XueQi struggled a few times, her body eventually fell helplessly down, her face looked anxious, opened her mouth and wanted to shout something but she looked around and shut her mouth in defeat, leaning in the arms of her senior sister WenMin who looked concerned, her eyes deep, she looked towards that man instead.
So, the twists and turns, the endless thoughts and pinnings, after the painful heartbreak, it was actually helplessly watching him before her eyes, dying that tragically?
Her face full of tears!
Finally couldn’t be bothered, the stares of the others around her.
The red light on Zhu Xian ancient sword turned stronger and stronger, and contrary to that, Ghost Li looked more and more terrible, now everyone could see that, under the Zhu Xian ancient sword ‘divinity power’, this evil spirit evil ways, the scourge of the Good Faction had already reached the death edge, perhaps, this was also the psychic power of the celestial sword, performing spells to eliminate the evil!
Many of them in their hearts, quietly thought so, but completely refused to contemplate, if this actually make sense!
Ghost Li naturally would not think of that and also did not have the energy to think about what others were thinking right now, at this moment, he was struggling before death, Zhu Xian ancient sword’s suction force was growing stronger, even to him, stronger than the Sinister Orb which he encountered when he was young at the rear of Big Bamboo Valley. Just that right now his cultivation was incomparable to that young man at that time, therefore he was able to hold out till now. However, he also understood, he could not hold out any longer.
The strange suction power on Zhu Xian ancient sword was similar to the Sinister Orb evil power at that time, but there were also differences, compared to Sinister Orb, Zhu Xian sword which had turned into a demon sword, was even stronger and different from the Sinister Orb which absorbed blood at that time, Zhu Xian ancient sword while sucking in blood, at the same time, sucked in Ghost Li’s years of cultivated true vitality energy.
In Ghost Li’s eyes at the moment, Zhu Xian ancient sword emitting blood-red light, indistinctly like a devil opening its bloody mouth and grinning, soon it would swallowed him up.
Just like that, ending a life?
The moment before he was about to go unconscious, this thought flashed through his mind.
A burst of warm energy, started with a loud sound, burst forth from his heart, it was pure Yang breath, directly dispersed into his meridians. His entire body shook, his mind immediately cleared, a loud shout, using his entire lifetime of cultivation, burst through with all of his might, thunder and lightning seemed to rumble in his head, three volumes of Tian Shu flashed past, green, gold, red three colour energies leapt up at the same time, although not very bright but it regained vitality.
The Great Brahman Wisdom spanned the heart arteries, the Buddhist true way defended tenaciously, even the Zhu Xian ancient sword was also taken aback. Taking advantage of this breathing space, Tai Ji Xuan Qing Way as the path, Ghost Li’s right hand immediately doubled, dark red lights leapt swiftly across, from his arm in a blink entering into the Soul-devouring evil stick.
However just when Ghost Li wanted to counterattack and escape, Zhu Xian ancient sword’s devouring evil energy had again broke through the Great Brahman Wisdom, instantly Ghost Li’s body felt numb, unable to move again, and that trace of sober in his mind, once again turned bleak.
At the moment, to the others, Ghost Li’s withered face, already looked no difference from a dead man. Song Daren and the rest whom had friendly relations with the past Zhang Xiao Fan, all started to turn their heads around, could not bear to see.
At at this moment, when the final outcome seemed concluded, that Soul-devouring evil stick in Ghost Li’s hand suddenly lit up, dark-green light slowly pulsed, like awakening from a deep slumber, the Sinister Orb at the tip, strands of evil red blood lines, again lighted up, and deep inside the orb, an unprecedented, under the dark green light and blood strands, a golden Buddhist mantra surfaced.
Buddhist, Taoist, Evil three sects true ways, actually at this moment, unexpectedly when Ghost Li was making a final thrust at death’s end, merged into one.
The Sinister Orb turned brighter and brighter, strange yet gorgeous light rays flickering non-stop, then, the entire stick also lit up, as if it was shouting something, the next moment, the point where the Soul-devouring and Zhu Xian ancient sword met, a muffled sound was heard again.
The crowd then realized and noticed, that other than Ghost Li’s left hand, the Soul-devouring stick in his right hand had always been connected to Zhu Xian, did not drop down.
The strange lights on the Sinister orb were getting brighter and brighter, the three colors rotated, deep and low sounds, like the ancient Devil whispering voice, slowly emitted out.
[Woo … woo … woo …]
A red gas, crystal clear, first from the fissure on Zhu Xian ancient sword, sucked out and entered into the Soul-devouring stick, rolling inside the Sinister Orb, it seemed to be still resisting but soon it could be seen, it was suppressed and subdued by Sinister Orb’s strange energy, slowly transformed into a faint red color, a small part of it assimilated into Soul-devouring, most through the Soul-devouring stick, re-entered Ghost Li’s body.
This strange transformation did not stop once it started, red gases continuously sucked from the Zhu Xian ancient sword, following the increasing amount of red gas, the Soul-devouring light strengthen and became stronger, and Ghost Li who once again received nourishment also gradually recovered, the skin on his face slowly, from being withered regained his original look, and strangely it even revealed an indistinct warm.
The red glow on Zhu Xian ancient sword from the initial dazzle, right now it seemed to be helpless against Sinister Orb’s suction power, gradually dimmed down, and the Soul-devouring stick instead turned brighter. The surrounding Qing Yun Sect members were not blind too, most could tell that the situation was not right, now obviously it was Ghost Li this evildoer who had secretly casted some evil spells, Zhu Xian ancient sword looked like it was unable to sustain.
A stir of commotion, in the crowd, suddenly a few people scolded loudly, at the same time several weapon lights attacked Ghost Li. Ghost Li right now was wholeheartedly resisting the ancient sword Zhu Xian, how could he pay attention to the surrounding movements, he did not have the slightest reaction, the next moment, all of the weapons’ attacks hit him squarely in the back.
Ghost Li’s body shook greatly, blood surging, a sweet taste in his throat and another mouthful of blood, spat onto the ancient sword Zhu Xian. Zhu Xian had already dimmed down, with this sudden blood, red light again flashed, it actually turned stronger. Ghost Li at the same time felt it, before he could attend to his injuries, his body felt the strange suction power of Zhu Xian turning stronger again.
A shock of lightning seemed to go through his heart, he understood that this was really life and death, if Zhu Xian regained its power, most likely he would not be able to survive and would be suck dry again. With such thoughts, he roared madly, disregarding everything, using all of his strength, his entire lifetime of cultivation, and that a-moment-ago comprehended merger of the three sects true ways supernatural power, hit out.
The crowd did not see Ghost Li making any move, saw him hit by several weapons, throwing up a mouthful of blood, the Zhu Xian ancient sword’s red light wavered, looked like it was about to lit up, a loud sharp sound suddenly erupted between Ghost Li and Zhu Xian, accompanied by a few sounds of fractures, Ghost Li was actually hit out by an unknown powerful force, like an arrow leaving the bow, streaked past above the crowd, landed far into the distant woods.
Qing Yun sect members were taken aback, stood stunned, after a long while, suddenly someone realized and shouted, “Give chase, definitely can’t let that evildoer escape!”
The words reminded everyone, at once countless people pursued towards the direction where Ghost Li fell. Everyone at the scene clearly understood, Ghost Li was obviously seriously injured in his fight with Zhu Xian, right now this was a golden opportunity to pursue and kill this person.
Most of the people soared up to pursue, only Big Bamboo Valley, Small Bamboo Valley members stood blankly at their spots, Song Daren and the rest, felt torn between pursuing or not, and WenMin and the others had another flurry of exclamations, Lu XueQi had fainted.
While the ladies from the Small Bamboo Valley hurried to care for Lu XueQi, suddenly, in the hubbub, a light sound rang out.
Although the sound was very light, but for some reason, like a fine sharp needle, piercing into every Qing Yun sect disciple’s heart. That sound which sounded like something quietly breaking, beside them, emitted from the Zhu Xian ancient sword.
Everyone suddenly turned pale, as if that light sound, was the echo of the end of the world. They slowly turned around, it seemed that even this movement, also exerted all of their strength.
Under everyone’s watchful gazes, that legendary Zhu Xian ancient sword, quietly stood in the ground slate, that expanded tear from the ancient blade, once again, issued a small crackling sound.
The tear slowly spread, slow but unstoppable it spread to the surrounding, on that primitive and once divine sword blade, until, the Zhu Xian ancient sword again issued a moan.
[Pa!]
That light crisp sound, half of the blade attached to the hilt, fell to the ground while the other half of the blade, still deep inside the earth.
In that instant, everyone was dumbfounded, there was no breathing, their minds totally blank…
Zhu Xian!
Zhu Xian ancient sword!
Broken…
The vast Heaven and Earth, blue sky daytime, suddenly a crack of thunder in the horizon, thunderous crashing, in a blink winds and clouds rolled over from all directions, Heaven and Earth swiftly turning dark, black clouds loomed, gathered at Qing Yun Hill summit.
A gale started, sand and stones rolled, accompanied the sudden storm, thunder and lightning clashed, wild storm and rain, poured down.
The firmament Heaven and Earth, seemed to be crying too!
It was night, Heaven and Earth weeping, the celestial sword came to a premature end!
The cold rain hit upon the face, like the raw pain of a knife, the chill eerie, as if the entire body was frozen. Ghost Li in the woods, could not help but moaned.
The pouring rain, had already rained for a full hour but there was no sign of it weakening, although it was still daytime but at the moment the black clouds loomed low over the horizon, enveloping Qing Yun, like late night, not even the hands could be seen.
It was also fortunately so, Ghost Li seriously injured, with this sudden storm, he was able to temporarily avoid Qing Yun sect’s pursue. Just that that strange duel with Zhu Xian sword, especially that final blow, Zhu Xian power recoil was really formidable, penetrated forcibly into his body, broke half of his ribs, the fractured bones now piercing into his lungs and heart, luckily his cultivation was deep and solid but he was still made of flesh and blood, every step, the pain made him broke out in cold sweat, his mouth making hissing sounds.
At the moment, Ghost Li really wanted to disregard everything, lie down and lost conscious, just that that last trace of sanity constantly reminded him, he had to leave, his grudges with Qing Yun sect and his current broken body, once discovered by Qing Yun disciple, there was only death and no other.
And to him, there was still a reason not to die!
And so he endured, slowly struggling to run forward, away from the Qing Yun Hill, the safer it would be.
The rain poured, madly pouring into this mortal world, as if using this water of Heaven, to wash away the ugliness of the human world. Ghost Li panted heavily, each breath, in this dark rainy night, issued a faint white breath. Chill shrouded him, the clamour behind him was nearing, full of murderous intention.
Obviously, although Ghost Li fled with all of his might forward, but his heavily wounded body was not faster than the pursuers. Just that in Qing Yun Hill dense forest, the sky was dark and black, he was temporarily not found yet. However, Ghost Li knew in his heart, going forward like this, it was inevitable.
He staggered, seemed to trip over some roots or vine-like thing, his body tripped and fell forward, in his panic he grasped around, lucky he grabbed a small tree beside him and stabilized his body, but this toss, this violent shake, the severe pain in his chest penetrated deep into the bones, he almost could not breathe, not to mention stride and escape.
Behind him human voices suddenly approaching, as if in this storm, someone had heard the noise, issuing a command, many footsteps headed towards Ghost Li’s direction to search.
Ghost Li’s heart turned cold but he was still unwilling to be caught, even if he ran and flee, he would also not be able to escape, hardening his heart, he closed his eyes, quietly slipped into the muddy ground, his face facing down, burying into the mud. In the dark, he was like a pile of mud which was abandoned by this wild storm world.
Footsteps, the human clamour, slowly gathered over, many people were cursing while continuing to hit out fiercely at the surrounding trees and vines. Strong wind swept past, not knowing how many people had rushed over.
Ghost Li in the dark, lying motionless in the ground, as if his heart had also stopped beating, in the darkness, quietly waiting for fate’s sentencing.
Heaven and Earth heartless, maybe treated all living things only as straw dogs…
The storm was raging!
