The black figure wore a mask. He grabbed Crown Prince Liu Zhi before he landed on the ground. He looked up at Si Wuya who was speeding toward them and said in a gruff voice, “Your Highness, retreat!”
“Stop him no matter what!” Liu Zhi said in a hoarse voice.
“Understood!” A peculiar energy surged out of the masked man immediately. He pushed away from the ground and launched deadly palm seals into the air.
Si Wuya frowned. He did not expect there to be such an elite by Crown Prince Liu Zhi’s side. He immediately flapped his wings and flew at a lower altitude.
“Hm?” The masked man did not expect Si Wuya would have no interest in fighting him. He saw Si Wuya continue to speed toward Liu Zhi. Si Wuya’s speed was too fast!
With his wings, Si Wuya’s speed was on par with the small chariot. Liu Zhi who was without a chariot did not stand a chance at all.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
Energy needles shot out everywhere.
The masked man moved swiftly to the back. He cast his grand technique.
“Is that all you’ve got?”
Bam! Bam! Bam!
The masked man hurled punches after punches at Si Wuya’s wings.
Si Wuya ignored the masked man completely. He rode on the momentum and dove. “Thanks!”
The wings suddenly detached from Si Wuya’s back before they merged into one. The light from the wings faded immediately. The Peacock Plume appeared and a shot out a beam of light that was packed with energy needles toward Liu Zhi.
A frightened expression appeared on Liu Zhi’s face as he unleashed a blast of energy to block the attack.
Bam!
The Peacock Plume easily penetrated Liu Zhi’s protective energy and landed on his chest.
Liu Zhi reeled back and crashed into a tree, gravely injured.
Bam! Bam! Bam.
Three huge towering trees fell from the impact.
Si Wuya did not relent. Instead, he sprinted forward.
The masked man cursed under his breath, “Sh*t!” Although he could sense that Si Wuya’s strength and cultivation base were nothing to be afraid of, Si Wuya’s unconventional actions annoyed him to no end. He immediately unleashed his grand technique and appeared in front of Si Wuya before he struck with his palm.
Bam!
Si Wuya blocked the blow with his arms. He flipped backward and stabilized himself on the ground.
The two opponents faced each other in silence.
“Since the fate of Yan Province City is sealed, what’s the use of struggling, sir?” Si Wuya asked.
“We’re merely serving our respective masters. His Highness, the Crown Prince, has given up on Yan Province. Why are you still chasing after us, sir?”
“I’m just killing my enemy.”
“I’m just protecting my master.”
Si Wuya said disdainfully, “Crown Prince Liu Zhi has been obsessed with the culture of the Other Tribes since his youth. He performed a dance from the Other Tribes in the eastern palace once. He’d even shown the wolf into his house just to pursue his interests. Is it worth it to protect such a master?”
“Everyone has their role to play in this world, whether it’s as a master or a servant. It’s just how the world is. Rebels like you only know how to spout nonsense,” the masked man gruffly said.
“It saddens me to see someone as blindly loyal as you.”
“Die!” The masked man struck with energy fists and moved at lightning speed.
Bam! Bam! Bam!
Si Wuya struck with both palms.
The two of them engaged in battle.
The masked man displayed shocking combat strength. Every single strike of his hit Si Wuya. The energy fists landed on Si Wuya’s protective energy. For a time, Si Wuya was overwhelmed. He could not fight back and could only retreat.
Bam!
The masked man struck with both fists, landing on Si Wuya’s arms.
Si Wuya retreated again.
The masked man chuckled and said, “Looks like not everyone from the Evil Sky Pavilion is powerful.” If it had been Yu Zhenghai, he would have escaped without a second thought.
“It’s too early for you to rejoice!” Si Wuya flipped his palm. His Peacock Plume spun above his palm, shooting out energy needles. There were only a few of them, but they were powerful enough.
The masked man continued hurling punches to parry the energy needles. When the last and thickest needle was upon him, it suddenly split into many finer energy needles. One of the energy needles skimmed past his mask.
Crack!
A crisp sound rang in the air.
The mask was broken!
As the energy needles faded away, the mask fell to the ground with a thud.
“Lu Hong, it’s you?!” Si Wuya recognized the masked man immediately.
“It’s me… Si Wuya, the Evil Sky Pavilion has destroyed the Hengqu Branch and killed my disciples. As the branch master, how can I stay idle?”
Si Wuya shook his head and said, “The Hengqu Branch had provoked the Evil Sky Pavilion over and over again. If my master learns about your defiance… I’m afraid…” In other words, the entire Hengqu Branch would be wiped out.
Lu Hong smiled and said, “That’s why… nobody will know if I kill you today!”
There was an explosion of energy fists as Lu Hong charged forward.
Si Wuya retreated. He raised both palms and parried Lu Hong’s energy fists.
Bam! Bam! Bam!
The two of them moved as they fought.
Si Wuya kept retreating.
Bam!
Si Wuya reeled again to avoid Lu Hong’s powerful strike.
Lu Hong smiled and asked, “Is this all you’ve got?”
Si Wuya was not affected by Lu Hong’s taunting words. Instead, he looked at Crown Prince Liu Zhi who was lying on the ground and said, “Liu Zhi must die.”
Si Wuya tapped the ground lightly with his feet and flew into the air. Then, he threw the Peacock Plume into the air. The Peacock Plume formed a shining golden peacock instead of landing on his back. The peacock spun, and energy needles rained down. “The Great Compassion Poem.”
It was rumored that the cultivators of Great Compassion Poem could bring about a rain of blood and make ghosts cry at night. With the Peacock Plume, this cultivation method could be unleashed to its full potential.
Si Wuya rarely attacked. He rarely displayed his techniques or spread his Peacock Plume. This time, he had to do this to kill Liu Zhi! His eyes shone with determination as he wielded his Peacock Plume.
A shrill cry rang from the huge Peacock Plume gave a wail. Energy needles rained down wherever the peacock could reach.
Lu Hong’s eyes widened. He summoned his avatar and flew up to avoid the attack. “Darn it!”
Lu Hong had a Seven-leaf avatar! The 90-foot avatar stood before the rain of needles from the Great Compassion Poem.
Bam! Bam! Bam!
The needles rained down on the avatar. Even so, Lu Hong could not block all the needles. Several needles landed on their target.
“Withdraw!” Si Wuya pulled his Peacock Plume back. The Great Compassion Poem ended abruptly. When the Peacock Plume returned to him, he retreated swiftly without any hesitation.
“Running away?!” Lu Hong did not expect Si Wuya to flee after unleashing the Great Compassion Poem. He chased after Si Wuya at once!
Si Wuya had achieved his objective. It was only natural for him to leave. Continuing a fight zealously was not his style. A Seven-leaf avatar was not easy to deal with.
Just when Lu Hong was about to touch Si Wuya, a voice rang from Yan Province City. “Wise brother, where are you?!”
Yu Zhenghai!
Yu Zhenghai had been worried about Si Wuya’s prolonged absence. He had rushed here after a moment’s rest.
Lu Hong who had been advancing with a mighty aura moments ago immediately became a stunned monkey. He withdrew his avatar and turned around decisively, speeding toward Liu Zhi!
“Wise brother!” Another sound technique.
Lu Hong’s hair stood on end. Goosebumps rose on his skin.
Run!
‘I can’t… afford to fight him!’
Si Wuya shook his head. He spread his arms helplessly. ‘That’s it?’
Yu Zhenghai moved toward Si Wuya swiftly. When he saw Si Wuya hovering in the air, he cried out in delight, “Wise brother!”
“I’m fine. Hengqu Branch’s Lu Hong… We can’t let him get away!” Si Wuya pointed at Lu Hong who was now in the faraway forest.
Yu Zhenghai saw that Si Wuya’s clothes were slightly disheveled. He frowned and said, “Leave this to me, wise brother…”
Swoosh!
Lu Hong activated his grand technique again. He did not dare bring Liu Zhi with him. He was occupied with thoughts of self-preservation. He did not hesitate to abandon Liu Zhi as he ran for his life. He flitted past the trees without choosing a clear path. When a person was being pursued under a panicked state, they would instinctively choose to zigzag as they ran in an attempt to shake off their pursuer. He did not fly away from the forest. Instead, he flitted in and out among the trees! He shot to his left and right at lightning speed. He had no idea where he was; he had lost all sense of direction. However, that was not important. So long as he could shake off Yu Zhenghai, he would be able to find his way sooner or later. His palms were clammy, and his fingers were shaking at this moment. He turned around, wide-eyed, to look behind him occasionally. He sighed in relief. Perhaps, his trick worked. He felt that he had lost his pursuer.
Alas, to Lu Hong’s despair, a hearty laughter rang in the forest.
In the sky, a spinning energy, the Dark Heaven Starlight, that was released by the Jasper Saber swept through the forest.
Lu Hong’s heart shuddered. He stomped his feet and launched himself forward toward the edge of the trees. He was out of the forest in just an instant!
Eh? A mountain with twin rocks? Aren’t those the Big Dipper Academy disciples? Why are they here?’
Soon enough, a voice rang in the air. “Hengqu Branch’s Lu Hong?!”
Lu Hong was overjoyed. He shouted, “Help me! Kill the disciple of the Evil Sky Pavilion’s Old Villain Ji!”
Everything would have been fine if Lu Hong did not say those words. Alas, as soon as he had spoken, the expressions of the 1,000 disciples of the Big Dipper Academy changed drastically.
At the same time, a palm seal flew out from behind them.
The palm seal was clenched into a fist and was blue in color! It was the Buddhist’s Great Seal of Fearlessness. Once it was launched, the people would know no fear and find peace.
At this moment, Lu Hong was charging right into the Great Seal of Fearlessness! He showed the others the consequences of getting hit by the palm seal.
Boom!
Lu Hong was instantly reduced to ashes.
“…”
Silence reigned supreme on the twin rocks peak.
Zhou Youcai felt parched. He felt his strength leaving his legs as his knees knocked against each other. He wanted to get up, but he could not muster up enough energy to do so.
Lu Hong, the Hengqu Branch’s master and a Seven-leaf elite, was killed by a single palm strike?
