Chapter 257: The Disciple Scared Witless
Luo Huang and Zhou Yi were both geniuses who had seen many great scenes in their life. They were notable characters in their respective sects.
However, such a bizarre scene made chills run down their back.
Although the valley was large, those who had gone missing weren’t three year old children. It was impossible that they’d just wandered off. There were only so many areas that they could search in. There was also no reason for them to have separated from the main group.
They searched back and forth in these areas, but they couldn’t find any clues at all.
It was like those people had truly just vanished.
A disciple suddenly approached Zhou Yi nervously, “Senior brother Zhou, do you remember how Yang Zhao died?”
“What?” Zhou Yi was startled and immediately remembered the circumstances.
Zhou Yi had also heard his honored master Iron Can mention Yang Zhao’s death. Yang Zhao had been in a secret chamber, in the heavily fortified Dragonteeth Guard headquarters when he’d died a mysterious and unexplained death. Those outside hadn’t heard any cries for help or sounds of struggle.
But Yang Zhao had well and truly died in the secret room and left only a skeleton behind.
“This… can it be… “ Zhou Yi was reminded of the circumstances of Yang Zhao’s death, and he remembered his honored master’s slightly fearful tone. He felt all the hairs of his body stand up in that moment.
When this frightening notion came visiting his mind, he no longer had any thoughts of continuing the search. Only the urge to retreat pounded in his heart now.
He waved his hand and gathered all those remaining.
“Forget it, they’re not three year olds. They’ll be able to find the way back if they’re lost. If they were captured by the enemy, then the fact that this enemy could do so without us noticing at all means that they are much stronger than us. There’s no point in us remaining here. Let’s go back and report it!”
As highly valued as Liu Chengfeng was, he still wasn’t worth as much as Zhou Yi, a personal disciple!
Zhou Yi didn’t want to go down in a forsaken place like this.
Apart from Liu Chengfeng and Xiao Yu, a few other elite disciples had also come along this time. Their faces darkened when they heard Zhou Yi’s words.
“Young master Yi, are we truly leaving without Palace Head Liu and Xiao Yu?”
Zhou Yi’s face chilled, “What about it?”
“We’re not leaving before we find them.” The Northern Palace elites were quite different to Zhou Yi. Liu Chengfeng was their Palace Head. If he was dead, that made them headless flies, without any support at all.
“Not leaving? Do you think you’re stronger than Liu Chengfeng? If Liu Chengfeng’s been ambushed by the enemy, you’re just waiting for death if you remain. If Liu Chengfeng has gotten lost, they’ll return to the Northern Palace sooner or later. What’s the point of you remaining here?” Zhou Yi naturally couldn’t voice his worries and doubts. It would show others that he was afraid of death and cravenly desired life.
Luo Huang remained quite resolute on the Purple Sun Sect’s side as he fully deployed the Scorching Green Ray, searching all over and stopping in one place.
This was precisely where Yu Jie had disappeared.
He was stronger than Zhou Yi in terms of martial dao training alright.
The Scorching Green Ray, with its sensitive perceptions in particular, allowed him to be more than five times stronger than his peers.
“This is the place. If I sense things correctly, Yu Jie’s ice attribute aura stops here.” Luo Huang stopped here and he began to comb over the area finely.
“Hmm?” A curious gaze suddenly flashed in Luo Huang’s eyes. “You guys, come here and take a look at this. Do you think the dirt in this area is a bit softer and different from other areas?”
Although the Lotus’ abilities in extension and retraction would leave almost no trace on the ground, it would still leave the most minute of details.
It would be difficult for a practitioner of the same level to detect them.
But Luo Huang practiced the Heaven Scorching Sutra, and he had mastered the Scorching Green Ray. His vision was at least five times, maybe even ten times superior to that of his peers.
He still found a few traces when he observed keenly.
The others walked over and looked all over, but they couldn’t make anything out. After all, their vision was far inferior to Luo Huang’s.
Luo Huang’s expression was grave as he grasped his broadsword in his hands. He roared, “Out of the way!”
Everyone sprang to the two sides.
A gout of flame as fierce as the sun ignited into existence around the broadsword.
Luo Huang yelled, “Open!”
The broadsword cut savagely through the air like a sharp edge hewing open the heavens and earth, landing on the ground.
A crack split the ground open like a tofu being sliced into two, moving swiftly forward and forming a great moat.
Luo Huang, immensely courageous and possessing high skill, leapt down into the moat. His Scorching Green Ray swept in all directions as he brandished his broadsword.
Ravines and gullies kept appearing as Luo Huang continued to cleave the ground open.
The criss crossing gullies were all revealed to him in a short amount of time.
Luo Huang’s eyes suddenly shifted as his questing hand picked something up. His figure blurred as he landed on the ground like a fiery bird.
He was clutching something in his hand.
When everyone focused their eyes, they saw that it was an arm! It was one that looked rather fresh!
“This… This is Yue Ji’s arm!” A Purple Sun Sect disciple immediately recognized it.
“It’s… senior brother Yu Jie’s. He has the unique tattoo of the Shuiyue faction on his arm. I recognize the bracelet as well!” Another disciple also training under Master Shuiyue was ashen faced as he started stammering.
Those from the Precious Tree Sect all rushed over when they heard the commotion.
Their facial expressions also changed drastically when they saw the arm.
Zhou Jie’s heart grew cold as he thought of Yang Zhao’s death and recalled his master’s fearful tone. The hairs all stood up on his body as he grit his teeth, “We shouldn’t remain here for long, let’s go!”
None of the Precious Tree Sect disciples wanted to stay. After all, the missing Liu Chengfeng and Xiao Yu were all outer disciples and they didn’t have much to do with them.
So what if they’d gone missing? There was no point in risking their lives looking for them.
Luo Huang yelled when he saw Zhou Yi act so oddly, “Zhou Yi, where are you going? How dare you think of leaving when you haven’t explained things fully?”
Zhou Yi smiled ruefully, “Luo Huang, are you crazy? The two of us were charging out in the front and we didn’t leave each other’s line of vision. You think this has something to do with me!?”
Luo Huang snorted lightly, “Even if it has nothing to do with you, you’re certainly concealing something!”
Luo Huang’s Scorching Green Ray possessed great observation capabilities. Even the slightest changes in Zhou Yi’s expression out of the corner of his eyes were enough to make Luo Huang formulate suspicions.
Zhou Yi laughed wryly, “I have nothing to conceal. Yu Jie’s death is indeed baffling. I suspect that even Liu Chengfeng has ended up like him. We contribute to nothing by staying here other than awaiting our deaths. Stay if you want, but I won’t be keeping you company!”
Zhou Yi waved his hands after he spoke and he fled swiftly with his peers.
Luo Huang wasn’t a brash person. When he saw Zhou Yi’s performance, he knew something was gravely amiss. He called out, “There’s no point in staying here since they’re dead. We will return to the sect!”
He made up his mind decisively and he took the rest of the Purple Sun Sect disciples with him.
Those from the Northern Palace stared blankly into space as they looked at the area of devastation around them. They couldn’t stay, nor could they leave.
…….
On the borders of the Skylaurel Kingdom, Tian Shao and Gouyu were riding on a Goldwing Swordbird with feelings of have narrow brushes with death.
The fleeing Swordbirds had all been gathered up now, and Jiang Chen was returning to Skylaurel Kingdom’s borders ahead of their enemies.
“Young master Chen, Tian Shao is incompetent and has let you down.” Tian Shao looked at Jiang Chen with no small amount of embarrassment. If it hadn’t been for Jiang Chen saving them from the shadows this time, he would’ve been dead without a doubt.
It would be fine if he died, but if young master Chen’s beautiful follower had died as well, he really would’ve wronged Jiang Chen!
“Who would’ve thought that those people from the Purple Sun Sect would make a move as well?” Jiang Chen sighed. “It was my miscalculation this time and it’s not your fault. You’ve suffered on my behalf.”
Tian Shao sweated even more profusely when he heard these words, but a warmth filled his heart. Young master Chen was young master Chen alright!
“Gouyu, does this matter have to do with Long Juxue?” Jiang Chen asked.
Gouyu thought for a moment and shook her head. “I don’t think so. However, Yu Jie definitely recognized me and he wanted to capture me for her.”
Gouyu displayed a resigned smile when she paused here, “It was a good thing that they were greedy and they wanted to get the secrets to commanding the Goldwing Swordbirds out of me. Otherwise, with Luo Huang’s strength, it would’ve been very easy for him to destroy us with no reservations at all.”
Gouyu had always been quite proud. She had been a martial dao genius since she was quite young in the Eastern Kingdom, and the path of her training had been quite smooth all along.
But today, thanks to Luo Huang, she had finally experienced the gap between her and sect disciples.
However, far from being dejected, her intentions to follow Jiang Chen became even more resolute after she understood the differences between them.
“As long as you’re alright. This situation was threatening, but not dangerous. Luo Huang is much stronger than ordinary sect disciples. His personality isn’t as flighty as those other genius. He would actually amount to something given enough time. What a pity.”
Jiang Chen’s sigh of regret was that he couldn’t devour Luo Huang. It would’ve surely been a great source of nourishment for the Lotus.
After all, with his mastery of the Heaven Scorching Sutra, his fire attribute spirit power wasn’t something to be overlooked.
However, Jiang Chen also knew that with the current power of his Lotus, there was no way he’d be able to confine Luo Huang. Luo Huang’s cultivation level was likely between the fourth and fifth level spirit realm, a solid earth realm practitioner.
The limit of the Lotus’ current devouring abilities was at the third level spirit realm and it would be hard pressed to handle an earth spirit realm practitioner. It’d be a bit impossible for it to swallow an earth spirit realm practitioner at this moment.
Jiang Chen felt damn good when they sped past the Northern Palace along the way. With Liu Chengfeng and Xiao Yu’s death, the Northern Palace was sure to decline and they would have no way to contend with the other three great sites.
According to Jiang Chen’s original intentions, he wouldn’t let a single one of those people off the hook since they had voluntarily provoked him.
But he considered that if he used the Goldbiter Rat army to kill everyone, he’d be sure to alarm the two great sects.
Therefore, he had to temporarily keep his impulse in check since he was unable to handle wrath from both sides at the moment.
