Chapter 0212: The Terrible Blood River
“Senior Apprentice Sister Lingwei, how could you be here?” Cheng Yixiao and Yan Ji were still speaking to each other, when another person’s voice arrived interrupting their conversation. The one who asked the question was precisely the one in the middle of a small group walking towards them. It was none other than Nalan Ruxue, along with her were four male cultivators and a female cultivator, this team was entirely composed of people from the Wu Nian Academy.
Zhangsun Yan gave a cold snort, while Yan Ji was simply too lazy to even exchange a word with them. Only Jia Lingwei was the one who spoke up with a smile, “We are also here looking for the Blood River Red Lotus, it really is a coincidence to meet you all here aah.”
Cheng Yixiao already knew that the Le Continent’s ‘Twin Lotus Flowers On A Stock’ had a disharmonious relationship with each other, as such quickly spoke up to avoid a confrontation between them, “You people came at the right moment, the Blood River Red Lotus is something very difficult for a single person to obtain by themselves, as such I will once again propose that we form a team with all of us combined. Once we collect enough Blood River Red Lotuses, they would then be distributed amongst everyone depending on their contributions. Since everyone is together at the moment, let us get to the other side, I saw Elder Brother Cheng also go in that direction.”
Finished speaking those words, he was the first to move onto the first fork on the path humming a merry tone.
Seeing Cheng Yixiao take the lead, the rest of the people also successively decided to follow him one after the other, even the Yan Ji trio also decided to follow them temporarily.
“Senior Apprentice Brother Cheng, when you said ‘Elder Brother Cheng’, were you referring to that Devil Cultivator Cheng Xiaoning?” Nalan Ruxue asked Cheng Yixiao in a small voice.
“Hmph, you are the real Devil Cultivator.” Zhangsun Yan finally could not hold herself back, and immediately lashed out against Nalan Ruxue.
“Blood River Red Lotus….” But before Cheng Yixiao could even reply, one of the few people walking with them simultaneously cried out.
On the tops of two Blood River Peaks that were directly in front of them, were two Blood River Red Lotuses, each peak had a pair of Blood River Red Lotuses growing on them. Moreover, each of the flowers looked very tender and matchlessly beautiful, anyone who laid their eyes on them would immediately want to rush forward to cherry-pick those pairs of Blood River Red Lotuses.
Although the Blood River Red Lotus grew on the Blood River Mountains’ Blood River Peaks, but all the people were aware that not every single one of the Blood River Peaks here had a mature Blood River Red Lotus growing on it. After being harvested for so many years, the number of Blood River Red Lotuses here were already gradually dwindling. Although the Blood River Red Lotuses were collected from the peaks, they would still be able to grow back. But that was simply a very long process and would take an extremely long time for it to be mature enough to be harvested.
“Let’s divide the people here into two sub teams. The two behind me will help in blocking the Blood River Otters. While the rest of the people will go to the other Blood River Peak……” Just as Cheng Yixiao finished speaking, he had already taken the lead to rush towards one of the Blood River Peaks. The path between the blood river tributaries near to the Blood River Peak was very narrow, as such not many a person would be able to go up.
He, along with Nalan Ruxue’s group of five, altogether were already six people. Cheng Yixiao took two Late Stage Profound Congealing Cultivators as he rushed towards one of the Blood River Peaks, while the other Early Stage Profound Core Cultivator took the rest of the two people as he also rushed towards the other Blood River Peak.
But Jia Lingwei and her trio did not follow them, that was because they had not even reached an agreement with Cheng Yixiao to form a team with them. In any case they can’t always form a team right after they spotted the Blood River Red Lotus behind them, right?
Moreover, Nalan Ruxue also did not follow up to help them collect the Blood River Red Lotuses, which made the Yan Ji trio not understand what was the matter with her.
“Senior Apprentice Sister Ji. Although I do not care how you see me, but the two of us have often been mentioned together in the same breath, moreover we both are also disciples from big Academies. If this Ruxue has made some mistake and offended you in any way, then I really would like the chance to apologize to you here. Furthermore, Junior Apprentice Sister Yan, I really have no idea why are you acting like this towards me, I do hope you would be able to explain it to me, and make it clear as to what this matter is all about.” After the rest of the people had rushed forward to collect the Blood River Red Lotus, Nalan Ruxue calmly looked at the Yan Ji trio and spoke.
Her tone was also mild, it was obvious that it was not to actually express her apologies, but because she had always thought Yan Ji as a Senior Apprentice Sister of hers. But the way she was holding herself in her eyes was not entirely in the style of a Senior Apprentice Sister. But because the two people’s various speech tones and actions always had a hint of childish tendencies, because of which they were always called as the Le Continent’s ‘Twin Lotus Flowers on one stock.’ Moreover, the people who usually met them every day would only say that as to pay some lip service to their existences. In the event of something happening between them, perhaps it might even spread out to the people who had grudges with their two great Academies.
“I have an opinion to share with you, even though the reputation of the Wu Nian Academy is something that touches the sky, I’m not from the Wu Nian Academy, so why must I be pleasant with you?” Zhangsun Yan was already smouldering with resentment towards her, now that Nalan Ruxue brought herself to the door, how could she let this opportunity go.
Nalan Ruxue’s thoughts were apparently even more magnanimous than Zhangsun Yan’s, as she still spoke in a calm tone, “Wu Nian Academy IS a 9 Star Academy, it is not something that I made up. As for the affairs of the Wu Nian Academy, they are the worries of the Academy Elders and the Academy Head, I’m just a small disciple that has no relation to it. Besides, I did not necessarily want you to be pleasant towards me. Although I Nalan Ruxue might not have an extraordinary character, but it does not mean that I will always show warm feelings while end up meeting with cold rebuke.”
Seeing the Jia Lingwei was going to speak up, Zhangsun Yan bluntly derided her, “I am not convinced by you who uses a borrowed knife to harm others, you even ungratefully plotted against Senior Apprentice Brother Ning Cheng. Senior Apprentice Brother Ning Cheng had braved danger and death to save you, yet you not only appreciated the effort, but even went so far as to plot against him, and even maligned him, is this how your so called 9 Star Academy conducts their affairs?”
“Weren’t you only touched in your chest just once? Senior Apprentice Brother Ning Cheng had also touched my chest, but do you see me calling out to others and secretly plotting against him with a borrowed knife? Not to mention me, even Senior Apprentice Sister Ji and Elder Sister Lingwei’s chests were also touched by him, do you see them clamouring to plot against him? Is your chest so valuable? Is it not just meat and fat? Or is it that it is made out of Best Quality Spirit Stones?”
“Aah……” Nalan Ruxue stared at Zhangsun Yan in shock, although Zhangsun Yan was very young, but one should not speak out in such an irresponsible manner aah. Besides those remarks, the Zhangsun Yan from this time was completely different from the one she remembered aah.
Seeing Jia Lingwei silently looking at her, Zhangsun Yan finally realized that the cat was out of the bag now, as she had said the words ‘Ning Cheng’ out loud. Fortunately, this did not necessarily mean that Nalan Ruxue would realize that Cheng Xiaoning was Ning Cheng.
All these things were originally in the past, but now that Zhangsun Yan had brought it out in the open, Yan Ji’s face immediately felt as if it was burning.
Jia Lingwei suddenly broke this extremely embarrassing situation and spoke, “Junior Apprentice Sister Ruxue, it seems that you really misunderstood that Ning Cheng. You should have realized it later that he had indeed saved you, Yan Yan is usually frank and candid with her words, I hope you do not mind it.”
She was very depressed at the moment, how long had Zhangsun Yan followed Yan Ji? Yet her mouth had become even more outspoken.
“What?” Nalan Ruxue was still shocked and had only spoken two characters, but before she even had the time to even react, Yan Ji suddenly rushed sideways towards a distant Blood River Peak.
“It’s Elder Brother Cheng……” Zhangsun Yan screamed out, as she hurriedly brought out her own magical weapon as she also hurried past her.
Ning Cheng was completely surrounded by endless hordes of Blood River Otters. With having no way out, he finally had no choice to bring out the True Cosmic Devil Axe. Using the True Cosmic Devil Axe to cast out an Axe Line, it immediately aroused a baleful Devilish Aura that felt that it could cover the entire sky.
Originally there were numerous Blood River Peaks here, and each Blood River Peak had many churning Blood River tributaries, giving out sounds that were enough to even shake the heavens. Ning Cheng just wanted to find a nondescript Blood River Peak and fight with the Blood River Otters above it, so that it would be difficult to discover him. But now that Ning Cheng had brought out the True Cosmic Devil Axe, then even if he did not want to be found out it would have been very difficult.
Jia Lingwei immediately rushed up and grabbed Zhangsun Yan, “Yan Yan, are you crazy, you are just an Early Stage Profound Congealing Cultivator, do you really want to court death that much? I will go there; you just wait for us with Ruxue here.”
Zhangsun Yan finally sobered up, she knew that her cultivation was the worst among them, as such even if she wanted to help it would only prove to be a hindrance. But then she immediately thought of Jia Lingwei’s True Essence being almost exhausted, and quickly spoke up, “Senior Apprentice Sister Lingwei, you cannot go there, your True Essence is almost exhausted, and has yet to be fully recovered.”
“There is already no need for me to go up……”
Jia Lingwei was looking at that distant place where the river waters from the Blood River Peak were just about to surge, she knew that it was the prelude for the High Tide of the Blood River Peak and could only helplessly look on.
“Senior Apprentice Sister Ji……” Zhangsun Yan cried out in a shocked voice, as she once again rushed out only to find out that Yan Ji had already disappeared.
……
Just as Ning Cheng was forced to bring out the True Cosmic Devil Axe at that time, he already realized that he had no choice but to retreat from that place, he had already observed that the aura of the Blood Rivers tributaries all around him were starting to surge, he came to the conclusion that it should be because of the high tide. Ning Cheng had already prepared himself for the Blood River High Tide, but he knew that he could not begin any later.
Sweeping out with the Axe Line’s violent Killing Intent, even those Blood River Otters that were able to fly were completely defenceless under this kind of violent Killing Intent, and were instantly killed the moment the Axe Line touched them, exploding in a bloody haze.
In just a split second, Ning Cheng took back his axe while simultaneously retreated, he knew that if he continued to linger around the time of the high tide, then even if had the Twin Heavenly Cloud Wings, his behaviour would simply be akin to seeking death,
Stimulating the Twin Heavenly Cloud Wings, Ning Cheng slipped past the air above the Blood River tributaries. But then a powerful suction force erupted from a hidden whirlpool beneath the surface of the Blood River tributaries, apparently wanting to suck in Ning Cheng into the Blood River. Even then Ning Cheng was not much worried, all he had to do was to increase his power output to increase the acceleration produced by the Twin Heavenly Cloud Wings.
He already was aware that flying over the Blood River would result in a strong suction force being directed at him, however as long as he had the Twin Heavenly Cloud Wings then he only needed to increase the acceleration to be safe.
However, at this time the suction force, just like a dam bursting, reached towards Ning Cheng’s body from the river, Ning Cheng’s heart suddenly sank, he finally realized that his understanding of the Blood River Mountains was not fully correct.
The suction force acting on him now was a hundred times more powerful than before, not to mention that even if he crazily stimulated his Twin Heavenly Cloud Wings, even if he recklessly incited the Twin Heavenly Cloud Wings to the point of destruction he would not be able to hold up against this kind of terrible suction force.
“Bang……” A huge Blood River Tide rushed over, this wave was as if it was attracted to Ning Cheng. Swallowing up Ning Cheng it swept him away down the Blood River.
Yan Ji had rushed close to Ning Cheng’s place, she already realized that the high tide of the Blood River had already begun a moment before, and saw Ning Cheng being swept away by a huge wave from the Blood River. But before she could panic out loud or even react, the next wave had already swept towards her position.
