The setting sun dipped westward, and wisps of cool clouds burned red like fire.
A slow, cold wind carrying a faint chill brushed across a dozen weary faces. Ten wary black-clad men surrounded three elders and a young man in their last gasps, amid a field strewn with corpses...
A wave of scorching heat and shrill wailing erupted behind them—the entire Weiyun Sect was ablaze!
From a distance, a mountain peak rose beneath towering flame light, while Black Smoke billowed into the sky!
"Sect Master Ling, Sect Master Withered-Leaf!"
Blackwater Tu held a squirming mass of black water in his hand and gave the four of them a sinister smile. "Didn't expect this, did you? In the end, you're still going to die at my hands, old man!"
Surrounded in the middle were none other than Feng Ling, the Withered Leaf Ape, Ling Chen, and Xue Jiu.
"Hahaha... old butcher, today I fell for your treacherous scheme. I admit defeat!"
The Withered Leaf Ape's face shifted between purple and black. He tilted his head back and let out a shrill, bitter laugh, then gritted his teeth and spat out a mouthful of black blood. "Worst case, I wait eighteen years and I'll still be a good man again! But..."
"You're going to die for me! Because only by walking to Huangquan together with you can I close my eyes in peace!"
With a grief-stricken, furious roar, an aged figure suddenly erupted with power and shook everyone present.
"Boom! Boom! Boom!"
Alarm flashed through Blackwater Tu's eyes as he dragged his gravely wounded body into another collision with the Withered Leaf Ape.
"Pfft!"
Both gravely wounded men coughed up blood. Blackwater Tu looked down at the blood-soaked withered leaf lodged in his chest, his heart seething with shock and fury.
This old fellow had taken Deadly Poison, yet he fought with the resolve of a man already dead—he was throwing his life away against me!
As the two fought their Battle of Life and Death, darkness swallowed the last sliver of the setting sun's glow.
Above the blazing Weiyun Sect, blood-red clouds churned through Black Cloud. Lightning flashed, thunder rolled, and a foul, violent wind howled to life.
Strange raindrops began to patter down, drop by drop, striking this ravaged and ruined land.
Under the baptism of the fine rain, the flame light within the Weiyun Sect did not die. It burned more fiercely, raging unchecked in every direction and reducing one ancient building after another to charred ruins...
"Ah—blood rain!"
An Evil Spirit Master looked up in alarm as a drop of red, foul-smelling liquid struck him in the eye. He instinctively wiped it away with his sleeve, filled with dread!
The bizarre change in weather shocked everyone, but no one intended to stop fighting.
"Sect Master, Third Brother is here to help you!" Xu Laosan saw that things were going badly and moved to lend aid, but Elder Lingchen, who had been watching him, intercepted him again.
Feng Ling and Xue Jiu each engaged an opponent, but six figures still broke through their defenses.
They rushed at the Withered Leaf Ape, launching a sneak attack as he burned through the last light and heat of his life!
"Sect Master! Watch out—"
"Brother Withered Leaf..."
"Senior Withered-Leaf, be careful!"
Amid the blood rain, six figures closed in on the teetering Withered Leaf Ape. He coughed up another mouthful of blood, and his eyes burned red.
Feng Ling's eyes turned red as well.
What began as mutual exploitation had become a bond forged in life and death. The Withered Leaf Ape's spirit had undeniably moved Feng Ling.
Feng Ling swore in his heart that one day he would make Xu Laosan and the others wish for death and repay this monstrous debt of blood, drop by drop!
"Bastards, who told you to make a move? Get lost, all of you... I don't need any help!"
Blackwater Tu's eyes burned red. He spat out blood and furiously roared at the six Evil Spirit Masters, driving them back.
The Withered Leaf Ape charged forward, and the two trembling old men clashed again in a brutal, bloody battle!
A strong man! No matter where he goes, he is worthy of respect. The Withered Leaf Ape... must die!
He could die from Deadly Poison or beneath my own claws, but Blackwater Tu would never let him die beneath the attack of cowards taking advantage of his weakness!
Xu Laosan harbored deep treacherous ambition!
He could command everyone like this only because he had been plotting for a long time. Blackwater Tu murmured the thought to himself as a deeply hidden murderous intent flashed in his eyes.
"Ahh!" Amid the Blood Rain and violent wind, a heart-rending roar tore across the pitch-black night sky!
The Withered Leaf Ape spat mouthful after mouthful of black blood. His face had turned entirely purple, and a terrifying withered-yellow light burst from his body—he had reached the final flare before death.
Three hundred and sixty-six withered leaves pierced Blackwater Tu's flesh, leaving his body riddled with bloody holes. He gazed weakly at the Withered Leaf Ape and did not stop the old man's final strike before death. This was his last respect for an old-generation powerhouse about to fall!
"Hah! Ling Chen, Ling Weiyun! Go, all of you..."
A ball of withered-yellow light shot forward and struck Xu Laosan and the other black-clad men, sending them staggering back and coughing blood. A terrifying force then hurled Feng Ling and the other two out of the encirclement.
Everyone expected the Withered Leaf Ape's frenzied counterattack before death to drag several people down with him. The outcome, however, defied all expectations.
"Sect Master..."
"Brother Withered Leaf!"
"Senior Withered-Leaf..."
Feng Ling and the other two retreated at full speed as Blood Rain pelted their bodies. They looked toward the aged figure who had turned without hesitation to face Blackwater Tu, and bitter sorrow filled their hearts.
"Ahh! Avenge... avenge me!"
A shrill, agonized scream echoed from the mountain peak blazing with flame light far behind them.
A withered leaf struck with fatal force, though its momentum gradually faded. Blackwater Tu spat out several mouthfuls of blood. His blood-soaked Ghost Claws withdrew from the Withered Leaf Ape's skull, and he staggered back two steps before telling the two stunned black-clad men, "Bury him well."
"Third Brother, take the men and hunt down Ling Weiyun and the other two at once—there must be no survivors!"
Blackwater Tu turned weakly to give Xu Laosan the order. Without waiting for a response, he collapsed into the pool of blood and began healing his wounds.
Gazing at that dying figure sitting upright amid the blood rain, Xu Laosan's eyes flickered uncertainly as countless thoughts raced through his mind.
"You six, come with me!"
In the end, Xu Laosan suppressed the treacherous impulse stirring within him and did not dare strike. He shouted and led the seven of them onward through the sickening Blood Rain, pursuing Feng Ling and the other two.
After the group left, Blackwater Tu opened his eyes. His pupils held cold murderous intent.
Then he closed his eyes once more, focusing all his mental strength on recovering from his wounds.
Though Blackwater Tu had suffered grave injuries, he could still resist. The pitiful state he displayed was only a performance for certain people.
If Xu Laosan had shown any treacherous intent just now,
he would likely already be nothing more than a corpse lying before Blackwater Tu!
Thunder rumbled. On the muddy path soaked by Blood Rain, Feng Ling and the other two fled with pained expressions and troubled eyes. Though they ran at full speed, they could not stop themselves from looking back.
The three men had keen eyesight. Their pupils contracted as several ghostly figures emerged through the drizzle of Blood Rain and closed in behind them!
"Quick, quick! Don't let them get away..."
Rapid footsteps approached as mud splashed in every direction. A group of murderous shadowy figures swept past, leaving deep footprints on the dirt road.
The cold wind howled through the pitch-black surroundings. Lightning and thunder revealed the outlines of dense vegetation in flashes, making the scene eerie and terrifying!
"Big brother, Nephew-Disciple Xue! This pack of Evil Spirit Masters won't give up the chase—it looks like they won't stop until the bitter end!"
Feng Ling and the other two dragged their gravely wounded bodies through the Blood Rain and darkness. They fled blindly for nearly several miles over two hours, yet the pursuing voices behind them grew clearer instead of fading.
"Martial Uncle Ling, do you have a plan?"
Xue Jiu, who had remained silent all this while, asked Elder Lingchen beside him as they ran.
"Second Brother Chen! You want us to split up and flee for our lives, don't you?"
"Big brother... I..."
Feng Ling stated his thoughts so bluntly that Elder Lingchen looked embarrassed.
Fearing Feng Ling might misunderstand, he hurried to explain himself, but before he could, a single sentence silenced him.
"No need. Big brother understands. Go now—the two of you must survive this and make it out alive!"
Feng Ling waved his hand, tossed out those words, and turned to flee toward the northeast. Feng Ling knew that "splitting up to flee" was the best option available now—otherwise, if they dragged this out any longer, not one of them would survive.
Feng Ling also understood his own situation. Though Ling Chen and Xue Jiu had not said so outright, his current condition made him a burden to them.
Feng Ling did not resent them. When facing death, how many people could sacrifice themselves for righteousness and willingly die for another?
At the very least, Feng Ling admitted to himself that he could not!
"Big brother!"
As they watched the aged figure vanish into the boundless night, heart-wrenching sorrow washed over them.
"Sect Master!"
Both of their hearts were filled with worry, but there was nothing to be done—the two of them could barely protect themselves as it was!
"Nephew-Disciple, farewell for now..."
"Martial Uncle, take care!"
Battle cries drew closer behind them. Soaked through, the two men followed their plan. They gritted their teeth, parted ways, and fled headlong in different directions...
From that moment on, the bond tying Feng Ling and the other two together was broken completely.
Each of the three had a Fate Tribulation to face. Whether they could escape the Demon Claw depended entirely on Fortuitous Opportunity. All they could do was do their utmost and leave the rest to fate!
"Third Elder, it looks like they've split up! What should we do?"
Following the trail of blood, Xu Laosan and the others came to a stop at a three-way fork in the road.
The group stared at the fresh footprints left behind on all three paths, uncertain and alarmed.
"Boom!" The black-clad men closest to Xu Laosan flinched in shock.
An Ancient Dead Tree half a man's girth suddenly exploded. Its branches creaked and snapped, shaking loose countless raindrops that carved a deep gash into the muddy road!
"Ghost Wind, Ghost Rain, you two head left and pursue Xue Jiu! The other four head northeast after Ling Weiyun. Remember, capture Ling Weiyun alive. Hand him to me the moment you catch him!"
"Understood... we obey Third Elder's command."
The six pursuing figures vanished at tremendous speed.
He lowered his blood-dripping fist.
Xu Laosan looked toward the direction Elder Lingchen had fled. Savage cruelty flickered in his eyes!
He had planned to wipe out all three in one sweep, but they had split up and fled instead!
Xu Laosan desperately wanted the Eighth-Rank Ghost Spirit Body, but he knew which threat mattered most!
Elder Lingchen's cultivation was the highest among them, undoubtedly the greatest threat—he had to go after him personally to be at ease. As for Feng Ling and Xue Jiu, their cultivation was comparatively lower; he believed that one Fourth Rank and one Fifth Rank would be more than enough to handle the poisoned and lightly wounded Xue Jiu. As for the gravely injured Feng Ling, he had even more forces watching him—three Fourth Ranks and one Fifth Rank—so he had nothing to worry about there! Besides, with Blackwater Tu absent, once he captured Ling Chen alive, the Ghost Spirit Body would still be his for the taking, ahead of anyone else!
With these thoughts in mind, Xu Laosan laughed and charged toward the direction Elder Lingchen had fled. Though drenched by the pouring rain, he was in excellent spirits!
The next day, a shocking piece of news spread among the small and mid-tier factions...
The Weiyun Sect and the Withered Leaf Sect were wiped out overnight, and raging fires burned for three days and three nights!
The entire Blackwater Sect stood empty; every disciple seemed to have vanished into thin air!