A wide river blocked the way forward. The waters of the river surged and frothed, rushing towards a lower level.
Han Shuo stood in front of a towering tree, panting heavily, barely able to suppress the wild madness in his heart. His eyes were bloody red as he looked back at the two slowly approaching him.
Their shapes were becoming clearer under the bright night sky. Ferguson used magic to bring Maxine with him. They appeared in Han Shuo's vision like two floating clouds.
"You're here at last, I've been waiting a long time!" Killing intent billowed and swirled around him as a bloody red light surrounded Han Shuo's body. This crimson light was the strange energy of fear and resentment that his body had naturally absorbed when he had killed the robbers earlier.
"Although your methods are cruel, you saved those people just now, which means you're not an immoral person. I've already investigated you and know that you're not from the Calamity Church. But the things you have in your hands are too dangerous for this world, so I must capture you and imprison you forever in the Church of Light. Rest assured, I will not take your life! Ferguson's body flew to a nearby branch as he calmly looked at Han Shuo.
The charming body of the elven archer, Maxine, gracefully descended, notching an arrow in the process. As she took aim at Han Shuo, a sense of danger suddenly surged through his heart and he couldn't help but cast a few more glances at Maxine.
"The Church of Calamity has nothing to do with me, and I have no way of using my knowledge to reform large numbers of dark creatures. I can tell you clearly that I won't join the Calamity Church. In fact, we're enemies. However, if you continue to pursue me, I don't care if your reputation is good or bad, I will kill whoever threatens me without a moment's hesitation." Han Shuo suppressed the mad thoughts in his heart as he spoke viciously with a scowl on his face.
"Sorry, not killing you is already my biggest concession. I can't allow you to leave because what you have is too dangerous for us." Ferguson shook his head and replied firmly. It seemed there was no room for negotiation.
Laughing wildly, Han Shuo nodded. "Since that's the case, then there's nothing for us to talk about. I won't go easy on you if you dare to make a move!"
Han Shuo rose into the air before he lost his mind and transformed into a beam of red light that flew towards the Dark Forest.
Whoosh!
Maxine shot out the arrow she'd been notching for so long, and it tore through the air like a bolt of lightning. A deafening howl followed it as it closed in on Han Shuo like a shadow. It didn't seem to stop until it tasted blood.
Grand Magus Ferguson didn't stand still either. As Han Shuo's body catapulted through the air, Ferguson waved his staff and sent a blinding bolt of light towards Han Shuo. The stream of energy gave Han Shuo a dangerous feeling.
He'd been shooting through the air when he felt the attack coming closer. His charging body suddenly screeched to a halt as he thoughtfully activated the Demonslayer Edge and sent it flying out of his sleeve to intercept Maxine's arrow. Han Shuo circled his magical yuan and focused the violent aura around him onto his right arm.
A bloody glow radiated from his right arm as this tremendous power rushed towards the beam of bright light with a force similar to the raging river beneath him.
A resounding explosion accompanied the dazzling clash of white and bloody-red light that blossomed in the air like a wondrous firework. There was a strange and pagan beauty to it.
Han Shuo's body fell from the sky like a rock in the aftermath of this magnificent sight. He fell with a thud into the river and was instantly engulfed by the raging waters.
Ferguson and Maxine hovered over the spot where Han Shuo had hit the water, waiting. They looked at the water, not quite sure what to do.
They waited for quite some time as the river churned and frothed. Han Shuo had seemingly disappeared without a trace, not even a hint of surfacing from the river water. Ferguson and Maxine were both incredibly amazed.
"With the strength he showed, he couldn't have died so easily. Why didn't he float to the surface of the river? There's no way he could have gone that long without breathing!" Ferguson looked around in astonishment as he faltered, uncertain.
"Maybe he's already dead. Otherwise he would have surfaced long ago. No one can go that long without breathing!" Maxine was also very confused as she hesitantly guessed.
"He must have been swept downstream if he hadn't died. Come on, let's go downstream!" Sure that Han Shuo was gone after a while, Ferguson flew with Maxine in the direction of the river.
After they had disappeared, the Dark Grand Magus Edwin and the female alchemist Belinda emerged from the shadows of a towering tree.
"It was a good thing we were some distance away. Otherwise we'd have been spotted by that old fox Ferguson. Looks like Bryan's in a lot of trouble!" Edwin's heart was still pounding.
"With both Ferguson and Maxine attacking him, he must've been knocked into the river. He hasn't come up for so long, maybe he's already dead!" Belinda guessed the same as Maxine as she looked down at the foaming water.
Edwin shook his head with a smile and said firmly, "No, he's definitely not dead! Bystanders have the clearest view, and I noticed a few details that were off during the fight. Although Bryan's weapon fell into the river along with Maxine's arrow after they collided, its path was steady. Based on what you saw earlier, his weapon must still be in his grasp. That means Bryan didn't fall into the river unconscious, nor is he dead, otherwise he wouldn't have been able to control his weapon!
Belinda thought back with surprise after hearing Edwin's words, and agreed: "That's right, he must still be alive!
"Hehehe, the stronger he is and the more he can protect himself, the more advantageous it is for us. We have a chance to capture him as long as he's not dead. He's sure to reappear. Before he does, we've got to learn everything we can about him. We must have him!" Edwin left with Belinda after a low chuckle.
In a place far from where Han Shuo had fallen into the broad, rushing river, a figure shot into the air like a sharp arrow, decorating the air with a spray of water. After getting its bearings, it shot towards the Dark Forest.
Edwin's assessment had been completely correct. Han Shuo's concentrated aura on his right hand had completely defended him against Ferguson powerful light attack. He hadn't been injured at all. Before he'd fallen into the river, he'd retrieved the Demonslayer's Edge and flown along the river's depths, avoiding Ferguson before taking to the sky again.
Han Shuo had planned to fight Ferguson, but thanks to Edwin's haste and desire to see everything, he'd revealed himself to one of the three Yin Demons. This changed Han Shuo's mind as he decided to hide in the river and hurry away from this place of trouble.
With Han Shuo's strength, as well as the little skeleton and the earth elite zombie, plus his magical cultivation and necromancy magic, even if he couldn't triumph over Ferguson and Maxine, he was confident that he would be able to leave at will. They would never be able to stop him.
However, the appearance of Edwin and Belinda made Han Shuo give up on the idea of a pitched battle. For Han Shuo, the two from the Church of Calamity were just as annoying. If they were to ambush him while he was fighting Ferguson and Maxine, he would be in a world of trouble.
Therefore, after weighing the gains and losses, Han Shuo felt that there was nothing to be gained by staying. So he decided to avoid them and use his magical cultivation to make his escape through the bottom of the river.
The last time Fanny and the others had gone to the Cemetery of Death, it had taken them about ten days to reach the place. Thanks to the Demonic Ninth Heaven's art, Han Shuo saved a lot of time and took only a day and a night to fly there. He arrived at the Cemetery on the evening of the second day.
Although he'd rested three times along the way, Han Shuo had still used up quite a bit of Magical yuan by the time he'd reached the cemetery of death. He was forced to rest and recuperate once more.
He placed the three Yin Demons outside the Cemetery to wait for Gilbert's arrival and meditated for the night. The next day he was fully recovered.
The cemetery was surrounded by a powerful boundary, and those within it never felt the rays of the moonlight. It was shrouded in a dark and sinister atmosphere all year round, and stark white bones were piled all over the ground, making it a sacred place for the dead.
When he saw that Gilbert had not returned yet, Han Shuo had no choice but to take out the materials Phoebe had given him and look at them one by one.
Han Shuo had asked her to collect materials that would be used in the dwarves' forge, but also items that he could use to refine some of his own magical treasures.
The demon infant had fully taken shape and was now in the Bloodlust Realm. He could definitely refine some treasures now. Not only did he want to temper the Demonslayer's Edge again, but he also wanted to create some useful little baubles for himself.