Fang Wang and his two companions groped their way along, occasionally encountering disciples of the Green Cicada Valley and even suffered ambushes, but these disciples were all in the Qi Cultivation Realm, posing no real threat to them.
Another three days passed, and besides the Green Cicada Valley, they began to encounter disciples of the Huangyu Mountain. However, the Huangyu Mountain disciples were more cautious; upon seeing the trio, they chose to avoid them.
Furthermore, they encountered many Loose Cultivators scouring the forests, clearly all here for the inheritance of the Ji Hao Sect.
It was noon on this day.
Fang Wang and his companions arrived at a cliff where they could overlook the endless forest ahead. Glancing around, they could see many cultivators and even some clashing in the air.
Quite the spectacle!
This was the first time Fang Wang had seen so many disciples from different sects and Loose Cultivators gathered together, especially in the remote mountains far from human habitation.
Cultivators were not only flying with swords but also with all sorts of bizarre flying magical artifacts, and some even rode spirit demons and magical creatures as mounts, causing Fang Wang to envy them. He secretly decided that one day he must have a domineering, stylish mount for himself.
"It seems that Fang Hanyu or other disciples' whereabouts have been exposed, hence so many people have come," Zhou Xue pondered.
Zhou Xing Shi frowned, "Exposed, yet not captured; could it be that some powerful force is protecting him?"
Zhou Xue shook her head, unable to be certain.
"Ahead are not only those in the Qi Cultivation Realm, I've already sensed many cultivators stronger than me. Are we really going to rescue him?" Zhou Xing Shi continued.
Zhou Xue didn't answer, staring ahead and falling into deep thought.
Fang Wang didn't feel too pressured; he was eager to show his prowess.
As long as no experts beyond the Soul Sculpting Realm appeared, he was unafraid of the numbers of enemies in the same realm. Even if he couldn't win, he could run.
Great Perfection of the White Rainbow Evasion Technique gave him the confidence to break through encirclement and shake off pursuers!
Just then, a gust of wind blew from the east, causing Fang Wang and the others to turn their heads and see a beetle as large as a hill flying towards them. It flapped its wings rapidly, creating waves of wind that shook the trees along its path, creating a spectacular wave through the forest.
This beetle was pitch-black with eight legs and a pair of scorpion-like pincers on its head, resembling a demon insect from a demonic realm, eerie and terrifying. Standing behind the pincers was a mysterious red sedan chair.
"It's him..."
Zhou Xue squinted and mumbled to herself.
Hearing this, Fang Wang asked, "Who is he?"
"The number one talent of the Green Cicada Valley, Li Hongshuang. He is an Earth Origin Spirit Treasure, but this news has not yet spread," Zhou Xue whispered in introduction.
Zhou Xing Shi frowned, "I've heard of Li Hongshuang. The Li Family is a millennium-old family, and he was the pride of the family since childhood. But he chose to join the Green Cicada Valley, enraging the Li Family. Although they ostensibly expelled him from the family records, there are rumors that this was the Li Family's arrangement."
Fang Wang asked Zhou Xue through a private message, "What realm is Li Hongshuang in now?"
"He should be in the eight or ninth layer of the Soul Sculpting Realm. It will be a few years before he reaches the Spirit Elixir Realm. Once he does, his insects will evolve, making him easy to identify. Two hundred years later, he will become the number one person in Green Cicada Valley, and fifty years after that, he will be the Valley Master of the Green Cicada Valley, becoming a leading figure in the Grand Qi Demonic Dao. It will be troublesome to encounter him," Zhou Xue answered gravely through private message.
That impressive?
Fang Wang raised an eyebrow but wasn't intimidated. No matter how formidable, that was a matter for the future. In this life, he had survived, and with the help of the Heavenly Palace, everything in the future would change because of him!
Li Hongshuang's giant insect drew the attention of many cultivators, with disciples of Green Cicada Valley immediately flying towards him like a rain of arrows coming from all directions—the scene was quite spectacular.
Seeing this momentum, there must have been at least three to four hundred disciples from the Green Cicada Valley alone, not to mention other cultivators. If their target was all Fang Hanyu, that would indeed be troublesome.
Boom!
A thunderous roar came from the horizon, accompanied by the trembling of the mountains. Li Hongshuang's insect immediately flew towards that direction.
Zhou Xing Shi looked at Fang Wang and silently prayed he wouldn't do anything foolish.
"Let's go see. If it's not Fang Hanyu, we'll leave. I've already mastered the White Rainbow Evasion Technique you taught me!" Fang Wang said softly.
Zhou Xue looked at him in surprise. The White Rainbow Evasion Technique was not a simple flying technique, by no means comparable to mundane techniques like the Sword Control Technique. This kid had already mastered it?
She knew that when Fang Wang said 'mastered', it wasn't just about being able to use it—it was Great Completion!
"Let's go have a look then. There are so many loose cultivators anyway!" Zhou Xue decided, and the two immediately chased after using their swords.
Zhou Xing Shi gritted his teeth and could only bravely follow suit.
They're both crazy!
...
In the forest, a black panther was fleeing rapidly, carrying a person on its back—Fang Hanyu. He was clutching the panther's neck tightly, his eyes still wrapped in cloth, and as the difficulty of the chase increased, his eye sockets began to bleed.
In the branches nearby, a green figure was leaping swiftly, its speed no less than the panther's. It was the green-dressed girl who had rescued Fang Hanyu. She wore a fox mask, ghostly in appearance.
"Leave me behind; don't let me involve you..."
Fang Hanyu gritted his teeth and said. During this time, although he could not see, he often heard the sounds of fighting, understanding it was the green-dressed girl and her tribespeople protecting him.
"You think I don't want to? But as soon as those people set foot in our tribal land, they started killing indiscriminately. Many of my friends have been flayed and dismembered. It's not just you I'm saving—earlier, my sister saved another disciple from the Tai Yuan Sect, and after handing him over, my sister was killed on the spot... despicable! One day, I will destroy Green Cicada Valley and Huangyu Mountain!"
"Since it's death either way, might as well save your life, so you can return to the Tai Yuan Sect for help. Tai Yuan Sect is a righteous sect; they surely won't let this go!"
The green-dressed girl answered quickly, her words weighing heavily on Fang Hanyu's heart.
How many of his fellow disciples who embarked on this adventure with him had survived?
Falling into the hands of the Demonic Dao, even if they were alive, it would be worse than death.
Fang Hanyu was filled with hatred but could only suppress it. At that moment, he lacked not only the strength to fight but even the strength to stand.
Boom!
A deafening roar came from ahead, followed immediately by a gale that caught Fang Hanyu off guard, blowing him into the air. With a thud, he felt his waist collide with a tree trunk, and he nearly passed out from the pain.
The girl in the green dress landed, her body sliding uncontrollably backwards. She looked up and saw a trench had appeared in the forest ahead, with trees toppling to either side and dust filling the air.
A menacing, black, giant insect hovered in the air, with a red sedan resting atop its head, its curtains flickering like intense flames.
Behind the giant insect, a large number of Green Cicada Valley disciples were approaching.
A middle-aged man landed in front of the red sedan and spoke, "Senior Brother, there's a seriously injured cultivator ahead; his eyes have been gouged out. It's very likely he's one of the Tai Yuan Sect disciples who escaped from us."
A languid voice came from within the red sedan, "Bring him here and ask."
"There's a demon creature nearby..."
"Kill it then."
"Yes!"
The middle-aged man immediately turned and signaled the Green Cicada Valley disciples behind him. Immediately, twelve disciples flew towards the girl in green and Fang Hanyu using their Sword Control Technique.
The black panther that had been carrying Fang Hanyu was pinned down by a tree that had snapped in half, wailing and unable to move.
The girl in green wanted to carry Fang Hanyu on her back, but the sound of a sword cutting through the air made her jump back in fright as a long sword intercepted her path.
Seeing this, the girl in green could only flee in another direction, vanishing into the depths of the forest within a few steps.
The middle-aged man standing on the giant insect waved his hand once more, and nine Green Cicada Valley disciples immediately pursued the girl in green.
Fang Hanyu lay in front of the tree, his body hurting so much that he felt as if he was falling apart. The cloth over his eyes was soaked with blood, even dripping, presenting a particularly tragic sight.
He heard footsteps and knew the enemy was approaching him.
"I remember this guy, taking advantage of our unpreparedness, he actually threw himself over the cliff. When we went to look for him later, he was nowhere to be found."
"Oh? He's the Tai Yuan Sect disciple who escaped from your grasp?"
"Hmm, he still has some backbone. His limbs were broken, his eyes gouged out, yet he didn't beg for mercy, much more backbone than his Senior Brothers and Senior Sisters."
"Tsk tsk, look at him now, he looks just like a worm about to be crushed to death."
Hearing the Green Cicada Valley disciples' laughter, Fang Hanyu's fingers dug into the soil, filled with hatred in his heart.
Just then, a White Rainbow shot out from the forest at breakneck speed.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh...
A series of piercing sounds of slicing air rose, one after another, and Fang Hanyu faintly felt the sharp Sword Qi. Being a swordsman himself, he was very sensitive to it.
Before he had time to think, he heard the thud of bodies hitting the ground, and the Green Cicada Valley disciples' shouts abruptly ceased.
What's happening?
Fang Hanyu was extremely nervous, his body shivering instinctively.
At this moment, a figure stood in front of him, straight and tall in the sunlight, in fluttering white robes, surrounded by bodies.
It was Fang Wang!
Fang Wang, with his back to Fang Hanyu, held the Superior Grade Spiritual Weapon, Qingjun Sword; his eyes, cold under the bamboo hat, were fixed on the giant insect hovering above the forest.
"Who are you?"
The middle-aged man beside the red sedan on the insect's head asked harshly, fear filling his eyes.
Fang Wang was too fast!
He hadn't even seen how Fang Wang had made his move before the twelve disciples were all dead!
When Fang Hanyu heard this, he realized someone was rescuing him, and he gritted his teeth, "Whoever you are, don't save me. I'm already done for. Instead of being dragged down by me, you should run!"
He thought it was the girl in green or someone from her clan; he didn't want to implicate innocent people anymore.
"Dragged down? This is the second time I'm saving you. If you're broken, think of a way to recover. I'll be waiting for you to repay the life-saving grace in the future!"
A familiar voice came from ahead, causing Fang Hanyu to suddenly look up.
"Fang... Wang?"
Fang Hanyu's tone was filled with disbelief. He couldn't believe that Fang Wang would appear at this moment.
"Tsk tsk, such a terrible injury, even your eyes have been gouged out."
A mocking laugh came through, and Fang Hanyu, upon hearing it, wasn't angry. Instead, his body shook violently, feeling aggrieved for the first time, because his clanmates had arrived.
Zhou Xue had come too!
Facing torture by Green Cicada Valley disciples, he didn't feel wronged; being treated by the girl in green, no matter the pain, he wasn't scared; but only in the face of the arrival of two kin did he find it impossible to contain his emotions.
Zhou Xue and Zhou Xing Shi stepped out from the neighboring forest, and Zhou Xing Shi also felt a chill seeing the terrible state Fang Hanyu was in.
"Li Hongshuang, some believe you can become the next Master of Green Cicada Valley, but my sword disagrees!"
Fang Wang called out loud, surprising Zhou Xue and Zhou Xing Shi as they looked towards him.
After saying this, Fang Wang transmitted a message to Zhou Xue, asking her to take Fang Hanyu and leave quickly.
Zhou Xue indeed was an Immortal Venerable reborn, but Fang Wang didn't believe she was necessarily stronger than him, and since he lacked medical knowledge, it would be better to entrust the task of taking Fang Hanyu to Zhou Xue.