Chapter 221: A Thousand-Mile Journey

Chapter 221 -162: A Thousand-Mile Journey

“No need. We’ll split it fifty-fifty,” Shen Yunjiao said, her tone somewhat cold as she shook her head.

“Alright then.” Chen Xiaorong didn’t insist further.

Zhao Zuo casually produced a few Cleaning Talismans and used them on Chen Xiaorong. The bloodstains and dirt on her instantly vanished, and her Taoist Robe was pristine once more. It seemed her complexion had even improved significantly. Her gaze softened as she looked at Zhao Zuo, and she spoke quietly.

“Thank you.”

Nearby, Shen Yunjiao pursed her lips at the sight but said nothing.

Chen Xiaorong took the first watch of the night, so Zhao Zuo and Shen Yunjiao began to rest. However, they both kept a portion of their awareness focused on their surroundings. This place was hardly safe, after all.

A few two-hour periods later, Shen Yunjiao took over from Chen Xiaorong, swapping the watch.

Time passed quickly, but the enemy never attacked.

「The next day, at dawn.」

Shen Yunjiao formed hand seals to open the cave passage. Zhao Zuo got up and began dismantling the traps and mechanisms from the night before. Chen Xiaorong struggled to her feet; it was clear she still hadn’t recovered her mobility.

“I’ll carry you.” Shen Yunjiao reached out, lifted Chen Xiaorong with one arm, and casually settled her onto her back, supporting her thigh with one hand.

“She’s injured, after all. You should be a little more gentle,” Zhao Zuo suggested.

“It’s fine, I’m fine…” Chen Xiaorong waved a hand, her voice faint. She had none of the arrogance of a Foundation Establishment Powerhouse and seemed very approachable. She closed her eyes and began to regulate her internal injuries, trying to recover her fighting strength as soon as possible.

“Let’s go.”

Zhao Zuo took the lead, exiting the dark cave. The moment he stepped out, a blood-red figure materialized less than a meter in front of him, a dagger striking for his chest like a viper’s tongue.

“Watch out!” Chen Xiaorong’s eyes flew open as she shouted a warning.

“Vajra Talisman!” The instant the assassin struck, Zhao Zuo sensed the mortal danger. The hair on his body stood on end and cold sweat poured down his back. He felt the threat of death once again.

A brilliant golden light erupted from his body. It wasn’t just the Vajra Technique; he was simultaneously mobilizing his Qi Blood and Mana for an attack. It was too late to just defend.

This was his counterattack, but it wasn’t a desperate, last-ditch effort—the Spring and Autumn Cicada was fully repaired!

The situation was dangerous, but by no means fatal.

DING.

CRACK.

The barrier from the Vajra Talisman shattered completely, not even lasting a second. The enemy’s speed was undiminished, completely unaffected, as the blood-red dagger continued its path toward his chest.

Zhao Zuo met the eyes on the enemy’s mask, and he suddenly understood. This attack wasn’t aimed at killing Chen Xiaorong; it was revenge for his own sneak attack the day before.

‘If that’s the case, then this is the only way.’

The Golden Light Mirror flared, emerging from Zhao Zuo’s robes to block the blood-red dagger. Simultaneously, Zhao Zuo threw a heavy, powerful punch at the Blood-clothed Man’s chest with the grim determination of one willing to trade an injury to land a blow.

“Too late,” the Blood-clothed Man said in a low voice. His figure abruptly turned illusory as his speed surged once more.

“Blood Shadow Escape: Nether Ghost Thorn—Yama.”

DING.

The Golden Light Mirror was pierced. A bloody light spread out like a crescent moon, carrying a Sharpness that seemed capable of slicing through Space itself. At the same time, Zhao Zuo’s fist slammed into the enemy’s body, only to be blocked by a blood-red barrier. Shen Yunjiao immediately activated her Taotie Transformation and attacked.

This time, she was truly starting to panic. She was terrified that Zhao Zuo might die…

The enemy had chosen the perfect opportunity, especially by changing the target of the assassination.

DING.

The Spring and Autumn Cicada on Zhao Zuo’s chest trembled slightly. An invisible Energy surged out, enveloping his body with an unshakeable solidity, as if no substance in existence could penetrate it.

Its name was Time. In that instant, Zhao Zuo borrowed the power of the Spring and Autumn Cicada, gaining temporary command over this force. His right fist passed straight through the blood-red barrier, and the deadly, blood-colored light of the dagger missed its mark, striking nothing but empty air.

For that one instant, Zhao Zuo became a phantom that time and Space could not touch. The enemy’s attack hit nothing, while Zhao Zuo’s right fist smashed directly into his chest. He had put almost all of his strength into this punch, unleashing nearly all the Qi Blood in his body.

WHAM!

The turn of events was sudden. The Blood-clothed Man’s body was sent flying like a cannonball, crashing hard against a distant tree trunk.

After landing, he instinctively scrambled to his feet. With a push from his legs, he retreated more than ten meters, dodging Shen Yunjiao’s deadly pounce.

Her eyes were now blood-red, and the aura radiating from her body caused the surrounding plants and trees to Wither. She didn’t pause for even a moment.

She charged the enemy again. From the rear, Zhao Zuo threw his Sky-Breaking Saber, simultaneously drawing his Black Flame Saber. Black Flame wreathed the blade as he slashed violently toward the spot where the Blood-clothed Man had landed.

TAP TAP TAP.

The Blood-clothed Man pushed off the ground, his movements impossibly light, as if he were completely uninjured. He landed gracefully on a branch, his body slightly bent. He spat a mouthful of blood that trickled down from the cracks in his mask.

It dripped from his jawline to the ground below, spattering into crimson blossoms.

The shadows of the trees swayed. Shen Yunjiao leaped toward the branch, her sword held in a reverse grip. Her attack, like a blood-red, heaven-defying dragon, arrived in an instant. But the Blood-clothed Man was like an intangible breeze, effortlessly dodging her surprise attack. He landed lightly on a nearby branch, his body still slightly hunched.

He raised his head. His gaze skipped over Shen Yunjiao, who was closer, and fixed on Zhao Zuo’s face behind her. It was as if he was searing that face into his memory, his eyes filled with a trace of fury.

“This is the second time.”

The Blood-clothed Man spoke faintly, and then his figure once again melted into the seam between the virtual and the real, vanishing on the spot.

“That was too dangerous. His fighting style is completely unlike a Cultivator’s,” Zhao Zuo exclaimed with lingering fear. Though he was unharmed this time, he felt a new level of caution, even dread. The enemy’s timing was more akin to that of an experienced assassin; if an attack failed to connect, he retreated without the slightest hesitation.

Their first exchange hadn’t been so bad. As the one initiating the surprise attack, he hadn’t truly grasped how difficult this person was to deal with. But this time, as the target, Zhao Zuo felt an immense, terrifying pressure, as if he were locked on by an inescapable attack.

“He’s a Blood Thorn, trained by the Blood Demon Dao. Their training methods are derived from how assassins are cultivated in the Mortal World. Combined with Secret Techniques that enhance speed and offensive power, they strike to kill in a single blow,” Chen Xiaorong began to explain, but Shen Yunjiao promptly hoisted her up and threw her onto her back.

“He’ll definitely strike again,” Shen Yunjiao said in a low voice. “Let’s keep moving.”

Zhao Zuo took the Spring and Autumn Cicada from his robes. Seeing that the Spiritual Light on its surface had grown extremely dim, he couldn’t help but wince in pain.

A fine crack now marred the cicada’s body, stretching from its head to its tail. The green Spiritual Light within had grown incredibly faint, with only two motes of light remaining.

Repairing it now carried the risk of exposure. This meant that for the rest of the journey back, he had lost a life-saving trump card. That Blood-clothed Man wouldn’t give him another chance.

‘This is too passive,’ Zhao Zuo thought.

He couldn’t rely on the half-crippled Chen Xiaorong to break the stalemate. ‘This is so damn hard.’

“We have to capture him to finish him,” Shen Yunjiao said.

“I do have a viable plan, but we’ll only get one shot at it.”

Chen Xiaorong quietly explained her plan. Zhao Zuo, finding it feasible, handed her the Soul-Shaking Bell.

Empowered by her Divine Thought, the bell’s soul-shaking power would be greatly enhanced. It might even be enough to rattle the Blood-clothed Man’s very Soul. But the method would only work once.

Zhao Zuo suggested a few modifications, and they finalized their plan to corner and kill the assassin.

The trio set off again, weaving through the forest, pausing occasionally to get their bearings.