Chapter 458 - 427: Pursuit

Chapter 458: Chapter 427: Pursuit

Golden Core Cultivators were a common sight in Faqian City, but a display of force like this was exceptionally rare. A group of eleven—led by Yu Zhen, Fan Sulan, and Guang Hui—arrived with overwhelming momentum. They blocked the main street, and wherever they passed, other Cultivators retreated in alarm.

"Fellow Daoist Guang Hui, take your men and secure the north side of the Celestial Garden Inn. Fellow Daoist Fan, you and your people will guard the south gate."

With the Celestial Garden Inn now in sight, Yu Zhen held his Duster and said coldly, "I will take some people to guard the east gate; the rest will secure the West Gate. On my command, we will lock onto him with our Divine Sense and drag Xiao Chan out of the city by force."

"Shouldn’t we inform Valley Master Chen?"

someone asked.

"He’s staying right across from Xiao Chan. He must already know we’re here. Besides, he’s just a glory hound trying to steal our credit. It makes no difference whether he’s here or not!" Fan Sulan snorted coldly. She was still resentful that Chen Che had rejected her invitation.

Yu Zhen flicked his Duster. Guang Hui glanced at him, and the two exchanged a look filled with unspoken meaning.

As they spoke, the eleven Cultivators arrived outside the Celestial Garden Inn and quickly surrounded it, taking up positions on all four sides.

As Yu Zhen formed a Dao Seal, a majestic aura erupted from him. At the same moment, ten other vast streams of Divine Sense surged forth, sweeping into the Celestial Garden Inn as one.

"This Divine Sense...?"

"It’s not just one, it’s a dozen streams..."

"Someone dares to make a move inside Faqian City?"

In that same instant, countless people in the city were horrified. They all shot to their feet, staring in astonishment toward the source of the Divine Sense. In one corner of the city, they saw eleven colossal figures manifest, one after another.

This was a visual distortion caused by the immense power gap, an illusion created when they revealed their True Essence.

At that same moment.

Inside a private courtyard at the inn.

’They’re making their move this quickly?’

Chen Che’s eyes snapped open.

At the same time, in the courtyard across the way, Xiao Chan opened his eyes only to feel eleven immense streams of Divine Sense instantly and effortlessly shatter the Guard Array outside. Three of those streams were particularly massive, not only incredibly fast but also terrifyingly aggressive.

CLANG!

A great noise echoed on the mental plane—the sound of Divine Sense crashing against a Defensive Magical Artifact.

Nearby Cultivators felt a jolt in their seas of consciousness, as if a tempest had been unleashed within them.

WHOOSH—

Just as everyone clutched their heads in shock, a sound like the wail of countless vengeful spirits echoed out. A great black banner unfurled in the wind, and from it, myriads of Ghost Gods billowed out like a dense cloud, enveloping a figure and carrying him straight up into the sky.

The instant he was revealed, he shot toward the city outskirts without a moment’s hesitation.

The black light, surging with powerful True Essence, moved like a bolt of dark lightning. In less than the blink of an eye, it had streaked from above Faqian City to the distant horizon.

"He’s escaping?"

Yu Zhen’s expression froze for a second before a vicious glint appeared in his eyes. ’Let’s see you try to escape.’

With a flick of his long sleeve, he shot into the air in pursuit of Xiao Chan. Before he left, he cast a glance at Chen Che’s location and shouted, "Valley Master Chen, Xiao Chan has fled! What are you waiting for? Get after him!"

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

As he shouted, the ten-plus figures shot off in pursuit.

The resonant shouts, the surging waves of powerful True Essence, the mountainous torrents of Divine Sense, and the soaring Escape Lights instantly alerted the entire city of Faqian. Every Cultivator in the city stared at the scene in horror.

"What’s going on?"

"It’s Xiao Chan..."

"The Primordial Sect has laid an inescapable trap to execute Xiao Chan."

The massive commotion had already stunned the city’s Cultivators. Many even gave chase, hoping to find out what was happening.

However, they were quickly left in the dust.

How terrifyingly fast were these Golden Core Cultivators? In the blink of an eye, they covered dozens of miles. Within a few breaths, they had streaked for hundreds. To a mortal, they were like shooting stars, their trails impossible to follow with the naked eye.

’This kid is too damn slippery. He runs at the slightest touch? No wonder he’s managed to stay alive so long with the Primordial Sect hunting him down.’

Guang Hui, sitting atop a Curly-haired Cyan Lion, watched in astonishment as Xiao Chan sped away on his Soul-Calling Banner. At the same time, he glanced over at Chen Che and the Little Chick he was riding, feeling a pang of envy. The rest of them didn’t have such fine Demon Beasts for mounts.

And he was one of only two people who knew about the second part of the mission:

’That Demon Beast of Chen Che’s is quite a prize. I wonder if there’s a way for me to get my hands on it.’

"Valley Master Chen, you’re the fastest! Why don’t you go on ahead and intercept him?"

Yu Zhen frowned as he watched Chen Che ambling along casually behind the group, and he shouted out the order. He had been hoping that Valley Master Chen would take the lead and engage Xiao Chan in a fierce battle, allowing him to swoop in and reap the rewards like the proverbial fisherman. But now, all he could do was shout.

"That Xiao Chan is incredibly vicious. I doubt I could take him on alone. Besides, he’s fleeing so desperately that he’s bound to run out of energy soon. We can just swoop in and pick up an easy win then."

Chen Che replied, calm and unruffled.

’It wasn’t so easy to use him as a pawn.’ Xiao Chan’s desperate flight was a tactic; on one hand, it got him far away from Faqian City, and on the other, it was meant to wear down the stamina of the pursuing Golden Core Cultivators.

"That little bastard!"

At his words, the others gritted their teeth in frustration.

Even for Golden Core Powerhouses like Guang Hui, Fan Sulan, and Yu Zhen, maintaining such extreme speeds was a massive drain on their True Essence. But avian Demon Beasts were natural fliers and could keep pace effortlessly.

And yet, here he was, refusing to lift a finger.

"Fine, fine, fine!"

Yu Zhen almost laughed out of pure rage. He gave a sharp nod, no longer pinning any hopes on Chen Che. With a wave of his Duster, a fierce gale erupted, and he shot forward like a cannonball, his voice trailing behind him:

"Everyone, work together to kill him! Don’t let this brat escape! If he gets away, our work these past few months will all be for nothing!"

As his voice faded, he brandished his Duster.

The silver threads billowed out, suddenly expanding to an immense size. It looked like a cascading river of stars, like a charging Silver Dragon. As Yu Zhen brought his hand down, the threads lashed downwards in a powerful cleaving motion.

BOOM!

The Duster’s strike carried immense power. Missing Xiao Chan, it slammed into the mountain range below, instantly leveling a thousand-foot peak. When the dust settled, all that remained was a deep scar in the earth, as if the land had been swept clean by a dragon’s tail.

If that attack had landed, even a Golden Core Cultivator would have been gravely wounded!

Meanwhile, the other Cultivators also unleashed their attacks one after another.

In an instant, the world seemed to turn upside down.

Yet Xiao Chan, caught in a storm of attacks, maneuvered his Soul-Calling Banner with incredible agility. He dodged every single blow from behind, his forward momentum never faltering for a second!

His speed as he weaved and dodged was simply outrageous. Although their Magical Treasures had locked onto his aura, they just couldn’t keep up.

"What kind of Body Technique is that?"

Fan Sulan, holding her Jade Sword, had a look of utter disbelief in her eyes. "Does the Primordial Sect even have a Body Technique like that?"

"I don’t know."

Yu Zhen put away his Duster and said grimly, "That brat betrayed the Primordial Sect long ago. He’s also slaughtered members of the Evil Cultivator Alliance. He’s a complete rogue. Who knows where he learned such a top-tier Body Technique! But no matter what, he can’t outlast us!"

His Body Technique may have been superior, but their higher Cultivation Realms allowed them to stick to him like glue.

"Valley Master Chen, are you still not going to make a move?"

the one-armed Golden Core Cultivator asked, glaring at him resentfully.

This entire time, the kid had just been lazily trailing behind them. Even as they unleashed their attacks, he just watched as if it were a show. It was infuriating.

"My Cultivation is no match for any of you. I’d rather not embarrass myself,"

Chen Che said with a sheepish grin.

The one-armed Golden Core Cultivator was struck speechless.

Fan Sulan almost sputtered with laughter out of sheer exasperation. He was truly useless—his presence made no difference at all.

’It seems the rumors about him are mostly false,’ she thought. ’They said he fought several Golden Core Cultivators to a standstill at the Black Tortoise Calm Sea and that even Dan Xuanzi died by his hand. I certainly don’t see that kind of courage in him now.’

Fan Sulan wasn’t the only one who thought so.

The other Golden Core Cultivators also wore strange expressions. This kid had shown up to steal their glory, but he clearly had no intention of lifting a finger to earn it!

Guang Hui, however, couldn’t help but frown.

’Does this kid know something?’

"I’m not sure," Yu Zhen transmitted back. "His strength is immense, so he’s obviously hiding his abilities on purpose. Whether he knows or not... Huh? Not good!"

Just as Yu Zhen was sending his reply, he suddenly saw Xiao Chan’s figure swerve and plummet straight toward a mountain range below. The range wasn’t massive, but it stretched for four or five hundred li. The terrain was complex and the peaks were densely packed.

If Xiao Chan made it in there, finding him would become exponentially more difficult.

Without a second thought, Yu Zhen pulled out a Jade Ruyi and began to chant. The artifact immediately began to glow. He waved it forward and bellowed in a deep voice:

"Strike!"

The Jade Ruyi shot from his hand, transforming into a streak of light that flew straight for Xiao Chan, its speed far surpassing their other Magical Treasures.

Xiao Chan felt a sudden rush of wind from behind. He glanced back and saw the streak of light rapidly closing in. In that instant, a bone-deep terror seized him. Wherever the light passed, the countless Ghost Gods surrounding his Soul-Calling Banner vanished like snow under a blazing sun.

Without a moment’s hesitation, he brandished the Soul-Calling Banner, swinging its pole to meet the attack.

BANG!

With an eruption of Spiritual Light, Xiao Chan’s flight faltered, and he plummeted into the mountains below. He smashed through a stone pillar, kicking up a long plume of dust before crashing into a large lake with a massive SPLASH that sent a hundred-foot wave into the air.

The impact sent countless birds and fish scattering in terror.

Yu Zhen caught the rebounding Jade Ruyi, his eyes gleaming with triumph.

"Everyone, with me! Seal off this lake and don’t let Xiao Chan escape!"

At the same time, he sent a secret message to Guang Hui: "You go seal off the lake. I’ll kill Chen Che. We can’t afford any more delays!"

"Right!"

Unaware of this sordid, private exchange, the others immediately voiced their agreement.

"Oh,"

Chen Che replied noncommittally.

The group transformed into streaks of Escape Light, scattering rapidly as they descended like falling stars to land all around the lake. In the water, Xiao Chan used his Soul-Calling Banner to pull himself to his feet. Just as everyone’s attention was drawn to this sight...

Chen Che suddenly struck! A silver stream of light, moving so fast it was little more than an afterimage, shot straight for the back of Yu Zhen’s head!

WHOOSH!

At almost the same instant, Yu Zhen swept his Duster backhanded, sending it unfurling toward Chen Che.