Chapter 527 - 496: Let the Daoist Friend Die, Not the Poor Daoist

Chapter 527: Chapter 496: Let the Daoist Friend Die, Not the Poor Daoist

"Great Protector!"

The Golden Core Cultivators battling Xiao Chan cried out in alarm when they saw Ye Shaoqiu get smashed into oblivion.

"Your turn!"

Seeing his chance, Xiao Chan roared. He waved the Soul-Calling Banner, and thousands upon thousands of Divine Souls instantly converged into a single stream, surging directly toward the nearest Golden Core Cultivator.

WHOOSH—

It happened so fast that the man had no time to dodge.

Countless Divine Souls entered his body. In a flash, a series of savage faces passed right through him. With each face that passed through, a portion of his Qi and Blood was stolen away. And with tens of millions of Divine Souls within the banner, the Golden Core Cultivator was almost instantly reduced to a withered, desiccated corpse that plummeted from the sky.

In the blink of an eye, another comrade had fallen. Terrified, the remaining Golden Core Cultivators scattered like startled birds, retreating in a panic.

But Xiao Chan would not let them escape. He brandished the Soul-Calling Banner once more, and the Divine Souls that had passed through the body suddenly dispersed, forming a ghastly cloud that enveloped the remaining four. To their horror, the soul of the Golden Core Cultivator who had just been devoured was now among them.

"Fellow Daoist Ye!"

Staring at the churning, turbulent waters of the Jinghai and the spot where Ye Shaoqiu had vanished without a trace, Tu Zhenxi also cried out in shock. When he saw Chen Che turn to look at him, he was terrified beyond measure. "I’ll fight you to the death...!"

Amid his furious roar, his True Essence erupted. A blazing aura, like a green flame, shot out for hundreds of yards, casting a serene, eerie glow upon the sky beneath the Soul-Calling Banner.

Drawn in by this power, the previously churning sea suddenly went still, then began to spin furiously, forming a massive whirlpool. In that same instant, Tu Zhenxi’s aura surged, rising to another level.

"What kind of Cultivation Technique is this?"

Faced with a Tu Zhenxi who looked ready to risk it all, Chen Che was on high alert.

He didn’t know what kind of Magic this was, but the spectacle alone told him it was anything but ordinary.

The Gourd had already plunged into the depths of the sea; it was too late to recall it for defense.

"BOOM—"

He slammed his hands together, his True Essence instantly flaring out, clearing the air for a hundred yards around him as he raised his guard to the absolute limit.

However, unexpectedly, the very same Tu Zhenxi who had just been posturing as if to take Chen Che down with him suddenly spun around. Transforming into a streak of red light, he shot toward the depths of the Jinghai without a single look back.

Chen Che: "..."

’He fled?’

A cry of surprise rose from the crowd.

Of course. Tu Zhenxi had to run. If the cargo was lost, there would be more next year. But if he lost his life, he would have nothing at all.

His annual stipend was considerable, but it wasn’t enough to make him fight to the death against an expert capable of killing Great Protector Ye Shaoqiu.

"The Third Protector fled..."

A cry of alarm also went up from the Spiritual Boat Cargo Ship. A heavily injured Golden Core Cultivator who had stayed behind and not joined the fight was stunned for a moment, then shouted, "Quick, go!" ℯℯ𝑙.

WHOOSH!

The next moment, the Spiritual Boat flared with a brilliant light and, riding the wind, rapidly took to the air, heading out of the Black Tortoise Calm Sea.

「At the same time.」

A voice boomed down from the ship, "Cultivators of Jinghai, immediately escort the Spiritual Boat on its departure! Upon arrival at the Primordial Sect, each of you will be rewarded with five thousand Spirit Stones."

As soon as these words were spoken, a commotion broke out among the cultivators on the island reef. After a moment of hesitation, a considerable number of cultivators who valued money more than their lives soared into the sky, taking up positions around the Spiritual Boat.

Chen Che glanced around, but ultimately decided to ignore the Spiritual Boat. With a flick of his robes, he shot off in pursuit of Tu Zhenxi.

If Tu Zhenxi had fled toward the open sea, there would have been little he could do.

After all, the open sea was full of cultivators, and if Tu Zhenxi used a Secret Technique to escape, Chen Che wouldn’t be able to catch him right away. But running back toward the mainland? That was just seeking death.

In just the blink of an eye, Chen Che had pursued him for hundreds of miles.

When the Jinghai Island Reef was but a black dot on the horizon where sea met sky, he released the Little Chick. Less than thirty breaths later, he had already spotted Tu Zhenxi’s figure.

"Tsk tsk, Third Protector, your skill at running away is truly unparalleled!"

"You... you’re Chen Che of Jinyun Valley!"

Tu Zhenxi had originally planned to shake off his pursuer, circle around in the sea, find an island to hide on for a period of time, and then find a way back to the Primordial Sect.

But when he suddenly heard a voice from behind and glanced back, he saw an Eagle Beast nearly a thousand feet in size rapidly closing in. On its back stood a cultivator, his long hair fluttering in the wind.

He guessed the man’s identity in an instant. It was hard to say whether it was from discovering the truth or from the shock of the power Chen Che had displayed earlier. "Chen Che, you’re actually in league with Xiao Chan, and you’ve openly plundered a Sect vessel! Are you planning to betray the Sect as well?"

"Third Protector, you’ve guessed wrong. I don’t know him."

Chen Che replied with a deadpan expression. With a flick of his finger, the Sword Pill flew out and exploded in mid-air, transforming into a torrential Sword Rain that blanketed the sky and fell upon his foe.

"And you say you’re not Che—"

Tu Zhenxi was startled, recognizing the Sword Pill.

Under the jurisdiction of the Primordial Sect, who else possessed such a Demon Beast and a Sword Pill?

But on the vast, empty sea, there was no one to hear his cries. Amid his screams, he was reduced to a bloody mist that rained down on the spot.

With a wave of his hand, Chen Che collected the man’s Magical Artifact and Storage Ring, recalled the Little Chick, and turned back toward the island reef.

"Die!"

Back above the island reef, another of the Golden Core Cultivators battling Xiao Chan had fallen. The remaining three were desperately fighting for their lives amidst the Yin Souls, trying to stall for time. It was unclear whether they were looking for a chance to escape or waiting for Tu Zhenxi to return.

Seeing this, Chen Che’s Divine Sense flared, and he blasted it directly at one of them.

At the same time, with a wave of his hand, he swung Tu Zhenxi’s Ring-Headed Saber, which struck like a thunderclap.

"Not good! He actually came back..."

"That’s the Third Protector’s Weapon... could it be that the Third Protector is dead too?"

The Divine Sense stunned one cultivator and the Ring-Headed Saber wounded another. The last one was scared witless and fled frantically toward the sea below. But before he could even touch the water, Xiao Chan swept his Soul-Calling Banner toward him.

WHOOSH—

Countless Divine Souls transformed into a black wind that passed right through him.

Then, under the horrified gazes of countless onlookers, the Golden Core Cultivator froze in place just above the sea. His body, having been pierced by the Divine Souls, was instantly drained of all color before slowly crumbling to dust and scattering into the water.

At that moment, the other two Golden Core Cultivators were also finished off by Chen Che.

The two men exchanged a look and shot off toward the outer limits of the Jinghai.

In less than a quarter of an hour, they could already see the Spiritual Boat in the distance.

"All of you who don’t want to die, get lost!"

Chen Che bellowed, his voice amplified by his Divine Sense like a crack of thunder.

Initially, nearly a hundred figures had risen from the Spiritual Boat, intending to block their approach. But at the furious roar of a Golden Core expert, they immediately dropped from the sky like dumplings being thrown into a boiling pot.

The disciples manning the Bed Crossbows were also rocked by the tremendous sound, and they collapsed on the spot, blood pouring from their eyes, ears, noses, and mouths as they passed out.

Instantly, the two landed on the Spiritual Boat. A single sweeping glance from them was enough to send the remaining cultivators into a terrified frenzy. They scattered for their lives, and within two or three breaths, not one was left.

Only the heavily injured Golden Core Cultivator remained, half-paralyzed on the deck and barely able to move. His expression was grim as he watched the two men approach. He glanced at Chen Che, then at Xiao Chan, and blustered, feigning a courage he did not feel:

"Xiao Chan, stop this now! The Primordial Sect holds dominion over the Sixteen States; its power is far beyond what you can imagine. It’s not too late to turn back from this path! With your strength, the Sect Leader will surely pardon you..."

"The problem now is that I’m not willing to pardon the Primordial Sect!"

Xiao Chan sneered. With a sweep of his Great Banner, the man’s Spirit, Essence, and Qi were instantly absorbed into the Soul-Calling Banner.

Now, there was no one else left on the Spiritual Boat.

Chen Che smiled faintly. The mission was finally a success.

After exchanging a look, Xiao Chan rolled up his Soul-Calling Banner, immersed his Divine Sense into the core of the Array, and steered the Spiritual Boat away, toward the depths of the Black Tortoise Calm Sea.

As they passed the island reef, another wave of astonished cries rose from the cultivators on the island.

"The Spiritual Boat is back?"

"Has it... been captured?"

"To openly rob it, and succeed? It’s simply unbelievable, isn’t it?"

Hearing the cries of alarm, Tang Linli, who still harbored a sliver of hope, flew tremblingly into the air. He saw two figures standing on the deck, but not a single disciple of the Primordial Sect. His heart sank.

Just as he was reeling in horror, the cultivator who had killed the Great Protector slowly turned his gaze upon him. The Spiritual Boat hovered over the surface of the sea, and at the same time, a vast Divine Sense swept across the entire island.

Instantly, Tang Linli was so terrified that he fell from the sky.

The other cultivators on the island were shocked. ’Are these people going to slaughter everyone on the island reef?’ Just as everyone was paralyzed with shock, the immense Divine Sense was abruptly withdrawn. Then, they saw the man make a beckoning gesture with his hands, pulling several Magical Artifacts and Storage Rings up from the sea.

Then, the Spiritual Boat slowly and unhurriedly moved away from the island, heading toward the depths of the Jinghai.