Chapter 205: Thousand Eyes of Fear (15)

Chapter 205: Thousand Eyes of Fear (15)

The three individuals that approach, and fly on their swords up to a distance of one hundred steps, are mostly in the Nascent Soul cultivation realm having just stepped into it except one of the three, who is at the peak of Core Formation.

They wear dark cloaks and plain clothes underneath that bear no markings that could identify their origins. Other than the make of their clothes, I also notice traces of battle damage and the lingering residual qi belonging to demonic beasts native to this region.

I conclude that they are poachers, exploiting the forbidden lands of a large sect in secret, or perhaps hunting one demonic beast in particular.

This latter theory seems even more plausible considering how their eyes glimmer with excitement when they stare at the fallen bird behind Lan Xiaohui. If my owner were not present, I imagine they would already be chopping up the bird for its valuable materials.

We are merely travelers of generous and merciful disposition, little sister, the figure in the center says, hopping off his sword and landing among his two companions a male and a female. We observed your battle from a distance and were so impressed by your skill that we decided to offer to carry your prize for you.

Hearing those words, Lan Xiaohui lowers her head and chuckles darkly. Naturally, she understands what the person truly means by offering his help.

Despite her best attempts to stand tall and look invincible, it is quite obvious that Lan Xiaohui is hurt and exhausted. Her left arm hangs uselessly to her side, and her remaining usable manipulator is still being bathed in her blood, which she is unable to completely stop.

Slowly, Lan Xiaohui draws in another breath, operating her [Empty Moon Prana] and the vital energies of nature it gives her access to. This is not something that goes unnoticed by the trio. Her lack of conversation, other than the first question she posed, makes her into an unapproachable wall with no weaknesses.

Frustration and impatience grow in the trio, and they approach closer. Seventy steps now.

Little sister, are you not in the mood for dialogue? the female in the group asks, smiling darkly.

Sixty steps.nove(l)bi(n.)com

This Qianyan Kongju behind you is a mythical beast thought to have been killed in the last Great Demon Suppression over two hundred years ago. You should be grateful that we will let you live, and only want the demonic beast, the cultivator in the peak of Core Formation says, but his tone casts doubt on their intent to let my owner leave.

In fact, just as the male is finished speaking, the leader quietly whispers to his companions. Dont worry, she is exhausted and with one foot already in the grave. When you have the chance, kill her without mercy.

Lan Xiaohui, who doesnt hear this command, draws in another breath as the trio approaches. Many of my ancestors were killed by Qianyan Kongju, she says, wrapping her fingers around my hilt and pulling me out of the ground. They were part of the suppression force. Two hundred years ago, Qianyan Kongju was exterminated. That is an undeniable fact.

I release my conscious hold on my [Avarice] and [Tyranny] as my core opens up, in a spiritual sense, and draws in the remains of the dead cultivator. Even as the rain of blood falls all around us, his body disperses into tendrils of black smoke that all disappear into the black jade at the core of my vessel.

You dare launch a sneak attack on your seniors!? You are looking for death! the leader of the remaining two shouts, angrily, and a scroll unrolls from his sleeve, flashes with golden inscriptions, and then transforms into a spear. His companion, the female, extends her hand out to her side, and a slender green sword appears in her grip.

Lan Xiaohui, once more, lowers her head and chuckles. Hiding in the bushes, waiting for me to be wounded and exhausted, and then even counting on my personality to be unable to retaliate, Lan Xiaohui says. You still have the nerve to accuse me of being impolite?

The leader laughs loudly a bit too loudly and forcefully as his eyes carefully observe Lan Xiaohui, seeking weaknesses among the many obvious ones in her physical form. This time, it is clear that he does not wish to be deceived by Lan Xiaohuis apparent state, unaware that there is no trickery here on Lan Xiaohuis part.

However, how many times has Lan Xiaohui been in this state, across the many hundreds of simulations she endured, not to mention the hellish events of her captivity in Eternal Reds prison, where she crawled back from the brink of death many times, and even crossed over the line dividing life and death once?

Master, that sword is not ordinary, the girl whispers. There is something strange about it.

The leader glances at his companion and nods slowly. Go and notify the others, he whispers, even though Lan Xiaohui is more than capable of hearing him at this distance. There may yet be a windfall, after all.

Lan Xiaohui tilts her head and stabs my vessel into the ground, in the place where the body of the male cultivator used to be.

No one will come to your help out here, Lan Xiaohui says, repeating the earlier statement word for word.

She presses her index finger into the pommel of my hilt and takes another deep breath.

First Form: Void Boundary, Lan Xiaohui utters the words, and the dark, colorless domain expands once more from its shrunken state from the earlier battle. All those gasps for breath that Lan Xiaohui has been taking, ignoring even the management of her wounds, have been for this: re-activating her sword domain of no escape.

Seeing the expanding field of colorless darkness, and perhaps even sensing the strange warping and curvature of space, the two remaining cultivators become even more alarmed.

Sword Law the female cultivator whispers. How?

Calm down, the leader quietly says. Its just a Core Formation brat. If we attack together, she will die a miserable death.