Chapter 251: Killing Intent
Su Yan entered the large tent, where Gu Sanqian and Pu Lengfeng were present.
Gu Sanqian sat to the left, dressed in black, with a calm gaze.
Pu Lengfeng sat to the right. Seated below them were two female disciples, their figures alluring, revealing large expanses of fair skin, with a touch of rouge, and an even more charming demeanor.
Upon seeing Su Yan enter, the reactions of the few individuals varied.
The eyes of the two female disciples brightened, revealing a hint of seduction.
Pu Lengfeng’s pupils constricted slightly, and he took a deep look at Su Yan.
“Disciple Su Yan greets Grandmaster and Senior Pu.”
Gu Sanqian smiled and nodded, “Sit down. Your commotion is much greater than Xia Wan’er’s.”
Su Yan had killed six Dan Qiao Realm martial artists. As for the others, like Xia Wan’er and Suo Yunyi, although they had just broken through to the Dan Qiao Realm and had immense momentum, their foundation was insufficient, especially since they hadn’t even had time to forge their Natal Spiritual Artifacts.
Therefore, defeating the enemy was easy, but capturing them was not common.
Only those who had accumulated more, like Yuan Yi and Zhao Mingcheng, or those from the Mountain Guard, who were Dan Qiao Realm True Persons, had managed to achieve kills.
However, none of them could compare to Su Yan’s achievements.
Pu Lengfeng’s voice rang out, “Fellow Daoist Gu, is this your grand-disciple? He truly has remarkable skill. Although Blood Shadow Old Demon is only a Dan Qiao Realm martial artist, his abilities are indeed troublesome, especially his Three Beasts Formation. Even a Dan Qiao Realm Second Heaven cultivator might not be able to break free.”
“Senior, you are too kind. The success in dealing with the formation was entirely due to the assistance of the Mountain Guard.”
Pu Lengfeng’s eyes flickered slightly, “Oh, even so, your cultivation is considered among the elite for Dan Qiao Realm First Heaven cultivators.”
After their compliments, Di Yining, Xia Wan’er, Zhao Mingcheng, and eight other Dan Qiao Realm martial artists also entered one after another.
They all sat below the two Dharma Aspect Realm True Persons, arranged on either side.
“Now that everyone is here, let’s discuss business.”
Gu Sanqian’s voice sounded. He said calmly, “Zhao Wenxing still has five Dan Qiao Realm martial artists with him, and only a few dozen True Intent Realm cultivators. They are all within the Pushan Mountain Range.”
Pu Lengfeng added, “This scoundrel is cunning and has many Spirit Sealing Puppets by his side. He has set up numerous false trails in the Pushan Mountain Range, which is how he avoided our search. However, now that everyone is here, I believe he cannot escape.”
Di Yining asked doubtfully, “Head Seat, if we split up to search, we Dan Qiao Realm cultivators might find it difficult to withstand Zhao Wenxing’s attacks.”
The gap in strength between the Dan Qiao Realm and the Dharma Aspect Realm was immense.
Let alone holding them back, just being able to survive in the hands of a Dharma Aspect Realm True Person was enough for a Dan Qiao Realm martial artist to be proud of.
“Fellow Daoist Pu and I will cover the entire Pushan Mountain Range with our Divine Sense. If he makes a move, we will arrive in an instant. You will be in groups of three. Even a Dharma Aspect Realm cultivator would find it difficult to kill you upon meeting.”
Gu Sanqian already had a plan in mind, and now that he had spoken it, everyone felt somewhat reassured.
Pu Lengfeng continued, “Within the Pu Fan, there are not many dangerous areas. Only Jade Stream Valley, Lone Pine Cliff, and Flying Crane Gorge are perpetually shrouded in mist due to the Earth Veins. Even martial artists’ Divine Sense can hardly penetrate them. After days of investigation, these are the most likely hiding spots.”
“Focus your search there. However, I’m afraid it will be troublesome for you, Fellow Daoist Pu.”
Pu Lengfeng sneered, “That Zhao Wenxing wants to ambush me and turn me into a Spirit Sealing Puppet. If I don’t kill him this time, I won’t be at peace. It is I who should thank the fellow Daoists of the Beast King Sect.”
He looked at his female disciples and smiled, saying, “Yanxia and Leng’er have been cultivating in the Pushan Mountain Range for many years and are quite familiar with the environment. It would be good for them to join the team to aid the search.”
“Alright.”
After Gu Sanqian nodded, everyone quickly formed groups. The Beast King Sect had a total of nine Dan Qiao Realm True Persons, and Pu Lengfeng had three Dan Qiao Realm disciples.
They formed groups of three, with Di Yining leading a separate group of three, accompanied by thousands of disciples from the Mountain Guard to seal the borders of the Pushan Mountain Range.
The three of them combined their strength to form the Mountain Felling Battle Formation, which, along with thousands of Mountain Guard disciples, was enough to temporarily hold back a Dharma Aspect Realm True Person.
Su Yan exited the tent, his expression unchanging, but he felt something was amiss in his heart. He thought, “I came to trouble Pu Lengfeng, but he doesn’t seem very anxious. There must be something wrong.”
It wasn’t just Pu Lengfeng; even his Grandmaster seemed a bit off.
He was Five Poisons Daoist, known for being the most difficult to deal with among the eight Head Seats of the Beast King Sect. When had he ever been so polite to others?
“Fellow Daoist Su, Fellow Daoist Xia…”
Liu Yanxia approached gracefully, her movements even more alluring.
Su Yan and Xia Wan’er stopped walking. Liu Yanxia said, “My cultivation is low, so I’m afraid I’ll need you two fellow Daoists to look after me later.”
Xia Wan’er smiled gracefully, “Senior is too modest. We two only broke through recently; how dare we boast of our abilities. Sister Liu is most familiar with the situation within the Pushan Mountain Range. We two will need Sister Liu’s care.”
Liu Yanxia chuckled, half complimenting, half serious, “You mustn’t say that. Fellow Daoist Su, although you just broke through, you managed to kill four Evil Path Dan Qiao Realm True Persons in battle. Such skill is by no means something disciples from our small sect can achieve. As for the situation in the Pushan Mountain Range, it is my duty.”
Su Yan asked, “Fellow Daoist Liu, which area will we be patrolling?”
“Jade Stream Valley.”
Liu Yanxia answered without hesitation, “Jade Stream Valley has the most abundant miasma and smoke, covering the widest area. If I were Zhao Wenxing, I would certainly hide here.”
“When do we set off?”
Liu Yanxia smiled, “We can leave now. I will lead the way.”
Su Yan and Xia Wan’er exchanged a glance and then nodded.
Upon receiving their agreement, Liu Yanxia did not hesitate and immediately flew off towards the Pushan Mountain Range.
Her voice came from ahead, “Follow me, fellow Daoists. Be careful of the miasma in Pushan.”
Su Yan and Xia Wan’er flew up one after another, side by side.
Xia Wan’er leaned closer to Su Yan and gave him a look, sending a secret telepathic message: “Zhao Wenxing has entered a desperate state. He might have a final trump card. We need to be careful.”
Su Yan nodded imperceptibly, indicating he understood.
The two followed closely behind Liu Yanxia into the Pushan Mountain Range. The other groups of Dan Qiao Realm True Persons also entered the Pushan Mountain Range one after another.
Although the Pushan Mountain Range was not as vast as the Yanwu Mountain Range, it was still several times larger than the Yunling Mountain Range.
As they flew into the mountains, lush trees met their eyes, with rolling peaks and swirling miasma.
The visible mountain range stretched out, and between the multiple mountain peaks, several special dangerous areas were formed.
Su Yan attempted to probe with his Divine Sense but indeed could not ascertain the detailed situation.
Divine Sense was not omnipotent. Its ability lay in sensing spiritual power fluctuations and perceiving the surrounding environment.
Just as Gu Sanqian and Pu Lengfeng had said, their Divine Sense range could indeed cover the entire Pushan Mountain Range.
However, to perceive everything in detail would be extremely difficult.
But if someone made a move, the violent fluctuations would be much clearer to discern.
The three traveled for a hundred miles in the Pushan Mountain Range when a sudden gust of cold wind howled, and the sky darkened abruptly.
“Careful!”
Liu Yanxia’s face turned cold, and she stopped in mid-air. Her Natal Spiritual Artifact appeared in her palm, revealed to be a jade-colored short sword.
Su Yan and Xia Wan’er also immediately became vigilant. The surrounding spiritual energy was in disarray, and the miasma began to spread, approaching like a hundred-meter tsunami.
“Fellow Daoist Liu, what is this?”
Su Yan asked in a deep voice. Liu Yanxia frowned and said solemnly, “I don’t know. I’ve never seen such fog before.”
The three of them now realized that this was likely Zhao Wenxing’s doing, intending to use this miasma to escape the Pushan Mountain Range.
Xia Wan’er said, “The mist is dense, and Divine Sense can only probe three to four li, and it’s particularly unclear. We should retreat first, otherwise…”
She voiced her concern: the enemy was hidden while they were exposed, and the enemy also had a Dharma Aspect Realm True Person.
If they probed recklessly, they might easily fall into the enemy’s trap.
Su Yan’s eyes flickered. He thought, “The miasma is strange, but I don’t fear it. I was just worrying about how to use the Heavenly Fiend Mother Locust; now I have no worries.”
He quietly released his Blood Bees and Fiend Bees, using the rolling miasma to conceal their forms as they spread throughout the Pushan Mountain Range.
His methods were subtle, and Liu Yanxia noticed nothing amiss.
Su Yan then said, “Let’s withdraw from the Pushan Mountain Range and return the way we came. Please lead the way, Fellow Daoist Liu.”
Liu Yanxia agreed without hesitation, “Alright, follow me.”
Liu Yanxia turned and flew, leading the two towards the outside.
By this time, the miasma had completely enveloped the entire Pushan Mountain Range. All that could be seen was a gray, hazy miasma.
Even when Su Yan and the others looked as far as they could, it was only a hundred meters, and their Divine Sense probe reached only two to three li.
If they were on the ground, a hundred meters would still allow them to find some reference points.
But in mid-air, all directions looked the same, and they had no idea which way to go.
As expected, after flying for a while, they not only failed to reach the boundary of the Pushan Mountain Range but seemed to be heading deeper.
“Swish!”
Suddenly, a will-o’-the-wisp shot out from the miasma and headed directly for Liu Yanxia.
Liu Yanxia’s short sword flew out, transforming into a white ribbon, and directly severed the will-o’-the-wisp.
The three looked closely and saw figures emerging from the mist, a total of seven figures.
Their faces were pale, their eyes vacant, their arms hanging stiffly at their sides, like puppets.
A cold and strange voice echoed, like the grinding of broken iron sheets.
“A Beast King Sect brat dares to trouble this old man? Are you Gu Sanqian’s grand-disciple?”
The Spirit Sealing Puppet in the center had blue eyes and spoke with a chilling voice.
“Zhao Wenxing!”
Su Yan’s gaze deepened, while Liu Yanxia and Xia Wan’er’s expressions changed drastically.
“It is I.”
The ‘Zhao Wenxing’ replied, “Those two old fogeys, Old Poison and Pu Lengfeng, are too confident in forcing me to act.”
Su Yan held a black Eagle Feather Sword in his hand, and the aura of the Three Realms Spirit Tool was suddenly released.
He said calmly, “Senior is also making a move now, aren’t you afraid Grandmaster will come looking for you?”
“Put away your petty tricks.”
The puppet Zhao Wenxing chuckled, “Puppets acting, what does it have to do with me? Can he find me?”
As the voice faded, leaving Su Yan no time to react, the seven puppets flew at them directly, heading for the three of them.
Despite being puppets, they were clearly imbued with True Intent. As soon as they attacked, the roars of True Intent Beast Spirits surged like a tidal wave.
“Whoosh, whoosh!”
Xia Wan’er’s flying knives shot out continuously. In the blink of an eye, eighteen flying knives were released, heading for the approaching Spirit Sealing Puppets.
The flying knives, capable of cutting through metal and stone, now sounded like they were striking Mystic Steel Essence, clanging loudly but failing to pierce the bodies of the Spirit Sealing Puppets.
Liu Yanxia, standing beside them, also wielded her jade-colored short sword, unleashing sharp sword moves.
However, in the next moment, the opposing Spirit Sealing Puppet crossed its arms, blocking the attack.
“Wasted effort. With my hardening techniques for the Dan Qiao Realm combined with my Spirit Sealing abilities, how can a young brat like you break through?”
The remaining five Spirit Sealing Puppets moved directly towards Su Yan.
These Spirit Sealing Puppets were all Third-order in strength. When they attacked together with their fists, they were capable of blowing away half a mountain with a single clash.
Su Yan roared, and his Eagle Feather Sword was launched.
The Subduing Tiger Ming King True Intent converged on the sword’s blade. After a clang, it severed an arm of a Spirit Sealing Puppet.
The remaining four Spirit Sealing Puppets attacked him. Su Yan erupted with a roar, and three Guardian Flood Dragon Beasts pounced out, blocking the opponents.
Only the strongest puppet, ‘Zhao Wenxing’, could not be stopped and flew towards Su Yan.
It reached out its hand, like a ferocious ghost claw, intending to rip out Su Yan’s heart and liver.
Su Yan raised his hand and unleashed a punch, erupting with power. The Hundred Tigers Breaking the Army Seal directly sent it flying.
With Su Yan setting the example, Liu Yanxia and Xia Wan’er recovered and immediately employed their respective methods, encircling their enemies.
Su Yan faced the five Spirit Sealing Puppets alone, and the battle was particularly fierce.
As they exchanged blows, sword Qi crisscrossed, and fist winds roared like dragons.
He was clearly a Dan Qiao Realm martial artist who had just broken through, not even reaching perfection in the First Heaven.
Yet, he was fighting back and forth against Zhao Wenxing’s Spirit Sealing Puppets.
It was not only Xia Wan’er who was shocked; Zhao Wenxing on the opposite side was also stirred.
“Such strong physical body. A pity, if only it were in my hands…”
He murmured to himself, his control of the Spirit Sealing Puppets becoming increasingly vicious.
They fought with their lives, trading injuries for opportunities. Whenever a chance arose, one could see the frenzied attacks of the Spirit Sealing Puppets.
Su Yan unleashed his Full Golden Body Activation, meeting the attacks with his massive fists.
He directly smashed one of the Spirit Sealing Puppets into pieces.
The golden light of the Subduing Tiger Ming King True Intent scattered, dispersing the miasma for hundreds of meters.
Looking at the remaining four Spirit Sealing Puppets, they attacked again.
The Star Picking Hand that Su Yan grabbed for was like a celestial curtain, pressing down directly.
The Spirit Sealing Puppet was suppressed in his palm, and it stirred its True Essence, still attempting to break free.
Su Yan clenched his large hand, crushing two of them.
“Good skill, but it’s a pity I cannot kill you today. Next time…”
As the words fell, the Spirit Sealing Puppet suddenly ignited with blue light, and all the remaining puppets followed suit.
“Retreat!”
Su Yan retreated, with Liu Yanxia and Xia Wan’er close behind.
The three had not traveled more than a li or two when countless blue flames erupted, turning the entire mountaintop into a scene of blue flames.
The terrifying high temperatures burned everything.
The powerful commotion was not just heard in the depths of the Pushan Mountain Range, but even outside the mountains.
Su Yan used the Fiend Bees of the Heavenly Fiend Mother Locust to probe an area of dozens of li around them.
There were three to four surges of blue flame rising.
Zhao Wenxing wasn’t just targeting Su Yan; he clearly intended to surround and kill all the Beast King Sect disciples here.
Wait, something’s wrong!
Su Yan’s expression changed. If the puppets were all here, then where was Zhao Wenxing?
Rumble!
The sky and earth cracked, the mountains shook, like thunder splitting the mountains. A terrifying collision erupted in the depths of the Pushan Mountain Range.
“Zhao Wenxing, you mere trick of luring the tiger away from the mountain. Where do you think you’re escaping to?”
Gu Sanqian’s voice echoed faintly. Su Yan’s eyes sharpened; his Grandmaster was not far away.
Su Yan said, “Grandmaster is just ahead. Let’s go and follow him.”
