Chapter 529: The Hunt and the Pursuit; Who Is Prey, and Who Is Hunter? (II)

The Jilei Nine Mountains had stood atop this endless desert for a thousand years.

Of the nine towering peaks, the first eight remained accessible, places where even ordinary Qi Refinement cultivators could explore. But the ninth mountain was different! It was saturated with lightning power, prone to violent thunderstorms without warning. Its inner terrain was a labyrinth of chaotic energy and danger. Most Foundation Establishment cultivators dared not venture deep within. Each year, during the harvest of Lightning Essence, only the Sword Sect's Golden Core cultivators could enter and return safely.

When the war began, the first eight mountains became the core battlegrounds, serving as vital points of offense and defense for both sides. Only the ninth mountain remained untouched, seemingly of no value to the two warring Nascent Soul sects.

On this day, a faint shadow streaked across the swirling yellow sands and came to a stop at the mountain's base.

Luo Chen turned and glanced behind him, letting out a quiet breath of relief. Just as he had anticipated, everyone's attention was focused on war, bloodshed, and racking up merit points. No one was paying attention to the ninth mountain anymore. It had become a blind spot.

Now I just need to go to the mountain and carefully look for signs of Wang Yuan. According to the intel I gathered, he was last seen about half a month ago, somewhere between the seventh and ninth mountains, likely trying to leave. But for some reason, he went back up the ninth mountain....

Luo Chen muttered as he pulled out the jade token. He sent a thread of spirit consciousness into it, but there was no reply. It was as if his message had vanished into the void.

"Still not in range?" Luo Chen pursed his lips, suppressed his energy flow, and slipped quietly into the mountain.

***

The more one explored the mountain, the more distinct the ninth mountain's environment became from the other. Unlike the other mountains, where sand and scorched stone dominated the terrain, signs of life slowly emerged here. Plants began to appear, and clusters of second-tier Thunderstruck Trees dotted the landscape. Even shallow veins of rare lightning-element ores ran through the ground. It was rich, untapped, and hummed with power.

Deep within a dense forest of crackling trees, three figures stood in tense silence, each watching the others with guarded, grim expressions. Their earlier conversation had devolved into bickering.

"Withered Toad, we've already helped you this far. That's more than enough. It's time to walk away," one of them said, his voice heavy with frustration. He was a mid-stage Initiate, yet his tone revealed that he was forcing himself to stay calm.

Beside him, a green-robed man nodded hastily, anxiety etched across his face. "What kind of grudge do you have with this man? Someone that strong isn't the sort Brother Chu or I should be dealing with."

The one he referred to as Brother Chu was the same cultivator who had first suggested retreating. He said bitterly, "It started with the five of us chasing him here. Then you brought in three more early-stage Initiates. Yet within a few short months, the situation flipped, and he began hunting us instead. Now only the three of us are left."

The green-robed cultivator flinched at those words, as if recalling some terrifying memory. The two instinctively looked at Withered Toad, awaiting his decision. He had a square face, thick brows, and large eyes. Dressed in a violet Daoist robe, he should have looked dignified and imposing, but the many boils on his face, truly toad-like, made him look truly disturbing.

Withered Toad was a late-stage Initiate from the Flame Alliance! And as long as he remained silent, neither of the two dared leave. They had accepted his payment, and that bound them to his orders.

Withered Toad stared at them coldly, eyes sharp like a hawk. "You two want to leave?"

The two mid-stage Initiates nodded quickly.

The cultivator named Chu spoke without hesitation."It's best that we go," one said quickly. "The war is raging outside. We can make our mark there. Staying here will only get us killed by Wang Yuan."

After a pause, he added, "We all underestimated him. He may only be at the second stage of Foundation Establishment, but his strength defies all logic."

To their surprise, Withered Toad slowly nodded. His aged voice spoke words the two had been desperate to hear. "You're right. We did underestimate him. He's different from us. In a place like this, where spirit energy surges wild and violent, he doesn't just endure, he thrives. That powerful physique of his lets him move through it like a fish in water. Even with my cultivation at the seventh stage of Foundation Establishment, I must tread carefully when facing him."

Aside from the occasional violent thunderstorm, the natural environment here was markedly better than the desolate lands beyond. Spirit energy was abundant, but wild and volatile, refusing to be tamed. For most Initiates, it was useless to cultivate normally here. The turbulent spirit energy would disrupt their cultivation techniques, leaving them no choice but to rely on pills to maintain their strength.

After several months, their supply of pills had nearly run out. Yet Wang Yuan was completely different; his strength stemmed from his physical body. Normally, Physique Refinement cultivators weren't suited for prolonged battles, yet Wang Yuan's blood qi surged like a raging tide. After months of fighting, he hadn't grown weary. In fact, he had only grown stronger.

Withered Toad's relentless pursuit had consumed more than time and resources; it had cost lives. The hunters had long since become the hunted. What had started as eight cultivators chasing a single man had become three, and not one of the survivors believed they still held the advantage.

The cultivator named Chu asked excitedly, "So...what now?"

Withered Toad's lip curled into a sneer. "You want to leave? Fine. I won't stop you."

The two cultivators exchanged a hopeful glance. Relief flashed in their eyes as they turned to depart, but before they took a step, hesitation rooted them in place.

"You're not coming with us?" the green-robed cultivator asked.

Withered Toad shook his head, eyes sharp. "No. I will kill him. I must. This grudge runs too deep."

A cold smile touched his lips as he looked them over. "What's wrong? Afraid to leave on your own?"

The cultivator named Chu swallowed nervously, fear flickering in his eyes. If all three of them left together, Wang Yuan likely wouldn't be able to stop them. But if they left one by one, they'd be picked off one after another.

The green-robed cultivator gritted his teeth. "I'm not sticking around. Brother Chu, let's leave together. No matter how strong he is, he won't dare confront us both at once."

The other thought it over and decided to stop wasting time. After offering Withered Toad a quick apology, the two cautiously activated their enchanted artifacts and skimmed along the ground, flying quickly toward the mountain's edge.

Behind them, Withered Toad stared coldly and muttered under his breath, "Fools."

As the two vanished into the distance, something stirred within him. His gaze snapped toward a point a hundred li away. "So... you've come. I won't let you go, and you won't let me go either. Then let us settle this. There will be no retreat and no mercy."

With a flick, Withered Toad spun and vanished into the deeper recesses of the ninth mountain.

At the very moment he departed, a blood-curdling scream echoed from outside.

"Brother Chu, how could you..."

Then, a trembling voice answered, "Fellow Daoist, I'll go on ahead. You cover our retreat today, and I swear I will look after your family."

The green-robed cultivator's body was riddled with thumb-sized holes. From the front, faint light could be seen shining through his back.

Before him stood a man dressed in coarse hemp robes. Long black hair rose and drifted upward as if carried by the wind, despite the still air. The eyes beneath were dark, sharp, and filled with ruthless killing intent.

He stared at the cultivator named Chu, who had fled over a hundred zhang away, and raised his fingers as if his fingertips were the tip of a sword. Endless streams of blood qi intertwined, coalescing into a force beyond description. In an instant, crimson energy tore through the forest.

The man who was fleeing in panic seemed to have anticipated the attack. He instantly activated a talisman, and the supreme-grade defensive robe he wore inflated to its maximum capacity.

Pfft!

That blood qi force pierced through the talisman's barrier, penetrated the defensive robe, and lightly touched the cultivator's back. A tingling numbness flashed across his body. It felt no different than a harmless mosquito bite.

A flicker of delight lit up in the man's eyes.

As expected, Physique Refinement cultivators' techniques lose effectiveness beyond a certain range.

Earlier, that man's blood qi-fused finger force had been utterly unstoppable; no defensive enchanted artifact could withstand it. When it struck a person, it exploded on impact. No cultivator below the late stage of Foundation Establishment could survive it. Now, he had survived it.

A low mutter escaped his lips. "Sorry, Brother Lin. Better you than me. I will take my leave first."

The light marking his escape flared again. After a few flashes, his figure vanished from the hemp-robed man's sight.

Wang Yuan lowered his hand, eyes cold as he watched the direction of the fleeing light. With practiced ease, he plucked the storage pouch from the corpse of the green-robed cultivator, and turned his gaze toward a certain direction.

So that old frog is already running. If I don't kill you, there will be no peace for me day or night,

Wang Yuan thought darkly.

A fierce glint flashed in his eyes. He stepped forward and appeared fifty zhang ahead. With each stride, he advanced further, and in the blink of an eye, his figure vanished into the depths of the ninth mountain.