https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-138-Plundering-Vitality-Part-One-/12540922/
Chapter 139: Engagement (Part Two)
Chapter 139: Engagement (Part Two)
Zhang Lan and his two companions began their assault on the abandoned campsite.
Soon enough, a man dressed in white robes rushed out from the camp. The intricate and ornate design of his robe suggested it was not cheap, but after half a month of fleeing, it was now tattered and stained with mud.
His face resembled the portrait Mo Hua had seen, but it was much older and had patches of decaying skin. It seemed that without the sustenance of the Cai Bu art, the evil cultivator's body was suffering from the backlash of his cultivation, causing his appearance to age and rot.
Indeed, this was the same evil cultivator who had practiced the Cai Bu art.
After confirming his identity, Zhang Lan and his group wasted no time in engaging, showing no mercy.
The evil cultivator cursed at them and prepared to fight back.
The battle commenced immediately.
Mo Hua hid at a distance, secretly observing the fight.
Zhang Lan, a spiritual cultivator skilled in water-based spells, channeled his energy from afar, summoning and directing water-shaped sword auras toward the evil cultivator with formidable might.
Si Tu Fang and Si Tu Xiu, both physical cultivators, specialized in knife techniques.
Si Tu Fang's knife was slender and agile, wrapped in a faint green spiritual energy, and his knife maneuvers were swift and intricate. Si Tu Xiu, on the other hand, employed a more open and aggressive style, stimulating her physical body with spiritual energy, causing her entire body to glow with a faint golden light.
The two sisters fought in close quarters, entangling the evil cultivator and holding his attention.
The evil cultivator seemed to be a physical cultivator as well, exuding a formidable aura. His weapon of choice was an iron fan, adorned with a painting of a beautiful woman dressed in sheer clothing.
As he waved the fan, pink spiritual energy rippled through the air.
No wonder he's an evil cultivator; even the color of his spiritual energy is unconventional...
Mo Hua thought to himself.
The evil cultivator's cultivation base was likely at the ninth layer of Qi Refinement, making him no match for Zhang Lan's group. However, he excelled in movement techniques, allowing him to dodge Zhang Lan's water-shaped sword auras and hold his own against the attacks of the Si Tu sisters.
But even with his exceptional agility, he couldn't withstand the onslaught of their three-pronged attack for long.
Each time he was struck by a sword aura, his injuries worsened, and every cut from Si Tu Fang's knife caused him to bleed profusely.
Moreover, the faint green spiritual energy at his wounds prevented them from healing.
Before long, the evil cultivator was struck by one of Zhang Lan's sword auras and fell to the ground, motionless.
Mo Hua remained cautious and didn't make a move until he saw Zhang Lan binding the unconscious cultivator with manacles. Only then did he dare to step out.
"Is he dead?" Mo Hua asked.
"No, this beast is as tough as they come," Zhang Lan replied.
Mo Hua scanned the cultivator with his spiritual sense and confirmed that spiritual energy was still flowing within his body.
"Are all evil cultivators this resilient?" Mo Hua inquired.
"Not all, but most are quite troublesome," Zhang Lan said. "The cultivation techniques of the evil path have significant drawbacks, but they also possess immense power. Otherwise, so many people wouldn't be lured into the path of demons and deviance."
Mo Hua nodded in understanding.
With the evil cultivator captured, the group breathed a sigh of relief.
Si Tu Xiu asked, "What now?"
Zhang Lan kicked the cultivator, "Take this beast back, deliver him to the Dao Ting Court, interrogate him, and then sentence him according to the law. We can also give Old Man An a report."
"Old Man An?" Mo Hua glanced at Zhang Lan.
Realizing his slip of the tongue, Zhang Lan looked up at the sky, pretending as if he hadn't said anything.
Si Tu Fang and Si Tu Xiu cut down a few trees and crafted a raft to transport the captured evil cultivator back.
Mo Hua stared at the cultivator for a long time before offering a well-intentioned reminder: "You should break his legs."
"Huh?" Si Tu Fang was taken aback.
"His meridians should be crippled, and his Qi sea shattered!" Mo Hua added.
Si Tu Fang was left speechless, her eyes wide in astonishment.
This child... How could he say such terrifying things with such an innocent face?
Zhang Lan pondered for a moment, "He does have a point."
Si Tu Fang hesitated, "But we've already captured him, and he can't fight back. Wouldn't it be excessive for us to do that..."
"We're just temporarily subduing him, not capturing him," Mo Hua corrected.
"Is that really necessary..." Si Tu Fang still seemed uncertain.
However, Zhang Lan had already drawn his sword, ready to sever the evil cultivator's meridians.
At the very least, it made severing a person's meridians much easier.
Just as Zhang Lan's sword was about to pierce the evil cultivator, the man suddenly opened his eyes wide, causing the chains binding him to fall off with a shake of his hands.
Zhang Lan's eyes narrowed as he thrust his sword downward with increased speed.
The evil cultivator twisted his body, avoiding a vital spot, and the sword only grazed his skin, drawing a thin line of blood.
"Be careful!" Zhang Lan shouted.
In the instant the evil cultivator opened his eyes, Mo Hua had already retreated several feet away.
When he had scanned the man with his spiritual sense earlier, he had felt something odd about the fluctuations of the evil cultivator's spiritual energy.
But he had not expected the man's mind to be so cunning and his life force so strong. Despite his body already being covered in wounds, he still had the strength to resist.
The evil cultivator dodged Zhang Lan's sword and struck out with a palm aimed at Zhang Lan's face.
Zhang Lan's expression turned grim as he retreated, avoiding the attack. With such a short distance, he didn't have time to use a spell, so he could only counter with a backward stab of his sword.
However, the evil cultivator didn't bother to parry the sword and instead, his body flickered, appearing next to Si Tu Xiu, who was about to chop down with her knife.
Si Tu Xiu had intended to take advantage of the evil cultivator's distraction and attack him from behind, but the man had already sensed her intention and used his bizarre movement technique to appear at her side.
Her attempted sneak attack had backfired, and she was now struck by the evil cultivator's palm, hitting her ribs and causing her to spit out a mouthful of blood as she flew to the side.
The force of that palm strike was heart-wrenching, and the strange spiritual energy that accompanied it seeped into her organs.
Only now did Si Tu Xiu realize that the evil cultivator had not been using his full strength before! But this realization came too late, as she was already too weakened to continue fighting in the short term.
Si Tu Fang also drew her knife and slashed at the evil cultivator. After exchanging a few moves, she suddenly felt her body turn soft and weak as the pinkish-purplish evil spiritual energy corroded her meridians, preventing her from channeling her own spiritual energy.
The evil cultivator's spiritual energy was poisonous! They hadn't discovered this during their previous engagement, and it was only now, after some time had passed, that the toxicity was taking effect.
Si Tu Fang tried to force her spiritual energy to circulate, but she suddenly coughed up a mouthful of blood, her eyes filled with resentment as she glared at the evil cultivator.
The evil cultivator licked his lips as he looked at Si Tu Fang and said, "Not bad!"
It had been a month since he last absorbed spiritual energy from a cultivator.
He needed to vent his evil fire and replenish his spiritual energy.
The evil cultivator's gaze roamed over Si Tu Fang's body, his heart stirred, and his attention wavered slightly. At that moment, a pale blue sword qi directly pierced through his shoulder.
The evil cultivator was furious, and the blood at the corner of his mouth seeped out as he turned to look at Zhang Lan, who was some distance away, his finger pointing at the sword to condense the sword qi, his eyes cold as he stared at the evil cultivator.
There was another tough opponent.
The evil cultivator calmed his mind and knew that as long as Zhang Lan wasn't dealt with, he wouldn't be able to escape.
Even if he ran, he wouldn't last long in the treacherous Da Hei Mountain in his current weakened state, with his body ravaged by the evil fire.
He needed to replenish his spiritual energy.
As long as he killed Zhang Lan...
The evil cultivator's eyes flashed with a fierce light as he charged straight at Zhang Lan.
Zhang Lan's heart skipped a beat as he witnessed the evil cultivator's incredibly fast movement technique! The man's speed and unpredictability had increased compared to before, confirming that he had indeed been holding back before...
"Good, let's see what you've got!"
Zhang Lan's eyes narrowed as he executed the Falling Flower Step, causing his figure to multiply and dance like falling petals.
The evil cultivator was startled.
This Dao Ting Court cultivator's movement technique was not inferior to his own.
As a serial womanizer who relied on his agility to survive, the evil cultivator found himself in a difficult situation. He knew he had to fight hard, so he engaged Zhang Lan in a dozen or so exchanges, but he still couldn't land a single hit on Zhang Lan.
On the other hand, Zhang Lan had already seen through his attacks and defenses and was even able to condense sword qi during their battle, further threatening the evil cultivator.
Just as Zhang Lan was about to seize an opening in the evil cultivator's defenses and finish him off with a sword qi, the man suddenly disappeared.
Zhang Lan released his spiritual sense but still couldn't detect the man.
Suddenly, he felt a sense of danger and looked towards Mo Hua, shouting loudly, "Be careful!"
At the same time, a shadow flashed behind Mo Hua, and the evil cultivator appeared, his voice hoarse and vicious, "Little brat, you want to cripple my legs?"
(End of Chapter)
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