Chapter 167: 166. Do As You Please, I Can Handle It

Chapter 167: 166. Do As You Please, I Can Handle It

Lei Jun remained cautious, carefully concealing his tracks and lying low.

Even though he had crossed the Dengfeng Ridge, the commotion behind him was earth-shattering, and he knew it would be best to put as much distance between them as possible.

The big shots from the Upper Three Heavens were currently focused on each other, and while their awareness of their surroundings remained formidable, it wasn't as comprehensive as before.

Lei Jun meticulously hid his trail, leaving no traces as he continued his journey south.

He could only hope that Tang Xiaotang's secluded cultivation location was south of here, and not in the area north of Dengfeng Ridge, which had already been physically flattened.

Lei Jun had his doubts, though.

It seemed that the Li clan members were also unaware of how dangerous this area was.

How coincidental that so many crises had gathered near Tang Xiaotang's secluded cultivation spot? As far as Lei Jun knew, that junior sister of his, while being carefree and not avoiding people, wouldn't go around broadcasting the location of her secluded cultivation to everyone.

Lei Jun made his way through the dense forest in the mountains.

The rocks and soil under his feet, affected by the distant upheaval, were also constantly shaking.

The surrounding mountain ranges were all impacted by the distant battle.

In similar circumstances, the spiritual energy of the heavens and the earth would inevitably fall into chaos.

This wasn't the kind of ruckus that one or two Upper Three Heavens powerhouses could create; it could only be the result of multiple people engaging in a chaotic battle.

"Hmm?"

Amidst this environment, Lei Jun's heart suddenly stirred.

He vaguely sensed faint disturbances in the spiritual energy up ahead.

The spiritual energy was pure yang, fiery, and authentic.

Since Lei Jun's root bone had been elevated to the Yin-Yang Sacred Body, he had always been sensitive to similar auras.

He immediately went in that direction.

Continuing south, after crossing another mountain ridge, the pure yang aura became noticeably stronger.

Lei Jun looked closely and saw a faint golden glow flickering in a mountain stream, like luminous mist.

Sure enough, it was pure yang energy. Junior Sister was indeed cultivating here... Lei Jun understood.

The place Master Yuan Mobai had chosen was naturally reliable.

However, Li Song had the extremely rare Tianlu in his possession. After a long search, he had finally found his way to this vicinity.

Although there was still some distance, he was already very close.

But the place arranged by Yuan Mobai had its own secrets. The pure yang energy was sealed within and did not leak out, so even though Li Song had found the general area, he still couldn't pinpoint the exact location temporarily.

It was only because multiple strong cultivators were engaged in a battle, causing the spiritual energy of the heavens and the earth to fluctuate, that the pure yang energy hidden within this concealed cave leaked out slightly.

Lei Jun frowned at the sight and moved closer.

But he soon stopped in his tracks.

Because he noticed someone else approaching as well.

The newcomers were coming from further south.

The intense battle to the north made them hesitate as well, causing them to pause and observe the situation, not daring to continue northward lightly.

Lei Jun unfolded the Xi Rang flag and hid nearby, secretly observing them.

The newcomers were a group of seven, and from their attire, they didn't seem to be from the Central Plains or the Great Tang Dynasty.

Instead, they appeared to be from the Southern Wastelands.

All seven had sharp features and exuded a cold, cruel aura, with their killing intent unconcealed.

Without any overt actions, a bloody aura permeated the air around them.

The surrounding plants withered upon contact, as if their life force had been drained away.

Lei Jun's heart stirred as he made a guess:

"People from the Blood River?"

The leaders of the group, a man and a woman, both had cold and indifferent auras.

"We were supposed to meet with the Master at the Longqing River, but I never expected such a situation to arise," the woman said coldly.

The man from the Southern Wastelands gazed at the northern sky and said, "Let's observe the situation first."

As they spoke, a fierce roar reverberated from the distance, shaking the heavens and the earth, and striking fear into people's hearts.

A chilling demonic aura soared into the clouds, causing even Lei Jun, hidden in the shadows, to feel a chill in his heart.

There was a powerful demon in that direction.

Accompanying the demon's roar was the sound of thunder.

Purple lightning originated from the direction of the Yuxiu Mountain Range, quickly turning half the sky purple.

Along with the thunder, there was also the sound of roaring, resembling both thunder and dragon's roar.

Lei Jun looked into the distance and saw a purple thunder dragon emerging from the clouds, shaking the heavens and the earth.

It was the top-notch divine ability of the Dragon and Tiger Mountain Heavenly Master's Mansion, the Yang Lei Long.

In contrast, the other half of the sky was dyed with various bright colors, dazzlingly gorgeous and silent.

A master of the Upper Three Heavens from the Wu Clan... Lei Jun guessed.

Among the Wu Clan, only an elder-level figure from the Wu Gu Holy Land of Yin Mountain could possess such cultivation.

Indeed, the disciples of the Blood River Sect discussed the spectacle:

"It's Old Man Tian from Yin Mountain!"

"We were following him earlier, but he suddenly disappeared. The Master even went to look for him specifically. He's indeed still in this area."

"Why did Old Man Tian suddenly come to this place?"

"I don't know. Who knows what information he received."

"On the other side is the Yang Lei Long of the Li clan from Dragon and Tiger Mountain, but the origin of the demon is unknown..."

"Don't go over there. With such a chaotic battle, even if it stirs our hearts, we can't directly approach it. We'll wait for the Master's instructions."

While listening to the Blood River Sect disciples' discussion, Lei Jun looked at the distant sky, where a vicious blood-red aura soared into the sky.

The sinister aura within was almost comparable to that of the demon.

The Southern Wasteland Witchcraft was already a lineage of humanity that rarely involved demonic energy in the world of cultivation.

Although they primarily cultivated spiritual energy, they would also refine demonic energy and evil spirits to varying degrees.

The Blood River Sect was especially typical in this regard.

However, most of the time, they would also engage in frequent battles and killings with the demon race.

The Blood River Sect reveled in bloodshed and killing, cultivating the qi of death and murderous intent.

Their targets included all living beings, be they human or demon.

The Blood River Sect Elder who had suddenly appeared did not seem to be on the same side as the giant demon.

Lei Jun watched the intense battle in the distance, his heart stirring as he pieced things together.

To the east, in the Yuxiu Mountain Range, was Li Song, the Grand Elder of the Dragon and Tiger Mountain Heavenly Master's Mansion.

And to the north, in the direction of the Longqing River, was the Blood River Sect Elder.

As for the giant demon, it had suddenly emerged from underground in the mountainous area where Lei Jun had previously been.

Lastly, to the west, was the Yin Mountain elder with the surname Tian.

Lei Jun recalled the information he had read about Yin Mountain.

The upper-tier Heavenly realm expert with the surname Tian was most likely an elder of Yin Mountain by the name of Tian Linlong.

Six years ago, during the battle that led to the demise of the former Heavenly Master, Li Qingfeng, a group of Gu masters from the Southern Wasteland had taken advantage of the chaos to cause trouble for Tang Xiaotang.

Their leader had been none other than Tian Linlong.

Back then, he had been defeated by Tang Xiaotang, and some of his accompanying sect members had also been lost.

Now, Tian Linlong had secretly traveled north once again, arriving at this place.

If he was also here because of Tang Xiaotang, how did he know that Tang Xiaotang was roughly in this area? Lei Jun's heart stirred with speculation.

Tian Linlong had been lured here by Li Song or Li Ziyang.

The latter was more likely.

Inviting Tian Linlong served a dual purpose: to find an accomplice to deal with Tang Xiaotang and...

To find a scapegoat to frame if things went awry.

The Li clan had intended to make a move but also wanted to maintain some level of secrecy afterward.

Tian Linlong was a suitable choice.

However, the Blood River Sect was probably an unintended byproduct of this plan.

Tian Linlong had been seeking Tang Xiaotang to exact revenge and had secretly traveled north.

But his actions had drawn the attention of a powerful Blood River Sect master, who had quietly followed him to this area with his disciples.

However, after temporarily losing track of Tian Linlong, the Blood River Sect members had split up to search and agreed to regroup at the Longqing River in the north.

As for the giant demon, it was probably a pure accident.

But this accident had played an enormous prank on the Li clan.

At this moment, Grand Elder Li Song looked at the giant serpent that had suddenly emerged from underground amidst the mountains, his face filled with shock and anger.

Not only had it ruined their plans, but it had also swallowed Li Zhusheng and the others in one bite.

Only Liang Chen had narrowly escaped being devoured, but just barely.

...To be precise, only half of him had survived.

Liang Chen lay on the ground, his lower body missing, his life slowly ebbing away as fresh blood pooled around him.

And as Li Song sent a thunderbolt toward the giant serpent, a flash of blood-red light erased the remaining half of Liang Chen's body.

"Don't waste it," a strange laugh echoed from the north, where blood-red light filled the sky.

At the same time, a sea of blood seemed to blanket the northern sky, enveloping Li Song in a swift, overwhelming tide.

Although the Blood River Sect Elder was curious about Tian Linlong's purpose, the opportunity to hunt and kill an Eightfold Heaven realm expert was too good to pass up for someone who cultivated the Blood River Sect's bloodthirsty arts.

Li Song's Yang Lei Long rushed towards the giant serpent, while his body was surrounded by starlight.

Each point of starlight was a flashing talisman, and with the combined power of the stars, he transformed into a giant human talisman, shining brilliantly.

It was none other than the Heavenly Master's Mansion's top-notch divine ability, the Life Star God.

Li Song's aged body seemed to grow taller and more majestic at that moment, unafraid as he waded into the sea of blood, forcefully tearing through the surging blood tide.

Originally, the Yin Mountain elder, Tian Linlong, had intended to bide his time and wait for the right opportunity to strike.

But when the giant serpent's tail swept across the land, shaking the mountains, it also exposed Tian Linlong's position, forcing him to take action.

The four powerful experts were now locked in a chaotic battle.

Before Elder Li Song could locate Tang Xiaotang, he had already lost several of his disciples, and he found himself in a difficult situation, infuriating him to no end.

However, he could no longer spare any attention to search for Tang Xiaotang.

Li Song was indeed an elder of the Taoist Talisman Sect and an expert at the Eightfold Heaven realm.

But among those present, there were no weaklings.

The giant serpent possessed the bloodline of the ancient vicious beast, the Ba Serpent, and it was extremely ferocious.

On its own, it was already comparable to a human expert at the Eightfold Heaven realm.

As for the Blood River Sect Elder, according to Li Song's memory, he should have only been at the Seventh Heaven realm.

But now, his display of power was evidently stronger than what most people expected.

It seemed that the recent turmoil in the human cultivation world had spurred the Blood River Sect to secretly strengthen themselves, and the masters of the Blood River lineage in the Witchcraft Sect had indeed made remarkable progress.

Among the four combatants, Tian Linlong, at the Seventh Heaven realm, was the weakest. However, his mastery of the Witchcraft Sect's Gu arts was extremely bizarre and unpredictable, and the other three powerful experts had to remain vigilant against his Gu poison amidst their battle.

Moreover, Li Song vaguely felt that Tian Linlong seemed to have something else up his sleeve.

Whether Tang Xiaotang was currently in closed-door cultivation or not was uncertain to Tian Linlong.

In such a situation, would he have come to this place without any preparations?

The four powerful experts fought fiercely, their battle shaking the mountains and the earth.

Lei Jun and the others, watching from a distance, were awe-struck by the sheer intensity of the clash.

"Something feels amiss," the Blood River Sect woman in South Wilderness attire suddenly spoke up.

The woman glanced around, her eyes turning a bloody red as she quickly noticed the leakage of pure yang energy. "No wonder it feels so uncomfortable here!"

The Blood River Sect, a lineage of the Witchcraft Sect, practiced a yin-cold technique and often came into contact with demonic energy.

Pure yang energy was not only useless to them but also caused discomfort.

"Could there be a pure yang treasure buried here, attracting so many experts to the vicinity?" one of the Blood River Sect disciples speculated.

The woman snorted, "What bad luck!"

The middle-aged man, who seemed to be another leader, said, "Let's take a look and get the item out."

The woman, named Shui Ying, argued, "Bo Hong, have you gone mad?"

Bo Hong replied, "We may not be able to use it, but we can trade it with others. We'll leave the specifics to Master to decide later."

Shui Ying thought for a moment and agreed, "Alright."

She waved her hand, and the five Blood River Sect disciples who had reached the Upper Three Heavens realm began their search.

Bo Hong remained vigilant, gazing into the distance. "There are quite a few Upper Three Heavens experts here. Master can't keep an eye on everyone, so we must be careful. Old Tian or someone else might suddenly show up, Shui Ying, get the spirit-concealing veil ready."

Shui Ying said, "Don't worry, it's already prepared."

As she spoke, she took out a roll of what looked like thin silk, but she didn't unfold it yet.

"The spirit-concealing veil can only be used once, so it's better to not use it unless necessary," Shui Ying said regretfully.

Bo Hong added, "It'll be worth it if it saves our lives in a critical moment."

"Of course," Shui Ying agreed. "It's just a pity that we don't have more."

The spirit-concealing veil was not a spiritual object refined by the Blood River Sect. It was a collaboration between the other two lineages of the South Wilderness Witchcraft Sect: the Head Drop Sect and the Divine Dance Sect.

The South Wilderness was rife with internecine struggles, and it was rare for experts from these two sects to cooperate.

The raw materials used to refine the spirit-concealing veil were extremely rare and hard to come by.

Hence, this spiritual object was even more scarce.

It was only by chance that Bo Hong, Shui Ying, and their disciples had obtained this precious roll.

No wonder they cherished it so much and treated it as a treasure.

After a thorough search, their disciples finally found the hidden place in the mountains from where the pure yang energy was leaking.

Seeing this, Bo Hong said to Shui Ying, "You're better at breaking restrictions, so you take care of it. Be careful and don't act rashly."

"Alright, you guard us," Shui Ying replied as she handed the spirit-concealing veil to Bo Hong and walked towards the mountains.

Bo Hong continued to watch the north, where the intense battle was still undecided.

However, a faint scent of blood wafted on the wind.

Bo Hong was extremely sensitive to this, and he immediately noticed it. Although he wasn't close, his body trembled slightly with excitement.

One of the four experts engaged in the fierce battle had been injured.

It was the blood of an Upper Three Heavens expert.

To every Blood River Sect cultivator, it was incredibly alluring.

Bo Hong forcibly suppressed the agitation in his heart and regained his calm, continuing his vigilance.

However, at this moment, a faint sense of danger arose in his heart, signaling an impending threat.

The sensation wasn't strong.

But Bo Hong felt that the threat was already very close to him!

Who was it, and how had they managed to get so close without him noticing? It was already too late to deploy the spirit-concealing veil now that the enemy was within striking distance.

Before Bo Hong could turn around, hot blood surged from within his body, steaming around him as if forming a veil of blood that temporarily protected him.

But before the veil of blood could fully unfold, something appeared above his head.

It was a short stick, thicker on one end and thinner on the other.

The thinner end was gripped by Lei Jun.

The thicker end landed on Bo Hong's head.

The Blood River Sect cultivator let out a miserable scream as his head caved in, and his body fell forward.

Alerted by Bo Hong's scream, Shui Ying turned around and saw Lei Jun striking Bo Hong down with the stick.

Lei Jun raised his eyebrows.

He waved the Upper Clarity Golden Bamboo in his hand, and the second strike immediately followed, aiming at the fallen Bo Hong.

Although Bo Hong had been knocked down, the thick blood energy surrounding his body did not dissipate.

While it failed to block Lei Jun's sudden initial strike, the blood energy condensed into a veil of blood, slightly hindering Lei Jun's second blow.

The veil of blood was quickly shattered by Lei Jun's strike, and the stick continued its downward motion.

However, Bo Hong, who had fallen forward, somehow managed to move and rolled forward to dodge.

Lei Jun's second strike landed on his shoulder.

With a crack, Bo Hong's scapula, clavicle, and many other bones were shattered, leaving his shoulder a bloody mess.

Shui Ying quickly waved her hand, sending several blood arrows flying towards Lei Jun to block his pursuit.

Lei Jun looked at Bo Hong with interest.

Bo Hong rolled over and faced Lei Jun.

He tried to get up, but his body softened, and he knelt on one knee.

However, his eyes were bloodshot, like an injured beast staring at Lei Jun.

Lei Jun paid no heed to his emotions.

What caught his attention was that Bo Hong's head had withstood a blow from the Upper Clarity Golden Bamboo.

Upon closer inspection, he noticed that Bo Hong's head was caved in, blood gushing out and covering his entire face.

However, the wounds on his head and shoulder were somehow slowing the bleeding and beginning to heal.

Although Bo Hong's severe injuries had slowed his recovery, the flesh-healing abilities of the Blood River Sect disciple still impressed Lei Jun.

The Blood River Sect's unique cultivation methods truly showed in their ability to recover, even at the Middle Three Heavens stage.

Lei Jun was intrigued.

On the other hand, Bo Hong felt his vision darken.

He cultivated the Blood Battle technique and the Blood Flesh Impermanence art, and without either of them, he would have been killed by Lei Jun's strike from behind!

"Shui Ying!"

Bo Hong roared without another word, and the long sword at his waist flashed with bloody light as he unsheathed it with a roar.

The Blood River Sect's secret technique, Blood Battle, could enhance a cultivator's combat strength even when injured, and also meant that in a short period of time, even if they were severely wounded, they could still maintain their formidable fighting prowess, hence the name "Blood Battle."

Bo Hong was exceptionally fierce and cruel, and despite his injuries, he showed no signs of retreating or escaping. With the boost from the Blood Battle technique, he instead charged towards Lei Jun.

At the same time, his fellow disciple, Shui Ying, coordinated with him without needing to be told, and a large patch of foul blood surged around them, spreading out from all sides and pouncing towards Lei Jun, shielding Bo Hong.

The Blood River Technique was also a fundamental method of the Blood River Sect, the source of their lineage.

When a Middle Three Heavens cultivator used this technique, it was no longer a blood river but a blood sea.

The blood sea raged like a tidal wave, directly engulfing Lei Jun.

Bo Hong's body seemed to merge with the blood sea's waves, becoming more concealed, cruel, and vicious.

Facing the siege of the two Blood River Sect experts, Lei Jun remained as calm as ever.

The fact that his first strike didn't instantly kill Bo Hong had indeed surprised him.

However, that previous strike wasn't his full strength.

For the sake of secrecy, he had to keep some aspects of his attack subtle.

As for now...

Brilliant light shone around Lei Jun's body.

In addition to his natal Heaven General Talisman, he also used the high-level spirit talisman, the Five Ding Mountain-Opening Talisman.

Lei Jun's already tall and sturdy figure seemed to grow even taller, and the light around him seemed to condense into a suit of armor, like a true heavenly general descending to the mortal realm.

At the same time, the Upper Clarity Golden Bamboo in his hand, which was originally only one and a half feet long, extended and condensed its light, quickly transforming into a long staff.

As the blood sea enveloped Lei Jun, Bo Hong's bloody light also arrived.

The fierce bloody light condensed into a giant bloody sword that fell from the sky like a small mountain.

It was the Blood River Sect's secret technique, Blood Battle Eight Styles.

The massive bloody sword split into eight, covering all directions and sealing off any space for Lei Jun to dodge.

But Lei Jun never intended to dodge.

He didn't even plan to meet Bo Hong's attack with his own.

He simply swung the staff in a wide arc and struck out!

"Boom!"

A deafening explosion echoed as the surrounding air seemed to be blasted apart from all directions.

The blood sea that had surrounded him from all sides was instantly cleared.

The mountain-like bloody sword shadows were shattered into a spray of blood that flew in the direction of Lei Jun's strike.

Along with the spray of blood went a person.

Bo Hong was sent flying by Lei Jun's staff strike.

He fell heavily to the ground, causing the mountains to collapse and the rocks to sink into a large depression.

The Blood River Sect disciple lay in the rubble, lifeless, his life extinguished.

Behind him, Shui Ying stood there dumbfounded, only able to watch as Bo Hong flew over her head.

She didn't have time to verify Bo Hong's fate and quickly took out a silver short dagger, slashing multiple cuts on her arms, causing blood to gush out.

The blood flowed and turned into an even more expansive blood sea.

The opponent's strength was completely beyond her expectations. After blocking Lei Jun's pursuit with the blood sea, Shui Ying immediately turned and fled.

If the opponent was a Talisman Sect cultivator who used the God Strike Talisman and the Five Ding Mountain-Opening Talisman as the core of his combat, the blood sea wouldn't be able to drown him, but it could slow down his pursuit... Shui Ying thought.

But just then, her vision blurred.

It seemed as if a patch of blackness had appeared.

Shui Ying looked closely and saw that in addition to her own blood-red ocean, there was now a black ocean nearby, as thick as ink, silent and stealthy.

The black thunder sea entangled with the blood sea, trapping Shui Ying and preventing her from escaping.

The originally silent black thunder sea made a "zzzzt" sound as it came into contact with the blood water.

The foul blood polluted the thunder water.

The thunder water, however, was powerful enough to clear away the blood water.

The two liquids neutralized each other.

But in the end, the black thunder sea, which had been larger in scale than the blood sea, emerged victorious.

"What kind of thunder technique is this?" Shui Ying stared in astonishment.

The Talisman Sect Daoist in front of her was not only formidable in close combat but also extremely powerful in long-range spell attacks?

She turned her head in shock.

Lei Jun held the staff with one hand, and on its surface was a layer of bloodstains.

It was from when he had struck and shattered the first layer of the blood sea and Bo Hong earlier.

The Blood River lineage's ability to pollute their opponent's magic power and spirit treasures was well-known, and the blood sea, tainted with blood, was even more corrupting.

However, Lei Jun's other hand had a black thunder liquid floating above his palm, which he then wiped the staff with.

The bloodstains were quickly cleaned.

Lei Jun held the staff and wiped his palm on it, then calmly walked up to Shui Ying.

PS: This is the first update of the day, a 6k chapter. There will be another update later.

(End of Chapter)

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