The sound of something cleaving the air grew from a distant whisper to a roar. Giant, lightning-fast shadows, like an orderly fleet of warships, rushed in and blocked the escape route for Ye Wushuang's trio.
The Lightning Eagle King among them had a silver-white orb of light hovering above its head, within which terrifying thunderbolts crackled. It stood with immense pride, looking from afar like a King of the Firmament, its sheer size and extraordinary might blotting out the sun.
Its sharp, brutal eyes locked onto the trio as a surging aura erupted from its body, so oppressive it was suffocating.
A Fierce Demon!
A Demon Beast on par with the Qi Vortex Realm!
Ye Wushuang's heart sank to the pit of his stomach. If they couldn't find a way to escape today, all three of them would meet their end here.
'Damn it, what rotten luck!'
'Calm down!'
'I have to stay calm!'
Ye Wushuang kept reminding himself that the more dangerous the situation, the calmer he had to be.
"What do we do?"
Yang Qing'er instinctively drew closer to Ye Wushuang, her Divine Sense warily fixed on the sky. Though she was afraid, her past timidity in the face of her enemies was gone.
"With a Fierce Demon of the Demon Beast Level in command, it looks like we don't have a single chance of survival," Ye Wushuang said grimly. As he watched the sky, he also scanned their surroundings, trying to find an escape route.
"I'm sorry. I'm the one who dragged you two into this," Qiu Mo said, his expression grave and full of apology. If Ye Wushuang hadn't saved him, they wouldn't be trapped in this crisis.
"Baddie, they're coming for us!" Yang Qing'er suddenly shouted. From the south, west, and north, the Lightning Eagles shot down as fast as lightning, like sharp arrows streaking through the sky.
A violent surge of lightning power descended like a dense electric net.
The three of them dodged just in time. The electric net slammed into the ground with a series of booms, shattering the earth. The Thunder Power arced across the ground like electric snakes.
"I'll draw them away! You take the young lady and run!"
Qiu Mo shouted and immediately charged toward the Lightning Eagles. After a few steps, he suddenly turned back to Ye Wushuang. "Ye Wushuang, I'll probably be torn to shreds. I won't be able to kill Ba Ziyun myself anymore. Please, kill him for me—avenge my brother! In my next life, I, Qiu Mo, will work like an ox to repay you."
"What are you panicking for!"
Ye Wushuang's eyes darkened. He stepped forward and grabbed Qiu Mo.
"If we delay any longer, it'll be too late,"
Qiu Mo said anxiously.
Just then, however, Ye Wushuang gave a relaxed smile. "Wouldn't it be better to stay alive and kill Ba Ziyun yourself to avenge your brother?"
Qiu Mo froze, a sliver of confusion cutting through his anxious expression.
Ye Wushuang pointed southeast. "Look over there. There aren't many Lightning Eagles guarding that direction. It's likely the way to the Lightning Eagles' lair. If we run that way, we should be able to get out."
"The southeast?"
Qiu Mo and Yang Qing'er looked over together. In that direction, only the Lightning Eagle King stood guard; there wasn't a dense flock of Lightning Eagles attacking like there was from the other directions.
With Ye Wushuang's reminder, the two of them vaguely understood his plan.
The trio exchanged a look. Before the flock of Lightning Eagles could launch their second attack, they all understood the plan and sprinted toward the southeast.
In the sky, the Lightning Eagle King stared down at the three fleeing figures on the ground, a flash of human-like disdain in its silver, lightning-filled eyes.
SCREECH!
A long cry tore through the heavens. The ball of thunderbolts above the Lightning Eagle King's head unleashed a serpentine bolt of lightning that split the air as it shot toward the trio.
BOOM!
The terrifying lightning bolt exploded behind them. As if toying with them, it didn't strike them directly, but smaller arcs of lightning exploded densely at their backs, sending powerful shockwaves slamming into them.
"You damn animal! You dare to mess with me? I'll make sure I'm the one who slaughters you."
Enraged, Ye Wushuang glanced back at the approaching, wings-spread Lightning Eagle King, but he didn't slow down, continuing to flee with the other two.
SWOOSH! SWOOSH! SWOOSH!
Seeing the trio escape the encirclement, more than fifty Lightning Eagles followed the Lightning Eagle King, diving down in hot pursuit at astonishing speed.
WHOOSH! WHOOSH! WHOOSH!
Below, the trio weaved through the desolate woods.
They occasionally ran into other prisoners out hunting. These prisoners originally planned to take advantage of the situation and rob Ye Wushuang's group, but when they saw the terrifying Fierce Demon chasing them, they regretted it so much their guts turned green.
After letting out a string of curses, they too were targeted and had no choice but to miserably flee behind Ye Wushuang and his companions.
The group of fugitives grew larger and larger, soon attracting the attention of Yuncheng and his men, who had been in pursuit.
"Brother Cheng, I've found traces of Ye Wushuang!" In front of a cliff, a skinny, weaselly-looking youth ran up to Yuncheng, panting for breath. The Slave Lock Chain around his neck made it clear that he was also a prisoner.
"Skinny Monkey, you've done well! I'll have your sentence reduced when we get back. Now, take me to him, quickly."
At the prospect of finding Ye Wushuang, Yuncheng grew impatient.
'Killing Ye Wushuang isn't just about my career. I'll get Yang Qing'er, too. It's a win-win, fame and fortune in one go. What a perfect opportunity.'
His heart burned with eagerness. Under Skinny Monkey's guidance, he chased after Ye Wushuang at top speed.
"Ye Wushuang, there's nowhere left for you to run."
Following Skinny Monkey's directions, Yuncheng spotted Ye Wushuang's figure in a narrow canyon.
However, aside from them, there were quite a few other prisoners, all of whom were also fleeing in a panic.
Yuncheng stood at the mouth of the canyon, his eyes locked on Ye Wushuang. He drew a cold-gleaming longsword and, like a streak of light, charged toward Ye Wushuang to kill him.
Powerful True Qi coated the blade, causing it to glow brightly, its cold light pulsing with a palpable, murderous intent.
'Yuncheng!'
Seeing Yuncheng suddenly appear before him, Ye Wushuang's gaze turned cold. 'That bastard still wants to kill me, even now.'
"Yun—"
Seeing Yuncheng blocking their path, Yang Qing'er was about to warn him that the Lightning Eagles were coming.
But at the critical moment, Ye Wushuang stopped her.
A cold, scheming glint flickered in Ye Wushuang's eyes. 'Perfect. I'm already in a world of hurt from this chase. Since he wants to kill me so badly, this idiot can help block the Lightning Eagles' attack for a bit.'
With that thought, Ye Wushuang executed the Eight Kills of Battle. Relying on his agile body, he dodged Yuncheng's sword strike while fluidly maneuvering around him.
"Dodge? Do you think you can get away?!"
Yuncheng sneered. He suddenly twirled his longsword in a flourish before thrusting it rapidly toward Ye Wushuang's chest, aiming for a vital spot.
"Get the hell out of my way!"
Seeing Yuncheng's vicious attack, Ye Wushuang also exploded with rage. Channeling the Fury of the Violent Ape, he executed the Six Kills of Battle, slamming his fist fiercely into Yuncheng's blade.
CLANG!
Amid the ringing clash, the longsword was knocked back by the powerful fist.
Yuncheng stared in disbelief, his eyes wide with incredulity. A mere Body Tempering Sixth Layer cultivator was able to fight him, a Body Tempering Tenth Layer, to a standstill. That was a difference of four minor Realms!
'What kind of power is this?'
Yuncheng was so shocked he almost couldn't react. 'Is Ye Wushuang really at the Body Tempering Sixth Layer? Or is he hiding his Cultivation?'
"Go now!"
Taking advantage of Yuncheng's stunned state, Ye Wushuang shouted to Yang Qing'er and Qiu Mo.
Qiu Mo and Yang Qing'er snapped back to their senses and seized the opportunity to rush past Yuncheng. Many of the prisoners who had been dragged into the mess also scrambled past him in a panic.
'If we don't run now, are we just going to wait here to die?!'
'That's the Lightning Eagle King, a Fierce Demon with the bloodline of a Primordial Alien Species! An impossibly powerful monster!'
Thinking of the Fierce Demon's terrifying power, the prisoners being chased by the Lightning Eagles all wished their parents had given them a few extra legs.
Yuncheng, however, was still oblivious. He bellowed, "Stop Ye Wushuang! Whoever takes his life, I'll set them free immediately!"
"Kill Ye Wushuang."
Hearing Yuncheng's promise, the uninformed prisoners, along with Yuncheng's subordinates, hesitated for only a moment before turning to attack Ye Wushuang and his group.
"Kill Ye Wushuang and gain freedom!"
The eyes of the men standing near Yuncheng turned red as their killing intent surged to a bone-chilling intensity.
At this, Qiu Mo stepped forward, positioning himself in front of Ye Wushuang.
"Qiu Mo, get out of the way, or I'll kill you too!"
The group of prisoners surged forward with ferocious expressions, blocking Ye Wushuang's path. Each one was a killer who wouldn't bat an eye. They were fed up with their enslavement in the Fierce Demon Cave, and for the sake of freedom, they would dare to kill anyone.
"Get the hell out of my way!"
Ye Wushuang's eyes filled with savagery. He moved around Qiu Mo and suddenly threw a punch at a young man at the Body Tempering Eighth Layer, sending him flying.
PUH!
The young man was killed by that single punch, blood spraying from him like a fountain. It splattered across the faces of the others rushing forward, instantly chilling them to the bone and bringing them to an abrupt halt.
"You want to kill me? Who the fuck dares!"
Ye Wushuang slammed his foot down on the corpse and glared, his aura overwhelmingly powerful and domineering. The display terrified the crowd, who stumbled back seven or eight paces.
Everyone stared at Ye Wushuang, trembling. Their hearts quaked. 'To kill a Body Tempering Eighth Layer cultivator with one punch… just how much power does that take?'
'If that punch landed on us, could we have survived?'
Instantly, no one dared to step forward. They could only retreat to Yuncheng's side.
Yuncheng flew into a rage. This canyon was the perfect place to kill Ye Wushuang. If he let Ye Wushuang escape again, would he ever find such a golden opportunity?
"Why the fuck are you all retreating? Kill him! Chop him to pieces for me!"
Yuncheng roared at the people around him, his sharp eyes dark with fury.
At that moment, however, Yuncheng completely failed to notice that on the other side, the people standing near Ye Wushuang were suddenly staring at him as if he were a complete idiot.