Chapter 1785 - Death by Proxy
After watching Liu Wuxie kill two people within a few breaths, Jin Ren's expression turned grim. The remaining four students stepped back in terror, for their cultivation was not much higher than that of the two who had just died.
Fear overwhelmed the remaining four students as they shouted, "Let's get out of here immediately!" They were flowers nurtured within a greenhouse, so when had they ever witnessed such brutal bloodshed?
While cultivating inside the Azure Flame Dao Hall, deaths seldom occurred, and students usually suffered nothing more than superficial injuries.
Now, the shadow of death engulfed the four students as Liu Wuxie advanced toward them one deliberate step at a time.
"Liu Wuxie, I want you dead!" Jin Ren shouted and lunged forward, weaving his sword into blossoms of radiant sword rays. He had unleashed a formidable martial technique belonging to the Azure Flame Dao Hall.
"Scared Fire Sword!"
Flames surged outward and engulfed Liu Wuxie as Jin Ren's sword followed an elusive, treacherous trajectory.
Liu Wuxie continuously evaded the incoming assault, fully aware that he had little chance against a Spirit Immortal. The flames crashed down and blasted open a massive crater, but Liu Wuxie had already vanished, charging straight toward the four students. He knew that he had to kill them all and could not afford to leave a single survivor.
Terror consumed the four students as they attempted to retreat.
"Divine Mystic Yin Needle!" Liu Wuxie murmured
The needles effortlessly pierced their defenses and plunged into their primordial spirits. Within mere moments, every student lay dead, leaving Jin Ren as the sole survivor.
The sight of all six students lying dead sent a flicker of fear across Jin Ren's face.
"Liu Wuxie, you're dead! Do you know who stands behind those students?!" Jin Ren roared like a madman, pointing his sword at Liu Wuxie as his hands trembled visibly.
"Who will know if all of you are dead?" Liu Wuxie asked with a frigid smirk before charging forward, intent on wearing Jin Ren down until he died. Even if he could not kill Jin Ren directly, he could not allow him to escape from the Dragon Burial Mountain Range. No matter the cost, he had to keep Jin Ren trapped here.
The two collided in an instant, their strength evenly matched. The longer the battle dragged on, the deeper Jin Ren's shock became. Liu Wuxie was merely a ninth-level High Immortal, yet despite the overwhelming disparity between him and a Spirit Immortal, he counterattacked with perfect composure. Such a sight overturned everything Jin Ren had ever known.
The violent clang of colliding weapons echoed throughout the depths of the Dragon Burial Mountain Range, drawing the attention of many powerful immortal beasts.
"Liu Wuxie, I advise you to surrender obediently and reveal your secrets. As for their deaths, I will make sure no one ever learns the truth," Jin Ren roared as he swept his sword outward, forcing Liu Wuxie three steps backward.
"You want my secrets? Then come with me," Liu Wuxie said before transforming into a streak of light and disappearing from where he stood. He knew that killing Jin Ren with his present strength would not be easy, but he could not permit the latter to escape either. His best option was to borrow another force to eliminate him.
If Jin Ren escaped, word that Liu Wuxie had killed the students would quickly spread. Therefore, Liu Wuxie had no choice but to silence Jin Ren permanently.
Jin Ren naturally refused to let his prey escape when he was already within his grasp, so he immediately gave chase, determined to kill Liu Wuxie regardless of the cost. He understood that if he missed this opportunity, killing Liu Wuxie would only become increasingly difficult in the future.
Thus, the two raced through the densely forested mountains in a relentless pursuit.
Liu Wuxie activated Ghost Pupil, and his field of vision instantly expanded. The surrounding trees turned transparent, no longer capable of obstructing his sight.
In any case, the darkness would severely hinder Jin Ren.
The two ventured ever deeper into the mountain range, and after crossing dozens of miles, they arrived before a valley blanketed with jagged rocks.
"What an excellent place!" Liu Wuxie murmured as Ghost Pupil penetrated the valley, and a cruel smile spread across his lips. Moving with astonishing agility, he bounded across the rubble and disappeared from Jin Ren's sight within a few leaps.
"Liu Wuxie, you can't escape!" Jin Ren landed atop the rubble. The valley had only one entrance. Once Liu Wuxie entered, he would be like a turtle trapped in a jar, completely at Jin Ren's mercy.
The moment Liu Wuxie entered the valley, he abruptly vanished without a trace, refusing to reveal himself no matter how much Jin Ren shouted and taunted him.
The valley stretched across an enormous area. Aside from the scattered rubble, waist-high weeds covered the ground, providing countless places to hide.
After calling out for half a day without receiving any response from Liu Wuxie, Jin Ren grew increasingly irritated and cautiously ventured deeper into the valley.
Deep within the valley, a crimson twin-headed serpent slumbered undisturbed. Liu Wuxie had detected it from afar and discovered that its formidable cultivation was comparable to the higher levels of the Spirit Immortal Realm.
While the serpent slept, its aura faded until its presence became nearly impossible to detect.
Liu Wuxie released a Divine Mystic Yin Needle, transforming it into a wisp of yin wind that silently threaded through the dense weeds.
Jin Ren continued advancing, while Liu Wuxie deliberately made noise to lure him even closer.
"A little closer! Just a little closer!" Liu Wuxie murmured.
The Divine Mystic Yin Needle hovered near the twin-headed serpent, poised to strike at any moment. Liu Wuxie waited until Jin Ren came within thirty meters of the twin-headed serpent before commanding the Divine Mystic Yin Needle to stab forward.
The twin-headed serpent shrieked in agony and erupted from the pile of rubble, startling Jin Ren as blood streamed from its neck. Although the Divine Mystic Yin Needle had barely broken through the twin-headed serpent's defenses, it still managed to tear open a large wound.
The overpowering scent of blood enraged the twin-headed serpent, and its scarlet eyes immediately locked onto Jin Ren.
Jin Ren shuddered with fear as he sensed that the twin-headed serpent's cultivation surpassed his own.
The twin-headed serpent lunged, disappearing from its original position before hurtling toward Jin Ren, thinking he had attacked it.
By then, Liu Wuxie had already fled, stopping at the valley's entrance.
"Run!" Jin Ren shrieked. The aura radiating from the twin-headed serpent made every strand of hair across his body stand on end.
Without warning, Liu Wuxie turned around and unleashed a blade ray, brutally forcing Jin Ren backward.
"Liu Wuxie, you shameless bastard!" Jin Ren cursed. Never had he expected Liu Wuxie to employ such a shameless tactic, luring him into the valley after realizing that he could not defeat him directly.
However, Jin Ren could not understand how he had failed to sense the twin-headed serpent's presence. Had he known it lurked within the valley, he would never have entered, even if someone pressed a blade against his neck.
The twin-headed serpent's attack arrived at that moment, leaving Jin Ren no room to evade. No matter how deeply he hated Liu Wuxie, escaping alive was his foremost priority.
Liu Wuxie, on the other hand, had no intention of leaving. He guarded the valley's entrance, determined to ensure Jin Ren's death.
The twin-headed serpent unleashed a thunderous roar that transformed into a shockwave, sweeping up the rocks scattered across the ground and creating a terrifying spectacle. With no alternative remaining, Jin Ren could only confront the beast head-on.
He wielded the longsword and charged at the twin-headed serpent.
Just like that, man and beast became locked in a vicious battle while Liu Wuxie watched leisurely from the sidelines. Whenever Jin Ren attempted to retreat, the Bloodthirst Blade descended from the sky and drove him back into the valley.
Liu Wuxie had also set up a spiritual array at the entrance, ensuring that Jin Ren had no chance of escaping.
As the clash between Jin Ren and the twin-headed serpent intensified, the destructive power inflicted by the Divine Mystic Yin Needle surpassed Liu Wuxie's expectations, causing blood to gush relentlessly from the beast's neck.
Liu Wuxie had uncovered another use for the Divine Mystic Yin Needle. Once it pierced the flesh, he could command it to explode, generating a devastating shockwave that destroyed the target's body from within.
A wound the size of a washbasin gaped across the twin-headed serpent's neck. Although the injury was not fatal, it undoubtedly subjected the beast to excruciating pain.
Unable to evade in time, Jin Ren took the full force of the serpent's tail and hurtled through the air before crashing heavily into a pile of rubble.
The twin-headed serpent rapidly closed in on him.
By the time Jin Ren struggled back to his feet, blood covered his entire body. Regret turned his insides green, and he bitterly wished he had never listened to the others and come to hunt Liu Wuxie. Not only had he failed to kill Liu Wuxie, but he had also condemned himself to die in this valley.
"I'm not the one who injured you! It was him!" Jin Ren roared at the twin-headed serpent.
Yet the twin-headed serpent remained unmoved, for its intelligence had not reached the level of a human's. Jin Ren was the nearest human, while Liu Wuxie was merely a High Immortal. How could a High Immortal possibly have injured it? Thus, the beast firmly identified Jin Ren as the culprit.
Jin Ren nearly wept from frustration, but when the twin-headed serpent attacked again, he could only raise his longsword and retaliate.
The man and beast fought on equal footing, so neither side could easily kill the other outright. Wounds steadily accumulated across the twin-headed serpent's body, while Jin Ren suffered from several broken ribs, weakening his offensive power considerably compared to before.
An hour later, little immortal energy remained within Jin Ren, while the twin-headed serpent's attacks had also lost much of their former ferocity.
"Liu Wuxie, you despicable and shameless bastard! You'll meet a miserable end!" Jin Ren leaned against his longsword for support as agonizing pain tore through his chest. He was desperate for a moment's rest. Yet he knew that the instant he collapsed, the twin-headed serpent would charge over and swallow him whole.
Liu Wuxie, however, remained utterly unmoved by Jin Ren's threat. He sat at the valley's entrance with a faint smile, as though leisurely watching a play. Midnight had long since passed, and dawn was only two hours away. Once daylight broke, killing Jin Ren would become even more difficult.
There were other concealed exits throughout the valley, but the darkness and waist-high weeds prevented Jin Ren from discovering them.
The twin-headed serpent advanced slowly, its flowing blood staining the rubble and weeds crimson. Jin Ren also moved with tremendous difficulty, for heart-rending pain ripped through his wounds and turned every step into unbearable torment.
Perhaps the relentless shouting had exhausted him. His mouth was parched, and every swallow sent searing pain burning through his throat.
Jin Ren had inhaled the poison released by the twin-headed serpent, causing blood to spill from his mouth.
Raising his longsword, Jin Ren unleashed a terrifying sword ray that engulfed the entire valley. The display made the twin-headed serpent hesitate as it halted abruptly.
At that precise moment, the Divine Mystic Yin Needle reappeared and locked onto the twin-headed serpent's tail. As soon as the needle pierced its flesh, another burst of searing agony swept through the beast, prompting it to shriek and charge uncontrollably toward Jin Ren.
Jin Ren furiously swung his sword downward, releasing a blade ray that tore through the air and struck the twin-headed serpent's heads. At the same time, the impact of the twin-headed serpent's charge slammed into Jin Ren's chest and launched him high into the air.
Spirit Immortals could not fly, and if Jin Ren plummeted from such a height, the fall would undoubtedly shatter every bone in his body. Meanwhile, the sword ray tore apart the twin-headed serpent's heads, spraying blood and brain matter outward as the beast collapsed to the ground, hovering on the brink of death.
When Jin Ren crashed to the ground, not a single bone in his body remained intact. Nevertheless, his injuries would not kill him immediately.
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