Chapter 162: Chapter 162: Making a Run for It
At first, these cultivators had remained at the North City Gate, making no move.
They had no idea what the current situation truly was.
Although these cultivators had been lured over by Jiang Xu, it was only because they had no better options. They had come in a state of desperation, ready to try anything.
But upon arriving, they found no "doctor," which left them at a complete loss.
Some wanted to turn back, while others wanted to stay and observe the situation for a while longer.
Those who wanted to leave became indecisive when they saw so many other cultivators still rushing over.
They wondered to themselves, ’Have I been tricked?’
’If this isn’t a trick, then why has there been no news since we got here?’
’But if it is a trick, why are more people still coming? Even if I was the only one fooled, surely not *everyone* could have been, right?’
These people might seem foolish for falling for such a simple trap, but in reality, Jiang Xu had a firm grasp on their every thought.
He had even ensured that they would remain stationary, at least until he could get there to take control of the situation.
However, while Jiang Xu could predict the thoughts of most people...
...there were always a few whose minds were less flexible—the so-called blockheads.
While Cultivation could indeed enhance a person’s intellect, if someone lacked intelligence to begin with, or if it was just their innate personality, no amount of Cultivation could change their fundamental nature.
And so it was that while everyone else at the North City Gate stood motionless, waiting quietly...
...one person, who had only just arrived, couldn’t wait any longer. The moment he heard that the Array blocking the path outside had supposedly vanished, he grew incredibly excited. Without a second thought, he charged straight out.
No one around tried to stop him. After watching him escape several kilometers away, another person could no longer hold back and followed suit. WHOOSH WHOOSH WHOOSH—another ten or so people dashed out.
After seeing that group leave as well, only a small minority of the remaining cultivators could continue to suppress their impulses.
Like a flock of sheep following a bellwether, the vast majority of cultivators swarmed out all at once.
What they didn’t know, however, was that...
...the only reason they could get out was that the Demon Cultivators were deliberately waiting for them, ready to let their Demon Blades drink blood.
The Marketplace was protected by a defensive Grand Array that the Demon Cultivators couldn’t penetrate. To reap their lives, the only option was to wait for them to come out.
Once the crowd had streamed out like a school of fish, the Demon Cultivators immediately began to draw their net and catch their prey!
The moment the first wave of impulsive cultivators left the protective range of the Marketplace’s defensive Grand Array, the surrounding air suddenly grew heavy.
A suffocating pressure washed over them like a tidal wave. The once-peaceful night was torn by fissures from which Demonic Qi, so thick it was almost tangible, billowed out.
Suddenly, figures streaked across the dark night sky like lightning. It was the Demon Cultivators, who had long been lying in wait, launching their surprise attack.
They wore jet-black Battle Armor, their faces sinister and cold. In their hands, they gripped Demon Blades that glinted with an unholy light. Every flash of their weapons was accompanied by a bone-chilling wind and the sound of slicing air.
The first cultivators to charge out had no time to react before the sudden assault struck them down.
A spray of blood blossomed in the air, accompanied by a piercing shriek. A cultivator fell instantly, the mist of his blood hanging in the air like a grotesque flower blooming in the night.
The cultivators who followed close behind met the same fate. They were surrounded by Demon Cultivators swarming in from all directions. No matter what Divine Techniques they unleashed, they couldn’t withstand the storm of attacks.
Some cultivators tried to retreat to the Marketplace for protection, but the Demon Cultivators blocked their path in an instant, forcing them to watch helplessly as they plunged into an abyss of despair.
In an instant, blood splattered and wails of agony rose and fell. The once-peaceful night had transformed into a living Purgatory.
Jiang Xu watched it all unfold, his heart racing with anxiety.
He inwardly cursed the fool who had rushed out first, only to be the first one killed.
’Just great. My plan isn’t even fully underway and this huge disaster happens. How infuriating!’
However, what happened next was not what Jiang Xu expected. The cultivators in the rear didn’t recoil in fear at the carnage ahead.
Instead, even more of them began to surge outward in a frenzy.
Because the unseen is far more terrifying than the seen.
The Demon Cultivators were vicious, but there were only a handful of them. And judging by their Cultivation, none were Golden Core Zhenren.
There were several Foundation Establishment Demon Cultivators, and they killed with brutal efficiency, but their victims were all Qi Cultivation Cultivators. The few Foundation Establishment Cultivators in the crowd hadn’t even started running yet; they were still back at the gate.
This was their chance. With so many cultivators gathered, the odds of escaping were higher. If they didn’t run now, they wouldn’t get another chance.
They simply didn’t believe a Marketplace without a Golden Core Zhenren on guard could withstand an attack from one.
And if they didn’t believe, their only choice was to run.
And so, the Demon Cultivators discovered a perplexing problem: the more people they killed, the more people came flooding out.
Massive numbers of cultivators were fleeing from the gate. As strong as the Demon Cultivators were, their numbers were limited. They couldn’t stop everyone, and more people were escaping than were being killed.
Jiang Xu blended in with the fleeing crowd, taking advantage of the chaos to make his own escape.
As usual, the Concealing Ability of his Concealing Breath Spell served him well. Beyond that, however, the combination of his Spiritual Eye Technique and Divine Sense was the true key to why he went unnoticed.
Within the ten-zhang radius covered by his Divine Sense, the combination of the Spiritual Eye Technique and his Divine Sense granted Jiang Xu a level of insight and foresight far beyond that of an ordinary person.
He could easily perceive hidden dangers with an intuitive sharpness, like a fish sensing ripples in the water or a bird foreseeing an approaching storm.
In the narrow space before the city gate, the aftershocks of battle were everywhere. Flashing blades, crackling lightning, and peals of thunder filled the air as all manner of powerful Magic and Talismans rained down like a torrential storm, striking terror into the hearts of all who witnessed it.
However, the Concealing Ability of Jiang Xu’s Concealing Breath Spell would fail if he were struck by an attack that exceeded its tolerance.
Therefore, for Jiang Xu to pass through the area using his Concealing Breath Spell, he had to dodge every one of these ubiquitous aftershocks.
Before he had comprehended Divine Sense, this would have been utterly impossible for Jiang Xu.
But now, within that ten-zhang range, Jiang Xu could sense every incoming spell and every caster’s movements that might affect him. His Divine Sense processed this information, allowing him to react and make judgments in real-time.
Whenever a spell or an aftershock from the battle swept toward him, Jiang Xu could accurately judge its trajectory and intensity. He would then adjust his position with imperceptible speed, deftly slipping through the gaps between the attacks.
Before him, the lethal spells seemed to lose their target, leaving behind only trails of brilliant but empty light.
If anyone could have seen Jiang Xu at that moment, they would have likely mistaken him for a butterfly flitting through a sea of flowers.
Passing through a garden of a thousand flowers, yet untouched by a single leaf.
Comments