Chapter 322: Chapter 219: Black Death Demon Corpse
"I must have angered someone to bring this senseless disaster upon myself!"
Though Jiang Cheng looked disheveled, a flash of anger still lit his eyes as he spoke.
Qin Xuan’s eyes flickered as he instantly understood the crux of the matter.
’The divination for The Worst Draw came true!’
’Taking first place in the Demon Child trial was clearly a mistake.’
On his way back, Qin Xuan had specifically investigated the backgrounds of the ten people who had passed the preliminary selection for the Demon Child trial.
Among them, the one ranked first, Jiang Cheng, had drawn Qin Xuan’s particular attention.
Jiang Cheng was the fourth reincarnation of a Golden Core Blood Demon. Three thousand years ago, he had been an exceptionally gifted member of the Holy Sect’s Celestial Demon Hall.
But that was three thousand years ago. Now, like Qin Xuan, he had no powerful backing.
Unlike Sunx Miao, who had the concrete backing of the Golden Core True Monarch, He Yuanying.
’It seems that uncle and nephew, Sunx Hong and Sunx Miao, have already begun unscrupulously eliminating anyone who won’t play along with their plans for the final Demon Child selection.’
Qin Xuan glanced at Jiang Cheng, whose aura was growing weaker, then sensed the faint Corpse Evil Qi drifting from the distance. He quickly weighed his options.
’Saving him could bring disaster upon me. But if I don’t, Sunx Miao’s faction will only grow more arrogant. Plus, it would go against my principle of quietly gathering strength and biding my time.’
Just then, Jiang Cheng’s weak but urgent voice came from outside the quiet room, "Master Qin, my injuries have stabilized for now. However, the Red Blood Altar cannot be without its master for long, and I fear the Corpse Refining Hall hasn’t given up..."
"Would Master Qin be willing to escort me? I will be sure to repay this kindness generously in the future!"
Hearing this, Qin Xuan’s brow furrowed slightly. His first instinct was to refuse this troublesome matter.
’Escorting a target of a Golden Core True Monarch is no small risk.’
However, just as he was about to refuse, a mysterious and profound feeling suddenly surfaced in his mind.
It was a stroke of insight.
It was as if some unseen force was connecting this matter to the opportunity mentioned in his earlier divination!
"Hmm?" Qin Xuan’s interest was piqued.
’Could it be... that the opportunity lies here?’
He immediately changed his mind, pushed open the stone door of the quiet room, and faced an apprehensive Jiang Cheng.
"We are both Holy Sect Cultivators. How could I stand by while you are in trouble, Altar Master Jiang? I will see you on your way."
"Altar Master Jiang, please come in."
Qin Xuan no longer hesitated. With a wave of his hand, he cast a technique, and a gap opened in the array’s glowing barrier.
Upon hearing this, an expression of immense gratitude appeared on Jiang Cheng’s pale face.
"Master Qin, you are a man of great integrity. I am eternally grateful and will definitely repay you handsomely one day!"
...
「A short while later.」
The two secretly left the Huaizhong Altar through a secret passage.
They concealed their auras and hurried toward the Red Blood Altar.
Unexpectedly, the journey was completely peaceful. Not only was there no sign of the anticipated assassination attempt, there wasn’t even a proper ambush.
Jiang Cheng, who had been on edge, gradually relaxed, and a smile of relief even appeared on his face.
’I definitely chose the right person to help!’
"Master Qin, it seems our enemies were wary of your status and strength and didn’t dare to act rashly. This is all thanks to you, Master Qin!"
Qin Xuan remained noncommittal, his eyes vigilantly scanning their surroundings. He felt a strange sense of unease.
It felt as if a pair of eyes were constantly watching him from behind.
When they reached the gates of the Red Blood Altar and saw the familiar blood-red banners right before them, Jiang Cheng finally let out a complete sigh of relief.
The look of a man back on his home turf spread across his face. He turned and cupped his fists toward Qin Xuan once more.
"Master Qin, words can’t express my gratitude. Please, come inside for a rest and allow me to..."
Before Jiang Cheng could finish speaking, disaster struck!
BOOM!
In a patch of shadow behind and to their side, the ground suddenly exploded.
A Demon Corpse over ten feet tall, its body covered in hard, dark brown Scale Armor, lunged out viciously.
It moved as fast as lightning, its jet-black fingernails gleaming like sharp hooks. Wreathed in a thick, foul Corpse Aura, it lunged straight for the center of Jiang Cheng’s back.
"Look out!" Qin Xuan shouted.
Jiang Cheng’s reaction was also extremely fast. At this moment of life and death, he spun around, frantically circulating the Blood Sea Demon Skill within his body.
"Dammit! You dare act so brazenly on my own turf!"
Jiang Cheng roared, "Profound Yi Xuan Ming Palm, suppress it!"
Jiang Cheng formed hand seals, condensing the surrounding water vapor into a colossal, deep blue palm wreathed in countless profound runes and radiating an aura of bone-chilling cold.
As expected of a reincarnated Golden Core Blood Demon.
He didn’t make a move lightly, but when he did, it was with a Positional Divine Technique.
The palm struck out, its biting chill so intense it seemed capable of freezing even a Divine Soul!
BANG!
The Profound Nether Palm struck the Demon Corpse squarely in the chest. A blast of extreme cold instantly coated the Scale Armor on its chest with a layer of white frost.
The Demon Corpse’s forward momentum faltered for an instant.
However, an earthy-yellow light flashed around the Demon Corpse. A thick surge of Yin Earth Corpse Evil Qi swallowed the freezing water energy that had invaded its body.
Yin Earth counters Yang Water.
Jiang Cheng’s powerful strike had failed to cause it any significant damage!
ROAR! The Demon Corpse let out a deep roar. Ghastly green Soul Fire danced in its eye sockets as its sharp claws tore through the cold air, and it lunged forward ferociously once more.
Jiang Cheng was already injured, and now that his Divine Technique had been countered, his qi and blood were in turmoil. It looked as if he was about to be torn to shreds by those jet-black claws.
At that critical moment, Qin Xuan let out a soft sigh.
’I’ve been on guard all along. As I expected, there was an ambush.’
A brilliant cyan light flared around Qin Xuan as he grabbed Jiang Cheng.
Positional Divine Power: Cyan Cicada Shell!
VMMM...
The void trembled slightly as a mysterious Dao Rhyme surged forth.
The next moment, the Demon Corpse’s claws tore viciously through the air, only to shred the afterimage the two had left behind.
Fifty zhang away, a cyan light flashed.
Qin Xuan appeared out of thin air, holding the deathly pale and still-shaken Jiang Cheng.
’So fast.’
Jiang Cheng looked at the Demon Corpse in the distance that had missed its lunge, then felt the mysterious Yang Wood Dao Rhyme emanating from Qin Xuan beside him. His eyes filled with utter shock.
