Immortal Cultivation: Starting from a Pharmacy Apprentice

Chapter 180: Chapter 180: Chaotic Battle

A Combat Puppet stood before Zhao Jingyu.

The puppet was mindless and insensate, calmly enduring the corrosive smoke of the Five Obstacles Pill until the bones on its face were exposed.

Without hesitation, they engaged.

BANG! BANG! BANG!

Fists and feet collided. Zhao Jingyu took three of its punches head-on before twisting its head off and tossing it aside.

He grunted, forcing away the discomfort in his chest, and turned to see the entire hall was now shrouded in smoke.

The Cultivators outside steeled themselves and charged in, finally clashing with the Combat Puppets in a chaotic melee.

Within moments, shrill screams began to ring out.

’No wonder the Douchen Sect values the Fire Cave Dynasty so highly. Raise corpses here for a few years, and the puppets they create can rival an entire third-rate sect!’

PUFF! PUFF!

Before Zhao Jingyu could catch his breath, two more Pills exploded.

His heart skipped a beat, and he hastily took out the Array Plate Wan Shenxiu had given him.

With a swipe of his hand, he fitted three Spirit Stones onto it.

’This is killing me! Junior Brother Bai really doesn’t know how to hold back!’

The thought had barely faded when a nearby Cultivator with a ferocious expression parted the smoke. His steps were erratic as he swung a saber down at Zhao Jingyu’s head.

A Pill Furnace appeared out of nowhere, clamping down right on the Cultivator’s head.

The man was horrified. His footwork faltered, and Qi Yang’s Spirit Sword lopped off his head.

"Senior Brother, are you okay?"

Qi Yang approached from the side, speaking out of reflex, but choked on the smoke as soon as the words left his mouth.

He quickly took out his own Array Plate and fitted it with a few fresh Spirit Stones, rich with Spiritual Qi.

"Let’s stick to the sides, so we don’t get in our own way!"

The Combat Puppets and the masked Cultivators had already engaged. Talismans flew through the air, sticking to people and weighing them down like iron weights.

Some fighters would simply collapse mid-stride, never to move again.

Even some of the Combat Puppets had their bones crushed, their bodies folding unnaturally as they collapsed.

A chill ran down Bai Mo’s spine.

Seeing no sign of the Subtle Law Sect’s disciples, he couldn’t help but inch closer to the nearby wall.

Noticing his movement, Qi Yang couldn’t help but ask:

"What is it?"

Bai Mo shook his head.

"The disciples of the Subtle Law Sect’s Talisman Faction have unpredictable methods. I won’t be at ease until I spot them."

Wan Shenxiu, standing nearby, calmly said:

"Don’t worry. As long as I’m here, there’s no way for them to sneak up on us undetected."

Another Cultivator approached, but before he could react, the Pill Furnace slammed down over him.

Qi Yang’s Spirit Sword whistled through the air, lopping off his head.

A torrent of hot blood geysered from the man’s torso, something foreign mixed within it.

SWISH!

Bai Mo’s eyes were sharp and his hands were fast. He pointed, and a speck of starlight shot out, piercing the object.

’A technique from Immortal Arrival City, still useful after all this time.’

A centipede-like creature fell to the ground. Strange runes were inscribed on its armored segments.

Qi Yang’s brow furrowed.

"These are the horse bandits who raid the borders of the Fire Cave Dynasty!"

He had witnessed their methods firsthand while following Mo Tianshu, and the memory was still fresh.

"This band of horse bandits is notoriously fierce. They fight with no fear of death, robbing officials and commoners alike."

"There are rumors among the common folk that when these bandits die, they become vengeful ghosts and drag their killers down to hell with them."

He kicked the centipede writhing on the ground, sending it flying. A panicked scream immediately erupted in the distance.

"Now it seems the insects inside their bodies are to blame."

Seeing the black-and-red smoke beginning to settle, Bai Mo flicked out another Five Obstacles Pill.

The visibility in the hall dropped noticeably.

Zhao Jingyu’s heart pounded with fear. He had originally planned on fighting alone.

But now, seeing Bai Mo leading Qi Yang and Wan Shenxiu, carving through their enemies like they were chopping vegetables, he was sorely tempted to join them.

Before moving, he glanced up at Wuyin, who was perched on a pillar with one leg crossed over the other.

She seemed to sense his gaze and looked back, shaking her head slightly before casually loosing a bolt from her crossbow.

Zhao Jingyu could only give her a look that said, "You’re on your own," before turning to follow Bai Mo’s group.

With Zhao Jingyu clearing a path for them, Bai Mo’s group became even more formidable.

The hall was a cacophony of chaos.

CLANG!

The Spirit Sword struck a Combat Puppet’s neck, slicing through what little flesh remained and hitting the spinal column, sending sparks flying.

Qi Yang’s heart jumped. Before he could recall his Spirit Sword, Zhao Jingyu was behind the Combat Puppet like a gale.

He slammed both palms against the embedded Spirit Sword, pushing it clean through. The Combat Puppet’s head flew into the air.

The number of heads taken by this Spirit Sword today was already in the double digits.

Qi Yang recalled it, his heart aching.

"My Spirit Sword... being in this smoke for so long, I’m afraid it’s badly damaged..."

Zhao Jingyu held out his hands. Two deep cuts ran across his palms.

"Junior Brother, your Spirit Sword is only getting sharper. How could it be damaged?"

They stuck close together.

With the help of Wan Shenxiu’s Array and Bai Mo’s almost prescient use of Divine Thought, no one could get close to them.

Yet, the sweat on Zhao Jingyu’s brow grew heavier.

After blowing apart the chest of a leaping bandit, his arms went numb, and he barely dodged the vile insect that burst from the corpse’s mouth.

"I can’t keep this up!"

"None of these guys are pushovers!"

The group’s hearts sank.

Just as they were trying to think of a plan, a tremendous crash echoed through the hall.

A great wind suddenly rose, sucking away the black-and-red smoke like a waterspout.

The air in the hall suddenly cleared. The surviving Cultivators, faces caked with dried blood, quickly looked toward the source of the noise.

The main hall’s far wall had been shattered, revealing a passage sloping down into what looked like an underground palace. That must have been the source of the suction.

Mo Tianshu’s sword light remained as sharp and brilliant as ever.

The thing that had smashed through the wall was the corpse of an old man.

Now, however, it lay in two pieces.

"Hey, you brat! Was this smoke your doing!?"

Several Cultivators advanced on them, their faces a mess. Their narrowed eyes practically blazed with fury.

They drew iron hooks from their backs.

"A bunch of wet-behind-the-ears kids dare to call yourselves disciples of an Upper Sect?"

"My own damn fault for not managing to finish you brats off in there!"

WHOOSH!

THWACK!

A cold light flashed. A spray of blood erupted from the leader’s forehead as he collapsed.

Wuyin lowered her crossbow and leaped down from her perch. Bai Mo seized the opportunity to toss out another Five Obstacles Pill.

The men had already seen how potent the Pill was and immediately dove for cover.

PUFF!

Wan Shenxiu raised his Array Plate, conjuring a turbulent gust out of thin air to blow the smoke aside.

He shouted urgently:

"If we can’t hold them, we head for the underground palace!"

The group fought as they retreated.

Bai Mo visualized in his mind, and Pill Furnaces instantly materialized over the heads of two charging Cultivators.

Qi Yang desperately channeled his Spiritual Qi. His Spirit Sword flashed past, and two more heads flew into the air.

His eyes flickered.

’Junior Brother Bai’s technique is a perfect weapon for ambushes and assassinations!’

Before they could even get within thirty feet of the opening, the sharp aura emanating from Mo Tianshu’s fight made the hair on their necks stand up.

The group quickly halted.

"Get to the corner! I’ll spare no expense to lay down an Array. I bet they won’t be able to break through it!"

Wan Shenxiu yelled.

They did as he said, retreating to the hall’s left corner. The draft from the underground palace blew past them, carrying a musty, ancient scent.

Wan Shenxiu flicked his wrist, tossing out several Array Plates to the surrounding corners.

A dense fog of Spiritual Qi immediately rose around them.

"You can always count on Junior Brother Wan!"

Zhao Jingyu praised.

Bai Mo was about to breathe a sigh of relief when a terrifying premonition seized him.

He spun around abruptly and came face to face with a pair of gloomy eyes.

The shadows in the corner high above them swirled, revealing a disciple in a blue robe.

"Die!"

The man swooped down toward Bai Mo, the Talismans plastered to his body flaring with brilliant light.

Enraged, Zhao Jingyu mobilized his full strength and charged forward to intercept him.

"Hmph!"

They collided. Zhao Jingyu felt a force like a descending mountain crush him. Caught completely off guard, he was slammed to the ground.

Bai Mo, standing right beside him, was not spared. The momentum of the impact sent all three of them—Bai Mo, Zhao Jingyu, and their attacker—sliding and tumbling toward the entrance to the underground palace.