Chapter 724: Chapter 723: The Three Unparalleled Solitaries
"Boss, will your method work?"
"Nonsense! When has my ’Interminable Gu’ ever failed? This time, we’ll definitely use that boy surnamed Hua to catch the one surnamed Shi. Hehe, by then, we will have performed a great service!"
In the wilderness, three figures were speeding along.
The one on the left was a tall, fat old man, his face adorned with a smile, a mysterious sadness lurking in his mirth. On the right was a gaunt, sickly old man.
The middle-aged man in the center seemed the most normal, and he was subtly the leader amongst them.
If some well-informed Martial World travelers were here, they might recognize that these three are the notoriously infamous ’Three Exceptional Wanderers’.
The leader is the Separation Wanderer.
The second is the Sorrowful Wanderer.
And the third is the Sick Wanderer.
These three have committed numerous foul deeds in the Martial World and were once pursued by a group of righteous martial artists. They disappeared nearly a hundred years ago. But few know they didn’t die but joined the Three Talents Association secretly and became the Masters of the Spiritual Fortune sub-clan.
This time, after learning about Kirin, the three of them devised a plan to capture him.
"One on one, Kirin’s power may be just half a notch below ours. So later, we must use our full strength right from the start, especially you, second brother. Don’t make the mistake of underestimating your enemy!"
The middle-aged man, also known as the Separation Wanderer, gave his cold orders.
"Don’t worry, I understand the gravity of the situation."
The Sorrowful Wanderer licked his lips.
Their potential was already exhausted and their strength had only slightly increased after almost a hundred years of secluded cultivation. Therefore, the resources of the headquarters were invaluable to them.
As long as they captured Kirin, they wouldn’t worry about the reward they wanted.
...
By a mountain spring, Shi Xiaole listened quietly to Hua Yiyun’s narrative.
It turned out that a few days ago, he and his junior sister, Yuan Yuying, were preparing to leave Sword King City. However, they were captured outside the city, and later found out that the attackers were from the Three Talents Association.
Unexpectedly, Hua Yiyun saw his mentor also being captured.
The latter couldn’t bear to see his beloved disciples suffer, and he even performed a self-destructive secret technique. Under his mentor’s deadly resistance, Hua Yiyun barely managed to escape from the enemy’s lair.
Shi Xiaole lowered his eyes, harboring immense doubt in his heart.
Firstly, how could it be such a coincidence that the Three Talents Association captured Hua Yiyun and his mentor at the same time?
Secondly, according to Hua Yiyun, he heard about the Three Talents Association’s plan to deal with him while he was unconscious. Isn’t that too simple?
Thirdly, if their mentor had the ability to resist, why was he captured in the first place?
The entire process seemed flawless, yet full of coincidences.
Subconsciously, Shi Xiaole sent his spiritual energy into Hua Yiyun’s body. After carefully investigating for a moment, he suddenly sighed.
"Brother Shi, why are you sighing?"
Hua Yiyun asked perplexedly.
"I believe you, you should go. I’ll cover our retreat."
Before he could comprehend the meaning of the words, Hua Yiyun heard a familiar shrill laugh, and the birds in the forest had just taken flight when they were shocked into a burst of blood.
The three figures descended from the sky, each more formidable than the next, the three were none other than the Three Exceptional Wanderers.
"It’s you guys!"
Hua Yiyun was so shocked; he looked at them, then looked at Shi Xiaole, seemingly enlightened amidst his confusion.
"Stupid boy, thanks to you this time, we could conveniently locate Kirin. Hehe, I’ll be courteous to you in the future."
The Sorrowful Wanderer laughed arrogantly.
"It’s me, I hurt you, Brother Shi."
Though not sure about the specifics, seeing their expressions, Hua Yiyun figured out the answer. Realizing that he had dragged his most admired idol into this, he was filled with remorse and regret, wishing he was dead.
"Stop chatting, grab the person first! Go!"
Worried about unexpected complications, Separation Wanderer shouted and rushed forward, his Separation Mace transforming into a hundred-meter-long beam of light, he harshly swung it towards Shi Xiaole.
The Sorrowful Wanderer and Sick Wanderer were not slow either; they both rushed out from the left and right, using their unique skills right from the start.
In an instant, the sky and earth changed color, and the entire mountain range was dyed vibrant by the vigorous air.
"Unity Between Heaven and Earth, Power Breaks through Divine Land!"
As soon as Shi Xiaole engaged in combat, he realized that the power of any one of the three was not inferior to Shen Canghai and in fact their strength was even more profound. Not daring to be careless, he immediately used the strongest move of Divine Wind Movement.
Boom!
The tornado skillfully dodged the radiance of the mace and the fist, aiming at the Sick Wanderer employing leg techniques, resulting in a world-shaking explosion between the two.
The next moment, the Sick Wanderer retreated several hundred meters, his face slightly pale. While Shi Xiaole only retreated a few tens of meters, bearing no injuries.
"Zen Shock in Ten Steps, Mace Kill!"
His face changed, Separation Wanderer quickly made ten strides. Every step elevated his aura to a new level; the iron mace in his hand buzzed uncontrollably, as if a furious unicorn was launching a vicious attack against Shi Xiaole.
The power of this strike nearly reached the pinnacle of the fourth tier.
"Sorrow is in my hands!"
Amid the loud roars, Sorrowful Wanderer slapped his palm outward, and a thick sentiment of sorrow enveloped the heaven and earth. Under the influence of this sorrow, Hua Yiyun felt like life was not worth living. He couldn’t muster any will to resist.
"Leg Thread Extraction From Illness!"
Sick Wanderer, refusing to fall behind, shot out beams of powerful kicks that seemed to vanish, ceaselessly burrowing into Shi Xiaole’s pores.
After collaborating for many years, the three were perfectly in sync, their offensive from all sides left no room for Shi Xiaole to dodge or react.
Drawing his sword from its scabbard, Shi Xiaole waved his hands lightly, all his strength transforming into frosty Sword Qi, covering the entire heaven and earth.
Thousand One!
Thud, thud, thud, thud, thud....
The air shattered in the void, like countless fragmented stones thrown into a lake. Within a radius of five thousand kilometres, a thick layer had been sheared off the mountains, trees were chopped down in unison, dust was kicked up from the ground, and the scene resembled the apocalypse.
Under the combined might of the three Wanderers, the Sword Qi held its ground for a moment before being declared shattered. The Mace Qi, palm shadows, and leg strength though depleted considerably, still directly penetrated Shi Xiaole’s body.
If this attack lands solidly, it wouldn’t merely result in broken bones or torn tendons, at the very least, it would cause Shi Xiaole to spit blood from severe injuries, making it difficult for him to continue the battle.
"No!"
Hua Yiyun screamed internally. Standing behind Shi Xiaole, he wasn’t affected by the Qi wave just now and he narrowly escaped death. However, he wished that Shi Xiaole wouldn’t concern himself with him.
"These three, their combat experience and proficiency in martial arts are a notch better than Shen Canghai. With my current strength, I really can’t handle them all by myself."
Shi Xiaole didn’t care about the normal one versus three situations, as he was not someone who could be defeated by sheer numbers. Yet, these three Wanderers, having collaborated for many years, knew how to maximize their advantage. Without an upper hand in Flying Skill and weapons, Shi Xiaole’s combat prowess undoubtedly became increasingly smaller.
Mobilizing Vigorous Air, a layer of light curtain appeared on Shi Xiaole’s body, effortlessly blocking the remaining offensive of the three Wanderers. His body lightly fell beside Hua Yiyun.
"Is this... a mid-grade Spirit Armor?!"
Sensing the aura of the light curtain, the three Wanderers were shocked and subsequently showed intense longing.
Mid-grade spiritual weapons are rare, mid-grade Spirit Armor is ten times rarer. This could be a life-saving escape super weapon, only a handful of the top hundred Earth Immortals possess one.
We must capture this kid!
The offensive of the three Wanderers became more aggressive, putting in enormous effort. To their astonishment, even after several attempts, the light curtain showed no traces of damage.
"Top-notch mid-grade Spirit Armor."
Separation Wanderer took a deep breath, his expression akin to a wild beast.
A top-notch mid-grade Spirit Armor could withstand attacks from the initial Fifth Tier level. It’s no wonder that their combined assault couldn’t break through it.
Of course, the primary reason was Shi Xiaole’s fast dodge. Otherwise, if all three attacked simultaneously in the same spot, their destructive power could certainly reach the Fifth Tier level.
"Brother Shi, please let me go. I cannot drag you down."
Hua Yiyun, whisked away by Brother Shi from his left side, was touched. However, he vehemently shouted.
As a man, he clearly distinguished between love and hate. He couldn’t ask others to risk their lives for his personal matter. If Shi Xiaole let him go, there would be at least a thirty percent increase in his chance of escape.
Without uttering a word, Shi Xiaole began racing across the mountains and valleys.
With his strength, he could maintain the activation of the mid-grade Spirit Armor for about three quarters of an hour, excluding the Vigorous Air needed for travel, it would last for at most two quarters of an hour. He regretted his insufficient proficiency in Flying Skill, only possessing an intermediate level Phantom Demon Body Method, which wasn’t enough to outrun the three Wanderers.
Of course, the situation was far from being desperate.
"Kid, you can’t escape. You better surrender quickly and save yourself from suffering."
Sorrowful Wanderer laughed boisterously.
Sick Wanderer at his side suddenly surged forward, drastically shortening the distance between him and Shi Xiaole. As a leg technique martial artist, Sick Wanderer’s Flying Skill far eclipsed the other two.
He deliberately suppressed his abilities earlier, waiting for the perfect timing.
But he was unaware that Shi Xiaole was also waiting.
Suddenly turning back, a frightening layer of spiritual mystic force surged from Shi Xiaole’s eyes. Although Sick Wanderer’s spiritual defense automatically activated, it was broken instantly, his consciousness dragged into an infinite cycle of reincarnation.
Heaven and Earth Changing Great Method.
"Attack!"
At the same moment, Shi Xiaole transmitted a message to Hua Yiyun.
"Great Illusionary Formless Sword!"
Having received Shi Xiaole’s warning beforehand, Hua Yiyun fiercely executed a sword finger.
Shik!
Though the Sword Qi failed to shatter Sick Wanderer’s Vigorous Air shield, it was enough to knock him flying, causing Separation Wanderer and Sorrowful Wanderer to lose momentum.
Seizing the opportunity, Shi Xiaole accelerated, immediately extending the gap to two and a half thousand meters. Neither side could sense the other’s psychic force.
Dropping into the forest, Shi Xiaole withdrew the light curtain and removed the Gu bug from Hua Yiyun’s body. He then put his all into leveraging his Flying Skill to run through the dense forest.
"Damn bastard!"
The Gu bug deactivated, Separation Wanderer did not have the time to examine Sick Wanderer. Swinging his mace at the ground below, a large area of the forest exploded into wood chips. However, they could no longer see Shi Xiaole’s figure.
The battle earlier transpired too fast and he hadn’t had the opportunity to use Gu technique on Shi Xiaole. Otherwise, how could they let him escape?
"Boss, that kid’s mental attack is very strong. We were blindsided by him!"
Breaking away from the illusion of his previous life, SSick Wanderer wore an extremely gloomy expression.
If it was one-on-one, in a scenario where one could be caught off guard, he could very likely be killed by Shi Xiaole. Even now, having known about the latter’s mental technique, Sick Wanderer still didn’t have full confidence in blocking it.
His words made Separation Wanderer and the others abandon the idea of searching separately. He slapped his hand down in the distance and Separation Wanderer angrily said, "Let’s go back first!"
