Chapter 258: Flight, not Fight
The All-Heavens disciples hovered around the borders of Starbound Sect, forming a perimeter. The instant the barrier fell, Gui Delun charged inside toward the mountain that appeared in the middle of their extermination ritual, but after that, things became unclear to them. Not least because of the massive cloud of dust that rose up from the sixth mountain, a cloud of dust that blocked their mental energy and divine sense from penetrating. Even the most powerful of the disciples Gui Delun had brought along couldnt pierce the dust cloud.
Was it a success? one of the fifth-stage cultivators muttered, a man by the name of Shu Mang. He frowned into the dust, then flicked his hand, retracting an insect-shaped automaton hed sent into the dust. Nothing returned.
He scowled. The dust cuts off all connections, hmm?
Tang Fei hovered beside him, hesitant. Cutely, she bit her lip, her hand balled into a half-fist and held up near her chin, the picture of adorable anxiety. Master?
The seal that damnable Xiao Hui put on me hasnt faded. Could it be that Master couldnt kill him? Or was Xiao Hui telling the truth when he said it would remain after his death? She bit her lip harder, quietly more nervous about the seal than her master. Having death qi inside me is no good. Itll influence my cultivation in the future. What if I fall off the righteous path and become a demonic cultivator? What if I cant accumulate as much qi in the future due to that horrible seal?
And if Master Gui Delun finds out, I Tang Fei trembled. Internally, she cursed Hui, but only half-heartedly. The other half of her heart cursed Gui Delun, and his inflexible uprighteousness. Anyone else would see its no fault of my own, but, but Master
Dont be ridiculous. Of course he succeeded. Gui Delun alone could have crushed a backwater sect like this with the back of his hand. He wanted to give us battle experience, thats all, another fifth-realm cultivator replied, this one a woman with a mass of curly hair. Her hair moved on its own, twining around itself and shifting as if a wind carried it, though it moved independently to the actual wind. She tossed her hair, which still refused to move even when she moved it, but continued shifting on its own. Otherwise, he wouldnt have brought exactly enough fifth-stage cultivators to match Starbound Sect. Its not as though our faction lacks martial strength.
What Martial Sister Chao Chenguang says is indeed reasonable, Shu Mang replied, stroking his beard. A bit of an eccentric, he chose to appear as an elder with flowing white hair and a long white beard, despite having reached third stage at a young age and not having lived more than a total of three hundred years up until this point. He could be considered young for an average cultivator of the fifth stage, yet he chose to appear as an ancient member of the senior generation. This eccentricity of his rubbed several of his compatriots the wrong way. To them, it felt as if Shu Mang said, with his appearance, I am so high above you that you should treat me as a senior, rather than an equal member of the same generation.
Chao Chenguang scowled at him, though the effect was lessened as her self-motive hair suddenly flowed into her face. She belonged to the faction that disliked Shu Mangs presumptuous airs. In her case, it particularly irked her because she was his senior by a few years, and yet many disciples who had not yet been taught better treated Shu Mang with greater seniority, as if he were her elder, all because of his falsely ancient appearance. She pushed her hair back and turned back toward the cloud of dust. Naturally, its reasonable. I dont need Junior Martial Brother Shu Mang to confirm my words.
Theres only a difference of five years between us, is it truly necessary to call me Junior Brother? Shu Mang returned, squinting up at her with twinkling eyes.
Especially because theres only a difference of five years, Chao Chengguang replied, crossing her arms.
Caught between the two, Tang Fei shrank back. Seniors, might I request that you get a room, and leave the rest of us out of your lovers spat?
Her disciples saluted and chased after the beam of light. Shu Mang chuckled. Falling for such an obvious diversion?
Theres no harm in being prepared for all eventualities, Chao Changguang replied. She turned toward the dust. She, Shu Mang, and the other fifth stage disciples worked together to disperse the dust.
Despite the majority of the All-Heavens force that had arrived at Starbound Sect working together to clear the dust, it refused to be so easily dissipated. The time it took to burn an incense stick passed, and passed again. In the end, three incense sticks time passed until finally, the fifth stage cultivators joined forces and managed to disperse the dust.
In the center of the dust cloud, a handful of figures darted around Gui Delun. Some looked like Gui Delun, and others looked like a handsome cultivator with a ponytail. When the dust cloud vanished, Gui Deluns eyes flashed. A pulse of gold light emanated from his center, and all the figures withered, then screamed, light bursting from their five orifices.
Did you catch him? Gui Delun demanded, striding out from within the dust cloud.
Chao Changguang and Shu Mang exchanged a glance. Instantly, the two of them shot off into the distance.
I knew it! Chao Changguang shouted.
That filthy demonic cultivator, using such underhanded means, Shu Mang grumbled.
Far off in the distance, a shiver ran down Huis spine. He glanced back. A few fourth stage cultivators pursued him, and yet, the sensation of overwhelming doom only grew stronger.
Theyve broken through the dust cloud and figured out my tricks, huh? As I thought, by confusing them with a few fake Gui Deluns and using the unique properties of the dust cloud, I was able to escape this far. Though Ive already overdrawn my snakeskin technique. I wont be able to create any more false skins, except for ones that look like me. Im fortunate I remembered that chamber full of false skins from back when I was trapped on the sixth mountain due to the duck incident, or Id be out of those, too!
He grit his teeth. Fine. Come after me! I still have tricks up my sleeve. This small cultivator isnt an easy cockroach to catch! Unless you completely kill me, Ill bring Starbound Sect back, no matter what it takes.
And I wont let anyone kill me!