Chapter 80: The Price of Impulsiveness

Chapter 80: The Price of Impulsiveness

Pang Jian could see that the treasures in the pool had captivated Luo Hongyan and no longer wasted time persuading her.

"Pang Jian, let's go!" Zhou Qingchen shouted. He activated his Heartguard Mirror to form a crimson mountain from his spiritual energy and hurled it to the top of Pang Jian's head.

The towering mountain hovered in midair and emitted rays of deep crimson light that formed a solid protective barrier. Wherever Pang Jian went, the mountain would follow and protect him.

Zhou Qingchen followed closely behind Pang Jian with his long saber in hand. He frequently turned his head to watch their rear.

Lin Beiye from the Black Valley Sect was now standing on his raised platform, black palms outstretched toward the violent storm formed from shattered rocks.

A thick beam of black light, filled with mysterious runes, shot toward the storm.

All the rocks were instantly pulverized, and the mysterious runes encircled Qi Qingsong one by one to ensure his safety.

Zhou Qingchen had been anxious about the possibility of Lin Beiye obstructing his and Pang Jian's retreat. However, he soon realized Lin Beiye considered neither him nor Pang Jian worthy of his attention.

Lin Beiye did not even spare the two of them a glance.

Crackle!

Golden dagger light cleaved onto the crimson mountain, scattering red and golden light everywhere.

Zhou Qingchen's expression changed. "Dong Tianze!"

"What? Did you forget I was still here?"

Dong Tianze rose from his raised platform, clutching his golden Ghost's Cry, and bared his teeth at Zhou Qingchen.

Swinging his Ghost's Cry, Dong Tianze created a sea of golden dagger light that rained down on Pang Jian.

Crash! Clatter!

Both the crimson mountain and the golden dagger light shattered, showering onto Pang Jian like torrential rain and leaving him covered in wounds.

Pang Jian grunted, gaze fixed on the Mirror Tunnel before him. He gritted his teeth and stubbornly charged onward.

"You won't get away," Dong Tianze said with a shake of his head. He mercilessly swung his Ghost's Cry, creating more and more golden dagger light.

As Pang Jian raced toward the Mirror Tunnel, a sea of golden dagger light materialized before him. Seeing no other option, he merged with his Dragonwood Spear, transforming into a fiery meteor to stab through the sea of golden dagger light.

The ear-splitting clash of metal rang out from within the sea of golden dagger light, followed by the sharp, crisp sound of a spear shaft shattering.

The Dragonwood Spear was destroyed!

The golden dagger light pierced Pang Jian's hand gripping his ruined spear shaft. Long, thin wounds slashed open his skin.

He discarded the Dragonwood Spear and rolled to the ground as he continued to rush toward the Mirror Tunnel.

Dong Tianze relentlessly swung his Ghost's Cry, conjuring more golden dagger light above Pang Jian. It loomed above him like a celestial canopy, imprisoning him and preventing him from soaring into the sky.

The sea of golden dagger light blocked Pang Jian's path, and he could not avoid the deadly dagger light if he wanted to enter the Mirror Tunnel.

As Dong Tianze watched Pang Jian rolling and struggling on the ground, he could not help but release his pent-up resentment as he sneered, "At Black Orchid Lake, you not only snatched my black turtle's blood essence but also set up an ambush that left me heavily injured.

"I searched tirelessly for you in this bloody city for days but never saw you. Heh, perseverance truly does pay off! Little did I expect to find you within the City Lord's Mansion."

Pang Jian acted as though he did not hear Dong Tianze's mocking words and struggled onward beneath the sea of golden dagger light.

Whoosh!

Leng Yuan leaped down from where she stood behind Dong Tianze on the raised platform. She effortlessly leaped past the sea of golden dagger light and rushed toward Zhou Qingchen.

Once Leng Yuan confirmed that Pang Jian was Dong Tianze's primary target, she took the initiative to confront Zhou Qingchen so that he could concentrate on killing Pang Jian.

Swoosh! Swoosh!

Colorful ribbons flew from Leng Yuan's slender waist like a rainbow and circled Zhou Qingchen.

Zhou Qingchen freed himself from her grasp and redirected the faint mountains to Dong Tianze.

Appearing within the sea of golden dagger light, he grabbed Pang Jian and said, "Let's go!"

Dong Tianze's sea of golden dagger light shattered. As he swung his dagger to strike down the approaching mountains, he scowled at Leng Yuan.

"Useless."

A chill ran down Leng Yuan's spine. Gathering her spiritual power, she pursued Zhou Qingchen.

Pang Jian and Zhou Qingchen were covered in blood, but still, they pressed on toward the Mirror Tunnel.

After dealing with the approaching mountains, Dong Tianze wielded his Ghost's Cry and flew down from the raised platform toward Pang Jian and Zhou Qingchen.

Zhou Qingchen stopped and raised his head to look at Dong Tianze. However, Dong Tianze's attention was entirely fixed on Pang Jian.

Both of them had expended all their strength in trying to get to the Mirror Tunnel, and their chance of winning a fight against the formidable Dong Tianze was slim.

"Pang Jian, you go first! I'll hold him off!" Zhou Qingchen smiled bitterly. "Remember to avenge me!"

Circulating his remaining spiritual power, Zhou Qingchen tightly gripped his long saber, preparing to soar into the sky and intercept Dong Tianze.

"Big Brother Zhou, please live on well."

This was the first time Pang Jian had addressed Zhou Qingchen as Big Brother Zhou instead of Young Master Zhou.

Zhou Qingchen grinned through a face full of tears and a trembling heart. "I won't make it. All that matters to me is that you survive!"

He felt overwhelmed with emotion. He knew that Pang Jian had called him Big Brother Zhou to show his sincere affection for him.

Hearing that, Zhou Qingchen felt like he could die with no regrets.

That was when Pang Jian suddenly pushed him toward the Mirror Tunnel.

The brute force of the shove seemed to be done with all the strength Pang Jian could muster. It was more fierce and powerful than Zhou Qingchen could have imagined.

Before Zhou Qingchen could process the situation, he was already flying toward the Mirror Tunnel.

He stared blankly at Pang Jian.

Dong Tianze swooped down from above, Ghost's Cry aimed directly at Pang Jian's head.

Turning to face Zhou Qingchen, Pang Jian's lips quirked as he muttered a quiet, "Goodbye."

He then rolled backward to evade Dong Tianze's attack.

Any hope of Pang Jian's escape was lost as he moved further away from the Mirror Tunnel.

Zhou Qingchen felt like his heart was being torn apart. Before he hit the Mirror Tunnel, he unleashed a beast-like roar.

"Pang Jian!"

He disappeared without a trace.

Crack!

The hard white stone tile was split open on the ground where Pang Jian previously stood, revealing a deep crack.

Dong Tianze cast a disdainful glance at the retreating Pang Jian. He then sneered and swung his Ghost's Cry once more.

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

A new sea of golden dagger light appeared above the Mirror Tunnel.

Dong Tianze did not care about Zhou Qingchen's escape. After ensuring the Mirror Tunnel was once again blocked off, he turned his attention back to Pang Jian and said, "No matter whether Zhou Qingchen hides, be it in the Zhou Clan in the Fourth World or the Red Mountain Sect in the Third World, I will find and kill him.

"Back at Black Orchid Lake, you were the one who inflicted the most damage upon me! My intuition tells me that you're a greater threat than Zhou Qingchen, so I must kill you!"