Chapter 208: Chu Xiu at the Bow and the Pursuit of the Great Saints

Chu Xiu slowly awakened. Moments ago, he had been immersed in a murderous illusion conjured by his memories, where he fought relentlessly. His eyes still glowed with a faint red hue, and the surrounding killing intent lingered, palpable and dense. Finally regaining his senses, Chu Xiu took in the scene before him.

On the distant shore, a group of demon great saints clamored to kill him. Their furious cries reached his ears as he rose to his feet. Among them, the imposing figure of You Ji, a demon great saint, stood out. Her beautiful face was icy with resolve as she pointed toward him. A streak of red light shot from her fingertips, but it dissipated after traveling less than a mile.

A barbarian great saint beside her spoke gravely. "The distance is too far. We can't hit him from here. The space here is unnaturally stable, making it impossible to tear through or cross the void. Furthermore, this river forbids flight. If we wish to catch him, we'll have to follow the river down."

"Shall we chase him?" another saint asked.

"Of course we will," You Ji declared, her voice cold as the frost on her face.

With that, more than a dozen demon great saints, led by You Ji, plunged into the Wangchuan River. Hundreds of minor saints followed suit, their bodies splashing into the water as they swam in pursuit of Chu Xiu.

Their swimming technique was familiar — a crude dog paddle — and Chu Xiu almost laughed aloud at the sight.

Qingyu Saint turned to Qianmian Zhenjun, his gaze sharp. "Qianmian, aren't you going? Chu Xiu is your sworn enemy."

Qianmian Zhenjun merely smiled faintly. "I think I'll sit this one out. There's no need for me to wade into these murky waters. When you retrieve the Dou character secret, just spare me a small portion."

Meanwhile, on the human side, the Fourth Sword Master of the Endless Sword Domain sent a message to Taisu's leaders. "Do you need our assistance?" he inquired, though his tone hinted at ulterior motives. "But remember, when Chu Xiu obtains the Dou character secret, we'll expect a share."

Qi Mengdie, the Yunxia Peak Master, glanced at him dismissively. "The Dou character secret will belong to Chu Xiu. We have no right to share it with you."

The Fourth Sword Master chuckled, his expression sly. "That's unreasonable. You want the horse to run but won't feed it? If you expect our help, we'll need appropriate compensation."

Ignoring him, Qi Mengdie subtly messaged Taisu's strong men to remain patient and calm. She trusted the Holy Son's plan and saw no reason to act rashly.

An older Taisu great saint, unable to contain his curiosity, whispered to Qi Mengdie. "What is the Holy Son's plan? Can't you tell us?"

Qi Mengdie shook her head. "Wait and see," she replied curtly.

As the demon and barbarian great saints waded into the river without incident, some among the human faction grew restless. One by one, they joined the chase. Among them was the Fourth Sword Master, who wore a knowing smile as he declared his intention to assist the Holy Son of Taisu. His true motives, however, were apparent to everyone present.

In total, 34 great saints and over 200 minor saints from the demon and barbarian factions had entered the river. More than half of them were now paddling downstream in pursuit of Chu Xiu.

From his place at the bow, Chu Xiu's face betrayed a hint of mock terror as he paddled the stone tablet with determined effort. He shouted back at his pursuers:

"You're all great saints! Why stoop so low as to compete with a mere junior like me for this opportunity? Don't you feel any shame?"

A minotaur great saint swam furiously at the front, his wide grin revealing jagged teeth. "Hand over the stone tablet, kid, and we'll stop chasing you."

Another saint chimed in, his voice full of false sincerity. "Yes, yes, Chu Xiu, surrender the tablet, and I promise not to kill you."

A pig demon saint laughed raucously. "You look pretty handsome! How about you come home with me and marry my daughter instead?"

Chu Xiu maintained a safe distance of about ten miles, his pursuers unable to close the gap. He scoffed, his voice full of disdain. "You have no credibility. I can't trust you."

You Ji's icy voice cut through the air. Her head emerged from the water, her expression grim and menacing. "Do you think you can escape? Today, even if you flee to heaven or hell, I will kill you with my own hands."

Chu Xiu's gaze fell on her, calm and calculating. "And who are you?"

"Qianye was my sister," You Ji snarled. "I'm here to avenge her. Surrender now, you wretch, and spare yourself unnecessary suffering."

Chu Xiu smirked. "Oh, no wonder you're so aggressive. How terrifying."

He pressed onward, his bamboo pole digging into the riverbed as he propelled himself forward. In the distance, his eyes met those of the Master Baby on the shore. The Master Baby gave him a slight nod and transmitted a message to his companions:

"Everyone, follow my lead. Don't rush. Maintain a steady pace."

With that, the Master Baby leapt into the Wangchuan River, followed closely by the strong men of the Taisu Holy Land. One after another, they dove into the water, their resolve unwavering.

The strong men from other human forces no longer hesitated.

With splashes echoing around them, they jumped into the river one by one. Soon, the river was teeming with little saints and great saints, all determined to capture Chu Xiu.

Sitting on a black reef on the shore, Ye Fan crossed his hands, resting his chin in deep thought. Initially, monks below the realm of little saints had also attempted to enter the river. However, they sank before swimming far, their futile efforts leaving barely a bubble to mark their failure.

Having successfully passed two earlier trials with special blessings, Ye Fan knew even he couldn't swim to the other side without aid. Unless, of course, he had a stone tablet to serve as a boat.

On the shore, amidst the gathering crowd, Ye Hongyu shouted loudly, "Brother Chu, hurry up! Don't let these scoundrels catch you!"

Nearby, Bai Susu, Meng Tao, and others stood silently. Qi Mengdie had warned them to stay put, leaving them no choice but to watch from a distance. Even the Yao Chi Saint refrained from entering the river, her gaze fixed on the demons and barbarians swimming farther downstream.

Meanwhile, Qianmian Zhenjun frowned as he watched the unfolding chase. His unease grew with every stroke of Chu Xiu's paddling. The Taisu Holy Land masters pursued relentlessly, while Chu Xiu struggled to push the stone tablet forward. A bad premonition began to form in Qianmian's heart.

"Something big is going to happen," he muttered, anxiety evident in his tone. Turning to Qingyu, he added, "Find a way to get the great saints to come back and stop chasing. This is definitely a trap."

Qingyu looked at him with surprise. "Do you think they'd listen to me now?" He gestured at the Wangchuan River. "Qianmian, you're just overthinking it."

Nearby, the Bull-Headed Great Sage scoffed, curling his lips in disdain. "With so many strong men on our side, what could possibly go wrong?"

The more Qianmian thought about it, the stronger his unease became. Gritting his teeth, he circulated his true energy and shouted, "Strong men of the monster tribes, return immediately! Beware of a trap!"

But his words went unheeded. None of the pursuing saints paid him any attention.

Qianmian's voice carried little weight among the monster factions. Today, he was nothing more than a laughingstock—a reminder of the humiliation suffered by a great saint bested by a mere youth in the Divine Bridge Realm.

"Qianmian, shut up!" The sharp rebuke came from the Great Saint You Ji, who was focused solely on eliminating Chu Xiu. She refused to let Qianmian's words disrupt their morale.

"Haha, Daoist You Ji, don't worry," another saint chimed in with a mocking grin. "We'll help you capture Chu Xiu. Let's finish this together."

"I want to taste the flesh of the human race's holy body," a barbarian growled.

"And I'll avenge Wang Shanzhuo and the others," another added.

"What could go wrong?" a third sneered. "He's a mere ant, powerless to scheme against a group of great saints like us. Besides, the human race's strong men are chasing us as well."

"Yes, yes," others chimed in. "Qianmian, we're not like you. We won't fail, hahaha."

Qianmian sighed deeply. He had tried to warn them, only to be met with ridicule. "Fools blinded by greed," he muttered. "They're beyond reason. If they die, so be it."

In the Wangchuan River, Chu Xiu deliberately slowed his pace. Behind him, the demon and barbarian great saints drew closer with each stroke.

Eleven miles. Nine miles. Eight. Seven. Six.

As the gap closed, a feral smile spread across Chu Xiu's face. His eyelids drooped, and he murmured, "System, give me a breakthrough in the Dao Seed."

"Today, I'll step into the realm of supernatural powers on the Wangchuan River. Let these great saints savor a thunder tribulation feast."

[Hehehe...]

[Detected: Host's Dao Seed is of extremely high grade. Breaking through will consume a large number of breakthrough points. Each cycle spans one year and requires 3 billion breakthrough points.]

[Do you wish to proceed?]

"Do it!"

[Breakthrough initiated...]

[Thunder tribulation will descend in twenty breaths. Its power will be immense. Prepare yourself, host.]