Fighting While Retreating

You and Li Cang fled, pursued relentlessly by a squad of Xuanshao Sect disciples, led by their formidable late-Foundation leader, Shen Gu. Towering and shrouded in an ominous aura, Shen Gu wielded his soul-consuming blade, emitting an icy chill that glinted menacingly. His gaze was as cold as steel, fixed on Li Cang and You like prey.

"Li Cang, You! None of you Yunxiao Sect disciples will escape today!" Shen Gu's cold, mocking voice echoed, chilling like ice. With a mere flick of his soul blade, a poisonous black energy condensed in midair and slashed straight toward You.

With keen reflexes, You quickly sidestepped, narrowly avoiding the attack, but the chilling energy scraped his shoulder, leaving a cold sting. His brow furrowed; Shen Gu's energy was not only cold but venomous, threatening to invade one's body with any misstep, leading to devastating injury.

Li Cang glanced at You, his tone grave. "This place is far too dangerous. If we keep stalling, we'll be surrounded and killed."

You's gaze was equally sharp. Just as he prepared to withdraw further, he noticed a faint flicker of spiritual energy emanating from behind a rocky hill. He squinted, realizing it was four Yunxiao Sect disciples, who had also been driven to this spot by Xuanshao Sect's pursuit.

You quickly exchanged looks with them, signaling them to stay quiet as he crept closer to join forces.

The moment they regrouped, Shen Gu's spiritual energy flared even higher, his gaze sweeping over them with a mocking glint. "You think you can escape me? Pathetic."

With a wave of Shen Gu's hand, his eight Xuanshao Sect disciples surrounded the six Yunxiao Sect members, cutting off every exit.

"Full force—leave them no room to breathe!" Shen Gu commanded icily. At his command, the disciples activated their spiritual energy, weapons and talismans flashing as murderous intent flooded the clearing.

Li Cang's expression grew tense as he raised a water blade and, with You, launched himself toward the nearest Xuanshao Sect disciple.

You's movements were as swift as a shadow, his dark dagger glinting coldly, always finding his opponent's weakest spots with lethal precision. Meanwhile, Li Cang controlled his water spells, causing streams of spiritual water to condense and swirl around him. His water blade spun rapidly, emanating a surging energy as he charged the enemy.

"Hmph, struggling in vain!"

A Xuanshao Sect disciple sneered, swinging his toxic mist whip through the air. Dark fumes spiraled toward Li Cang. Li Cang dodged swiftly, his water blade deflecting part of the poisonous cloud, yet some toxins seeped through, pricking him with a sharp pain. He quickly circulated his spiritual energy, forcing out the poison.

At that moment, Shen Gu gave a quiet laugh, swinging his soul-consuming blade through the air, a black aura slicing straight for You.

You sensed a dark pressure looming over him, forcing him to flip and dodge, but the black blade left a wound on his shoulder, a cold numbness spreading as blood began to seep.

"Shen Gu's strength is overwhelming; we can't fight him head-on!" Li Cang's heart sank, and he swiftly retreated to regroup with You. "We need an opening to escape, or none of us will make it out alive."

You nodded, face taut with tension. "We split up. If we stay and fight, we're done."

Their spiritual energy was nearly exhausted, and Shen Gu's attacks were still as sharp and deadly as ever. His soul-consuming blade exuded extreme poison, making each strike fatal.

Exchanging a glance, Li Cang and You moved in opposite directions to break through. The remaining Yunxiao Sect disciples scattered, attempting to use the chaos to escape the encirclement.

Shen Gu's laughter echoed around them. "A futile struggle! You'll never escape Xuanshao Sect's Soul-Consuming Arts!"

With a command, Shen Gu's disciples unleashed torrents of energy, raining attacks down on the scattering Yunxiao Sect disciples.

You, the fastest among them, was a shadow weaving through the trees, trying to shake his pursuers. But Shen Gu's energy was like a freezing wind at his back, never letting him gain any distance.

One Yunxiao Sect disciple was cut off by a wall of toxic mist; the venom invaded his body, and he fell with a scream, dead before he hit the ground.

Another tried to leap away but was struck through the heart by a poison blade, blood splattering as he fell silent forever.

Li Cang watched in anger as his fellow disciples fell, fury flashing in his eyes.

You's shoulder throbbed with pain, but the sensation kept him alert, his gaze steely. He vowed silently that if he made it out alive, he'd return to face Shen Gu.

Meanwhile, Shen Gu kept a calm but relentless pace, raising his soul-consuming blade once more. The dark aura wove through the air like a venomous snake, bearing down on You.

With no option to escape, You braced himself. His dagger flashed a deadly cold as he lunged at Shen Gu. But with a single sweep, Shen Gu deflected his attack. Following with a precise slice, he sent a wave of cold toward You, forcing him to stumble back, his face paler than ever.

"What can Yunxiao Sect offer other than a lingering death?" Shen Gu mocked, eyes full of contempt. He stepped forward, raising his soul-consuming blade with lethal intent.

You sidestepped desperately, dodging the strike, but the wound on his shoulder reopened, and more blood seeped from it. He knew he had reached his limit. If he didn't find a way out soon, he would die here.

Meanwhile, Li Cang, in a dense patch of forest, took a brief respite to catch his breath. His eyes sharpened, and he thought, "We need to delay Shen Gu; otherwise, there's no hope of surviving long enough for help."

Quickly channeling his spiritual energy, Li Cang combined his water techniques with a heart-reviving pill, circulating his energy through his meridians to restore some strength. With determination in his eyes, he extended his hand, drawing nearby water energy into a dense fog that enveloped the area, obscuring Shen Gu's sight.

"You, retreat now!"

With a nod, You slipped into the mist, moving swiftly and using the terrain to mask his presence, gradually putting distance between himself and Shen Gu.

Shen Gu gave a scoffing laugh, swinging his blade to disperse the mist, his gaze cold with disdain. "Cornered beasts still try to resist?"

But as he swung his final blow, Li Cang suddenly dashed from the side, a spinning water blade forming a sharp arc of spiritual energy in his hand.