Chapter 52: A Notorious Reputation (Part 8)

Cui Xingchen's high-grade protective inner armor had been shattered by the Golden Light Shuttle in the previous battle, indirectly saving his life.

But if it happened again, he would undoubtedly die.

Cui Xingchen now bitterly regretted following Han Yi. He should have fled in a different direction.

But regret was useless.

As he turned, Luo Yunzhou gritted his teeth, preparing for a desperate gamble.

Unlike the terrified Cui Xingchen, Luo Yunzhou possessed far more combat experience. In a fleeting glance, he had assessed the situation.

Han Yi had previously defeated two Qi Refining Seventh Layer cultivators simultaneously and could certainly hold his own against an Eighth Layer opponent, especially since he had just withstood the Golden Light Shuttle's full-power attack.

Fleeing now would be utter folly. Their only hope lay in uniting and fighting with all their might.

The wheel-shaped magic artifact in his hand suddenly soared into the air, spinning rapidly as it intercepted the three incoming silver orbs.

Boom!

The violent explosion sent Luo Yunzhou staggering back a dozen steps.

But his face lit up with delight.

He had blocked it!

The magic artifact retreated to his side, while the three silver orbs were deflected back toward their source.

Turning to glare at Tao Shouhua, who was fleeing close behind Cui Xingchen, Luo Yunzhou's expression soured as he inwardly cursed, "Worthless teammate!"

He reactivated his wheel-shaped magic artifact, positioning it to guard his flanks as he waited for an opportunity to strike.

If he had turned and fled with the others, exposing his back, the three silver orbs would have slammed into him, leaving him severely injured or dead.

"Hmm?"

The cold youth's brow furrowed slightly, his expression shifting subtly.

Though he was at the Eighth Layer of Qi Refinement, piloting the Golden Light Shuttle had already depleted most of his mana. While he possessed numerous magic artifacts, facing both the enigmatic Han Yi and Luo Yunzhou, who retained ninety percent of a Qi Refining Seventh Layer cultivator's combat strength, seemed increasingly daunting.

His gaze swept over Luo Yunzhou before returning to Han Yi. He was already contemplating a strategic retreat.

Two fellow Eighth Layer Qi Refinement disciples were still on the battlefield. Regrouping with them before finishing off these opponents would be a safer strategy.

Despite his high status within the Blood God Sect, he wasn't reckless. He knew when to advance and when to withdraw.

Just as the thought of retreat crystallized in his mind, Han Yi's face lit up a hundred meters away.

The opportunity had arrived.

With a mental command, the numerous black metal fragments scattered within three meters of the cold youth abruptly stood upright from their prone positions.

Shink! Shink! Shink!

These fragments were remnants from when the first dagger had grazed the Golden Light Shuttle and shattered upon impact.

Han Yi hadn't detonated the first dagger. Instead, he shattered it into fragments and used the self-destruction of the second dagger to mask the subtle movements of the shards as they closed in on the Cold Youth.

This was a contingency plan he had devised while recalling the second dagger.

And now, at the precise moment the Cold Youth hesitated, preparing to retreat, the contingency plan was finally unleashed.

Thwack!

Three meters was too short a distance. Even if the Cold Youth had suddenly sensed the danger, he had no time to activate any defenses before the fastest fragment sliced through his throat.

His throat bones shattered, his eyes widened in shock, and he instinctively pressed his hand against the wound.

Then...

Thud, thud, thud...

Jagged metal shards formed a lethal net, enveloping the Cold Youth.

Clang, clang, clang...

The dagger fragments bombarded his body, but they couldn't penetrate his heavily armored inner garment.

Whoosh!

The largest fragment pierced through the Cold Youth's forehead. In quick succession, the other shards rained down, tearing through his skull and obliterating his face.

With his head destroyed, even a Foundation Establishment Stage cultivator would perish, let alone an Eighth Layer of Qi Refinement practitioner like him.

His body crashed to the ground, the golden shuttle slipping from his grasp and rolling away. Its golden light flickered once before fading completely.

In less than a breath, the tide of battle had turned.

"He's... dead."

Dozens of meters away, Luo Yunzhou, who had been bracing himself for a desperate fight with a grim expression, froze. He turned to look at Han Yi, bathed in the moonlight.

Han Yi spat out a mouthful of blood and rubbed his chest. "Damn, that was tough."

"Good thing I slit his throat first. Otherwise, I might not have been able to kill him."

Han Yi walked over and collected the Golden Light Shuttle, the Storage Pouch, and the three beads that had fallen to the ground. After a moment's thought, he forced himself to overcome his nausea and tore off the close-fitting inner armor beneath the bloodstained robe, stuffing it into his Storage Pouch.

Then, he dropped an Exploding Talisman, completely obliterating the corpse.

"Senior Brother Luo, this place is dangerous. Flee immediately. Farewell."

Luo Yunzhou felt a strange sense of familiarity with those words. Then he remembered: Han Yi had said almost the exact same thing less than fifteen minutes ago.

Dangerous?

You're the most dangerous thing here.

Luo Yunzhou's lips twitched. How could his junior brother, supposedly only at the Sixth-Tier, overpower and kill an Eighth Layer of Qi Refinement expert wielding a Top-Grade Magic Artifact like the Golden Light Shuttle? Could he have mastered some special Cultivation Technique to conceal his true strength, suppressing his Ninth Layer aura to appear as the Sixth Layer?

A wolf in sheep's clothing.

Just then, both Han Yi and Luo Yunzhou sensed a change. They abruptly looked up to see a fiery crimson sea of clouds erupting over Heavenfall City.

"This is outrageous! The Blood God Sect will pay dearly for this insult! The Profound Pill Sect will have its revenge!"

"Profound Pill Sect disciples, assemble at the encampment immediately!"

The voice boomed with thunderous fury, shaking the very void itself like a celestial storm.

"It's Martial Uncle Gu!"

"Thank goodness, Martial Uncle Gu is back!"

"Let's go!"

Han Yi and Luo Yunzhou exchanged a glance and sprinted toward their former encampment.

They weren't alone. Throughout Heavenfall City, Profound Pill Sect cultivators erupted in wild joy and raced toward the encampment.

Just then, a defiant voice rang out, "Don't think we fear you! The Blood God Sect welcomes your challenge!"

Though the speaker remained unseen, there was no doubt it was another Foundation Establishment Stage cultivator from the Blood God Sect, choosing to remain hidden.

Han Yi and Luo Yunzhou faltered briefly before resuming their flight. No matter what, Martial Uncle Gu had returned. Returning to his side was their safest bet.

Moments later, Han Yi and Luo Yunzhou reached the encampment.

The encampment was now a desolate ruin, littered with corpses. Most were disciples of the Profound Pill Sect, with a smaller number from the Blood God Sect.

At the heart of the devastation stood a middle-aged man, his aura vast and turbulent, like a colossal beast roused from its slumber, inspiring awe.

This was Gu Yu, a Foundation Establishment Stage cultivator and Elder of the Profound Pill Sect.

Moments later, Cui Xingchen and Tao Shouhua returned to the encampment. Their expressions turned awkward upon seeing Han Yi and Luo Yunzhou, but they remained silent.

Han Yi merely glanced at them without speaking, resuming his vigil.

After about fifteen minutes, no more survivors returned to the encampment.

Han Yi surveyed the assembled group, estimating that only twenty-five or twenty-six cultivators had survived.

They had arrived with over a hundred disciples, but now, less than a night later, only this handful remained—three-quarters of their company wiped out.

The carnage was appalling.

Gu Yu's face was equally grim, but he wasted no time on empty words. His voice low and resolute, he commanded, "Gather your belongings and prepare to return to the sect immediately."

An hour later, after collecting the remains of the fallen disciples and storing them in special storage pouches, Gu Yu led the survivors out of Heavenfall City.

Another half-hour passed before the Soaring Divine Warship reappeared, welcoming the group aboard. The vessel transformed into a streak of light, piercing the night sky as it sped away.