Chapter 696: Alarmed Retreat
“It seems Fellow Daoist Long has encountered some trouble. Two spell warriors are chasing after him. Everyone, set out!” With that resolute shout, Marquis Nanlong flew towards the sky in a ball of golden light.
The others glanced at one another before successively following suit. Suddenly, eight streaks of various colored light appeared above the hills, hastily flying towards the stern-faced cultivator surnamed Long.
The white streak of light that was rus.h.i.+ng towards their location immediately grew faster upon spotting them. In an instant, it arrived before the party and faded away to reveal the stern-faced cultivator. His face was pale as if he had suffered damage to his vitality.
“Many thanks for your a.s.sistance. I cannot thank you all enough!” The stern-faced cultivator saluted the party and his anxious expression was replaced with grat.i.tude.
Marquis Nanlong floated in the air and asked with a voice of concern, “It is no problem! Are you alright? How did you get two spell warriors to pursue you? I recall that only one went to chase you.”
The stern-faced cultivator bitterly smiled and helplessly said, “I’m fine. But after being pursued for the greater half of a day, another spell warrior tagged along the pursuit. I spent two days trying to outrun them, and my vitality is quite worn down!”
The old woman sighed and said, “It was no wonder why Fellow Daoist Long fled here. Apart from Fellow Daoist Nanlong and Fellow Daoist Yun, n.o.body else would’ve been able to escape from two early Nascent Soul stage spell warriors.”
Han Li glanced into the distance and smiled, “However, regardless of how powerful these two pursuers may be, they are rather quite courageous to stay here for the time being. Do they not fear retaliation for overreaching themselves?”
Needless to say, when the two spell warriors spotted Han Li and company, they simply stopped rather than immediately fleeing. They merely gazed at them from a distance.
Their appearances were clear to see from the party’s immense spiritual sense. One of them them was golden skinned and wore a crown of feathers along with hemp robes. The other had a sinister appearance and wore green robes. They were both spell warriors at the early Nascent Soul stage.
Marquis Nanlong snorted and coldly shouted, “You two Fellow Daoists still haven’t left? Could it be you wish for us to take action? If you two aren’t careful, you will meet your end here!”
The hemp-robed spell warrior glanced at them and caustically said, “What an arrogant tone! Although we aren’t a match for you, it is beyond your powers to kill us. We don’t need to attack you, merely delay you for half a day. Do you really believe you will have a chance of leaving? It would be better for you all to obediently sit in place. Perhaps we may allow your souls to reincarnate!”
Marquis Nanlong furiously laughed and began to glow with blinding light, “Delay us for half a day? Do you believe that we will allow it?”
The green-robed spell warrior expressionlessly said, “Perhaps! As masters of the Moulan Plains, it is only proper for us to entertain our guests!”
Marquis Nanlong’s expression grew sullen, “Humph! It seems you won’t recognize defeat until you see your own end. Brother Yun, let’s attack!”
However, the white-clothed old man revealed a trace of helplessness and sighed, “I originally wished to preserve magic power for the matters ahead, but we cannot have these two buzzing on our tail. We can only attack!”
With that said, he opened his mouth and spat out a silver dharmic wheel[1. Eight-spoked wheel, Dharmachakra]. The wheel was fist-sized and glittered with light. It gradually expanded to a meter in length.
When the two spell warriors saw this, they immediately stepped back. Brilliance began to s.h.i.+ne from their body as they cautiously glanced at the old man.
As for Marquis Nanlong, he wordlessly swept his sleeve and tossed out a golden flying sword. Han Li and company also began to silently summon their magic power and slowly drifted forward.
At that moment, a red streak of light suddenly s.h.i.+ned from the horizon in the direction of the two spell warriors. As the fiery light neared, the party couldn’t help but cease their attacks.
The two spell warriors naturally knew that something had appeared behind them. The hemp-robed spell warrior calmly beckoned to the fiery light and revolved once above his head before steadily dropping into his hand. It combust into flames and began to burn at the center of his hand.
It was a sound transmission talisman!
“What?” The hemp-robed spell warrior quickly scanned its contents with his spiritual sense and cried out in alarm. Marquis Nanlong and company were able to clearly see the shock on his face.
This person suddenly turned his head to the green robed spell warrior and sent him a voice transmission. The green-robed spell warrior’s expression changed upon hearing him and also yelped. The two carefully examined the cultivators present before their gazes arrived onto Han Li. Their expressions grew grave.
Han Li appeared entirely calm, but he already guessed that this likely had to do with the fatal injury he had dealt to the old man, forcing his Nascent Soul to escape. Could it be that the old man had a close relations.h.i.+p with the two?
As Han Li pondered, the two spell warriors fiercely glared at him before glancing at each other and revealing a trace of hesitation. They softly sent a few voice transmissions to one another before wordlessly retreating in two flashes of bright light.
The others were surprised by this. After a moment of hesitation, they decided to not pursue them. In the blink of an eye, the two spell warriors had already disappeared off into the horizon.
w.a.n.g Tiangu mysteriously smiled and asked, “Fellow Daoist Han, those two seemed to be particularly mindful of you. Do you recognize those two spell warriors?” It was unknown what he had intended by the question.
Han Li replied without any hesitation, “I don’t recognize them. This is the first time I’ve arrived in the Moulan Plains. How could I possibly know them?”
Marquis Nanlong frowned but he soon unfurrowed his brow.
“Alright, regardless of what was going on with those two spell warriors, let’s hurry and acquire the treasures. We can’t stay for long in the Moulan Plains.” Marquis Nanlong didn’t inquire much about the situation and pretended that it hadn’t happened.
w.a.n.g Tiangu immediately dropped the matter upon hearing the Marquis. Although the others were also puzzled, they didn’t speak much of it. Since the two spell warriors seemed to look upon Han Li with resentment, the party felt disinclined from digging too deeply into the matter.
As a result, Marquis Nanlong and the white-clothed old man led the way, and the party quickly traversed through the Moulan Plains.
Following along the border of the Moulan Plains, they headed west and arrived before a barren, ashen-grey mountain. It was only several hundred meters tall and was devoid of any vegetation. Han Li and the others glanced at the mountain with astonishment.
Master Cang Kun’s cave residence was such an unremarkable mountain? The spiritual Qi was also spa.r.s.e here. If Marquis Nanlong hadn’t led the way, they definitely wouldn’t have arrived in such a place.
“Alright, here we are. Fellow Daoist Yun and I will open the outer layer of restrictions. Follow us closely.” Marquis Nanlong gave the party a word of warning before leading the way alongside the white-robed old man. When they arrived at the center of the mountain, they each took out a small flag.
These two flags were a meter long. One sparkled with dazzling green light, and the other was yellow and fluttered with faint talisman characters. One could tell they were unordinary at first glance.
The others couldn’t help but hold their breaths in antic.i.p.ation as they attentively gazed at the two’s actions.
The two began to softly mutter incantations without pause. The two flags simultaneously began to twinkled with light and gradually began to tremble as if attempting to break free from their grasp.
“Go!” At nearly the same instant, Maquis Nanlong and the white-clothed old man released their flags at nearly the same time. In a flash of brilliance, the small flags dug into some portion of the earth and disappeared without trace.
A short moment later, there was no sign of movement. Han Li and the others all revealed traces of doubt.
The old woman signed and was about to ask a question when the earth began to tremble. Most of the party was unable to keep their balance amongst the trembling ground.
However, the following scene left Han Li startled.