Minglong

Chapter 360 Encounter on a narrow road

The majestic mountain ridge came into view, and the power of heaven and earth reached its peak.

Xie Jinhuan was initially able to ride the wind and fly through the air, but gradually it felt like swimming in a swamp. Every move required a lot of effort, so he chose to land in the mountains and walk towards Dragon Ridge.

Meanwhile, Coal Ball, relying on its racial advantage, soars through the clouds, overlooking the two-legged creatures scurrying about below.

Ye Yunchi held his sword at his side, his movements quite discreet to avoid being ambushed. Looking towards the firelight behind the ridge, he seemed slightly puzzled.

"It looks like the Eight Gates Burning Formation, why haven't they made any moves?"

Because the pressure from heaven and earth was too overwhelming, Xie Jinhuan was unable to sense what was happening behind the mountain ridge and could only judge the situation by observing the light with his naked eye.
"I reckon Lü Yan found the opportunity first and is retreating inside the formation to refine it, while the others are waiting for their chance. If we jump out now, we'll attract too much aggro. Let's find a place to hide first and wait until they've finished fighting before we join the fray."

Ye Hongshang, carrying a red umbrella, floated beside him. Perhaps recalling the days when he and Xiaobai Mao had fought so fiercely over it, he raised his eyes and gestured towards the distant mountain ridge:

"Sister knows a good place with a bird's-eye view of the entire Dragon Ridge, and it's not easy to be discovered. Master Qixia used to play hide-and-seek there and fooled many fellow Daoists."

Xie Jinhuan naturally listened to the ghost wife and accompanied her eastward. They did not encounter anyone along the way. When they arrived at the mountain ridge, they found it to be a desolate mountain with lush vegetation. Under the heavy thunder and rain, there was almost no trace of any living creature. A narrow crevice was hidden under the rock wall, which could probably only accommodate one person to hide in.

Xie Jinhuan arrived at the crevice and saw several carvings on the cliff face, inscribed with a short poem: "Thunder suddenly roared over the desolate hills, wild branches danced in the rain, the fairy lifted her skirt to find a rock to hide, laughing as Xiao Mei ran around in a flurry..."

Ye Yunchi had been observing the distant firelight when he noticed the writing, and turned around with a look of surprise in his eyes:
"The handwriting is really good, but this doggerel... um... it's a bit childish. Who left it?"

Even without seeing the signature, Xie Jinhuan knew who wrote it and smiled:

"It should be something left behind by Master Qixia when he was seizing an opportunity. This 'Xiao Mei' should refer to the Valkyrie."

"is it?"

Upon hearing the voice, Ye Yunchi immediately showed a hint of longing for the righteous master. After observing carefully for a while, he turned his gaze to the distant mountains.

Rumble…

Thunder rumbled across the sky, while the afterglow of firelight from distant mountains illuminated the night.

Xie Jinhuan carefully observed the area. As the view was no longer obstructed by the mountains, he could see that the Dragon Ridge was not a straight line, but a bend, looking like a dragon coiled up in the middle, forming a vast area surrounded by mountains on three sides. The opportunity lay within this.

According to records, the Snake King Cave is scattered throughout the mountains and underground. If you want to leave secretly, you can find a place to crawl into a cave. There is an exit on the other side of Dragon Ridge, and you can travel normally by running dozens of miles further out.

Xie Jinhuan carefully surveyed the terrain, but halfway there he spotted coal balls flying in the sky and muttered a few words:
"Gurgle~~Gurgle~~..."

Xie Jinhuan looked up at the sky and saw the coal ball drawing a figure eight in the sky, pointing to a mountain valley more than ten miles away. Based on his years of experience, it meant that someone had been found to be doing bad things, and he was given the opportunity to go and punish the wicked and confiscate their illegal gains.

Xie Jinhuan was a little puzzled by this. After all, everyone was waiting for Lu Yan to handle the opportunity. There would be no benefit in fighting ahead of time. Moreover, judging from the situation indicated by Meiqiu, it was not an encounter battle, but simply a way to harm people.

Here, cultivators cannot ride the wind, and the mountains and rivers block the view of the other side of the mountain range. Xie Jinhuan then looked at the ghost beside him.

Ye Hongshang was also carefully sensing, and after a long while responded:
"There is a bloody aura; it seems that there are demonic cultivators active over there."

Demonic way...

Xie Jinhuan was also searching for the giant snake, and upon seeing this, tugged at the sleeve of the milk melon:
"Something's not right over there, let's go check it out."

Ye Yunchi was also looking at the coal balls in the sky, but he didn't understand what they meant. Seeing this, he didn't say anything and followed Xie Jinhuan toward the indicated mountain ridge...
-
rustling...

The mountain rain poured down like a torrential downpour, and the thunder and the pattering rain drowned out all other sounds, with only golden-red flames flashing in the distance.

Sha Tu leaned on his rattan cane, his robes covered in strips of cloth blending almost seamlessly with the surrounding vegetation. His dim, yellowed old eyes gazed at the distant afterglow of the flames, quietly awaiting his chance.

As a wandering hermit from the Western Regions, Sha Tu's cultivation level was not considered high among the participants. However, he dared to come and seize the opportunity because he relied on the unique skills he had comprehended from the ancestral classics of Taoism. As long as he grasped the opportunity and escaped the area suppressed by the power of heaven and earth, with the domineering power of the "Three Pure Ones Stepping the Dipper," no one could catch up with him. Not to mention running out of Dragon Bone Beach, he could leave his pursuers more than a hundred miles behind, or he would be like a mud ox sinking into the sea, impossible to find again.

However, he didn't get away with it at the Dragon Emperor Cave a few days ago. Not only did he fail to seize the opportunity, but his left hand was also shattered by the sword energy.

Thanks to the effects of the demonic cultivation technique, his left hand has recovered. However, the demonic cultivation technique requires a large amount of essence and blood to heal injuries. He came to Dragon Bone Beach to try his luck when he was nearing the end of his life. He was already old and frail, unlike young people who could quickly replenish their strength after a single attack. His physique was much weaker than it had been a few days ago.

In the past, he could kill a few people to recover his strength, but in Dragon Bone Beach, he dared not go to the town to slaughter the people. There were no cultivators traveling outside, so the opportunity appeared early. He could only drag his weak body here. Every bit less strength meant a lower chance of winning, and the risk would be much greater.

Fortunately, every cloud has a silver lining. Just as Sha Tu was hiding in the dense forest waiting, he suddenly heard a sound coming from the mountain valley, followed by faint voices that grew louder as they approached:
"Senior brother, it seems they've already found an opportunity over there. We're afraid we won't have a chance to snatch it..."

"We definitely won't be able to snatch the opportunity, but these ancestors will surely fight to the death later, and they won't have time to collect the corpses. Let's sneak over slowly, pick up any magic weapon or pills, and we'll be set for life. If we can find a top-grade magic weapon or a top-tier cultivation technique, we might even become an ancestor ourselves in the next sixty years..."

"Then run faster..."

……

Because there are too many wolves and not enough meat, the greatest opportunity at Dragon Ridge right now actually lies with the participating cultivators. After all, there's only one such heaven-sent opportunity, and those who dare to participate are all powerful patriarchs from various factions with sky-high status. Not to mention elixirs and magical artifacts, even a bottle of immortal pills or a fragment of soft armor could fetch hundreds or thousands of taels of silver. Therefore, most cultivators below the Super Grade level who come here are only fantasizing about grabbing the opportunity; their main purpose is to become ghouls, secretly scavenging for loot after the patriarchs have finished their battle.

Following the sound, Sha Tu looked and saw a pair of fellow disciples wearing straw raincoats, sneaking out of the mountain valley. One was fat and the other thin, with only fourth or fifth-grade cultivation, but they were both martial artists with vigorous blood and energy. Moreover, they were not very discerning and quickly passed by him from more than ten feet below.

"..."

Sha Tu frowned, knowing that taking action would risk exposing himself.

However, this place is still nearly a hundred miles away from Lü Yan and the others. The hiding place he chose is very secluded, and it cannot be seen from other directions. The power of heaven and earth in Dragon Ridge is too strong, and it is difficult for people to perceive the slight bloodlust fluctuations caused by cultivators.

The blood pack was practically offered to me; if I didn't accept it, and we encountered a tough opponent later, the slightest difference in strength could mean the difference between life and death...

After a moment of silence, Sha Tu did not hesitate any longer. His tall figure left the forest and chased after the two people who were still looking ahead. He moved silently along the way. Under the light of lightning, he looked like a bunch of vines swaying in the dense forest, leaving a terrifying, twisted and intertwined reflection in the rain.

Boom——

Wow…

The two hot-headed youths, oblivious to their impending doom, continued their race after a short distance, peering out from behind rocks to assess the situation. Only when the shadows began to fall on them, and the reflection of a ghostly claw appeared on the rock before them, did their eyes widen in confusion. They quickly turned back, and what followed was:

“Wu——?!”

Two massive, finger-sized claws pressed down on the faces of the two brothers, causing a surge of blood energy to erupt and flow into their withered arms.

Upon discovering the deep-seated fear in the eyes of the two, Sha Tu's face beneath his hood revealed an almost morbid excitement. However, knowing his current predicament, he still tried his best to suppress his aura and slowly plunder the essence and blood.

Normally, such cautious behavior would not attract the attention of others, but just as the two warriors' faces gradually lost color and their eyes became unfocused, they suddenly had a moment of lucidity before death, as if grasping at a straw, and looked out of the corner of their eyes at the mountain ridge to the side.

thunderbolt--

At that moment, a bolt of lightning ripped through the sky, casting a reflection in front of the three of them.

The reflection was of a man with two weapons hanging from his waist. Although only his outline could be seen, a chilling pressure emanated from him, as if a god or Buddha had suddenly descended upon the place.

The old man Sha Tu's expression changed drastically. He immediately stopped fighting and looked towards the ridge to the side, only to see a figure in white standing on the ridge, his eyes fixed on him like a death warrant.

"So you're the old scoundrel Sha Tu?"

Sha Tu hadn't seen Xie Jinhuan's face clearly last time, but just from his appearance and demeanor, he recognized him. His heart pounded with fear, and he scanned the surrounding mountains and fields with his peripheral vision.

"The opportunity is about to appear. If Young Hero Xie doesn't go to guard it but comes to block me, I'm afraid he will suffer more losses than gains."

Xie Jinhuan replied calmly, "Killing you won't take more than three moves, and it won't waste much time."

Knowing Xie Jinhuan's reputation, Sha Tu sensed something was wrong. After assessing the situation, and drawing on his years of experience fighting against the righteous path, he directly grabbed two dying martial artists, intending to use a hostage to make Xie Jinhuan, this chivalrous hero of the righteous path, hesitate to act.

This turned out to be an overestimation of the situation.

Just as Sha Tu was about to make a move, a flying wheel wrapped in lightning and fire suddenly erupted from the mountain ridge and headed straight for his face.

Boom——

The flywheel, with the force to shatter mountains and cut through seas, tore a groove more than ten feet wide in the hillside, giving almost no time to react.

Martial artists focus on physical training. Although they have almost no advantages compared to other schools, their strength lies in relying on themselves and not depending on external forces. Even when suppressed by the Yin-Yang Ruler, the spiritual energy of heaven and earth, etc., their explosive power does not decrease much.

As for Sha Tu, he was a miscellaneous sorcerer. In this place, he certainly couldn't use the Three Pure Ones Stepping Step, which required the power of heaven and earth to move around. Seeing that Xie Jinhuan had no mercy and was about to strike his face with a deadly blow, he could only forcefully lift his cane and slam it into the ground!

Boom boom boom!
The cane fell, and the slippery mud beneath his feet was shattered. Three earthen walls bearing the heads of Qilin beasts rose from the ground, but they were much smaller in size and protection than those in the Dragon Emperor's Cave.

The Heavenly Mace, imbued with thunder and fire, instantly shattered three earthen walls, and the aftershocks sent two nearby martial artists flying, crashing into the raised canes.

clang--

Amidst the clanging of metal, Sha Tu's massive body was immediately sent flying backward, creating a towering sandstorm that obscured his entire form.

Ye Yunchi secretly approached the old thief Du Shatu's retreat route. At this moment, both new and old grudges were present, so he would not hold back when he attacked. At the same time as the figure was knocked away, he had already pierced through the sand and dust with the light of his frost-white sword.

Sa——

In the blink of an eye, the mountain valley was covered by lightning, fire, sand, and sword energy...

(End of this chapter)