Immortals of the End Times

Chapter 138, pp. 142-143: A Tale of Two Extremes, Carrying Away Two Peak Masters, Escape! (Two chapters combined into one, please subscribe)

"Come with me?"

Hua Qingshuang's eyes narrowed, and she said in a cold voice, "Nonsense! This mission is extremely dangerous. Even your Uncle Yan and I may be in danger. Even if you have the advantage of the formation, you can't guarantee our safety."

Her frost-covered flying sword trembled slightly in her sleeve, and a layer of frost instantly condensed on the ground. Her tone left no room for doubt, "Return to the cave to report back in a moment, without delay."

Seeing that the Ice Mountain Peak Master was angry, Zhao Wuji could only cup his hands and reply, "Yes, I understand. Peak Master, please be careful."

Hua Qingshuang is alright when she's not angry; she's cold on the outside but warm on the inside, and relatively easy to talk to.

But once they get angry, there's absolutely no room for negotiation.

Soon, Hua Qingshuang recovered her spiritual power within the formation. After instructing Zhao Wuji to return quickly, she made a hand seal and transformed into a streak of icy blue light, disappearing into the horizon.

Zhao Wuji glanced at the source crystal on the ground, which had almost turned to dust, and clicked his tongue in amazement.

As expected of the peak master, he extracted more than a dozen source crystals in a short time.

He flipped his wrist to put away the battle flags, and his fingertips paused slightly as he picked up the blue cloth from the ground.

With a series of hand gestures, a guiding technique was unleashed, and a faint aura, like a serpent, snaked upwards from the fabric—the lingering scent of Hua Qingshuang.

A glint flashed in Zhao Wuji's eyes as he looked at Xiong Badao beside him.

"It's going to be dangerous. You don't need to come with me anymore. Fly back to find Xiaoyu yourself, and I'll come back to find you later."

"Ka!"

Xiong Ba's eyes darted around, and upon hearing the danger, he readily agreed without a second thought. Before leaving, he cheekily flicked his wingtip and flew away as if fleeing.

"That dead bird was quite decisive."

Zhao Wuji shook his head and chuckled, then his gaze turned cold. In the distance, in the river, two controlled Yunfeng disciples suddenly trembled violently, bleeding from their seven orifices, and died.

He had taken all the useful items from the two men, including their authentic disciple tokens, rendering them useless.

He originally planned to use the time a few more days to obtain information about Yunfeng Cave.

But the situation is urgent now, and the peak master is more important, so we should just throw him away as a pawn.

"disease!"

With a flick of his sword, Zhao Wuji unleashed the Frost Soul Flying Sword, which transformed into an icy rainbow that enveloped him before soaring through the air.

Normally, he would never be so extravagant as to fly on a sword.

This is practically burning spiritual energy.

But at this moment, in order to keep up with Hua Qingshuang's trail, he couldn't care less about all that.

"With my current cultivation level of the sixth stage of Qi Refining, plus my invisibility and array formation techniques, I should have no problem keeping up and protecting myself."
"If Peak Master and Peak Master Yan are in any danger, I can appear in time to treat them."

Zhao Wuji was unwilling to go back at this time.

The battle between Linlang Cave Heaven and Yunfeng Cave Heaven presents a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

If a major battle at the level of cave masters were to occur, it would be the perfect opportunity for Peak Master Hua to return and break through.

There is absolutely no room for error in this process.

Neither Peak Master Hua nor Peak Master Yan can be injured in the battle, or at least not seriously injured.

Otherwise, it will affect subsequent breakthroughs, and his carefully planned scheme will come to nothing.

At this moment, a hundred miles away, a spirit snake formed by the guiding technique meandered through the void, pointing him in the right direction.

Zhao Wuji's eyes were sharp as he relentlessly pursued them.

As he traversed the northern battlefield of the Xuan Kingdom, he looked down at the smoke rising from the battlefield and the campfires twinkling like stars.

After traveling another 600 miles, the icy blue light ahead finally slowed down.

He immediately made a hand seal to sheathe his sword, and his body fell to the ground silently like a falling leaf.

The eerie light of invisibility flowed around him, and then he used martial arts techniques to move through the mountains and forests like a ghost.

On the other side of the ridge, Hua Qingshuang's escape light slowly descended.

"Junior Sister Hua has been gone for over an hour," Yan Lan said, leaning against the ancient pine tree with a playful smile. "Could it be that something has happened to our precious junior nephew?"

"No problem."

Hua Qingshuang's eyes grew even colder, "It's just that some people in the cave have long regarded disciples as worthless weeds."

Her jade-like fingers clenched tightly in her sleeve, "When I come to power, I will surely eradicate this evil practice!"

Yan Lan chuckled and shook her head: "Junior Sister has lofty ambitions. However..."

She then changed the subject, saying, "We might not even be able to get through this current hurdle."

There's been no movement from Yunfeng Cave Heaven. I don't think the cave master will lead his people to attack unless we make a move.

Hua Qingshuang's gaze was like lightning as she swept over the Yunfeng stronghold, which was hidden by the array in the distance, and then looked towards the direction of the cave: "Then we shall make the first move."

With the defensive array nodes here breached, the earth's veins are in turmoil, and the mountain-guarding array of Yunfeng Cave Heaven will also collapse without a fight!

Yan Lan's flippant expression gradually disappeared, and a solemn look appeared between her brows. "Therefore, this place is of utmost importance. If, in addition to Fan Yifeng, Gao Yunhe is also stationed here, it will be very difficult for us to take this stronghold."

After all, the enemy can take advantage of the formation, while we have to withstand their attacks to break through it.

"There's no need for a fight to the death!"

Hua Qingshuang's cold eyes flashed, "Our goal is not to completely take over this stronghold, but to break through the array nodes and then withdraw. Once the array nodes are broken, the Cave Master and the Supreme Cave Master will inevitably launch a full-scale attack on Yunfeng Cave Heaven."

"This opportunity, though seemingly a chance, is actually a risky gamble."

Yan Lan's eyes narrowed dangerously as she summoned the Flaming Sun Wheel. "There's no time to lose, let's make our move now!"

"The peak master has lingered here for so long, it seems the mission location is indeed in this vicinity."

Not far away, Zhao Wuji concealed himself behind the mountain ridge, using hand seals and guiding techniques to observe the rising earth energy from a distant cluster of rocks.
The underground even possessed a spiritual aura, immediately revealing that this place was extraordinary.

Just then, a burst of spiritual light suddenly erupted from the other side, and two figures, one red and one blue, appeared in the air. It was Hua Qingshuang and Yan Lan who had made their move.

"Let's do it!"

Zhao Wuji's heart stirred, and he immediately took out thirty-six array flags from his storage bag.

Twenty-eight of them were newly harvested banners from the Nine-Bend Yellow Sand Formation.

His hands moved like phantoms in a series of hand seals as he uttered a low shout: "Nine-Bend Yellow Sand, rise!"

"Whoosh whoosh—"

Twenty-eight battle flags shot out instantly, spreading in all directions and plunging into the ground.

Suddenly, billowing sand and mist surged from the ground, enveloping the three-mile mountain road in a maze.

Immediately afterwards, he unleashed his eight array flags and twelve Netherworld Talisman Pills.

With a flick of his fingertips, he cast a spell to establish an array, pointing out the key element: "Soul-locking Qi, Dream-like Prison!"

Rumble! !

A series of deafening roars echoed from the distant outpost.

Hua Qingshuang and Yan Lan join forces for a powerful attack.

The combined attack of the Frost Flying Sword and the Blazing Sun Wheel, like an enraged dragon, instantly tore apart the outer array barrier of the stronghold.

However, before the dust had settled, a figure in black robes soared into the sky from the center of the formation, roaring angrily.

Fan Yifeng unleashed a flurry of talismans with his palms, which transformed into thunderbolts that exploded, forcing the two figures back dozens of feet.

Yan Lan's blazing sun wheel flared up, and he sneered, "As expected, there's an old turtle hiding here!"

Before he could finish speaking, a crane's cry suddenly came from deep within the stronghold.

Gao Yunhe arrived in an instant, riding on clouds. His snow-white whisk flicked out thousands of silver threads, which formed a net in the air and ensnared the two of them.

"not good!"

The Hua Qingshuang Ice Sword traced an enigmatic trajectory, like snowflakes colliding with numerous silk threads, temporarily halting the attack.

She stepped back and stood back-to-back with Yan Lan.

The two exchanged a glance, both with a resolute look in their eyes.

"Ice and fire in harmony!"

Both of them bit their tongues at the same time, spitting out blood mist, and their spiritual power surged.

The Frost Flying Sword and the Blazing Sun Wheel instantly merged like ice and crimson flames, transforming into a destructive pillar of energy interwoven with red and blue. It broke through the heavy restraints of the whisk, and even injured and forced back Fan and Gao. The powerful attack suddenly landed on the array platform on the ground below.

Rumble!
Wherever the sword energy and flames passed, the array nodes collapsed with a deafening roar!

"go!"

Yan Lan's face was deathly pale, and his magical power was greatly depleted. He grabbed Hua Qingshuang's wrist, and the Flaming Sun Wheel burst out with dazzling golden light.

The two were sent flying backward by the force of the broken formation.

"Where do you think you're going?!"

Fan and Gao roared, and several beams of magical light from their artifacts poured down like a torrential rain, instantly piercing through the defenses of the Flaming Sun Wheel.

The protective spiritual shield shattered with a "crack," and Hua Qingshuang and Yan Lan both spat out a mouthful of blood, but their escape speed increased by three points.

Just then, the Frost Flying Sword beside Hua Qingshuang suddenly rang out incessantly, its blade pointing straight at the northwest mountains and forests.

"Senior sister!"

Without hesitation, Hua Qingshuang grabbed Yan Lan's wrist and, following the sword's cry, sped away.

This spiritual sword, which had been bound to her through life and death, had never disappointed her.

"Come on! Come on!"

In the mountains and forests of the Northwest, Zhao Wuji activated the Cold Soul Flying Sword, hoping to resonate with the Frost Flying Sword.

The Frosty Soul Sword and Frost Sword were originally forged from the Frosty Soul Mystic Ice Sword. Their sword hearts resonated with each other, making them a match made in heaven.

"Whoosh-"

Seeing two streaks of light turn and rush toward the mountain forest where he was, Zhao Wuji breathed a sigh of relief.

He immediately made a hand seal, ready to activate the formation at any time, while simultaneously transmitting his voice to Hua Qingshuang and Yan Lan, who were getting closer and closer.

"Peak Master, Senior Uncle, I have already set up a great formation in this mountain forest, which can hold them off for a moment! Come quickly!"

The moment Hua Qingshuang received the telepathic message, her pretty face changed instantly, "Wuji!?"

Her expression immediately became hesitant.

Yan Lan's eyes widened in surprise at the mention of "this kid."

"Come quickly! The Nine-Bend Yellow Sand Formation can hold them off for a moment!"

Zhao Wuji transmitted his voice again.

Upon hearing this, the two did not hesitate any longer and quickly flew down into the mountains and forests.

They were already injured in the process of forcibly breaking through the array's nodes, leaving them with little strength to fight head-on.

Almost immediately after the two landed in the forest.

The two peak masters of Yunfeng Cave, Fan and Gao, also came to attack.

However, at that moment, the Nine-Bend Yellow Sand Formation suddenly unleashed a sandstorm that blotted out the sky, while the Qi-Suppressing Illusionary Dream Formation conjured dozens of afterimages of light that were difficult to distinguish from reality. Fan Yifeng, who had chased into the formation, suddenly sensed a blockage in his spiritual energy and exclaimed in shock and anger, "An ambush!"

"It's actually the Nine-Bend Yellow Sand Formation?!"

Gao Yunhe roared, and his whisk swiftly shattered the streaks of yellow sand that were shooting towards him.

"Only found out now?"

With a flick of Zhao Wuji's sword technique, the Cold Soul Flying Sword transformed into a dazzling rainbow light, which, together with the heavy yellow sand, aimed straight for Fan Yifeng's throat.

However, although Fan Yifeng's spiritual power was sluggish and slow to mobilize, he remained calm despite the shock, and a black ancient mirror suddenly flew out from his sleeve.

The mirror surface is even inlaid with source crystals, which are not hindered by the air barrier.

A flash of light deflected and distorted the sword energy and rainbow light that flew out from the yellow sand.

On the other side, the silver threads of Gao Yunhe's whisk suddenly surged out, like thousands of spirit snakes intertwining into a cocoon, protecting his entire body completely.

At the same time, a bell-shaped magical artifact flew out from his sleeve, and that bell-shaped magical artifact was also inlaid with source crystal.

After being activated, it suddenly emitted a loud 'clang', the sound waves shattered the yellow sand, and indiscriminately bombarded the others in the formation.

Clearly, experts at this level possess magical artifacts capable of fighting in spiritless environments, thus remaining largely unaffected. "These two are at the tenth level of Qi Refining! They're both incredibly strong!"

Zhao Wuji's external armor trembled violently from the impact of the sound waves, causing his expression to change.

Both of them possessed formidable strength comparable to Hua Qingshuang and Yan Lan, and neither of them was injured.

Even though they are currently within the Qi-restricting formation, their Qi flow is only sluggish and their reactions are slowed down, but they can still use special magical artifacts to protect themselves.

"Who dares to use my Cloud Phoenix Formation to cause trouble!"

Fan Yifeng, enraged, laughed and suddenly clasped his hands together.

In an instant, dozens of Yin Thunder Talismans shot out from his palm, like a swarm of snakes dancing wildly, turning the entire sand array a ghastly white.

The talismans were like streaks of lightning, striking one after another.

The Nine-Bend Yellow Sand Formation suddenly trembled violently, and most of the yellow sand collapsed.

"Wuji, let us make our move and tell us their positions."

Just then, Hua Qingshuang's clear, cold voice pierced through the sandstorm.

A glint flashed in Zhao Wuji's eyes, and he immediately transmitted his voice secretly: "One person in the Kan position, one person in the Li position!"

"Senior sister, make your move!"

Hua Qingshuang and Yan Lan suppressed their injuries together and attacked simultaneously.

The Frost Flying Sword suddenly split into hundreds of ice shards, which poured down on Gao Yunhe like a torrential rain.

Yan Lan then released the Blazing Sun Wheel from her hand, its crimson flames swirling and transforming into a fiery phoenix, its cry echoing as it hurtled straight at Fan Yifeng's face.

Although their combined attack was hampered by their injuries and unable to unleash its full power, they were still not suppressed by the Qi-restricting formation, forcing their opponent to immediately and hastily parry.

"puff!!"

For a moment, Gao Yunhe's breathing faltered, and then a sword aura as cold as ice pierced through his shoulder blade. The cold poison instantly invaded his meridians, and his entire arm froze over. He let out a miserable scream.

Although Fan Yifeng used the ancient mirror to block the fire phoenix, he was burned on the face by the afterflame and retreated with a miserable scream.

However, this attack also completely triggered the backlash from the cold and fire poisons within Hua Qingshuang and the other person's bodies.

Hua Qingshuang's face was deathly pale, and frost spread uncontrollably all over her body, even her eyelashes were covered in ice crystals.

Yan Lan was bleeding from all seven orifices, and blood vessels and crimson flame patterns were visible under her skin, as if she might burn herself to death at any moment.

"Go!" Seeing this, Zhao Wuji did not hesitate any longer. His Flying Sword of Cold Soul stirred up a whirlwind and forced back the two powerful enemies.

Then he picked up the two peak masters and carried them around the waist.

"Sect Masters, the situation is urgent! I have been disrespectful!"

He activated his sword control technique with all his might, transforming into a flying rainbow that swept up the two peak masters, and sped away from the edge of the mountains and forests.

Fan Yifeng's furious roar came from behind.

"You can't escape!! This formation can't stop us!"

Zhao Wuji ignored him, only holding tightly the gradually stiffening, cold body and the burning hot body in his arms.

Waves of intertwined pain, like ice and fire, came from both sides, but he held the two of them even tighter.

Terrible!

Terrible!

Oh my god!!
This is simply ice and fire!
He's caught in the middle, it must be so tough for him!

Whoosh whoosh—

The Frost Soul Flying Sword sped away.

Flying with the two peak masters, one of ice and one of fire, his spiritual power flowed out like water without restraint.

However, a formidable enemy was lurking in the rear.

Zhao Wuji dared not be negligent in the slightest and quickly fled.

Before long, they flew across the border of the Yun Kingdom and into the territory of the Xuan Kingdom.

He timed it perfectly, sensing that the two powerful enemies behind him had likely broken through the formation, and quickly found a mountain hollow to descend.

Then, by making hand seals and casting an invisibility spell, the three figures gradually faded away like ink in a painting, disappearing completely and their auras were completely concealed.

His initial attempt at invisibility allowed him to make everything within a half-zhang radius of his body invisible, except that he could not carry living things.

However, the invisibility technique, which has now reached a slightly advanced level, has only increased the range of invisibility by three feet, but it can now make living things invisible together.

However, the stronger the living creature, the harder it is to conceal its aura, and therefore the greater the spiritual energy consumed.

At this moment, Zhao Wuji's forehead was covered in a fine layer of sweat.

The auras of the two peak masters in his arms were as deep and boundless as the ocean. For every moment they remained hidden, their spiritual power poured out like a burst dam, nearly depleting his dantian, unless...
"Fine." He gritted his teeth inwardly, and his internal energy suddenly surged to the fifth level of Qi Refining.

Anyway, it's time to "break through".

At this moment, both peak masters seemed to be somewhat dazed, their right arms feeling as if they were embracing a furnace, and their left arms feeling as if they were holding ice.

"I'll definitely need to make more invisibility talismans in the future, which can be used to set up temporary concealment formations. I don't feel that much pressure."

Zhao Wuji felt as if his left side was about to freeze.

My right side was burning up.

However, he dared not let go and could only hold them in his arms, otherwise, once they were out of the range of the invisibility spell, both peak masters would be exposed.

"It's so cold!"

Hua Qingshuang's fair skin was covered in frost, and even her hair was frozen into ice crystals.

"So hot."

Yan Lan was even more exaggerated, sweating profusely, her fair and rosy skin oozing sweat from every pore, with fiery patterns appearing beneath her skin.

Her eyes were blurry from the heat, and she even started to take off her clothes, revealing the red flame patterns on her legs below the hem of her skirt.

"Peak Master! Senior Uncle!"

Zhao Wuji was extremely uncomfortable, "I'm so cold and so hot at the same time!"

He simply pulled the two of them close in his arms, using their heat and cold to soothe each other.

He was the only one caught in the middle and suffered a lot.

Before long, two powerful auras suddenly swept across the sky like a whirlwind, heading straight for the direction of Linlang Cave.

Before long, the two auras returned, letting out a deafening roar, and searched the vicinity repeatedly.

Zhao Wuji held his two precious peak masters in his arms, barely daring to breathe, the light of his invisibility spell flowing around the three of them.

Not long after, the two seemed to receive some news, and without lingering, they quickly sped towards the direction of Yunfeng Cave.

"It seems the great battle has begun at Yunfeng Cave Heaven as well."

Zhao Wuji did not act rashly. He waited until the two had flown far away before getting up while still invisibility and carrying the two peak masters on his way.

The martial arts physique of the Immortal Martial Arts lineage begins to exert a great advantage at this time.

Zhao Wuji carried the two men and ran like a cheetah or tiger, his stamina abundant. He didn't lose a single wisp of spiritual energy even after traveling a hundred miles, and his steps were still as swift as a shooting star.

Each step covered more than ten feet, yet felt as light as a feather.

Qi and blood surge through the meridians like rivers, becoming more and more exhilarating the more they flow.

In this spiritless environment, martial arts practitioners thrive. In the early stages of cultivation, they do not need spiritual energy; they only need resources such as medicine and demon beast blood to cultivate. The consumption of spiritual energy is even less.

Moreover, the filthy worldly atmosphere cannot pollute the spirituality of martial arts practitioners; instead, it will be refined by their furnace-like physique.

Zhao Wuji carried an iceberg and a volcano, running more than 700 miles in one go, from night to day.

Only when he felt his muscles and bones aching and his blood churning did Zhao Wuji stop by a river valley.

Here, as dawn breaks, the river flows gently through the valley, lush vegetation abounds, and red flowers bloom across the mountains, making it a rare and tranquil place.

The two peak masters were in a rather disheveled state at the moment.

One of them had a deathly pale face, surrounded by a chilling aura, and kept hugging himself tightly and curling up.

The other one was flushed, sweating profusely, and constantly pulling at his clothes.

Even more shocking were the deep, bone-revealing wounds on their bodies, where the scabs still shimmered with the residual spiritual light of the magical artifacts.

"They've gone to such lengths to break through the formation."

Zhao Wuji frowned and sighed inwardly.

With a flick of his sleeve, twenty-four Origin Crystals scattered around like stars.

Without the aid of array flags, the effect of this simple spirit-gathering array is greatly reduced, but it is still better than restoring the spirit by holding the crystal with bare hands.

Set up the formation.

He then took out a black iron box from his bosom.

The box was opened, and dozens of spirit-eating insects, their bodies a deep blue and crystalline, were clustered around a depleted source crystal.

These dozens of spirit-eating insects were already considered elites selected from the Gu pits of the cave.

Sensing their master's call, they all raised their heads and flapped their wings.

"Come!"

Zhao Wuji used hand seals to perform his medical poison technique.

"Om-"

The spirit-eating insects instantly transformed into streams of light that enveloped them.

The insect's legs gently tapped the vital acupoints, and its serrated mouthparts emitted wisps of spiritual silk, nourishing his depleted dantian like spring rain.

After a while.

The dozens of worms were dull and listless.

A sharp glint reappeared in Zhao Wuji's eyes, and his breathing had become steady.

He looked at the two peak masters and saw that one had frost between his brows and the other had red lips, clearly indicating that the fire poison and the cold poison had invaded his heart meridian.

Without further hesitation, he helped the two of them sit up and said in a deep voice.

"Peak Master! Senior Uncle! Your injuries are too severe, and the cold poison and fire poison must be suppressed immediately, otherwise the situation will be critical."

Zhao Wuji took a light breath and said, "I have no choice but to treat you all immediately. I apologize for any offense!"

After saying that, he lightly lifted the corner of his clothes.

Suddenly, a hand seal was formed, and the spirit-eating insects split into two, flying to the wounds of the two people. Their serrated mouths first devoured the enemy's remaining spiritual power on the wounds, and then they spat out spiritual threads to suture the wounds.

Zhao Wuji used his medical skills, combined with the medicinal Gu, to quickly heal Hua Qingshuang and Yan Lan's injuries.

In just over ten breaths.

Both of their gruesome wounds had healed completely; the scabs had fallen off, leaving only a few red marks, without even the slightest scar.

However, the dozens of spirit-eating insects also stiffened upon arrival, falling to the ground with a soft rustling sound from their wounds, all having died from excessive consumption.

"These spirit-eating insects are much less able to survive in a spiritless environment. If they were in a cave with abundant spiritual energy, they wouldn't perish."

Zhao Wuji sighed and put away the insect corpse.

Looking at Hua Qingshuang and Yan Lan, I felt an astonishing chill on one side and an intense heat wave on the other.

He took out his needle case and helped the two of them to face away from him.

"Two peak masters, please forgive me!"

He grabbed the robes of the two men opposite him with both hands and pulled hard.

Hua Qingshuang's robes were frozen solid, and she couldn't pull them down for a moment.

Yan Lan's robe was easily pulled down, revealing a bellyband embroidered with gold thread.

Zhao Wuji had no choice but to stand up again, remove the peak master's robe, and then sit down, take a deep breath, and look at the two smooth, jade-like backs opposite him.

A splash of purple and two red lines are quite eye-catching.

He focused his mind, circulated his blood-fiend spiritual power, and with a flick of his wrists from the needle box, golden needles fell between his ten fingers.

This time, he would go all out, simultaneously administering acupuncture to both peak masters to resolve this dual conflict of ice and fire.
(End of this chapter)