Chapter 241 - 228: Escape

The expressions of Liu Changhai and his two companions instantly turned cold. While they thought highly of Shen Lang, they had no intention of fighting a major battle against Yuwen Huaji for him.

They were just making a show of it, going through the motions to let the people of Celestial Phoenix City know that the Imperial Dragon Sect was impartial.

Of course, it would be best if they could buy a little time for Shen Lang’s escape. Lending a hand was a trivial effort, after all.

A young genius like him had limitless potential. If he managed to survive this, no one could predict what he might become.

But Yuwen Huaji’s arrogant words immediately forced them into opposition.

The three of them were immediately put in an awkward position.

If they didn’t fight, they would lose face.

If they fought and couldn’t win, they would be just as disgraced.

"Ahem, Senior Brother Yuwen, there’s no need for such harsh words," Fan Shitian said sarcastically. "We are only trying to reason with you. Why must you speak that way? The three of us joined the sect later than you, so we certainly can’t defeat you in a fight. But for you to interfere in a battle between juniors... if word of you acting so recklessly were to spread, it wouldn’t reflect well on you."

Lin Feiyi was much prouder. Although he knew his cultivation was far inferior to Yuwen Huaji’s, he sneered at his words. "Whether or not we can stop you is something we’ll only know after we try. You’re no stranger to bullying your juniors. If I, Lin Feiyi, hadn’t seen it, I could have let it be. But now that I have, I feel compelled to get involved!"

With that, Lin Feiyi drew his longsword with a sharp SHING, his expression grim as he stared at Yuwen Huaji!

The faces of the people in the stands were drained of color. They desperately wanted to leave the Martial Arts Arena, but none of them dared to move, terrified of being misunderstood by the experts overhead.

If Late-Stage Xuanwu Realm powerhouses started fighting, this Martial Arts Arena would instantly become a Chaos Scene!

The crowd in the Martial Arts Arena wore varied expressions; some worried for Shen Lang, while others worried for themselves.

Six Xuanwu Realm powerhouses stood in Yuwen Huaji’s way, and a great battle seemed ready to erupt at any moment.

Meanwhile, Shen Lang had already used the opportunity to flee toward South City.

"Hmph!"

Suddenly, Yuwen Huaji’s expression darkened, and he let out a cold snort.

However, he seemed unwilling to truly engage in a battle with the three of them.

The instant he snorted, Yuwen Huaji’s body flickered. He created three blurry afterimages that shot past them from the left, right, and above!

The six Xuanwu Realm powerhouses were stunned for a split second. By then, Yuwen Huaji had vanished, speeding off in the direction of Shen Lang’s escape!

The three from the Imperial Dragon Sect looked at each other, gave a dry cough, and descended to deal with the aftermath.

The three from Evil Wind Valley, their faces dark with frustration, gave chase.

But their speed was several tiers slower than Yuwen Huaji’s...

At that very moment, in the quiet Shen Family estate, Chu Qingcheng and Shen Jianfeng stood beside Ling Chen, looking up at the sky.

A brilliant firework had just exploded, forming three large words in the night sky: "Evil Wind Valley"!

Ling Chen’s face paled. "It’s begun. What was meant to come has finally arrived... Iron Guard, hear my order! Protect the Shen Family! No one else is to leave this place by so much as a single step!"

After saying this, Ling Chen shot into the sky and vanished into the night.

The people of the Shen Family were all worried, unable to sit or stand still.

Shen Jianfeng looked up at the Evil Wind Valley signal over the City Lord’s Mansion, raised a wine jar to his lips, and took a long drink before speaking in a low voice. "Our generation stirs the winds and clouds of the world, but once you step into this life, the years fly by. Grand ambitions are discussed with a laugh, but nothing beats a lifetime of being drunk... As long as that guy’s around, things are never peaceful. I wonder how it will end this time. But that kid is so strong now, and he has a Flying Spiritual Artifact, so he should be fine, right? Sigh, he’s just so infuriatingly enviable... Fine! Since my parents couldn’t bring me glory, then all I can do is bring glory to my children. I won’t waste my time with pointless jealousy over Shen Lang. That’s pathetic. Not what a man does!"

Shen Jianfeng sighed again. "But it’s so frustrating. I was planning on participating in the tournament; it was a chance to get into the Imperial Dragon Sect. I can’t believe he just ruined such a great opportunity... Speaking of which, don’t you want to go out and take a look?"

Chu Qingcheng was staring into the distance, his brow furrowed in thought.

After a long moment, he pulled his gaze back, turned his head, and asked in confusion, "Um... were you just talking to me?"

"What! Chu Qingcheng, you...!" Shen Jianfeng was practically fuming with rage.

Chu Qingcheng let out a soft sigh. "Xiaolang is in trouble. Big trouble. He might not be able to handle it this time. Heh, it’s lonely at the top..."

"Huh? He’s in big trouble? How big? What should we do? Should we go take a look together?" Shen Jianfeng asked, startled and hesitant.

Chu Qingcheng nodded. "Alright!"

Shen Jianfeng was overjoyed. But just as he was about to speak again, a pair of white, luminous wings sprouted from Chu Qingcheng’s back. With a WHOOSH, he shot into the high heavens, vanishing in the blink of an eye.

"..." Shen Jianfeng stared at the silent night sky, speechless for a long time. Finally, he spat out a few words from between his teeth: "You son of a bitch!"

Xue Dangdang was the first to rush out of the room. Her expression was grave as she stared in the direction Chu Qingcheng had vanished. "Did Brother Chu just say Brother Lang is in trouble?"

Before Shen Jianfeng could speak, Shui Qingwu, who followed close behind, said with a deep frown, "With his level of cultivation, it’s nearly impossible for anyone besides a Xuanwu Realm powerhouse to pose a threat to him. What I’m most worried about is Yuwen Huaji. His cultivation is immense—he’s already reached the Peak of the Xuanwu Realm. I’m afraid not even Hall Master Ling Chen from Evil Wind Valley could stop him. Right now, there’s no one in Celestial Phoenix City who can stand in his way!"

Xue Dangdang paced back and forth anxiously. The bells on her person jingled and jangled incessantly, a clear sign of the extreme turmoil in her heart.

Seeing her expression, Shui Qingwu said nervously, "The dangers we can foresee... he must have known about them from the start. He’s surely planned an escape route, so there’s no use in us panicking now. Dingdang, you can’t act recklessly. Shen Lang told you to protect the Shen Family, likely because he was worried that Yuwen Huaji would target the family if he couldn’t find him. If you leave and Yuwen Huaji really comes here, the consequences will be unthinkable!"

"Yuwen Huaji!" Xue Dangdang practically spat the name through clenched teeth.

A moment later, Xue Dangdang suddenly strode to the center of the courtyard.

She swiped the fingers of her right hand over the Bell on her left wrist and produced a blood-red Jade Pendant.

"What is that?" Shui Qingwu asked, slightly startled.

"This Jade Pendant is infused with a drop of Brother Lang’s blood. I secretly collected it once when he was injured."

Xue Dangdang’s expression was solemn. Clutching the Jade Pendant in her left hand, her right hand began to form a series of complex Seal Techniques. One after another, streams of Spirit Light poured into the pendant.

"The heavens are endless. The earth is boundless. The Dao lies within... Heaven and Earth!"

Xue Dangdang’s movements grew faster and faster. Forming a sword with her fingers, she swiped them fiercely across the Jade Pendant.

"WHOOM!"

With a soft hum, a massive screen of light materialized in the center of the courtyard!

On the screen, a bare-chested Shen Lang hovered in the air, wielding the Celestial Water Blade. A pair of pitch-black wings on his back billowed with dark energy.

A hundred-odd meters away, a lavishly dressed Yuwen Huaji watched him with a sinister gaze. "A mere firefly daring to shine before the moon. Ignorant whelp, you’re courting death! Go on, run. Why have you stopped running?"

Xue Dangdang’s face turned deathly pale. "How can this be...?"

Before Shui Qingwu could say a word, luminous wings flared from Xue Dangdang’s back, and with a powerful flap, she shot into the sky.

"Yuwen Huaji, if you dare to harm a single hair on my Brother Lang, I will grind your bones to dust and subject you to Soul Extraction and Refining!"

Xue Dangdang’s piercing shriek echoed across the skies of Celestial Phoenix City, causing everyone in the city to look up.

Greatly alarmed, Shui Qingwu didn’t wait for the rest of the Shen Family to emerge. Spirit Light flared from her right hand as she waved it, shattering the screen of light.

’If Uncle Tian and Auntie Die saw that, it would terrify them... But what do I do? What can I do!’ Shui Qingwu’s mind was in turmoil, and she felt an uncontrollable tremor run through her body.

’Yuwen Huaji has already cornered him, and he doesn’t have a single expert by his side... How did this happen?’

’No, what good would an expert be anyway? Right now, there is no one in Celestial Phoenix City who can stop Yuwen Huaji!’

Shui Qingwu suddenly spun around and called out to a dark corner of the courtyard, "Sister Phantom, I’m begging you, please help Shen Lang! You’re the only one who can stop Yuwen Huaji!"

A bewitching woman, seeming to melt out of the darkness, emerged from the shadows. It was Phantom, who had been secretly protecting Shui Qingwu all this time.

Phantom hesitated for a moment before saying, "Miss, it isn’t my place to say too much, but things are not as dire as you imagine... Celestial Phoenix City is teeming with powerhouses. If I am not mistaken, there are at least four incredibly powerful Divine Thoughts locked onto Shen Lang. He... should be alright."

"Teeming with powerhouses? What makes you say that? Shen Lang has been intercepted by Yuwen Huaji! He’s in mortal danger!" Shui Qingwu said, her voice strained.

Suddenly, as if struck by a thought, Shui Qingwu asked in horror, "These powerhouses you mentioned, Sister Phantom... just how strong are they?"

Phantom looked slightly awkward. "I don’t know either. I only noticed you were concerned about Shen Lang, so I kept a closer eye on him and happened to sense these powerful Divine Thoughts... As for how strong they are, I truly don’t know. But I have a faint feeling that if those experts wanted to kill me, a single thought is all it would take. I’d be turned to ash, with absolutely no chance of escape."

"What!" Shui Qingwu exclaimed in shock.

Phantom was a powerhouse at the Peak of the Xuanwu Realm’s Seventh Heaven. To be able to kill her with a single thought... just how powerful would someone have to be?

’How could such powerful experts possibly be in Celestial Phoenix City?’

Just then, a crowd of people poured into the Shen Family courtyard, among them Shen Lang’s parents, Shen Haotian and Luo Dieqi.

Shui Qingwu took a deep breath, forced a radiant smile, and walked over to Shen Haotian and his wife.

Her elegant and flawless smile immediately captivated everyone in the courtyard. Many of the younger Shen Family disciples stared, utterly stunned, feeling as if their breath had been stolen away.

"Uncle Tian, Dingdang went to find Xiaolang," Shui Qingwu said with a smile as she supported Shen Haotian. "He’s fine. Let’s go inside and wait for them to return."

A flicker of worry crossed Shen Haotian’s eyes, but he quickly covered it with a booming laugh. "Good, good. I know Lang’Er is fine. Everyone, let’s head back inside."

...

Shen Lang was, indeed, fine.

But only for the moment.

He hadn’t gotten far from Shuangta Temple, but Yuwen Huaji’s speed was simply too great. Within a matter of breaths, he had caught up and blocked his path.

"You old bastard, you really are shameless. None of your disciples were a match for me, and I even seriously wounded the Netherworld Wolf King. Yet you have the gall to step in personally in front of all those people? Fuck, even if you do manage to kill me, what’s there to brag about? Is this really something to be so smug about?"

"This isn’t the first time you’ve tried to kill me, is it? And yet here I am, still standing."

As Shen Lang spoke, his body gave a slight shudder, and fine, densely packed black scales began to emerge all over his bare torso.