275: Chapter 274 Teleportation

In that instant, countless thoughts flashed through his mind. Wei Wuya was Dragon Slaying True Person's core hidden pawn; he knew all the secrets within the Dragon Abyss Palace, he knew the identities of all the dao seeds, and he knew the hiding place of Dragon Slaying True Person's remnant soul. If Wei Wuya escaped, Dragon Slaying True Person's schemes would not be completely dismantled, those dao seeds would still be harvested, and those innocent Cultivators would still have their Divine Souls drained dry.

More importantly, Wei Wuya knew that the Thousand Tribulations Nirvana Gu Mother was inside his body. If Wei Wuya escaped and told this news to Dragon Slaying True Person's remnant soul, Dragon Slaying True Person would definitely do whatever it took to seize the Gu Mother. At that time, he, Jiang Hanzhou, would become the prey of the entire East Sea cultivation world, never knowing a day of peace.

He could not let him escape.

Jiang Hanzhou clenched his teeth and pulled the tiger soul saber from the ground. His left leg had been injured during the fall, and every step sent a heart-piercing pain through him. His left shoulder had been pierced by Wei Wuya's sword, and blood was still seeping out. Within his Sea of Consciousness, the area of the lake of divine soul had shrunk by two-thirds, and the dark-gold halo on the Heart Blade was so dim it was almost invisible.

But he did not retreat.

He simply gripped the tiger soul saber tightly, performed his footwork, and chased after Wei Wuya.

Wei Wuya's speed was very fast; even if his cultivation had dropped, he was still a Peak Dragon Fetus Realm powerhouse. His figure climbed rapidly up the rock wall, each step spanning several zhang.

Jiang Hanzhou's speed was even faster.

He poured all the remaining power in his body into the Wave-Treading Step, his figure darting rapidly between the rock walls. His speed reached the extreme, leaving behind a series of afterimages in the air.

Ten zhang, five zhang, three zhang.

He caught up.

He swung his saber, not at Wei Wuya's Physical Body, nor at his Divine Soul, but at the rock wall beneath his feet.

The saber light struck the rock wall, sending stone fragments flying. Those fragments shot toward Wei Wuya like hidden weapons.

Wei Wuya's expression changed drastically, and he was forced to stop and use palm wind to blast the fragments away.

In that instant of hesitation, Jiang Hanzhou had already rushed in front of him.

The tiger soul saber was held horizontally before him, the four-colored radiance on the blade flickering uncertainly, but the layer of dark-gold halo at the edge of the blade was still slowly flowing. That was the power of the Dao-Slaying Blade Intent, Jiang Hanzhou's final trump card.

"Attendant Wei," Jiang Hanzhou's voice was raspy, yet it contained an indescribable resolve, "you cannot leave."

Wei Wuya looked at him, a cold light flashing in his eyes: "Nephew-Disciple Jiang, do you think that in your current state, you can stop me?"

Jiang Hanzhou did not answer, only tightening his grip on the tiger soul saber.

Wei Wuya let out a cold laugh and raised his right hand. In the center of his palm, a dim five-colored light slowly emerged. That was the remnant Dragon-Slaying True Intent within his body; although it was far from as powerful as before, it was still enough to kill a heavily injured, dying Early Stage Dragon Fetus Realm Cultivator.

"Since you want to die, then I shall fulfill your wish."

He raised his hand and pressed it toward Jiang Hanzhou from a distance.

A five-colored sword light shot out from his palm at extreme speed, piercing straight toward Jiang Hanzhou's heart.

Jiang Hanzhou did not retreat.

He simply closed his eyes. Deep within his Sea of Consciousness, the Heart Blade suddenly vibrated. The dark-gold dragon patterns on the blade erupted with a final glimmer of golden light, which pierced through the Sea of Consciousness, surged along his Meridians into the tiger soul saber, and perfectly fused with the Dao-Slaying Blade Intent.

He swung his saber.

The saber light and sword light collided, erupting in a blinding radiance.

Jiang Hanzhou's body was sent flying back, crashing heavily against the rock wall. A mouthful of blood sprayed from his mouth, staining the front of his robes red. The four-colored radiance on the tiger soul saber completely dissipated, and the intelligence within the saber sent a weak message, as if saying, "Master, I can't hold on anymore."

Wei Wuya also retreated three steps, his face turning even paler. His right hand was trembling slightly, and there was a fine saber mark on his palm—a wound left by the Dao-Slaying Blade Intent. Within the wound, dark-gold light flowed slowly, devouring the remnant True Intent in his body.

"You..." his voice was raspy, "you're crazy. You're looking for death."

Jiang Hanzhou struggled to stand up and wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth. His vision had begun to blur, and his consciousness was starting to scatter, but he still did not retreat.

He just looked at Wei Wuya, a faint smile tugging at the corner of his mouth.

"Attendant Wei, you're right. I am crazy."

He raised his left hand. In his palm, a ball of dim red-gold light slowly emerged. That was the only dragon essence power left in his body, the power he had obtained after refining the dragon essence pearl fragments in the ancient flood dragon remains. This power had been slumbering deep within his Dantian; he had originally intended to save it for when he broke through to the Middle Stage Dragon Fetus Realm.

But now, it was no longer needed.

He gripped the dragon essence power in his palm and then slammed it hard against the Formation Plate fragments behind him.

Although the Formation Plate had exploded, the Origin power of the teleportation array still remained within those fragments. Although those ancient runes had shattered, the spatial power within them was still slowly flowing. The moment the dragon essence power made contact with the spatial power, the entire Dragon-Locking Abyss trembled.

Those dark-gold fragments suddenly exploded, turning into countless fine spatial rifts. From within the rifts, blinding white light gushed out, illuminating the entire Dragon-Locking Abyss as if it were broad daylight.

The spatial turbulence was completely triggered.

Wei Wuya's pupils suddenly constricted: "You're crazy! You'll be torn to shreds by the spatial turbulence!"

Jiang Hanzhou did not answer; he simply gripped the tiger soul saber and rushed toward Wei Wuya.

He wanted to entangle Wei Wuya, to make it impossible for him to escape, to make him be swallowed by the spatial turbulence along with himself.

Wei Wuya's expression changed completely. He wanted to retreat, but he couldn't. Jiang Hanzhou's saber was already slashing down, the final trace of Dao-Slaying Blade Intent flowing on the edge, forcing him to meet the move.

He gritted his teeth and raised his right hand, using his palm as a sword to collide head-on with Jiang Hanzhou's saber.

As saber and sword met, a shocking wave of energy erupted.

The two figures clashed and collided within the spatial rifts. With every collision, a new spatial rift was triggered, and with every collision, a burst of blinding white light gushed out.

Wei Wuya wanted to break free, but Jiang Hanzhou's saber clung to him like a chain, giving him no chance to escape.

"Let go!" Wei Wuya roared, "You'll die!"

Jiang Hanzhou did not speak, only gripping the tiger soul saber even tighter.

His body had already been torn by several wounds from the spatial rifts, and blood gushed from the wounds, staining his black wetsuit red. His left arm had been sliced to the bone by a spatial fragment in the turbulence. His right leg was hit by another fragment, nearly being severed.

But he did not let go.

He just stared fixedly at Wei Wuya, a flash of madness in his eyes.

"Even if I die, I won't let you escape."

The moment those words fell, all the spatial power accumulated in the Formation Plate fragments erupted simultaneously.

Blinding white light swallowed the entire Dragon-Locking Abyss.

Wei Wuya's body suffered a backlash from the array's Origin power, and an irresistible force surged from the Formation Plate fragments, sending him flying violently. His body tumbled through the air and crashed heavily against the rock wall, a mouthful of black blood spraying from his mouth.

He struggled to raise his head and look toward Jiang Hanzhou.

That youth stood in the center of the spatial turbulence, the tiger soul saber held before him, his body surrounded by countless spatial rifts. Within those rifts, blinding white light surged frantically, swallowing his figure bit by bit.

Jiang Hanzhou looked at him, a faint smile tugging at the corner of his mouth.

Then, his figure completely disappeared into the white light.

The spatial rifts slowly closed, the white light gradually dissipated, and the bottom of the Dragon-Locking Abyss returned to a deathly silence.

All that remained were the shattered Formation Plate fragments, the dissipating spatial fluctuations, and Wei Wuya's wretched figure slumped beneath the rock wall.

Wei Wuya looked at the spot where Jiang Hanzhou had disappeared and remained silent for a long time.

Then, he laughed. That smile was hideous, like a curse coming from the depths of Hell.

"Jiang Hanzhou, you're dead. You're finally dead."

He struggled to stand up and wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth. His cultivation had dropped to the Early Stage Dragon Fetus Realm, his dao foundation was mostly shattered, and his body was on the verge of collapse. But he was still alive.

As long as he was alive, there was a chance.

He turned and began to walk toward the upper part of the Dragon-Locking Abyss.

But before he had walked three steps, a red-gold figure dropped rapidly from above, blocking his path.

Master Xue Mu.

His face was ashen, and those deep eyes contained an indescribable killing intent. His right hand gripped that crimson longsword, and blazing red-gold flames flowed along the blade.

"Wei Wuya," his voice was calm, yet it contained an indescribable chill, "where is Han Zhou?"

Wei Wuya looked at him, a mocking smile tugging at his lips: "Elder Xue, your precious Disciple is dead. He was torn to shreds by the spatial turbulence; not even a scrap remains."

Master Xue Mu's pupils suddenly constricted.

He looked at the shattered Formation Plate fragments at the bottom of the Dragon-Locking Abyss, at the dissipating spatial fluctuations, and at the lingering aura of the tiger soul saber in the air.

His face grew paler and paler, and his hand gripping the sword hilt trembled slightly.

"Impossible."

His voice was raspy, as if he were convincing himself as much as Wei Wuya: "Han Zhou wouldn't die. He wouldn't."

Wei Wuya laughed: "Elder Xue, accept reality. Your Disciple, that Fisherman who came out of Canglang Water Dock, is dead. He died at the bottom of the Dragon-Locking Abyss, died in the spatial turbulence. Not even a corpse was left behind."

Master Xue Mu did not speak.

He simply raised his right hand and slashed at Wei Wuya with his sword.

The red-gold sword light severed Wei Wuya's right arm at the shoulder, and blood gushed out.

Wei Wuya let out a shrill scream, his body slamming heavily onto the ground.

"This strike," Master Xue Mu's voice was calm, yet it contained an indescribable killing intent, "is for Han Zhou."

He raised his sword, preparing to deliver a second strike.

Just then, a water-blue light fell from above, blocking Master Xue Mu's path.

Master Qingxuan.

He was dressed in a cyan-green daoist robe, his hair was white, and his face was lean and refined. His entire body was surrounded by a faint water-blue light, which contained an indescribable lingering and flexible quality.

"Elder Xue," his voice was calm, "spare his life. He is still useful."

Master Xue Mu looked at Master Qingxuan and remained silent for three breaths.

Then, he sheathed his sword, turned around, and stopped looking at Wei Wuya.

Master Qingxuan walked up to Wei Wuya and looked down at him.

"Wei Wuya," his voice was calm, "you are Dragon Slaying True Person's hidden pawn, the head of the nine great Innate Dao Bodies. You lurked in the Dragon Abyss Palace for twenty years, secretly harvesting dao seeds, secretly laying out schemes, and secretly waiting for Dragon Slaying True Person to be reborn. Now, your master has abandoned you, your dao seed has shattered, and your cultivation has dropped. What else do you have to say?"

Wei Wuya raised his head and looked at Master Qingxuan, a bizarre smile tugging at his lips.

"Master Qingxuan, do you think that by capturing me, you can stop Dragon Slaying True Person's Rebirth?" his voice was raspy. "It's too late. Master's remnant soul has already returned to the Dragon Slaying Cave Mansion, the Seven Star Dragon-Locking Array is still there, and those dao seeds are still there. As long as Master wishes, he can trigger the final ritual at any time, draining the Divine Souls, Dao Principles, and lifelong cultivations of all the dao seeds to reshape his dao foundation and achieve Nirvana Rebirth."

He paused and said word by word: "You cannot stop it."

Master Qingxuan did not speak, simply raising his right hand as a water-blue light surged from his palm, wrapping and sealing Wei Wuya layer by layer.

Wei Wuya's body slowly shrank within the light, eventually turning into a fist-sized water-blue bead that fell into Master Qingxuan's hand.

He tucked the bead into his sleeve, turned around, and looked at Master Xue Mu.

Master Xue Mu stood at the bottom of the Dragon-Locking Abyss, looking at those shattered Formation Plate fragments, and remained silent for a long time.

Then, he spoke, his voice raspy: "Senior Brother Qingxuan, Han Zhou, he..."

Master Qingxuan walked to his side and patted his shoulder.

"Junior Brother Xue, Nephew-Disciple Jiang's life tablet is still intact."

Master Xue Mu's pupils suddenly constricted: "The life tablet is still intact? You mean, he's not dead?"

Master Qingxuan nodded: "Indeed. I checked at Tianji Peak; Nephew-Disciple Jiang's life tablet is dim, but it hasn't shattered. This means he's still alive, just trapped somewhere. That place is very likely at the other end of the teleportation array."

He paused, his gaze like a torch: "The cross-realm teleportation array connects to the Possession target that Dragon Slaying True Person prepared in advance. That target is not in the East Sea, not in Great Qi, but in a secret Immortal Cave left by Dragon Slaying True Person during his travels a thousand years ago. That Immortal Cave is beyond the East Sea, in the Endless Sea west of the Storm Kingdom."

Master Xue Mu's brow suddenly furrowed: "The Endless Sea? That's the territory of the Storm Kingdom, the sphere of influence of the Silver Wing Family."

"Correct." Master Qingxuan nodded. "So, Junior Brother Xue, you must not be impulsive. Nephew-Disciple Jiang is still alive, but he's trapped in enemy territory. We need time, we need intelligence, and we need a meticulous plan."

Master Xue Mu remained silent for a long time.

Then, he slowly spoke, his voice calm: "Senior Brother Qingxuan, Han Zhou is my Disciple. To stop Dragon Slaying True Person's Rebirth, he did not hesitate to risk his life, detonating the dragon essence power and triggering the teleportation array to entangle Wei Wuya. He did what he had to do. Now, it's my turn to do what I have to do."

He turned and looked toward the upper part of the Dragon-Locking Abyss, in the direction of Red Fire Peak.

"I will find him. No matter where he is, no matter what price must be paid, I will find him."

Master Qingxuan looked at him and remained silent for three breaths.

Then, he nodded: "Good. I will help you."

The two of them, one after the other, soared toward the upper part of the Dragon-Locking Abyss.

The bottom of the Dragon-Locking Abyss returned to a deathly silence.

Only the shattered Formation Plate fragments and the lingering aura of the tiger soul saber in the air bore witness to the life-and-death struggle that had occurred here.