312: seriously injured Mu Chen

Deep within the Black Wind Mountain Range, in a cavern that once belonged to a fierce Fifth-Tier Magical Beast, the Cave Demon Scorpion, a heavy stench of blood and an lingering aura of decay now permeated the air.

The cavern was dark and damp, with only a few rays of light penetrating through cracks in the rocks.

Mu Chen leaned against the cold stone wall, slumped on the ground, his face as pale as paper, his aura extremely weak.

His clothes were tattered, revealing deep, bone-scorching, charred wounds, but the most terrifying was a distinct palm print on his chest, where the surrounding flesh showed a strange, grayish decay, constantly eroding his vitality.

The Cave Demon Scorpion that had occupied this place had long been killed by him in passing, its corpse sprawled to one side, but for Mu Chen at this moment, killing a Fifth-Tier Magical Beast had almost exhausted his last bit of strength.

“Cough, cough…”

He coughed violently, black blood mixed with fragments of internal organs spilling from the corner of his mouth.

Feeling the nearly depleted Dou Qi in his body and his continuously worsening injuries, a hint of bitterness and helplessness flashed in Mu Chen’s eyes.

“This time, it seems it’s truly the end.”

He muttered to himself, his voice extremely hoarse.

Many of his meridians were fractured, and his internal organs had been corroded by the Xuanming Sect’s eerie cold Dou Qi; the severity of his injuries far exceeded imagination.

“If I don’t get effective treatment, I’m afraid I won’t last ten days and will surely die.”

He didn’t have much fear of death; instead, there was a sense of peaceful relief as he looked down at his trembling, blood-stained hands, a complex smile gracing his lips.

“That’s fine. Anyway, if it weren’t for Donghua saving my life, it would have turned into a pile of deadwood sooner or later. Now, it can be considered repaid to him.”

He had impersonated Jiang Donghua, partly to confuse the enemy, and partly hoping that any surviving members of the Hong Family would come looking for him.

However, there was still reluctance and regret in his heart.

“It’s a pity, I only managed to kill two elders of the Xuanming Sect.”

Deep-seated hatred erupted in his eyes.

“That Fifth Elder Black Snake, and that useless bait, it’s far from enough! Far from enough to repay the hundreds of lives of the Hong Family! I didn’t expect the Xuanming Sect to value this fishing operation so much that they sent a Peak Dou Zong old monster, Chen Ming, to personally oversee it!”

Thinking of that brutal ambush, Mu Chen still had lingering fears.

A Three-star Dou Zong against a Six-Star Dou Zong and a Peak Dou Zong—this was simply a suicidal mission.

He was able to successfully kill Black Snake and miraculously escape from Chen Ming’s hands, all thanks to the jade slip Jiang Donghua secretly gave him before he left, which sealed a full-power strike from the Xiao Family’s Peak Dou Zong ancestor!

It was by relying on this trump card, comparable to a Peak Dou Zong’s strike, that he instantly severely injured and killed Black Snake, catching Chen Ming off guard and buying himself a slim chance to use a secret technique to escape.

The cost was immense; he had taken several heavy blows from Chen Ming’s enraged attacks, especially the palm strike to his chest, which almost severed his vitality.

“Cough, cough, Xiao Han, I owe him a huge favor this time!”

Mu Chen gave a bitter smile, then his expression turned grave again.

He forced himself to release a faint Soul Power, sensing the situation outside the cavern.

Although this place was remote, the Xuanming Sect’s search net was continuously tightening.

“Given the Xuanming Sect’s methods and determination, at most three to five more days, this hiding place probably won’t remain secret.”

By then, in his current state, he probably wouldn’t even be able to self-detonate his Dou Qi, and would ultimately become a prisoner of the Xuanming Sect, suffering endless torment.

The cavern fell into a deadly silence, with only Mu Chen’s heavy and labored breathing, and the faint dripping sound of blood on the ground.

On the outskirts of the Black Wind Mountain Range, the atmosphere was grim. The previously desolate mountain forest was now filled with Xuanming Sect personnel.

Open and secret sentries, crisscrossing patrol teams, and powerful Soul Powers swept through every corner of the mountain range like a comb, again and again.

A suffocating tension permeated the air.

The Xuanming Sect had clearly been truly enraged, setting up an inescapable net.

The disciples responsible for the outer perimeter were at least Dou Ling Level, and the squad leaders had even reached the Dou King level.

As for those who truly entered the core area of the mountain range to participate in the search, they were all Dou Emperors or stronger, and one could even vaguely sense several obscure Dou Zong auras fluctuating deep within the mountain range.

Clearly, without the strength of a Dou Zong, one didn’t even qualify to enter the core battlefield.

Jiang Donghua suppressed all his aura, stealthily moving to the edge of the mountain range like a phantom.

He did not force his way in but chose a sentry post guarded by four Dou King disciples.

The four were vigilantly patrolling the surroundings when they suddenly felt a faint energy fluctuation from above.

The four were startled, simultaneously looking up, only to see a cyan figure treading on air, looking down at them expressionlessly.

“Treading on air! A Dou Zong!”

The four’s faces instantly changed dramatically, their hearts filled with horror.

One of them, seemingly the leader, suppressed his fear and forced himself to cup his hands and say,

“May I ask which esteemed senior has arrived? This area has been designated a forbidden zone by my Xuanming Sect, and we are currently pursuing a major criminal. Please, senior, grant us some convenience…”

In front of a Dou Zong, these few Dou Kings didn’t even dare to breathe heavily, only hoping that the other party would show some respect to the Xuanming Sect and leave on their own.

Jiang Donghua slowly descended, standing before them, his gaze coldly sweeping over them.

His eyes were as if looking at dead men.

The few Dou King disciples had just breathed a sigh of relief, thinking this unfamiliar Dou Zong senior was deterred by the Xuanming Sect’s name and was preparing to leave.

However, the next second, a sudden change occurred!

They only felt a blinding blue light flash before their eyes; the light was not hot, but instead carried an extreme, bone-chilling cold!

Immediately after, there was a dizzying sensation, and the surrounding scenery rapidly receded and blurred!

When they regained their senses, they discovered with horror that they had been swept away by an irresistible force, instantly leaving their sentry post and being dragged into a secluded valley nearby!

“Senior! What is the meaning of this?!”

The Dou King leader’s voice trembled; he finally realized that the other party was not here to reason!

Jiang Donghua’s face was expressionless, like ten thousand years of cold ice, his voice devoid of any warmth, as he directly asked,

“Where is the fellow you are pursuing, the one named Jiang Donghua?”

“Sir! This matter is a top secret of my Xuanming Sect! You…?”

The leader still tried to act tough, bringing up the sect’s deterrent.

But before he could finish, a cold light flashed in Jiang Donghua’s eyes, and he flicked his finger.

A wisp of quietblue flame, like a living venomous snake, instantly wrapped around the Dou King leader’s right arm!

“Ah—!”

A piercing scream instantly echoed through the valley!

It was not the pain of being burned, but a more terrifying, extreme cold pain that felt as if even the soul was being frozen and then crushed inch by inch!

The blue flame burned silently, and the Dou King’s right arm visibly turned grayish-white, stiff, and then, like fragile ice crystals, began to crack and peel!

The other three Dou King disciples, seeing this terrifying scene, were scared out of their wits, their pants instantly wet!

“I’ll tell you! I’ll tell you! Senior, spare my life!”

Before Jiang Donghua could ask again, one of them had already collapsed and screamed.

“We don’t know the exact hiding place! But the elders judge that he was hit by Elder Chen Ming’s Xuanming Cold Palm, and he definitely needs a place of extreme yang or rich Wood Attribute energy to suppress his injuries!”

“The Deadwood Forest and the Blazing Flame Valley to the south of the mountain range are the most likely! Now several elders are leading people to search there intensively!”

“Yes! Yes! Also, I heard he might have disguised himself as a medicine gatherer or a mercenary, and he has a strong Wood Attribute aura and a bloody smell on him!”

Another person quickly added, afraid of being too slow and following in the leader’s footsteps.

Jiang Donghua got the information he wanted, his eyes showing no fluctuation.

With a thought, the quietblue flame suddenly surged, instantly engulfing the four terrified Xuanming Sect Disciples.

There was no earth-shattering explosion, only a faint crackling sound as ice crystals shattered.

The next moment, the bodies and souls of the four turned into countless ice crystal dust in the eerie blue flame, dissipating with the wind, leaving no trace.

After finishing the task, Jiang Donghua’s figure once again merged into the shadows, like the most seasoned hunter, stealthily heading towards the south of the mountain range, towards the so-called Deadwood Forest and Blazing Flame Valley.

His Soul Power spread out like mercury, meticulously searching every inch of land, not missing any suspicious energy fluctuations or bloody scent.

He had to find Mu Chen before the Xuanming Sect!