442: The fleeing soul

This completely subversive change left Lin Feng and the other three utterly stunned!

The shock of this moment far exceeded the impact of slaying the Early Stage Spirit Transformation Cultivator just now!

How could this be some mysterious Senior before them?

This was clearly a young Cultivator, peerlessly handsome and possessing an extraordinary aura!

"You… you look so good!" one of them exclaimed in astonishment, already at a loss for words.

Only Han Ruyan, the moment that handsome face was fully revealed, felt her ice-blue pupils suddenly constrict!

Sealed memories were instantly unlocked!

In Canglan City, within the White Cloud Merchant Guild, the figure of that young Cultivator who confidently and calmly produced a purple gold cloud pattern token…

…suddenly overlapped with the face before her!

The information on the Yin Yang Sect Disciple—who had piqued her curiosity, whose investigation she had mobilized the Duke of Korea's estate to conduct, and who had ended with the conclusion of "mediocre talent yet bizarre rise"—

She suddenly lost her voice, blurting out with incredulous certainty:

"Yao Delong! You are Junior Sister Lin Qingxue's Senior Brother, Yao Delong!"

Once these words were spoken, it was like a thunderclap exploding in the ears of Lin Feng and the others!

"Yao… Yao Delong?!"

"The number one Nascent Soul in the Eastern Region, the one who fought a Late Stage Soul Transformation and slew the Blood Net Venerable… that Yao Delong?!"

"It's actually him! Everyone said he was still stuck at Nascent Soul Great Perfection… it's actually true!"

Gaze after gaze, filled with shock and reverence, focused on Yao Delong.

Nascent Soul slaying a Soul Transformation? After that earth-shattering battle against the Blood Net Venerable, this Early Stage Spirit Transformation Devil Head who had died so thoroughly before them?

It seemed… to have become "perfectly reasonable"?

All doubts and incredulity were answered before this name that shook the Eastern Region!

"So it is Senior Brother Yao! Forgive my rudeness!" "Greetings, Senior Brother Yao!"

Lin Feng and the others reacted extremely quickly. After the brief shock, they immediately cupped their hands and bowed again,

their tone filled with heartfelt respect, and also a hint of excitement.

This was the hottest young legend in the Eastern Region today!

Just then, a clear, indifferent System prompt rang out deep within Yao Delong's Sea of Consciousness:

[Ding! Target: Han Ruyan, Favorability +15, Current Favorability: 65 (Trust/Admiration level).]

Yao Delong understood in his heart.

The impact of this rescue, the display of his methods in slaying a powerful enemy, combined with the final revelation of his identity puzzle—

The name that had only existed in intelligence reports had transformed into the imposing figure before her, and this deep-sea black ice began to quietly melt.

He raised his hand slightly to interrupt the excited crowd:

"This place is indeed not suitable for lingering. That Hun Jiu is severely injured; this is the perfect opportunity to pursue. Everyone, quickly return to the Sect to report."

This time, his words were not just a reminder, but more like a trust filled with a sense of responsibility.

The name Yao Delong itself was the heaviest of promises.

Lin Feng immediately understood and nodded vigorously: "Senior Brother Yao, rest assured! We will definitely return to the Sect to report the detailed intelligence immediately! The hidden danger of the Demon Skeleton Mountain Range must be addressed! Junior Sister, let's go!"

He tugged at Han Ruyan, who was still staring at Yao Delong in a daze.

Han Ruyan seemed to wake from a dream, abruptly withdrawing her gaze.

On her snow-like face, a rare, imperceptible flush of embarrassment appeared. She took one last deep look at Yao Delong,

a look that was complex and indescribable, as if she wanted to carve his appearance into her bones and blood.

She knew that after this departure, the mountains would be high and the roads long, a vast expanse of one hundred thousand miles!

But she was inexplicably certain that as long as she lived, she would definitely hear this name stir up new storms again!

Han Ruyan took a deep breath, and finally, all the churning thoughts were suppressed into the depths of her eyes,

leaving only a sharpness like the ice soul sword: "Senior Brother Yao, until we meet again!"

As her voice fell, she no longer lingered. Together with Lin Feng and the others, they turned into several streaks of light,

and shot toward the outskirts of the Demon Skeleton Mountain Range without looking back.

Several hundred miles away, deep within the mist-shrouded deadwood forest.

A temporarily set up Blood Fiend Yin Mist Formation shrouded a small area.

Inside the Formation, Hun Jiu sat cross-legged, black Devilish Qi rolling around his body as he attempted to suppress the terrifying Dao wound caused by Ling Xuzi's self-detonation.

His face was terrifyingly black, and deep wounds where bones could be seen were oozing strands of black blood. Sword Intent clung to his Foundation like bone-eroding gangrene.

Suddenly—

Crack!

A crisp, piercing sound of shattering exploded!

Hun Jiu's eyes snapped open, his bloodshot pupils nearly splitting as he stared fixedly at his waist!

There, he wore a jade green, crow-shaped soul jade—a life tablet that shared a soul with his fellow Cultivator brother!

And at this moment, this life tablet… was cracking inch by inch! Finally, it exploded into a small pile of gray-green powder that slipped through his fingers!

"Duck… Brother Duck?!!" A roar of grief, anger, and despair shook the forest!

A mouthful of foul blood mixed with visceral fragments sprayed out wildly!

He looked at the powder between his fingers, like a Vicious Beast that had its limbs severed, his whole body trembling violently!

He didn't believe it! Hun Ya had the soul devouring banner; it should have been enough to completely finish off those exhausted Nascent Soul ants!

How was it possible? Unless…

A terrifying thought flashed through his mind instantly—besides Han Ruyan and the others, had they encountered someone else?!

To be able to kill Hun Ya, who held the soul devouring banner, in an instant… this person's cultivation must be at least Late Stage Soul Transformation!

Or even… higher! Such an existence was not something his severely injured body could withstand!

Revenge? Venting hatred? All were suppressed by a strong desire to survive!

An unprecedented shadow of death, like the claws of Nine Nether cold ice, gripped his heart tightly!

Escape! Now! Immediately!

A flash of madness appeared in Hun Jiu's eyes. He gripped the bone tablet embedded with a twisted demonic head pattern at his waist and squeezed it hard!

Poof!

A thick, substantial wave of filthy blood mist with intense spatial fluctuations immediately enveloped him!

"Heavenly Demon Phantom Escape!"

Red light flashed suddenly, and in that moment, Hun Jiu and that blood-stained bone tablet seemed to evaporate and dissolve into the shadows!

Only a pungent, burnt sulfur smell remained in place, along with a few mottled spatial pressure marks where black blood drops were still wriggling and burning!

All of his aura, along with the set-up demonic mist Formation, disappeared without a trace the moment this escape technique—which cost him his Origin and caused extreme damage—was activated!

Almost just a few breaths after the spatial fluctuations in the deadwood forest dissipated—

A streak of crimson-gold light, like a golden crow feather arrow tearing through the dim long night, instantly crossed hundreds of miles and descended upon this place!

Yao Delong was surrounded by faint Earth Core Blazing Flame Fire patterns, his gaze scanning this place where Devilish Qi remained like lightning.

Before him was a dilapidated, violently broken fragment of the Blood Fiend Formation,

the remaining spatial cracks were extremely weak, and there were a few drops of black blood containing intense spatial Law fluctuations that were wriggling unwillingly.

He flicked his finger!

Chi!

A wisp of lava-white Earth Core Blazing Flame Fire shot out precisely! It bombarded this small space.

Boom—!

Strands of crimson flames, like pythons from Hell, devoured and destroyed the mist-filled abyss where dead giant trees spread!

The thick black smoke was violently ignited and dispersed, emitting a shrill, screeching sound!

The mist was forcibly evaporated and disintegrated by the blazing fire! The cracked ground and withered leaves turned into powder!

This ten-thousand-year-old withered place was cleansed by this near-immortal, near-demonic method!

Qiong Shuang stood on the giant's shoulder, flapping her wings to blow cold wind across the remains,

her petite, ice-blue vertical pupils filled with disgust and a hint of imperceptible annoyance:

"Hmph! Let him escape! This demonic Cultivator is even slipperier than a loach in a ditch when it comes to running away!"

Yao Delong just stood with his hands behind his back, his gaze piercing through the Void Realm as if looking far away at Han Ruyan and the others who were fleeing the hinterland of the Demon Skeleton Mountain Range.

Hearing Qiong Shuang's annoyed words, he withdrew his raised fingertip.

The wisp of blazing fire aura, capable of instantly killing a Nascent Soul Cultivator, instantly subsided; the previously arrogant blazing fire aura vanished into thin air.

He only said a few words faintly:

"It must be a secret technique of the Heavenly Demon Sect, using forbidden power to escape far away… quite decisive."

The crimson-gold Escape Light lit up, and Yao Delong's figure disappeared from where he stood.