263: Chapter 263 Strength!

"Trying to leave?" Pei Qingyun's eyes burned like torches, a cold sensation washing over his heart.

The next moment, he took a step toward Laughing Arhat. His entire body moved like an agile ape, weaving through the forest with a speed only slightly slower than when Poison Three used the Blood Demon Secret Technique.

Although he was quite far from Laughing Arhat, the distance between them was closing.

Meanwhile, at the other two battlefields, Wang Hengshan and Liu Three-Blade were confronting Poison Three and Yan Qingying, respectively.

Wang Hengshan and Poison Three were another matter; the two had already fought once before, so they were quite familiar with each other's methods.

This made their battle look more like a tug-of-war.

However, Poison Three had activated the Blood Demon Secret Technique, so the Qi and blood within him were not at their Peak, and he was quietly falling into a disadvantage.

Wang Hengshan might be able to defeat Poison Three, but killing him would be very difficult.

In comparison, the battle between Liu Three-Blade and Yan Qingying was particularly intense.

As fellow Top Grandmasters, the reason Liu Three-Blade earned the title of Mad Blade Grandmaster was precisely due to the lethality contained within his blade technique.

This was something even Yan Qingying, also a Top Grandmaster, dared not meet head-on.

Besides that, their objectives also differed.

It was true that Yan Qingying had taken Laughing Arhat's Blood-Vein Fruit, but that was not enough to make her risk her life.

She only needed to keep Liu Three-Blade occupied.

Precisely because of this difference in objectives, to onlookers, Liu Three-Blade's attacks appeared more ferocious, and Yan Qingying seemed to be suppressed.

But Liu Three-Blade was very clear that he hadn't caused any substantial damage.

On the contrary, under his continuous offensive, his own consumption of Qi and blood was greater.

If things continued in this manner, he would be slowly worn down to death.

This made him extremely anxious.

The reason he was so anxious was that he wanted to injure Yan Qingying.

As long as Yan Qingying was injured, she likely wouldn't fight him to the death.

After all, between different Evil Path Sects, it was nothing more than some entanglement of benefits; it definitely wouldn't lead to the other party risking their life for it.

Yan Qingying was never his target. Once Yan Qingying was injured and retreated, he could free up his hands to support Pei Qingyun.

"The movement technique Realm of this Lady of Mingluo is definitely not low. With my current strength, the chance of successfully taking her down by force is less than twenty percent. If I continue to intensify my offensive, over time, I will instead fall into a disadvantage. Once I fall into a disadvantage, the entire situation will spiral into an irredeemable state."

"It seems this plan has completely failed. I hope Pei Qingyun and Wang Hengshan don't run into any problems." Thinking of this, Liu Three-Blade slowed down his offensive rhythm.

As the target of Liu Three-Blade's attack, Yan Qingying noticed this change immediately, and her mood quietly eased slightly.

Don't be fooled by her appearance of having energy to spare; if she were actually struck by a blade, it would be no joke.

It was just a Blood-Vein Grass; it wasn't worth her getting injured over.

As for killing Liu Three-Blade, that was never within the scope of her considerations.

If they were to fight with real fire, that would be an accident.

"Commander Liu, give it up. Today's endeavor is destined to be in vain. With me here, you cannot kill him. If you really want to kill Laughing Arhat, then wait for the next opportunity." As the offensive rhythm slowed, Yan Qingying finally had the chance to speak.

Once these words were spoken, Liu Three-Blade immediately understood what Yan Qingying meant.

Yan Qingying's words were meant to remind him that she and Laughing Arhat did not have a long-term cooperative relationship, and the Evil Suppression Bureau had no need to target her.

Just as he and Pei Qingyun had an employment relationship, the relationship between Yan Qingying and Laughing Arhat perhaps only amounted to this one opportunity for cooperation; the transaction between the two was not even as strong as an employment relationship.

"How can I trust you?" Liu Three-Blade looked at Yan Qingying, though deep down, he was already about eighty percent convinced.

Although the Mingluo Cult was also one of the Evil Path Sects, there were differences between Evil Path Sects. The Mingluo Cult did not need to refine people into blood pills, but rather Cultivated using extremely Yin Qi.

However, absorbing extremely Yin Qi was dangerous; if one suffered Qi Deviation, it was very easy for a Martial Artist to be transformed into a demon or a Yin corpse.

This was also one of the reasons the Mingluo Cult was called an Evil Path Sect.

Furthermore, the Mingluo Cult was far from Great Jing, and its Disciples rarely appeared within the territory of Great Jing. There wasn't much conflict of interest between the two, so as far as Great Jing was concerned, the Mingluo Cult could not be considered a mortal enemy.

Therefore, Yan Qingying had no need to deceive him.

Although missing this opportunity was unfortunate, at least it wasn't the worst possible outcome. Since things had come to this, he could only accept it.

Seeing that Liu Three-Blade had the intention to retreat, Yan Qingying understood that everything was settled. She spoke indifferently, "I, the Lady of Mingluo, disdain lying. If Commander Liu does not believe me, then let us continue to fight."

Liu Three-Blade did not press the issue further. "Fine, remember what you said."

As his voice fell, Liu Three-Blade maintained a relatively safe distance from Yan Qingying before looking toward the other two battlefields.

But when he looked toward the location where Pei Qingyun and Laughing Arhat had been fighting, there was no sign of anyone, let alone the sounds of battle.

"Where are they? Could it be that they went elsewhere to fight, or did some accident occur?" Liu Three-Blade's eyelids twitched wildly, and a bad feeling vaguely emerged in his heart.

He quickly scanned his surroundings, only then noticing a familiar figure several hundred zhang away. This Grandmaster Qingyun was...

In an instant, an abrupt thought appeared in his mind, causing his brain to go blank. But it only lasted for a moment before his face, originally full of gravity, turned completely into an expression of shock.

He was pursuing... He knew very well what a pursuit meant.

This could absolutely not be a lure tactic by Laughing Arhat. One had to know that if Laughing Arhat were luring the enemy, it would be equivalent to abandoning the other two. Because, Pei Qingyun could completely abandon the pursuit and instead turn back to support him and Wang Hengshan.

Therefore, there was only one possibility: Laughing Arhat had fled.

As fellow Top Grandmasters, although he had never fought Laughing Arhat, he also knew clearly that Laughing Arhat could absolutely not be a paper tiger.

That Pei Qingyun could pursue him from so far away meant that the battle between the two had ended in an extremely short amount of time. This...

Liu Three-Blade withdrew his gaze and looked again at the location where the two had originally fought. Several large trees had collapsed, vaguely revealing a scorched black color; the scene was a mess. But relying on his vision as a Grandmaster, he could still capture the bloodstains the size of spots on the ground and tree trunks.

The ferocity of the battle was evident. In other words, one of the two had been injured in this extremely short amount of time. And as Pei Qingyun was the pursuer, the result was self-evident.

When he first met Pei Qingyun, he had felt a sense of crisis coming from his instincts. And precisely because of this, he acknowledged Pei Qingyun's strength. Only a Martial Artist who was also a Top Grandmaster could make him feel a sense of crisis.

It was just that he never expected that the strength Pei Qingyun displayed was far stronger than he had imagined. This conclusion caused his heart to beat violently and uncontrollably.

His plan had not failed. Since the plan had not failed, he could not let Yan Qingying leave. If Yan Qingying were to leave and run to support Laughing Arhat, wouldn't that leave Pei Qingyun facing enemies from both front and back? Although this possibility was less than one in ten thousand, he, Liu Three-Blade, would absolutely not allow it.

Withdrawing his thoughts, Liu Three-Blade looked at Yan Qingying again, his gaze changing instantly.

Although the subtle change on Liu Three-Blade's face had only spanned a few breaths of time, how could it escape Yan Qingying's eyes?

Yan Qingying questioned, "Commander Liu, are you trying to go back on your word?"

"We can stop fighting, but you cannot leave yet." Liu Three-Blade looked at Yan Qingying, his expression incomparably calm, revealing a faint sense of composure. The tables had turned; he had changed from the one breaking the situation to the one guarding it.

Yan Qingying's gaze was cold, and her voice carried a trace of threat. "Are you trying to stop me?"

There was not a shred of fear on Liu Three-Blade's face, and his voice remained as calm as a lake of stagnant water. "This is my condition. When the time is right, I will let you leave."

Yan Qingying stared fixedly at Liu Three-Blade's eyes and did not speak. Only after a full few breaths did she withdraw her gaze and look around at the changes in the surroundings. At this moment, she was startled to discover that there were two fewer people on the scene.

But when she looked further into the distance, Pei Qingyun's figure had long since disappeared. This caused a bad premonition to vaguely rise in her heart. This abrupt change in Liu Three-Blade must have been because he saw something.

While staying alert for a sneak attack from Liu Three-Blade, she kept searching for answers with her gaze. Liu Three-Blade did not stop Yan Qingying's movements. As long as he dragged it out for a while longer, everything would be settled. By then, even if Yan Qingying really wanted to rescue Laughing Arhat, it would be of no avail.

Time waits for no one. Soon, Yan Qingying also noticed the place where Pei Qingyun and Laughing Arhat had fought. Combining this with Liu Three-Blade's change, she already had the answer in her heart.

Laughing Arhat had lost! Lost to the Pei Qingyun she had never paid attention to. A Grandmaster who looked like he was about to enter the grave had, in an extremely short amount of time, defeated Laughing Arhat, who was also a Top Grandmaster.

Once this conclusion came out, even she found it somewhat hard to believe. It wasn't that she hadn't seen elderly Grandmasters before.

It was true that Grandmasters could lock their Qi and blood, but to say they could always maintain Peak combat strength was a bit of an exaggeration. In fact, elderly Grandmasters could generally maintain ninety percent of their Peak combat strength, but in terms of explosive power and endurance, they were definitely not as good as young Grandmasters. As fellow Top Grandmasters, elderly Grandmasters were often at a disadvantage.

But the result was exactly the opposite. This made Yan Qingying involuntarily recall some rumors. There were some elderly Grandmasters whose talent in their youth was extremely astonishing. Later, for certain reasons, their Foundation was injured, causing them to be unable to Breakthrough to the Meridian Opening Realm.

This forced these types of Grandmasters to spend their time delving deeply into Cultivation Techniques. While others Cultivated one or two, they Cultivated three or four, even using this to step into the Realm of an invincible Grandmaster. These types of elderly Grandmasters were generally called Old Monsters, and they would not enter the Grandmaster Rankings.

In her view, Pei Qingyun was highly likely to be such an Old Monster. At this moment, her gaze toward Liu Three-Blade also changed.

Since Laughing Arhat had lost, there was no need for her to stay here; she had already obtained the Blood-Vein Grass anyway. If Pei Qingyun were to return, where would she have the authority to act independently? As for rescuing Laughing Arhat! What a joke, she certainly didn't want to fight such an Old Monster.

Yan Qingying took a deep breath, her eyes no longer showing any ripples. "I can refrain from interfering in Laughing Arhat's affairs, but I want to leave now."

Liu Three-Blade did not refuse. "Fine, but I must follow you for a distance first. Only after confirming it is safe will I leave."

Although Yan Qingying had looked cold before, her actual danger coefficient was not high. But now, beneath that calm face lay a surging storm. To put it bluntly, if he said a single word of refusal, what would greet him would definitely be a thunderous strike.

Yan Qingying did not answer but instead sprinted off in one direction. This direction was exactly opposite to the direction Pei Qingyun had pursued. Seeing this, Liu Three-Blade did not stop her; he only followed behind, maintaining a relative distance. This distance would neither make Yan Qingying feel threatened nor cause him to lose her. After traveling for several miles like this, Liu Three-Blade finally departed.

The original six-person battlefield had now become a two-person battlefield. Both Wang Hengshan and Poison Three were covered in wounds. Although it had not yet reached the point of serious injury, both had sustained minor injuries, and the Qi and blood of both were less than half of their Peak. It could be said that if one really had to select two model workers from these three battles, it would be the two of them.

Wang Hengshan and Poison Three panted heavily, looking at each other. The sounds around them quieted down because of their movements. At this moment, the two were shocked to realize the changes in the surroundings. The sounds of fighting from the others had all disappeared.

But if it was over, either the outcome had been decided, or both sides had compromised. If it was the former, their own situation would be out of their control. But if it was the latter, they should have each received notice. However, the result was precisely neither of these two possibilities.

Just in this eerie silence, an abrupt sound reached the ears of both. It was the sound of branches and leaves swaying. Following the direction of the sound, both saw a figure walking over. The expressions of the two were different: Wang Hengshan's face revealed a look of surprise and joy, while Poison Three's face turned deathly pale.

"Run!" Poison Three made perhaps the fastest reaction of his life. The very instant he saw this figure, he immediately activated the Blood Demon Secret Technique, attempting to sprint in the other direction.

"Don't let him..." Before Liu Three-Blade could finish his sentence, Wang Hengshan also reacted and quickly slashed at Poison Three's back. With this strike, he used almost all his strength, taking no defensive measures whatsoever. It was precisely for this reason that the speed he erupted with reached the limit of his Realm.

"Rip!" Before the effects of Poison Three's Blood Demon Secret Technique could be fully unleashed, the long blade slashed down. Feeling the life-and-death crisis coming from his back, Poison Three could only turn his spear and turn around to meet the attack.

"Bang!" The instant the blade and spear collided, a trembling force traveled along the spear tip to Poison Three's right palm; that needle-like stinging pain numbed his right arm. Wang Hengshan, as the attacker, was much better off. Compared to Poison Three's hasty counter-attack, his strike was powerful and heavy; he had perfectly unleashed his own strength, and the power of the aftershock he received was not great.

However, this was not the most important thing. The most important thing was that he had played his role and prevented Poison Three from escaping. As long as Liu Three-Blade arrived, everything would be over.

Poison Three obviously realized this point too; he had completely lost his Battle Intent and was trying his best to shake off Wang Hengshan. But the more he did so, the weaker the strength he could unleash became. Within a few moves, he was instead injured by Wang Hengshan again. As one fell and the other rose, Wang Hengshan's offensive became increasingly fierce. In fact, even if he had performed perfectly, there would have been no hope of escape.