CHAPTER 183: SUDDEN CHANGE

The atmosphere in the air had grown tense and subtle. Master Wu Hu and his companions had originally believed that this miraculous jujube tree was as good as theirs.

But unexpectedly, another group had appeared to challenge them!

Wu Hu, known for his hot temper, had a fierce gleam in his eyes. After taking a deep breath, the joints all over his body suddenly let out a series of sharp cracking sounds.

His entire body seemed to swell in size! This was a sign of someone who had reached the pinnacle of body-hardening training. A thunderous resonance echoed through his flesh and bones.

He took just two steps, yet he covered several zhang in distance. He then arrived right in front of the sinister middle-aged man skilled in Telekinetic Command.

Bang!

He launched a punch with overwhelming force and power.

The sinister middle-aged man quickly retreated while simultaneously controlling the Flying Dagger in his hand, aiming it straight for Wu Hu’s eyes. No matter how strong his body-hardening arts were, there was no way to train his eyes to the same level.

In the blink of an eye, the two had already exchanged over a dozen moves! There were no tricks nor flashy techniques. Every strike aimed to kill.

“Attack! Take down this pack of bastards! We’ll split the jujube tree evenly!” Wu Hu shouted.

Immediately, both sides clashed in full force. In this pocket paradise, the most basic things, like food and water, had become the most hotly contested resources. Even the slightest disturbance could spark life-and-death battles. No one knew where the next heavenly treasure or rare herb would appear, or which force would try to seize it.

That was why both sides were determined to claim this jujube tree, no matter the cost!

This was the strength of sticking together. Lone cultivators, if caught by small groups like these, wouldn’t stand a chance in such a contest.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

The thunderous impacts from the battle echoed through the silent ruins.

Li Yanchu moved like the wind, dodging under the curved saber of a foreign-looking man.

This warrior’s hairstyle and clothing were clearly not from the Central Plains. The curved saber in his hands was massive and long. There was even a blood groove etched along its saber.

When he swung it, it seemed as if a red mist of blood shimmered in its wake.

He was a bit surprised. He hadn’t expected that casually joining a force would lead to such a full-scale group battle on his very first mission.

Li Yanchu didn’t go all out. Instead, he chose to blend in and stay low-key. From the start, he’d already been dissatisfied with how the Gongshu family operated. They blocked the entrance to the Daoist temple hall, forcibly recruited people, and demanded fragments of the jade. And then, they forced everyone to seize the jujube tree after nightfall.

He had only pretended to join them to conceal his own presence and movements. But he hadn’t expected to run into another force so soon!

Once inside the ruins of Mount Jinting’s Blissful Land, everyone’s goal was the same, the immortal fate. Thus, conflict and killing were inevitable. It had nothing to do with good or evil. It was purely a matter of competing for treasure.

Li Yanchu had no intention of sacrificing himself for the Gongshu family, so even in his clash with the foreign warrior, he never fought with full strength. The tall foreigner’s curved saber was as fast as lightning, every strike filled with killing intent. Yet he couldn’t even touch the corner of Li Yanchu’s robe. This infuriated him to the point where he was hurling violent, raging insults nonstop, all in a foreign tongue Li Yanchu couldn’t understand.

In contrast, the killing intent among the rest of the combatants was much heavier. Not everyone was fighting to the death for their force. After all, many of them had only come together out of temporary mutual interest.

But in a battle like this, if you could take someone out, it meant one less competitor in the future fight for immortal fate! No matter how you looked at it, it was a net gain.

What shocked Li Yanchu the most were the Xie sisters. They wielded short swords, each tied with a colored ribbon. As identical twins, they shared a natural mental connection and were exceptionally skilled in coordinated attacks.

Their sword qi crisscrossed in dazzling patterns, brilliant and blinding to the eye.

The tall, ugly woman being attacked by the two sisters already had seven or eight wounds across her body. Blood flowed from her nonstop, and she looked utterly miserable.

If not for her towering and robust build, she might have already bled to death by now.

“Damn it, what the hell are you waiting for!?” the tall woman roared out a curse.

Shing! Shing!

Suddenly, two figures appeared behind the Xie sisters, and in an instant, long swords pierced straight through their chests.

It was none other than Daoist Mei Xuanzi from Donghai and the yellow-robed priest with the peachwood sword; both of whom had been engaged in fierce combat just moments ago.

A second ago, they had been locked in a close-quarters battle, fighting viciously and with deadly intent. And now, they had teamed up to backstab the Xie sisters!

The pair of stunningly beautiful sisters died instantly, their lives snuffed out in a flash.

Clang! Clang! Their swords dropped to the ground, ringing crisply. Their once-bright eyes were now wide with disbelief, and blood soaked through the front of their robes in an instant.

The entire battlefield shifted in a single moment. Originally, the Gongshu force had held a clear advantage. The Xie sisters’ dazzling swordplay had nearly pushed the tall woman to death’s door.

But with Mei Xuanzi suddenly turning traitor, and this new group revealing their true allegiance, the balance of power had shifted decisively against the Gongshu family.

“Mei Xuanzi, what are you doing!?” Master Wu Hu roared furiously.

He reached out and grabbed a massive boulder, which was half as tall as a man, and hurled it straight at Mei Xuanzi!

Boom!

The rock slammed to the ground with a thunderous crash, but it didn’t hit Mei Xuanzi. This middle-aged Daoist from Donghai Prefecture was incredibly quick and agile.

“Better worry about yourself first, filthy monk!” The sinister-looking middle-aged man flicked his finger, and his Flying Dagger once again shot toward Wu Hu’s eyes!

At the same time, from his sleeve, another sharp dagger snapped out, flying directly for Wu Hu’s throat!

So this ruthless man had been controlling two Flying Daggers all along.

The throat was one of the most fatal points on the human body. Even for a master with body-hardening training, that area was still more vulnerable than the rest.

Wu Hu tilted his head just in time to dodge the first dagger. But the second lethal strike came immediately after.

A crimson glow of blood qi burst from Wu Hu’s body, and his frame expanded once again. He forcibly grew two cun taller on the spot.

Clink!

The Flying Dagger struck just below his throat, producing a blinding spark. Wu Hu’s skin had been cultivated to the point where it was as hard as metal or stone. He was an extremely troublesome opponent.

The Spirit-Linker's expression changed drastically. He had thought he'd hitched a ride on the powerful ship that was the Gongshu family.

But in the blink of an eye, they’d walked right into an ambush!

That’s right, this was no accidental clash over a miraculous jujube tree that two groups just happened to covet. It was a trap from the very start!

Li Yanchu thought the same. These people are really sinister, he mused inwardly.

This jujube tree, brimming with vitality and spirit qi, had been discovered by Mei Xuanzi, the Daoist from Donghai. It was he who had led the group here. Yet now it turned out he knew the ambushers all along. That meant this was a premeditated ambush, planned well in advance.

Slash!

The Spirit-Linker, who had tried to flee, was suddenly cleaved in half at the waist by some kind of sharp weapon. His intestines and blood splattered across the ground. The upper half of his body, still driven by momentum, stumbled forward in a grotesque attempt to keep running.

The scrawny man with the erhu had blood dripping from his instrument’s strings, one drop after another. His smile was cold and cruel.

Now, of all the Gongshu family’s people, only Master Wu Hu and the recently joined Li Yanchu remained. Wu Hu swung his fists furiously, his momentum fierce and overwhelming. With his strength alone, he managed to force back the sinister man skilled in Telekinetic Command, the yellow-robed Daoist, Mei Xuanzi, and the towering woman. He took on four enemies at once, and he fought like a raging tiger!

But even such ferocity could not last forever. No matter how powerful his body-hardening arts were, human strength had its limits. Once his blood and qi started to wane, his iron body wouldn’t be enough to withstand the siege of so many elite fighters.