Chapter 127: Hunted from All Directions (Please Subscribe)

In the depths of the abyss below, an endless stream of Yin energy surged upward. This Yin energy was unimaginably cold, and it was the very source of the baleful aura that permeated the area. The Profound Frost Yin-Bale here was a hundred times denser than anywhere else. Seeing this, Lu Qian continued his descent.

After diving for several miles, he reached a point about five or six hundred feet from the opening—the very bottom of the frigid pool. Contrary to his expectations, there were no demons or monsters to be found. Upon reflection, this made sense; in a place so saturated with such malevolent aura, it would be a miracle for any life to exist. If it were not for the fact that Lu Qian practiced the Profound Frost Yin-Bale technique, he would never have dared to come here.

Below him lay a thumb-sized aperture, shimmering with ghostly light. It was from this source that the Yin energy emanated. These currents were even colder, and if his intuition was correct, they were the legendary Essence of Yin-Bale. The Essence of Bale is the purest form of baleful energy. As the surrounding aura grew increasingly thick, his Yin-Gui True Water was being consumed at an alarming rate. At this pace, he would have to leave in less than a quarter of an hour. Without the protection of his power, being swallowed by the baleful aura would have catastrophic consequences.

His Azure Cloud of Bale emerged, swiftly grinding down the malevolent energy. The cloud, which had ceased growing moments ago, began to expand once more, eventually reaching a radius of one mile. This Essence of Bale was truly extraordinary. Next came the process of refinement. The Azure Cloud of Bale churned and shrank again, until it could no longer be condensed further at about five zhang in size. Its color began to shift, turning clear and translucent, taking on the texture of polished jade. Within his body, the Yin-Gui True Water became darker and more profound, biting with a bone-chilling cold. It would not be long before every drop of his true water reached the state of being saturated with baleful energy. Lu Qian swallowed a medicinal pill, hoping to hold on a little longer.

*Crack! Crack!*

Suddenly, a rustling sound emanated from the thumb-sized green aperture below. Lu Qian narrowed his eyes and saw a shadow swaying toward him from the other side of the hole. Then, an eye appeared at the opening. A crimson, vertical pupil locked onto Lu Qian in the freezing pool, revealing a glimmer of interest. A powerful aura locked onto him, and this single gaze alone was enough to make his head spin and visions to erupt.

"This is bad!" Lu Qian's pupils contracted. Could it be a demon or ghost king from the Underworld? He was so close to success; he could not afford a mishap now.

*Swoosh!*

The three-inch God-Slaying Needle tore through the water, striking the pupil with a shrill, piercing shriek. The Eye-Piercing Needle!

"Roar!"

From the other side of the hole came a miserable, venomous scream.

*Crack! Crack!*

The monster roared in fury while using two fingers to claw at the opening, widening it bit by bit. Lu Qian summoned the Black Prison Chains of the Underworld to bind the aperture tightly. The tearing slowed. This creature possessed, at the very least, cultivation beyond the late stage of Spirit Nurturing; it might even be at the Dao Foundation realm. He just needed a little more time to finish refining the bale.

Time ticked away. The Black Prison Chains groaned under the immense strain.

*Bang!*

The chains shattered, and a blood-red, hawk-like claw reached toward Lu Qian. The claw was wreathed in ghostly green Yin-fire, which even the water of the ten-thousand-year frigid pool could not extinguish. At the eleventh hour, Lu Qian finally succeeded in absorbing the baleful energy.

*Boom!*

A five-zhang Azure Cloud swept toward the monster.

*Crack!*

The perfected Profound Frost Yin-Bale froze even the water of the ten-thousand-year pool. The demonic claw stalled instantly, unable to move. Seeing this, Lu Qian immediately pulled back toward the surface. This monster was not to be trifled with! An arm that could stretch for hundreds of feet was not a capability possessed by ordinary demons.

*Splash!*

As he broke the surface of the water, a sound of fracturing ice echoed from below.

*Crack!*

A gargantuan hand, the size of a millstone, burst through the water, dripping with thick Yin-fire. Lu Qian’s Yin-spirit had already transformed into an azure cloud, fleeing far into the distance, breaking the sound barrier and leaving a trail of emerald fire in the sky. The giant hand pursued relentlessly, stretching for thousands of feet. It seemed that Lu Qian’s Eye-Piercing Needle had wounded it deeply, or it would not be so persistent.

Meanwhile, by the side of the water eye, seven days had passed. The members of the Lingbo Tower could no longer restrain themselves and had descended below the water eye. The followers of the Tongyou Temple were also growing impatient.

"Master Jing, shall we head down?" Pu Yu'an asked. If Lu Qian failed to obtain the Golden Edict of Water Command, their trip would have been in vain.

"Patience. Let us wait a while longer."

No sooner had the words left her lips than a rolling azure cloud surged from the horizon. The cold air froze the water vapor, causing it to fall as icy rain. When the azure cloud came within five miles of the group, Master Jing felt a sudden premonition and smiled. "He is here!"

*Boom!*

The manifestation of the Yellow Springs Cold Crow covered a mile in radius. The ghostly green, scorching Yin-fire dyed the sky a sinister hue.

*Rumble!*

"Screech!"

Countless flaming cold crows emerged from the Yin-fire, surrounding Lu Qian from all directions. The scene resembled a hell of Yin-fire. Master Jing did not hold back; her first strike was her full power. Even though she looked down on this cunning fellow in words, she treated him with great seriousness in her heart. Beyond that, Pu Yu'an, Li Yutong, and the others unleashed their most powerful techniques. Pu Yu'an produced a painting of a beautiful woman. A pale red Yin-wind blew, and dozens of lifelike, distinct women flew into the fray.

Trapped within the Profound Frost Yin-cloud, Lu Qian felt an overwhelming pressure. He looked up to see the sky filled with Yin-fire crows and recognized several familiar faces from the Tongyou Temple not far away. With enemies in front and behind, he was truly trapped. Lu Qian calmed his heart; the more life-threatening the situation, the less he could afford to panic. Staying calm offered his only chance at survival. He could not fight back; both sides had Dao Foundation experts, and he was merely at the perfection of Bale Refinement.

At that moment, a plan formed in Lu Qian’s mind. There was not a trace of fear on his face as he looked at Master Jing and the others, smiling, "Long time no see. I've been waiting for you all. Master, strike!"

As he spoke, Lu Qian’s figure descended rapidly. In truth, this speed could not escape the tracking of Dao Foundation experts. Behind him, a massive, fiery demonic claw emerged.

Upon hearing Lu Qian’s words, Master Jing felt a jolt of alarm. Li Du? That was a formidable man. She vaguely remembered the massive, formless Heavenly Demon from that day. A formless Heavenly Demon could contend with the Temple Master for days; he was far beyond her league. Thinking this, she immediately directed the majority of her cold crows to face the enemy.

*Boom!*

The cold crows exploded upon the giant claw, and the Yin-fire swept through. The demonic claw recoiled as if struck by lightning. Then, as if fueled by shame and anger, it attacked along the trail of Miao Ming’s aura.

"No, we’ve been tricked!" Miao Ming realized. This was no formless Heavenly Demon, but a monster he had provoked from somewhere unknown.

*Bang!*

The thousands-of-feet-long giant claw struck. "Don't let him get away!" Miao Ming roared at the others while parrying the blow.

Pu Yu'an reacted the fastest. Dozens of handmaidens, bathed in Yin-fire, stood in Lu Qian’s path.

"It's you?" Lu Qian glanced at him and barked, "Get lost, you waste!"

*Swoosh!*

A ten-zhang Azure Cloud swept past. The cold was so intense it felt as if his soul were being frozen.

"Aah!"

Pu Yu'an’s right arm brushed against it and instantly froze into a jade-green sculpture, shattering into powder like glass a moment later.

"This... the Bale is perfected!" Li Yutong, who had been about to step forward, silently retreated. He had only just entered the Spirit Nurturing stage, and since Pu Yu'an was no match for him, he had no intention of throwing his life away. He and Lu Qian had only shared a single meal; Li Yutong did not believe the other would show mercy because of that.

The group could only watch helplessly as Lu Qian entered the water eye.

"Pursue!"

On the other side, after repelling the demonic claw, Master Jing roared in frustration. She was a genius in her own right, achieving the Dao Foundation at one hundred. Usually proud and arrogant, she found this humiliation at the hands of a junior impossible to swallow.

Lu Qian clutched the Golden Edict of Water Command and leaped into the water eye. The moment he entered, the small orb shattered, forming a membrane of light that protected his body. The surrounding turbulent currents were blocked out. The water eye resembled a vortex leading straight to the depths of the earth, a bottomless pit. Around him stood walls of water thousands of feet high, majestic and echoing with an incessant roar. The sight reminded Lu Qian of the Return to the Abyss—the legendary confluence of the waters of the Nine Wilds and the Heavenly River. However, the Return to the Abyss was likely larger than this water eye.

His figure continued to plummet. He did not know how much time had passed, and there were no points of reference. Suddenly, a pillar of light shone from ahead, so bright that he could not keep his eyes open. Lu Qian looked up, stunned by what he saw. A bright red sun hung in the sky. He was standing before a hundred-foot waterfall. The water flowed gently, and the air was filled with mist and clouds. Many plants he had never seen before grew there, making the place feel like a fairyland.