Bang bang bang...
A series of explosive sounds rang out from the mountain forest, and several dishevelled herb gatherers stiffened and collapsed to the ground.
Xie Qingyun moved like lightning, activating her secret technique without hesitation, her figure weaving through the forest, leaving behind trails of afterimages as she chased the last herb gatherer desperately fleeing ahead.
"Qingniao Chasing Star!"
With a low shout, a green light landed on the herb gatherer's back.
A large hole immediately exploded in the chest of this herb gatherer leader, who had just entered the Bones Transformation Realm, causing him to collapse miserably to the ground, his aura rapidly weakening until it completely disappeared.
Xie Qingyun panted, a hint of relief appearing on her face.
"I almost let these people get away."
She had been patrolling nearby when she suddenly discovered a Disciple's distress signal, which was why she rushed over immediately, but she didn't expect these people to be extremely cautious.
Upon realizing something was wrong, they didn't hesitate for a moment, turning around and fleeing without hesitation, and their speed was very fast.
Even she had to expend some effort to catch up and deal with them.
Just as she caught her breath, a red smoke erupted from the other side.
Seeing this, she couldn't help but frown, and immediately soared swiftly towards the location of the smoke.
When she arrived at her destination, several corpses were already lying on the ground, some belonging to Seven Forms Sect Disciples, and others belonging to outsiders.
And Wei Yun was leading several Disciples in attacking several figures in tight clothes.
Seeing this scene, Xie Qingyun immediately took action to provide support without hesitation.
After the time it takes to steep a cup of tea, the battle finally ended.
Wei Yun had a bloody wound on his arm and was panting heavily.
"Are you alright? Yun'er."
"I'm fine, Master, just some superficial wounds." Wei Yun shook his head slightly, skillfully swallowed a healing pill, and then a look of confusion appeared on his face.
"Master, why have so many people come searching nearby these past two days!?
"I don't know either, maybe it's a coincidence, thankfully there aren't any overly strong experts among them."
Xie Qingyun shook her head slightly, speaking calmly, but a hint of worry had appeared between her brows, clearly indicating that her heart was not as calm as it appeared on the surface.
In the past three days, there had been five waves of people, both large and small, appearing nearby.
Especially today, counting this time, there had already been three waves of people.
Although they were safe, it had left them somewhat exhausted from dealing with it, after all, anyone who dared to enter the Congyun Mountains was at least a Blood Transportation Realm Martial Artist.
In the past few days, many Disciples have sustained injuries.
It was only because she and Yuan Zhongfei were stationed here that they were able to cope, otherwise, it would have been absolutely impossible.
As night fell.
The moon was dim, and the Congyun Mountains were exceptionally dark tonight, with occasional biting cold winds sweeping through, making one feel chilled to the bone.
Thud—
Heavy iron boots stepped on the bluestone, crushing it as if stepping on a piece of tofu, and the bluestone shattered in response.
This was a dark-skinned, sturdy man with thick body hair, whose height of nearly 2.23 meters made him look like a Black Bear, exuding a fierce and brutal aura.
The Black Bear-like man strode quickly through the forest, his sturdy physique possessing extremely swift speed.
He hadn't gone far when the man's footsteps stopped, and he turned his head towards the side as if sensing something.
"Get out."
"As expected of the 'Flying Bear', I didn't expect Brother Tian's five senses to be so sharp."
A light laugh sounded, and a tall, thin figure walked out from the mountain forest on the side, followed by several people, who were dressed in white-grey robes with a lifelike crane embroidered on their chests with gold and silver thread, its wings spread as if in flight.
"Old man Bai, you guys from Jinhe Gate are being sneaky, trying to stop me?"
The Black Bear-like strong man's gaze fell on the enemy, a hint of danger flashing in his eyes, and he spoke without politeness.
The tall, thin figure, however, kept shaking his head.
"Brother Tian, it seems you also heard that news about coming here. Although I don't know if it's true or false, you'll have to search this area thoroughly before you're satisfied."
"What? Bai Yunhe, do you guys from Jinhe Gate want to compete with me!"
The dangerous aura emanating from Tian Kui intensified greatly, giving off the stance that he would fight if they didn't agree.
Feeling this biting aura, a hint of solemnity flashed in Bai Yunhe's eyes. He quickly smiled and kept shaking his head.
"How could that be, Brother Tian, I approached Brother Tian only to discuss a cooperation."
"Cooperation?"
"That's right, although we don't know the truth of this news for now, we should make some preparations now that we're here. Although those Seven Forms Sect people are just a bunch of remnants, their numbers should be around twenty or thirty, and although most of them are just Blood Transportation Warriors and not to be feared, there are still some experts with decent strength among them."
"For example, Yuan Zhongfei, the head of Jin Yuan Yard, is a genuine Bones Transformation fifth layer expert. Besides him, there is also Xie Qingyun, the head of Qingniao Yard, although she is only at the Bones Transformation third layer, she should not be underestimated. Besides these two, the last one is that rising star, Lin Sheng."
Speaking of this, Bai Yunhe paused, noticed Tian Kui's flickering eyes, and then continued with a smile.
"That Lin Sheng is an expert who can severely injure Ouyang Lengshui. His strength is probably only stronger, not weaker, than Yuan Zhongfei's. Although Brother Tian, your strength is very strong, you might not gain much advantage by facing him."
"So, why don't we cooperate? With the strength of our two sides, not to mention taking down that Lin Sheng, it's not impossible to capture all these Seven Forms Sect people."
After speaking, Bai Yunhe remained silent, quietly waiting for the other party's reply.
After hearing what the other party said, Tian Kui narrowed his eyes slightly, clearly thinking about something.
After a long while, he finally nodded slightly.
"Okay, but I want fifty percent of the bounty reward."
Although he was extremely confident and had a well-known name in Fu City, known as the Flying Bear.
But he also knew very well that although the Tianxiang Sword Sect Jianzi's cultivation level was not high, his true combat power was extremely strong, capable of easily killing enemies across Realms and absolutely not to be underestimated. Facing someone who could severely injure Ouyang Lengshui, he indeed had no certainty of victory.
Although Bai Yunhe's strength was slightly inferior to his, he was also a solid Bones Transformation fifth layer expert, and he brought many experts from Jinhe Gate with him, so cooperating with him was indeed a good choice.
"Alright."
Seeing that the other party agreed, Bai Yunhe smiled and readily agreed.
"With Brother Tian joining, this matter is almost certain. However, we still need to act quickly now. Since the news has already spread, others might also rush over. We must capture Lin Sheng and the others first. As long as these people are in our hands, we can naturally exchange them for the benefits we want at the Prefecture Yamen or the Tianxiang Sword Sect."
...
Underground cave.
Lin Sheng slowly opened his eyes and threw the lingxu ivory in his hand aside.
At this time, there were still four petals of youming soul grass left.
His eyes were filled with bloodshot veins, even more severe than in the previous days, and the whites of both his eyes had turned completely red.
Although he had lingxu ivory, the cold poison and illusion poison of the youming soul grass, under his high-frequency consumption, the accumulation of toxins was far greater than usual. The cold poison was manageable, as the toxic art of the Three Corpse Soul Severing Palm could slowly refine it.
But the illusion poison was not so easy to deal with.
After all, the toxins refined by the Three Corpse Soul Severing Palm were only stagnant poison, corrosive poison, and cold poison, and there was no illusion poison among them.
Moreover, he had not ingested a Spirit Beast that could resist illusion poison. Unlike the first three, illusion poison primarily acted on the spiritual level, and he could only resist it with his own mental will.
It was precisely because his spirit was far stronger than others, otherwise, if it were someone else, they would have probably gone crazy long ago.
Even so, at this moment, he felt that he was close to his limit.
However, it was estimated that he would need to consume at least one more whole petal of youming soul grass to break through 4 points of spirit.
He rubbed his temples, trying to stabilize his chaotic spirit as much as possible.
After only a short while, his figure disappeared into the cave.
After each practice session, he basically went out to check the situation, doing so every day.
In the time it takes to steep a cup of tea, he had already appeared on the ground. Before he could even feel the fresh air outside, bursts of explosions had already come from afar.
"Something happened!?"
Lin Sheng frowned, and instantly switched his perception to the mutated beast.
Sensing the additional strong auras, his expression changed, and his figure instantly sped towards a certain location.
"They are indeed here. Brother Tian, this time it is destined for the two of us to prosper. First, capture these people, and then find that Lin Sheng."
Bai Yunhe's figure was agile, and with a single palm strike, he sent the graceful figure in front of him flying backward.
"It's useless, Xie Qingyun, you, a mere Bones Transformation Early Stage, want to stop me? Simply wishful thinking."
Jinhe Gate's techniques also focused on speed and agility, even surpassing Qingniao Chasing Star Finger in this regard. Coupled with his higher cultivation level, two minor Realms above hers, even if Xie Qingyun used her secret technique to desperately resist, she quickly fell into a disadvantage.
"Bai Yunhe, I didn't expect you Jinhe Gate to also become running dogs for the Tianxiang Sword Sect!"
After forcefully blocking an attack, a trace of blood had already flowed from Xie Qingyun's lips, her aura was weak, and she spoke angrily.
"Xie Qingyun, you are nothing but a group of stray dogs, yet you dare to mock me, Bai. After I capture you, I will naturally get what I want from the Tianxiang Sword Sect. Now, obediently surrender, and you can suffer less, otherwise, don't blame me, Bai, for being ruthless..."
Bai Yunhe sneered, saying this, but his hands didn't hesitate at all, not giving the other party any chance to breathe, and attacked again.
Xie Qingyun forced herself to take a breath and barely resisted, glancing at the situation on the field, her heart sinking.
She never expected that such experts would come together in the middle of the night.
Jinhe Gate was considered a mid-tier force in Fu City. Although not as strong as the Seven Forms Sect, it also had many experts, just like Bai Yunhe in front of her.
In addition, there were several other Bones Transformation experts from Jinhe Gate. This time, Jinhe Gate had almost sent out all its elites, who were currently fighting fiercely with Wei Yun and other Seven Forms Sect Disciples.
Although Wei Yun and the others had also entered the Bones Transformation Realm, there was still a considerable gap between them and these people. At this moment, they were only barely holding on by relying on their numerical advantage.
Besides the experts from Jinhe Gate, there was also the Flying Bear, Tian Kui.
Although Tian Kui was only one person among the three, his strength was quite formidable, and he had a considerable reputation in Fu City, known as the Flying Bear. His strength was even greater than Bai Yunhe's.
At this moment, fighting with Yuan Zhongfei, he had already gained the upper hand.
The situation was almost completely one-sided.
"Bear Demon Rage Hammer..."
A roar echoed throughout the surroundings. Tian Kui's already thick black hair instantly lengthened, and his two large hands swelled up like thick bear paws, smashing out with a rapid explosion of air.
"Leopard Shadow Mane Split!"
Feeling the terrifying power contained in the two large hands, Yuan Zhongfei's expression changed slightly, and he roared, his speed instantly increasing by thirty percent, his legs swinging out a sky full of leg shadows, striking the two large hands.
With a bang, Yuan Zhongfei's figure rapidly flew backward, twisting in mid-air and barely landing on the ground, but his body stumbled back more than ten steps, each step leaving a deep crack in the ground, before he finally completely dissipated the force.
"Seven Forms Sect, nothing more than this... I wonder how many more punches you can take from me!? Today, I will destroy you trash!"
Tian Kui flexed his two large hands, a look of contempt on his face, and then strode forward, like a furious bear, making people shrink back.
Yuan Zhongfei's face was as dark as water. At this moment, his two legs were more than a size larger than usual, and he was struggling quite a bit to resist the continuous bombardment.
The Tian Kui in front of him was not only infinitely strong, but also fast. Even with his full break out, he was no match for him.
However, facing the opponent's fierce attack, he could only choose to resist head-on, otherwise, if he retreated, these Disciples would suffer.
Thinking of this, Yuan Zhongfei took a deep breath and was about to meet the attack.
"Just you..."
From the mountain forest on the side, a figure slowly walked out.
The dim moonlight filtered through the dense leaves, casting spots of light on the figure's face, revealing only a pair of bloodshot eyes.
"Martial Nephew Lin!"
Seeing Lin Sheng appear, Yuan Zhongfei's heart relaxed.
"You are Lin Sheng?"
Tian Kui stopped his steps, and his bear eyes fell on the other party.
"Blood Transportation Realm? Heh heh, I'd like to see what methods you have."
Hearing this, Lin Sheng grinned, and at the same time, his figure began to rapidly expand, transforming into a massive giant over 3 meters tall in the blink of an eye.
He looked down at Tian Kui, his grin gradually becoming ferocious and twisted.
"Dog-like thing, killing you only takes a breath..."
"Arrogant~"
Although slightly surprised by the sudden transformation of the person in front of him, Tian Kui was bold due to his high status. He let out a low shout, stretched his body, and strode forward to meet him.
Two massive figures, one black and one red, instantly collided, emitting a huge muffled sound.
The moment they made contact, Tian Kui's expression changed drastically. He felt a surge of immense power coming from the opposite side, and the strength he had always been proud of was actually at a disadvantage.
"This is impossible!!"
His eyes were bloodshot, his black hair surged again, and his body slowly expanded. However, before he could exert more force, he saw a crack appear between the eyebrows of the red figure in front of him, and a golden vertical pupil flickered with a chilling light.
Buzz—
Tian Kui felt his mind go blank, his heart filled with fear.
Regrettably, there was no chance to recover. The red large hand grabbed his head, and with the eruption of intense green energy.
His large head instantly shattered into pieces.
"Not good..."
Bai Yunhe sent Xie Qingyun flying with a palm strike. Hearing the thunderous explosion, he subconsciously turned his head to look, and that one glance made his soul flee in terror.
He saw an unfamiliar red giant had appeared on the field at some point, and Tian Kui's massive figure was held in its hand. The difference in size between the two was like an adult and a child. What chilled him even more was that Tian Kui's neck was empty, he was already dead beyond dead.
"Run!!"
Where could Bai Yunhe not understand that this red giant was that Lin Sheng.
"Even Tian Kui fell, this child cannot be resisted!!"
Chaotic thoughts flashed through his mind, finally converging into one: escape.
With just a shout, he disregarded the remaining fellow Disciples. He turned around and pushed his speed to the limit, darting towards the mountain forest on the side.
Rumble—
However, he had only gone a few feet when the ground shattered with a roar, and countless large stones shot out.
Although they posed no threat to him, they inevitably slowed down his rapid escape.
And in this gap, a rapid air explosion sounded from behind, and the fierce wind scraped painfully against his neck.
He quickly turned his body, narrowly dodging the attack, only to see the terrifying red figure was already close, its two red large hands closing in to surround him.
"Golden Crane Blood Cry..."
With a ruthless resolve, he quickly moved his hands, which glowed brightly with golden light. He gathered all his Bone Strength onto his palms and smashed them fiercely against the opponent's chest, trying to force him back.
However, to his despair, his full-strength attack landed on the broad, scaly chest, feeling as though he had struck ten-thousand-year-old profound iron. It remained completely unmoved. Instead, a sharp pain shot through his own hands.
"This... how is this possible!!"
"Trash, are you tickling me?"
Amidst a Smirk, the two large hands suddenly closed in, followed by the bone-grinding sound of shattering bones.