28: Chapter 28 Breakthrough at the North Gate

At the North Gate of Heavenly Demon City, morning mist hung heavy. When Chen Yuanji and Shen Wuchang stepped out of the city gate, the sky was just beginning to turn white. Beyond the North Gate lay a vast, desolate wasteland where withered yellow grass grew waist-high, stretching all the way to the horizon. At the end of the wasteland, a dark forest was faintly visible—the Mist Forest, one of the most dangerous places in the Eastern Desolate Region. Legend had it that nine out of ten people who entered the Mist Forest never came out.

"Elder Shen, is your injury alright?" Chen Yuanji glanced at Shen Wuchang's left arm, which was in a sling.

"I won't die," Shen Wuchang grinned. "I can't beat those in the Void-Piercing Realm, but stalling a few in the Shentong Realm is no problem."

The two quickened their pace and entered the wasteland. Behind them, Heavenly Demon City was gradually swallowed by the morning mist. The Mist Forest ahead was still far away; at their current pace, it would take at least half a day to reach. After walking for less than half an hour, the sound of breaking air came from the sky behind them. Chen Yuanji looked back and saw four streaks of light flying from the direction of Heavenly Demon City at an incredible speed. In the blink of an eye, the four streaks had landed a hundred zhang behind them, transforming into four figures. Leading them was Zhou Xuanji, with three black-clad men standing behind him—two at the Peak of the Shentong Realm and one in the Early Stage of the Faxiang Realm.

"Chen Yuanji," Zhou Xuanji's voice was flat, yet it carried an unquestionable authority. "Return with this seat, and the Tiandao Sect can spare your life."

Chen Yuanji stopped and turned around. "Your Tiandao Sect has hunted me all this way—from Great Yan to the Eastern Desolate Region, and from the edge of the Eastern Desolate Region to Heavenly Demon City. So many people have died, and all just to spare my life?"

A cold light flashed in Zhou Xuanji's eyes as he raised his right hand, fingers splayed. A vast amount of Yuan Power surged from his palm, transforming into a giant golden hand that blotted out the sky and sun as it pressed down toward Chen Yuanji. A strike from the Void-Piercing Realm was enough to level a small mountain. Shen Wuchang moved; he took a step forward, shielding Chen Yuanji, and pushed his right palm upward. A gray pillar of light shot from his palm, colliding with the golden hand.

"Boom!" The deafening explosion shook the heavens, and a massive crater dozens of zhang wide was blasted into the ground. Airwaves rippled outward, uprooting the waist-high grass and revealing the bare earth. Shen Wuchang fell back three steps, a trace of blood leaking from the corner of his mouth. The bandages on his left arm were shattered, and the bone that had just begun to heal cracked once more.

"Zhou Xuanji, you are a dignified Void-Piercing Realm expert, yet you attack a Junior. Aren't you ashamed?" Shen Wuchang wiped the blood from his mouth and sneered.

"Shen Wuchang, you are a dying man; how are you worthy of speaking to this seat?" Zhou Xuanji said expressionlessly. "Step aside, and this seat can spare your life."

"This old man has lived for hundreds of years; what haven't I seen? You think you can threaten me?" Shen Wuchang laughed loudly. "Come then, let's see who dies first."

He formed hand seals, and countless rays of gray light emerged around him. These lights spread out in all directions like silk threads, weaving the space within a hundred zhang into a massive net. "Unbreakable Barrier: Heaven and Earth Net!"

Zhou Xuanji's expression finally changed. "Are you mad? This move will burn your lifespan!"

"This old man's lifespan was almost at its end anyway. What does burning a few years matter?" Shen Wuchang laughed. "Kid, run!"

Chen Yuanji did not hesitate and turned to run. His Dan Power operated at full capacity, and his qi and blood surged like a rushing river, pouring into his legs. His speed was incredible; every step covered several zhang, leaving a trail of deep footprints on the wasteland.

"Chase him!" Zhou Xuanji ordered. The three black-clad men lunged toward Chen Yuanji simultaneously, but their path was blocked by Shen Wuchang's Heaven and Earth Net. The gray light net acted like a living thing, entangling them so they could not move.

"Damn it!" The black-clad man in the Early Stage of the Faxiang Realm roared in anger, throwing a punch at the light net. The net trembled violently but did not break. Shen Wuchang gritted his teeth, pushing his Yuan Power to its limit to maintain the net. His face grew paler, and blood began to seep from his seven orifices.

Chen Yuanji sprinted across the wasteland. Behind him, the aftershocks of the battle grew more distant, but one person still managed to catch up. It was the Peak Shentong Realm expert; the black-clad man had somehow broken free from Shen Wuchang's light net and was now pursuing at an incredible speed. His pace was outrageous, every step treading upon the Void Realm as if he were flying through the air.

"Chen Yuanji! You can't escape!" the black-clad man shouted.

Chen Yuanji didn't look back and continued to sprint, but he wasn't as fast as his opponent, and the distance between them shortened bit by bit. When the black-clad man was within fifty zhang, he waved his right hand, and a black light blade whistled through the air, heading straight for the back of Chen Yuanji's heart. Chen Yuanji dodged to the side, and the light blade grazed his shoulder, blasting a large pit into the ground ahead. The black-clad man waved his hand again, and three black light blades shot out simultaneously, sealing off all possible escape routes.

Chen Yuanji's eyes narrowed, and he stopped dodging. He turned around, hands overlapping, and met one of the light blades with Taiji's "An Jin." Bang! The light blade was shattered by his palm power, but the recoil forced him back several steps, and the web of his thumb split open. The other two light blades flew past his sides, missing him.

The black-clad man had already caught up to within ten zhang. "Not running anymore?" the man sneered, two spheres of black light condensing in his hands. "Then die."

Chen Yuanji did not answer. Instead, he took a deep breath, pushing the qi and blood in his Dantian to the absolute limit. "Dan Power: Crushing Fist!" He kicked off the ground, his body shooting toward the black-clad man like an arrow from a bow. His right fist, carrying the full force of his qi and blood, carved a golden arc through the air. The black-clad man was startled and hastily thrust the light spheres forward. Fist and light spheres collided.

"Boom!" A thunderous roar erupted as the golden fist force and the black light spheres exploded at the same time. The airwaves tumbled, and a pit several zhang deep was blasted into the ground. The black-clad man was sent flying, blood spraying from his mouth. A deep fist print was embedded in his chest, and three of his ribs were broken. Chen Yuanji stood his ground, his fist dripping with blood, but his gaze remained calm. He couldn't beat a Peak Shentong Realm expert in a direct confrontation, but the opponent had underestimated him; by allowing him to get close, the man had paid the price.

The black-clad man struggled to stand, but the injury to his chest left him powerless. Chen Yuanji didn't give him the chance; he stepped in front of him, fingers pressed together and aimed at the man's throat. "Don't move! Go back and tell Zhou Xuanji," Chen Yuanji said word by word, "that I will reclaim the debt the Tiandao Sect owes me one day, with interest."

He punched the black-clad man in the temple, knocking him unconscious, then turned and continued running toward the Mist Forest. Half an hour later, Chen Yuanji finally reached the edge of the Mist Forest. Without looking back, he plunged into the thick fog.

Inside the Mist Forest, visibility was less than three zhang. The thick fog was no ordinary mist; it contained a bizarre power that could interfere with a Martial Artist's Divine Sense. Chen Yuanji's Huajin perception was also affected here, allowing him to sense only his immediate five-zhang radius. He slowed his pace, moving forward warily over the soft, decaying leaves that silenced his footsteps. The surrounding trees were tall and twisted, their trunks covered in moss and vines. Occasionally, he saw bleached bones—some belonging to the Human Race and others to the Yao Race—scattered beneath the roots.

Chen Yuanji found a large tree and sat down against its trunk. His body was trembling slightly, not from fear, but because the side effects of the qi and blood pills were starting to kick in. Taking five qi and blood pills in five days had overdrawn his body's qi and blood. Although his Dan Power was now established, his body was depleted and needed time to recover.

"I need at least three days of rest," he calculated. "Only after three days can I continue my journey."

He closed his eyes, sinking into a state of being half-asleep and half-awake. Although his Huajin perception was suppressed, any movement within five zhang could not escape his ears. From deep within the Mist Forest, several low beast roars faintly echoed. The sounds didn't resemble any known Yao Beast; they carried an ancient, primeval aura that chilled one to the bone.

After an unknown amount of time, Chen Yuanji was startled awake by the sound of footsteps. It was a member of the Yao Race; the footsteps were light but the gait was steady. The newcomer's cultivation was not low, at least above the Guiyuan Realm. Chen Yuanji opened his eyes and looked toward the source of the sound. A figure slowly emerged from the thick fog. It was a young girl, about sixteen or seventeen years old, tall and dressed in a long white dress. Her hair was silver-white, her eyes were purple, and her features were so exquisite they didn't seem to belong to the mortal world. Most striking of all were the horns atop her head—a pair of crystal-clear deer antlers that emitted a faint glow in the mist.

A member of the Deer Clan? The girl was also stunned when she saw Chen Yuanji.

"A human?" Her voice was crisp, tinged with surprise. "What are you doing here? Don't you know that you can't enter the Mist Forest?"

"I was being hunted; I had no choice," Chen Yuanji said flatly.

The girl frowned as she looked at the wounds on his body. "You're injured."

"I won't die."

The girl hesitated for a moment before pulling a small porcelain bottle from her robe and tossing it to Chen Yuanji. "This is healing medicine. The Yao Beasts in the Mist Forest will come looking for you if they smell blood. If you don't want to die, leave quickly."

Chen Yuanji caught the bottle. "Thank you."

"No need for thanks," the girl turned away. "Just leave. The Mist Forest is no place for the Human Race."

She took a few steps, then suddenly looked back. "By the way, if you encounter a White Giant Wolf, run. Don't look back, don't stop—just keep running."

"Why?"

"Because it won't kill you." The girl's expression was a bit strange. "It will eat you." With that, she vanished into the thick fog.

Chen Yuanji looked at the porcelain bottle in his hand and remained silent for a moment. A White Giant Wolf—he committed it to memory.