Skirmish in the Desert
“While we convince Xiang Nan to return Hai Dongqing’s heart so that we can free him, keep an eye on Hai Dongqing,” Mu Yu instructed.
Archfiend Baiyuan detonated a punch, dispersing his tornadoes. “Make it quick because patience isn’t my forte!”
“I know what I’m doing. By the way, do you have any means of concealing our bloodlust energy?”
“Tsk, why do you have so many demands?”
“Yes or no?”
“Mm…” Archfiend White Ape stroked his chin. “I can’t suppress it once it’s inside you. Having said that, I can conceal it.”
Archfiend Baiyuan smacked Mu Yu on the shoulder, numbing the latter’s entire shoulder girdle, and then transferred fiend energy to Mu Yu. “Your bloodlust energy is essentially a disease now. When you want to conceal it, trigger my true essence. I need to stress that it’s merely concealing it, not deactivating it. It’s in your best interests to minimise your reliance on it.”
Archfiend Baiyuan repeated the process on Lie Shang, albeit hitting the latter extra hard to blow off steam.
“Not even a thank you, my goodness. Just my luck,” grumbled Archfiend Baiyuan.
“Thanks.” Mu Yu and Lie Shang launched off into the ether.
“… Huh? Did he just thank me? Whoa!”
***
“What a catch. We were only instructed to watch over Archfiend Baiyuan. Now we know where Mu Yu and Lie Shang are, as well,” remarked Gu Chaofeng, overwatching Wall of Death from thousands of kilometres away.
“Their bloodlust has grown to the point that we can still sense them all the way from here,” added Jin Xiyun.
“Any suggestions?”
“Mm… You follow those two to see what they’re up to. I’ll stake out here as finding Hai Dongqing’s sealing location is crucial to His Eminence’s plan.”
“Be careful, then. Don’t let him find out where you are, or you’ll be done for. I’m off.”
Gu Chaofeng maintained a fixed distance from Dustfallen Sect’s duo, tracing them based solely on their bloodlust energy for an hour, when their traces vanished off the grid. Suspecting they noticed him, he hid himself in a void, waiting to see what happened. “They went in different directions? The stronger signal belongs to Lie Shang. Hah, this will make it possible for me to capture you one on one.”
Gu Chaofeng waited for Mu Yu’s bloodlust energy signal to travel far enough before he pursued Lie Shang.
***
“Insect,” scoffed Archfiend Baiyuan, casting his gaze up from Wall of Death. He fired off a blast of qi into the ether, creating an explosion. “You’re fast. I’ll give you that. The next time I catch you snooping around, I’ll ground you to dust! How is that runt so sharp? I scanned the sky because he suddenly peered at the sky before he left. He has that in addition to bloodlust and those pesky formations? Yes, yes, that would explain how he noticed the insect. Oh, crud, I forgot to tell him that negates his adopted father’s Sky-Shrouding Bloody Guardian.”
The doctor courteously inquired, “Ancestor, what are we going to do now?”
“Why kind of question is that? All of you will take turns standing watch. I’m not staying here to suffer in the heat. Come to Clearwater City if you need me.”
“But th-”
“Relax. They won’t dare to try snooping around again. If any insects come again, I’ll swat them.”
Archfiend Baiyuan uncorked a qi punch, gusting up a tornado around Hai Dongqing’s altar to act as a barrier. He dusted his hands and then took off to Clearwater City.
Jin Xiyun emerged from her void, black robe gone and grimacing. She grouched, “Archfiend Baiyuan really is something” and fled.
***
“You not going to come out to say hi?” Lie Shang, who was soaring east, stopped to sarcastically ask.
Gu Chaofeng shot a white beam at Lie Shang’s throat. Lie Shang morphed into a flame and then returned to his usual form.
“Good reflexes,” Gu Chaofeng remarked, emerging before Lie Shang. “Why didn’t you run if you knew it was me?”
“There’s no need for me to.”
“True. You wouldn’t escape, ahaha.”
“Is your hood your helmet or something?”
“Hahaha, I just don’t like being conspicuous.”
“Why don’t you just silence witnesses when you’re willing to plot such unscrupulous schemes? Wouldn’t that be more soul energy for you?”
“You know more than I assumed. His Eminence mentioned you five would be obstacles. Accurate predictions are practically foresight of gods.”
“Bai Jie is no god; he’s a mere coward.”
“I will fix that uncouth mouth of yours.”
“Don’t wait, then.”
Smirking, Lie Shang uncaged his bloodlust energy, wearing on golden flames that turned the sky red. He extended the area of his flames to confine Gu Chaofeng in a ring with him.
“Your flames don’t scare me,” asserted Gu Chaofeng, removing his black robe and drew his thirteen beads. “His Eminence ordered us to capture you five if we found you. Now, what will it be? Be honoured that you are one of the few I’d bother spending time on.”
“You going to fight or just spit?” taunted Lie Shang, raising Sky Scorcher Sword to block Gu Chaofeng’s beads.
The two engaged and then moved swiftly, neither committing to offence. Lie Shang left behind trails of flames as he moved at high speeds, rhythmically trying to pick apart Gu Chaofeng.
Executing Soul Style Luo Sound – Souls Smashing Spear, Gu Chaofeng clasped a hand, transforming a bead into a white spear that he twirled in circles to fan away Lie Shang’s flames.
Lie Shang’s flames shifted to a dark red as he amped up their intensity. He dipped his sword in the flames and slammed it against Gu Chaofeng’s spear. After an intense deadlock, the two shunted each other back.
Gu Chaofeng remained unfazed, while Lie Shang had blood to wipe from his lips. Lie Shang torched the bloodstain and transformed his eyes into two fireballs.
“Hahaha, quit fronting, weakling.” As Lie Shang ran the other way, Gu Chaofeng taunted, “Yes, run, run for your life. I love chasing my prey around.”
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