Chapter 2527: Cold Arrows

Uh uh!

Huashan Shen Nü snapped out of it and hurriedly ascended to the heavens, catching up to Ye Chen's pace. She shot him a fierce glare, realizing he was just teasing her.

Whoosh!

As she thought about it, she suddenly saw a ghostly flash before her eyes. The person flying ahead had doubled back without a word, grabbed her hand, and pulled her along. The message was clear: You're flying too slowly, so I'll take you.

Indeed, Ye Chen was carrying her through the air like a divine ray, piercing through the universe at an incredible speed, disrupting the laws of nature and even surpassing the speed of a domain gate.

Huashan Shen Nü felt the world around her become a blur of strange lights. With her level of insight, she couldn't even make out the mountains they passed. It wasn't that her vision was lacking; it was just that Ye Chen's speed was too overwhelming.

"This... what kind of immortal technique is this?"

"Tai Xu Bu."

Huashan Shen Nü murmured the name to herself, having never heard of this immortal technique before, but she committed it to memory—it was incredibly profound.

Little did she know, it wasn't that Tai Xu Bu was so mysterious; it was Ye Chen's mastery over space that was overwhelmingly dominant. At this speed, he could traverse the heavens and earth as he pleased.

Boom! Rumble!

The booming sounds from afar grew even more intense, with blood mist visible even from a distance. Without needing to look, it was clear the battle was brutal and widespread, with mountains collapsing one after another.

Huashan Zhen Ren and Huashan Xian Zi were in a dire situation, being hunted by several hundred Zhundi. More than half of them were at the peak realm, and they had been surrounded multiple times, narrowly escaping death on several occasions. Even someone as strong as Huashan Zhen Ren was covered in blood, with exposed bones in several places.

The slightly weaker Huashan Xian Zi was in even worse shape, her body riddled with bloody gashes. Each wound was tainted with a dim, destructive light that was eroding her vital energy. Far from healing, the injuries were spreading outward.

"Senior brother, leave me behind!"

Huashan Xian Zi whispered weakly, lying limply on Huashan Zhen Ren's back. Her divine soul had suffered severe damage, her beautiful eyes dim and lusterless, her breath faint to the point of vanishing.

"Don't talk nonsense."

Huashan Zhen Ren smiled through the pain, blood constantly dripping from his mouth. He held a bloodstained immortal sword in one hand and clutched Huashan Xian Zi tightly with the other, his steps unsteady, as if he might collapse at any moment.

Huashan Xian Zi gave a tender smile, her pale face gently pressing against Huashan Zhen Ren's broad back. It was warm and solid. This might be the first time they had been this close in thousands of years of cultivation—and she had loved him for just as long.

"You two won't escape."

The cold, mocking laughter from behind shattered her reverie.

Immediately, figures appeared en masse in the sky, their auras merging into a crushing force that made the void hum and shatter in vast swathes. Everywhere they passed, massive mountains exploded.

"No time to delay—kill them quickly."

The leading elder spoke coldly.

At his command, a divine ray shot from the void, brimming with destructive power.

Huashan Zhen Ren spun around abruptly, sword held out in front.

Clang!

The metallic clash rang out sharply as the divine ray struck the sword blade directly.

Pfft!

Huashan Zhen Ren was sent flying with a mouthful of blood, crashing into a mountain along with Huashan Xian Zi. The majestic peak crumbled with a boom, every fragment stained with fresh blood.

The horde of Zhundi arrived shortly after, blocking their escape routes.

"It's over for us."

Huashan Zhen Ren staggered to his feet, with Huashan Xian Zi doing the same, supporting each other. One was aged and frail, the other faded and worn, like an elderly couple. Yet their eyes showed no fear—only a serene smile.

Perhaps they had long accepted their fate.

"Leave the fairy to me; you can do as you like with the other one."

A black-robed figure stepped forward, his laughter demonic and wild.

This was a great demon from the scattered immortal realm, his sinister eyes gleaming with lustful malice. He licked his blood-red lips, fixated on Huashan Xian Zi—he had coveted her for ages but never dared to act due to Huashan's power. Today, with this rare opportunity, he wouldn't miss fulfilling his long-held desire.

The other Zhundi all chuckled darkly, their gazes just as lecherous. Among them, more than a hundred shared this twisted preference, reveling in such sounds, especially from someone like Huashan Xian Zi.

Huashan Xian Zi remained expressionless, unfazed.

As they leaned on each other, Huashan Zhen Ren had already placed a divine talisman on her back, and she had done the same to his—a seal of utter destruction. Once activated, it would reduce them to ashes. They had resolved to this the moment they were surrounded.

The great demon's laughter grew more savage as he extended his eerie demonic claw.

But just then, a divine arrow shot from afar, carrying an aura of total annihilation. It pierced through the cosmos, dominating heaven and earth.

Pfft!

The laughing demon was struck dead on the spot, turning into a splendid blood flower. He never even realized what hit him before heading straight to the bridge of oblivion.

"Who is it?"

A great demon roared, hastily drawing his weapon to shield himself. An arrow that killed a Zhundi at the eighth heaven—had the hidden attacker cheated with some god-level ability?

No sooner had he spoken than he followed the same fate. He had drawn his weapon, but it was useless—he was instantly slain by another arrow.

The Zhundi were all stunned. Two arrows had taken down two Zhundi—what kind of monster was wielding them? Even the leading peak Zhundi felt a chill run down his spine.

Yet, none of them could see who was attacking. An unknown presence was the most terrifying of all.

"No time to delay—kill them!"

A great immortal from the upper immortal realm snorted coldly. A genuine peak Zhundi, he raised his hand to strike at Huashan Zhen Ren and Huashan Xian Zi. This was his mission in the lower realm, under orders from the Eighth Prince. Once done, he could return and report.

But before his palm could fall, the third divine arrow arrived, aimed straight at him.

Pfft!

Another blood flower bloomed, even more vibrant than the last—a peak Zhundi met his end.

"Who—"

Pfft!

"Hiding in the shadows, show yourself!"

Pfft!

"I don't know which dao friend this is, but I am—"

Pfft!

What followed was quite the spectacle. Those divine arrows seemed to have a grudge against anyone who spoke, targeting them one by one with ruthless efficiency.

This scene perfectly illustrated a simple truth: The first to stick their neck out gets hit.

Well then! Over a dozen Zhundi were wiped out, and the remaining several hundred fell silent, afraid that a single word would invite an arrow. No one dared to utter a sound.

Huashan Zhen Ren and Huashan Xian Zi were already at their limits, easily killable with one strike. Yet, these hundreds of Zhundi didn't dare make a move, collectively retreating in fear, their faces pale with terror. The attacker was just too powerful.

"Emperor essence."

Huashan Zhen Ren murmured softly, his expression dazed and shocked. He recognized that the arrows carried emperor essence—and it bore the aura of Huashan emperor essence.

"And Kunlun emperor essence."

Huashan Xian Zi echoed quietly. She wondered who in the world could possess emperor essence from both factions. After thinking it over, no one came to mind.

Ye Chen did have Huashan emperor essence, but neither of them dared to consider it. Instinctively, they believed that while Ye Chen was strong, he didn't have the power to instantly kill a peak Zhundi.

On the other side, the several hundred Zhundi had retreated to about a thousand zhang away, stopping there. They stood frozen, bolstering their defenses to the maximum, dreading any more surprise arrows.

The situation had become awkwardly tense. These hundreds of Zhundi had come with such momentum, leaving their targets battered, yet none dared to advance, nor were they willing to retreat. They were truly stuck.

"Dao friend in hiding, could you show yourself?"

In the end, the leading elder cupped his hands and spoke, unwilling to leave just like that. He had taken payment to eliminate the threat, and the job wasn't finished. At the very least, he needed to see who was interfering to have something to report.

"Alright, alright."

Laughter echoed as a figure emerged from the darkness behind Huashan Zhen Ren and Huashan Xian Zi. It was Ye Chen, striding forward with each step treading on dao essence. In one hand, he held a divine bow formed from the Dao Sutra, and in the other, a divine arrow forged from emperor essence. He was grinning mischievously.