Chapter 126: Seeking Death!

With the addition of Qi Xiu and Zhu Mo, the siege of Wu Tuguo became significantly easier.

Zhu Mo leaped into the air, stepping through the positions of the Big Dipper to set his formation. In an instant, he cast the "Subduing Seal and Tripod-Fixing Formation" within the valley. Countless veins of earthly energy converged and coalesced into a massive, three-legged, two-eared tripod of dark yellow, its surface etched with the shifting patterns of mountains and rivers.

The phantom tripod descended from the void, slamming down onto Wu Tuguo’s head. Its terrifying weight of tens of thousands of pounds forced the black snake to roar repeatedly. Its scales and flesh pouches creaked and groaned as if about to shatter, and its movements grew sluggish, slowed by nearly half.

Qi Xiu also utilized talismans to form a tactical array. Waving his hands, he released a surging torrent of talismanic light, golden and continuous. Dazzling "Suppression Talismans" wove and intersected in the void, forming thick, sturdy chains that entangled Wu Tuguo’s body with a death grip.

Pinned by the two formations, Wu Tuguo roared incessantly, struggling to break free. From above, the five Daliang Wolf Riders unleashed a storm of attacks with their tyrannical silver spears. The overwhelming, mountain-crushing force descended upon the beast. The scales that usually rendered Wu Tuguo immune to blades and ordinary cultivation spells shattered instantly. Bones snapped, tendons tore, and flesh flew, revealing vast patches of ghastly white bone beneath.

The silver spears in the hands of the Daliang Wolf Riders seemed to possess a unique power. They were not mere artifacts fashioned from demons. The spearheads, smooth and radiant, pulsed with faint, ancient markings that seemed to whisper. A vast, primordial strength was imbued within them, granting the weapons their formidable and haughty destructive power.

Stripped of nearly all mobility by the two formations, Wu Tuguo could only hiss and twist, enduring the frantic onslaught of the Daliang Wolf Riders. Under the torrential assault, its body began to crumble, its regenerative abilities failing to keep pace with the rate of destruction. If this continued, this anomaly from the Yellow Springs Road would be ground into nothingness!

*Screech—*

Just as the Daliang Wolf Riders prepared to intensify their offensive, a shrill, urgent whistle echoed from outside the valley—a signal of some kind.

"Nigelu?"

The lead Wolf Rider snapped his head around, two crimson lights piercing through the visor of his helmet, his tone heavy with rage.

"What happened?" Sensing something amiss, Qi Xiu asked.

"My brother is under attack outside, but here..." The lead Wolf Rider’s voice was muffled as he gazed at the nearly eradicated Wu Tuguo. If they withdrew now, this anomaly would regain its strength and perhaps even counterattack. They had already exhausted much of their energy; if they were pursued and surrounded, they risked total annihilation.

Understanding the leader's concern, Qi Xiu spoke up: "I will go take a look. If I cannot handle it, you can follow."

"Then... thank you. Take this; Nigelu and the others will trust you." After a moment of hesitation, the leader chose to trust Qi Xiu.

Summoning the Water-Patrol遁 (Evasion) light, Qi Xiu transformed into a wisp of pale mist and instantly shot out of the valley.

Outside the valley, a man and a woman were wielding feather-fan-shaped artifacts, bombarding two of the Daliang Wolf Riders. The fans in their hands were quite extraordinary; each wave released a burst of light followed by corresponding Five Elements spells of considerable power. To protect the giant wolves they rode, the two Wolf Riders could not counterattack, forced instead to use their silver spears to shatter the incoming spells.

"I never imagined that you Daliang Wolf Riders would ever be caught alone. Hand over the Jade Seal, and I might spare your lives." The man, dressed in ink-colored robes, maneuvered his own evasion light, his eyes gleaming with divine brilliance. He waved his feather fan incessantly, unleashing a frantic downpour of Five Elements spells. Despite his words of mercy, his actions were clearly intended to kill.

The two Wolf Riders remained silent, their lips pressed thin, guarding the heavily wounded giant wolves behind them. Sensing their masters were under attack, the two giant wolves struggled to rise, but their injuries were too severe; every movement caused blood to gush like a fountain, and after a few forced attempts, they collapsed back to the ground.

"Man’er, target those two giant wolves. That is their weak point." Signaling his wife to provide cover, Cheng Hua quickly chanted a complex and obscure incantation, preparing a large-scale spell to finish off these two silent, desperate soldiers.

Midway through the chant, Cheng Hua’s expression shifted. He swung his feather fan wide, and several rays of light bloomed behind him, forming a gorgeous, shield-like aura of Five Elements energy.

*Bang! Bang! Bang!*

Three invisible sword qi strikes pierced through the Five Elements shield with treacherous precision, punched through two layers of protective true essence, and finally dissipated only after denting the last layer.

"Invisible Sword Qi... a Sword Cultivator?" Cheng Hua’s face turned grave as he stared at his nearly breached defense. He scanned his surroundings but found no one. He frowned and swiped a feather from his fan across his eyes.

One hundred meters away, Qi Xiu, standing within the water-mist evasion light with his sleeves tucked, was suddenly revealed.

"Man’er! One hundred twenty meters to the northwest, hit him!" Cheng Hua barked. Lin Man’er, a voluptuous woman in daring attire, instantly shifted her aim, the five-colored light on her fan swirling as she struck out toward Qi Xiu.

*Boom—*

A five-colored tornado rose from the ground, spinning with such violent speed that it seemed to blot out the sky, threatening to reduce the entire earth to nothingness.

"Those who come to participate in the Shenxiao Sect’s trials are truly no mere rabble," Qi Xiu remarked with a dry laugh, surprised at being detected so quickly. The stealth of the Water-Patrol Evasion was not always effective; against such well-grounded prodigies, the success rate was quite low.

Seeing the world-destroying tornado descend, Qi Xiu’s form blurred, shifting between the visible and the intangible. He took a single step, instantly teleporting a hundred meters to appear before the two Wolf Riders. He struck out with his palm, the profound essence of his nine Primordial Pearls instantly shattering the massive five-colored sphere of energy Cheng Hua had condensed.

"You two possess an extraordinary air and clearly come from prominent backgrounds. Why trouble these two little brothers of mine? May I ask you to do me a favor? Let us call this a misunderstanding and leave it at that, shall we?" Brushing the swirling dust and mist away, Qi Xiu bowed to Cheng Hua and Lin Man’er with a faint smile.

"How about this: you have them hand over the Jade Seal, and we will leave. How does that sound?" Watching Qi Xiu—who looked ordinary and plain yet had shattered his large-scale spell with a single palm—Cheng Hua tapped his wife’s hand.

"These two little brothers of mine do not have the Jade Seal," Qi Xiu replied gently, his smile unchanging.

"You haven't even asked them, so how do you know they don't?" Cheng Hua narrowed his eyes, gripping his fan tighter.

"I say they don't, and that is that."

Qi Xiu took a slow step forward. The ground beneath his feet cracked, a long fissure snaking forward and extending over a hundred meters in the blink of an eye.

Seeing the sword-scar-like crack at Qi Xiu’s feet, Cheng Hua’s expression darkened. Their eyes met, and their gazes collided like physical forces, sparking with intense friction.

"Attack!"

Dazzling light erupted from their foreheads, shooting into the sky and roiling the clouds. A torrential, murderous aura of true essence exploded from Cheng Hua and Lin Man’er. The two waved their five-colored fans in unison.

At their command, five pillars of light—red, blue, white, green, and yellow—tore through the void. They intertwined like a roaring dragon of light, possessing a terrifying aura that seemed intent on destroying the world.

*Rumble!*

The pillar of light swept forward. Qi Xiu’s eyes flared with sharp intensity. He pushed his nine Primordial Pearls to their limit, a massive, ocean-like surge of essence pouring forth, thickening his protective aura to a visible degree.

*Boom—*

The two forces collided!

The deafening roar shook the earth, causing the ground to collapse and sink. Kinetic energy blasted outward, kicking up countless stones and mud. The impact center turned into a crater, the ground within a hundred-meter radius scorched black and billowing with white smoke, as if it had been carpet-bombed. It was like two ancient beasts colliding horn-to-horn, with overlapping shockwaves leveling everything in the vicinity.

"What?!" Cheng Hua’s pupils shrank as the dragon of light dissipated. The ordinary-looking man stood still, sleeves tucked, watching him calmly. His protective essence was unbroken!

"Interesting." A flicker of excitement crossed Cheng Hua’s eyes. He took a deep breath, grabbed Lin Man’er’s hand, and their auras merged into one, climbing rapidly. Their fans hummed with a sound like the screeching of birds.

Just as Cheng Hua and Lin Man’er prepared to unleash an even more intense wave of attacks, several hulking, murderous figures slowly emerged from the valley entrance. Their eyes, red as blood, pierced toward Cheng Hua and Lin Man’er like spearheads.

*It seems the job is done...* Qi Xiu thought, noticing the Wolf Riders.

"Go!" Seeing the other Daliang Wolf Riders appear, Cheng Hua didn't hesitate; he grabbed Lin Man’er and turned to flee.

As they retreated, Qi Xiu turned to join the Wolf Riders, but a voice whispered into his ear: "Nice mask. Heh, heh, heh..."

Qi Xiu paused, turned to look in the direction the pair had vanished, and slowly lowered his hands.

"Heh. Seeking death, are you?"