Chapter 4822 — Morning Star City
The Blossom Guardian · Page 1 of 3
"Then why keep chasing? The old Xishan Sect couldn't manage it—are you sure you can? I'd like to see how long that bit of true qi of yours lasts!" Wei Zhao sneered.
"You think you can outlast this old man in a war of attrition? Where does a mere Nascent Soul cultivator get such confidence?" The Xishan great one laughed outright. He too found Wei Zhao's true qi unusually abundant, but he would sooner die than believe a late-stage Mystic Ascension cultivator could lose to a late-stage Nascent Soul one. He gave chase furiously, cackling coldly as he went. "You cur! This old man has heard a thing or two about you. You escaped the old sect master's grasp back then only because you fled into the territory of the Southern Isle—but there are no spirit beasts here!"
"Is that so? Who told you I was looking for the spirit beasts? Do you really dare, a devil cultivator, to run about all over the Eastern Continent?" Even as he spoke, Wei Zhao fired another burst of true qi and narrowly evaded the other's sudden strike.
He had lost count of how many times this had happened now. This Xishan great one was nowhere near as terrifyingly oppressive as the old Xishan Sect, but there was no denying it—the thing pursued him without letup, and it was proving exceedingly troublesome. If not for the jade pendant's warnings, Wei Zhao reckoned he would have died ten or twenty times over by now.
Fortunately, his pursuer was a devil cultivator. From his actions so far it was plain that the creature did not dare make a move within the sphere of influence of the academies, so as long as he could flee into any academy's main city, he would surely be out of danger.
It was a pity that Wei Zhao had only ever studied the route to Morning Star Academy and had never paid attention to what other academies lay along the way. And now there was no chance to consult a route—he could only flee toward Morning Star Academy by memory. Otherwise he would have shaken off his pursuer long ago.
"You cur! Don't imagine you'll escape!" Roused to furious, sputtering rage by Wei Zhao's words, the Xishan great one sent his ghastly blood finger bursting forth again and again at any cost. After all, just as Wei Zhao had said, if the brat slipped into some academy's main city, he would truly be at his wit's end.
And so Wei Zhao's situation grew perilous in the extreme. Only because the jade pendant gave warning in advance, and because he had a flash of inspiration and unleashed the Frenzied Fire Thousand Bursts Fist to sow confusion, did he manage to escape death by a hair's breadth time and again.
At last, after cutting across endless leagues of deep mountains and ancient forests, more and more cultivators began to appear ahead. Yet when they saw from afar the great mass of bloody black qi sweeping toward them, not one dared raise a hand; all fled far away to stand by and watch. After all, no one wanted to meddle and bring trouble down on himself.
Fortunately, Morning Star City lay just ahead. Wei Zhao's heart leaped with joy at the sight—if only he could flee into the city, the Xishan great one would not dare pursue him inside even if it killed him.
"You think that's enough to escape? Hmph—die!" Seeing this, the Xishan great one cast all else aside. This time, to block Wei Zhao's path, he did not hesitate to reveal his true form. There was no help for it; if he did not stop the brat now, he would truly have no chance left.
Wei Zhao was startled. Out in the desolate mountains and wilds, he might well have fought the fellow to the death—for that was the only chance to pin him down. But this was different. The odds of winning a deathmatch against him now were less than three in ten, whereas the next step would carry him into Morning Star City. Even a fool knew which to choose.