Cough! Cough! Cough!
In the high skies, the Thousand Illusion Eagle King coughed violently, and with each cough, a large amount of fresh blood sprayed from his wounds, quickly turning into crystal-clear blood pearls under the effect of the cold air aloft.
"Hmm? Eagle King, what’s happened to you?"
"How did you suddenly end up like this? Who ambushed you?"
Dozens of breaths later, True Master Tianzhu and Xie Lvu, who had hurried over from behind, were shocked to see the Eagle King’s chest flayed open and festering.
However, before they could get close, the Eagle King’s figure flashed, moving several miles away, then watched True Master Tianzhu and Xie Lvu with a wary gaze. At the same time, he swallowed a large handful of pills, and the chaotic aura within him was forcefully suppressed.
Seeing how cautious the Eagle King was, how could True Master Tianzhu and Xie Lvu not know what he was thinking— the Eagle King was worried that the two of them had malicious intentions and would take advantage of his severe injuries to strike against him.
"Eagle King, what do you take us for? Right, where did that little bastard Zheng Fuyun run off to?" True Master Tianzhu explained as he asked.
However, no matter how much True Master Tianzhu and Xie Lvu tried to explain, the Eagle King still kept his distance deliberately.
Before he was injured, these two wouldn’t dare to attack him, but now that he was severely injured, it was a different story.
This sort of thing was all too common, especially since there was no one around. If True Master Tianzhu and Xie Lvu harbored even the slightest ill intent, his life as the Eagle King might very well end here.
Thinking of this, the Eagle King grew even more resentful towards Ye Zhen, and in the next instant, he made up his mind. There was plenty of time ahead, so there was no need to risk his life rashly.
"The two of you, I was careless for a moment and fell for that thieving Ye Zhen’s trap, sustaining severe injuries. I’m going to heal first. You continue the pursuit. Hmm, be careful!"
Before his voice even fell, a brilliant light burst around the Eagle King once again, and his figure vanished into thin air on the spot. He had actually used Illusion Shadow Escape.
Watching the fleeing figure of the Eagle King, True Master Tianzhu and Xie Lvu were somewhat dumbfounded. They had not expected that their alliance in pursuit would disintegrate so quickly.
Furthermore, the Eagle King was extremely wary, having even used a desperate escape technique like Illusion Shadow Escape when leaving.
"Tianzhu, let’s keep chasing! That kid Ye Zhen actually managed to severely injure the Eagle King like this; his own condition definitely can’t be much better!" After pondering for a moment, Xie Lvu said.
Spreading out their figures, True Master Tianzhu and Xie Lvu once again pursued through the vast sea of clouds.
Forty miles away, just as the Eagle King reemerged from the void, a gush of fresh blood spurted out. The injury he had suppressed had erupted again, causing violent fluctuations in the spiritual power around his body.
"That little bastard Ye Zhen, he’s really got me good this time!"
"This is strange. Not to mention a Soul Sea Realm existence, even a martial artist in the Vein Forging Realm wouldn’t normally be able to find the exit point of my Illusion Shadow Escape, unless they possessed some special Divine Skills. How could that little bastard Ye Zhen possibly find it?"
Wiping the blood from the corner of his mouth, the Eagle King breathed a sigh of relief when he saw that True Master Tianzhu and Xie Lvu had not caught up. With a move of spiritual power, he conjured two huge wings, and with a flash of the wings, he set off on his return journey filled with endless doubt and frustration.
A bitter and utterly defeated pursuit!
"Hmph, Xie Lvu, that old coot, is really persistent!" In the midst of a swampy forest, Ye Zhen’s gaze briefly flicked over a figure circling in the sky above.
Through the eyes of the Cloud Winged Tiger hidden in the clouds, Ye Zhen could clearly see the circling figure was Qingluo Sect’s Law Enforcement Elder, Xie Lvu.
It was now the seventh day since Ye Zhen had gravely injured the Eagle King.
That day, with the Cloud Winged Tiger Cub’s extreme speed and the dual enhancement from the War Soul Blood Flag, he achieved the incredible speed of nearly ten thousand miles per hour, allowing Ye Zhen to successfully shake off the pursuit.
However, after the event, the Cloud Winged Tiger Cub fell into a weak state due to excessive consumption.
Conveniently, Ye Zhen directly went into hiding within the forest, waiting for the Cloud Winged Tiger Cub to recover.
Over the past seven days, the Eagle King had never reappeared, but True Master Tianzhu and Xie Lvu had occasionally swept past right above Ye Zhen’s head, showing that the two of them were still relentless.
Half an hour earlier, Xie Lvu began searching above this thick forest.
Ye Zhen had held back for a long time before he forcefully suppressed the urge to strike and kill Xie Lvu then and there.
If the plan was right and it was only Xie Lvu alone, Ye Zhen was confident he could inflict heavy damage or even kill Xie Lvu, but after some thought, Ye Zhen abandoned this risky plan.
The plan required too much luck; if anything unexpected happened, all that would await Ye Zhen was a point of no return.
Currently, with the Red Spirit Jade Marrow he had obtained from the Yu Family at Jade Water Lake in hand, as long as he assimilated this Red Spirit Jade Marrow, Ye Zhen’s strength would be able to make significant progress.
Now, it wasn’t worth taking such a risk.
"Xie Lvu, I’ll let you live a few more months!" Ye Zhen took a deep breath, concealed his breath, and curled up completely inside the tree hollow.
Fifteen minutes later, the figure of Xie Lvu still circling in the sky dome left, unable to find Ye Zhen.
Four days later, as Ye Zhen was riding the Cloud Winged Tiger Cub through the clouds, he suddenly saw a towering peak reaching into the clouds. That towering peak within the borders of the Black Water Kingdom was the famously known Ten Thousand Ridges Peak. Seeing this peak meant Ye Zhen wasn’t far from the Black Water Kingdom anymore.
Before Ye Zhen could rejoice, there was a faint sound in the air, and a figure suddenly appeared in the clouds ahead.
Ye Zhen’s pupils narrowed, and only then did his tense nerves begin to relax.
"Whoosh, Sect Leader, your sudden appearance nearly scared me to death!"
Truth be told, seeing Sect Leader Guo Qijing personally coming to the border to meet him, Ye Zhen was indeed very moved.
"Are you alright? What about your enemy? Did you shake them off?" asked Qiyun Sect Leader Guo Qijing.
Suddenly, an alarm surged in Ye Zhen’s heart. Before he could react, he felt a pain at the back of his head as a burst of spirit light struck it.
"You little rascal! Here I am waiting for you, windblown and sunbaked for seven or eight days, just because of your talisman communication, while you’re out having the time of your life," Liao Feibai’s clear yet slightly shrill voice rang out.
"Instructor Liao!"
Looking at Liao Feibai who appeared with his hands behind his back, followed by Grand Elder Lut Changchuan, Second Elder Jis Che, Third Elder... and others, Ye Zhen’s eyes suddenly moistened.
Nearly the entire main force of Qiyun Sect was here because of his talisman communication.
"Where are the people who were chasing you?" Zhongli Jing asked.
"It was the Thousand Illusion Eagle King. I used a strategy to grievously wound and force it to leave early. Also, Qingluo Sect’s True Master Tianzhu and the Law Enforcement Elder Xie Lvu should have returned empty-handed as well."
"Thousand Illusion Eagle King grievously wounded? Hiss!"
A collective gasp was heard. Whether it was Grand Elder Lut Changchuan or Zhongli Jing, they all looked at Ye Zhen with shock, their gazes no longer the same as those reserved for an ordinary disciple.
Under normal circumstances, it would not be easy for any of them to severely injure the Thousand Illusion Eagle King.
"Good, good, good!"
Suddenly, Qiyun Sect Leader Guo Qijing burst into a loud laugh, filled with pride and satisfaction.
"Sect Leader?"
"Haven’t you noticed? After this training, Ye Zhen’s cultivation has broken through to the Spirit Transformation Realm, and not just the first stage of it!
A nineteen-year-old Spirit Transformation Realm martial artist, how many are there in the world?"
Hearing Sect Leader Guo Qijing’s laughter, the other elders looked shocked. When they were nineteen, they were still mingling among the inner sect disciples, with most of them having just reached the Spirit Summoning Realm or not even breaking through yet.
Their gazes involuntarily shifted to Liao Feibai, secretly envying that he had taken Ye Zhen as a disciple early on, feeling a bit jealous.
In the sect, the stronger the disciple, the higher the master’s status.
However, come to think of it, a few years ago, when Ye Zhen was put in front of them, they wouldn’t have even blinked an eye, let alone consider taking him as a disciple.
"Now that Ye Zhen has safely returned, to the sect!" Sect Leader Guo Qijing announced jubilantly, and the sect’s avian spirit beast, the Black Cloud Wind-breaking Falcon, landed and swiftly took off with everyone aboard.
"Are you looking for Caiyi? Caiyi didn’t come; we didn’t dare tell her about your talisman. Her identity is a bit... you understand!"
Seeing Ye Zhen looking around, Liao Feibai whispered an explanation.
Then, Liao Feibai pulled Ye Zhen into a corner and with a wave of his hand, a spiritual power barrier enveloped them. Inside this barrier, their conversation could not be heard by anyone else.
"Kid, I’ve done you such a big favor; aren’t you going to thank me?"
"Thank you?" Ye Zhen was puzzled. "Instructor Liao, I’m very grateful that you could come to meet me today—"
"That’s not what I’m talking about. I mean getting you to pretend to be Luluo’s fiancé. That beauty... did you enjoy it? Tell me, did you—"
"Instructor Liao, how dare you bring that up? Do you have any idea how badly you’ve trapped me? If I hadn’t had a few tricks up my sleeve, I might have lost my life at Qingluo Sect!"
"Cough cough... I meant, in the end, what happened between you and Luluo..." Liao Feibai, dodging Ye Zhen’s gaze, asked somewhat curiously.
"Go ask her yourself!"
"Huh? You’re a brave lad, aren’t you? Talking to me like that now, are you looking for a beating?" Liao Feibai became angry.
Ye Zhen glared back--no matter how much Liao Feibai asked, he refused to answer a single word. Ye Zhen had made up his mind to keep silent to the end.
A day and a half later, with a loud cry, the Black Cloud Wind-breaking Falcon landed above Qiyun Sect.
Before the group could land, the Seventh Elder Zhongli Jing came up to meet them, his face full of distress.
"Sect Leader, you’re back at last. If you hadn’t returned soon, the sect would have been in complete chaos!"
Sect Leader Guo Qijing’s expression suddenly changed, "What happened?"
Somewhere amidst the clouds of the Sword Origin Empire, True Master Tianzhu and Xie Lvu met, both disappointed.
"So, you’re saying we let that brat escape!"
True Master Tianzhu was filled with hatred, but Xie Lvu’s eyes held worry.
"Tianzhu, we must be more cautious in the future."
"Zheng Fuyun, aka Ye Zhen, was able to severely wound the Thousand Illusion Eagle King!" Xie Lvu expressed his concern.
"Wasn’t it said he fell for a trap?"
"If Ye Zhen can scheme against the Thousand Illusion Eagle King, he can do the same to us..."
Hearing this, True Master Tianzhu stiffened momentarily, then with a sinister voice, he declared, "If he poses a threat to us, then the next time we get wind of that brat, no matter the cost, we must eliminate him!"(To be continued. If you enjoy this story, please visit qidian.com to vote for it and provide support, your encouragement is my biggest motivation. Mobile users please visit m.qidian.com to read.)

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