Chapter 160 (Patreon)

Chen Haoran crushed the Spirit stone in his hand, and the Yellow Dragon leaped to devour the energies, quickly converting them into qi. The silver light surrounding him was faint and weightless, but the pressure he felt under it was heavier than his armor.

Across from him, Lu Aotian desperately ripped out pills from his storage bag and stuffed them into his mouth. Xie Jin sent a wave of liquid miasma to engulf him, forcing Lu Aotian to shove the Metal Lily forward to break the wave and fend off the remnants with a weak flood of red qi. The five-colored aura did not return.

Which meant when Phelps’s flood of Liquid Qi hit Lu Aotian he was helplessly carried into the air before he could finally rip out of it by physically swinging the Metal Lily through it like a brick.

Ice and purple miasma exploded in the distance as Bao Si and Qiong Qi fought Pan Gong. Qiong Qi’s remaining Blue Lotus belched out freezing blizzards, hiding hyper-sharp shards of ice. One of Bao Si’s Gu spewed clouds of gaseous miasma while the other launched high-pressured jets of the virulent poison. Pan Gong was a storm in his own right. Clapping the air like thunder with enough force to weaponize it and scatter snow and poisonous clouds. The ice broke against his skin to no reaction, and the cutting jets of liquid miasma were avoided by only the necessary inches. Bao Si and Qiong Qi were fighting a retreating battle back towards Chen Haoran, while Pan Gong did all he could to cut them off. All the while, the silver shroud around them all grew in intensity.

He needed to move.

Chen Haoran gave over the all the effort to replenish his qi to the Yellow Dragon. He pushed himself to his knees, then with another heave to his feet. Qi whirled around him while he put his helmet back on as the Yellow Dragon ravenously began to draw it from the surroundings. His dried-out meridians filled with surging currents. He spared a glance at Lu Aotian, still fending off Xie Jin’s intermittent attacks. He thumbed his sword. No sword shadow rose off it. No metal white light shone. It was not gone but changed. Altered in that final moment when he peered into the White Tyrant and Yellow Dragon’s shared memory. Even now, he could call it again, but it would not be a light burden. The Yellow Dragon and White Tyrant had shared in some of the load before, and he was still almost drained. Another attempt would put him out completely. He wasn’t sure his sword could bear it either. The Earth-Rank weapon felt as hollowed out as he was. He’d only damage it further.

Lu Aotian would live then. Attempting to finish him off now without securing their escape was a pointless risk. Thankfully, it seemed using the Crystal Transformation Realm Treasure took just as much out of Lu Aotian. He wouldn’t be using it again soon.

“Brother Chen!” Xie Jin called.

They shared a look. Chen Haoran flicked his eyes first to Pan Gong, then to Lu Aotian. Xie Jin nodded in response, and he and Phelps redoubled their efforts, harrying Lu Aotian, forcing the man-beast to waste his energies on defending rather than recovering.

Beyond, Qiong Qi’s Lotus shuddered, sprouting thick vines from his Rattan Armor that surged forward and wrapped up Pan Gong’s limbs. He struggled once and did not immediately rip through them as he had before. This was the opening Bao Si’s Gu had been waiting for. One slithered like shadowed lightning to Pan Gong’s side while the other blasted him with miasma. Faced with the very real option of picking his poisons Pan Gong chose neither. His skin turned bright red, and his towering figure grew several times larger, easily snapping through the vines. Steam and heat and red mist bled off of him like clouds as he raised his fist, several times redder than his body, and punched out. Superheated air screeched, evaporating the miasma and engulfing the greedy Gu the flew too close to the sun.

It was the first time Chen Haoran ever heard a Gu scream.

Bao Si’s Gu flung itself away, blistering and bleeding purple blood. Bao Si blanched and backpedaled, calling her Gu back to her side. Pan Gong ignored her and blitzed Qiong Qi, whose lotus was blazing with blue light.

The silver light grew thicker.

Chen Haoran channeled qi through his legs.

Red Step of Good Fortune.

He arrived at exactly the right place to catch Pan Gong’s punch on his shoulder, filling his armor with absorbed force. He directed that force into his sword and drove it up into Pan Gong’s chest, where he’d split him open previously. Pan Gong caught the blade with his giant hand, and Chen Haoran’s momentum stopped dead. He looked up at the hulking monster Pan Gong had become, straight into his red face with its exaggerated proportions. Right into his eyes that were all too intelligent to belong on something this big.

“So you can’t use it like before,” Pan Gong noted with a booming voice.

The silver light grew thicker.

Chen Haoran’s tight grip on his sword quickly became a liability. Pan Gong flicked his wrist and wrenched the sword to the side, dragging Chen Haoran along with it. As soon as his foot left the ground, Pan Gong kicked into it. The force it transferred was negligible but it was enough to destroy Chen Haoran’s balance and leave him hanging by his sword. A fact that Pan Gong was quick to make use of when he lifted the sword and Chen Haoran into the air before he could rebalance and slammed him into the ground.

The damage was nonexistent, but before he could get up, Pan Gong was suddenly in his face and roaring with what seemed like all the qi and breath he could muster in his lungs.

Chen Haoran’s realization hit before his eardrums ruptured. The armor doesn’t protect against sonic attacks. Then, a sharp pain stabbed his ears, and all he could feel was nausea as he threw up bile into his helmet. Pan Gong’s unholy roar gave way to loud ringing. Chen Haoran laid there for what felt like forever. Then, the moment passed, his eardrums healed and he was back on his feet. Pan Gong had rushed past him and ran headfirst into a vine wall Qiong Qi had erected that, even in his giant form, he struggled to snap quickly.

The silver light grew thicker.

Red Step of Good Fortune.

Chen Haoran stepped into another of Pan Gong’s blows yet again, blocking it with his back. He whirled into a back kick straight to Pan Gong’s leg with all the combined force that landed with a viciously satisfying slap. The giant was hobbled for a moment, and Chen Haoran took it to slash at his legs, leaving shallow cuts on them when the sword failed to bite through fully. Another Red Step of Good Fortune carried him away from Pan Gong’s counter as Qiong Qi’s vines swooped in like snakes to restrain him before a massive sphere of icy blue qi swallowed him whole.

Chen Haoran appeared at Qiong Qi’s side in a flash of red qi. “You leaving nearly screwed us.”

“I will make sure to compensate you appropriately,” Qiong Qi said with a respectful nod. A streak of green qi slithered snake-like across the silver light shrouding him. “Please do not resist.”

Vines extended from his armor and wrapped around Chen Haoran and Bao Si’s waists. Another extended further out to do the same for Xie Jin. He had clasped his hands together, and his Gu hovered in front of him, wreathed in purple energy. That same purple energy was surrounding the Metal Lily treasure. Lu Aotian was roaring out curses as he gripped the Lily tight between both hands and covered it with his qi. Phelps wrapped his arms tightly around Xie Jin and protected them both with his special qi.

The silver reached critical mass.

Pan Gong burst out of the frozen explosion. Chen Haoran could see the frustration and resignation on his face. Their eyes locked one last time. He watched Pan Gong’s gaze shift to the vine. The intention was clear as day. Pan Gong disappeared, and Chen Haoran slashed out preemptively. Despite his movement technique, he was still beaten out by Pan Gong in pure speed and reaction time. Moving first was his best shot at keeping up with him. His sword hit nothing but air, however, because Pan Gong did not attack him.

He appeared behind them and severed the vine connecting Xie Jin with a swift knife palm.

The silver light shined.

Chen Haoran felt cold fear spike down his spine.

He cut himself loose and sprinted toward Xie Jin even as the qi churned in his legs and made red light. Bao Si melted through her own restraints, but Qiong Qi rushed over and grabbed her wrist.

“Let go!” she demanded.

Xie Jin turned his head. He was pale, but his face was tight with determination. “Si!”

By reflex, Chen Haoran looked over his shoulder at Bao Si. Wild fear had overcome her mask as she stared at Xie Jin. Whatever silent conversation she and Xie Jin shared he did not know. In the next moment however she stopped resisting Qiong Qi and brought her own hand up flat. Her two Gu flashed purple and two more purple auras simultaneously appeared on the Metal Lily.

“Damn you!” Lu Aotian roared. “I’ll kill you! I swear to Heaven I’ll kill you all!”

The Metal Lily disappeared from his hands.

Red Step of Good Fortune.

Chen Haoran crashed into Xie Jin and threw his arms around him and Phelps.

The silver light blinded them.

“Jin! Haoran!” Bao Si screamed.

They teleported.

Stone floors and clear air greeted Chen Haoran as he fell to the floor of the Trial Pyramids entrance altar, cradling Xie Jin and Phelps. Around them, the Garrison was in disarray, the teleportation not caring about their previous formation. Groans of pain and relief filled the air as the injured and exhausted released their pent-up voices. Other officers were still up and about, checking the situation. Pan Gong was one of them. He zeroed in on Chen Haoran.

They needed to leave.

“Capture them!” Pan Gong ordered.

The Garrison soldiers sprung back to motion, and several quickly surrounded them. Xie Jin’s Gu sat atop his head and belched out a cloud of miasma as Chen Haoran dragged them towards the exit. Red qi flashed at his heels as he used Red Step of Good Fortune. He crashed into a Garrison soldier and narrowly pulled Phelps away from a spear thrust. Using a movement technique while carrying multiple people was far different than just himself. He didn’t have time to struggle with it. They would all die if he did.

Phelps flooded out his floatation qi in just the right place to blunt Pan Gong’s sudden punch, giving Chen Haoran enough time to stab his sword into Pan Gong’s fist and stop the attack. The Yellow Dragon surged out of Chen Haoran with a roar, enlarging itself to cover the three of them, blocking several swords and a fireball. He felt the Yellow Dragon’s mind touch his own.

Red Step of Good Fortune

Red qi spread along the Yellow Dragon’s length, and when Chen Haoran stepped down, they were past the crowd of soldiers and on the pyramid steps outside.

Chen Haoran grimaced. Below them on the steps and spread out across the ruins were the Garrison forces selected to stand guard while the officers ventured into the trial. The Crystal Transformation Realms were nowhere to be seen in the sky, but that didn’t mean they still weren’t here. His mind was a riot of thoughts. Behind them, Garrison. In front of them, Garrison. If he could somehow get past them all and into the jungle— no. Xie Jin was good, but they were outnumbered, and the Garrison surely had their own jungle experts. Where would they even go? Where would they hide? There were Crystal Transformation Realms. One of them was a stronger Shaman than Xie Jin could even imagine. They couldn’t run. They couldn’t fight. He’d die. Xie Jin and Phelps would die. Pan Gong had damned them.

“Brother,” Xie Jin slurred, disoriented and pale. “Sorry.”

In his hands was Lu Aotian’s Metal Lily treasure.

Xie Jin stuffed it into his hand, and as Chen Haoran closed his fingers around it, he felt his resolve close as well. If they could not escape the Garrison in the Deep Jungle, then they just had to go where even they would not dare.

“Hold on, Brother,” Chen Haoran said. He spun on his heel and ran with all his might around the side of the pyramid.

Pan Gong appeared at the doorway of the altar building and, with a heave of his chest, shouted. “Warning Black! Snake In The Grass! To Arms Garrison!”

The valley was filled with a cacophony of noise and yelled orders as Pan Gong’s words echoed across the ruins. Chen Haoran could feel a multitude of senses fall upon him.

Red Step of Good Fortune.

The Yellow Dragon flew forward and narrowly avoided Pan Gong crashing into their previous location. Another red step put them in just the right place to avoid several long range techniques. A burning arrow seared past them. Deluges of liquid qi were surmounted. The air screamed as several officers with movement techniques pushed them to the limits and surrounded them. A red step neatly threaded them through the officers’ spears and axes and conveniently placed a few directly between them and Pan Gong, forcing him to abort his charge.

Chen Haoran flooded all the qi his legs could bear as he half ran and half flew across the ground ensconced within the Yellow Dragon. Phelps was screaming, and Xie Jin had thrown his arm around Chen Haoran’s shoulder and clutched it in a death grip. They were practically floating within his liquid qi as he carried them, whipping to and fro like flags in the wind with every sharp turn they were forced to make.

A large surge of qi that had his meridians screaming saw them fly off the pyramid and deep into the valley below, landing with enough force to crater the earth. A barrage of attacks flew from above at them. Lances of fire, a rockslide conjured from the air, tornadoes, scythes of cutting metal crescents, and the giant devil Pan Gong. Chen Haoran cycled the Red Step of Good Fortune without rest and flashed several times in a row. Each step put them in a safe spot amidst the rain, either by lack of coverage or where techniques collided with one another.

Pan Gong slammed into the ground with all the force of a falling meteor, rumbling the earth and causing it to break beneath Chen Haoran’s feet. The momentary stumble was enough for him to catch up to them in the blink of an eye, and Chen Haoran desperately pulled away with another red step as Pan Gong ripped off the Yellow Dragon’s tail. The Yellow Dragon roared at the indignity, but it would have to live with the offense.

Up ahead, Chen Haoran saw salvation. An almost solid wall of green fog with only the barest hint of tree tops peeking over top of it. It ebbed and flowed like waves at the valley edges. Thin tendrils of it reaching out from its limits as if to grab at the environment outside. All around the green fog, the land was stained black with death and rot. Despite this, there was a sweet and inviting scent in the air. The kind that made you want to explore and find out just where it could be coming from.

The Tenth Green Hell beckoned.

Pan Gong realized what Chen Haoran’s intention was and raced like a demon to catch them. His physical body alone carrying him with speed to keep up with the Red Step of Good Fortune and grasp at their heels.

One step beyond beasts.

Pity then that Pan Gong was no mere beast.

“Officer Pan, disengage.” The voice was not loud. That was because the rest of the world grew quiet as it spoke.

Pan Gong, who had been chasing them like the devil himself, suddenly flung himself backward with all the force he could muster, sailing all the way through the air and back to the pyramid.

Chen Haoran’s blood curdled. Phelps let out a strangled cry. Xie Jin said nothing but shook like a man mad. Even the Yellow Dragon had gone silent. Chen Haoran immediately summoned a Top-Grade Spirit Stone to hand and desperately flooded his qi into the Metal Lily. He pulled his sense back to his body as a sun appeared.

“Rebels? In my Empire?” The voice said, filled with so much disdain and contempt that it became a physical force. Qi warped, and Chen Haoran could no longer move. The world was no longer a place where moving was possible.

Please he prayed.

A five-color aura emerged from the Metal Lily. Chen Haoran’s qi rapidly depleted and he cracked the Top Grade Spirit stone in his hand as he and the Yellow Dragon desperately siphoned its immense energy to feed the Metal Lily. The five-color aura spread across the scales of the Yellow Dragon, and with a defiant roar, Chen Haoran could move again.

Red Step of Good Fortune

It was the heaviest step he’d ever taken and took half his qi to make. The Tenth Green Hell was so close.

Red Step of Good Fortune.

His second step only left him the barest slivers in his meridians. He summoned the rest of his spirit stones and they leached their energy into his yellow qi. The Yellow Dragon grew several times larger and denser and that refined qi then made its way back into Chen Haoran in a revered flooding.

“My first move was mercy,” the Crystal Transformation Realm said. “To make me take a second one is death.”

He flared his qi. A storm rose above them. The walls of the valley broke and turned in upon them like fingers of a giant hand. Beneath them, the earth split and shattered as a fathomless abyss reached up to seize them. He could not breathe. Qi and stone pressed in on them from all sides, and Chen Haoran felt so very, very small in the palm of this giant.

The Yellow Dragon roared, and Chen Haoran deliriously, soundlessly roared with it. The Spirit Stones cracked and crumbled into pure liquid qi that passed through Chen Haoran and straight into the Metal Lily. Its petals lit up one by one, and the five-color aura suddenly condensed into a large lily construct above their heads. Five colors flashed. Green, Red, Yellow, White, and Black. One color for each of the Five Elements.

Chen Haoran’s world became calm as the Five Elements Lily stabilized the destructive influence of the Crystal Transformation Realm. Chen Haoran looked up to the sky and saw the harsh face of the higher realm glaring down at him. The same Crystal Transformation Realm he had seen overseeing the Garrison’s operation in the ruins. He was alone. The Shaman was nowhere to be seen. He closed his hand into a fist, and the world matched his action. Closing around the Five Elements Lily and attempting to crush the flower. It could not break it immediately, however.

And that was enough.

Red streamers crisscrossed the Yellow Dragon.

Red Step of Good Fortune.

Chen Haoran dragged Xie Jin and Phelps into the Tenth Green Hell and disappeared into the fog.