Chapter 89: Escape and Pursuit

As soon as Feng Wujie spoke, everyone’s hearts tightened once more. The promising situation for Long Yun was instantly shattered again upon Feng Wujie’s arrival. No one had expected Feng Wujie to be so formidable, boldly confronting even the old-generation sect master, the Azure Emperor, with such unshakable dominance—truly, he was formidable beyond measure.

Long Yun understood clearly in his heart: the appearance of the Azure Emperor’s phantom and the Qinghe Edge-less Sword had already shaken the foundation of his position as sect master, so the Azure Emperor had no choice but to kill him. Moreover, this was merely a phantom, not the Azure Emperor’s true form. Thus, Feng Wujie could only fight with his back against the wall.

“Young man, this strand of my divine sense is no match for them, but I can create a sliver of hope for you. Seize it!” The Azure Emperor’s voice sounded in Long Yun’s mind.

The Azure Emperor, ambitious as he was, naturally saw through Feng Wujie’s intentions. His words, spoken through secret transmission, left Long Yun momentarily stunned.

“Feng Wujie, you have indeed not failed my teachings. Remarkable! You even dare commit such monstrous acts against your master and ancestors. Today, stand where you are, and let me see who among you dares to act!” The Azure Emperor’s voice thundered with authority; his immense presence surged and reverberated.

Bai Yunfei looked up. On one side stood the current sect master, the foremost figure of the Azure Mountain lineage; on the other, the second-generation sect leader of the Azure Sect, likewise a towering figure of his era.

“Bai Yunfei, if not now, when? I will bear all consequences alone!” Feng Wujie, seeing Bai Yunfei’s hesitation, called out again.

With a sudden resolve, Bai Yunfei gritted his teeth. As an elder promoted by Feng Wujie, he was inclined to side with him.

“Sect Master Azure Emperor, forgive me! Join me—kill Long Yun!” Bai Yunfei said through gritted teeth and led the charge toward Long Yun, who stood behind the Azure Emperor’s phantom.

The other three elders followed close behind. They dared not be careless—even if this was merely a phantom, it was not a force they could easily withstand. Each mustered the full extent of their cultivation, launching their attacks toward Long Yun.

“Get out of my way, all of you!” the Azure Emperor roared. His form suddenly expanded like an inflating sphere, swelling violently.

At the same instant, Long Yun dared not hesitate a moment longer. He unleashed his Rising Dragon footwork and dashed away at breakneck speed.

A thunderous boom resounded—the Azure Emperor’s phantom exploded with a tremendous burst of power, sending sand and stones flying in all directions. Many sect members nearby were caught in the shockwave, flung backward, coughing blood.

Bai Yunfei and the four elders staggered back from the blast, each vomiting several mouthfuls of blood before collapsing to the ground.

The Azure Emperor had burned this last strand of divine sense to create a vital opening for Long Yun, and Long Yun did not let the chance slip by. In a heartbeat, he had vanished from everyone’s sight.

“Rong Xiang, take the disciples and hunt down Long Yun. No matter where he flees, bring me his head!” Bai Yunfei, depleted of his energy and unable to give chase, immediately ordered Cheng Rong Xiang.

Cheng Rong Xiang dared not delay. He sped off after Long Yun, simultaneously sending a secret signal for the disciples guarding the foot of the mountain to intercept him.

By now, Long Yun had pushed his movement technique to its absolute limit. In just a few bounds, he reached the foothills.

The four gatekeeping disciples, having received Cheng Rong Xiang’s orders, drew their swords as Long Yun raced toward them, moving to block his path.

“Out of my way—or die!” In a life-or-death moment, Long Yun showed no mercy. The Qinghe Edge-less Sword swept out, sending all four disciples flying without so much as a pause as he continued his flight.

Cheng Rong Xiang, with an innate Unity of Spirit cultivation, soared on the wind—yet his speed was only a hair’s breadth faster than Long Yun’s, hardly discernible at all. This alone proved how formidable Long Yun’s movement technique was.

Still, though Cheng Rong Xiang could not immediately catch up, Long Yun grew increasingly anxious. His opponent, flying above, could monitor his direction at all times. In this way, escape was impossible; as soon as the Azure Sect elders caught up, all hope for survival would vanish.

At this thought, Long Yun clenched his teeth, suddenly veering and darting into another range of mountains. The treacherous terrain would test his skill, but it was his only chance to hide his movements and avoid being directly caught.

The two pursued and fled at incredible speed, swiftly crossing two mountain peaks within moments.

A faint sigh of relief passed through Long Yun’s heart—soon, he would be outside the Azure Sect’s territory, and safety would be much closer, especially after his abrupt change in direction. At the very least, he could buy some time, slowing the elders’ pursuit.

Just then, atop a massive boulder ahead, a figure stood with hands clasped behind his back, his gaze calm and steady upon Long Yun. His brows knit slightly, as if deep in thought.

Long Yun instantly felt his heart seize—this was bad!

“Senior Brother Qi Ling, this man has slain our Azure Sect brothers—do not let him escape!” Cheng Rong Xiang shouted from behind, a sly grin curling on his lips.

Qi Ling was a paragon of the previous generation, now a third-rank innate master at the Heaven-Piercing Realm. No one had expected to encounter him here. With Senior Brother Qi Ling present, Long Yun had no hope of escape.

Hearing Cheng Rong Xiang’s words, Qi Ling’s expression flickered. As Long Yun charged toward him, Qi Ling’s fingers formed a sword gesture, releasing three waves of sword energy from his fingertips.

The three sword auras spread out in a triangular formation, sealing all possible paths forward.

Long Yun drew his energy into his lower dantian, pivoted sharply on his right foot, and with a sudden twist, forcibly changed his direction, leaping leftward to evade.

Qi Ling’s face changed slightly—he had not expected such agility. The opponent had only shifted course after the sword energy was released. Such precise judgment and explosive power commanded real respect. Who was this youth, daring to slay Azure Sect disciples during the Hunt and displaying such extraordinary talent?

With Qi Ling’s appearance, Cheng Rong Xiang unleashed his full strength without reservation, his speed soaring as he closed the gap by over twenty paces in an instant, drawing ever closer.

Qi Ling also invoked the Wind Riding technique, surpassing even Cheng Rong Xiang’s speed as both bore down on Long Yun.

Pursued by two formidable masters, Long Yun felt enormous pressure, yet his mind remained unwavering. Steeled by countless brushes with death, he would never give up as long as the slightest hope remained.

A mighty aura swept over Long Yun—Qi Ling had drawn close enough to exert his oppressive presence.

“A mere disciple at the Rebirth Realm thinks he can escape our pincer attack? Stop right there!” Qi Ling’s pressure mounted, slowing Long Yun’s pace.

Long Yun gritted his teeth, hesitated not a moment, and drew his Qinghe Edge-less Sword with a resounding clang. He struck behind him with a single, powerful blow—the Five Swords as One.

Five distinct sword energies burst forth from the blade, merging into a single, massive sword force that surged toward Qi Ling.

“No wonder you managed to kill my junior brother—you’ve got some skill. But this alone is not enough.” Qi Ling replied coolly, extending his sword fingers.

A faint blue halo expanded from his fingertips, and wherever the light rippled, Long Yun’s seemingly indomitable sword energy dissolved and scattered.

Long Yun was not surprised; he had anticipated this outcome. He adjusted his sword stance, unleashing another lightning-fast strike. The razor-sharp energy whistled through the air, stabbing at the outer edge of the blue halo.

A muffled explosion rang out. Long Yun spat a mouthful of blood, but used the recoil to propel himself another thirty paces away, fleeing without a backward glance.

“What a slippery fellow!” Qi Ling remarked with a slight smile. “Rong Xiang, let’s chase together. Up ahead lies Cang Wolf Ravine—a deadly place even the sect master dares not enter lightly. He won’t escape!”

Cheng Rong Xiang nodded, and the two soared after Long Yun, riding the wind once more.