CHAPTER 351: CHAPTER 305 ESCAPE

The mountain wind howled, and the moonlight was cold and biting.

Li Ang swung through the woods, continuously using his Telekinesis to clear branches from his path and startle birds and insects into flight.

"Eh?" Sui Yi, slung over Li Ang’s shoulder, gasped in shock. "How did you get here?"

I’m here to get myself killed, aren’t I? Li Ang sighed inwardly with a tinge of sadness. The top ten from the trial were to head to Taihao Mountain Zhanquan for advanced training. This posed a risk of exposing Mo Si, so he had planned to find an opportunity to get himself eliminated early in a plausible manner.

But unexpectedly, his well-intentioned plan to get himself killed had run into Senior Sister Sui Yi. And this Senior Sister, who usually slacked off and idled her days away, had displayed astonishing combat strength at the crucial moment, nearly annihilating Shangguan Yangyao and the others.

"Senior Sister, you’re so heavy," Li Ang couldn’t help but comment, securing Sui Yi with additional Mind Threads.

Aside from her overly lethargic nature, which didn’t fit the traditional feminine ideals of Yu Country, Sui Yi was still quite... charismatic. Her figure was curvaceous, and her shoulders felt soft where he carried her.

"What would a little kid like you know? In Yu Country, plumpness is considered beautiful." Sui Yi rolled her eyes and grimaced from the bumpy ride. "Ow, could you be a little gentler?"

Her condition was undeniably dire: only a tenth of her Spiritual Energy remained in her Qi Sea, and her Spirit Veins trembled constantly. The palm of her hand was still bleeding from the wound incurred when she used the Wind Pressure Pearl. More seriously, forcibly clashing with the Haotian Divine Radiance Sword had dislocated her entire shoulder.

Indeed, I’ve been away from my duties with the Academic Palace Patrol for too long... Sui Yi sighed inwardly, feeling somewhat annoyed. If it had been a year or two ago, even if she had been forced to retreat in defeat while surrounded, she wouldn’t have suffered such severe injuries.

"Li! Ang!" Bian Chenpei’s furious roars echoed from below the mountain as he propelled himself upward with Telekinesis, treading on treetops to chase them up the slope. When sworn enemies meet, their eyes burn with rage! With a flick of his wrist, twenty daggers shot out like a rain of arrows. The sound of their flight pursued them up the mountain like relentless parasites.

Sensing the telekinetic disturbance, Li Ang shot out the Eagle Mountain Claw to hook onto a distant treetop. As he swung, he whirled around, and Mind Needles along with a Level 4 Turbulence Bead flew from his sleeve.

BUZZ—

The crystal-clear Bell Bead exploded, instantly creating an erratic, turbulent airflow. Branches snapped and leaves scattered. The twenty telekinetically propelled daggers were caught in the gale. Though they struggled to break free from the wild winds, their trajectories inevitably shifted. They missed Li Ang and Sui Yi by a hair’s breadth.

No matter, there will be another chance... Bian Chenpei narrowed his eyes, concentrating his Telekinesis into his palm before chopping forward. He sliced through the divided air currents and continued his pursuit. He didn’t need to defeat Li Ang, only stall for a few moments—just enough time for Shangguan Yangyao and the others to recover their breath.

Against a Cloud Patrol Telekinesis Master and an Innate Martial Artist who were still battle-ready, Li Ang—only at the Middle Rank of Rain Listening—and the severely injured Sui Yi had no chance of turning the tables.

Now is the time! Bian Chenpei’s eyes snapped open wide. Countless Mind Needles flew from his sleeves, joining the daggers to form a veritable shower of falling petals that cascaded forward.

In the half-month since Li Ang defeated him on the tournament stage, Bian Chenpei had wallowed in confusion and self-loathing, locking himself away and refusing to see anyone. This continued until Yu Feiyu used a Nearby Worm to send a message to Taihao Mountain, and a letter arrived in response. It was a letter signed by Bian Yubo. The handwriting, with its iron strokes and silver hooks, was as cold and sharp as a blade, bearing only one sentence: "Do not disgrace me."

Bian Chenpei clenched his teeth. Disregarding his trembling Spirit Veins and the churning in his Qi Sea, he forced himself to control every Mind Needle and dagger, making them surround Li Ang from all directions to seal off his path.

Pride isn’t given by others; it must be earned. And if lost, it can only be reclaimed by oneself.

WHOOSH—

The sound of tearing air echoed once more. Li Ang controlled his Mind Needles and used the talisman plate in his right hand to launch Water Bomb, Frozen Cold, and other talismans, barely repelling some of the Telekinesis Control Devices.

But how will I deal with the remaining ones?

At the critical moment, Sui Yi took a deep breath and shouted sternly, "Carry me on your back!"

Back?

Li Ang reacted instantly. Without hesitation, he released his Telekinesis, using Mind Threads to shift Sui Yi from his shoulder onto his back. Now back to back, they were bound tightly together by Mind Threads acting as ropes. Li Ang maintained his forward momentum, while Sui Yi transferred the Yinghuo Sword from her right hand—the skin between thumb and forefinger split open, shoulder dislocated—to her left, which could still barely manage.

The Yinghuo Sword flared anew! Red Sword Qi extended from the blade. Although it no longer possessed its former might, now only a little over six feet long, it still illuminated the surrounding dark thicket.

CLANG! CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!—

The shrill sound of clashing metal pained their eardrums. Sui Yi pursed her lips tightly. The sword light formed a flawless hemisphere, a barrier so tight not even water could pass, fiercely shattering the countless Mind Needles and daggers raining down on them. It sent them flying, piercing through the trees.

How is this possible?! Bian Chenpei’s eyes nearly split with rage. Despite Sui Yi’s critical state, she had still managed to squeeze out the last few strands of Spiritual Energy from her Qi Sea to repel the barrage of Telekinesis Control Devices. Furthermore, the Yinghuo Sword Qi emanating from the sword was eroding Bian Chenpei’s mental state through the invisible telepathic link of his Telekinesis, causing his mind to burn and sting, making it increasingly difficult for him to concentrate.

One slow step led to falling further behind with every subsequent one. Bian Chenpei watched helplessly as Li Ang, carrying Sui Yi, moved with the swiftness of a hawk darting through the mountains, and after they crossed two peaks, the ruins of the Jialan Sect came into view.

The Academic Palace’s "archaeological" abilities were second to none in the world. Their excavation of the Jialan Sect ruins had preserved the original appearance as much as possible. After stripping away the overgrown vines and weeds, what remained was a complex of dilapidated Zen architecture. The outermost layer consisted of crumbling walls, while the buildings further in were relatively more intact.

It was deep into the night. The moonlight was cold, and the night breeze was chilly. The sounds of insects and birdsong drifted from the forest surrounding the complex. Within the complex itself, however, an eerie, thin mist permeated the air. There were no sounds, nor any visible living creatures—not even the insects that typically thrived in dark corners.

THUD!

Li Ang and Sui Yi leaped from the dense forest, passed through a gateway marked only by stone pillars, and landed heavily on the stone slab pavement before the main Buddha hall.

Phew, we’ve finally arrived.

Li Ang helped Sui Yi down from his back. Supporting her, they both turned to look back. They saw an unwilling Bian Chenpei just emerging from the woods, while Shangguan Yangyao and the others, further in the distance, had just arrived and stopped at the forest’s edge.

The two groups faced each other from a distance, separated by the stone pillar gateway.

Sui Yi, her left hand trembling from exertion, sheathed the Yinghuo Sword. She pouted, made a rather vulgar gesture at Shangguan Yangyao and his companions, and shouted with surprising vigor, "Come and get us!"

Bian Chenpei clenched his teeth and took a step forward, but Shangguan Yangyao placed a hand on his shoulder, holding him back. Bian Chenpei looked up to see Shangguan Yangyao calmly shake his head.

"Now is not the time to enter the ruins of the Jialan Sect." Shangguan Yangyao stated calmly, "Our goal is to secure a spot in the top ten, not to get drawn into a fight over pride."

"But!" Bian Chenpei said, his voice laced with unwillingness. "We were so close!"

"There will be other chances. As long as we surround the exit, they can’t get out." Shangguan Yangyao glanced indifferently at the mist-shrouded Buddha hall. "Besides, whatever is in there might be even more dangerous than we are... Let’s go."

Seeing that their pursuers had no intention of entering the Buddha hall, Li Ang and Sui Yi exchanged relieved glances. Supporting each other, they walked into the mist and towards the Buddha hall.