Chapter 237: Chapter 120: Mist Marsh, Cyan Snake Demon, Cao Yan in Peril, Crushing Bai Nan

But in the face of absolute power, their courage seemed pathetic and laughable.

"You’re courting death!"

One of Bai Nan’s four Incense Masters, all at the Entering the Realm of Strength, stepped forward with a cold snort. He flicked his sleeve, and a gust of palm wind carrying the damp air swept out, forcing the surrounding mist to part on both sides.

He didn’t even need to use his full strength. A few casual palm strikes, and the immense Powerful Qi sent the disciples flying backward.

They spat blood as they crashed into the withered trees behind them. The trees shuddered, and dry branches rained down. All sound from the disciples ceased. Only the CLANG of their daggers falling into the muck could be heard, splashing up flecks of black mud.

Despair was like the ice-cold sludge of a swamp, coiling up from their ankles. It was a bone-deep cold that completely submerged their hearts and minds.

The sounds of weeping had long since ceased, replaced by a deathly, numb silence.

Some clenched their fists so tightly their nails dug into their palms, drawing blood, yet they couldn’t even feel the pain.

Others stared at the bloodstains on the ground, their eyes vacant as if their very souls were veiled by the mist, not even blinking.

They watched the blood-soaked figure ahead, still fighting desperately but on the verge of collapse. They saw how he staggered with every swing of his saber and felt as if they were seeing their own fate...

BAM!

Cao Yan was struck in the chest by a punch from Bai Nan and sent flying backward. His back slammed violently into a large stone, and he crumpled to the ground.

A sweet taste welled up in his throat, and he vomited a large mouthful of blood. But he immediately slapped the ground with his left palm and vaulted back to his feet.

"Die!"

Killing intent flared in Bai Nan’s eyes. His Long Saber, shrouded in a faint black mist, radiated a chilling aura of death as he swung it down toward Cao Yan’s head.

The wind from the blade cut a path through the mist, revealing the despairing faces of the disciples behind. Some bit their lips until they bled, while tears streamed down others’ faces, yet none of them could even scream.

The Cyan Snake Demon was bound tightly to the ground with chains. Its body writhed, scales scraping against the earth with an anxious SCRAPING sound.

She gazed in Cao Yan’s direction and let out a mournful, defiant cry. The demonic quality in her voice had faded, replaced by an anxious tone that even seemed to hold a hint of worry.

’If Cao Yan dies, I’m next...’

Many surviving Seven Stars Gang disciples closed their eyes in despair.

Tears slipped from the corners of their eyes, mixing with the damp mist on their faces. They dripped silently into the mud, vanishing without a trace.

Just at that hair-raising moment—

Suddenly, the mist in the valley stilled. The wind died down. Even the sound of a leaf falling to the ground could be heard with perfect clarity.

WHOOSH—!

An incredibly sharp whistling sound shot in from outside the valley!

The sound seemed to tear through the dense fog, blasting a thin fissure in the cold mist swirling before Cao Yan. It carried a piercingly sharp aura as it shot toward the heart of the battle.

It was a Black Kite Arrow.

The shaft of the arrow was shrouded in a bizarre, crescent-shaped glow, as condensed as frost.

Although Bai Nan was in a fierce fight, his Spiritual Sense as a Mortal Transformation expert remained sharp.

The moment the lethal crisis erupted, the hair on his body stood on end. He instantly poured Primordial Qi into his left hand, his knuckles turning pale from the effort. Wreathed in a heavy Force, his five fingers blurred into a residual image like an eagle’s talon, striking at the arrow’s shaft!

"You’re courting death!"

He roared, the wind from his palm booming. ’This grab will shatter the arrow into splinters!’

But just as his fingertips touched the arrow shaft—

SQUELCH! TEEAAR—!

There was no clang of metal on metal, only the grating sound of flesh and blood being rapidly twisted and torn apart.

The arrow’s Breaking Gang power melted the Primordial Qi in his palm like a hot poker through ice. The Powerful Qi on the arrow shaft spun with incredible momentum, piercing straight through his fingers!

Blood streamed down the arrow’s shaft. His five finger bones were starkly exposed, dangling with shreds of torn flesh. The pain was so intense his knuckles spasmed and his entire arm trembled.

This was only the beginning!

Once the Protective Primordial Qi on his palm was shattered, the Soul-splitting Force imbued in the arrow pierced directly into his very soul!

Bai Nan felt his soul being viciously ripped apart by a formless hand. A throbbing pain shot through his temples, his vision went black, and he screamed as he staggered backward.

Almost simultaneously, three more arrows shot in from outside the valley—

One aimed for the throat, one for the shoulder, and one for the leg. The angles were incredibly cunning. The arrowheads, glinting with a cold light, were aimed straight at the other two Moon Worship Sect masters.

The two men had no choice but to abort their attacks and defend themselves. They hastily formed a Primordial Qi Shield with their left hands to block the arrows while swinging their sabers at the shafts with their right. In their frantic haste, the hems of their robes were shredded by the wind of the arrows. How could they possibly spare any attention for suppressing Cao Yan?

THUMP! THUMP! THUMP!

Heavy footsteps like the beat of a primeval war drum. With each step, the mist in the valley trembled, and even the ground itself seemed to shake.

Shrouded in a gale, Chu Fan charged into the valley!

With every step on the wet ground, mud splattered high into the air. His footprints sank deep into the earth, and the entire valley seemed to tremble beneath his feet. His presence was as overwhelming as a tyrant dragon emerging from the abyss, so powerful it was hard to breathe.

"Reinforcements! It’s our reinforcements!"

"Thank the heavens, they’re finally here!"

"Senior Brother Cao Yan is saved!"

The disciples’ shouts were choked with emotion. Some tried to stand in their excitement, only to collapse back down on weak legs. They clutched the hems of their robes, a light of hope rekindling in their eyes.

The disciples, who had been cowering in a corner awaiting their deaths, now felt like drowning men who had just grasped a floating log. Ecstasy flooded every inch of their bodies.

Some were so overcome with emotion their hands trembled, and hot tears splashed onto their clothes, leaving dark, spreading stains.

But as the wind swept the dust away, the moment they got a clear look at the charging figure—

All their elation vanished, as if doused by a bucket of ice water that froze the very marrow in their bones.

"It’s... it’s Chu Fan?"

"How could it be him? He’s only been in the gang for four months!"

"We’re doomed! Even Senior Brother Cao was no match for them. Chu Fan hasn’t even reached Mortal Transformation—he’s just a kid! He’s just going to get himself killed!"

These thoughts surfaced one after another in their minds.

Despair, once again, filled their hearts.

They acknowledged that Chu Fan was a genius, but in the face of a Mortal Transformation expert, a genius was still far too green.