"Caw!" Suddenly, he heard a snow hawk cry out urgently as it flew over from the southwest and dropped something.
"What?" He glanced at it, startled. "The Kunlun Blood Serpent again?"
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a faint figure rushing towards the valley entrance, disappearing in an instant as fast as lightning.
Pupil? What is he going to do?
Huo Zhanbai didn't have time to think. He grabbed the Ink Soul Sword, pushed open the window, and chased after it.
At the entrance to Yaoshi Valley, jagged rocks stand in rows.
The stones rolled in the wind at the valley entrance at a speed imperceptible to the naked eye, and the terrain changed imperceptibly, becoming intricate and complex. Legend has it that the founder of Medicine Master Valley was originally a peerless master from the Central Plains who had committed countless killings in his life. In his later years, he suddenly realized his mistakes and resolved to atone for the sins he had committed in his youth. So he traveled alone to the far north and into the cold, desolate land, where he built a hut in this valley and practiced medicine to help the world.
This snow-covered stone formation was set up to avoid revenge.
Leaving the valley is easy, but entering it without guidance will surely lead to getting lost among the snow and boulders.
No wonder that Medicine Master Valley has been able to remain separate from both the righteous and evil factions for so many years. It turns out that not only do all parties rely on it to maintain a delicate balance, but its remote location and numerous traps also protect its safety.
"Successful." The silver-clad assassin landed gracefully, his foot landing on the jagged boulder array at the valley entrance. "Miao Huo, you're too late."
"Hehe, as expected of Tong! I've been stuck with this broken stone formation for days," the visitor laughed as he looked at the tiny blood-red bead in the other's hand in the darkness. "The Ten-Thousand-Year Dragon Blood Crimson Frost Bead—is this the legendary thing that can poison gods and demons? With this, I can finally kill that old cult leader!"
For ordinary people, the Dragon Blood Pearl is useless, but for those who practice magic, it is a supreme magical artifact. The "Bo Gu Zhi" records that if one puts this pearl in their mouth and breathes it in, and uses it in conjunction with magical practice, one can glimpse the Dao of Heaven; however, if it comes into contact with blood, its poison can kill gods, ghosts, and demons, making it extremely rare.
The King of the Sect has been in seclusion recently to cultivate the ninth level of the Iron Horse Ice River Heart Technique. They took advantage of this time, using the pretext of assassinating the hermit of Tianchi, to leave Kunlun and head towards Qilian Mountain, intending to seize the Dragon Blood Pearl and return before the King of the Sect finished his seclusion. Unexpectedly, Huo Zhanbai appeared midway, causing a significant delay.
Tong silently flipped her hand and put the bead away: "It's all done, you can go now."
"Oh? All done?" The crimson snakes kept converging under the rock, forming a sea of blood, while the red-haired giant sitting on the rock merely toyed with a snake as thick as a bucket, chuckling, "You killed that valley master? What a pity, I heard she was not only a skilled healer but also a beautiful woman..."
“I didn’t kill anyone,” Tong said coldly.
"No?" Miao Huo was taken aback and looked at him with some surprise. As a killing genius who was rare in the Shura Field, Tong always acted ruthlessly and never left any survivors. Could it be that he broke the rule this time in the matter of the Dragon Blood Pearl?
"Why not kill him? It's just a small favor." Miao Huo frowned, looking at the Asura who made everyone in the sect turn pale at the sound of her voice, and hesitated, "Could it be... Tong, that you've softened your heart?"
"This is a tricky situation." Tong said impatiently, "Huo Zhanbai is over there."
"Huo Zhanbai... the seventh young master of Dingjian Pavilion?" Miao Huo murmured, gazing at the snow-covered ground. "He's quite a formidable opponent—did the twelve Silver Wings you brought this time fall to him?"
Tong snorted: "He'll pay it back slowly."
"That's right. We've already got the Dragon Blood Pearl, so it's not worth fighting him head-on. We'll have plenty of time once we've finished our important business!" Miao Huo clapped his hands and laughed, then suddenly became serious. "We need to hurry back—we've been secretly out here for almost a month now. I heard from Miao Shui's message that the old man, the Sect King, came out of seclusion the day before yesterday and even asked about you!"
"The Pope has emerged from seclusion?" Tong's eyes widened in shock, turning a deep turquoise. "He discovered it?!"
“No, hehe, I was lucky, it just so happened that Miaoshui was on duty,” Miaohuo roared, and the giant snake suddenly opened its mouth, and the little snakes actually poured into the mother snake’s mouth one after another. “She answered according to the original plan, saying that you went to Tianchi Lake in Changbai Mountain to assassinate that old demon who had been living in seclusion for many years.
"Oh," Tong breathed a soft sigh of relief. "That's good."
“However, we still need to hurry.” Miao Huo put away the snake, her eyes serious. “Something’s not right.”
"What?" Tong raised her eyes, her gaze sharp.
"Miao Shui's letter says that the King of the Sect failed in his recent seclusion to cultivate the ninth level of the Iron Horse Ice River Heart Technique! He is currently suffering from a qi deviation and is bedridden, unable to restrain the Three Holy Maidens, the Five Bright Children, and the Asura Field," Miao Huo briefly described the situation. "There is now open and covert infighting within the sect, and the Three Holy Maidens are also getting impatient and may be about to make their move first—we must act quickly."
"Oh..." Tong responded softly, then suddenly made a shushing gesture, "Someone is rushing this way."
The sword light shot out like a bolt of lightning, and a figure swept across the snow. In mid-air, a clang of metal clashed, and the two figures snapped together and then separated.
"Huo Zhanbai?" Upon seeing the newcomer, Tong exclaimed softly, "It's you again?"
"Your internal energy has recovered?" Huo Zhanbai was surprised when he noticed the change in his opponent after receiving a sword strike.
—Did that damned woman turn around and forget his advice, and release that poisonous snake?
He spotted the red-haired giant beside him and recognized him as Miao Huo, one of the Five Bright Sons of the Demonic Sect. His heart skipped a beat—one Tong was already difficult to deal with, let alone another one!
"You members of the Demonic Sect, if you dare to take another step into the valley, you will die!" Knowing that a bloody battle was inevitable tonight, he took a deep breath, shouted, and stood at the entrance of Medicine Master Valley with his sword.
"Who wants to enter the valley again?" Tong sneered coldly. "I'm leaving—"
With a swift movement, he rose into the air amidst the wind and snow. Miao Huo chuckled, flicked his fingers, and with a crisp sound, a massive Kunlun Blood Serpent shot out like an arrow. He flipped over, leaped onto its back, and disappeared into the distance.
Huo Zhanbai got up to give chase, when suddenly a voice drifted from afar on the wind—
Instead of wasting time chasing me, you might as well go check if that woman is still alive.
Xue Ziye is still alive.
The wound was located on the left side of the skull, deep enough to expose the bone, and blood stained his long hair red.
Shuanghong parted her thick, long hair, carefully cleaned the wound, and began applying medicine—the wound was left by an extremely sharp sword, and at close range, a direct cut to the skull. If she hadn't changed direction at the last second when she reached the skull, instantly turning the slanted blade into a flat strike, half of the Valley Master's head would have been gone.
"Stupid woman!" Huo Zhanbai couldn't help but curse after glancing at the wound on Xue Ziye's head.
However, the hot-tempered woman was as docile as a cat at this moment, just standing there in a daze, neither crying out in pain nor speaking, letting Shuanghong bandage the wound on her head, seemingly ignoring his scolding.
"Valley Master, it's done." Shuanghong lowered her hand and said softly.
"Go out." She simply waved her hand. "Go to the pharmacy and keep an eye on Young Master Huo's medicine for Aunt Ning."
"Yes," Shuanghong replied, and with some worry, she withdrew.
"You damned woman, I clearly told you, whatever you do, don't break his blood seal—" Huo Zhanbai couldn't help but explode, finding this woman utterly unreasonable. "Who is he? The number one assassin of the Demonic Sect's Asura Field! What are you talking about past friendships with him for? Damn it! You really won't even know how you died!"
"Huo Zhanbai, you've lost again." However, Xue Ziye, who had been lost in thought, suddenly laughed.