Chapter 70 — Ambush

As for the old leader, the moment he saw Zhang Qingyue join the battle, his heart skipped a beat. He was not afraid of the brat's powers, but he greatly dreaded that strange staff in his hand. Sure enough, the moment Zhang Qingyue arrived, he drove the black-iron staff to block several red lights, his expression not changing in the least; the evil aura of the Red Demon Eye, which Song Dayi and the others so deeply feared, seemed to have no effect on him at all.

This freed Song Dayi and Du Biyan's hands, and immortal sword and dice immediately went for the old leader. The old leader roared again and again, but no matter how he increased the power driving the Red Demon Eye, Zhang Qingyue was only somewhat strained in blocking the force of the red light, and was not in the slightest affected by the evil aura.

In but a moment the old leader was struggling to keep up; in his fluster he glanced aside and saw that Liu Gao, the wild dog, and even the beautiful woman seemed unable to gain any advantage. He could only shout, "Retreat!"

As he shouted, the Red Demon Eye suddenly burst forth, shooting out seven or eight red lights in rapid succession; Zhang Qingyue barely blocked five, but the remaining few lights held Song Dayi and Du Biyan back for a moment. Seizing the gap, the old leader turned and fled, and the several men of the Blood Refining Hall in the distance also scattered backward.

Lu Xueling gave a cold snort; heedless of Song Dayi behind her shouting, "Do not chase a cornered foe!", she sent the Divine Sword of the Heavenly Dipper streaking through the air in pursuit. Zhang Qingyue was startled and hurried to follow.

The blue light of Tianya was like lightning, and in an instant it had caught up. The Wild Wolf Daoist, running at the very rear, felt a chill wind at his back; the very hairs on his back stood on end, and he could not help but shriek, "Help!"

The old leader and the others were greatly alarmed and hastily looked back; but just then, behind the men of the Blood Refining Hall, deep in the dark forest, a white light suddenly flashed, and a white flower drifted out.

Zhang Qingyue, standing behind, stopped in his tracks, struck dumb for a moment.

That strange white flower flashed again and again in the air; in an instant, where the white light swept past, it seemed to conjure countless white petals into a rain of blossoms filling the sky, like a sea of serene, pure flowers, rushing toward Lu Xueling's blue sword of light.

Lu Xueling's Divine Sword of the Heavenly Dipper did not retreat in the slightest but charged straight up; in an instant, these two strange lights and rare treasures collided.

Time, in that moment, seemed to pause for a fraction of its flow.

Suddenly, an invisible yet violent wave of energy burst forth from those two treasures and surged out in all directions from them as their center. The fallen leaves, like rain, were blown up into the sky, and of the people on the ground, several actually staggered back a few steps.

It was a long while before the bitter wail of the wind gradually quieted. Lu Xueling drifted back to stand beside Zhang Qingyue; he looked at her and saw that her face seemed paler still, as though even the color of blood had left it.

Lu Xueling seemed to sense Zhang Qingyue's worry; she glanced at him and gave a slight shake of her head to show she was all right. Zhang Qingyue turned and looked ahead.

In the darkness, that strange white flower slowly revolved in midair, and after a moment gradually descended. All was silent around, when suddenly a jade hand, white as snow, reached out from the darkness and gently caught this "Flower of the Wounded Heart."

Zhang Qingyue suddenly felt his heart leap once more.

Bili walked out of the darkness, quietly, ever so quietly. The old leader and the others all wore expressions of respect, but Bili did not even glance at them; her eyes were fixed deeply on Zhang Qingyue, and then she shifted her gaze to Lu Xueling's face beside him, studying her closely.

Lu Xueling's gaze did not retreat in the slightest; she too gazed at that woman of surpassing beauty opposite her.

No one spoke on the field; the atmosphere, from the fierce battle of moments ago, suddenly turned cold and still, and there seemed even a faint, unspoken awkwardness.

Zhang Qingyue looked at Bili, then at Lu Xueling, and felt his mouth go somewhat dry. Unexpectedly, just then, footsteps sounded softly—it was Tian Lingsu coming to his side. She glanced rather curiously at Lu Xueling and Bili staring at each other, and said to Zhang Qingyue, "Xiaofan, what's wrong with them?"

Zhang Qingyue was startled, but in truth he did not quite understand himself; he only felt instinctively that it was awkward and strange. Suddenly questioned by Tian Lingsu at his side, he was for a moment tongue-tied and at a loss.

But at Tian Lingsu's question, Bili and Lu Xueling suddenly both turned to look at her at the same time; those two calm gazes swept across Tian Lingsu's face.

Tian Lingsu was startled and instinctively took a step back; but Lu Xueling was, after all, of her own sect, so she said to her, "Senior Sister Lu, what is it?"

Lu Xueling was silent for a moment, then turned her head away and said in a low voice, "Nothing."

At the same time, Bili ahead also shifted her gaze away.

Zhang Qingyue stood frozen in place, then suddenly came to himself and cursed inwardly at how absurd he was being: danger lurked on every side here, yet he stood there dazed. Truly despicable. He said in a low voice to Tian Lingsu and Lu Xueling beside him, "Let's go quickly! There are far too many demon cult people on this island."

A cold snort, tinged with a thin anger, came from Bili standing ahead.

Zhang Qingyue did not dare look at her; he turned and retreated. Lu Xueling looked once more at Bili ahead, then withdrew together with Tian Lingsu. When they had all returned, Song Dayi and the others helped up the injured He Dachuan and said, "Let's go, quickly."

With that they turned, preparing to head toward the sea. Behind them, the wild dog was itching to try something, but the old leader grabbed him and said in a low voice, "Miss Bili is here; do not act rashly. Do everything as the miss says."

Bili heard this, yet remained unmoved, only watching as the Canglan Sect people, while keeping guard against her side, gradually withdrew.

And her figure did not move in the slightest.

In the distance, from the direction of the sea where Zhang Qingyue and the others were retreating, a long cry suddenly rang out—and this time the sound was far beyond any of the cries earlier tonight, like the roar of a dragon rising straight to the ninth heaven, shaking the four wilds.

There was even a faint rumble of thunder, rolling toward them—but that sound seemed to come from the depths of the sea.

Bili stood where she was, then suddenly raised her head, and felt a coolness on her face: a drop of water had fallen upon it.

The wind had risen, and it had begun to rain. This chapter was posted by a NetEase book friend.

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