Chapter 4517 — Sudden Disappearance

Finally back on solid ground, Wei Zhao let out a long breath of foul air. The helplessness that had wrapped around him in the water melted away entirely, and his confidence and self-assurance returned in full force.

What struck Wei Zhao as rather strange was that although this place was the Southern Isle, there was no thick miasma fog shrouding it at all, nor any trace of a miasma layer overhead. It was fresh and natural, like some hidden paradise untouched by the world.

"Senior, why is there no miasma here? Could this be the season when the miasma disperses?" Wei Zhao asked in surprise. He had not noticed it while in the water and had only realized it after coming ashore. He had already prepared to use his true qi to ward off the miasma, only to find there was none at all.

"That is not it. Although many places in the Southern Continent are shrouded in miasma year-round, there are just as many places without any miasma. It is simply that most of them lie deep inland and in the gathering grounds of the spirit beast clan, where human cultivators from outside cannot enter—so none of them know about it," Old Ghost explained.

"I see." Wei Zhao nodded in sudden understanding, thinking to himself that the Southern Continent truly was a mysterious land of the spirit beast clan. The outside world knew pitifully little about it. Even those human cultivators in the Southern Sea waters, close as they were, mostly understood the Southern Continent only at the level of hearsay passed along by passersby. Those who truly knew the inside story were likely few and far between.

While carefully observing his surroundings, Wei Zhao finally had a chance to tend to the injuries within his body. This time, in fleeing the Xishan Old Sect's pursuit, he had unexpectedly escaped into the inland of the Southern Continent. He would have to think carefully about where to go from here.

Yet before he could even catch his breath properly, the jade pendant's warning chime suddenly rang out sharp and urgent once more. At the same moment, a mass of black mist burst with a bang from the mirror-flat surface of the lake, and the familiar cackling, grating laugh instantly turned Wei Zhao's expression grim—the Xishan Old Sect had actually chased him all the way here!

"You've got some nerve, boy—daring to dive into a torrent whirlpool like that? Truly unexpected. So there was something hidden inside after all. But did you think that would let you escape this sect's grasp? What a wild fantasy, what a fool's delusion!" The Xishan Old Sect floated there in midair, unable to hide the smug satisfaction on his face.

By any reasonable measure, for a devil cultivator tyrant on par with a Mountain-Opening stage existence to spend so much time and effort hunting down a mere Golden Core cultivator like Wei Zhao, there was nothing to be smug about. Yet at this moment the Xishan Old Sect genuinely felt an indescribable sense of accomplishment.

If he had been frightened off by the torrent whirlpool just now, then Wei Zhao would have escaped his control completely, and he would have had to slink back empty-handed and alone—now that would have been truly laughable.

But as things stood now, the Xishan Old Sect had gritted his teeth and chased him through. All of Wei Zhao's previous efforts had turned to bubbles, and his fate had long since been sealed in advance: he would inevitably be refined into a puppet by the Xishan Old Sect. Whether he could become a trump-card puppet would depend on luck.

Of course, even if he could become a trump-card puppet, that could hardly be called good fortune for Wei Zhao, because either way the outcome was the same—his consciousness would be wiped away completely by the Xishan Old Sect, and from then on there would be no Wei Zhao left in this world.

He had thought he had barely survived a disaster, only to find it was all vain joy. The rise and fall came far too quickly! Wei Zhao was truly speechless. Even a torrent whirlpool could not shake the man off—this Mountain-Opening stage devil cultivator tyrant was truly a haunting ghost that would not let go!

"Three li due south there's a mud swamp—flee that way!" Old Ghost prompted in his mind, his tone carrying a clear note of surprise. That the Xishan Old Sect could pursue him to a place like this was indeed beyond expectation.

Wei Zhao immediately unleashed the Super Butterfly Microstep at full power. Before the Xishan Old Sect could make his move, he raced south according to Old Ghost's directions. Fleeing at top speed through a primeval forest was a great taboo, especially here, the stronghold of the spirit beast clan—one careless move and he could stir up some ferocious existence that must not be provoked. But Wei Zhao had no other choice now and could only take the risk.

He even half hoped to provoke a heaven-defying spirit beast capable of contending with a Mountain-Opening stage tyrant. As the saying went, one mountain cannot hold two tigers—when that happened, the Xishan Old Sect would surely become its first target, because the threat posed by this Mountain-Opening stage devil cultivator tyrant was far greater than Wei Zhao's. Only when two tigers fought would Wei Zhao have a chance to fish in troubled waters.

Such little calculations of Wei Zhao's could hardly escape the seasoned Xishan Old Sect, whose face instantly revealed a hint of killing intent. To perfectly capture a trump-card puppet candidate, he truly did not want to harm Wei Zhao's physical body—but there was one prerequisite: that he would not encounter any unexpected danger.

In the Demonic Cold Sea, and indeed across all the Southern Sea waters, the Xishan Old Sect could run rampant and unbridled with his strength. So long as he had the patience, he could afford to spend a year or half a year on Wei Zhao without concern. But this place was different. The instant he had burst out of the water, the Xishan Old Sect had already realized that this was the Southern Isle, in the inland of the Southern Continent!

A Mountain-Opening stage devil cultivator tyrant was indeed a near-invincible existence, but the spirit beast clan also teemed with the powerful. If he made too much of a commotion here all alone, and truly drew the attention of those top-tier existences of the spirit beast clan, even the Xishan Old Sect would suffer greatly—and might even put his life in danger.

Safety first. If he truly provoked some existence he should not have, the Xishan Old Sect could only grit his teeth and kill Wei Zhao. Even if he could not refine a trump-card puppet, that was still better than trapping himself in this dangerous Southern Continent, where dragons hid and tigers lurked.

Wei Zhao's perception was keen indeed. In an instant he sensed the wisp of killing intent radiating from the Xishan Old Sect, and his heart gave a lurch—the greatest crisis had come!

Wei Zhao was no fool. He knew that the reason he had been able to flee from the Xishan Old Sect's grasp for so long was entirely because the other man did not wish to harm his physical body. Once that restraint was gone, a few lives would not be enough for him to survive.

In the blink of an eye, Wei Zhao had fled to the mud swamp Old Ghost had mentioned. It looked not much different from the surrounding dense forest, but the stench of rot assailed the nostrils. If any creature dared to step onto it rashly, it would be swallowed and buried alive in a matter of moments.

"Roll in the mud, then flee east!" Old Ghost's prompt followed close on its heels.

Wei Zhao wasted no words and did as told at once. Paying no mind to the foul, pungent stench of the silt, he rolled once along the edge of the swamp, then turned and bolted eastward.

"Hm? How is this possible?" The Xishan Old Sect was just then preparing to descend upon Wei Zhao's head, when his blue brows suddenly knitted. In that very instant, Wei Zhao had simply vanished from his divine consciousness... R1152