The Ethereal Domains

Chapter 566: Hunt!

Hunt! . . .

Cha Eun Xiao, upon perceiving the impending danger in the early stages, was certain that the two great sects had orchestrated the ambush. In his world, there existed no one bold enough to lay a hand on him, let alone capable of taking his life. He had cultivated a fearsome reputation, one that exuded a reckless willingness to expend any amount of wealth for a bounty, a reputation that would intimidate any faction in existence.

Yet, these two great sects were an exception, completely unfazed by the allure of a bounty. Cha Eun Xiao was convinced that only they could be the masterminds behind this calculated ambush. It had been a mere six days since he had eliminated their members, but he hadn't anticipated that they would strike back so swiftly and forcefully.

This turn of events seemed implausible. After all, the two great sects were situated thirty-seven thousand miles away from Chen-Xing City, a distance that most ordinary people wouldn't traverse in their lifetimes. Typically, when a sect experienced such losses, they would engage in extensive deliberation and planning, a process that involved choosing suitable personnel and inter-sect discussions. Only then would they embark on a mission.

Such preparations took at least half a month, assuming they expedited the process without rest. Nevertheless, it remained impossible to reach the capital within a few days, even for cultivators of the Sky Origin Stage, no matter how tirelessly they pressed forward. Cha Eun Xiao couldn't help but sense that something had gone awry, some unexpected turn of events that had led them on an unforeseen path. He was truly caught off guard this time.

"Caution is the parent of safety. I wasn't arrogant; I was careless," he sighed, chastising himself. "Xiao Monarch, did I not make the same mistake, surrounded by the three factions on the day I vanished from this world?"

"Given such vivid lessons, am I still committing the same error? Is this a warning from my fate?" Cha Eun Xiao pondered the consequences of his actions.

He recognized his adversaries, yet he was powerless at the moment. The distance between them continued to widen, and they relentlessly pursued him. Although eighty meters might seem like a significant gap, for Sky Origin Stage cultivators, it was a matter of mere seconds to close the distance. He couldn't double back to the Cha family's residence, where he was confident Song Jue would come to his rescue. There, he might even manage to eliminate the trio with little effort.

However, he was already too far from that haven of safety, and his initial escape had set him on a perilous course, moving farther and farther away from it. Although the attack had only just commenced, the four of them were covering ground so swiftly that they had already exited the city, putting them at least a hundred miles away from the Cha residence.

No matter how loudly Cha Eun Xiao shouted, his voice would never reach the Cha residence. Distant water couldn't extinguish a nearby fire. Cha Eun Xiao, with determination in his heart, gritted his teeth and pressed forward. As he fled, he couldn't help but think, "You see me as a coward, but I'm just a dormant tiger. Wait and see how the Monarch makes you pay in blood!"

With each moment that passed, his speed increased, and he clenched his teeth, knowing he needed just a brief respite before launching a counterattack. However, the mounting suppression periodically pushed him forward. Cha Eun Xiao sensed that at least eighteen more individuals had joined the effort to subdue him.

Fortunately, he was the Xiao Monarch; others might have succumbed to madness. Eighteen Sky Origin Stage cultivators had united to constrain him to a specific path. Changing direction would necessitate manipulating his spiritual power, causing a momentary slowdown that could prove fatal. In a clash among superior cultivators, even a single moment held the potential to determine the outcome. Cha Eun Xiao couldn't afford to be careless in the face of this formidable alliance.

Each of the eighteen individuals present possessed the potential to be a world-shaking figure in their own right. It was a remarkable convergence that they had come together, united in a common goal: the confrontation of Cha Eun Xiao. Their collective efforts represented a grand and audacious scheme, a testament to the lengths to which the two great sects were willing to go to ensure Cha Eun Xiao's demise.

The energy emanating from these eighteen formidable figures gradually coalesced, merging into an overwhelming force that bore down upon Cha Eun Xiao. It was a daunting suppression, a testament to their combined might.

Cha Eun Xiao found himself compelled to employ his martial arts skills to counteract this relentless suppression while maintaining a steady pace in flight. Deviating from his course was not an option, as doing so would result in immediate subjugation under the overwhelming force that threatened to halt his movements.

With resolute determination, he channeled the East-rising Purple Qi, converting spiritual energy into speed and strength. Simultaneously, he ensured that all of his flying needles and knives were prepared within the confines of his Space, ready for use in the event of a physical confrontation.

While in the Space, he engaged in a meticulous search. His previous inspection had not been exhaustive, but this time, he was hoping to uncover not only the three Heaven Seizing Supreme Dan beads but also the elusive poison beads that could prove crucial in his fight for survival. These were essential weapons in his arsenal, capable of significantly altering the outcome of the impending battle.

Yet, despite his careful scrutiny, Cha Eun Xiao could not help but feel a sense of disappointment. His search yielded no poison beads, dashing his hopes for a quick solution to the perilous situation he found himself in. It became increasingly clear that he would have to rely on his own resources to overcome the formidable challenge posed by these eighteen Sky Origin Stage cultivators.

What made this confrontation even more daunting was the fact that each of the eighteen men was at a higher cultivation level than Cha Eun Xiao himself. He had toiled diligently to attain his current standing as a level five Sky Origin Stage cultivator, and reaching this level had been a recent achievement.