The Ethereal Domains

Chapter 571: Kill Back! Escape!

Kill Back! Escape! . . .

Cha Eun Xiao, possessing the remarkable abilities that he did, should have been enjoying his freedom for an extended period by now. Yet, strangely, he often pretended to be fatigued, leading others to wonder about the authenticity of his struggles. In their collective naivety, they went to great lengths to offer explanations for his actions.

Nonetheless, the reality proved to be far from their assumptions. Cha Eun Xiao's behavior was driven by circumstances beyond his control. He was unquestionably the weaker party in comparison to the individuals he found himself entangled with. To avoid becoming the hunted prey in a relentless siege, he had little choice but to acquiesce to their plans.

Engaging them in combat at that point would have undoubtedly resulted in his downfall. It was only when he had fully comprehended their strategy that he seized the opportunity to regain control, all the while remaining undetected.

The linchpin of his successful counterattack was the tactical acumen of twenty-eight individuals who believed that engaging in long-range combat was the most prudent course of action. After all, those who had perished earlier had all fallen in close-quarter confrontations with Cha Eun Xiao, underscoring the effectiveness of their strategy. The prospect of approaching him recklessly, given the ghastly fate of their predecessors, was unthinkable.

Unbeknownst to them, Cha Eun Xiao harbored a sliver of a vengeful monarch's soul within him, a source of unfathomable power. This revelation was as improbable as encountering a ghost in broad daylight or relying on the fidelity of men.

Yet, against all odds, the improbable became reality. It unfolded as if it were preordained by the heavens, and the twenty-eight men could only lament their misfortune. In the midst of their shock, Cha Eun Xiao executed his counterattack, transforming into a wisp of cyan smoke that swiftly advanced with an indiscernible velocity.

In his hand, seven needles materialized, which he discharged with remarkable speed—shoot! Shoot! Shoot!—the needles, akin to a streak of lightning, penetrating the seven most severely wounded men. Emerging from their foreheads, a minuscule droplet of blood followed each needle's exit. Subsequently, the needles followed Cha Eun Xiao's trajectory, out of reach of the men they had just pierced.

These seven unfortunate souls had been nearest to Cha Eun Xiao when he launched his counterattack, rendering them defenseless against the onslaught. The remaining twenty-one men were scattered at a distance, unable to intervene in time. Within seconds, seven lives were extinguished.

To ensure no room for error, Cha Eun Xiao relied on his Demonic Weapons. After the needles had punctured and exited the seven bodies, they underwent a rapid and grotesque transformation, their flesh decaying and melting in the blink of an eye.

With a casual wave of his hand, the seven needles obediently returned to him, mirroring birds returning to their nests. All the while, Cha Eun Xiao continued to dart forward like a whirlwind, retracing the path of the seven deceased men and making his way back to the city.

The twenty-one remaining men were jolted from their stupor, rallying together and raising their voices in frantic calls for assistance. When the seven easternmost individuals arrived at the scene and beheld the putrefying remains, their reactions were a poignant blend of shock and horror.

"No... Seven brothers have fallen to Feng Zhiling's poison. The rapid decay of their bodies... it's a nightmarish sight. Heavens, this is a catastrophe..." Their words carried a heavy and profound weight.

The word "Poison!" echoed through the air, striking fear into the hearts of those three individuals who had been leading the pursuit with utmost haste. In an instant, their rapid advance came to an abrupt halt as a chilling realization swept over them.

"How is this possible? We saw no telltale signs of noxious fumes or dark smoke..."

"How... How could they have fallen prey to poison?"

"Where did this insidious poison originate from?"

"Could he possess some hidden, venomous technique, one that allows him to silently poison a designated target?"

The more they pondered these disconcerting questions, the more their trepidation intensified. How could they continue the pursuit under these harrowing circumstances?

Cha Eun Xiao nimbly traversed the terrain, distancing himself by hundreds of meters. In a swift and almost uncanny manner, he vanished from view near a thicket.

The remaining twenty-one men were not unscathed by the ordeal either. Haunted by the memory of Cha Eun Xiao's formidable counterattack, they dared not resume their chase. The fear of encountering Feng Zhiling, with his potentially deadly technique, held them back.

They congregated in a circle, their eyes riveted on the seven lifeless bodies rapidly deteriorating before their very eyes. Words failed them, and a few still bore traces of blood on their lips, an eerie and gruesome sight.

For five decades, they had dedicated themselves to mastering the Lunisolar Glory, a profound and powerful art. The twenty-eight of them had coalesced into an unparalleled force. Yet, before they could truly unleash the full extent of their abilities, some among them had met their end.

A quarter of their number had perished.

The Lunisolar Glory lay shattered before them, a harsh and unyielding reality that gnawed at their spirits.

"What kind of venom is this... How can it be so devastating?" They dared not approach the rapidly decomposing bodies, merely casting distant gazes. Their eyes contorted with both revulsion and trepidation.

The repugnant stench soon permeated the air, further deepening their sense of horror.

"This Feng Zhiling is poised to become our most formidable adversary," declared the elderly man with a snow-white beard, his countenance marked by solemnity. His eyes narrowed and quivered, his ocular muscles betraying the unease within. "Our enmity with him is eternal, one marked by life-and-death hostility. If we cannot eliminate him, we shall be consigned to enduring protracted days of hardship."

"That is undeniable," concurred the other twenty men, their expressions equally serious.

A pervasive chill ran through them all, from head to toe, as they contemplated the ominous future that lay ahead.