100 - A Farewell to Mr. Luo

Chapter 100 "Where are we headed? Hopefully, it’s not too far," Bai Fan asked, standing on the desert sands outside Loulan City and looking into the endless barren landscape. Shang Wu Fang pointed westward and replied, "Just over there, not very far." "Let's go." With that, Bai Fan slowly took off. Since she had entered the Golden Core stage, she could finally fly long distances. During her Foundation Establishment days, she could only fly short distances and often had to rest, which was very exhausting. Most Foundation Establishment disciples preferred to use magic tools or mounts. However, both options were expensive. Just buying a magic tool was a significant expenditure, not to mention the constant upkeep of a mount. Bai Fan was able to maintain her gray goose only because she had feeding pills from the Xuanming Sect. Otherwise, her meager savings would have been quickly depleted. The two figures flew away in the sky. By the time He Yi Man reached the outside of the city, they had already disappeared. Flying in the sky, Bai Fan glanced back at Shang Wu Fang, only to see him looking around as if searching for something. Curious, she followed his gaze and noticed he was looking at large rocks. "What are you looking at those rocks for?" she asked. Shang Wu Fang was actually searching for the masked woman and her companions, who had been told by the Pearl Cui Bird to meet in the area. They hadn’t shown up despite the long wait, and his anxious glances betrayed his concern. He explained, "The sand scorpions like to hide in shady places, and since Beizhou has no vegetation, they usually hide under large rocks." Bai Fan nodded. She had no knowledge of sand scorpions or their habits, having only been in Beizhou for a little over a month. She'd spent most of that time in the underground palace, encountering things beyond common sense. He Yi Man would likely know more about Beizhou than she did. "In that case, let's search on foot. It's not easy to find them from the air," Bai Fan suggested. Shang Wu Fang did not object, and they both landed. Standing under a large rock, Bai Fan inspected the area. They had seen very few sand scorpions so far, which seemed inconsistent with what Shang Wu Fang had said about the sand scorpion nest. "You sure you remember the right place? We’ve been searching for a while now, and it’s getting dark. I have things to do tomorrow," Bai Fan expressed her doubts. "Almost there, we’re almost there," Shang Wu Fang assured, looking up at the sky. Bai Fan found his actions puzzling since there was nothing in the sky. As time passed, Bai Fan grew increasingly uneasy. Her intuition told her something was wrong, and her heart pounded in her chest. Finally, as the sun began to set, Bai Fan spotted a sand scorpion nest, teeming with scorpions crawling about like a swarm of bees. Bai Fan leaped over, standing at the edge of the nest, exuding her hydra's intimidating aura. Shang Wu Fang seemed momentarily surprised. The sand scorpion nest was just an excuse to lure Bai Fan out of the city. But he hadn't expected to actually find one. Seeing her standing unchallenged near the nest reinforced his belief in her being a hydra. “How do we get in?" Bai Fan turned and asked Shang Wu Fang, finding it odd that he seemed indifferent about the search he had initiated. "Huh?" “I said, how do we get in? Don’t you want the sand scorpion eggs? Stop dawdling,” Bai Fan snapped irritably. Seeing him approach, Bai Fan frowned, “Once we find them, I'm heading back immediately. And stop thinking you can blackmail me about that incident. I’ll be leaving Loulan City in a few days.” Listening to her, Shang Wu Fang's lips curled into a slight sneer. He thought scornfully, “After tonight, do you really think you’ll be returning? Once my companions arrive, you won’t need to worry about finding sand scorpion eggs.” Bai Fan kicked aside a nearby sand scorpion and slowly made her way into the nest, while Shang Wu Fang occasionally glanced back. When he saw the Pearl Cui Bird returning, his grin widened, and he quickened his pace to catch up with Bai Fan. Inside the sand scorpion nest, the loose sand created narrow tunnels. Unlike swallows, the scorpions didn't build nests but dug out holes in the ground. The walls of the tunnel were fragile and collapsed easily with even a slight touch. Bai Fan carefully avoided contact, worrying that a single collapse would bring down the entire structure. The deeper they went, the darker it became. Sand scorpions, lacking eyes, had no need for light. But for humans—even cultivators—vision was affected in complete darkness. Bai Fan took out a luminous pearl to light the way. Midway, she noticed there were no footsteps behind her. Turning around, she found that Shang Wu Fang had disappeared. "Shang Daochang?" No response. "Shang Wu Fang?" Still no response. Realizing the potential danger, Bai Fan's unease deepened. Her instincts had been right all along. Shang Wu Fang's strange behavior now seemed even more suspicious. Amidst the scorpions' scratching sounds, Bai Fan heard nothing else. Extending her spiritual sense, she still couldn't detect Shang Wu Fang. "What game are you playing?" Bai Fan's voice echoed through the nest. The loose sand around her began to collapse from her shout, raining down like a small sandstorm. As Bai Fan prepared to retreat, a sword suddenly pierced through the ceiling above her. Its cold, radiant blade emitted a powerful spiritual energy. Thanks to her quick reflexes, Bai Fan narrowly dodged the strike. She swiftly drew her Pure Yang sword, feeling the sand cave in and bury her. Outside the sand scorpion nest, three figures stood above, their eyes glowing with spiritual light, fixated on the movement below. Buried beneath the sand, Bai Fan felt a surge of anger. She had suspected Shang Wu Fang of having ulterior motives, but she hadn't anticipated he would try to kill her. Reflecting on their past interactions, she couldn’t figure out why he would plot against her. Bursting out of the sand, Bai Fan startled the nearby sand scorpions. Emerging, Bai Fan found herself surrounded by three people. Apart from Shang Wu Fang, there was a half-masked woman wielding a sword and a burly man hefting a large hammer. "Who are you?" Bai Fan demanded. The half-masked woman lunged with her sword aimed at Bai Fan’s chest. However, Bai Fan was no longer the same snake demon she had been at the Foundation Establishment stage. As a hydra, her strength had significantly increased. With a flick of her hand, she deflected the woman’s sword. Both parties recoiled dozens of yards from the impact. Originally encircled, Bai Fan now stood off to the side, facing her three opponents. The half-masked woman, frowning, addressed Shang Wu Fang, “I didn’t expect such power from someone who’s just reached the initial stage of the Golden Core.” Shang Wu Fang sighed, "A hydra is still a hydra. Even with raw strength alone, she deflected your sword." "You never fought her before?" “If we had fought, she wouldn’t be here now. She’s the one who summoned the thunderclouds over Loulan City. Be cautious—especially of her sword,” Shang Wu Fang warned. Listening to their exchange, Bai Fan was astonished. Shang Wu Fang had known she was a hydra all along. How was this possible? She thought she had concealed her identity well. When did he find out? And why had he been targeting her? "What do you want?" Bai Fan demanded. The half-masked woman wielded her sword again, saying, "To take your life, of course. Do you not realize how rare a hydra like you is?" Blocking the strike with her Pure Yang sword, Bai Fan was puzzled, "Rare? I'm just a mere snake demon." “Humph. Do you not know how rare it is for a snake demon to transform into a hydra?" Upon hearing this, Pure Yang Sword in Bai Fan's hands suddenly glowed brighter. Engaging the half-masked woman's short sword, their blades clashed, sparking fiercely in an evenly matched duel. The searing sword aura heated the surrounding air to unbearable temperatures. The half-masked woman, noticing Bai Fan's sword aura, retreated several steps and remarked, "What kind of sword is that?" Shang Wu Fang's face darkened as he stepped forward, gazing at the sword in Bai Fan's grip. "Previously, she held her ground against five opponents. It's said her swordsmanship derives from Nanzhou’s Pure Yang Sword Dao, which is not easily overcome." With these words, two large moon blades flew out from the sleeves of his robe, resembling beams of white moonlight. The crossed moon blades, akin to a pair of cruciform forks, bore down on Bai Fan. As they closed the distance, they grew ever larger, reaching four times her height by the time they were upon her. The approaching moon blades, though not lightning-fast, reached Bai Fan in the blink of an eye. With no direction to evade entirely, she had no choice but to face them head-on. As her Pure Yang Sword met the moon blades, the intense friction created a cascade of sparks, threatening to cleave Bai Fan’s sword in half. Bai Fan's hands gripping the Pure Yang Sword began to go numb. As the moon blades neared her head, she gritted her teeth, orange-yellow blood seeping from the corners of her mouth. Her pupils transformed into beastly slits, golden and sharply contracted. With a deafening roar, her blood seemed to boil and surge through her veins, invigorating her completely. Green veins bulged on her forearms, her once delicate fingers elongating. In a burst of primal strength, she flung the massive moon blades back towards Shang Wu Fang. ※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※ Thank you to the little angels who voted for me or watered with nutrient solution~ Thank you to the little angel who watered [nutrient solution]: Fany 1 bottle; Thank you all for your support. I will continue to work hard! Previous Chapter Table of Contents Next Chapter Home Computer Version Bookshelf Complete Novel Directory Popular Novels