Book 3 Chapter 19: The Marvel of the White Stone - Martial God

Chapter 19: The Marvel of the White Stone Upon hearing this voice, the reactions of both parties were drastically different. He Yiming and his companions were visibly relieved, as they recognized the voice of Elder Yu Jinglei. With the arrival of this formidable expert, it was as if a weight had been lifted from their hearts, filling them with a palpable sense of relief and newfound spirits. In stark contrast, the expressions of the three pursuers turned notably grim. They had been chasing Yu Xichen for days, but they hadn't anticipated that upon reaching this place, formidable experts would appear as if they were a dime a dozen. Even a fool would realize by now that this must be the base of a secluded and powerful sect; only then could so many innate experts emerge so suddenly. The three exchanged glances and abruptly soared into the sky, fleeing in different directions. After witnessing He Yiming's blade skills and speed, they knew staying together meant none of them would escape. Yu Jinglei smirked, extending his hand through the air in a pulling motion. His palm indented, and one of the three mid-air figures suddenly stalled, as if an invisible force was tugging him backward. His face immediately displayed extreme panic, as if he had encountered something truly terrifying, and he let out a despairing cry. Although He Yiming couldn't understand what the man was shouting, the other two seemed to flee faster, as if terror was chasing them, unleashing all their potential. Yu Jinglei chuckled heartily and said, "Since you dared to trespass in Hengshan, you're not leaving." As he spoke, he lunged forward like a great bird, leaping over the head of the man he had pulled back. His other hand shot out, the muscles twitching once before it shrank, taking on an almost black hue under the sunlight. From this skeletal hand, He Yiming sensed an unprecedented, immense vitality and power. His eyes narrowed; he realized this was Yu Jinglei's true strength. When honed to the extreme, the innate withered wood technique possessed such terrifying power. The man in black roared, frantically waving his greatsword as if trying to pierce Yu Jinglei with it, but the weapon that could shield even his face seemed clumsy against Yu Jinglei. No matter how vigorously he swung his sword, it was still easily pushed aside by Yu Jinglei's palm. A force far beyond his wildest expectations sent his greatsword flying. The power was akin to a child's against an adult; even an innate expert like him could hardly resist. After deflecting the greatsword, Yu Jinglei's palm simply pressed onto the man's chest. The black-cloaked figure shot up like a kite with a broken string, soaring far into the distance. He Yiming, who had sent some flying before, was nonetheless astounded by the sight. Watching this man being propelled dozens of meters away before gradually falling, he was deeply shocked. An expert of One Line Heaven was this formidable. With a mere gesture, a sophomore innate expert seemed no more than a defenseless child. This disparity was even greater than that between an innate expert and an ordinary postnatal practitioner. He was genuinely awestruck, recalling their previous confrontation, calling himself lucky. Had Yu Jinglei been intent on killing, there would have been no escape for him. This brief clash with Yu Jinglei displayed an overwhelming power that stirred emotions within He Yiming, filling him with a fervent desire for Oneline Heaven, igniting a new resolve. After sending the man flying, Yu Jinglei didn't even glance back before pursuing another direction, shouting, "Elder He, the other one's yours." He Yiming snapped out of his daze and obliged, giving chase toward another fleeing direction. Once he stepped forward, he understood why Yu Jinglei had designated him for the pursuit. All three were innate experts with highly developed martial arts skills. Alone, Medicine Master might not detain them. Moreover, in terms of speed, He Yiming's mastery of wind techniques was unmatched in Hengshan, even exceeding Yu Jinglei's. For pursuit or escape, he was the best choice. As Yu Jinglei and He Yiming darted away, Medicine Master and Yu Xichen exchanged glances, showing no intention of chasing. They seemed entirely confident in the duo's abilities to handle the situation. ※※※※ He Yiming raced through the forest, his feet seemingly never touching the ground, as if he had become one with nature, weaving through the dense canopy, closely trailing the man ahead. To He Yiming's surprise, the man's agility was almost on par with his own, barely inferior to Yu Jinglei's maximum speed. He silently praised Yu Jinglei for his keen judgment, correctly identifying him as the only one capable of catching this man. Despite being an One Line Heaven expert, Yu Jinglei lacked exceptional agility. When faced with a Hundred Scatter Heaven practitioner skilled in lightness arts, even he could do little. The fugitive wielded a flexible sword and felt helpless. This hidden sect's strength was overwhelmingly frightening, boasting at least four innate experts, including an Oneline Heaven powerhouse. Aware of the might of an Oneline Heaven expert, if known beforehand, they would have never pursued. Sensing the aura behind him, the man realized his pursuer wasn't an Oneline Heaven expert, but still formidable and, frustratingly, impossible to shake off, no matter his efforts. His fear was unparalleled; while others might not understand, he knew well. His unique martial arts placed his agility among the very best of his peers. Even against an ordinary Oneline Heaven expert, escape was possible without confrontation. Yet the young-looking pursuer wasn't falling behind but rapidly closing in. Grinding his teeth, he let out a peculiar shout. Suddenly, his speed increased by a third, akin to stepping on flaming wheels, swiftly pulling away. He Yiming was startled; after the strange, unintelligible shout, the narrowing distance widened again in a blink. This bizarre, extreme occurrence would unsettle anyone. However, He Yiming was not typical. Confronted with this inexplicable sorcery, it merely fueled the defiant fire within him, unwilling to lose. Drawing a long breath, as if his body were an endless chasm inhaling the forest's air, his frame seemed slightly larger. His tightly sealed energy gates burst open, the amassed air dispersing through every pore. Under immense true energy's pressure, the air turned into compressed blasts, surging forth. Instantly, a spectacular scene unfolded behind He Yiming, like a colossal tornado, leaving chaos in its wake. Simultaneously, propelled by this fierce gale, He Yiming's speed, already at its peak, surged again, as if a mighty force was propelling him skyward. In the air, he cut a grand arc at incomparable speed, leaving a brilliant rainbow, reminiscent of a jet's contrail. He Yiming's eyes widened as he recalled this technique of compressing and releasing air and true energy, inspired by his Needle Point Seal and the dual-headed beast's breath. Originally devised post-duel with Yu Jinglei, it was a life-saving technique intended for potential escapes from situations like offending an expert such as Yu Jinglei himself. However, all considerations were cast aside in the urgency of the moment as he pursued the elusive enemy. Just when the man in black managed to put some distance between them, he sensed something overhead. Glancing up, he stumbled, nearly tripping in his flight. A rainbow streaked overhead, swiftly surpassing him. The speed of this rainbow was beyond anything he could fathom. For a split second, countless thoughts raced through his mind: What creature was this? Why hadn't he heard of it before? However, upon closer inspection, he was dumbfounded to realize the rainbow was none other than the person chasing him. A shiver ran through him; without a word, he changed direction again, fleeing even faster. He Yiming somersaulted in mid-air and landed stably on the ground. He too felt a slight chill. This wild, near-gliding technique was maddeningly intense, albeit faster than he could control. Glancing in the direction the man fled, he bit his lower lip, steeling himself as he resumed the chase. ※※※※ Both were innate experts, drawing on the energy of the universe even as they pursued and fled. However, given their expenditure of true energy, it was being depleted much more rapidly than they could replenish it. And yet, even now, their speed showed no signs of slowing, if anything, it seemed to increase. Every outcry the fleeing man made would result in a sudden surge, boosting his speed dramatically. Each time, He Yiming would employ his recently mastered jet propulsion technique, overtaking him in a straight line, forcing another direction change from his adversary. They had been engaged in this chase for a full three hours, and who knew where they were by now. Even He Yiming was feeling weary, aware that his supply of true energy was dangerously low. Resorting to his direct pursuit technique wasn't feasible anymore. Luckily, the man's speed was fast but had lost its previous bursts, indicating that his strange incantation was costly to use and unsustainable. Without it, he couldn’t widen the gap with He Yiming. Suddenly, in mid-chase, He Yiming reached into his robe and retrieved a small jade box. Nimbly opening the lid, he revealed a small, finger-length piece of white stone—procured after defeating the dual-headed beast. Curiously, once this fragment was detached from the main stone, it ceased inhibiting his Wind Ears ability, perhaps due to its smaller size. His true energy was being depleted bit by bit, much different from an all-at-once exhaustion, akin to a death by a thousand cuts—equally unpleasant. Faced with such rapid depletion, He Yiming remembered the peculiar stone. Holding it tightly within his palm, he found this fragment had lost its energy-gathering magical properties, rendering it as ordinary as any other gemstone. He cursed under his breath, ready to abandon the effort when suddenly, his dantian tingled faintly. This profound change in his dantian ever since his encounter beneath the lake intrigued him. Its energy transformed, whatever entered became an amorphous blackness, akin to the universe's origin. Were it not for the fact that this energy could be wielded as he wished, adaptable to any elemental attribute he required, he would have abandoned cultivation entirely. In this moment, with the stone unresponsive, his dantian acted of its own accord. A peculiar energy emerged from it, coursing through his meridians and infusing into the small stone. Even as he ran, He Yiming’s face registered shock. He realized that the energy from his dantian and the stone's properties were remarkably similar, almost identical. His heart raced with understanding. It seemed his body could harness not only the basic five elements and natural forces, but also this strange energy found in the stone. Within the mere blink of an eye, his true energy harmonized with the stone's energy. A quiver ran through He Yiming's body, his heart surged with joy. A resonance formed between his energy and the stone, rapidly spreading throughout his entire being. He noticed an ambient change surrounding him. The miraculous energy within the stone seemed to be expanding within him, reminiscent of the stone's enveloping milky glow from that fateful day. His fatigue, from three hours of relentless pursuit, vanished in an instant. Furthermore, the world's energy surged into him like a tidal wave, flooding his meridians. Finally, he found his intake of true energy surpassing his expenditure for the first time. He Yiming’s eyes brightened with determination, confidence swelling within. As soon as he replenished his energy, catching up to the foe would be inevitable. Just then, he saw the man take a green vial, remove its cork, and let a drop fall into his mouth. The man's body jolted, and the eerie, wolfish howl erupted anew, now vibrant and full-bodied. He Yiming was instantly incensed. What kind of sorcery was this...? His eyes widened, and realizing his energy was nearly restored, he stowed the jade box and, reaching behind, grasped the formidable great glaive firmly in hand.