Translator: CinderTL
"Chi... Senior Chi Qi, I am Ye Chen of the Ye Family! Please show mercy!" the male cultivator cried out in alarm.
Chi Qi finally realized that the man and woman were indeed members of the Ye Family, whom he had encountered before. His hasty attack had prevented him from recognizing them earlier.
In the Qianchang Wilderness, the three great families rarely resorted to killing each other's juniors unless driven by deep-seated hatred.
Firstly, such actions would provoke unnecessary conflict.
Secondly, the Qianchang Wilderness bordered the Rotting Miasma Ridge to the west, while the vast sea stretched to the south and east. These three regions were prone to periodic beast tides, requiring a large number of cultivators to maintain long-term defenses. Slaughtering the juniors of other families would indirectly weaken their collective strength against external threats.
However, having already killed one person, Chi Qi couldn't afford to leave any witnesses alive.
With a mental command, he unleashed an arrow that streaked through the air like a meteor, aimed straight at the male cultivator's chest.
The cultivator tried to defend himself, but his efforts were futile. The arrow struck with lethal precision.
With both Ye Family cultivators dead, the swarm of poisonous scythe insects naturally swarmed toward Chi Qi.
Chi Qi retreated swiftly, creating some distance between himself and the swarm.
Then, he nocked an arrow.
The longbow glowed with spiritual light, and the arrow radiated a chilling aura.
A world-shattering energy erupted from the bow and arrow.
The arrow shot forth, striking the swarm head-on.
Where it passed, a violent gale arose.
This was the Golden Sharp Qi unleashed by the arrow, its sharpness unparalleled.
Every poisonous scythe insect touched by the arrow's razor-sharp aura instantly exploded, transforming into brilliant green blood blossoms that bloomed spectacularly in the air.
The arrow tore through the swarm of poisonous insects, which stretched for dozens of kilometers, annihilating countless creatures.
However, the few fifth-tier poisonous scythe insects managed to survive, though thoroughly terrified. They led the remaining swarm in a frantic retreat in all directions.
Chi Qi exhaled deeply.
He had poured his full strength into that single arrow.
Had it failed to deter the swarm, even as a Void Refinement Stage cultivator, he would have been forced into a grueling battle.
The sheer number of poisonous scythe insects, combined with their invisible interconnectedness that bound them into a single entity, made them exceedingly difficult to eradicate completely.
A crimson glint flashed in Chi Qi's eyes as he activated the Dreamfloat True Eye once more, searching for Song Wen's whereabouts.
But his brow soon furrowed in frustration.
The poisonous scythe insects had stirred up the surrounding miasma, obliterating any traces Song Wen had left behind as he fled through the miasma. There was no trace left to follow.
Chi Qi refused to give up. Whether to safeguard the secret of the shadow void or to claim the secret arts Song Wen had displayed, he couldn't afford to abandon the pursuit.
His figure flickered, transforming into a streak of light as he activated the Dreamfloat True Eye, scanning the surroundings.
Finally, after thoroughly searching an area spanning over five thousand kilometers, he rediscovered Song Wen's trail.
Song Wen fled nearly fifty thousand kilometers in one breath, but Chi Qi still hadn't caught up. He didn't dare assume he'd shaken off his pursuer.
After all, he'd once escaped tens of thousands of kilometers only to be tracked down.
However, Song Wen sensed that Chi Qi wasn't relying on scent to track him.
Given Chi Qi's strength, escaping the swarm of poisonous scythe insects should have been trivial. Yet Chi Qi hadn't caught up.
There was only one explanation: Chi Qi's tracking method had been disrupted, preventing him from locating Song Wen.
Recalling the moment Chi Qi had seen through his Cosmic Transformation Incarnation, Song Wen suddenly understood.
"Chi Qi must have cultivated some kind of ocular technique!"
With this realization, Song Wen quickly devised a countermeasure.
Chi Qi's ocular technique could trace the faint traces Song Wen left while moving through the miasma.
Therefore, escaping Rotting Miasma Ridge and heading to the Qianchang Wilderness—where there was no miasma—might not shake off Chi Qi. After all, the world was permeated with various types of cosmic energy, including Spiritual Qi.
Moving through Spiritual Qi leaves traces.
Currently, Song Wen could only think of two ways to escape:
First, he could blend into a crowd of people or a group of demon beasts, using their chaotic movements to disrupt the surrounding Spiritual Qi and prevent Chi Qi's pupil technique from tracking him.
Second, he could flee into a rushing river or a raging hurricane. The natural forces would scramble his traces, making it impossible for Chi Qi to follow.
With this in mind, Song Wen made his decision.
A jade slip suddenly appeared in his hand. After channeling a wisp of Spiritual Power into it, a holographic map materialized in the air—a detailed map of the outer regions of the Rotting Miasma Ridge. It was the most comprehensive map of the area Song Wen had been able to purchase in Shangchu City.
Given his cautious nature, Song Wen had naturally prepared for his planned entry into the Rotting Miasma Ridge with Jiang Yushan.
After quickly comparing the surrounding terrain with the map, Song Wen pinpointed his exact location.
According to the map, a lake lay over a thousand li to his left, with a mighty river flowing beside it.
The great river snaked westward, flowing toward the Qianchang Wilderness.
According to the map, a sixth-tier aquatic demon beast lurked within the lake, making it an extremely dangerous area.
Song Wen stowed the jade slip, changed direction, and sped toward the lake.
As he did so, he spat a mouthful of blood essence onto the Two-Faced Buddha hanging around his neck.
It seemed that the Two-Faced Buddha's disruption of his aura was sufficient to deceive even cultivators in the Void Refinement Stage.
Before long, the broad expanse of the lake appeared below Song Wen.
The lake wasn't particularly large, covering only a few hundred li in circumference.
Instead of rashly crossing the lake, Song Wen skirted around it, approaching the great river that flowed into it from the side.
The river water was muddy yellow, surging and roaring.
Song Wen tossed a Corpse Coffin into the lake nearby.
With a splash, it sank.
He then plunged into the river, swiftly navigating the turbulent currents upstream.
After Song Wen had traveled several hundred li upriver, Chi Qi's figure materialized above the lake.
He gazed at the surging river, his brow furrowing slightly.
"He actually guessed I was using pupil techniques to track his traces and then thought to use the river to conceal them. This man is truly meticulous."
Chi Qi found himself in a dilemma.
He couldn't determine whether Song Wen had traveled upstream or downstream.
Yet instinctively, he believed Song Wen was more likely to have gone downstream.
After all, following the river would quickly lead him out of the Rotting Miasma Ridge, while heading upstream would only take him deeper into its depths.
The Rotting Miasma Ridge was fraught with peril, hardly a safe place even for a Divine Transformation Stage cultivator.
His hasty judgment stemmed from another reason: he wasn't worried about choosing the wrong direction.
With his speed, even if he initially pursued the wrong path, he could quickly turn back and catch up to Song Wen.
Just as Chi Qi was about to use his escape technique to travel along the river, a dense surge of Corpse Qi suddenly erupted from the depths of the lake below.
The Corpse Qi surged like an enraged dragon, churning the lake waters into a violent maelstrom.
(End of the Chapter)
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