Chapter 491: Chapter 273: Ambush

’A little over a month should still be enough time!’

The horse-drawn carriage swayed as it traveled along the rugged mountain road.

According to Liu Qingyuan’s calculations, it would take Xu Yang about three or four months to reach Marrow Cleansing Perfection. Without a Celestial Spirit Pill, it was impossible for Xu Yang to break through to the Celestial Essence Realm in one go.

Therefore, even if Xu Yang had the potential to reach the Celestial Essence Realm, it would still take him nearly a year to actually break through.

He wasn’t in a terrible rush to kill Xu Yang. It was just that Xu Yang’s refusal to leave the Purple Sun Sect was making him antsy.

’Perhaps I can ask Brother Jiang for help on this trip,’ Liu Qingyuan mused.

The biggest obstacle to killing Xu Yang was still Elder Huoyun.

Elder Huoyun was constantly watching his every move. Even if Xu Yang left the Purple Sun Sect, he might not get a chance to strike.

Before, he could rely on Song Yushao, but now that Song Yushao was dead, he had to find someone else to help kill Xu Yang.

This "Brother Jiang" was his closest friend, an Elder of the Iron Sword Sect named Jiang Wang.

He had already received news that Jiang Wang had taken on a genius disciple named Huo Xiaochen, whose talent was terrifyingly profound.

If he couldn’t kill Xu Yang himself, his only other option was to have Jiang Wang’s disciple, Huo Xiaochen, strike during the Secondary Dragon Ascension, or have him kill Xu Yang inside the Celestial Strategy Academy to eliminate this threat.

The carriage moved slowly. In a full day, the procession celebrating the birthday had only traveled a little over a hundred li, and by dusk, they were still within the Yunling Mountain Range.

Dense trees and ancient woods lined both sides of the road. Under the afterglow of the setting sun, the world was bathed in a golden hue, with only the sound of horse hooves echoing through the mountains.

"Stop the carriages! Make camp and prepare to rest!" Liu Qingyuan’s voice called out from within his carriage.

"Whoa..."

Hearing the command, Sun Tao and the others pulled on the reins, bringing the horses to a halt. The carriages slowly rolled to a stop.

The carriages had now entered a gorge, flanked on both sides by steep cliffs.

Sun Tao’s brow furrowed slightly. According to his experience in the Jianghu, this kind of place was not suitable for resting at night. It was easy to be surrounded from both ends or to have poison administered downwind.

But then he considered Liu Qingyuan’s Cultivation. ’Few would dare to attack an Elder of the Purple Sun Sect,’ he thought.

"The audacity!"

Just as he was about to dismount, Liu Qingyuan’s furious roar exploded in his ears like a clap of thunder.

Sun Tao shuddered violently. He felt as if the sky itself was collapsing as a terrifying pressure suddenly descended from above. His body sank involuntarily, and the fine steed beneath him whinnied in terror and collapsed to the ground.

With a look of sheer horror, he struggled to raise his head and saw a figure descending from the sky. Wreathed in a fierce gale, it plummeted toward Liu Qingyuan’s carriage like a mountain crashing down.

"A Celestial Essence Martial Artist!"

Sun Tao’s pupils contracted violently. ’We haven’t even left the Purple Sun Sect’s territory, and an expert is already here to ambush one of our Elders!’

A tide-like pressure swept over them. He trembled all over as the startled cries of Lu Ren, Zhang Hanzhou, and the others reached his ears.

Everyone’s expression changed drastically. They erupted with their Cultivation and leaped from their horses, desperately retreating.

BANG!

At the same moment, an immense and astonishing aura erupted from within the carriage, like a river bursting its banks or a flash flood. The carriage, built from precious wood, could not withstand the force. Its roof exploded with a thunderous BOOM as if pierced by a great spear.

The aura that shot skyward clashed with the one descending from above. The Power of Heaven and Earth surged, and Sun Tao, Zhang Hanzhou, and the others felt the terrifying pressure on them lighten, allowing them to retreat much faster.

The disciples fled for their lives, terrified of being caught in the battle between Celestial Essence Martial Artists.

Amidst the explosion, Liu Qingyuan’s figure shot into the sky, wreathed in splintered wood.

His entire body pulsed with light, his presence as magnificent as a rainbow. Like a mountain rising from the earth, he tore through the air, creating a series of booming sounds.

He thrust a single hand upward in a sky-supporting posture as he ascended. A scorching, violent heatwave swept out as his large hand struck, pulling in the surrounding Power of Heaven and Earth.

BOOM!

The two figures’ palms collided in mid-air, producing a deafening, dull roar like the sound of mountains collapsing and the earth splitting apart.

Visible shockwaves of violent energy and dissipating Power of Heaven and Earth surged outward, sending ripples sweeping across the sky and ground.

The gorge on both sides rumbled and shook. The cliffs cracked, and massive boulders came rolling down.

The ground was torn up as gales of Gang Qi raged. The horses’ internal organs were ruptured by the terrifying aftershocks, killing them instantly. The already rickety carriages disintegrated in the collision, scattering the birthday gifts for the Haisa Sect’s leader all over the ground.

"Hmph, hmph, hmph..."

A series of pained grunts rang out as Du Chuan and the other Purple Sun Sect disciples showed looks of agony.

Sun Tao’s face turned pale. He felt as if he had been struck by a heavy hammer, and his vital energy and blood churned within him.

In an instant, his back was soaked with cold sweat, and he fled even faster, as if his life depended on it.

As he passed Lu Ren, he unhesitatingly scooped him up and carried him away.

Lu Ren, whose Cultivation was only at Marrow Cleansing Minor Achievement, had already been knocked back by the aftershocks, coughing up blood with a face as pale as paper.

’So strong!’

While casting a grateful look at Sun Tao, he couldn’t help but feel shocked. He was already dozens of yards away from the two Celestial Essence experts’ clash, yet he couldn’t even withstand the aftershocks of their exchange.

"Save the others!"

Du Chuan fought back his fear and the churning in his chest, grabbing two disciples who had just entered the Marrow Cleansing realm and dashing into the distance.

These few disciples, with only nascent Bone Marrow Cleansing Cultivation, had already been knocked unconscious by the aftershocks. If left alone, they would soon die in the fallout from the Celestial Essence Martial Artists’ battle.

"Damn it!" Zhang Hanzhou exclaimed, a mixture of shock and anger on his face.

He could see that Liu Qingyuan completely disregarded their lives, single-mindedly focused on killing his enemy. He held nothing back in his attacks, which was why the aftershocks had reached them.

Fortunately, he had already reached Marrow Cleansing Perfection. Though he was affected, his vital energy and blood were only churning slightly, and he wasn’t injured.

He followed Du Chuan’s example, grabbing a nearby disciple with lower Cultivation and fleeing the gorge frantically.

"Is that all you have!"

Liu Qingyuan roared as his Gang Yuan erupted and his Force surged, knocking back his ambusher.

The man retreated for over a dozen yards through the air before halting his momentum. Seemingly realizing he was no match for Liu Qingyuan, he immediately turned and fled through the air.

"Hiding your face and tail? Stay right where you are."

The attacker seemed worried about revealing their true aura, keeping their Gang Yuan contained and not letting it show.

Without any hesitation, Liu Qingyuan unleashed his Gang Yuan and harnessed the Power of Heaven and Earth to give chase.

’Even if I can’t kill him, I have to force him to reveal his aura so I can track him down later.’

BOOM!

He threw a punch through the air at the man’s back. The Power of Heaven and Earth swarmed in, forming a fist nearly a meter wide that tore through the air as it shot forward.

The gorge on both sides trembled, and massive boulders rolled down.

BAM!

The figure ahead spun around, shattering the Fist Seal with a punch of their own and using the opposing Fist Force to accelerate, soaring into the sky and quickly clearing the gorge.

Dust and smoke billowed through the gorge, which was now littered with rubble.

Sun Tao and the others felt a wave of lingering fear as the two figures with their terrifying auras finally disappeared from the sky above the gorge.

"Who in the world was that? Who would dare attack an Elder of the Purple Sun Sect?" Qi Xuancheng’s face was pale, his heart still pounding from the overwhelming presence.

"Never mind who it was for now. What should we do next?" Zhang Hanzhou suppressed the churning in his chest, dispelled the fear in his heart, and began to think about their next steps.

"Thank you, Senior Brother Sun," Lu Ren said, cupping his fists.

If Sun Tao hadn’t intervened, he might not have died, but he certainly wouldn’t have escaped unscathed.

Sun Tao shook his head but said nothing.

He had always been a proper Senior Brother. Even Xu Yang had always respected him. When he had the ability to help, he would never stand by and watch Lu Ren die, especially when it was such a simple effort to save him.

"Guard the birthday gifts and wait here for Elder Liu Qingyuan to return," Qi Xuancheng said.

The two powerful experts had already left the gorge, so there was no need for them to keep fleeing.

"What if Elder Liu is no match for him? I think we should take the gifts, leave this place, and return to the Sect," Sun Tao said gravely.

If Liu Qingyuan was defeated or killed, staying here would be suicide.

Qi Xuancheng shook his head. "How could Elder Liu possibly be defeated? Didn’t you see him repel the enemy and give chase?"

"That person wasn’t repelled. He intentionally lured Elder Liu away," Sun Tao said, disagreeing with Qi Xuancheng.

They had only exchanged a single blow. The person who attacked Liu Qingyuan hadn’t used their full strength, so it was an exaggeration to say they were "repelled."

"Do you think you’re smarter than Elder Liu?" Qi Xuancheng snorted.

’If Liu Qingyuan wasn’t confident, why would he have recklessly pursued him?’

"I also think we shouldn’t stay here. Just in case, we should leave first. We can leave behind the Purple Sun Sect’s secret signs along the way. If Elder Liu returns safely, he’ll be able to find us. There’s no need to return to the Sect," said Zhang Hanzhou.

The journey was over a hundred li. Even with their speed, it would take a long time, and several people were injured and still unconscious.

"I agree with Senior Brother Zhang," Lu Ren chimed in.

"I also think we shouldn’t stay here," said Du Chuan.

Four of the five disciples from the Ten Heroes List had spoken. Qi Xuancheng immediately stopped objecting.

The group returned to the gorge, found the scattered birthday gifts amidst the ruins, and quickly departed.

BOOM... BOOM...

Meanwhile, Liu Qingyuan was still in hot pursuit. Two figures streaked across the vast sky, tearing through the air with a continuous roar and startling flocks of birds.

"Who are you? Why did you come to kill me? You’re not leaving today until you make it clear," Liu Qingyuan shouted.

’I’ve never seen his face before; he must be wearing a human-skin mask.’

’If it weren’t an acquaintance, there’d be no need to hide his aura. It must be someone I know. It could even be someone from the Purple Sun Sect.’

’Those major families in Cyan Yang City wouldn’t have the guts to ambush me. The consequences of failure are more than they could bear.’

Suddenly, a thought struck Liu Qingyuan, and he blurted out, "Are you the one who killed Song Yushao?"

"I am the one who killed him. And today, I’ve come to send you to join him!"

The speeding figure ahead suddenly stopped, and a young voice called back.

Liu Qingyuan shuddered, a look of horror spreading across his face. He cried out, "You’re Xu Yang."

’That was Xu Yang’s voice. He couldn’t be mistaken.’

’No wonder he kept his aura hidden and didn’t use his Gang Yuan. In the entire Purple Sun Sect, Xu Yang is the only one who cultivates Golden Gang Qi. The moment he used it, even a fool would guess his identity.’

"It’s me!" Xu Yang ripped the human-skin mask from his face, revealing his handsome features.

By now, they were far from the gorge with no one else around. There was no longer any need for a disguise.

"You little bastard! You’ve already broken through to the Celestial Essence Realm! You hid it well," Liu Qingyuan seethed, his face a mask of shock and fury.

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