Chapter 147 - Open Season (Final) (Patreon)

Holding Wang Chen with one arm, Lucian used his natural cultivation to send Qi into his crystal ring and summoned a sharp ice sword into his free hand.

While doing so, he moved his hand in an arc, parrying the incoming fist with the sword that surged into existence out of nowhere.

Shuang Bao didn’t seem to care, punching directly into the blade’s edge as his bloodshot eyes remained fixed on Lucian. He was an experienced cultivator and knew about artifacts.

As fist and sword collided, the sounds of breaking and shattering echoed out. Two fingers fell to the ground as blood splattered through the air, while the sword fragmented and dissipated back into Qi.

After a groan, Shuang Bao was ready to follow up with another punch, his veins filled with Qi, when Lucian swiftly moved to the side, another sword already appearing in the same hand.

He had dissipated the previous sword the moment it met the fist and had sent Qi to summon another even before this next attack.

Caught off guard by how quickly Lucian used the artifact, Shuang Bao failed to react fast enough to avoid the attack as the white sword plunged into his abdomen from the side.

Lucian had wanted to sever his enemy’s arm, but Shuang Bao had managed to keep some distance. If any had reached for more than they could take, both would only receive a fiercer counterattack.

Dissipating the white sword once more to save his dwindling Qi, Lucian lunged into Shuang Bao. He could hear heavy footsteps approaching and the iron ball being pulled back, and he didn't want his enemies to join forces.

For his part, the muscular Shuang Bao rushed forward to meet Lucian's lunge, unwilling to create distance, expecting another sword strike.

Being experienced, the larger cultivator kept most of his attention on Lucian’s free hand, knowing that he was carrying Wang Chen with the other and was effectively handicapped in this fight.

Because of that, he was completely caught off guard when Lucian accelerated, hugged him with the free arm, and used elongated fangs to plunge into his neck.

Feeling himself weaken, Shuang Bao didn't push Lucian away. He raised his arms overhead, clasping his hands together to smash both Lucian and Wang Chen in a single strike and end the battle, thrilled that his target had chosen to remain so close.

Alas, he failed to consider the side effects of his weakening condition.

Suddenly, he coughed blood, feeling a disruption in his Qi flow. Then, he was forced to focus on maintaining his Qi technique, straining his three Dantians as he abruptly lost a significant amount of blood and Qi.

The only reason Shuang Bao didn’t die was that another fist reached Lucian’s side, forcing Lucian to dodge and create some distance.

Shuang Tai, nearly identical to his brother in height and appearance, didn’t ask what had happened and immediately continued the assault.

“Don’t get too close,” the hidden woman said. “He has a melee technique capable of disrupting Qi flow and draining life force. Watch out for his mouth. And beware of the other artifact! He has two, not one!”

She spoke quickly, but even as she did, Lucian had already conjured his sword twice more, parried a punch, and struck back at his attacker with rapid slashes.

Fortunately for Lucian, Shuang Bao, the previous attacker, remained rooted like a statue and didn’t follow his brother. He needed all the advantages he could take, as he was fighting with one arm holding Wang Chen. Even battling one-on-one was difficult enough.

And that wasn’t accounting for the fact that he had to keep his perception fully unleashed, tracking the iron ball’s trajectory while searching for the other attackers and fleeing toward the city wall in a zigzagging path so his pursuers wouldn’t notice his goal.

He couldn’t spare any attention for deeper analysis. The whys, hows, causes, or consequences of this battle would have to wait. He would kill his way out of this mess and think about it later.

Dodging another attack, Lucian felt his Qi reserves fall to the halfway mark and stopped conjuring the ice sword.

Shuang Tai noticed the change after a while. Because Lucian avoided more attacks and parried less frequently, Shuang Tai slowed his assault and began aiming at Wang Chen. He wanted to force Lucian to commit a mistake and kill both!

These aren’t amateurs, Lucian thought.

Then he heard the familiar whistling sound.

Shuang Tai moved away, revealing that the iron ball was descending once again.

Quickly, Lucian dodged farther to the left, opposite Shuang Tai’s position, and was struck by another Qi wave. It pushed both him and Wang Chen without causing much direct damage, but it was enough to destabilize his footing for a second.

And in that second, flying talismans lit up in the sky.

Surrounded by yellow Qi and shaped like blades, they descended toward Lucian, homing in on him.

Instead of growing anxious at the sudden attack, Lucian smiled. To use those talismans, their owner had to activate their Qi flow, and they ended up giving away their position.

He wanted to kill this ranged attacker, but first he would need to deal with the biggest issue. After all, dodging the iron ball was one thing, but avoiding every falling talisman while protecting Wang Chen was too much to ask.

So Lucian focused on counterattack.

Using his remaining Qi, he activated the orange ring on his other hand, somersaulting so that Wang Chen would be turned toward the ground while he pointed his hand upward.

With a silent command, a wave of orange fire rushed into the air, consuming all of Lucian’s Qi.

In turn, it burned every talisman directly above him, while the remaining ones struck the ground, causing minor explosions that shook the earth.

Adjusting his position after landing on the ground, Lucian empowered his body as much as he could and rushed toward the talisman user’s location. He couldn't let them use another of those attacks!

“Tie Qiu, use your special technique! Shuang Bao, he took the bait! You can move now,” the woman shouted, her voice sounding from behind Lucian. The previous Qi flow ahead of him had shifted to his back, as if indicating the attacker had moved!

Hearing her, Lucian smirked and continued forward. He was guided by his nose and hearing, not his Qi perception. His senses had locked onto her. Unless she stopped emitting sounds and scents, like her heartbeat and the smell of her breath, he would find her.

I’m used to fighting against a bastard who screams his moves and tries to deceive me with words every battle, Lucian thought, feeling a presence approaching him. Your tongue isn’t skilled enough to play with me. You are a tricky child at best!

A second later, the house to Lucian’s right exploded as Shuang Tai appeared, punching him with all his might.

Meanwhile, without a sound, the iron ball fell from the sky, much faster than before and enveloped in yellow Qi. It was as if the previous attacks were all a trick to deceive Lucian. Now, the ball was aimed ahead of him, blocking his route to the hidden cultivator.

Laughing, Lucian screamed to disturb his enemies, “I won!”

Then, in his left pupil, the image of a half-closed eye formed by three lines shimmered with crimson light, surrounded by a circle of shifting sigils.

Devilish Arts: Boon of Sloth - Body Over Mind

Wang Chen fell to the ground, his eyes closed and head spinning as he failed to understand what had happened, while Lucian’s body emitted a disgusting sound and exploded.

His robes were in tatters, bloody and stained. Two bats quickly surged from beneath his clothes and pursued the hidden cultivation. One bat even emitted a flow of Qi Deviation.

“Chase them!” the woman shouted anxiously, prompting Shuang Tai to rush after the bats, leaving Wang Chen behind.

A moment later, Shuang Bao walked by, stumbled, and followed the bats as well, running with difficulty and at a slower pace. He also ignored Wang Chen.

At last, seconds later, a young boy carrying an ugly doll appeared. Looking ahead, he clicked his tongue.

“It was too stupid to reveal yourself,” the boy said, his voice rough like an adult’s, turning his closed eyes toward Wang Chen. “Should I kill this thing or use it as bait? Maybe leaving it alive can save you.”

“Stop joking, Tie Qiu,” the woman’s voice sounded from the doll. “Those creatures are weird, but our target could be hiding nearby. Do something.”

With a grunt of acknowledgment, the boy controlled the iron ball, spinning it to slam against every nearby house, sending it circling him in an expanding wave of destruction.

After reaching its limit, he let the ball crash into the ground and groaned.

“I smashed a few insects, but not our target,” Tie Qiu said with annoyance. “Zha Nu, you made a mistake. He doesn’t care about this thing. He just used it to distract us.”

As he spoke, Tie Qiu lightly kicked Wang Chen, breaking three of the young man's ribs and making him cry out in pain.

“Forget this bug,” Zha Nu said, in concern. “Follow those flying things! You can’t let them reach me! Go!”

Chuckling, Tie Qiu kicked Wang Chen again, rupturing his stomach and intestines and causing internal bleeding, before rushing forward to follow the bats.

A moment later, after they had left, a single bat flew out from Lucian’s discarded robes, carrying a bamboo slip. It was something he had arranged after noticing that some compartments could block Qi waves. Inside this box, there were the two ring artifacts!

One can't forget that Wei Zhang brought gifts in the previous days.

Focusing on the current situation, Lucian flew to Wang Chen’s head. Then, using the bat's claws, he dug into Wang Chen's skull.

Clothes could be torn, flesh could be ripped, but bone would hold!

I hope you are lucky enough to survive the yellow mist as well, Wang Chen, Lucian thought, controlling three bats and sighing in relief that his plan had worked.

Leaving Wang Chen behind like a sack of potatoes was a huge gamble, but he had to take the risk. He did so because he deeply believed that something gave good fortune to Wang Chen!

Setting those thoughts aside, Lucian split his focus on the other two bats, which were chasing the woman he had barely glimpsed.

Because of their smaller size and lighter weight, the bats moved faster than Lucian’s main body. They didn’t need to crash through houses or squeeze through narrow corridors, and could maintain their speed.

This was very different from the woman ahead, who was constantly slowed by walls and sudden turns. She also needed movement techniques to keep her speed, which spent Qi and required more concentration.

Now, it’s time to hunt this prey, Lucian thought, smiling inwardly.

He was only buying time by following the woman, as reaching her in his current form would accomplish little. What he wanted was for Wang Chen, who was weak and barely conscious while being dragged by a bat, to leave.

As soon as Wang Chen was far enough to be safe, Lucian would devour this Broken Maze without mercy. In his view, if others could spread an unknown technique and break so many buildings, cause such a ruckus, then he had no intention of holding himself back.

Whatever plot or trap they were weaving, whatever scheme remained hidden from his sight, it was time to make them reveal it all.