Within the mountain valley, the atmosphere had solidified to the point that it was almost suffocating. The expressions of Shen Cangsheng and the other four were exceedingly ugly. Evidently, this sudden trouble had caught them somewhat unprepared.
..
Although they had also obtained quite a bit of fortune within the shattered continent, causing their strength to improve by leaps and bounds, they were still very clear that they were absolutely no match for Ji Xuan's group.
Once both sides truly crossed swords, they would undoubtedly lose.
"What should we do?" He Yao's expression was ugly as he looked towards Shen Cangsheng and inquired.
Shen Cangsheng's expression fluctuated indeterminately. Soon after, he fiercely clenched his teeth and said, "I'll take the Academy Plaque and flee. You guys split up!"
Upon hearing this, Li Xuantong's expression instantly sank. "At this distance, they can already lock onto us. It's useless even if we run by ourselves. Furthermore, there's no difference between capturing you and capturing us. Once one of us falls into their hands, they will definitely use this opportunity to deal with Mu Chen!"
"Given Mu Chen's character, I'm afraid that he won't just watch with folded arms. If not, he wouldn't have risked his life to rush over here."
"Let's go together. Although Ji Xuan and his group are formidable, we're not made of mud!" The last member, Yang Lin, also clenched his teeth and said.
Shen Cangsheng's fists were clenched to the point that creaking sounds could be heard. His face was ashen as a feeling of humiliation gushed out from his heart. He had always been a rather prideful person. Before Mu Chen had appeared, he was Hokuang Reiwon's first rank on the Heavenly Rankings. However, right now, they were being forced into such a miserable state, and he was powerless to do anything about it.
"Bang!"
Shen Cangsheng ferociously smashed his fist against the rock wall beside him.
Cracks rapidly spread from his fist. Soon after, he took a deep breath and said in a low voice, "Let's retreat first.
Now that Mu Chen and the others are rushing over, we have to stall for time no matter what. Once they arrive, Ji Xuan's goal will fail. "
Li Xuantong, Su Xuan, and the others nodded. They were also unwilling to fall into Ji Xuan's hands and be used against Mu Chen.
"Go!"
Shen Cangsheng shouted in a low voice.
His figure rose from the ground and quickly flew in the opposite direction of the whooshing sound. Behind him.
Li Xuantong, Su Xuan, and the others quickly followed with tense expressions.
Whoosh!
The five of them pushed their speed to the limit. They were as quick as lightning as they streaked across the sky, emitting a sharp rushing wind sound.
The ear-piercing sound echoed in the vast mountain range.
Shen Cangsheng's face.
His face was completely dark, and his eyes were filled with unconcealable rage. His fists were tightly clenched, and even his veins were throbbing. Fleeing like this caused his heart to burn.
Pfft!
The sharp sound of air being torn apart seemed to ring out from the sky behind him.
"Hurry up and leave!" Shen Cangsheng's expression changed as he sternly shouted.
"Hehe.
Friends of Hokuang Reiwon, we have come all the way here.
Yet, you guys are leaving without even saying goodbye. Isn't that a little too rude? "
However, just as Shen Cangsheng's shout faded, a faint laughter suddenly rang out across the land.
The hearts of Shen Cangsheng and the others sank when they heard this voice.
"Ignore it and continue!"
Shen Cangsheng gritted his teeth and said. However, before he could finish his sentence, his pupils suddenly shrank. He abruptly raised his head and saw a figure standing on a mountain peak in front of him with his hands behind his back, looking at them with a smile.
The figure was dressed in white, and his handsome face was covered with a warm, sunny smile, making it difficult to raise one's guard. However, the expressions of Shen Cangsheng and the others changed drastically when they saw him.
"Ji Xuan!"
"Everyone, please stay behind." Ji Xuan smiled as he looked at Shen Cangsheng and the other four.
"Dream on!"
Shen Cangsheng coldly sneered as he gave a signal to Li Xuantong and the rest. In the next instant, the five of them split up and shot out.
Seeing this scene, Ji Xuan couldn't help gently sighing. However, there wasn't the slightest ripple of emotion in his eyes. Shortly after, he waved his sleeve, and an extremely powerful Spiritual Energy swept out like a long river.
Whoosh!
Whoosh!
As the long river of Spiritual Energy swept out, it split into five and appeared above Shen Cangsheng and the other four in the blink of an eye. Thereafter, the long river of Spiritual Energy condensed and formed into a giant Spiritual Energy palm that heavily pressed down.
Boom!
A loud sound resounded like a clap of thunder.
Shen Cangsheng and the other four, who were originally rushing forward, were directly sent flying back. Other than Shen Cangsheng and Li Xuantong, who only staggered a little, Su Xuan and the other two let out a muffled groan as a faint paleness flashed across their faces.
Ji Xuan's strength was actually so terrifying that he could force the five of them back with a single palm.
Shen Cangsheng and the other four were forced to gather together once again as shock flashed in their eyes. Ji Xuan's strength had far exceeded their expectations.
As of now, within their group, Shen Cangsheng and Li Xuantong were both at the pinnacle of First Grade Spirit Disaster, possessing the qualifications to make contact with Second Grade Spirit Disaster. As for Su Xuan, He Yao and Yang Lin, all of them had reached the level of Spiritual Energy Disaster. Such a lineup was, in fact, not weak. If not, it would be impossible for them to charge into the Top 16 with their own strength.
However, even with such a formation, it was obstructed by Ji Xuan alone.
"Friends from Hokuang Reiwon, you guys should know that my target isn't you guys. As long as you guys surrender, I won't make things difficult for you guys," said Ji Xuan in a gentle tone.
Shen Cangsheng did not reply to him as his gaze faintly flickered.
Whoosh.
At this moment, whooshing sounds rang out from behind as four glowing figures shot over. In the end, they appeared in four different directions, completely sealing off the entire sky. They were the members of Ji Xuan's group that had rushed over.
Seeing this scene, the eyes of Shen Cangsheng and the other four dimmed for a moment. From the looks of it, it was already impossible for them to easily escape from this predicament.
Exchanging glances, the five of them inhaled a deep breath of air as their gazes gradually turned sharp. Even if they no longer had the chance to escape, they absolutely couldn't surrender. They had to fight for time!
"Let's go!"
At seemingly the same instant, Shen Cangsheng and Li Xuantong shot out, clenching their fists.
The long spear appeared in a flash, and the spiritual power in his body burst out without reservation. An incomparably sharp spear light appeared.
Incomparably sharp spear light shot out like a bolt of lightning, exploding towards the location of Ji Xuan.
At the same time, Su Xuan, He Yao and Yang Lin had also rushed towards another location. They had chosen to join forces to break through the blockade in that direction.
Bang!
Bang!
The spear light violently smashed against the location where Ji Xuan was standing, causing the mountain peak to instantly crumble apart.
As the huge rocks tumbled down, Ji Xuan stepped on the air as he walked up.
His white robes were still as clean as before. The sharp attacks from Shen Cangsheng and Li Xuantong had unexpectedly not caused any harm to him.
"Looks like you guys don't agree with my suggestion." Looking at Shen Cangsheng and Li Xuantong, Ji Xuan shook his head in regret.
In the next instant, he gently took a step forward.
Whoosh!
When his footsteps fell.
His figure appeared to have teleported as he appeared right in front of the two of them. As the faces of the three intersected, the pupils of Shen Cangsheng and Li Xuantong rapidly widened.
Bang!
The reactions of the two of them were extremely tacit as they sent their palms out seemingly at the same time out of reflex. Boundless Spiritual Energy, along with astonishing might, heavily patted towards Ji Xuan, who had just brushed past them.
Boom!
However, just as their palms were sent out.
Ji Xuan's palm had also met them head on. In the next instant.
The palms of the three of them smashed against each other.
An astonishing storm of Spiritual Energy swept out.
Ji Xuan's figure seemed to have not moved a single inch. However, Shen Cangsheng and Li Xuantong seemed to have suffered a heavy blow as their bodies flew out miserably. Their feet slid a hundred meters in the air before they could forcefully stabilize themselves. Their palms were faintly trembling as intense pain surged, as though their bones had been shattered.
"I believe that the two of you should be at the pinnacle of Hokuang Reiwon. Now that Mu Chen is above your heads as a freshman, the two of you shouldn't feel comfortable, right?
Since that's the case, why don't you join hands with me? If we can get rid of Mu Chen, I will use the name of the Holy Spirit House to guarantee that the two of you will enter the finals, "Ji Xuan said slowly as he stared at Shen Cangsheng and Li Xuantong.
He was also a freshman in the Holy Spirit House. Therefore, he was clear about how much hatred and jealousy those outstanding seniors had for him. Since Mu Chen's path was the same as his, his situation shouldn't be any better than his. Therefore, the people before him shouldn't have any good impressions of Mu Chen.
However, there was clearly a mistake in his prediction this time. When Shen Cangsheng and Li Xuantong heard his words, they only smiled. Although their smiles weren't intense, there was a faint ridicule in them.
It was this ridicule that caused the warm smile on Ji Xuan's face to slowly weaken.
At this moment, if the people before him were to be replaced by the teams from the Holy Spirit House, Ji Xuan was sure that they would instantly sell him out. However, these fellows from Hokuang Reiwon would actually protect Mu Chen, who was above them?
Didn't this mean that from a certain point of view, he, Mu Chen, had done a better job in Hokuang Reiwon than him?
"You really don't know what's good for you," Ji Xuan said with an indifferent smile. In the next instant, his figure disappeared once again.
Bang!
An astonishing Spiritual Energy exploded once again, causing Shen Cangsheng and Li Xuantong's figures to retreat once again. Traces of blood appeared at the corner of their mouths. However, before they could react, the ghost-like figure appeared before them once again. An even more ferocious attack enveloped them.
Bang!
Bang!
The figures of the two continued to miserably retreat. Despite having joined forces, they were still completely suppressed by Ji Xuan, to the point that they were unable to retaliate at all. Therefore, in the short span of a dozen breaths, the traces of blood at the corner of their mouths grew thicker and thicker.
Boom!
On the other side, Su Xuan and the other two had joined forces in an attempt to break through from another direction. However, they discovered that despite joining forces to deal with the youth from the Holy Spirit House, they were unexpectedly unable to gain the slightest bit of advantage.
"Haha. Could it be that the reason why you guys have chosen to break through from my side is because I appear to be the weakest?"
The person being jointly attacked by Su Xuan and the other two was precisely the youth by the name of Mu Feng. With a grin on his face, he looked towards Su Xuan and the other two as he spoke out in ridicule.
In the other three directions, the other three team members had only sealed off the direction and did not take action. That's because they knew that if Su Xuan and the other two had chosen to break through from their side, they might still have a slight chance of success. However, they had chosen Mu Feng. That fellow's strength was second only to Ji Xuan within their group.
Solemn expressions appeared on the faces of Su Xuan and the other two. Without saying a word, they continued to unleash their ferocious attacks.
"Mu Feng, stop delaying."
Just as Mu Feng was about to continue his ridicule, an indifferent voice rang out from not far away. That was Ji Xuan's voice.
"Looks like you guys are out of luck."
Hearing those words, a smile appeared on Mu Feng's face. Looking towards Su Xuan and the other two, the smile on his face turned exceedingly chilling.
(To be continued …)