Chapter 161: A Sudden Brush with Life and Death

After Yi Rong left, Luoli tilted her head to admire their new home and happily said, "That guy said this island doesn't have a name. What should we call it?"

Bai Wuhuo replied, "We have to leave a teleportation array here for the defying-heaven palace to come and go anyway, so let's just pick a random name. How about Empty Gate Island?"

Luo Yu pouting, retorted, "We are not monks!"

Qin Yue suggested, "Remote Arrival Island."

"Alright, settled!" Luo Yu made the final decision and pulled out a set of array disks. "I'll set up some preliminary arrays. I'll need to forge a better one later, strong enough to deal with Void-Consolidating cultivators..."

Before he could even toss the array disks out, Luo Yu suddenly felt a sense of unease, a lingering premonition that something was terribly wrong.

He halted his movements and instinctively looked toward the horizon: as far as the eye could see, a vast expanse of dark clouds was rushing toward them at breakneck speed, with multicolored magical light faintly flashing within.

The four of them were instantly startled: Is that monstrous beast coming back?

Luo Yu hurriedly swept the area with his divine sense: it was actually a group of Nascent Soul cultivators, numbering a full thirty. The leader's cultivation level was unreadable, but his face was very familiar—handsome yet pale, with some cyan dark patterns at the corners of his eyes... It was precisely Wu Lin, the Void-Transforming black dragon whom Qin Yue had been searching for everywhere.

Qin Yue furrowed his brows slightly and said in a deep voice, "This person comes with ill intent. I fear he is holding a grudge for being injured by me and has come specifically to exact revenge."

Without needing his explanation, the other three were equally aware of the severity of the situation: judging by this posture, the adversary had come prepared, and the timing was chosen too perfectly—precisely when Qin Yue was heavily injured, and his defensive items and "summoned beast" were nearly exhausted. It seemed this battle would be no easier than dealing with the monster...

Wu Lin stared intently at Qin Yue—like a starving wolf finally cornering its prey in a dead end, his gaze a mixture of ruthlessness and excitement.

To be honest, Wu Lin had not expected these little fellows to still be alive.

He was well aware of why Ao Hen pursued him relentlessly: it wanted to consume him to nourish its body.

Later, when he discovered Qin Yue and Luo Yu in the Thousand Vine Immortal Gorge, he was truly filled with indescribable surprise and decided almost without hesitation to shift the disaster onto others: once Ao Hen devoured them and successfully stepped into the Great乘 realm, eliminating its lifespan crisis, it would presumably no longer bother to trouble him!

Having scouted the true strength of Luo Yu's group of four, he immediately sent a transmission talisman to that monstrous beast. The subsequent developments went exactly as expected: the beast Ao Hen indeed rushed to the Thousand Vine Immortal Gorge.

Wu Lin had secretly tailed them all the way, originally assuming these four were dead for sure, and even feeling a twinge of regret for that precious blade: it would have gone to waste on his adversary! Yet, who would have thought that the nine-tailed fox could actually trap a Void-Consolidating cultivator? It was truly unexpected! As the old saying goes, "When the snipe and the clam grapple, the fisherman profits." Now that the monster was trapped, he no longer needed to hide in the shadows; even that half-demon was severely weakened... Unsettled old grudges, secret dragon cultivation techniques, and a peerless precious blade... Wasn't this a heaven-sent opportunity for him to achieve three gains at once?

The more Wu Lin thought about it, the better it felt, and he couldn't help but chuckle darkly. Raising his volume with a hypocritical tone, he called out, "Haha, long time no see! Why is my dear nephew in such a sorry state? If you had followed your uncle back then, where would you have suffered today?"

Qin Yue swept a cold gaze across the group of Nascent Soul cultivators and said, "You brought so many people—are you afraid of having a brick smashed against your head by this lord again?"

Hearing this, Wu Lin's smile instantly vanished. A fierce expression flashed across his face as he gritted his teeth and cursed, "You little... brat! If you obediently follow me back to the manor today, as an elder, I will not pursue the crime of your repeated disrespect. If not... then don't blame your uncle for being ruthless!"

Although Luo Yu didn't understand why this black dragon claimed to be Qin Yue's uncle, he could tell this fellow was no good. "You want to take him away for no reason—what are you trying to do?"

Wu Lin chuckled lewdly, narrowing his eyes as he sized up Luo Yu. "Nephew-in-law, don't be hasty. If you can't bear to part with him, you can just come back to the manor with us!"

Luo Yu was pierced by his lecherous gaze, and everything instantly clicked in his mind: "In your dreams!"

Wu Lin wore a smile that didn't reach his eyes. "I knew you wouldn't give up until you hit the Yellow River... Very well, Uncle won't waste any more breath either. Get them, all of you!" With a wave of his hand, the swarm of Nascent Soul cultivators rushed forward clamorously, tightly surrounding the four of them. Wu Lin also flashed aside, blending into the rolling thunderclouds, while sinisterly observing Bai Wuhuo—although the opponent's strength was compromised, having witnessed their previous two battles firsthand, Wu Lin dared not be arrogant. Therefore, he half-coerced and half-lured some cannon fodder to clear the way, while he himself remained on guard against the fox's illusions.

The pressure on the four members of the Luo family was immense: Qin Yue was heavily injured, and how could the cat and Luo Yu possibly handle so many cultivators of the same realm? Not to mention that there was still a Void-Transforming black dragon eyeing them covetously to keep Bai Wuhuo in check... That black dragon's combat power was far superior to Bai Wuhuo's.

This commotion above the small island attracted quite a few nearby residents. They stepped on magical artifacts to watch the excitement from afar, pointing and whispering among themselves. Even Yi Rong stood in the crowd, craning his neck to look. Not only did these people not come out to mediate or resolve the situation, but some even set up gambling tables and shouted bets on the outcome.

Luo Yu was deeply enraged by the attitude of these spectators: Damn it, don't go too far!

He opened his mouth and spat out the Day Butterfly, transforming instantly. The phoenix took the lead, spewing a wave of blazing flames toward the group of Nascent Soul cultivators. These Nascent Soul cultivators were also skilled hands; a few engaged Luo Yu and the cat, while the others coordinated to launch a fierce assault on Qin Yue. Anxious that Qin Yue might come to harm, Luo Yu and the cat were thrown into a flurry. However, a moment later, a dozen or so Nascent Soul cultivators inexplicably plunged from the sky, thudding heavily into the bushes and the bottom of the lake.

"Watch out for illusions!" a Nascent Soul cultivator shouted. "Fall back!"

Hearing this, the other cultivators hastily pulled out items to break illusions: some swallowed medicinal pills, others circulated their cultivation techniques, and one suddenly opened a third eye on his forehead, which seemed to possess a divine vision capable of dispelling illusions as well. This person scanned the surroundings, yet still could not spot any flaws. Luo Yu's slightly suspended heart finally settled down.

However, the cultivators' tricks were not yet exhausted. At this moment, another person plucked a bamboo basket from their body and released a swarm of red bats the size of red dates. As soon as these red bats left the cage, they spread their wings, flapping into the air before abruptly changing direction and scattering in all directions. Their flight patterns also became extremely bizarre: each one seemed to be chasing something, yet dared not bite, forced to simply circle around it.

Luo Yu's heart tightened: They found it! When this fellow was searching for objects, he had been too far away, exceeding the Day Butterfly's attack range...

The cultivator who released the red bats sneered, waving his hand to toss out a precious bell, which hovered over the spot where one red bat was circling, and struck it with a crisp "Clang!" With this single chime, Luo Yu felt his divine sense sink, and his control over the Day Butterfly instantly became strenuous.

He had plenty of experience with this situation: undoubtedly, that little butterfly had already been blasted to pieces by the precious bell, transforming into numerous miniature butterflies. If it happened again, his divine sense wouldn't be able to bear the load. Seeing that the cultivator showed no intention of stopping, he had no choice but to let out a clear cry and recall the Day Butterfly first.

Luo Yu's Day Butterfly was restrained by others, and Luoli's situation beside him was no better: although the five-colored spiritual light injured many people, none of them were fatal. Later, a cultivator tossed out an earthen mountain that blocked everything completely, and even the Rainbow Staff and the Samsara Mirror were jointly entangled by the crowd. Luoli wanted to retrieve the two magical artifacts, but seven or eight people surrounded her, launching fierce attacks, leaving her with no choice but to parry using the Yang Essence True Fire.

Qin Yue was protected in the center by the three of them, so his situation was slightly better; but since he was never one to willingly hide behind others, combined with the unfavorable circumstances, his mood grew even more irritable. Ignoring his injuries, he constantly stepped in to plug the gaps and block attacks for the three of them, and streaks of blood had already stained the corners of his mouth.

Bai Wuhuo possessed the greatest strength, yet he was kept in check. Whenever he wanted to strike down those Nascent Soul cultivators, the black dragon would make a move to hurl lightning bolts toward the Luo siblings, leaving him unable to act rashly. He desperately wanted to send this black dragon into the Mirror Origin Realm to enjoy himself as well, but the adversary was hiding inside the clouds and refused to come out. Those clouds also possessed some unknown peculiarity that heavily obstructed his divine sense when he probed them, and with the adversary on high alert, success was unlikely...

Each use of the Mirror Origin Realm consumed the vast majority of his spirit and magical power. Magical power could be replenished with pills, but spiritual power could not; he could only sustain it once per battle. Looking at the Luo siblings fighting a bitter battle, Bai Wuhuo hesitated deeply, unsure whether to reserve it for the black dragon or to strike down those Nascent Soul cultivators first... Although his divine sense wasn't yet capable of whisking all of them away, he was confident if he only banished a dozen or so.

While Bai Wuhuo hesitated, the Nascent Soul cultivators who had fallen under the illusion regained their senses and instantly joined the attacking ranks. With fresh reinforcements, the cultivators previously injured by the five-colored spiritual light—now that the Samsara Mirror embedded with "Dragon-Stabilizing Gel" could no longer be easily damaged—unanimously launched their assaults against the "Rainbow Staff." Only a moment later, Luoli shuddered all over, opened her mouth, and spat out a mouthful of fresh blood—the Rainbow Staff had been beaten to pieces by someone.

"Cat!" Luo Yu screamed in alarm. Ignoring the seven or eight magical artifacts assailing his back, he transformed into his human form and scooped the unconscious Luoli into his arms.

"Bastard!" Bai Wuhuo's eyes turned as red as blood. "Get lost, this lord commands you!" Thirteen cultivators and the pursuing magical artifacts suddenly vanished without a trace. With this overexertion, Bai Wuhuo's magical power was nearly depleted, and his spiritual power was completely exhausted, causing his body to suffer a sudden wave of weakness.

The remaining seventeen Nascent Soul cultivators were stunned by Bai Wuhuo's single move and instantly hesitated, not daring to step forward.

Only Wu Lin saw the situation clearly, knowing that Bai Wuhuo was likely drained of all strength. He smiled sinisterly and said, "Immortal Friend, why didn't you trap all of them? Could it be... that your ability falls short of your ambition?" He slowly stepped out of the thunderclouds, a dense murderous intent leaking from his eyes. "This Immortal Friend, would you care to spar with this humble one?"

Luo Yu fished out a "Resurrection Pill" and shoved it into Luoli's mouth, cursing with overwhelming rage, "You... shameless bastard!"

Wu Lin smiled coldly and said, "Since my nephew-in-law is so captivating, I'm afraid it might tempt Uncle into doing something even more shameless~" He flashed to dodge the Burning Moon swung by Qin Yue, retreated several zhang, and clicked his tongue in pity. "That useless fool Ao Hen wasted all of Uncle's painstaking efforts and still failed to take you lot down... Since that is the case, Uncle will graciously accept them in his stead!"

With a spin of his body, a scale-covered black dragon coiled and soared into mid-air, surrounded by rolling evil clouds and a fierce, chilling murderous aura. Overlooking them from above, it lunged with a claw straight toward Bai Wuhuo's heart, intent on killing him with a single blow. This claw struck with extreme speed, and Luo Yu transformed back into his true form almost simultaneously with the adversary, using a teleportation technique to whisk Bai Wuhuo far away.

Wu Lin sneered, secretly blocking the move with his divine sense, and turned around to grab Qin Yue instead. Enduring the churning blood in his throat, Qin Yue desperately swung the Burning Moon to resist; Luo Yu wanted to repeat his trick, but he couldn't teleport in time anymore. At that moment, the pack of Nascent Soul cultivators also stirred up trouble, tangling with Luo Yu and Bai Wuhuo once more.

Qin Yue was severely injured, his movements greatly slowed, and facing Wu Lin's onslaught was like a mantis trying to stop a chariot. Although Wu Lin claimed he would take Qin Yue back to the manor, he cared nothing for Qin Yue's life or death; what mattered were the *Heavenly Steel Golden Dragon Scripture* and that precious blade. He had never had any interest in beauties harboring ulterior motives, as too many people lost their lives over lust—he wasn't that foolish.

A cruel smile hung on the corner of Wu Lin's lips: This blade is truly too fine. Considering we share half our bloodline, I might as well grant him a quick death! After all, the dragon race bloodline is already dwindling...

He stared at Qin Yue, who had already slipped into a semi-conscious state, retracted his claws like blades, and steadily thrust them toward Qin Yue's heart—

"Qin Yue!" Watching helplessly as his wife faced life and death by a thread without the power to save her, Luo Yu burst out a desperate cry.

Too fast to describe, just as the sharp claws were about to pierce Qin Yue's chest, a petite figure flashed past, instantly knocking Qin Yue flying to the side! Immediately following that, a soft "squelch" sounded in the air...

That was the sound of a sharp weapon piercing flesh...

" Lass?"

"Cat!"

Fresh blood still lingered at the corners of Luoli's mouth. She tilted her head to glance at Qin Yue, who was plunging toward the lake, and then down at the sharp claws embedded in her abdomen. Raising her small face with great difficulty, she flashed a brilliant smile at Wu Lin.

"Bastard... You dare... hit my brother... You're... dead meat!"

Catching sight of the smile on her face, Wu Lin suddenly felt a jolt of panic and hurriedly waved his claws to fling her away—

With a faint smile at the corner of her mouth, Luoli tilted her head back slightly, and her body suddenly shattered as if made of glass, erupting with boundless, blinding light from the fissures...

Luo Yu had no time to think as everything before his eyes turned into a sheet of brilliant white, so bright it nearly blinded him. Then, a boundless, surging wave of force crashed into him, violently blasting him backward, followed by a thunderous roar like a peal of thunder in his ears, jarring his mind into a blackout before he lost consciousness entirely...