Chapter 49

"Can you let go now?"

Seeing the cavalry ride off into the distance, the hunched old man said coldly.

"Let him go, and I'll die even faster!" Zhao Yun laughed, saying that letting go was not so easy; he needed to buy time for the cavalry to ride further away. He also needed to think of a way out, to see from where he could make a swift escape.

"Young man, my patience has its limits."

The hunched old man snorted, his true essence flowing, icy cold, and a deadly strike had been brewing for a long time. If he was pushed too far, he would do anything.

"I promise, I won't kill you."

The young man in the purple robe spoke, his tone sincere enough to make an ordinary person believe him.

However, Zhao Yun was no ordinary person; his mind was clear. What good was a promise?

"Let him go."

The hunched old man roared, his face turning fierce, unable to suppress his anger. Since he had started his path, he had never been threatened like this.

"Let go, I will when the time is right."

Zhao Yun smiled, pulling the young man in the purple robe back step by step.

The hunched old man, step by step, pressed forward, ready to unleash a devastating blow at any moment.

"Here, take him back."

Reaching the edge of the forest, Zhao Yun suddenly kicked the young man in the purple robe out.

Then, he turned and jumped into the dark forest.

"Young Master."

The hunched old man had already caught the young man in the purple robe.

"Kill him, crush his bones to dust."

The young man in the purple robe was enraged, his calm demeanor from before now replaced by a mad lion's fury, his eyes bloodshot, his face twisted in a grotesque manner.

For so many years, he had never been so humiliated, captured by a True Spirit Realm cultivator. How could he bear it?

"Explosion... talismans?"

The hunched old man's expression changed. He was about to chase, but he saw something terrifying. The back of the young man in the purple robe was covered with talismans, each marked with the word "Explosion," extremely eye-catching.

"Blow you to pieces."

Zhao Yun, fleeing, released the seals on the explosion talismans, timing it precisely.

Boom!

In the next moment, the sound of explosions echoed, and over a dozen explosion talismans detonated simultaneously.

"No...!"

The young man in the purple robe screamed, his eyes filled with despair, his grotesque face now one of terror.

However, no matter how loud he screamed, it was of no use.

Over a dozen explosion talismans turned him into a bloody mess. In his last moment, he was filled with regret, regretting that he had provoked these people, his anger unvented, and he had lost his life in the process.

Pfft!

The young man in the purple robe was blown to pieces, and the hunched old man was not much better. So close, he could not avoid the explosion, and he was thrown back, blood and bones splattered. He had underestimated Zhao Yun, a mere True Spirit Realm cultivator, who had such powerful explosion talismans, and so many, catching him off guard.

Though he was severely injured, he did not die. The Xuan Yang Realm was not to be underestimated; his protective true essence shielded him from most of the explosion. If the talismans had been on his body, it would have been a different story.

"You should die."

Steadying himself, the hunched old man leaped into the dark forest, chasing after Zhao Yun. His old face was bloodied and mangled, his hair disheveled, looking like a demon.

"Faster, faster."

In the dark forest, Zhao Yun used the Wind God Steps, not looking back, knowing that the explosion talismans would not kill the hunched old man. Even if he was half-dead, he could still easily suppress Zhao Yun. The absolute difference in realms was undeniable, and he had to run, and run fast.

"Kill."

Behind him, the hunched old man's roars continued, his true essence surging, his momentum overwhelming. Many trees were blown in half, and many boulders shattered under his feet. His aura was even stronger than the old ghost Yan from before.

Zhao Yun's legs moved swiftly, like a black shadow, darting through the mountains and forests. At every place he stopped, he left something, like the explosion talismans.

Boom! Bang! Boom!

The sound of explosions echoed, turning the already chaotic forest into a mess.

The hunched old man looked even more disheveled, with traps everywhere along his pursuit. A moment of carelessness, and he was blown back. Fortunately, his foundation was strong enough, or he would have been turned to ashes.

"I want to see how long you can last."

The hunched old man gritted his teeth. Explosion talismans were good, but triggering them required true essence. Using too many would deplete his true essence, and then it would be easier to deal with. Explode, you can explode until you die. Trying to defeat me with explosion talismans is too unrealistic.

Indeed, Zhao Yun was running out of strength. He had already used dozens of explosion talismans, and his true essence was nearly depleted. If not for the dragon blood he had fused and his advancement to the True Spirit Realm, with a large amount of true essence and robust qi and blood, he would have run out long ago.

"Where are you going?"

The hunched old man caught up, and dozens of sword auras shot out.

Zhao Yun suddenly turned, drawing the Purple Dawn Sword from his waist, and with a swift movement, blocked a few sword auras before instantly diving into the ground.

"Earth diving?"

The hunched old man was surprised, stepping down and stomping the ground.

Pfft!

Zhao Yun spat blood, thrown back by the ground's tremor. Before he could steady himself, the hunched old man, like a ghost, appeared, his bloody hand reaching for Zhao Yun's neck.

Roar!

In a flash, Zhao Yun used the Dragon Roar Tiger Roar sound wave technique. The deep dragon roar, like a real divine dragon's cry, was explosive.

Ugh!

The hunched old man grunted.

Normally, he would not be affected, but he was not in his usual state. His mind was still buzzing from the earlier explosions, and the sound wave impact from Zhao Yun was not easy to bear. His hand, which was about to grab, slowed down.

Zhao Yun got a moment to breathe, using a large boulder for leverage, he leaped back, and while in mid-air, he threw three flying knives, each attached with an explosion talisman.

Seeing this, the hunched old man's eyes narrowed. Running was no longer an option. He summoned his protective true essence and braced for the explosion. When the smoke cleared, his staggering figure was ragged, his clothes torn, and blood and bones exposed. One of his arms hung limply, blood flowing continuously.

"Can't even kill you with this?"

Zhao Yun spat blood, his body swaying, retreating to the rock wall, his face pale.

Using too many explosion talismans, his true essence was nearly depleted.

"Running, why aren't you running anymore?"

The hunched old man sneered, though he was severely injured, he had forced Zhao Yun into a corner.

Even half-dead, he could still suppress Zhao Yun with one hand.

After all, the True Spirit Realm cultivator's true essence was nearly depleted, leaving him with no resistance.

Clang!

In response, the sword sang.

Zhao Yun took a step forward, a sword piercing the rainbow, lightning tearing through the blade.

"Lightning?"

The hunched old man laughed, casually raising his hand and extending two fingers, precisely pinching the Purple Dawn Sword.

This scene was expected by Zhao Yun, who instantly dove into the ground. Before the hunched old man could force him out, he emerged on his own, his sword now the Dragon Spring, both hands gripping it, and he slashed down from the sky.

Pfft!

This slash was powerful enough to make the hunched old man stagger, but he only staggered for a moment. True essence surged, and he threw Zhao Yun back.

Pfft!

This mouthful of blood was spewed with a sense of defeat, Zhao Yun crashing into the rock wall.

"What do you rely on now?"

The hunched old man sneered, walking step by step, passing the Dragon Spring sword stuck in the ground, casually pulling it out. It was indeed a good sword, heavy and fierce, but he did not bother to examine it. At this moment, what he wanted most was to capture Zhao Yun and make him suffer.

"I have many things to rely on."

Zhao Yun's mouth gushed blood, his hand on the rock wall, swaying, barely standing.

His smile carried a hint of cunning.

The hunched old man felt a bad premonition.

He instinctively lowered his gaze and saw an explosion talisman under his foot. He had been so focused on Zhao Yun that he did not notice when Zhao Yun had placed it.

This was not important now; what was important was that Zhao Yun had already released the seal on the explosion talisman.

In an instant, the hunched old man's eyes bulged, his pupils contracting.

Then, he was sent flying into the sky, accompanied by the sound of the explosion. His hanging arm was completely blown off, blood raining down. When he landed, he was unrecognizable, his body torn apart by the explosion. So many explosion talismans, this time, exploded from bottom to top, sending him flying.

Zhao Yun finally collapsed, breathing heavily, his face pale.

The last explosion talisman had drained the last bit of true essence from his dantian.

Fortunately, he had killed the hunched old man.

"Good, very good."

Just as he was about to relax, a grotesque voice sounded from nearby. The hunched old man, who had lost an arm, covered in blood, his face unrecognizable, had somehow stood up again. From any angle, he looked like a rotting corpse, except for his old eyes, which were still sinister and terrifying.

"I..."

Zhao Yun tried to stand, but he could not, his breath not steady, and he spat blood on the spot.

So many explosion talismans, and the last one still did not kill the old dog.

Do Xuan Yang Realm martial cultivators have such resistance to explosions?

"I will turn you into a puppet, and for all eternity, you will crawl at my feet."

The hunched old man laughed sinisterly, staggering step by step, nearly dead but still with a foundation. Killing a True Spirit Realm cultivator with depleted true essence was like crushing an ant.

"This time, I really have to kneel."

Zhao Yun's voice was hoarse, wanting to fight again, but he lacked the strength.

The hunched old man was severely injured, and so was Zhao Yun. He did not know how many tendons and muscles were broken, and using the explosion talismans so many times had far exceeded his capacity. He could not even stand, let alone attack.

"Die!"

The hunched old man approached, raising the Dragon Spring sword. This strike would be the gate to hell.

Clang!

At this moment, a sword sang from behind.

Before the hunched old man could react, a slender sword pierced through his back, emerging from his chest.

Looking at the attacker, it was the black-clothed female assassin from before.

She appeared from nowhere, but her strike was indeed beautiful.

Ah!

The hunched old man screamed, his true essence surging.

Pfft!

The black-clothed female assassin spat blood, thrown back. She was already injured, and this shock made her injuries worse.

The hunched old man, hit by the sword, also staggered, blood gushing from the wound in his chest, struggling to stand.

"Fall... for me."

Zhao Yun gritted his teeth, forcing himself to stand, and headbutted the hunched old man.

This time, the old man finally fell, his body writhing, blood gushing from his mouth. He died with his eyes open, more aggrieved and regretful than his young master. If he had intervened earlier, he would not have ended up like this. A Xuan Yang Realm cultivator, reduced to a bloody mess by explosions.

In the end, he was killed by two True Spirit Realm cultivators.