Chapter 71: Grim

Chen Chen fell into a vast valley, which was actually a large canyon. The positions Chen Chen and the others had passed through before were connected by mountain paths and hills on the north and south sides. However, the east and west sides were entirely endless cliffs, as if the earth had split open into a massive fissure, with no end in sight.

After falling into the canyon, Chen Chen ultimately chose to flee eastward, where he could faintly hear the sound of water, offering a greater chance of survival.

After Chen Chen left, a group of powerful figures from the Netherworld Palace immediately pursued him. They were indeed bloodthirsty, but they still remembered their mission. With Chen Chen's trail, they could not afford to hesitate.

A moment later, a black figure also arrived, which was the old ghost from the Netherworld Palace, You Feng.

"Hmph! With this old man here, you won't escape!" You Feng coldly snorted and then swiftly moved eastward. He carried the Netherworld Palace's communication treasure, so he had long known Chen Chen's direction from his subordinates.

...

On the dry riverbed at the eastern end of the canyon, Chen Chen was fleeing alone.

Although he had decided to use himself as bait to give more of the Flowing Cloud Sect members a chance to escape, he did not want to die pointlessly.

Moreover, the longer he could hold on, the greater the chances of survival for the other members. If he died, the Netherworld Palace's henchmen would turn their guns on Sima Ya and the others, causing them to suffer.

Furthermore, after this battle, the entire Flowing Cloud Sect was almost completely wiped out, with many outstanding disciples and members suffering due to Chen Chen. This was a deep-seated hatred that could never be resolved, and only the blood of those executioners could cleanse it.

No matter what, Chen Chen would not allow himself to die in vain!

"They're catching up..." Soon, during his flight, the sound of footsteps came from behind. Chen Chen, with his heightened senses, quickly detected the movement.

At this moment, although Chen Chen knew the danger was slowly approaching, he had to use the Shadow Fox Steps cautiously. Although this technique was exquisite, it consumed a lot of blood energy. Unfortunately, his current weakness was his cultivation, and the blood energy he could mobilize in his meridians was extremely limited. Therefore, he had to conserve his strength as much as possible unless it was absolutely necessary.

"That boy is there, chase him!"

"He can't run, catch him alive!"

"There's no need to be so troublesome, the boss didn't say we can't maim him..."

Soon, the Netherworld Palace's henchmen caught up. Upon seeing Chen Chen's back, they became even more excited, chasing him rapidly along the riverbed.

"Hmph!" Chen Chen coldly snorted and finally used the Shadow Fox Steps, instantly increasing the distance between them.

"Damn, if this continues, I'll be caught sooner or later. I must find a water source to have a chance of survival!" Seeing the distance he had just gained quickly closing, Chen Chen cursed inwardly.

The group's cultivation was not weak. Chen Chen had sensed that the weakest among them had a cultivation of at least the Sixth Level of the Blood Fusion Realm, and there were several at the peak of the Blood Fusion Realm.

With such a formidable force, it would be easy to wipe out not just one but two or three small sects like the Flowing Cloud Sect. If he faced them head-on, he would have no chance of survival!

At this moment, Chen Chen knew his only chance of survival was to find a wide river and jump into it. On land, he could not match those people. Their strength was too great, and there were too many of them. However, he had always been a good swimmer, and in the flowing river, they might not be able to catch him.

This was his only advantage, and he had to act quickly, or the three old monsters would catch up, leaving him with no chance of survival.

"Whoosh!"

Just as Chen Chen was thinking, he suddenly felt a chill on his back. An arrow, moving at incredible speed, shot toward him. If not for his keen senses, he would have been pierced through the shoulder.

"Such precise archery, such astonishing arm strength!" Chen Chen wiped the cold sweat from his forehead and glanced back. He immediately noticed a man with eagle-like eyes, wearing a black headband, holding a large bow and chasing him rapidly. The cold arrow that almost killed him was clearly from this man.

Chen Chen estimated that this man's cultivation was at least the Tenth Level of the Blood Fusion Realm, surpassing even his senior brother Qi Zheng. Most importantly, the man's arm strength and archery skills were terrifying, and together they could easily kill a martial artist at the Seventh or Eighth Level of the Blood Fusion Realm with just an arrow.

This was a significant threat. Chen Chen still had the strength to use the Shadow Fox Steps to the extreme and gain some distance, but the appearance of this man made him feel a chill. The previous arrow was already very dangerous, and he didn't know how many more times he would be so lucky.

However, what truly chilled Chen Chen's heart was what followed. The Netherworld Palace's henchmen seemed to have noticed that he possessed a high-level movement technique, making it difficult to catch him. Soon, several more archers joined the man on both sides.

"Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh..."

As Chen Chen had expected, the archers began to shoot arrows. Five or six arrows rained down, each one sharp and fierce.

"Clang, clang, clang..." Chen Chen, with no choice, drew his Crimson Gold Longsword and used the Sword Technique of the Vast Sea to block the arrows.

However, this slowed his steps, and the distance he had gained with the Shadow Fox Steps was quickly lost.

"Damn!" Chen Chen, with no other choice, used the Shadow Fox Steps again, creating a trail of afterimages as he sped up.

"Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh..." Just then, another five or six arrows shot toward him. The archers seemed to have found a way to slow him down, preparing to close in for the kill.

Worse still, after using the Shadow Fox Steps several times, Chen Chen felt a growing weakness. The lack of blood energy was becoming a serious issue. If this continued, he would likely die here.

At the same time, the Netherworld Palace's powerful figures noticed his slowing pace and intensified their pursuit, with the arrows becoming even more frequent.

"Thud—"

Despite Chen Chen's best efforts, an arrow still pierced through his chest, just above his collarbone. The force was incredible, not only piercing his shoulder but also completely passing through his body. From behind, it looked like a streak of light had passed through him, and this arrow was likely from the man with the black headband and eagle-like eyes.

If the arrow had been two inches to the left, it would have pierced Chen Chen's heart, killing him instantly!

However, even though the arrow didn't hit a vital spot, it was still a severe injury. The pain was excruciating, and his collarbone was likely shattered. His clothes were quickly turning red with blood.

"Ugh..."

"Whoosh... Thud!"

Just as Chen Chen, in pain, felt dizzy and let out a muffled groan, a flaw appeared in his sword technique. Another arrow shot through, this time hitting his thigh, the arrowhead piercing through the other side, a gruesome sight.

"Damn!"

Chen Chen cursed inwardly, sensing the taste of death. This was no illusion; he had never been in such a dangerous situation, either in his past life or this one.

"I can't wait any longer, I need to find shelter in the forest first!" Chen Chen, with a determined look, broke the arrow in his thigh and changed his direction, heading into the dense forest on the right side of the riverbed.

This canyon was indeed vast, and over countless years, many trees had grown on both sides of the riverbed. Chen Chen suddenly entered the forest to use the terrain to avoid the archers' arrows. Otherwise, he would have been riddled with arrows before finding a river.

However, this was only a temporary solution. Although the forest provided some cover, it was not enough to hide him. Chen Chen had to continue searching for a wide river, as only then would he have a chance of survival.

As time passed, the disadvantages of fleeing in the forest became apparent. Although the threat of arrows decreased, his speed was significantly reduced.

On the other hand, the Netherworld Palace's pursuers were very smart. Seeing Chen Chen enter the forest, they split into two groups. One group entered the forest to continue the pursuit, while the other took advantage of his slowed movement to advance quickly along the riverbed, quickly forming a pincer attack on Chen Chen.

"Kill! Lightning and Thunder!" Chen Chen, with a roar, thrust his Crimson Gold Longsword, piercing the throat of a Netherworld Palace henchman. Surrounded by his enemies, he had little choice but to fight.

"Bang!"

In the next moment, a black figure suddenly attacked from behind, moving with the speed of the wind, and Chen Chen was sent flying with a single palm strike.

This person's cultivation was clearly far superior to Chen Chen's, and he was sent flying, spitting blood.

"Ugh..." Chen Chen wiped the blood from his mouth, quickly got up, and used the Shadow Fox Steps to retreat. In the forest, although the Netherworld Palace's pursuers had dispersed, Chen Chen knew that if he paused, they would quickly surround him. He could not afford to engage in a prolonged battle and could only fight and retreat.

"Kill!"

"Quick! Block him, don't let him escape!"

"Shoot! Shoot hard!"

At the same time, the Netherworld Palace's pursuers, with cold smiles, set up a trap. The forest was filled with figures, making it difficult for Chen Chen to escape.

Under such a relentless attack, Chen Chen was soon injured in multiple places, and a large piece of flesh was torn from his back.

"Brat, hold on, I'm coming!"

Just as Chen Chen was in dire straits, Xue Zhenhai, the Blood Hand Mad Slaughter, and Lu Hao, the Green-Faced Wolf, finally arrived. Seeing Chen Chen in danger, they were enraged and charged forward to help.