Chapter 48

The tall and thin cultivator was unimpressed by the felt-hat cultivator's gloating and replied, "Please leave this matter to me; I will tear him to pieces with my own hands."

That deceased Xiao Liao was one of his capable subordinates. Originally, he had vied for this task to impress the Fourth Young Master, but he ended up losing his life. No wonder he was grinding his teeth; if he couldn't handle this matter properly, his own reputation would also be tarnished.

The felt-hat cultivator shrugged and said, "Since you have spoken, I will watch from the side. If it doesn't work, I will step in. Remember, the Fourth Young Master has issued a kill order. If we fail, we should settle our affairs before returning to see him."

Though he said this, he had already cursed the tall and thin cultivator's female relatives in his heart: If it weren't for his subordinate's greed for credit, they could have just tracked him and found an opportunity to send a signal back, and the two of them could have handled it. This matter would have been resolved long ago, and it wouldn't have come to this, with the person running away and leaving no clues.

Hearing the felt-hat cultivator's last words, the tall and thin cultivator's body trembled. Luo Siye represented the Luo family in Qingling Town, and the Luo family was one of the top few powers in Qingling City. The Luo family treated their subordinates very well, but as a subordinate of the Luo family, if one couldn't resolve the master's troubles, the consequences were severe.

He was an old hand, and his mind quickly returned to calm. He said, "There's no need to say more. The two of us, both at the Xiantian realm, can't be troubled by a mere Qi Condensation realm novice. We can handle it ourselves without needing the Luo guards."

The felt-hat cultivator did not respond but looked into the distance and said, "That boy is now like a startled bird. Which direction do you think he will go?"

The tall and thin cultivator snorted and said, "He bought Golden Smoke Powder; where else would he go if not to the Green Miasma Swamp?"

The felt-hat cultivator clapped his hands and laughed, "I knew your information was the most reliable. Let's quickly catch up and kill him before he enters the swamp." At the same time, he cursed in his heart: Damn you, if you knew it already, why did you pretend in front of me? If we really need to search the Green Miasma Swamp, I'll curse your ancestors for eighteen generations.

Cultivators at the Xiantian realm, using high-grade magical artifacts and relying on the robustness of their Xiantian true essence, could move much faster than those at the Qi Condensation realm. Even if Chu He had a mid-grade Flying Cloud Leap and had a head start of several dozen breaths, the felt-hat cultivator was confident he could intercept Chu He before he entered the swamp. Of course, this was the best outcome.

"Let's go!" The tall and thin cultivator threw out several small fireballs, turning the debris into raging flames, and then he and the felt-hat cultivator transformed into two swift beams of magical light.

However, they did not expect that Chu He did not head straight for the swamp. Instead, he turned south towards the Demon Cloud Mountains, planning to circle around and then head to the Green Miasma Swamp.

The Green Miasma Swamp was to the north of Qingling Town, roughly in the southeast direction of the Demon Cloud Mountains. Chu He planned to enter from the south, making a large detour.

Chu He did not know if anyone was chasing him, but if they were, there would certainly be Xiantian realm experts among them.

Reaching the Xiantian realm meant converting all one's spiritual essence into Xiantian true essence. It was said that Xiantian true essence was extremely powerful, capable of shattering rocks and iron, while spiritual essence was like paper in comparison, far inferior in quality.

A ninth-layer cultivator at the same realm was not to be feared, but a Xiantian realm expert, who was a realm higher, was not someone Chu He could match. He had to hide; he wouldn't be foolish enough to engage in a fight without a sure chance of winning.

Moreover, the place he was heading was close to the inner area, and he didn't believe they would dare to search there. Even the old Master Guo from his sect had fallen victim there, and if they dared to do so, they would likely be courting death.

Therefore, Chu He thought it best to take his time and create a time difference, achieving both goals.

As night fell, Chu He entered the Demon Cloud Mountains.

It was his first time entering the Demon Cloud Mountains. Although he had already known the general situation from the jade slip, the sight of the towering peaks still left him in awe.

The few spirit peaks he had seen in Qingling Mountain were already breathtaking, but compared to the peaks before him, they were much shorter. The further he went inside, the more majestic the peaks became.

Since it was the time when demons were active, Chu He did not dare to fly high, keeping the Flying Cloud Leap at a height of several dozen zhang and slowing down his speed.

It was a summer night, and there was a full moon, but in the Demon Cloud Mountains, it was difficult to see. Everywhere was shrouded in gray mist, dark and mysterious, and even the plants had a touch of darkness.

Here, not only was his vision greatly reduced, but his spiritual senses were also affected. No wonder the instructor often said that one should not hunt demons in the Demon Cloud Mountains without reaching the Xiantian realm. The spiritual senses of a Qi Condensation realm cultivator were almost useless here, and it was better to rely on the eyes, though they were only slightly better.

Chu He had already changed into a mid-grade black mist robe. Although its defensive power was not great, it excelled in concealing one's aura and resisting toxins. Wearing this robe, even less sensitive demons would find it hard to detect him immediately.

After flying over a hundred li, he noticed a peak where magical light was flickering and there were "booming" explosions. It seemed someone was hunting demons, and Chu He did not dare to approach, instead circling around from a distance.

Those who came out to hunt demons usually had their heads hanging from their belts. To be honest, here, they were no different from bandits who acted without restraint. If someone was killed for passing by, it was a common occurrence.

Even though Chu He was cautious, he still encountered a Level 3 Cloud Swallowing Leopard's ambush. Fortunately, Xiao Bai detected it early, and together they easily injured it and made it flee.

The Cloud Swallowing Leopard, apart from its black leopard spots and slightly larger size, was not much different from ordinary leopards. This beast could generate clouds from its paws and run through the air, moving extremely fast. Even though Chu He coveted the brain crystal chip, he was generous in his use of mid-grade magical talismans, but it still managed to escape with injuries.

After half an hour of flying, he finally arrived at an entrance to the Green Miasma Swamp. From here, it was about a hundred li to his destination.

Chu He lowered the Flying Cloud Leap and entered the green mist, which was like a green gauze.

Flying high over the Green Miasma Swamp was not advisable. Above the swamp, there were green flies that fed on the miasma and golden finches that fed on the green flies. These were not much of a threat, but the poisonous fire eagles, which fed on the golden finches, were dangerous.

Poisonous fire eagles were between the Level 3 and Level 4 realms. Although they often acted alone, if they were in danger, they would call for help with a sharp cry, and a large group would gather.

Therefore, without reaching the Core Formation realm, one should not provoke these beasts over the swamp.

The green miasma, as described, was like chewing gum, sticking to the magical light and gradually eroding it.