Chapter 44

"Chilling Cicada Chant..." A low growl escaped Chu Zhongze’s lips. Even when he was killing people, his face had remained calm, but now a hint of ferocity appeared on his cold and sinister face. The powerful ability of the Patterned Beast, condensed into a soul technique, was something only he knew in the Xishan Remnant Clan. Yet, he had to use it against a Pattern Hunter. Although he felt a bit reluctant, what he was even more unwilling to accept was watching Bu Li escape right before his eyes.

However, just as the icy spell was about to be cast, and the illusion of the Chilling Cicada was almost tangible, a sharp killing intent appeared beside him. It was so close that Chu Zhongze, who was preparing to cast the spell, had no time to react.

Once a spell is gathered and then interrupted, there will be a backlash of soul power. Chu Zhongze didn’t want this to happen, and countless thoughts raced through his mind. Who was ambushing him? The positions of all those who entered the Divine Legacy Mountains were clearly displayed on the map in the air, which had not yet disappeared. There was no one around him or Bu Li. And Bu Li, as if aware of his predicament, turned to face him again, slowed down, and retreated, drawing a massive, exaggeratedly large ox-horn bow to a full moon, with an ironwood arrow aimed at him. In just the blink of an eye, how could he do so much? But who was attacking him?!

Hesitation leads to disaster.

Chu Zhongze interrupted his spell, not even finishing the four words "Chilling Cicada Chant." The last word "Chant" was swallowed back. A massive ice-based soul power backlash instantly enveloped him in frost. He spat out a mouthful of black blood, his body pausing for a moment, and the illusion of the Chilling Cicada began to fade after a few tugs.

All of this happened in the blink of an eye. But something unbelievable still occurred.

The sharp killing intent disappeared as he interrupted his soul power. Chu Zhongze even had the illusion that if he hadn’t interrupted his soul power, the killing intent would have vanished as if it never existed.

His body paused, and Chu Zhongze saw a large, black bear shadow sprint past, narrowly missing Bu Li’s ironwood arrow, coordinating to a degree that was hair-raising.

Another闷闷 (muffled) feeling in his chest, he barely managed to avoid spitting out more blood. The wretched black bear on the Tianci Platform—it was actually it! During the initial trial, Chu Zhongze had also seen that black bear, thinking that Yang Cai’s defeat was too unjust. Even if the black bear was powerful, it shouldn’t have drained so much of his energy. But now, placed in such a situation, Chu Zhongze understood Yang Cai’s feelings.

His body retreated, changing several steps in quick succession to dodge Bu Li’s continuous arrows, and he even rolled on the ground in a somewhat狼狈 (embarrassed) manner to barely avoid the last arrow.

When Chu Zhongze stood up, Bu Li and the wretched black bear had already disappeared into the night. The map in the air was gone, and the stars filled the sky, the surroundings silent. Chu Zhongze stared blankly in the direction Bu Li had left, suddenly feeling as if he was being watched, as if Bu Li’s arrow could shoot out of the darkness at any moment and pierce his body.

I must kill him!

After this battle, Bu Li was defined by Chu Zhongze as the strongest opponent in this "Remnant Clan Grand Trial." I must kill him! I must kill it!

The black bear ran very fast. When it ran, no one would believe it was a black bear known for its strong defense; instead, it gave the illusion of a mountain leopard.

Feeling that Chu Zhongze was not pursuing, Bu Li relaxed, circling a few times to thoroughly confuse his tracks and scent, before finding a dense forest to rest.

The black bear plopped down on the ground, leaning against a pine tree. Seeing the black bear’s appearance, Bu Li knew it was asking for a cigarette. Shaking his head, Bu Li didn’t explain. The idea of smoking in the perilous Divine Legacy Mountains, where danger lurked everywhere, was absurd. The smoke would surely expose their hiding place, and he didn’t want to die any faster.

The black bear helplessly rubbed against the pine tree, turned its head, and was about to fall asleep. The nearly day-long ambush had been extremely draining for both Bu Li and the black bear. The sudden confrontation had been a matter of life and death. Seeing the black bear’s lazy appearance, Bu Li shook his head helplessly. This guy was cunning, lazy, greedy, and slippery, always demanding payment for his work. Bu Li was already familiar with the black bear’s behavior and didn’t think much of it. He reached into the bag hanging from the black bear’s belly, retrieving an ironwood arrow to replenish his quiver.

The bag, made of deer skin, had a small, cute bear embroidered on it. Thinking of Cai Xiaoxian, Bu Li felt a warm feeling in his heart.

Just as he was about to sit down and take a drink of water, Bu Li and the black bear moved simultaneously. Bu Li’s hand had just reached for the short crossbow by his side, and the black bear, which had been about to sleep, was startled awake, trying to move away from the mysterious danger. But both man and bear only moved once and dared not make any further movements, as if they had been frozen in place, waiting and seeking an opportunity.

A small figure slowly appeared about a丈 (zhang) away from Bu Li. She wasn’t short, and Bu Li estimated she was about 1.65 meters tall. Her face was not very clear, her hair tied into two buns, with a bamboo hairpin adorned with a string of shiny jewels Bu Li didn’t recognize. Her slim shoulders and the silk robe hanging naturally, her hands hidden in the sleeves, she appeared gracefully before Bu Li.

"I’ve been looking for you so hard," the girl said. Her voice was young, probably around fifteen or sixteen years old. Bu Li tried to gauge her intentions. She was stronger than Chu Zhongze, so strong that he couldn’t resist or fight back. Bu Li was certain that if he moved his finger on the crossbow, he would die, and die very ugly.

"Are you Bu Li?" the girl asked, looking at Bu Li curiously.

Bu Li nodded slightly. The girl in front of him looked like a fairy from a New Year’s painting, but Bu Li understood her terrifying power. Without understanding her intentions, he didn’t dare to make even a small movement, fearing it might cause a misunderstanding.

"My name is Zhang Xitong," the girl smiled, her eyes sparkling like stars, her gaze alluring. Although she didn’t intentionally make a seductive gesture, the charm she unintentionally exuded was even more captivating.

"Hello," Bu Li, whose heart was as hard as iron, was slightly dazed but then slowly greeted her, looking into the girl’s eyes, as if asking about her intentions.

Zhang Xitong said softly, "Your abilities are quite good, but you seem familiar. Can you tell me your background?"