owlsbooks Chapter 92 Escaping the Crisis
Chapter 92 Escaping the Crisis
His body was covered by a light blue magical shield, keeping out the heavy river water and the ubiquitous silt.
With his eyes tightly closed, he focused all his energy on the Turtle Breathing Technique, suppressing his heartbeat, breathing, body temperature, and even fluctuations in magical power to the extreme. His divine sense was also firmly locked within three feet of him, not daring to leak out in the slightest.
It felt as if I had become one with the dark, cold rocks at the bottom of the river.
Use three talismans in one go!
To ensure absolute safety, Yang Changsheng did not rest at all after escaping the battlefield.
Having confirmed that his mana was sufficient to support the limit, he did not hesitate to activate two more high-quality Tier 1 superior water escape talismans.
Each time the Water Escape Talisman was activated, he was like a water arrow released from a bow, rapidly traversing more than twenty miles through the water.
When the power of the three water escape talismans was exhausted, Yang Changsheng did not stop at all. Relying on his own pure Xuan Yuan Jue magic power, he repeatedly activated the water escape technique and traveled underwater for nearly ten miles.
His magical power was nearly exhausted, and he endured the swelling and pain in his meridians and the fatigue in his mind.
Finally, they found a naturally formed rock crevice, barely big enough for one person to hide in, and plunged inside.
At this distance, unless the other party possesses a tracking magic item specifically designed to lock onto aura and soul, it would be impossible to achieve this.
Otherwise, even a Foundation Establishment cultivator would find it nearly impossible to locate him, a speck of dust, in the vast Red River using their divine sense in a short period of time.
The temporary safety was obtained at the cost of precious life-saving talismans and a huge expenditure of magical power.
"call……"
Only now, after confirming that the Jie Xiu had not pursued them, did Yang Changsheng's extremely tense nerves relax slightly.
He still dared not move, but very slowly and carefully took out a jade bottle from his storage bag, poured out two round Qi-restoring pills, and put them in his mouth.
The elixir melted upon entering the mouth, transforming into a warm and pure stream of spiritual energy that quickly flowed into the parched meridians, replenishing the excessively depleted dantian energy.
The mana of the sixth level of Qi Refining circulated, greedily absorbing the medicinal power.
As he felt the magical power gradually filling his body, Yang Changsheng felt a sense of relief at surviving a calamity.
"What utter bad luck! Every time I go out, something unexpected happens... I never imagined that just a few years after the Lu family won the great war, there would still be such a fierce and unscrupulous gang of thieves entrenched in the area from the Black Sand River to the Red Water Ferry."
Yang Changsheng's mind raced as he replayed the thrilling events that had just transpired in his mind.
The pressure from that tribulation cultivator leader was immense!
With his magical power at the ninth level of Qi Refining perfection, a physique no less powerful than an ordinary high-grade magic weapon, and that incredibly powerful cyan longsword magic weapon...
Based on the longevity perception, this person is definitely no more than forty years old, and their foundation is terrifyingly solid.
Such a person, even in a Foundation Establishment family like the Lu family of Biyue Lake, would definitely be a core genius, a key Foundation Establishment seed to be cultivated. How could he have fallen to the level of a Tribulation Cultivator?
Moreover, it just so happens that this major case was committed at this particular time, on a shipping lane newly controlled by the Lu family.
"Remnants of the Wang family?"
An idea uncontrollably surfaced in Yang Changsheng's mind.
Although the Lu family won a great victory in the battle that destroyed the Wang family, the Wang family had been operating for hundreds of years and had a deep foundation. There must be direct descendants or loyal followers who have not returned.
It is even highly possible that during a crisis, some of the elite children would be arranged to abscond with resources.
If it is indeed a remnant force of the Wang family, with its deep-seated hatred for the Lu family, it would transform into a calamity cultivator and specifically stir up trouble on this waterway connecting the old and new spheres of influence of the Lu family.
This move could both plunder resources to make a comeback and damage the prestige of the Lu family, thus disrupting the situation... The motive is entirely plausible.
"If it weren't for the exquisite Water Shadow Escape Talisman I obtained from Xiaoying, whose effect far surpasses that of ordinary high-grade talismans, catching the opponent off guard... I'm afraid I would be doomed today."
Yang Changsheng recalled the deep blue talisman that had transformed into a water shadow and saved his life, and his gratitude towards Liu Xiaoying grew even stronger, but at the same time, he also felt a pang of heartache.
These exquisite talismans are worth hundreds of spirit stones and are very difficult to buy; once they're used, they're gone forever.
He carefully reviewed himself.
They lost a crucial life-saving trump card—a high-quality Water Shadow Talisman—and two ordinary Tier 1 superior Water Shadow Talismans.
The mana was greatly depleted, and two Qi-restoring pills were used.
The harvest, of course, saved their lives!
The storage bag was intact, containing all his wealth, the remaining spirit stones, twelve Fiery Archer puppets, polished parts and spare materials, a small amount of purified pills, spirit plant seeds, and living supplies.
The losses were heavy, but the core foundation remained intact, which is already a stroke of luck.
Time seemed to stand still at the bottom of the river.
While silently refining pills to restore his magical power, Yang Changsheng carefully and extremely slowly extended his powerful divine sense outwards from the crack.
The range of divine sense, which was thirty-five zhang, was greatly reduced at the bottom of the river due to the turbid water and some strange force field. It could only vaguely perceive the changes in water flow and the activities of large creatures within a range of more than ten zhang.
He saw a huge, bone-armored monster swimming in the distance, along with many ordinary spirit fish...
Sensing the direction of the undercurrent at the bottom of the river, they remained vigilant for any possible anomalies.
At that moment, the image of the beautiful woman being targeted, along with those ordinary rogue cultivators, flashed through his mind.
A mid-stage Qi Refining cultivator with some good looks... falling into the hands of those thugs, his fate is predictable; as for him, he will likely face certain death.
Yang Changsheng's eyes flickered, then remained calm and composed.
He is not a saint; in such a desperate situation, being able to protect himself was already the limit.
Any unnecessary good intentions or hesitations could drag you into an abyss of no return.
In the cruel world of cultivation, only the living have the right to talk about anything else.
"This place is not safe to stay for long."
With most of his magical power restored, Yang Changsheng made his decision.
Although it is safe for the time being, there is no guarantee that you will not encounter ferocious water-type monsters, or that the bandit gang will return and use special methods to search for any survivors.
We must leave the bottom of the Chishui River as soon as possible and find a safe place to land.
He did not choose to surface immediately.
The situation on the river is unclear. If the bandits have spies patrolling the nearby waters, they would be easy targets if they surfaced.
He decided to follow the riverbed, using his highly skilled water escape technique and physical strength far exceeding that of his peers, to travel a sufficient distance downstream to completely escape this dangerous water area before seeking an opportunity to go ashore.
With his mind made up, Yang Changsheng once again confirmed that his aura was perfectly contained and his magical shield was stable.
Like an experienced fish, he subtly adjusted his body angle and moved his limbs with extremely slight strokes, using the propulsion of the underwater current to silently slip out of the narrow crevice between the rocks.
The pale blue shield was almost invisible in the dark, murky river water.
He clung to the rugged riverbed, avoiding the areas of shimmering vegetation that might attract attention, and cautiously made his way deeper downstream.
Fifteen minutes later.
"Splash!"
The murky surface of the Chishui River was quietly broken open, and a head shrouded in a pale blue magical light cautiously peeked out a little.
Afterwards, Yang Changsheng probed a range of thirty-five zhang with his divine sense and found no danger before swimming to the vicinity of the shore.
He greedily took a deep breath of the air, which smelled of the river but was finally no longer oppressive.
The dazzling sunlight made him squint slightly, and the azure sky seemed especially precious at that moment.