Flaying's True Form: The Grand Chase

After meticulously searching through seven or eight Mountain Hollows, they still found no trace of Flaying, and night had already fallen. Fortunately, both Du Chen and Deboning possessed extraordinary power, requiring neither rest nor sustenance, allowing them to plunge back into the relentless search.

Seated upon the Precious Lotus Scripture, Du Chen frowned as he inquired of Fifth Brother, "Dus, we've advanced roughly a hundred li east from the Amulang Divine Tomb. We're now two hundred li from Longblade Peak, and there are two glass-bowl-shaped Mountain Hollows nearby. Do these clues allow you to pinpoint anything?"

Dus's reply came long after Du Chen activated the communication function. "Francis, Fifth Brother is truly at a loss this time! Eldest Brother's and Flaying's energies are growing increasingly chaotic, especially Flaying's — he's completely disrupted my sensory abilities! Fifth Brother can only tell you this: a moment ago, Flaying seemed to have erupted in anger, perhaps because he couldn't find something, or perhaps his mind was confused, leading to a baseless tantrum. In any case, he shattered a rock in a fit of rage! I took advantage of his exertion, when the chaotic energy temporarily receded, to 'glance' around. We definitely haven't left the bounds of Three Blades Peak. Go look for shattered rock nearby!"

"Excellent. Inform me immediately if there's any new development!" Du Chen exhaled softly, feeling one step closer to both Eldest Brother and Flaying.

Shattered rock – an inconspicuous target in the vast, dark wilderness of the barren mountains, yet far easier to find than the stealthy Flaying. Their pace immediately quickened. Finally, some fifty to sixty li from Longblade Peak, they located the fragmented rock Dus had mentioned.

Du Chen descended, and Deboning immediately stepped forward to meticulously inspect the rock fragments.

Gently stroking the dust-like powder scattered across the ground – much of which had already been scattered by the mountain winds – Deboning still discerned a pattern. "Young Master, judging by the battle qi remnants on these fragments, this is the destructive force of Flaying's leg techniques! And observe these larger shards: though many have been blown away by the mountain winds, those pointing towards Longblade Peak are deeply embedded in the earth..."

He detailed several clues, finally concluding, "I can confirm that Flaying stood upon this rock, surveying his surroundings. He then suddenly grew agitated, stomping with immense power, shattering the rock, and was propelled by the recoil towards..." Deboning pointed into the distance: "Sharpblade Peak!"

Du Chen frowned. "Damn it, Flaying is certainly leading us on a merry chase! But this rock shattered less than twenty minutes ago. Given Flaying's speed, he should now be in the direction of Sharpblade Peak, roughly a hundred li from us – provided he hasn't changed direction! Deboning, your speed is superior; pursue him immediately in the direction of Sharpblade Peak! I'll follow, scrutinizing every tiny trace, just in case Flaying abruptly changes course and goes elsewhere! Regardless of the outcome, we'll rendezvous at the Divine Tomb at dawn!"

"Understood!" Deboning's voice lingered, but his figure had already vanished.

***

The three main peaks of Three Blades Peak formed an equilateral triangle, each pair roughly five hundred li apart. This distance of five hundred li was neither too long nor too short; it was enough to keep even a High-level Battle God flying for several hours!

If the silver moon in the sky possessed sentience, she would surely be smiling now, for the people near the three peaks, bathed in her light, were quite amusing. Old Foye was at Blade of Heaven Peak, turning towards Longblade Peak. The Old Hags from Water's Embrace Lake had already reached Sharpblade Peak and were now heading towards Blade of Heaven Peak! Meanwhile, Deboning had flown to the midpoint between Longblade and Sharpblade Peaks. As for Du Chen, his speed was inherently slower, and he was meticulously tracing clues along the way, so at this moment, he was still circling near Longblade Peak.

These different groups seemed to be traversing the three sides of the "equilateral triangle" that was Three Blades Peak. All of them were circling, seemingly running a counter-clockwise marathon, but as of yet, no one had detected anyone else!

Time flowed by, and the situations of these various groups began to take on even more interesting turns...

While searching, Du Chen continued to communicate with Dus. He mused inwardly, "Flaying's and Eldest Brother's energies are getting closer and closer, practically rubbing up against each other..." He mischievously pondered, "Do they truly share such a... peculiar preference? No, that can't be right. Eldest Brother might be lecherous, but only for the fairer sex!"

He sighed in vexation. "If only I had secretly brought Andy along, his nose would be perfectly suited for this kind of tracking!"

The thought of Andy made Du Chen subconsciously glance up at the moon in the sky...

***

Meanwhile, let's turn to the three Old Hags from Water's Embrace Lake. The Black-haired Beauty, leading her two assistants, was tracking the whereabouts of the Flat-Top's Helm organization. Finding nothing at Sharpblade Peak, they changed course towards Blade of Heaven Peak.

Flying through the air, meticulously surveying the ground below, the Middle-aged Beauty snorted, "Damn it, those scoundrels are playing the shrinking turtle! Don't let me catch them, or I'll tear them to shreds!"

The Black-haired Beauty offered a faint smile, her gaze sweeping across the landscape. "There's no need to rush; impatience serves no purpose. We've been searching the Amulang Mountains for two consecutive days. If we still have no results tonight, then tomorrow, we will actively leave the Amulang Mountains to lure them out!"

"As you command, Young Lady!" Both assistants respectfully replied.

Just then, the Black-haired Beauty suddenly noticed a particularly striking red glow on the ground. The shape of the red light was unmistakably a helm!

The Middle-aged Beauty also spotted it and quickly exclaimed, "Young Lady, look there! Let's pursue!" The three Old Hags altered their trajectory, flying from the edge of the "equilateral triangle" into its interior!

As they were about to land, the Black-haired Beauty calmly instructed, "Sisters, be cautious. Our opponents are incredibly powerful. Their sudden appearance, allowing us to find them, is quite suspicious. Stay close to me later!"

As she spoke, they landed. But the sight before them left them stunned.

An old man with a mouth full of yellow teeth, clad in tattered beggar's clothes, and a large sack slung over his back. On his head, he balanced a large iron pot, painted red. He was squatting in a mountain gully, gnawing on a chicken wing with great relish!

The Middle-aged Beauty immediately stepped forward, angrily demanding, "Old man, what are you doing here? And why are you balancing a flat-bottomed iron pot, painted red, on your head?"

The old man grinned. "I'm fishing!" Then, his eyes widened, fixated on the Black-haired Beauty. "Oh my, young lady, your brow is clouded, and your cheeks are flushed; I fear great misfortune awaits you soon! But rest assured, I, this old man, can offer you a few pointers to turn danger into safety, and perhaps even help you find a most satisfactory husband!"

The Middle-aged Beauty flicked her finger, knocking the iron pot off the old man's head. She cursed angrily, "You old geezer, fishing in a mountain gully? Do you take us for three-year-olds!?" She stepped forward, ready to strike.

The Black-haired Beauty stopped her with a calm glance. She slowly said, "This old gentleman is indeed fishing, but the bait is himself. And the fish... are us! Come out, all of you. You've slaughtered over a hundred of my Water's Embrace Lake sisters, so you can't be so foolish as to employ such a clumsy trick. Reveal your hidden traps and allies!"

The old man glanced at the Black-haired Beauty in surprise, marveling, "Hey! How peculiar! The little hags we killed before were all domineering and as dumb as fat pigs. How come today we have such a polite one!? Old Gambler, it seems this little hag is a bit prickly to handle!"

The Black-haired Beauty smiled faintly. She looked at a young man with a green ponytail braid, who was strolling out from the woods with a smile. She chuckled, "So, you gentlemen are our opponents? This humble one is Xue Ji, the ninth personal disciple under the Divine Throne of my teacher, Margaret!"

"Whoa! The artistic life is indeed vibrant and diverse!" the young man exclaimed. "Old Charlatan, did you see? This time, it's not one of those little hags raised like dogs from birth, but a secret disciple personally nurtured by that great hag, Margaret herself... Tsk, tsk, I knew she seemed a little more... human!"

These two were none other than Jamis and Old Bovin!

They were in no hurry to make a move. Xue Ji, composed and graceful, smiled faintly. "May I ask, gentlemen, why you chose to slay my Water's Embrace Divine Servants? Although Xue Ji understands this question might be futile, she still wishes to ask."

Old Bovin shook his head playfully. "Don't ask us that question; you should ask the person behind you!"

Behind me!?

Xue Ji's beautiful eyes flickered slightly. Her graceful form remained utterly still. "Old gentleman, you jest. There should be no one behind me. You're trying to distract me, aren't you!?"

Jamis squatted beside Old Bovin. The pair were as lecherous and sly as ever. He said, "Alas, the language of artists is always misunderstood! Beautiful young lady, what would we gain by deceiving you? There really is someone behind all three of you!"

Xue Ji shook her head with a light chuckle. Her two assistants also disbelieved them, snorting, "What nonsense are you spouting? Young Lady Xue Ji has received my Divine Lord's personal Secret Technique, making her the foremost individual under our God in Water's Embrace Lake for a millennium. Even the Pontiff and the Dragon God wouldn't be able to appear silently behind her!"

Old Bovin's mouth fell open. "Oh my, Old Gambler, did you hear that? This little girl seems to consider herself on par with the Pontiff and the Dragon God!"

Jamis nodded. "The foremost person under Margaret in Water's Embrace Lake – it certainly sounds impressive enough to scare people! However..." He pointed behind Xue Ji, grinning mischievously, "Beautiful young lady, after the War of Fallen Gods, the strongest Battle Gods on the Three Continents are no longer the Pontiff and the Dragon God. Before you die, take a look behind you!"

Suddenly, a deathly aura brushed against Xue Ji's nape!

What!? Someone truly managed to appear silently behind her, without triggering even a hint of her vigilance!?

No time to ponder. Screams of agony reached her ears; her two assistants had already met their brutal end. Xue Ji let out a low cry, suddenly twisting and bending at the waist. Her flexible body allowed her to curve sideways into the shape of a crescent moon. Following that, moonlight shimmered as Xue Ji ascended like a silver moon, soaring towards the horizon. But within this moonlight, specks of red starlight rained down...

It was blood!

Jamis sighed in mock lament. "Alas, lives that refuse to believe in art never end well!" He nudged Old Bovin. "Hey, this girl is quite impressive. It looks like she truly might be able to contend with the Pontiff and the Dragon God. A pity..."

"A pity she met me!"

*Thump, thump!* The corpses of two Water's Embrace Divine Servants toppled. Clad in a black robe and a Flat-Top's Helm, a figure appeared where Xue Ji had just stood. "The Pontiff is still a bit stronger than Xue Ji. At least, he could survive one of my moves!" With a sweep of his wide sleeve, the two corpses vanished.

Old Bovin shook his sack and stood up, tossing aside his chicken wing. "Never mind! Who told her to meet you! Number Eight, you and Number Nine collaborated to slay the Water's Embrace Divine Servants and dismantle the Water's Embrace Sword Array. And now you've dispatched Margaret's last remaining personal disciple... Heh heh, next time, either Margaret herself will come, or her Water's Embrace Puppet Legion! Let's prepare for another grand transaction!"

Jamis swayed his head. "But the storm interval in the Water's Embrace Passage occurs only once every three months. So, whoever comes next, it will be three months from now. Heh, why don't we leave these damn Amulang Mountains first and go gamble a few rounds in the city?" His suggestion immediately won Old Bovin's approval. However, Old Bovin wasn't itching to play; he was... itching to talk!

As the two were speaking, the silver moon conjured by Xue Ji dissipated. Yet, a graceful figure in the sky was struggling to flee. Old Bovin muttered, "This girl isn't dead yet, is she? The last one who escaped, we let her go on purpose. But if this one gets away, we'll be utterly humiliated!"

Number Eight coldly stated, "She won't live past tomorrow morning. Even the most sacred Water's Embrace Holy Radiance in the world cannot save her!"

***

*Sigh*, I'm afraid even Master's Water's Embrace Holy Radiance cannot save me now! This time, confident in my strong battle qi, I foolishly ventured into the enemy's trap, not expecting to end up like this. No wonder Master said my experience was still lacking!

But who was the one who struck me down!?

I never imagined the opponent would be so powerful. It seems only Master herself can subdue them!

Xue Ji glided through the sky, clinging to her last breath. Her mind raced. The most sacred Water's Embrace Holy Radiance was already useless to her; at most, she could survive until tomorrow morning... But she absolutely had to deliver news of these foes to Master!

Returning to Water's Embrace Lake personally to report to Master was impossible. However, Sixth Senior Sister was on the Three Continents; she absolutely had to hold on long enough to find someone to relay the message to Sixth Senior Sister before she could die!

Xue Ji flew desperately. Gradually, her consciousness blurred. She didn't know how long she flew. Then, her vision went black. Her survival instinct sparked what might be her final thought – a thought deeply disrespectful to Margaret, a thought defying the Water's Embrace teachings she had received since childhood...

If only Master wasn't the strongest in the world! If only there existed a power more sacred than Water's Embrace Holy Radiance!

Bathed in the silver moonlight, Xue Ji plunged headlong from the sky!

Meanwhile, Du Chen was still pondering the benefits of Andy, and had just looked up at the moon...

A woman descended from the heavens!