Longtu bent his knees slightly, and as the ground sank with a “boom,” he shot out like a massive cannonball, straight as a javelin, piercing the blue sky.
Several elders of the shaman clans bent their knees at the same time and “shot” themselves out.
“What are they saying?”
Mu Nanzhi grabbed Lina, who was a step late because she had bent down to put down her bowl.
“They’re going to kill Xu Qi’an,” Lina replied, her expression serious.
“The leaders of the different tribes are powerful, all of them are beyond-mortal.”
After she finished speaking, she shook off Mu Nanzhi’s grip, sprang off her knees, and shot away.
They’re all beyond-mortal… Mu Nanzhi saw this, growing anxious. Her eyes darted in panic, then fell on Baiji in her arms. She hesitated for only a moment before urgently asking:
“Baiji, what was your talent again?”
Baiji looked up, her dark, sparkling eyes full of innocent confusion.
“It’s speed!”
Mu Nanzhi’s eyes lit up. She placed the palm-sized fox cubs on the ground, climbed onto Baiji’s back, and said,
“Quick, go!”
Baiji was dumbfounded, squashed under Mu Nanzhi’s soft hips.
“Hurry up!”
With Xu Qi’an on her mind, Mu Nanzhi scolded anxiously.
Her eyes brimming with tears, the little white fox sobbed, gritted her teeth, forced herself up, and with a red glint lighting up in her beady black eyes, she exploded with potential, turning into a white blur carrying Mu Nanzhi away and disappearing from sight.
This left only Xu Lingyin at the scene. She looked left and right, picked up a stick from the roadside, frowned fiercely, and stormed out menacingly.
She was going to help her big brother fight.
…
At the edge of the plain, Xu Qi’an watched as the strength Gu masters of the shaman clans shot over like cannonballs. He withdrew his gaze and looked down at his own shadow.
His shadow warped and swelled, and several figures emerged from it. At the same time, Xu Qi’an lost his hearing, sight, and smell… all five senses and six perceptions were blocked.
Calmly, he rolled to the right, covering over a dozen yards, opening the distance between himself and the oncoming enemies.
Boom! Boom! Boom!…
Thunderous crashes sounded in succession. Longtu arrived with the strength Gu masters, interposing himself between the two sides.
“Longtu!”
The leader of the Corpse Bone clan, Youshi, spoke with anger in his voice:
“Do you really want to block us? Have you considered the consequences of going against the will of the shaman clans? For the sake of our shared heritage, we have tolerated you again and again. Do not take advantage of our lenience.”
Chunyan saw Longtu’s fierce gaze and was about to speak harshly, but sighed and tried to mediate before Longtu could escalate the conflict:
“Longtu, since the shaman clans have decided to march, Xu Qi’an is a serious threat. If we don’t get rid of him, who knows how many more will die in future.
“Which matters more, the shaman clans, or a friend?”
This retort made Longtu furrow his brow.
Chunyan did not continue, and instead looked at the silver-haired Heaven Gu Grandma: “Grandma, what do you think?”
Longtu and the six elders also looked to Heaven Gu Grandma.
The Heaven Gu tribe set the calendar, observed the stars, and the farming of all clans relied on them. Such vital abilities, especially those related to food, were always respected.
Moreover, the Heaven Gu tribe could glimpse the future and offer guidance. While the six clans of the shaman clans did not entirely follow their lead, their prestige was high, and what Heaven Gu Grandma said would be heeded by all.
With everyone’s attention on her, Heaven Gu Grandma instead looked at Xu Qi’an and smiled:
“Longtu, why not ask for his own opinion?”
Before Longtu could answer, the Grand Elder replied impatiently:
“Would you spare him just because he says not to fight? Grandma, you need not make such sarcastic remarks here.”
Longtu fell briefly silent, then turned to Xu Qi’an:
“I promised not to intervene in the fight between you and them. That is the greatest help I can give. As a martial artist, if you die here, it is your fate.
“If you can kill them all, I will not stop you either. This too is my promise.”
The Strength Gu Clan cherished battle and courage. If there was a disagreement, they fought, that was their custom.
The Grand Elder, hearing this, gave an exasperated snort:
“Don’t let that girl get close, hold your breath during the fight, watch the shadows at your feet… If you really can’t win, just run.”
That was his limit, the first half were tactical reminders, but the last line was the real point.
Run!
A perfectly healthy third rank martial artist intent on escape was very hard to intercept. But if bogged down in a bitter struggle, with the means of the shaman clans, escape was near impossible.
Escaping would of course be the best choice, but then, the alliance between the shaman clans and Yunzhou would be set, and the Great Feng would surely lose… Xu Qi’an looked slowly over everyone, his mind racing.
He had come back this time to break the alliance between the shaman clans and Yunzhou’s rebels.
A general plan formed in his mind.
“Hiss~”
Xu Qi’an pressed his finger to his brow. A fiery ring ignited behind his head, radiating intense heat, and his skin turned quickly to dark gold.
In an instant, an incomparably stern and mighty Vajra Body appeared before the shaman clans.
His lips curled into a defiant, disdainful sneer:
“Let me see your best moves!”
…
Xu Qi’an has actually achieved the Vajra Body?
Dozens of miles away, Ge Wenxuan stood in a treetop, raising a telescope to survey the distant scene.
This kind of observation magic item was invented by Xu Pingfeng.
It allowed the user to clearly see events miles away, and from altitude, even further.
At this moment, in Ge Wenxuan’s view, Xu Qi’an and the others were tiny and indistinct, but the general situation was clear.
The burning fire ring was clearly reflected in Ge Wenxuan’s pupils.
When did he complete the Vajra Body… Tsk, this guy, there was no mention of this in the previous intel, so it must have been recent… Truly someone favored by fortune.
Ge Wenxuan frowned repeatedly.
With the Vajra Body and the martial artist’s undying body, the difficulty in killing him for the shaman clans’ beyond-mortal experts vastly increased.
…
“Vajra Body?!”
Exclamations arose beside Heaven Gu Grandma. Luanyu, dressed brightly with an alluring figure, covered her rosy lips, eyes shining as she breathed heavily.
While her delight was overwhelming, the others frowned slightly.
Youshi murmured,
“Shadow, hide yourself and stay out of sight. I’ll engage him head on, Baji, poison him. Luanyu, once he wears himself out, trigger his lust.
“As for Chunyan, act as you see fit.”
After simply setting their tactics, Youshi said to Heaven Gu Grandma:
“Grandma, please mask our auras.”
Heaven Gu Grandma smiled. “Certainly.”
She raised her hand and swept it. Instantly, the auras of all five leaders vanished, including heartbeat, breathing, and energy fluctuations.
With this, the martial artist’s danger sense would not trigger.
Thud, thud, thud… Cloaked, Youshi charged at Xu Qi’an, his pounding steps shaking the ground.
Near Xu Qi’an, his footsteps vanished, and, moving at terrifying speed, he swept across a dozen yards, appearing directly before Xu Qi’an.
His cloak billowed as his fist shot out.
Clang!
A mighty bell-like sound echoed between heaven and earth. Xu Qi’an, like a lump of golden iron, was blown away.
He did this deliberately, to shift the battlefield further out and avoid damaging Bo Mountain as much as possible.
Youshi pressed the attack, while the other leaders moved from the flanks, surrounding Xu Qi’an and leaving no chance for him to escape.
…
Thud, thud!
The Grand Elder heard urgent footsteps, interrupting his own attempt to rush in and spectate. He turned and saw Xu Lingyin, stick in hand.
“Lingyin?”
The Grand Elder frowned and shouted, “What are you doing here?”
He sounded like he was scolding a child from his own tribe.
Longtu and the others paused, frowning at Little Pea.
Compared to the burly shaman clan members, she truly was just a Little Pea, barely reaching Longtu’s knee.
“Where’s my big brother!”
Xu Lingyin roared like an angry little lion.
Her shallow brows arched, she bared her teeth at the Grand Elder and others, waving her stick:
“Whoever hits my big brother, I’ll hit them. Big brother has already died once, I won’t let mum and dad cry again.”
She still vividly remembered the coffin at the start of the year.
Even though she never remembered things, she remembered that coffin.
The Grand Elder was about to say, “Your big brother brought this upon himself, who else is to blame?”
But seeing the clear, piercing look in the little girl’s eyes, he was suddenly at a loss for words.
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