Chapter 126: The Departure Flame Was Seized

The three men turned and fled the moment they saw the elderly woman from the Miao territory approaching. However, she was far too swift; they had not traveled far before she caught up to them.

"Little thieves, where is my Golden Cicada Gu King!" the old woman demanded in a piercing voice before she had even come to a full stop.

Realizing they could no longer escape, the three resolved to fight. Though they were uncertain of the true extent of the old woman’s power, they figured that three-against-one odds might keep them from a total defeat.

Deciding to engage, Zhou Yi didn't mince words. With a cold, sinister grin, he retorted, "Old hag, I’ve used your precious Golden Cicada Gu King to wash down my drink!"

Zhou Yi stared at her with a chilling smirk, a deliberate act of provocation.

That Golden Cicada Gu King had been raised on the old woman's own vital essence, creating an inseparable psychic bond. Although she had already sensed that the creature was dead, receiving confirmation from Zhou Yi shattered her composure and ignited a fury that burned through her heart.

"You little thief, I will kill you to avenge my treasure!" she shrieked, charging straight at Zhou Yi.

Seeing her rage, Zhou Yi braced himself. Before she could close the distance, he darted to the side and drew his Lihuo blade, thrusting it toward her back.

Despite her age and frail appearance, the old woman was exceptionally agile. No sooner had Zhou Yi circled behind her than she spun around, raising her hand to meet his strike. Zhou Yi chuckled to himself; while the Lihuo was no legendary divine weapon, the old woman was clearly being arrogant to meet it with her bare hand. Without hesitation, he channeled fifty percent of his spiritual energy into the tip of the blade and drove it toward her palm.

As steel met palm, Zhou Yi felt a violent jolt that sent his internal energy into turmoil. The scene he imagined—the blade piercing through her hand—never materialized. Looking closer, he realized she was wearing a flesh-colored glove. It was crafted from the silk spun by the Golden Cicada Gu King itself, rendering it impervious to blades, water, and fire—a rare and formidable defensive treasure.

Zhou Yi withdrew the Lihuo, preparing to strike again, but the old woman spun and caught the sword swung by Mu Chen. Baozi’s heavy mace followed in an instant. With the three of them forming a pincer, Zhou Yi felt certain victory was within reach.

However, he had underestimated her. Using Mu Chen’s sword as a pivot, the old woman vaulted into the air, twisted her body, and launched herself at Zhou Yi once more.

With Baozi and Mu Chen unable to land a hit, the full weight of the old woman’s assault fell upon Zhou Yi. After a few exchanges, he found himself in dire straits.

Just then, four Miao warriors arrived from the distance—the same four who had besieged Mu Chen and Baozi at the hotel in Xishan Town. The balance of power shifted instantly; their numerical advantage had become a disadvantage.

"Hold those four off! Leave the old hag to me!" Zhou Yi gritted his teeth and shouted to his companions.

Before he could finish, the old woman transformed her hand into a claw and lunged for his chest. In terms of speed and combat experience, Zhou Yi was completely outmatched. In a panic, he held the Lihuo horizontally across his chest. The old woman did not change her maneuver; she gripped the blade of the Lihuo directly and twisted her wrist with such force that the weapon was wrenched from Zhou Yi’s grasp.

It was the first time his blade had ever been snatched away in battle. The old woman clearly cared little for the weapon itself; she tossed the Lihuo to the ground and lunged for his chest again.

Disarmed and seething with frustration, Zhou Yi gritted his teeth and invoked the Daoist Nine Syllables. "Lin!" he chanted, forming the Immovable Wisdom King seal. As the hand seal locked, he gathered all his spiritual energy into it and shoved outward with both hands toward the old woman.

Recognizing the Daoist incantation, the old woman’s expression grew grave. Daring not to overreach, she reached into her robes and pulled out a small earthen jar. She opened it to reveal a venomous spider. With a mental command, she sent the creature flying to intercept Zhou Yi’s strike.

Spiritual energy collided with the venomous spider between them with a muffled "bang," and the creature exploded, dying instantly. With the spider dead, the force of his attack was diminished by seventy percent, losing all power to inflict damage.

"Bing!" Zhou Yi chanted again, forming the Great Diamond Wheel seal, and struck out at her once more.

The Nine Syllables Zhou Yi used now were significantly different from those he had performed at Mount Mao. Back then, when dueling with Namikawa Yuji, he had unleashed all nine syllables at once, creating a multiplicative effect far greater than the sum of its parts. Because Namikawa had unleashed his own full repertoire, their clash had generated immense power. Now, Zhou Yi was casting them one by one, preventing the energy from stacking and thus significantly reducing their impact.

Furthermore, there was a vast difference in power between using these incantations with "Blue Qi" cultivation versus "Purple Qi." The level of one’s cultivation fundamentally dictated the strength of the technique.

Nearby, Baozi and Mu Chen were each holding their own against two Miao warriors, but they could not maintain this pace for long before their spiritual energy would be exhausted. It had become a war of attrition, and it was a battle the three of them could not win. Defeat was only a matter of time.

Just then, another person appeared from the distance. Zhou Yi glanced over, distracted, and saw yet another Miao warrior. Panic set in—if the three of them were already losing to one old woman and four warriors, how could they handle another?

"Grandmother, the Han army has surrounded the Blood Spring! The Saintess demands your return!" the warrior shouted as he landed. Hearing that the army had arrived, Zhou Yi felt a surge of secret relief. This person had not come to end their lives, but to provide a reprieve.

Upon hearing that the army had surrounded the Blood Spring, the old woman gritted her teeth in hatred. "Little thief, next time we meet, I will grind your bones to dust! I shall keep this weapon for you for now!" With that, she snatched up the Lihuo from the ground and soared away into the air.

With the Lihuo gone, Zhou Yi lacked the strength to reclaim it; to pursue her recklessly would only lead to further humiliation. Clearly, the Blood Spring was of supreme importance to the Miao people, or the old woman would never have abandoned the hunt for the man who had killed her cherished Gu King.

After the Miao warriors departed, the three men collapsed, exhausted. The prolonged battle had left their internal energy in turmoil. Once the old woman was far enough away, they sat on the ground and began to meditate to restore their flow.

"Brother Yi, are we really not going to chase her and get the Lihuo back?" Baozi asked after a long silence.

"That's a load of nonsense!" Mu Chen snapped, smacking the back of Baozi’s head before turning to Zhou Yi. "Brother Yi, what exactly are these Miao people up to?"

"I only know they are waiting for the Seven Stars Alignment and for the Flying Corpse to transform into a Drought Demon. The Blood Spring is vital to them, too. Who knows what other schemes they are cooking up," Zhou Yi replied, shaking his head. The loss of his Lihuo left him irritable, mostly because he knew he couldn't defeat that old woman.

"Brother Yi, we just found Lei Zhen, and now the Lihuo is gone. Who knows when we'll find the next key?" Baozi lamented, his face twisted in misery.

"Let’s go. We’ll steal the Lihuo back first, then see."

Zhou Yi used the word "steal" because reclaiming it by force was impossible; a man must know his own limits. With that, the three of them followed the old woman toward the mass grave at Xishan.