Chapter 139: The Battle
Zhang Lan and the other two began surrounding the old, abandoned camp, preparing to strike.
Before long, a white-robed cultivator burst out from within.
His Daoist robe was luxurious in design—clearly once expensive—but after half a month on the run, he was covered in mud and filth, his clothes ragged and torn.
His face resembled the portrait Mo Hua had seen, though it looked far older now, and patches of his skin were rotting away.
It seemed that because he hadn't performed any "dual cultivation" recently, the backlash of his evil art had begun corroding his body, making him decay with age.
There was no doubt, this was the Evil Cultivator who practiced the vile art of "harvesting essence."
After confirming his identity, Zhang Lan and the others didn't bother with any words, they struck without hesitation, showing no mercy.
The Evil Cultivator spat a curse and counterattacked, and the battle erupted in an instant.
Mo Hua hid far away, secretly watching the fight unfold.
Zhang Lan, being a spiritual cultivator, specialized in water-type spells, and quite powerful ones at that. From a distance, he gathered spiritual power and unleashed shimmering blades of watery sword-qi that continuously slashed toward the Evil Cultivator.
Both Situ Fang and Situ Xiu were body cultivators, wielding sabers.
Situ Fang's blade was thin and elegant, wrapped in a faint green aura, her strikes were swift and precise. Situ Xiu, on the other hand, fought with brute strength, his entire body glowed faintly gold as he used spiritual power to amplify his physique, attacking with wide, forceful swings.
The two worked together in close combat, pinning the Evil Cultivator down.
Judging by his movements, that Evil Cultivator also practiced body refinement; his blood and qi surged like a tide. His weapon was an iron fan, upon which was painted a nearly transparent image of a beauty.
When he waved it, it emitted pink ripples of spiritual energy.
No wonder he's an evil cultivator, Mo Hua thought silently. Even his aura color looks indecent.
The Evil Cultivator's strength was about at the ninth level of Qi-Refining, not enough to overpower Zhang Lan's team, but his speed was remarkable. He could evade most of the sword-qi from Zhang Lan and keep Situ Fang and Situ Xiu entangled.
But no matter how fast, against three opponents, he eventually began to falter.
Each time he was struck by a blade of sword-qi, his wounds deepened. Every slash from Situ Fang made blood spray in thin lines across his body.
Worse yet, the faint green aura from her saber was preventing his wounds from healing.
Soon, Zhang Lan struck him with a particularly fierce sword-qi, knocking him to the ground. The Evil Cultivator stopped moving.
Mo Hua didn't rush out immediately. Only when Zhang Lan used shackles to bind the man did he step forward.
"Is he dead?" Mo Hua asked.
"No," Zhang Lan replied, "this beast's life is tough."
Mo Hua swept him with Divine-Sense and indeed felt spiritual energy still flowing inside.
"Are all Evil Cultivators this hard to kill?" Mo Hua asked.
"Not all," Zhang Lan said, "but most are troublesome. Evil-path techniques are dangerous—they come with big drawbacks, but their power is also immense. Otherwise, so many wouldn't fall into demonic paths."
Mo Hua nodded in understanding.
The Evil Cultivator was finally caught, and everyone exhaled in relief.
"What now?" Situ Xiu asked.
"We take this scum back to the Dao Court Division for interrogation and sentencing," Zhang Lan said, kicking the captive. "Then we'll have something to report to Lord An."
"Lord An?" Mo Hua glanced at him.
Realizing he'd slipped, Zhang Lan tilted his head up and pretended to study the clouds.
Situ Fang and Situ Xiu chopped down several trees to build a crude raft, tying the Evil Cultivator to it, ready to drag him back.
Mo Hua stared at the man for a moment and suddenly said helpfully, "You should break his legs."
"Huh?" Situ Fang froze.
"Also cripple his meridians and shatter his qi sea," Mo Hua added cheerfully.
Situ Fang blinked, speechless. How could such an adorable face say something so terrifying…
Zhang Lan thought about it and nodded. "He has a point."
Situ Fang hesitated. "But… the man's already captured and can't resist. Isn't this excessive?"
"We haven't captured him yet," Mo Hua corrected seriously. "We've only temporarily restrained him."
Situ Fang's mouth twitched. "That… doesn't sound right…"
Zhang Lan, however, had already drawn his sword, ready to cut the man's meridians.
Mo Hua suddenly realized, so that's why a spiritual cultivator still carried a sword. It wasn't for show; even a spellcaster needed a blade or two for emergencies.
Especially handy for, well, disabling people.
But before Zhang Lan's sword could strike, the Evil Cultivator's eyes snapped open. His wrists twitched, and the shackles snapped apart.
Zhang Lan's gaze hardened; he thrust his sword downward in a flash.
The Evil Cultivator twisted aside, avoiding a vital spot, Zhang Lan's blade only sliced a layer of skin.
"Careful!" Zhang Lan shouted.
The moment the Evil Cultivator's eyes opened, Mo Hua had already retreated several zhang away.
He'd sensed earlier that the man's spiritual energy was abnormal, but hadn't expected him to be this cunning, nor that his vitality was so monstrous.
Though covered in wounds, he still had fight left in him.
Dodging Zhang Lan's thrust, the Evil Cultivator struck out with his palm straight toward Zhang Lan's face.
Zhang Lan narrowed his eyes, stepped back to dodge, then countered with a reverse thrust.
The Evil Cultivator didn't take the hit, he blurred and appeared beside Situ Xiu, who had just raised his saber for a sneak attack.
But the Evil Cultivator had anticipated it. With a sinister grin, he drove his palm into Situ Xiu's ribs.
Crack!
Situ Xiu spat blood, thrown aside by the force. A strange, pinkish energy seeped into his organs with the blow.
Only then did Situ Xiu realize, the Evil Cultivator had been holding back before!
But it was too late; he was already incapacitated.
Situ Fang swung her saber to intercept. After a few exchanges, she suddenly felt her limbs weaken. The pink spiritual energy was corroding her meridians, cutting off her flow of power.
Poison!
She hadn't noticed it during the fight earlier, the toxin was slow-acting, and only now did it spread fully.
Forcing herself to circulate her qi, she suddenly coughed up blood, glaring furiously at the Evil Cultivator.
He licked his lips, eyes glinting with desire. "Not bad…"
It had been a month since his last "harvest."
He needed to vent his demonic fire, and replenish his energy.
His gaze roamed across Situ Fang's body, his mind clouded with evil intent, when suddenly, a streak of blue sword-qi pierced through his shoulder.
The Evil Cultivator roared in fury, blood dripping from his lips as he turned.
Not far away, Zhang Lan stood, two fingers extended, eyes cold as frost.
Another tough one.
The Evil Cultivator steadied his thoughts. Until he eliminated Zhang Lan, he couldn't escape.
Even if he fled, with his weakened body and rampant inner fire, he wouldn't survive long in the perilous Black Mountain.
He needed to replenish himself.
If he could just kill Zhang Lan…
Murderous intent flashed in his eyes, and he charged straight toward Zhang Lan.
Zhang Lan's heart tightened. So fast!
His movement was even quicker—more erratic—than before. Clearly, he'd been holding back.
"Good. Let's see what you've got!"
Zhang Lan's eyes sharpened. He activated Falling Petal Step—his body split into several flickering afterimages, drifting like falling blossoms.
The Evil Cultivator's eyes widened.
A Dao Court Division cultivator with speed like this? Impossible!
I'm the one who lives by speed!
But retreat was impossible now, he had to fight.
The two clashed for over ten exchanges. The Evil Cultivator couldn't even scratch Zhang Lan, while Zhang Lan was steadily reading his rhythm, every retreat and feint was laced with precise, threatening sword-qi.
Just as Zhang Lan prepared to exploit an opening and finish him off—
The Evil Cultivator suddenly vanished.
Zhang Lan expanded his Divine-Sense, but found nothing.
Then his instincts screamed.
He looked toward the distance and shouted, "Mo Hua! Be careful!"
At that very instant, the shadow behind Mo Hua flickered. The Evil Cultivator emerged, his voice hoarse and venomous:
"Little brat… You wanted to break my legs?"
(End of Chapter)