Volume 11, Chapter 728 – Cheng Hongling’s Escape Route (Part 2)

It was clear that the middle-aged man had overestimated. Cheng Hongling was not affected by the poisonous gas in the slightest. Like a graceful fish, she weaved her way through it with ease. The protective shield of True Qi around her body filtered out every trace of the toxin.

The middle-aged man turned pale with shock. He wanted to continue chasing but did not dare to charge into the poisonous gas. Only then did he realize he had trapped himself in his own snare.

“Damn it! Lower the Dragon-Severing Stone! Lower the Dragon-Severing Stone immediately!”

The man’s face twisted with rage as he pulled out the Thousand-Mile Communication Tube and barked orders.

Meanwhile, Cheng Hongling pressed forward relentlessly, releasing her Divine Sense to scan the surroundings. From the scattered words exchanged by the sentries, she finally understood that this was the lair of the Severed Immortal Sect, and the man pursuing her was none other than the sect’s Left Protector, Qiu Guang.

‘So the one who captured me before must have been the Sect Leader of the Severed Immortal Sect. No wonder he was so overwhelmingly powerful.’

Cheng Hongling’s heart sank with heavier weight, and she hastened her steps.

Not long after, she dashed into a tunnel linking the upper and lower mine levels, only to see a massive stone gate suddenly crash down before her, completely blocking the way forward. The stone gate glowed with a metallic luster, dark-blue and ominous, looking exceptionally thick and solid. When it struck the ground, the earth quaked violently. One glance was enough to know it was no ordinary material.

Cheng Hongling did not hesitate in the slightest.

Her Divine Sense summoned the heart fragment, which rammed into the stone gate with a fierce strike.

BOOM…!

The heart fragment was indeed extraordinary. It embedded itself into the stone gate, blasting out a deep crater as shattered fragments scattered everywhere. The violent impact generated an incredible burst of heat, sending smoke rising into the air.

Cheng Hongling sighed with faint regret. If her Divine Sense were stronger, the fragment’s power would have been enough to blast the gate apart in a single strike. But that was fine. If one attempt wasn’t enough, she could try again. As long as she broke through before her pursuers arrived, it would be enough.

She dared not hold back anymore. Rushing to the stone gate, her slender, pale hand pressed against the crater as torrents of Profound Ice True Qi surged forth.

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“Corpse-Measuring Marsh!”

Her voice was low and sharp. The Profound Ice True Qi seeped into every crevice, sliding deeper into the cracks left behind.

Hisss…!

The heat within the stone gate was still intense from the collision, and as the icy energy entered, it released a shrill, hissing chill. The sudden contrast in temperature made the fractures spread with sharp crack-crack sounds, the gate no longer as solid and dense as before.

Cheng Hongling retrieved the heart fragment into her hand, then stepped back a few paces. Holding her breath, her legs tensed, muscles surging with power. Her feet sank into the ground before she hurled the heart fragment at the crater with all her strength.

She chose not to use Divine Sense this time. A cultivator’s physical strength often surpassed their Divine Sense, except for freaks like Qi Huang.

BOOM…!

The result was far better than before. The crater widened and deepened, nearly twice as much as the previous strike. At this pace, two more blows would be enough to smash through completely.

“There she is! Stop her!”

Shouts rang out as nearby sentries gave chase, numbering in the dozens.

Cheng Hongling didn’t even turn around. Her mighty Divine Sense lashed out like a storm, shredding all those Severed Immortal Sect disciples into blood mist instantly. Then she hurled the heart fragment again.

BOOM…!

Another success, the gate now riddled with gaping cracks. Through the holes, she could see light flickering on the other side. Just two more strikes would be enough.

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But at that moment, Qiu Guang had caught up from behind. His bloodshot eyes burned with fury, glowing like lanterns in the night.

Cheng Hongling knew she had only one last chance. She gripped the heart fragment tightly, gathered all her True Qi and physical power, and threw it with everything she had. As it left her hand, a sharp sting pierced her palm, her skin had been torn.

BOOM…!

The heart fragment struck with unprecedented force. The crater in the gate nearly broke through entirely, leaving only a thin stone layer clinging desperately to block the other side.

Ignoring her wounded palm, Cheng Hongling recalled the heart fragment and charged forward without hesitation. True Qi erupted, forming a thick suit of icy armor over her body.

Leaping high, she thrust herself into the crater, shattering the last stone barrier with her body. Her icy armor broke apart into fragments, but she burst through to the other side.

Without pausing, she kept fleeing forward, Qiu Guang roaring in pursuit.

Yet, after only a short distance, Cheng Hongling felt a strange sensation in her palm. She glanced down, and her mind froze, the heart fragment was drinking her blood from the wound on her hand.

Alarmed, she continued gripping the fragment while fleeing, sparing a sliver of Divine Sense to monitor it.

Her heart sank further. As her blood was absorbed, dried black veins across the fragment began to swell, turning a deep crimson. The fragment itself swelled like a sponge soaking water, quickly growing so large her slender hand could no longer contain it.

Just as she was about to store it in her spatial ring, the heart fragment suddenly darted into the wound on her palm.

Startled, she had no time to react before a searing pain pierced her heart.

Her steps faltered, and she nearly fell.

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“Hahaha, can’t hold on any longer, can you?”

Qiu Guang’s mocking laughter drew closer.

Peering inward, Cheng Hongling saw in horror that the sinister fragment had latched onto her heart. Tendrils of icy “dead blood” seeped out, infiltrating her organ and releasing visible wisps of deathly yin energy.

“Truly, misfortune never comes alone!”

Her face turned deathly pale. But she refused to submit. Gritting her teeth through the agony, she kept running, drawing on her vital essence to resist the invasion of dead blood.

But her reserves were nearly gone, and the corruption was the final straw that broke her already burdened body. Her strength, True Qi, and Divine Sense were collapsing all at once. Yet the thought of Qi Huang gave her willpower to move her trembling legs forward.

Her persistence paid off, and miraculously, she burst out of the mine into the open pit. But her luck ended there.

She was about to soar into the sky when a wave of familiar scorching wind slammed against her. Before she could react, something smashed into her abdomen.

Already at her limit, her body was hurled aside like a broken sack, crashing hard into the stone wall.

BOOM…!

The wall caved in, leaving a three-zhang-wide hole. Earth and rubble collapsed, sealing the opening.

Buried deep in the debris, her body was mangled, bones shattered, limbs twisted. Her abdomen bled profusely from the brutal strike.

She coughed up a mouthful of blood, nearly losing consciousness, only the stabbing pain in her heart dragged her mind back.

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“Useless fool. You couldn’t even restrain a mere mid-stage Divine Realm cultivator.”

A thunderous voice boomed.

Cheng Hongling’s face blanched in despair. She recognized the voice instantly, the Sect Leader of the Severed Immortal Sect. He had struck her, his terrifying Yang energy unforgettable.

“It was my incompetence. Please forgive me, Sect Leader.”

Qiu Guang’s apologetic voice followed.

“My intent was to spare you suffering. But since you slaughtered my disciples, be ready to pay the price.”

The Sect Leader’s words were now directed at Cheng Hongling.

She had no strength left, nor the will to struggle. Her body was powerless, her vital essence too depleted to resist the sinister fragment invading her heart.

‘So it ends like this? I wonder if my death will implicate Qi Huang. If it does… I hope you’ll forgive me. I never meant for this. ’

Her muddled thoughts drifted. Tears of blood trickled from her eyes. She regretted deeply, most of all, that she never had the chance to tell that wooden block of a man, “I like you.”

“Hey, hey, can you hear me? Answer me if you can, I’m really worried!”

Suddenly, a familiar voice rang in her mind, it was Qi Huang’s transmitted thought.