Translator: CinderTL
Song Wen glanced in the direction where the double-winged centipede had vanished, a slight sense of relief washing over him.
Though he hadn't managed to kill the creature, forcing it to retreat was still a victory.
Wasting no time, he activated his escape technique and soared across the canyon.
During the rest of his journey, Song Wen encountered no other demon beasts or poisonous insects, successfully traversing the most violent stretch of the gale.
As the gale gradually weakened, his speed increased accordingly.
Before long, the cliff face on the opposite side of the canyon came into view.
Just when Song Wen thought he would cross the canyon without further incident, a piercing sound tore through the air behind him—the sound of something piercing the gale.
His heart jolted. Turning around, he saw three double-winged centipedes in hot pursuit.
One of them was missing half its head, the very one he had severely wounded earlier.
The other two had reached the peak of the fifth-tier.
"The beast actually holds a grudge and brought reinforcements!"
Crimson light erupted from Song Wen's body as he immediately activated the Blood Escape Technique, hurtling forward.
In an instant, he crossed the canyon and reached the towering mountain range on the other side, then vanished into the miasma-shrouded peaks.
The three double-winged centipedes' wings buzzed like thunder as they plunged into the mountains one after another, like three bolts of lightning.
Hundreds of miles away...
Song Wen's figure burst through the Blood Mist. Just as he was about to activate the Blood Sea Seal to absorb the surrounding mist, he sensed three rapidly approaching auras behind him.
It was the three-headed double-winged centipede. However, the injured centipede gradually fell behind.
Their speed was astonishing, nearly matching his Blood Escape Technique.
Song Wen's current blood essence reserves already surpassed those of some Void Refinement cultivators. Yet even burning all his remaining blood essence would only allow him to escape about four hundred kilometers.
To use the Blood Escape Technique again, he would need to replenish his blood essence through the Blood Sea Seal before activating the escape technique.
This process was fleeting, almost instantaneous. But even this momentary pause gave the three centipedes the opportunity to close in.
Moreover, the dense miasma in the Rotting Miasma Ridge's core region limited Song Wen's divine sense to a range of only a few hundred meters. This meant that when using the Life Substitution Art, he could only teleport a few hundred meters away, making it difficult to shake off the centipedes.
Knowing he couldn't defeat the three-headed double-winged centipede, Song Wen immediately activated the Blood Escape Technique again and fled.
Simultaneously, his mind raced.
The core region of the Rotting Miasma Ridge teemed with demon beasts and poisonous insects. Charging through it recklessly was unwise. Even if he evaded the centipedes, he risked disturbing other demon beasts.
Song Wen needed to shake off the three double-winged centipedes as quickly as possible.
Since these creatures possessed wings, they were theoretically aerial demon beasts and should be ill-suited for underwater movement.
With this in mind, Song Wen swiftly recalled the route map provided by the Dual Polarity Sect.
According to the map, a lake lay approximately ten thousand li ahead, making it the ideal place to lose the double-winged centipedes.
Suddenly, Song Wen's eyes lit up slightly.
He sensed a familiar aura.
The aura was chaotic, as if someone had tried to conceal it, but the attempt was crude, leaving behind a faint trace.
Moreover, it was unmistakably human!
Someone had recently passed through this area!
And Song Wen recognized the person.
Among the five nascent soul cultivators traveling with him, there was only one female cultivator: Yan He.
Perhaps I don't need to reach the lake to shake off these double-winged centipedes, Song Wen thought to himself. With a swift movement, he began following the lingering aura.
Soon, Song Wen discovered that Yan He was also following the route provided by the Dual Polarity Sect.
Yan He's aura flickered intermittently, but wherever it lingered, it grew increasingly distinct, clearly indicating that the distance between them was rapidly closing.
Yan He, flying low to the ground, suddenly noticed a cloud of Blood Mist erupting dozens of meters ahead.
A figure burst through the crimson haze.
"Gou Jun! What are you doing here?" Yan He exclaimed in astonishment, her voice betraying her shock.
Surprisingly, as she spoke, her gaze didn't remain fixed on Song Wen. Instead, she glanced back over her shoulder, peering into the sky behind her.
A flicker of surprise also crossed Song Wen's eyes.
Only then did he notice the long rope tethered to Yan He's waist.
The other end of the rope stretched into the sky behind her, disappearing into the dense poisonous mist.
Song Wen instantly understood.
Yan He was being coerced into scouting ahead.
In other words, she wasn't alone. Others were present, and their cultivation levels likely surpassed hers.
Despite this unexpected development, Song Wen felt no unease. On the contrary, he secretly rejoiced.
The more the merrier!
He had been worried that Yan He alone wouldn't be able to hold off the three-headed double-winged centipede long enough for him to escape.
The person behind Yan He had clearly noticed Song Wen's sudden appearance as well.
A small flying ship pierced through the poisonous mist.
The ship was only nine meters long and three meters wide. It was equipped with a formation that completely concealed its aura, explaining why Song Wen had only sensed Yan He's presence earlier.
Three figures stood prominently on the Giant Flying Ship: Ye Bing, Wei Qian, and Xiao Ying.
Apart from the deceased Zhong Jun, all the Divine Transformation Stage cultivators who had embarked on this journey had gathered here.
Seeing these three, Song Wen, who had initially planned to use the opportunity to escape the three-headed double-winged centipede, immediately changed his mind.
With these three present, dealing with the centipede would be no challenge. There was no need for Song Wen to flee in panic; joining their group was the wisest course of action.
"Fellow Daoist Yan He, hurry and escape! A three-headed demon beast is chasing us from behind!" Song Wen exclaimed, feigning a chance encounter with Yan He, his voice tinged with urgency.
He paused mid-sentence, as if only then noticing the Giant Flying Ship hovering in mid-air. His face registered surprise, followed by wild elation, as if he had spotted a lifeline.
"Seniors, you're here too! This is wonderful!"
Wei Qian, standing at the ship's prow, regarded Song Wen with a cold gaze.
"Gou Jun, what kind of demon beast is chasing you?"
Wei Qian paid little attention to Song Wen's mention of a "three-headed demon beast." In his eyes, Song Wen was merely a peak Nascent Soul cultivator. If the demon beast couldn't kill him with a single strike but was instead reduced to chasing him, its strength couldn't be too formidable.
"That three-headed demon beast..."
Before Song Wen could finish speaking, two ferocious, violent auras surged from the miasma behind them.
Wei Qian's expression instantly froze.
(End of the Chapter)
---
📖Read (RDC) on Pa.treon@CinderTL - c1250. [+2]
🔑Read upto Ch1066 for FREE visit the pinned post on my p@treon to learn how!🎉
💥Translated (6) Series, (4.6K+) Chapters, (6.7M+) Words.