Vol. 1 - Ch. 185 - Fear

Words : 1492 Updated : Oct 12th, 2025

At that moment, Shi Potian noticed the hand Chen Qingyu was hiding behind his back, as well as the subtle flush rising to his face. His heart instantly sank. What was going on? Where were the lychees he had carried? Where had they gone? Right now, should he be feeling joyful at the thought of the rewards he’d receive for bringing this information back to the family? No. What he should be thinking about was—how was he going to survive long enough to deliver that news? As soon as Shi Potian caught the indifference in Chen Qingyu’s gaze, and the way that ordinary-looking iron sword in his hand began to shift ever so slightly, he let out a frantic roar, turning to the companion beside him. “Run! Split up—go!” Without hesitation, he bolted in the opposite direction, not caring about the path, not caring about form, only focused on fleeing as far as his legs could carry him. Their opponent’s strength was above theirs, and with a high-tier martial technique in hand, they didn’t stand a chance. Staying here had been sheer idiocy. The time they’d wasted fighting—foolish beyond words. They could’ve been long gone by now. If it hadn’t been for Shi Podi’s earlier reminder, he might have still been trapped in the emotional turmoil that technique had stirred up. As that realization dawned on him, another struck just as sharply. So this was the power of an Earth-rank martial art? He had heard of such things. While not as rare or powerful as Heaven-rank techniques, Earth-rank martial arts often carried strange and unpredictable effects that ordinary combat skills could never achieve. People always warned that, should one encounter such a technique, extreme caution was necessary. Now it all made sense. His complexion grew even paler. This martial art… was terrifying. No matter what, he had to get this information back to the clan. Behind him, Chen Qingyu finally lifted his sword and spoke in a quiet, almost regretful murmur. “Trying to run now? It’s too late.” A chill swept across Shi Potian’s back before he even had the chance to lift his arms in defense. His vision darkened, his limbs grew heavy, and just before everything faded to black, he remembered something stupid—he’d brought a divine clan stone with him this trip, hadn’t he? Hadn’t even used it. Far off to the side, Shi Podi, hearing his cousin’s final agonized scream, was nearly paralyzed with terror. “Damn it! Brother, hold on—I’ll get help—I’ll bring people to save you!” Even as the words tumbled from his mouth, his pace only quickened. He knew the truth. With an enemy who could wield an Earth-rank martial technique, he didn’t stand a chance. The clash just now had made that painfully clear. Staying here would be suicide. Only by returning to the family could he hope for a sliver of survival. Chen Qingyu didn’t immediately pursue. It wasn’t that he didn’t want to—it was just that the Earth-rank martial technique consumed too much of his blood essence. Even with only a preliminary grasp of it, the toll was far greater than he’d expected. Still, he didn’t panic. After taking a moment to regulate his internal energy, he took a silent step forward, the familiar cadence of Shadowstep carrying him in the direction Shi Podi had fled. Invisible to the naked eye, faint streaks of dazzling crimson shimmered across the darkness, flowing ahead like streams of light. That was one of the Seven Emotions: Fear. Once wounded by the Seven Emotions Six Desire Sword, no matter how far Shi Podi ran, Chen Qingyu would be able to follow him by that thread alone. … Up ahead, after running for what felt like ages, Shi Podi finally clenched his jaw, sweat running down his pale face. “No good. My injuries are too serious…” This place was remote. To reach the family, he’d need at least a few days of hard travel, and with wounds like this, he’d collapse before making it halfway. He paused for a moment, feeling the oppressive stillness of the darkness behind him, sensing nothing following. That eased his heart slightly. Carefully, he reasoned to himself—the clan should have already received the message by now. Though their family didn’t possess an incense totem, they had their ancestral clan totem. Its divine power was extraordinary. It would have sensed the peril he was in. As long as that signal got through, the family would definitely send someone to help him. Maybe… maybe he didn’t even have to make it all the way back. If he could hold out here for two days—just two days—reinforcements should arrive. With that thought, Shi Podi abruptly turned, cutting across another overgrown trail. Who would suspect that instead of running for safety, he’d stayed here in Chaotic Burial Mountain, hiding like a trapped animal? A trace of self-satisfaction curled at his lips. Perfect. A flawless plan. And with the Chen family utterly unaware… Still, he couldn’t afford to be careless. Before he made himself completely hidden, he needed to take further precautions to make sure they couldn’t track him down by other means. Reaching into his robes, he pulled out a thumb-sized white stone. After pricking his finger, he let a drop of his blood fall upon it. Instantly, a faint glow enveloped his form. The light was weak, but it cloaked him completely in divine power. When the glow faded, Shi Podi tucked the stone carefully back into his clothes and slipped deeper into the mountains. Before long, he found himself once more at the outskirts of the Chaotic Burial Mountain. But just as he was about to search for a new hiding spot, a faint rustling echoed behind him. His expression stiffened, turning his head sharply toward the sound. In the darkness, a lone figure emerged, quiet, steady, deliberate. It was Chen Qingyu, drawing closer, step by step. Shock exploded in Shi Podi’s mind. “Impossible… I used the divine stone! I concealed my aura! How did you—how could you still find me?!” Chen Qingyu’s voice drifted across the empty night, a soft whisper, neither mocking nor angry—just calm. “The divine stone may hide your aura… but I can smell the fear in your heart.” Shi Podi’s mouth opened, but no words came out. No more words, then. “Come,” he muttered coldly to himself. If he couldn’t escape, then he’d make his stand here. Fine. So what if Chen Qingyu had an Earth-rank technique? He didn’t believe that alone was enough to guarantee his defeat—not when he still had this divine stone. He reached into his robes again, pulling out the family’s divine artifact, and this time squeezed it with force. Radiant light burst forth, enveloping his whole body in brilliance. The warmth flooded his limbs, driving out the pain of his wounds. His qi and blood surged upward with power. Even his injuries began to mend visibly before his eyes. Different divine stones contained different powers. The one in Shi Podi’s possession not only concealed his aura, but also greatly replenished his vital force, far more effective than ordinary blood jade coins—by a factor of ten. But there was a cost. The power of the stone wouldn’t last long. If he didn’t defeat his opponent within the time it took to burn half a stick of incense, he would fall into complete weakness. Risky, yes. But at moments like these, it was a second life for a martial artist. Now wasn’t the time to weigh consequences. There was no other choice. With the divine stone’s power fully activated, his wounds healed completely, his energy surged to its peak, and even his cultivation edged slightly forward. But just as confidence surged in his heart, his gaze once more fell upon that plain-looking iron sword in Chen Qingyu’s hand. That confidence, like mist before sunlight, evaporated in an instant. Something about that sword filled him with a cold, inexplicable dread. He forced his gaze away from it, fixing his eyes on Chen Qingyu’s face instead, desperately trying to resist the fear gnawing at his soul. Summoning the divine stone’s strength, he raised his palm, once again executing the perfected Xuan-rank combat technique he had practiced for over a decade. With the divine stone’s support, the power behind this strike soared higher than ever before. In that instant, a massive, blood-colored tiger formed out of true essence, leaping from his palm and roaring into the night sky. It lunged for Chen Qingyu, its presence suffocating, its claws raking at the heavens, casting the moonlight in a veil of crimson red. Hello readers! Read up to 12 advance chapters by joining us on Patreon! Support us and read ahead[Join Patreon]Enjoying the story? Help more readers discover it by leaving a rating and reviews on NovelUpdate! Every review counts. 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Vol. 1 - Ch. 185 - Fear

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