Chapter Thirty-Four: Mao Xuanzi Wounded

The Black Mountain Demon spat out black smoke once again, and the flames were extinguished anew.

"Let's see where you can run, little brats!" The Black Mountain Demon extended a hand toward Han Tianyue and his companions.

A gigantic palm of dark clouds blocked the direction of their escape, swooping down toward the ground—"Will of Fire, Ring of Flames!" Mao Xuanzi swept his hands through the air, conjuring a blazing ring that surged up to meet the clouded palm.

With a crack, the ring of fire sputtered out, but the palm of cloud remained unchanged.

"I'll handle this!" Fang Zhe clasped his instrument and began to play, "Resonant Harmony!"

Waves of sound, flowing like water, crashed against the clouded palm. Just then, the notes of a flute arose, weaving into the "Resonant Harmony" to form a melody of "Heavenly Sound." The moment this music echoed through the air, heaven and earth seemed to tremble; the clouded palm instantly dissipated.

Fang Zhe glanced back toward the source of the flute, spotting a veiled woman in white standing atop a mountain. She looked at him briefly before turning away, vanishing from sight.

Relentless, the Black Mountain Demon, after his clouded palm was dispelled, spat out a stream of black smoke. The smoke transformed into a dark figure wielding a scythe, sweeping toward Han Tianyue and the others like a specter of death.

"It was this thing that changed the great tree!" Qingfeng cried out, staring at the shadowy figure.

Mao Xuanzi stepped forward. "Scorching Palm Mark!"

The burning palm mark shot toward the shadow, clashing with the black scythe. With a thud, the palm mark vanished.

"Take this!" In the blink of an eye, the shadow dashed before Mao Xuanzi, striking with the speed of lightning. The scythe’s blade plunged into Mao Xuanzi’s chest.

A wave of excruciating pain coursed through him. Mao Xuanzi managed to unleash another "Scorching Palm Mark," scattering the shadow, and staggered back several steps.

Seeing this, Han Tianyue advanced, spat out an "Ice Orb," which exploded, causing the temperature around them to plummet rapidly.

"Page 1 of 3"

"Page 2 of 3"

"Mao Xuanzi!" Everyone retreated to Mao Xuanzi's side.

Blood trickled from Mao Xuanzi's mouth, but though dazed, he managed to say, "I’m fine. Be careful!"

"Haha! Let me show you my true power!" The Black Mountain Demon spat out three more shadowy figures, making four in total, all charging at Han Tianyue and his friends.

"Ah!" Mao Xuanzi was struck again, his face turning deathly pale.

"Mao Xuanzi!" A shout echoed from afar. A rainbow arced across the sky, and suddenly, the area around Mao Xuanzi was bathed in an orange-yellow glow. It was Boka. He glanced at Mao Xuanzi, who lay on the ground, and declared arrogantly, "Only I get to kill him!"

"Orange Radiance!" With that, beams of orange light shot toward the Black Mountain Demon.

The demon withdrew his shadowy figures and raised his hand to block the incoming orange beams.

"How ironic—he’s the one who says he’ll kill him, but also the first to rush to his rescue!" An crow-riding youth named An landed, his voice dripping with sarcasm.

"Enough! Who saves whom and who wants to kill whom no longer matters. We can’t return to the headmaster with only four corpses!" The Serpent Demon landed, a giant python coiled at his side.

"Who can blame us for drawing such a miserable lot!" Gold Coin panted as he ran up, nearly exhausting himself to save the very people they’d been sent to capture.

"You all?" Mao Xuanzi, fighting the pain, looked up at Boka.

Boka replied coldly, "We just don’t want to return with four bodies, that’s all."

With that, Boka, An, the Serpent Demon, and Gold Coin moved to stand in front of Han Tianyue and his group, shielding them from the Black Mountain Demon.

"You little brats again!" The Black Mountain Demon remembered well the last time he’d been trapped all day by their spells. Now, having wounded Mao Xuanzi, he knew the boy wouldn’t recover quickly and reasoned that the group couldn’t escape far.

"Page 2 of 3"

"Page 3 of 3"

Resolute in his plans, the Black Mountain Demon retreated into his lair.

Having suffered two wounds in quick succession, Mao Xuanzi fainted.

Boka stepped forward, glanced at Mao Xuanzi, and took a pill from his pouch, handing it to Han Tianyue. "Give him this. Rest for a couple of days and he’ll be fine."

Han Tianyue looked at Boka. Though Boka remained as aloof as ever, he still clearly cared for Mao Xuanzi. As the one soon to become Mao Xuanzi’s brother-in-law, Han Tianyue did not wish to see him go down such a path, but Boka was indeed a remarkable individual.

He accepted the pill without a word of thanks.

"Should we take them with us?" Gold Coin asked.

"No. Now that they’ve provoked such a demon, bringing them will only endanger us. We leave!" Boka turned and walked away.

An sneered, "Boka, you’re out of pills. Let’s see how you fend for yourself next time you’re in danger!"

Boka gave no reply.

As they watched Boka and his group disappear into the distance, Han Tianyue hurriedly lifted Mao Xuanzi onto his back, and together they headed toward the cave where they had met Jin Di and the others.

Asking for gold medals, favorites, recommendations, clicks, comments, red envelopes, and gifts—whatever you can give, shower them all upon me!

"Page 3 of 3"