Trust Me and Jump

Qin Yang charged forward with his head down, piling every life-saving talisman he had onto himself in one go...

As he ran, he secretly regretted that of all the Ink Talisman scrolls he had made before, only one had succeeded. Worse, it was not a Shape-Shifting Ink Talisman. Otherwise, he could have summoned a white crane and flown off long ago. Why the hell would he need to go through all this trouble...

Qin Yang barreled onward with his head down. Little Fatty had no idea what secret art he was using, but his running posture was extraordinarily bizarre—his left foot stepped on his right, then his right foot stepped on his left. He looked as though he were staggering every which way, yet he never fell and was incredibly fast, staying right on Qin Yang's heels without dropping behind...

Behind them, Imperial Concubine De, dressed in black with baleful intent on her pretty face, brandished the Black Snake Whip. Gritting her teeth, she rode the Black Wind, moving even faster than the two of them...

Further behind, that handsome fellow from Boundless Dao Academy held a long sword and rode the wind. He was not slow either, clinging tightly to their trail. Yet a trace of confusion hung on his face; he was completely bewildered by the situation before him...

"Stop! Don't run!"

Imperial Concubine De gritted her teeth and let out a sharp cry, hurling the Black Snake Whip from her hand...

At once, the black snake head at its tip opened its jaws and let out a hiss. While still in midair, it swelled with the wind, its body twisting as it transformed into a black giant python dozens of zhang long.

Its enormous body swept toward them in an arc. Walls shattered at its touch, buildings collapsed at its impact, and even the earth trembled as the giant python swayed.

The giant python was huge and charged wildly about. Its slithering speed did not look fast, but its body was simply too enormous. One sway of its body covered the distance Qin Yang and the others could sprint in more than a dozen steps...

"A spirit artifact taking form—mother of me, just who the hell is this crazy woman? I only mouthed off a little. Was this really necessary..." Little Fatty was drenched in sweat, though it was hard to say whether he was exhausted from running or frightened out of his wits...

At the sight of the black python, Little Fatty actually sped up again, nearly overtaking Qin Yang...

Without even turning his head, Qin Yang flung out a thick stack of talismans behind him. Flames, frost, boulders, and gale-force winds erupted together, a chaotic barrage blanketing the black python's head.

However...

The black python opened its jaws and inhaled fiercely. Flames and frost alike were all swallowed in a single gulp.

Twenty or thirty talismans had done nothing but buy them a tiny bit of time. The black python had not even lost a single hair...

"Senior Brother, run! Don't waste your strength! That black python is a spirit artifact taking form. It's simply not something we can handle..." Little Fatty bared his teeth, the fat all over his body jiggling wildly. Without looking back, he focused solely on running forward.

Qin Yang's face darkened, and he stopped struggling in vain...

A spirit artifact...

As expected of the Ghost King's daughter—she was truly rich. He could not even afford a mid-grade Magical Artifact, while she brought out a spirit artifact the moment she made a move...

They were nearing the end of Ghost City. Tall buildings gradually became more numerous, and the black python slowed slightly. But once they passed through Ghost City's rear gate, the stretch before One Line Sky was as flat as a horse's back. Once they got there, being caught would be inevitable.

Qin Yang's eyes rolled.

"Senior Brother back there, do you know that she is the Dole Ghost King's most treasured daughter?"

Du Xin, who had been hot on their trail and still had not figured out why he was chasing them, froze. When he looked at Imperial Concubine De again, his gaze changed...

"Senior Brother, hurry and capture her to lend Elder Xu Shen a hand. If the Dole Ghost King is distracted even a little, Elder Xu Shen can finally get his wish and defeat his lifelong foe. He might even be so pleased that he takes you as his personal disciple!"

"You shameless, despicable, vile little thief!" Imperial Concubine De was so furious that her chest heaved violently, her lungs nearly exploding with rage...

Then, without Imperial Concubine De seeming to do anything at all, the black python pursuing them relentlessly opened its mouth and sprayed out vast clouds of black mist. In the blink of an eye, it became invisible.

The two men racing ahead like unleashed wild dogs immediately caught a faintly fishy-sweet scent...

"Poison!"

Within one or two breaths, both of them felt their breathing become labored. Their consciousness slowly grew muddled, and even the blood throughout their bodies showed signs of congealing...

Qin Yang was greatly alarmed and hurriedly activated the Blood Lama. Blood Light spread out in layer upon layer, rippling away. As the Buddha's silhouette emerged, a faint, almost imperceptible chant drifted through the air, as soft as a murmur, clearing both their minds.

Behind them, Du Xin, who had been chasing relentlessly, finally could not resist the temptation and got serious...

No one knew how many years the feud between Elder Xu Shen and the Dole Ghost King had lasted. No one knew how it had begun either. In any case, they were sworn enemies.

If he could truly help even a little and let Elder Xu Shen defeat the Dole Ghost King, the odds of the elder taking him directly as a personal disciple and passing down his mantle were not high. But his chances of advancing from an inner disciple to a true disciple would be great.

Even if that did not work out, the very least he could expect was a generous reward. And winning the favor of an elder by showing his face was better than anything.

With that thought, how could Du Xin consider anything else? He gave a low shout, swung the long sword in his hand, and formed Hand Seals with one hand...

At once...

Streak after streak of sword light blossomed in layered waves, like night-blooming flowers bursting into full bloom. When they reached their peak, their radiance surged. Sword lights filled the heavens like a torrential downpour, enveloping Imperial Concubine De.

Imperial Concubine De ground her teeth in hatred, but at this moment, she truly had no way to keep chasing Qin Yang and Little Fatty. With a beckoning hand, she summoned the black python back to shield herself and clashed with Du Xin.

"Not one good thing has ever come out of Boundless Dao Academy! Every last one of them deserves to die! Die!"

The battle erupted behind them. Amid the rain of swords, the black python struggled and fought back madly. Dust and smoke billowed, and buildings collapsed everywhere...

Qin Yang followed Little Fatty in a nonstop sprint. They ran for quite some distance before confirming that no one would catch up for the moment, then stopped to rest briefly.

"Senior brother Qin, do you know that pretty boy?"

"No..."

Little Fatty blanked out, then chuckled and raised a thumb.

"Senior brother Qin, you really are quick-witted. I almost thought we were going to die at that crazy woman's hands. Heh, do you think that crazy woman thinks we're disciples of Boundless Dao Academy too?"

"Who cares what she thinks? That handsome guy is stronger than she is anyway. Don't be fooled by the spirit artifact in her hand—who wins and who loses is still uncertain..."

"Oh, right, senior brother Qin, how did you recognize that crazy woman?"

"Stop talking nonsense. Hurry up and go."

Qin Yang's face darkened as he refused to answer. This Little Fatty was full of crafty tricks and sharp as well. He had caught the key point so quickly. If he kept thinking, he might realize that Imperial Concubine De had come after Qin Yang...

The two continued racing along the road flat as a horse's back. After only two or three li, they finally reached the One Line Sky they had seen earlier.

Mountains towered ahead. Only at their center, as though someone had split them cleanly down the middle, did a river of unknown origin pour through One Line Sky.

Below lay a pitch-black abyss. The river plunged into it, yet no roar of water striking the bottom could be heard. There was no telling how deep it was.

The two stood at the cliff's edge, watching the river fall into the abyss, their hearts full of doubt.

"Senior brother Qin, are you sure it's here?"

"Do you trust me?"

"I'll trust whatever you say, Senior Brother!"

"Then trust me and jump!"

"..."