The Third Thirty-Third Chapter

Counterattacking wasn't easy. The distance between the two swordsmen was maintained perfectly, unlike those who would rush in and give Bai Lang a chance to defeat them one by one. What other choice was there? He'd run. Hopefully, if he led them far enough, these two would be forced to return to the pavilion to guard the path due to their duties. "But it looks like these two are dead set on killing me," Bai Lang thought as he activated his Flight Over Grass Lightness Skill.

He should really appreciate the internal energy from the Golden Bell Shield now. Its internal energy leaned towards being potent and robust. While it couldn't accelerate his speed for Lightness Skill, it did grant him endurance. However, Bai Lang now wished he had that Purple Cloud Divine Skill, the one that felt like a continuous, wispy stream that later spread across the sky like purple clouds. It would surely have miraculous effects on self-generating internal energy. He was already feeling like the internal energy from the Golden Bell Shield was becoming difficult to sustain.

His internal energy was still thick, but his foundation was gradually being depleted. The newly generated energy couldn't quite keep up with the consumption. "I just have to grit my teeth and persevere. If I try to counterattack and fail, I won't be able to escape. It's better to run," Bai Lang thought clearly, knowing that escaping was his best option right now. As for completing the mission, that could wait. Besides, wasn't he not the only one who had to put in the effort?

Moreover, he harbored a sliver of hope. He felt this didn't quite fit the style of the Jade Fish, and perhaps there were other ways. Ahead, he saw a cliff, and Bai Lang felt his chance had arrived. The two swordsmen behind him seemed to practice a type of internal energy Martial Arts focused on rapid bursts. Their current situation seemed worse than his; at least in terms of the endurance of their Lightness Skill, they were lacking. Yet, they still maintained their distance, and Bai Lang didn't dare to counterattack.

"The cliff-jumping-and-surviving principle!" Bai Lang shouted, leaping off without hesitation. The swordsmen behind him stopped.

"They didn't follow! Good! It's time for me to save myself!" Bai Lang channeled all the internal energy of his Golden Bell Shield into his hands, completely ignoring the injury on his left shoulder. He punched the cliff face repeatedly, creating holes to successfully slow his descent. Even luckier, halfway down, he discovered a platform with a shallow cave in an indented area.

Bai Lang landed heavily on the platform and rolled into the cave. He let out a muffled groan. If the Golden Bell Shield hadn't broken through its first stage, he would have broken at least a dozen bones from this fall. But now, it was just some bruising. This impact also tore open his previously bandaged wounds, and blood began to flow again. The injury on his shoulder was also uncontrollable, with blood trickling down his body and arm.

Bai Lang reached up with his right hand to his left shoulder wound. Gritting his teeth, he straightened the bone and then, sweating profusely, secured it with a cloth strip—his clothes were torn even more. This fall had nearly exhausted the internal energy of his Golden Bell Shield, which he used to protect himself with True Qi. After a quick self-treatment, Bai Lang could no longer hold on and fainted.

When he woke up, the sky had already darkened. His injuries hadn't improved; some wounds even felt hot and numb. "Hmph, this is trouble. The condition of my wounds isn't good." Bai Lang tried to gather his internal energy, but found the True Qi in his Dantian scattered, unable to be consolidated. Bai Lang let out a long sigh, calmed himself, and slowly guided his True Qi. First, he circulated it through the Lesser Heavenly Cycle, gathering the scattered True Qi in the Ren Meridian bit by bit, returning it to the Dantian for expulsion.

He slowly gathered his True Qi like this. By the time he had collected all the True Qi in his meridians, the night was already very deep. His condition was naturally not good; he had started to develop a fever. Moreover, he hadn't eaten for a day and a night, had fought several battles, and lost a lot of blood. He was now completely parched. Fortunately, on the cool side of the cave wall, wisps of moisture condensed into water droplets. Bai Lang licked the small streams formed by the water droplets, finally quenching his thirst, but hunger remained.

After gathering his True Qi, his spirits lifted. With the internal energy of the Golden Bell Shield circulating, his wounds tightened, stopping the slow seepage of blood. "There's definitely no time," Bai Lang felt no grief or indignation, but rather a sense of unreality. He touched the Jade Fish. "The second time, and it hits me with such a blow?" Just as he thought this, a voice sounded, "Killed Cao Yuqing, mission complete, initiating return."

Bai Lang's vision blurred, and he fainted again.

When he opened his eyes again, he saw a palace. Outside the palace was a vast expanse of clouds and mist, obscuring everything. The others who had separated from him had also gotten up from the palace floor. Seeing Bai Lang, they revealed smiles of relief—their conditions were not good. Mu Ronghua had lost an arm, Ma Rulong was covered in blood, Murong Jiuxiu's body was half as if burned by fire, and Qin Lian'er appeared to be the least affected, apart from a pale complexion.

"Where's the little monk?" Bai Lang was wrapped in bandages, with bloodstains seeping out everywhere, and his condition wasn't good. "He's dead," Ma Rulong said dejectedly. Just as Bai Lang was about to speak, he heard the voice sound again from above the palace, "Successful return, initiating medical treatment." A number, "one thousand," suddenly appeared before Bai Lang's eyes, but he couldn't see the others'. Judging by their gazes, they were likely looking at numbers in front of them as well. "Right, these numbers might be some kind of score for passing, like in infinite flow stories. Of course, it's personal privacy."

A beam of light then enveloped him, and he watched the number one thousand begin to fluctuate. "It's deducting pretty quickly!" Bai Lang muttered. However, after looking closely at the number, a voice echoed in his ear, "Trial base reward one thousand." Bai Lang let out an "Uh," but it wasn't appropriate to shout about how the people he killed weren't counted. His wounds felt as if they were wrapped in warm water, and the pain disappeared. When the score dropped to eight hundred, the beam of light vanished, and Bai Lang could move freely.

The others were also healed. Murong Jiuxiu quickly pulled out a mirror and examined herself from all angles, while Mu Ronghua touched his arm, excited. Since everyone had been healed, the voice sounded again. "Next mission time to be determined, trading can now commence." A jade stone in the palace lit up, projecting many words into the air. Bai Lang glanced at them and knew he probably couldn't afford any of them, as the numbers behind them were at least four digits—Arabic numerals were used here.

Martial Arts Secret Manuals were out of the question; the lowest was four digits. Then he looked at the divine pills and elixirs. "Hahaha," Bai Lang laughed, "Can't afford it!" These were also four digits. "Alright, let's look at weapons. Oh, there's something I can afford!" Looking at such a list, it was faster to read from back to front, so Bai Lang quickly found a suitable weapon. "Polished Purple Gold Mace, three feet six inches long, weighing eighty-eight point sixty-four catties. Another four-sided mace, the head is an armor-piercing cone, not bad, not bad. This pair of maces only costs eight hundred. Ah well, 'when the wind blows, the eggshells fly, peace comes with the departure of wealth!'"

Without hesitation, he bought the pair of Purple Gold Maces. A flash of light, and a deer antler stand appeared on the ground, with the two maces resting on it. Bai Lang picked one up in each hand, satisfied with their weight. The luster of the Purple Gold Maces shone with a faint dark gold light under the illumination, looking quite impressive.

Incredible, I actually have a double update.