A Desperate Turn of Fortune, Reinforcements Descend

Chapter 37: Desperate Survival, Reinforcements Descend

The sun dipped low in the west, its light filtering through the dense primeval forest on the outskirts of the Black Stone Mountains, casting dappled patterns on a clearing. The air, which should have been filled with the freshness of plants and the fragrance of earth, was now shrouded in a cold, decaying, suffocating stillness, as if even light and sound were largely consumed by this aura.

Li Yifan leaned against a thick ancient tree, requiring two people to embrace, its bark rough and abrasive, yet he barely felt it. His senses were overwhelmed by intense pain and extreme weakness. His face was ashen, devoid of any color, his lips cracked. His chest heaved like a bellows, each breath pulling at his wounds, bringing tearing agony. Though the wound on his left arm had been crudely bandaged with medicinal powder and cloth strips, his desperate flight, pushing the Spirit Fox Steps to their limit, had reopened it. Dark, viscous blood seeped out, soaking the bandages and dripping down his arm, falling onto the decaying leaves below with a soft "drip... drip..." sound that was unnervingly clear in the deathly silence.

Worse still was his internal state. The fierce battle with Li Heng, especially enduring the impact and backlash of the Netherworld Blood Curse, had already damaged his meridians, leaving his true qi on the verge of depletion. Being pursued by the Corpse Demon Old Monster, Nie Wuya, and fleeing for his life had only exacerbated the situation. Now, his dantian was empty, his meridians like dried riverbeds, throbbing with a needle-like pain. The last wisp of Nine Yang True Qi, as faint as a candle in the wind, struggled to circulate through his meridians, barely sustaining his life. It was utterly incapable of dispelling the bone-chilling, corrosive, and penetrating Netherworld Piercing Force that had lodged itself in the meridians of his left arm. This foreign true qi, like a persistent ulcer, continuously eroded his flesh and meridians, inflicting waves of piercing, icy pain.

Ten yards ahead, a shadowy figure, as if crawled from the deepest abyss, advanced steadily. The Corpse Demon Old Monster, Nie Wuya, was gaunt and hunched, draped in a wide black robe, seeming to merge with the surrounding shadows. His footsteps were silent, gliding like a phantom, each step carrying a playful, cat-and-mouse malice and an overwhelming pressure. His eyes, hidden beneath the shadow of his wide hood, were cold, cruel, devoid of any human emotion, like two poisoned ice picks, fixed on Li Yifan—or more accurately, on the cold Jade Box he clutched tightly to his chest, and the ancient black ring on his right index finger.

"Cough... cough..." Li Yifan couldn't help but cough twice. A sweet, metallic taste rose in his throat, which he forcefully swallowed. Gritting his teeth until his gums bled, he leaned against the ancient tree for support, preventing himself from collapsing. His mind, however, raced, searching for any sliver of hope.

Fight back? The thought was extinguished as soon as it arose. The opponent's aura was unfathomably deep, like a bottomless abyss, far surpassing Li Heng, who was at the peak of the Muscle-Refining late stage! The pervasive stillness and gloom pressed down on him, making it hard to breathe. This was undoubtedly a master of the Blood Refining Realm, perhaps even higher! He hadn't been able to defeat such an opponent even at his peak, let alone now when he was utterly spent.

Flee? He glanced at his trembling legs and his bleeding left arm, a bitter smile touching his lips. His full-speed escape moments ago had exhausted all his strength. Now, he could barely stand, let alone outrun such a master.

Beg for mercy? He looked into those emotionless, dark eyes, his heart turning to ice. Facing such a demon who cultivated wicked arts and treated human lives as worthless, begging would only hasten a more humiliating death.

It seemed... there was only a dead end? Despair, like an icy tide, began to erode his will.

No! He absolutely would not give up! A final, fierce glint erupted in Li Yifan's eyes! Even if he died, he would die like a warrior! He would not let this demon succeed so easily! He secretly gathered the faint, almost imperceptible Nine Yang True Qi in his dantian, compressing it further and further, intending to detonate this core true qi at the last moment! Even if it couldn't harm the enemy, he would destroy his own meridians, shatter the Jade Box and the ring, and never let these evil artifacts fall into the demon's hands! This was his final act of defiance!

Just as his resolve hardened, preparing for mutual destruction in that critical moment—

"Whoosh—Bang!!!"

A signal arrow, with a sharp, piercing whistle, shot out from the dense forest not far away, tearing through the stagnant air and soaring towards the sky. It then exploded in a dazzling, blood-red flare dozens of feet high! The flare spread into a parachute shape, lingering for a long time, appearing exceptionally abrupt and glaring in the evening sky!

This was the standard emergency distress and warning signal arrow of the Great Xia's Xuntian Guard! It would never be used lightly unless in a dire emergency!

This sudden turn of events startled both individuals in the clearing!

Nie Wuya, who was about to deliver the final blow, froze instantly. He turned his head sharply, his dark gaze shooting towards the direction of the signal arrow. For the first time, a look of surprise and uncertainty appeared beneath the shadow of his hood! In this desolate wilderness, frequented by no one, how could there be Xuntian Guard reinforcements? And arriving so quickly? Was it a coincidence, or...?

Li Yifan, who had already despaired, felt his heart pounded as if struck by a heavy hammer! Hope! It was reinforcements! Could it be that Commander Wang had received some news and sent people to meet him? Or was a colleague coincidentally on a mission nearby and saw the commotion? Regardless, the appearance of this signal arrow meant a turning point!

This sudden interference caused Nie Wuya's imposing aura to falter for a moment, and it injected a powerful shot of adrenaline into Li Yifan's near-broken spirit! He immediately abandoned the idea of self-destruction, focused all his efforts on concealing his presence, gritted his teeth, and waited for a change!

Almost before the echo of the signal arrow's explosion had faded, a rapid, powerful sound like muffled thunder rolling across the earth—the thundering of hooves and the clamor of hurried footsteps—came from afar, approaching swiftly like a surging tide! The source of the sound was precisely where the signal arrow had originated!

At the end of the winding path in the forest, dust flew and dead leaves swirled! Over a dozen figures, clad in the uniform black Xuntian Guard combat attire and light armor, spurred their magnificent warhorses, galloping like arrows loosed from a bow! Their hooves pounded the earth, emitting a rumbling sound, their momentum astonishing!

The leader, mounted on an exceptionally robust black horse, was burly and agile, with a rugged face, prominent cheekbones, and a pair of tiger eyes that gleamed with sharp intelligence, exuding an unyielding majesty. He wore a heavy, broad-bladed saber at his waist, its hilt wrapped in dark red anti-slip cloth. He exuded an aura of fierce ferocity, like a sweeping gale! True qi surged around him; he was clearly at the early stage of the Blood Refining Realm! He was none other than the Xuntian Envoy of Qing Province's Xuntian Guard, renowned for his speed, bravery, and tracking skills—Zhao Kuangfeng!

Behind him followed more than ten elite Xuntian Guard riders, each with sharp eyes and steady auras. The lowest among them was at the mid-stage of Bone-Refining, clearly a seasoned and well-coordinated elite squad. They advanced in a wedge formation, following closely behind Zhao Kuangfeng, like a black spearhead piercing into the silent clearing!

"Corpse Demon Old Monster Nie Wuya! How dare you cause trouble in my Qing Province territory and hunt down my Xuntian Guard comrade! Your life is forfeit!" Zhao Kuangfeng's voice arrived before he did! It was like a thunderclap on a clear day, or the roar of a fierce wind, filled with an incomparably violent killing intent, instantly dispelling the gloom and stillness that permeated the forest! Seeing Li Yifan's blood-soaked, near-death state leaning against the ancient tree, and the eerie figure shrouded in black robes, his eyes blazed with fury!

Still twenty yards away, Zhao Kuangfeng spurred his horse, which neighed loudly and increased its speed! Simultaneously, his burly figure leaped from the horse's back. Mid-air, he drew his saber with his left hand!

"Clang—!"

The heavy, broad-bladed saber left its scabbard with a dragon-like hum! The blade was dark red, as if it had drunk countless blood! Zhao Kuangfeng's muscles bulged, and the profound true qi of the Blood Refining Realm poured into the saber without reservation. The saber instantly erupted with a dazzling crimson light!

"Raging Saber Cuts the Waves!"

With a roar, Zhao Kuangfeng gripped the saber with both hands and slashed down from the air! A condensed, scorching, and fierce saber aura, several feet wide, like a roaring wave of flame, tore through the air with a rumbling sound, striking towards Nie Wuya with the force of splitting mountains! Before the saber aura even arrived, the searing heatwave had already rolled up the dead leaves on the ground, igniting them, its power terrifying!

Nie Wuya was both shocked and enraged! He had never expected the Xuntian Guard reinforcements to arrive so quickly, let alone be led by the notorious fierce general of the Qing Province Guard, Zhao Kuangfeng! Although this man's cultivation was only at the early stage of Blood Refining, his saber techniques were fierce and violent, and he was notoriously fearless and difficult to deal with! Normally, with his mid-stage Blood Refining cultivation and peculiar methods, he wouldn't fear him, and might even defeat him. But now, he had expended considerable mental energy tracking Li Heng and coveting the Yinsha Soul Pearl, and had indirectly clashed with Li Yifan, who was in a terrible state but possessed a counteracting Dharma. His aura had not fully stabilized. Facing Zhao Kuangfeng, who was in peak condition and attacking with righteous anger, as well as the more than ten elite Xuntian Guards behind him, who were forming a formation and watching him menacingly, he knew he wouldn't fare well! If he were entangled, the consequences would be unimaginable!

In a flash, Nie Wuya made his decision!

"Zhao Kuangfeng! You are lucky today! I will settle this score with you another day!" Nie Wuya let out a sharp, piercing roar, his voice filled with unwillingness and malice! Facing the sky-splitting, earth-cleaving crimson saber aura, he dared not meet it head-on. His figure retreated rapidly like a ghost, and at the same time, his wide black robe billowed violently, and he flicked his sleeve!

"Netherworld Ghost Mist!"

A thick, ink-like black smoke, emitting a pungent, foul odor, surged from his sleeve as if alive, rapidly spreading and instantly engulfing an area of several yards! This black smoke not only obscured vision but also interfered with spiritual perception, and it contained a potent poison that corroded flesh and blood!

"Trying to escape? Leave something behind for me!" Zhao Kuangfeng, with his fiery temper, would not let him slip away so easily! Still in mid-air, his saber stance suddenly shifted. The majestic crimson saber aura, as if possessing sentience, split off a thinner but more condensed saber energy, like a leech, relentlessly pursuing the core of the black smoke! His combat experience was profound; he saw through the black smoke as a diversion tactic, knowing the true body must be hidden within!

"Screech—!"

A sharp tearing sound, like ripping cloth, emanated from the black smoke! Following it was a suppressed groan of pain!

The crimson saber energy had clearly struck its target! The black smoke churned violently, then rapidly thinned. As the smoke dispersed, Nie Wuya's figure had vanished. Only a few tattered pieces of black cloth and a pool of dark, viscous blood emitting a strong, foul stench remained at the spot. Mixed within the blood were some strange chunks of flesh.

Zhao Kuangfeng landed, his heavy footsteps striking the ground with a dull thud. He sheathed his saber, the crimson light on the broad blade slowly retracting. He glanced at the pool of black blood and torn cloth, snorted coldly, his voice like a booming bell, "Consider yourself lucky, old ghost! With my 'Scorching Sun Blade Qi', he'll have enough to deal with!"

He did not order a pursuit. It was unwise to chase a cornered enemy, especially a cunning demon like the Corpse Demon Old Monster, who was skilled in escape arts. A rash pursuit could easily lead into a trap. The immediate priority was to confirm Li Yifan's safety.

Zhao Kuangfeng turned and strode towards Li Yifan, who was leaning against the tree. The Xuntian Guard members behind him dismounted cleanly, their movements swift and orderly, displaying high military discipline. Without orders, they immediately spread out in combat formation, vigilantly guarding the surroundings, preventing the Corpse Demon Old Monster from returning or any other unexpected incidents.

"Li Yifan? Li Yifan of the Seventh Squad?" Zhao Kuangfeng approached, looking at Li Yifan's miserable state, especially the horrific wound on his left arm, which was almost pierced through, swollen and black, continuously bleeding. His thick eyebrows furrowed deeply, and his tiger eyes showed undisguised concern and gravity. He had received orders from Commander Wang stating that Li Yifan was on a solo mission to pursue Li Heng and might have entered the dangerous Black Stone Mountains, instructing him to bring a rapid response team for support in case of unforeseen circumstances. He had initially thought it was a routine support mission, but unexpectedly, upon reaching the mountain range's outskirts, he saw a distress signal, and upon arriving, found such a tragic scene, with the opponent being the notorious Corpse Demon Old Monster!

"Zhao... Envoy Zhao..." Li Yifan saw the familiar and reassuring face (Zhao Kuangfeng was well-known in the Guard, and Li Yifan had met him a few times). His tense heart finally relaxed, and the breath he had been holding escaped. His body went limp, and he slid down the trunk of the tree to the ground, his voice so weak it was barely audible. "Your subordinate... has fulfilled the mission... Li Heng... has been executed... but... I attracted... the Corpse Demon Old Monster..."

His injuries were severe, he had lost too much blood, and after the extreme tension, his body relaxed. He could barely speak a complete sentence.

"Don't speak! Stabilize your injuries first!" Zhao Kuangfeng, experienced, knew at a glance that Li Yifan was at the end of his rope, on the verge of fainting. He immediately crouched down, his movements remarkably steady. First, he took a sealed porcelain bottle from his military first-aid kit, removed the stopper, and poured out two dragon-eye-sized pills, crimson in color, emitting a pungent, fiery aura—these were the standard high-grade life-saving pills for the Xuntian Guard, the "Heart-Protecting Pills," which had the miraculous effect of preserving life, stabilizing the heart, and stimulating potential.

"Open your mouth!" Zhao Kuangfeng commanded, gently prying Li Yifan's mouth open and placing the two Heart-Protecting Pills inside. The pills melted upon contact with the mouth, transforming into two streams of warmth that slid down his throat. Immediately, Zhao Kuangfeng placed a large hand on Li Yifan's back, and a gentle yet potent and mellow true qi, like a warm current, slowly flowed into his body, helping him dissolve the medicinal properties and guiding them to protect his heart and vital organs, while stabilizing his disordered breathing.

As the medicinal properties of the Heart-Protecting Pills dispersed, Li Yifan felt a surge of hot warmth rise from his dantian, quickly spreading throughout his limbs and bones. His previously cold and weak body regained a trace of warmth. The turbulent blood and qi were forcibly suppressed, and the life flame, like a candle in the wind, finally stabilized. He let out a sigh of relief, a faint trace of color returning to his face, and his spirit somewhat revived.

"Thank... thank you, Envoy, for saving my life." Li Yifan caught his breath, his voice still weak but now able to speak coherently.

Zhao Kuangfeng waved his hand, his tone grave. "We're all brothers. No need for thanks. I arrived just in time; any later, and the consequences would have been unimaginable." His gaze swept over the traces of battle around them, especially the ashes belonging to Li Heng and the black blood left by Nie Wuya. He asked in a deep voice, "What exactly happened? How did Li Heng die? Why was the Corpse Demon Old Monster here? Explain it in detail, slowly, don't rush."

Li Yifan took a deep breath, enduring the pain throughout his body, and recounted the events as clearly and concisely as possible: from receiving Commander Wang's mission, tracking clues into the Black Stone Mountains, discovering the cave lair, the fierce battle with Li Heng, the opponent's use of the Netherworld Blood Curse which ultimately backfired and killed him, being targeted by the Corpse Demon Old Monster Nie Wuya while severely injured, being pursued all the way here until Zhao Kuangfeng arrived. However, he omitted the part about obtaining the Storage Ring, only mentioning the Soul-attracting Jade Box, as a Storage Ring looked like an ordinary ring when not in use.

Zhao Kuang listened quietly, his expression growing increasingly grave. When he heard that Li Yifan, with his mid-stage Bone Refining cultivation, had infiltrated the lair alone to face the late-stage peak Bone Refining cultivator, the notorious "Shadow Demon," Li Heng, and not only retreated but even forced the latter to use a suicidal move, the Netherworld Blood Curse, ultimately leading to Li Heng's backlash death, Zhao Kuang looked at Li Yifan with disbelief and undisguised admiration! He heavily patted Li Yifan's uninjured right shoulder and sighed, "Good lad! You've really got it in you! When I was your age, I was still struggling in the Bone Refining Realm! You managed to take down Li Heng by yourself! This courage, this strength, this merit – it's immense! When we get back, Commander Wang will surely grant you a great reward! The garrison's heavy bounty is definitely yours!"

He glanced at the Soul-attracting Jade Box that Li Yifan still clutched tightly and nodded, his tone becoming more serious. "Li Heng was a wanted criminal by the court, and this kind of evil box is important evidence that must be brought back to the garrison for the higher-ups to decide how to handle it. It's the rule, you have no objections, right?"

"Your subordinate understands the rules and will act according to the law," Li Yifan nodded without hesitation. He knew the gravity of the situation; this item was a hot potato, and handing it over was the wisest choice.

"Hmm, good lad, sensible!" Zhao Kuang was very pleased with Li Yifan's understanding of the situation. He looked at the sky; the sun had mostly dipped below the mountain ridge, and the light in the forest was rapidly dimming. "Your injuries are too severe, especially with the Netherworld Piercing Force and Corpse Poison intertwined in your left arm. It needs immediate attention, and you've lost too much blood, so traveling overnight is not advisable."

He stood up and ordered his surrounding team members, "Clear the area immediately, set up sentries, and make camp here! Wang Wu, take two men and set up early warning mechanisms and traps fifty paces around the camp! Zhang Meng, you're in charge of starting the fire and boiling some hot water! Everyone else, set up the tents, and do it quickly!"

"Yes, sir!" The team members responded in unison and immediately began to act efficiently. Some quickly cleared a safe open space, some took out tools to dig a simple firebreak and set up sentry traps, some took tents off their horses to begin setting them up, and others gathered dry firewood and lit bonfires. The entire process was orderly, demonstrating a high level of professionalism.

Soon, a simple yet fully functional temporary camp was set up in the forest clearing. A bonfire was lit in the center, dispelling the night's chill and the forest's dampness, bringing light and warmth. A thick marching tent was erected for Li Yifan.

Zhao Kuang personally helped Li Yifan into the tent and had him lean against the prepared blankets. He then took out better quality wound medicine and antidote powder provided by the garrison, and re-cleaned and treated Li Yifan's left arm. His technique was far more professional and meticulous than Li Yifan's own. At the same time, he gave Li Yifan two Qi-Nourishing Blood-Enriching Pills to replenish his qi and blood and strengthen his foundation, helping him recover his vitality.

"Tonight, you will rest here and cultivate to heal. I will personally guard you," Zhao Kuang said in a deep voice. "Don't think about anything else. Focus on saving your life and stabilizing your injuries first."

A warm current surged through Li Yifan's heart, and he once again solemnly thanked him, "Thank you, Lord Zhao!"

Night completely enveloped the forest. The bonfire crackled, illuminating the vigilant figures of the Xuntian Guard members and Li Yifan's pale face in the tent. He sat cross-legged, took the pill, and began to circulate the Nine Yang Burning Heaven Technique with all his might, guiding the medicinal power and the pure true qi that Zhao Kuang had infused into him to slowly repair his damaged meridians and dispel the stubborn Netherworld Piercing Force and Corpse Poison in his left arm. Although the process was slow and painful, with a safe environment and professional help, his heart was greatly at ease.

This mission had been a near-death experience, fraught with peril. But in the end, he had survived. Feeling his injuries gradually calming down and his true qi slowly recovering within his body, Li Yifan touched the cold storage ring on his finger, filled with new anticipation and determination for his future cultivation path. Having survived a catastrophe, he now understood the preciousness of life. The path of cultivation was arduous, and only by bravely forging ahead could he go further in this world full of hidden dangers.