After the battle with Tang Long, Xiao Yan was seriously injured. The group turned around and headed north, where Heavenly Cloud Manor was located.
The group had barely arrived in the Central Region when they encountered powerful figures from the Tribulation Crossing Sect. Although they managed to repel them, there was no guarantee that other Tribulation Crossing Sect experts wouldn't pursue them. Judging from Tang Long's demeanor, he seemed to value Lian'er's Woeful Poison Body extremely highly. If they continued eastward, they feared they would encounter insurmountable trouble. Moreover, given Xiao Yan Yan's current condition, he truly needed time to recover. As things stood, the closest and safest place was probably only Heavenly Cloud Manor, where Luo Jin resided. Once they reached there, even the Tribulation Crossing Sect, with its formidable resources, would have to think twice.
While Xiao Yan and his group headed towards the Heavenly Cloud Manor, on the other side, Tang Long, who was seriously injured, arrived at a mountain forest not far from Gulan City under the guidance of Xu Zhen. Xu Zhen, who should have continued to head back, stopped there, while Tang Long, having taken a pill, took the opportunity to rest briefly on a mountain peak.
"Cough cough cough... Kid, this time, I really owe you a debt of gratitude. If it weren't for you, I'm afraid I would already be..."
Tang Long, his face deathly pale, sat trembling on the mountain peak, as if he would easily fall over with a gust of wind. Beside him, Xu Zhen stood with his hands behind his back, gazing into the direction where Xiao Yan and the others had left. As killing intent surged in his eyes, a ruthless glint flashed across them before his gaze slowly returned to Tang Long beside him.
"Third Elder, you flatter me. This matter was entirely caused by me. If I hadn't informed you, this situation wouldn't have arisen. I beg your forgiveness!"
"Alas, to be honest, it's all my fault for being careless. Who would have thought that kid, merely at the Early-Stage Origin Emperor, could unleash such a terrifying Dou Technique? When we return, I'm afraid we'll be laughed at. And to top it all off, failing to bring back the Holy Maiden will only cause more trouble when the Sect Master finds out!"
Tang Long frowned, his pale face showing worry. He knew the sect leader's temperament; he had received the Holy Maiden's message but kept it hidden, and now he had failed to bring her back, even ending up covered in wounds. As a result, he would not only receive no sympathy, but would also face even greater punishment.
"Hehe, Elder, actually, I do have a trick that can not only save you from punishment, but also make the Sect Master regret your actions to the point of tears..."
However, at this moment, Xu Zhen chuckled softly. He slowly leaned down, gently placing his right hand on Tang Long's back with a smile on his face.
Upon hearing this, Tang Long raised an eyebrow, a look of joy appearing on his old face. If he could get the sect leader to forgive any punishment, he wouldn't care about anything else. He quickly and happily said:
"Tell me quickly, what's the method?"
That is...
Xu Zhen spoke slowly, and at the same time, the smile on his face became even warmer. At the same time, the hand that was stroking Tang Long's back slowly fell down, and then he continued to speak.
"You're dead..."
"Pfft!"
Almost the instant Xu Zhen finished speaking, the Origin Qi condensed between his right palms, piercing through Tang Long's chest in an instant. As blood gushed out, Tang Long trembled all over, staring wide-eyed at Xu Zhen in disbelief. Then he slowly lowered his head, looking at the blood-red palm that had pierced through his chest, unable to believe that Xu Zhen would actually attack him.
"Why... why... I am the Third Elder of the Tribulation Crossing Sect... What good will it do you to kill me!"
"Because you are the Third Elder of the Tribulation Crossing Sect, only your death will alert the other high-ranking members. At that time, I won't even need to go looking for them; those old fogies will come looking for us on their own. From our current location, if we chase after them, we might still be able to catch up with Xiao Yan and his group. As for you, you will become my nourishment!"
The warm smile on his face vanished instantly, replaced by an endless ferocity and cruelty. Xu Zhen clenched his right hand with a sneer, and a strange suction force suddenly emanated from his palm. At the same time, the remaining Origin Qi in Tang Long's body began to circulate uncontrollably, gathering in Xu Zhen's palm and then being absorbed into his body.
"You damned wicked disciple, even if I die today, I will destroy you!"
Sensing the strange changes within his body, Tang Long was filled with terror. Only now did he realize that the sect leader's concern for Xu Zhen was probably not unfounded. But it was too late. As a low, unwilling roar erupted, Tang Long's body trembled violently. The last remaining Origin Qi within his body surged violently at that moment. His two weak hands desperately gripped Xu Zhen's hands tightly, and the expression on his old face gradually became ferocious.
Judging from this, the old guy is planning to self-destruct and take Xu Zhen down with him!
"Hey, am I going to self-destruct, teacher? Please!"
Seeing this, Xu Zhen not only showed no concern, but even sneered disdainfully. If Tang Long were still at his peak, he might have been worried, but now he was merely at the end of his rope, and with his teacher's presence, there was naturally no problem.
As their voices were spoken, a slightly illusory figure appeared in the void beside them. When Tang Long saw this figure, his pale face suddenly turned terrified, and an incredulous roar came from his mouth once again.
" Yu Du! It's you!"
"Hehe, Third Brother, we finally meet again! I almost died at your hands back then. How about it? Now, it's my turn to reclaim everything I've lost!"
As the cold laugh subsided, Yu Du slammed his palm down on Tang Long's head. A dull cracking sound rang out, and Tang Long's mouth gaped open, his eyes wide with death, as he vanished without a trace.
A short while later, Tang Long's body was gradually swallowed by Xu Zhen under the cover of a strange poisonous mist. At the same time, the latter's face turned a strange blackish-purple, his eyes rolled constantly, and he trembled all over as he hurriedly sat down cross-legged, forcibly suppressing the extremely cold power in his body and gradually refining it.
Almost simultaneously, on a mountain south of Gulan City, three figures were gathering from different directions. All three were frowning as they stared at the broken Soul Jade Token in their palms, their eyes filled with disbelief.
"The third brother is dead?! Who did it?"
"Who dares to kill an elder of my Tribulation Crossing Sect? Are they courting death?!"
"If he were afraid of death, he wouldn't have killed him."
"To kill Tang Long, one's cultivation must be at least above the Four-Star Yuan Zong. Recently, no one above the Four-Star Yuan Zong has appeared in this area, unless they are from the Heavenly Cloud Manor."
"Those guys usually keep to themselves and rarely interact with us. Even if there's a significant conflict, they shouldn't be attacking us. Could it be someone else?"
"Hmph, whether it exists or not, let's go and see for ourselves. Once we get there, we'll naturally find out everything."