This Is Not the End, but the Beginning

Lin Yueheng four companions quickly broke through the Yu Tunzhou had indicated beforehand.

Along the way, they encountered a Human Race warrior. Although they could not identify him, Lin Yueheng drew his sword. Despite the warrior's best efforts to dodge, he was still pierced through by the sword.

After a scream, the Dharma Master Jiese had just arrived felt compassion and placed a palm on the man's crown, ending the benefactor's suffering and sending him to the Pure Land.

Afterwards, the group continued their journey without stopping, escorting Ao Xiyu forward. After traveling several miles, they were certain that they had completely escaped the encirclement.

With visibility already extremely low at night, and the blood rain further impairing the senses, this distance was enough to completely shake off the opponent.

At this point, Lin Yueheng prepared to turn back with Dharma Master Jiese to support Yu Tunzhou, leaving Nishang and Yuan Mengzhou to protect Ao Xiyu.

They quickly retraced their steps, but visibility was poor in the rainy night, and it was easy to get lost. When they returned to their original spot, they found that the place was deserted.

The Yu Tunzhou and the surrounding enemies had vanished without a trace.

For a moment, Lin Yueheng and the Dharma Master Jiese looked solemn.

Regardless of whether Yu Tunzhou is skilled in group battles, on this rainy night, every move he makes will inevitably consume his Qi and Blood, and consuming Qi and Blood is tantamount to a slow death.

They must find and support the Yu Tunzhou as soon as possible!

Lin Yueheng one knee, examined the footprints on the ground, and quickly confirmed the direction in which Yu Tunzhou had left.

"This way!"

Jiese is a silent process.

The two followed the clues, but halfway there, Jiese suddenly grabbed Lin Yueheng's shoulder, his gaze sharp as he looked ahead.

A figure dressed in a monk's robe was covered in blood.

He was barefoot, with his hands clasped together and his eyes lowered, like an ascetic monk Meditative Concentration in the rain.

The blood rain fell on his body and slid away on its own within three feet, as if it were blocked by an invisible barrier.

Jiese said in a deep voice, "Little Thunderclap Temple?"

The man slowly raised his eyes, his gaze falling on Jiese, and nodded slightly. "This humble monk Miedu, perhaps Brother Jiese from Shaolin Temple?"

Jiese his hands together and bowed, saying, "I wonder if Miedu Brother Miedu saw Benefactor Yu Tunzhou just now?"

"I just saw a benefactor being chased by more than ten people, but it was already late at night, so I don't know if it was the Yu Tunzhou you mentioned, senior brother."

"Please show me the way, junior brother," Jiese said earnestly.

"Senior brother, are you leaving?" Miedu smiled. "Meeting is fate, why is senior brother in such a hurry to leave? The night is long, and this blood rain is like a sea of suffering in the mortal world. Why don't we have a debate on the Dharma?"

Jiese's eyes were deep and unfathomable as he said in a low voice, "Miedu Brother Mie Du, are you going to stop me?"

"Senior brother, you flatter me." Miedu clasped his hands together. "Everything is predestined."

Suddenly, Lin Yueheng heard Jiese's voice transmission in his ear. "Benefactor Lin, I'll hold him off. From now on, you'll have to proceed alone."

Lin Yueheng voice, "Be careful!"

Having said that, he ran into the darkness, searching alone for the trail of Yu Tunzhou, but a bad thought arose in his mind.

Was the occurrence of Miedu a coincidence or something else?

Is it not just one side targeting them?

Bang!

Two figures crashed into the stone wall with a deafening roar, sending debris flying. Dust and blood mingled together, blurring the view but unable to conceal the intense, almost tangible, killing intent emanating from them.

"Yu Tunzhou, you won't escape tonight!"

Ao E rose from the smoke and dust, his voice deep and rumbling like thunder, carrying a kind of cruel pleasure.

The next moment, a hand emerged from the rubble, suddenly slammed onto Ao E's face, and pressed him hard against the rock wall beside him.

"Idiot! Laozi never intended to run away!"

Yu Tunzhou fiercely, and punched Ao E hard in the throat.

Ao E grunted, caught the attack with one hand and stabbed it into Yu Tunzhou's shoulder with the other, causing blood to splatter!

The dragon claw was deeply embedded in Yu Tunzhou's right shoulder, with its five knuckles sinking into his flesh.

Ignoring everything else, Yu Tunzhou unleashed another punch.

"Bang!"

With a dull and chilling sound, Ao E's head jerked back, the crisp sound of his nose breaking mingling with the sound of rain.

Ao E let out a low roar in excruciating pain, and with a sudden burst of strength, its dragon claws pushed towards Yu Tunzhou's shoulder again.

A sharp pain shot through him, but Yu Tunzhou did not let go, and his second punch slammed heavily into Ao E's face.

He was determined to deal with the most troublesome Ao E before the pursuing warriors arrived.

After a few punches, Ao E felt his vision go black and his head spin.

Just as Yu Tunzhou was pressing his advantage, a whooshing sound suddenly came from behind.

He snorted coldly and withdrew.

Several Demon Race warriors arrived to provide support and together forced Yu Tunzhou to retreat.

This situation has occurred more than once.

Fighting as they retreated, Ao E's speed surpassed his, making it difficult for him to break free, but his strength was inferior to his own. Whenever he gained some advantage after being entangled by Ao'e, he would be forced back by the combined forces of the warriors who arrived from behind.

The wound on Yu Tunzhou's shoulder had already clotted, and the power of the Eight-Nine Mysterious Art was on full display at this moment.

He glanced at the approaching martial artists.

Besides Ao E, there are three other people who are the most troublesome.

First, there's Jiang Fengyang from the Jiang Household.

The other two are both Demon Race.

These three were a level weaker than him and Ao E, but they didn't completely overwhelm him; they could all inflict considerable damage on him, especially Jiang Fengyang.

This man's swordsmanship is bold and unrestrained, progressing from simple to profound, suggesting he follows a military path. Coupled with the Black Saber in his hand, whose details are unknown, he poses a significant threat.

The constant fighting and running resulted in injuries not only to Ao E and his companions, but also to Yu Tunzhou.

However, the self-healing speed of the Eight-Nine Mysterious Art and the suppression of injuries by the golden light on his body surface allowed him to lose less Qi and Blood, maintaining a good condition.

At this moment, Yu Tunzhou glanced at the several martial artists who had come to provide support, then, without looking back, rushed into the rain of blood. However, his speed was not fast, as if he were luring the enemy deeper into the abyss.

He wanted to see just how far these people would dare to fight him in this bloodbath!

Tonight, whoever loses their courage will die!

"Keep chasing!" Ao E shoved aside his fellow clansmen who came to his aid, his expression filled with anger.

After several battles, he was seriously injured, with Root Bone broken. However, as Dragon Race, his self-healing ability was also quite strong.

In terms of physique, as a legitimate member of the Dragon Race, he is stronger than Kong Ling but weaker than Niu Tuntian; in terms of Divine Ability, he is stronger than Niu Tuntian but weaker than Kong Ling.

"We must keep him in this rainy night!"

Ao E let out a low growl and followed again.

Ao Chen, a member of the same clan, said in a low voice, "Ao E, this guy is troublesome. His physique is almost on par with Niu Tuntian, especially his self-healing speed. If this continues, we may not be able to do anything to him, and we might even be worn down to death!"

"Don't forget, we're still in the midst of bloodshed. Even if you and I can withstand it, others might not!"

Ao E's killing intent intensified. He said, "If we let Yu Tunzhou go tonight, and he finds other Human Race warriors to join forces with tomorrow, we will all be in danger."

Ao Chen transmitted his voice, "I agree with that. We absolutely cannot let this child continue to grow. But don't you think we've been the ones putting in the effort?"

Ao E fell silent.

"Don't let hatred cloud your judgment. You are our only hope in Dragon Gate. You must reach Dragon Gate very end!" Ao Chen said, enunciating each word clearly. "Now, it's time for the Great Yan Ji Clan to lend a hand!"

Ao E stared intently at the Yu Tunzhou ahead, and had to admit that they had greatly underestimated this human.

Yu Tunzhou has clearly cultivated a top-tier method for achieving physical sainthood, and his physique is as strong as Niu Tuntian's!

Moreover, this person's martial arts skills were extremely high, and after several exchanges, he was always the stronger one.

Seeing that Ao E did not object further, Ao Chen breathed a sigh of relief and said, "You just need to hold off Yu Tunzhou, I'll negotiate with the Human Race side."

After saying that, he slowed down and met up with Ji Zhaoxuan, who had caught up from behind.

Yu Tunzhou frowns and looks ahead.

The blood rain obscured his vision, and with the darkness of night, after several chases, he completely lost his bearings.

Soon, he stopped worrying about the route and focused on how to kill a few more enemies behind him.

This bunch of scum, with Ao E leading the way, is really a troublesome bunch.

If it's delayed until daytime, when vision is restored and there's no longer any concern about Qi and Blood, it will only cause more trouble.

He began to ponder whether he could turn around and launch a surprise attack the next time Ao E caught up, seizing the opportunity to take out one or two of them.

It's still too risky, but if things don't work out, this is the only thing we can try.

Yu Tunzhou a deep breath. This was the third time he had been hunted down by a group, once in the Coming Dragon River and once in the Western Desert Secret Realm.

We must fight back, otherwise he won't be satisfied!

Suddenly, a blade of light slashed from the side, disappearing silently into the night like ink.

Yu Tunzhou dodged at the last moment, the blade grazing his ribs and tearing his blue robe. He glanced over and saw that the one holding the knife was Jiang Fengyang.

This man was expressionless and silent as a stone, yet his knife was incredibly fast.

Jiang Fengyang suddenly said in a low voice, "If we were outside, the sword energy condensed from this strike would be enough to rip your guts open."

The Yu Tunzhou with a hoo-ho sound.

If we were outside, you wouldn't even be able to get close to me if I didn't want to; you'd have to get past the heavenly lightning first.

His gaze quickly swept over the Black Saber in Jiang Fengyang's hand.

This Black Saber is extremely sharp; it's not just a simple External Scenery weapon. Even though it's suppressed here, it's still far superior to the Cross-River Sword in Lin Yueheng's hands.

It was also the weapon that posed the greatest threat to him.

Even Ao E's dragon claws couldn't withstand this divine weapon!

With sword flashes like rain, Jiang Fengyang, having received Ji Zhaoxuan's order, no longer concealed his strength and attacked again, doing his utmost to restrain Yu Tunzhou.

Although he was not as physically strong as Yu Tunzhou, he managed to suppress Yu Tunzhou for a short period of time by relying on his Black Saber and swordsmanship.

It's true that an inch longer means an inch stronger!

Just as they were briefly entangled, Ao E and the others arrived. The first few Demon Race pounced on them at the same time, unleashing a barrage of fists, claws, and palms.

Attacks came from all directions simultaneously.

Yu Tunzhou snorted coldly, fully activating the Eight-Nine Mysterious Art. A thin layer of golden light emanated from the major acupoints around his body, forming a dim layer of light on his skin.

The golden light shattered after only a moment under the combined attack, but it bought Yu Tunzhou time to catch his breath.

His gaze was not on any of the people who were surrounding him.

Today will certainly not be the last time he finds himself in such a perilous situation of being surrounded and killed.

When faced with a perilous situation and with no way to retreat, the only option is to forge ahead.

His gaze was calm yet intense, settling on his fist, his clothes fluttering like a soaring roc.

He took a step forward, his fist thrusting forward with the force of an eagle swooping down or a roc spreading its wings—extremely domineering and ferocious!

This punch didn't even hit anyone; whoever was in front of the punch died!

Even without any Fist Intent techniques, their charm is still captivating!

A nearby Demon Race warrior felt a pang of unease, but he knew that even Ao E couldn't possibly injure him with a single punch, so he gritted his teeth and tried to stop him.

In an instant, the spot where Yu Tunzhou had been standing collapsed into a huge crater, and the man in the green robe, like Fuyao into the sky, broke through the formation with a single punch.

"I quit! I quit!"

The Demon Race warrior let out a shrill scream and roared angrily.

He felt his body crack like porcelain from the blow, not to mention his internal organs!

Yu Tunzhou took a blow to the back from Jiang Fengyang's blade, but he didn't care at all. His figure soared like a roc, breaking through the encirclement once again and rushing into the rain, laughing loudly:

"I'd like to see whether you drive my Yu Tunzhou out of this Eternal Dragon Gate tonight, or I drag you all to your deaths tonight!"

Ao E's face was extremely ugly. Despite being surrounded and attacked like this, Yu Tunzhou still managed to escape so easily!

Even if he were in that situation, he would never have been able to escape unscathed!

The failure of this encirclement caused Ao E and his group to pause briefly. Not only Ao E, but also the several Demon Race warriors beside him showed obvious hesitation.

But soon, everyone's expressions turned to shock and anger.

They deliberately lingered, perhaps hoping that Yu Tunzhou would disappear into the night and abandon the pursuit, thus giving Ao E a way out.

But at this moment, instead of seizing the opportunity to leave, the figure stopped and stood in the rain a dozen feet away. Despite his numerous injuries, his figure remained upright like a pine tree, coldly gazing at them.

"Arrogant!"

Ao E was furious, his golden vertical pupils almost spitting fire.

He strode after him, and the other martial artists, though hesitant, silently followed.

Now that things have come to this, there's no turning back, even if you wanted to.

Ji Zhaoxuan, who arrived later, also had a gloomy expression.

Yu Tunzhou's strength far exceeded his expectations.

He was able to hold his own against Ao E and so many other powerful figures for so long using only his physical body, and even managed to kill several of them and escape unscathed.

How is that possible?

Could it be that after risking exposing his secret alliance with the Demon Race race, he couldn't even manage to drive Yu Tunzhou out of the second level?

For a moment, Ji Zhaoxuan even considered using the imperial edict, but he forcibly suppressed it.

One order has already been wasted; even if we are forced to exit this level, we absolutely cannot waste a second one!

Amidst the rain of blood, the number of figures chasing after the Yu Tunzhou finally began to decrease.

With each battle and each escape, everyone's Qi and Blood and strength were rapidly depleted.

They must preserve enough Qi and Blood to survive this bloodbath and get through this ordeal.

Therefore, some people have already begun to slow down and withdraw from this siege.

Their pursuit and the commotion they created along the way alerted many people.

There were Human Race from the Central Plains and Demon Race from overseas, but they mostly chose to stand by and watch, and no one was willing to make a move in this bloody rain.

Yu Tunzhou and retreated, constantly keeping an eye on the movements of Ao E and the others behind him.

As of now, only six people remain who are hunting him down.

This excludes Tantai Mingyu and the others who stayed at the very back without making a move.

Unsure of what Ji Zhaoxuan was up to, Yu Tunzhou remained wary.

The battle has progressed to this point, but because of the constant fighting and retreating, the intensity of this battle is not as great as his all-out battle with Niu Tuntian, where both sides have exhausted every last bit of strength.

With the recovery of the Eight-Nine Mysterious Art, he is currently maintaining more than half of his original condition.

He's currently enduring this.

He wanted to see which of these guys could outlast him, who had cultivated the Eight-Nine Mysterious Art!

Once their Qi and Blood is exhausted and their numbers are reduced, it will be time for us to turn the tables and hunt them down!

Suddenly, Yu Tunzhou stopped in his tracks, realizing that there had been no movement behind him.

Aren't you going to pursue it anymore?

Is it something you can simply stop pursuing just because you don't want to?

There's no way it's that cheap!

He sneered, turned around, and chased after Ao E and the others.

Not far away, several martial artists who had been watching and following the battle began to stir with anticipation.

In their view, anyone who could withstand the blood rain and chase after someone so far must either have a deep-seated grudge or possess a great treasure.

In the days that have passed, the surviving martial artists from all sides have gained something in the secret realm, and know that there are many fortuitous opportunity here.

Even without the fortuitous opportunity, one can use this chance to eliminate other competitors in advance, thereby indirectly moving up one's ranking in this stage.

For a moment, every figure in the darkness harbored their own secrets.

The chase in the rainy night not only did not end, but instead intensified and expanded.

Suddenly, screams and shouts of "Get out!" came from behind.

Ao E and the others suddenly stopped in their tracks.

They recognized the voice all too well; it belonged to their companion who, not long ago, had been forced to abandon the pursuit due to the immense depletion of his Qi and Blood and stayed behind to defend against the rain of blood.

Ao E suddenly looked around. The blood rain blurred his vision, but it couldn't hide the faint murderous intent that lurked in the air, like a wild beast lurking in the night, watching its wounded prey.

A chill ran through him, and he instantly snapped back to reality.

This chase cannot continue under any circumstances.

Unbeknownst to them, they had found themselves in a perilous situation similar to that of the Yu Tunzhou!