txolops Chapter 328 Reencounter with Jin Qing
Chapter 328 Reencounter with Jin Qing
"Not good!" Alarm bells rang in his mind. He didn't have time to recall the black wind ring that had flown dozens of feet away. His right hand reached into his pocket like lightning, trying to pull out the escape talisman that would save his life.
However, it was still too late!
Above the previously empty sea beside him, the air rippled gently like water, and a gray shadow appeared without warning! It was Jiang Rufeng!
Jiang Rufeng appeared with unimaginable speed, as if he had been standing there all along. His face was expressionless, his eyes icy cold. The moment he appeared, he moved! With a simple flicker, like a ghost, he instantly covered three zhang (approximately 10 meters) and closed in on the horse-faced old man!
"To be able to sense my approaching slight fluctuations, your spiritual sense is comparable to the late stage of Core Formation. It's just a bit of a pity," Jiang Rufeng murmured, but his hands did not slow down at all.
The black light on his arms suddenly surged, especially his right hand, which turned as black as ink, with sharp nails that exuded a chilling sharpness and murderous aura, like a poisoned dagger that swiftly pierced the old man's chest, abdomen, and dantian!
"You...!" The horse-faced old man only saw a gray shadow flash before his eyes, and a pair of black hands exuding the aura of death were already upon his body! He stared wide-eyed in horror, only managing to let out a short scream before his protective aura was easily torn apart like paper.
"Pfft!"
The old man with the horse-like face suddenly stiffened, his eyes quickly dimmed, and his face remained filled with disbelief, terror, and despair as his body slumped softly towards the sea below.
All of this happened too fast. From the moment Jiang Rufeng appeared to the moment he killed the horse-faced old man and took the golden pill, it was only a matter of two or three breaths!
The speed was so fast that both the white-faced demonic cultivator who was besieging Jin Qing and Jin Qing, who had narrowly escaped death, were stunned and couldn't process what was happening for a moment.
Jiang Rufeng didn't even glance at the fallen corpse. He casually took the storage bag from the old man's waist, and his cold gaze locked onto the terrified white-faced demonic cultivator.
The pale-faced demonic cultivator was utterly terrified! His companion had been instantly killed by this suddenly appearing fiend, so where was his will to fight? With a strange cry, he abandoned all thoughts of attacking Jin Qing and desperately urged the flying fork beneath his feet to flee for his life into the distance.
However, the demonic cultivator, who had expended considerable energy and was on guard, only managed to hold out for less than ten breaths before being defeated and killed by Jiang Rufeng's ghostly movements and the fierce attacks of the Golden Azure Flying Sword.
The white-faced demonic cultivator's defenses were finally breached. Jiang Rufeng shattered his skull with a black palm strike, and then Jin Qing's flying sword pierced his chest, killing him instantly and following in his companion's footsteps.
Jiang Rufeng skillfully put away the man's storage bag and the few green flying forks. Without even glancing at the falling corpse, he swayed and retreated several feet, hovering quietly in mid-air. His gaze, however, was fixed on the distant sky behind Jin Qing, as if waiting for something.
The sea was silent for a moment, with only a faint smell of blood drifting in the wind. The two corpses slowly sank, staining a small patch of seawater red.
Jin Qing, panting heavily, withdrew his golden flying sword, whose light had dimmed considerably again. His face still bore the pallor and bewilderment of someone who had survived a calamity.
He looked at the gray-robed young cultivator not far away, whose aura was cold, whose methods were ruthless, who had saved him but was clearly a demonic cultivator, and his heart was filled with vigilance and doubt.
This person's cultivation level was similar to his, but his strength was terrifying, especially his movement technique, which was simply unbelievable. He asked himself, even in his prime, the outcome of a fight against this person would be fifty-fifty, and in his current state, he had absolutely no chance of winning.
"Who is this person? Why is he helping me? Judging from his actions just now, he seems more like a demonic cultivator than those two Reverse Star Alliance cultivators... Could it be that he wants to capture me and claim credit from the Reverse Star Alliance? Or does he have some other motive?"
Jin Qing's mind raced. He secretly gathered his last bit of magical power, looked at Jiang Rufeng warily, and forced a bow, preparing to express his gratitude first and probe the other party's intentions: "Fellow Daoist, I am Jin Qing from the Star Palace. Thank you for saving me just now. May I ask your esteemed name..."
Before he could finish speaking, a clear, familiar voice suddenly rang out calmly from not far behind him:
"Brother Jin, it's been a long time."
Upon hearing the voice, Jin Qing was first taken aback, then suddenly turned his head, his eyes wide, and looked at the two people who had appeared twenty feet behind him at some point.
The leader, dressed in a simple black robe, with a young and handsome face and a familiar, slightly playful smile on his lips, stood with his hands behind his back, calmly looking at him. Who else could it be but Luo Ming?!
"Brother Luo... Brother Luo! Is it really you?" Jin Qing's voice changed due to extreme shock and excitement. He blinked hard, wondering if he was hallucinating because of his severe injuries and depleted magic power.
The person before me had the same appearance, expression, and even the slight upturn of his lips as I remembered. But... the aura around him was completely different from when we parted years ago!
Back then, Luo Ming's cultivation was solid, but at most on par with his own. Yet now, Luo Ming was simply standing there casually, without even deliberately activating his magic power, yet he exuded a sense of unfathomable depth!
"It's been decades... Brother Luo, your cultivation..." Jin Qing's throat went dry, the rest of the words stuck in his throat, and he couldn't find the words to ask. This speed of progress was simply too astonishing! Could it be that he had obtained some heaven-defying opportunity in these past few decades?
However, what shocked him even more, leaving him almost speechless, was yet to come.
Just as Jin Qing was dumbfounded and his mind was shaken, he saw that the gray-robed middle-aged cultivator who had just been powerful, ruthless, and had instantly killed a demonic cultivator of the same level, making him deeply wary, instantly lost all his cold and indifferent expression when he saw Luo Ming appear.
He moved swiftly, appearing beside Luo Ming. Then, under Jin Qing's incredulous gaze, he bowed deeply and respectfully to Luo Ming, clearly stating:
"Master, the two traitors from the Reverse Star Alliance have been eliminated."
Master...Master?
Jin Qing stood there, speechless for a moment, feeling that the scene before him was even more shocking than when he had just been pulled back from the brink of death.
Seeing Jin Qing's shocked expression, as if he had seen a ghost, Luo Ming's smile deepened. He didn't explain further, but simply nodded to him and said, "Brother Jin, this place is not safe to stay in for long. Let's leave first."
"Ah? Oh... okay, okay!" Jin Qing finally snapped out of her shock and quickly replied, suppressing her doubts and turmoil, and followed Luo Ming toward the uniquely shaped, spiritually aura-filled blue shuttle.
He could sense that this flying shuttle was no ordinary magical artifact; the spiritual pressure it emitted and the faint spatial fluctuations both indicated its extraordinary nature.
The group boarded the Wind-Escape Shuttle. Jiang Rufeng took the initiative to control the flying boat, while Yuan Yao nodded slightly to Jin Qing and then quietly sat down a little behind Luo Ming.
The Wind-Escape Shuttle shone brightly with azure light, instantly transforming into a blurry stream of light that streaked through the air. Its speed was so great that Jin Qing, who had just regained his footing, stumbled again. He quickly steadied himself, and his face showed surprise once more—this speed was something he had only experienced when his Jin family elders carried him through the air!
A moment of silence fell over the flying shuttle. Jin Qing looked at his old friend, whose demeanor had changed drastically, then glanced at the stunningly beautiful and aloof female cultivator in purple beside him, and the unfathomable servant controlling the shuttle. He felt a thousand words stuck in his chest, unsure of where to begin.
Luo Ming spoke first, asking in a gentle tone, "Brother Jin, what happened just now? How did you end up here alone, ambushed by the Reverse Star Alliance? Judging from your appearance, your injuries are quite serious."
Upon hearing this, Jin Qing's face immediately showed resentment and lingering fear. He sighed deeply and began to recount, "Alas, don't even mention it! The situation in the Chaotic Star Sea is now completely chaotic!"
He paused, gathered his thoughts, and continued, "Those bastards from the Reverse Star Alliance have somehow amassed such a massive force, launching a sudden and incredibly fierce attack! The Star Palace's strongholds on several islands in the outer sea have fallen one after another, suffering heavy losses! Now the flames of war have reached the Inner Star Sea! Many inner star islands have also been attacked, and some have already been breached!"
Jin Qing's face turned grim: "I was ordered to support a nearby inner island called 'Azure Wave Island,' which had just fallen. My fellow Daoists who traveled with me have all been lost or perished. I fought my way out of the encirclement and escaped here, but these two still managed to catch up with me and chase me all the way here..."
As he said this, he glanced at Jiang Rufeng, who was meditating with his eyes closed, and said with a wry smile, "If it weren't for this... this fellow Daoist's help, I, Jin, would probably have perished in this sea today."
Luo Ming listened quietly, his eyes narrowing slightly. The Reverse Star Alliance was moving faster and launching a fiercer offensive than he had anticipated. Even Inner Star Island had begun to fall; it seemed the situation in Tianxing City was far more serious than he had expected.
"The situation has deteriorated to this extent..." Luo Ming murmured.
"Yes!" Jin Qing sighed heavily, then his gaze shifted to Yuan Yao, who was sitting quietly next to Luo Ming.
Yuan Yao's stunning beauty and her unique aura, aloof yet alluring, made her unforgettable.
A hint of amazement flashed in Jin Qing's eyes, then a knowing smile—a smile tinged with teasing and envy—appeared on her face. She winked at Luo Ming and said with a smile:
"However, speaking of which, Brother Luo, your return from this 'journey' is not just marked by a significant improvement in your cultivation, leaving others far behind! You've also gained such a celestial, charming, and beautiful Daoist companion! Tsk tsk, truly enviable! Brother Luo, you are so blessed, haha!"
His joke immediately eased the somewhat tense atmosphere.
However, Yuan Yao, who was sitting next to Luo Ming, had already tacitly accepted her relationship with Luo Ming, but she was still caught off guard by Luo Ming's old friend teasing her like this.
The usually carefree Yuan Yao suddenly felt a rush of heat from her neck to her cheeks, and her ears instantly became burning hot.
Knowing Jin Qing's forthright personality, Luo Ming coughed dryly and waved his hand in response to his teasing, saying irritably, "Brother Jin, don't talk nonsense. Miss Yuan Yao and I are just fellow Daoists."
He spoke calmly, but the protective tone in his voice, and Yuan Yao's undisguised intimacy and shyness, were all perfectly clear to Jin Qing, this "old hand".
Jin Qing's smile widened, and he nodded repeatedly, "Understood, understood! Fellow Daoist, fellow Daoist! Hahaha!"
He laughed heartily, but inwardly he was astonished. This Brother Luo, who had been missing for decades, not only reappeared with unfathomable strength, but also with powerful servants and a stunningly beautiful Daoist partner by his side... His fortunes were truly extraordinary, leaving one in awe.
Two days passed in the blink of an eye as the Wind-Escape Shuttle sped along.
When the outline of the enormous island, resembling an ancient behemoth crouching and shrouded in a faint aura of spiritual energy, finally appeared clearly on the horizon, the group inside all breathed a sigh of relief.
Jiang Rufeng, who had been tense as he piloted the shuttle, let out a long breath, his face revealing his urgency and worry. His gaze was fixed on the direction of the island, wishing he could fly into the city in the next instant.
Luo Ming glanced at him, naturally understanding what he was thinking—his daughter, Jiang Ruyin, was critically ill and could not be delayed. He had already made up his mind that after entering the city, the first thing to do was to help Jiang Rufeng get his daughter out, and then immediately activate the teleportation array leading to the outer sea, without lingering for a moment longer.
Luo Ming turned his gaze to the central area of Tianxing City, where the large teleportation array was located. He pondered to himself:
"The speed of my Wind-Traveling Shuttle is far superior to Han Li's blood-red cloak, which consumes mana. I arrived at least ten days earlier than him, so the teleportation array leading to the outer sea should still be operational."