Chapter 112: Despair

Since Lu Han obtained the mysterious Cold Pearl from the bottom of the Abyssal Forest Cliff, it had resided quietly in the Mud Pellet Palace at the center of his brow, showing no sign of activity. The last time he was unconscious, Old Master Ling mentioned that the Cold Pearl was healing his wounds, though Lu Han himself was unaware. Now, it seemed the pearl truly was aiding his recovery, lending him assistance at this critical moment.

Though the Cold Pearl emitted a unique icy energy that continuously mended Lu Han’s injuries, he dared not reveal any sign of it—not even the slightest hint. If Tan Jun were to discover this, it would spell utter ruin for him. Fortunately, at this moment, Tan Jun, seeing Lu Han wounded, did not interrupt his opponent.

Tan Jun felt an overwhelming sense of triumph. Among the four persons in the cave, that strange man was unconscious, and having been struck by the Flying Snake Sect’s unique serpent-shaped darts, he would not awaken anytime soon. Both Lu Han and Princess Qingcheng were gravely injured. Now, Tan Jun held absolute authority within the cave. A joyful smile spread across his face, untouched by any sorrow over the deaths of the four disciples of the Flying Snake Sect.

As for those four disciples who had perished, their deaths were somewhat unjust. Upon hearing the commotion caused by the Evil Wind Beast, their courage faltered completely. Despite being at the second level of innate cultivation, if they had fought desperately, they would not have been killed outright at first encounter. They had no fighting spirit left, their only thought to flee, which led to their tragic end.

Yet this mattered little to Tan Jun. Four innate-level disciples were but a handful among the hundreds, even thousands, of such disciples in the Flying Snake Sect. For Tan Jun, as long as he remained unharmed, all else was negotiable.

Tan Jun slowly approached Princess Qingcheng, crouching before her with a sinister smile. "How does it feel? Even Heaven favors me now. It seems Shen Tai does not have the fortune to possess a beauty like you. Ha ha..."

Princess Qingcheng said nothing, only shooting Tan Jun a sharp glare.

Indeed, Princess Qingcheng possessed an unparalleled beauty; even a mere glare carried a captivating charm.

"Glare at me? No matter. Soon, you will be mine," Tan Jun said, a trace of lust gleaming in his eyes.

Feeling the scorching gaze, Princess Qingcheng understood his intentions clearly.

"Even in death, I will not let him succeed," she resolved.

Just as she prepared to bite her tongue to end her life—

Tan Jun’s swift hand clamped over her mouth, preventing her jaws from closing.

"Suicide by biting your tongue? This has happened countless times in the Flying Snake Sect, and none have succeeded. You will be no exception," he whispered into her ear.

A single tear traced down Princess Qingcheng’s cheek; now she could not even take her own life.

"Could it be that I am truly to be violated by this beast?" she thought in despair.

"Hiss!"

At that moment, Tan Jun tore at her luxurious purple outer robe with force, ripping open the sleeve.

"Ugh!"

Princess Qingcheng struggled desperately, but her injuries left her barely able to support herself.

"Hahaha..."

Nearby, Lu Han’s injuries had begun to recover slightly.

Seeing the tear and the tearful despair in Princess Qingcheng’s eyes, Lu Han took a deep breath.

This was Tan Jun’s moment of greatest arrogance; Lu Han knew he had only one chance.

He pushed the “Heavenly Frost Cold Energy” to its extreme. He had to remain calm—any slight misstep would ruin everything and lose his final chance.

“Rip!”

Princess Qingcheng’s sleeve was torn further.

“Now!”

Lu Han leapt to his feet.

The Azurefall Sword appeared in his hand, instantly enveloped by a white frost energy.

A clear, sharp sword hum pierced the air.

Tan Jun was shocked. He had thought Lu Han too badly injured to even stand, let alone wield a sword. Yet Lu Han had struck a sword thrust with power threatening enough to alarm him.

Tan Jun was no ordinary man; he rolled aside just in time.

“Tsk!”

Lu Han cursed inwardly. His sword had been aimed at Tan Jun’s head but was narrowly dodged.

Tan Jun rose slowly, wiping a slight wound from his cheek, his heart pounding in relief. Had he reacted even a moment slower, that small sword cut would have been the least of his troubles; his head might have been pierced.

“This rustic fool may only be at the ninth level of postnatal cultivation, but that sword just now had the power of an innate-level strike. And despite being gravely wounded by the Evil Wind Beast, he still managed such a fearsome blow. If not for my luck, I’d be dead,” Tan Jun thought, cold sweat dripping down his back.

“You brat! I planned to give you a free show before I killed you. But since you’re so ungrateful, I’ll send you on your way now,” Tan Jun snarled.

With that, he charged at Lu Han, delivering a flying kick.

Lu Han had already expended all his strength in his sword strike and could not move an inch, forced to watch helplessly as the kick came.

“Bang!”

Lu Han fell beside Princess Qingcheng.

The Azurefall Sword clattered to the ground beside them, ringing sharply.

“I’m sorry for dragging you down,” Princess Qingcheng said softly.

Lu Han shook his head; words were useless now.

Though the mysterious Cold Pearl continued to mend his wounds, it was no miraculous elixir—recovery was slow, especially with his condition worsening.

“Tsk tsk, quite the pair of lovebirds clinging to life. Shen Tai, oh Shen Tai, your princess hasn’t even married yet and already you’ve lost her virtue. As your rival, I’ll teach this boy a lesson,” Tan Jun said, his voice chilling.

Had it not been for the Evil Wind Beast’s awakening that interrupted earlier events, the outcome would have been quite different.

“Bang!”

Tan Jun struck Lu Han again with a palm. Instantly, Lu Han’s face flushed, and he could no longer hold back, spewing a mouthful of fresh blood.

“Pfft!”

The blood stained Princess Qingcheng’s purple palace gown.

“Stop!” she cried urgently.

“Stop? At this moment, what right do you have to demand that? Ridiculous!” Tan Jun sneered.

“Yes, she and Lu Han are merely prisoners now. What right do they have? Lu Han, Murong Qingcheng has wronged you in this life. Perhaps in the next, she can repay you,” Princess Qingcheng closed her eyes, seemingly resigned to her fate.

“You brat, now you can die!” Tan Jun declared.

A black-purple glow flickered in his hand—that was the sign he was about to use the “Ten Thousand Serpents Binding Technique.”

A purplish-black light serpent, about a foot long, appeared before him. Though smaller, it resembled the serpent shadows that had loomed behind him earlier.

Tan Jun quickly formed hand seals, then thrust his palm forward.

The purple-black serpent darted straight toward the prone Lu Han.

“Is this my end? Truly to fall here, never to see the wondrous world my master spoke of? No, there’s still a way!” Lu Han thought urgently.

His fingers curled slightly as a pale gray-white energy orb, about a foot in diameter, materialized in his hand, inside which a bird-shaped light shadow circled.

Old Master Ling had told Lu Han that the “Ten Absolute Nether Crow Finger” was a soul martial art. Though his inner strength was exhausted, he could still use the technique.

The serpent shadow collided with the Nether Crow’s luminous form.

“Ah!”

A scream echoed, though whose it was, no one knew.