“Alright!” Chen Ping said, “Hurry and prepare, I’ll hold them off!”
Holding the Dragon-Slaying Sword, Chen Ping charged towards the Black Demon Bear, while keeping an eye on the black-robed figures behind him.
He knew he had to buy enough time for Hu Mazi.
Seeing Chen Ping dare to attack, the Black Demon Bear grew even more enraged, roaring as it swung its massive paw towards him.
Chen Ping dodged nimbly, constantly harassing the bear with sword energy to keep its attention.
The black-robed figures caught up, a trace of wariness flashing in their eyes at the sight of the Black Demon Bear, but they joined the fight without hesitation, attacking Chen Ping.
In an instant, Chen Ping was caught in a pincer attack, fending off the bear’s ferocious strikes while guarding against the black-robed figures’ sneak attacks, his situation extremely perilous.
Yet he remained calm, relying on his exquisite swordsmanship and agile movements to manoeuvre between the bear and the black-robed figures, preventing them from getting close to Hu Mazi.
Hu Mazi seized the moment, frantically drawing a talisman.
He focused entirely, pouring all his spiritual energy into the talisman, sweat beading on his forehead.
As time passed, Chen Ping’s spiritual energy dwindled, and he began to struggle.
The Black Demon Bear’s attacks grew more savage, and the black-robed figures’ coordination became more seamless. Several wounds appeared on Chen Ping’s body, not severe but enough to hinder his movements.
“Is it ready yet?”
Chen Ping shouted, narrowly dodging a swipe from the bear while thrusting his sword to force back a black-robed figure.
“Almost!”
Hu Mazi replied, the talisman in his hand taking shape, emitting a faint fragrance.
Finally, Hu Mazi completed the last stroke. The talisman burst into dazzling light, a fresh scent spreading through the air.
“It’s done!”
Hu Mazi shouted, hurling the talisman deep into the forest.
The talisman transformed into a streak of green light, flying into the forest depths, the fresh scent trailing behind.
The Black Demon Bear, catching the fragrance, paused, the red in its eyes fading slightly, as if drawn to the scent.
After a moment’s hesitation, it abandoned its attack on Chen Ping and lumbered after the talisman.
“Perfect!”
Chen Ping breathed a sigh of relief, finally free of the Black Demon Bear.
But he didn’t let his guard down, as the black-robed figures were still in close pursuit.
“Let’s go!”
Chen Ping grabbed Hu Mazi, and they fled deeper into the forest.
The black-robed figures watched the bear’s retreating form, then glanced at the escaping Chen Ping and Hu Mazi, a flicker of hesitation in their eyes.
Ultimately, the lead figure decided to continue the chase: “After them! We can’t let them escape!”
The three pursued again, though their speed was noticeably slower, clearly wary of the Black Demon Bear’s whereabouts.
Chen Ping and Hu Mazi took advantage of this, quickly widening the gap and vanishing into the forest depths.
They fled for an unknown time until they could no longer sense their pursuers. Finally, they stopped by a secluded ravine.
Collapsing to the ground, they gasped for breath, their bodies drenched in sweat, wounds stinging under the cold water’s touch.
“We finally… lost them.”
Hu Mazi gulped down some ravine water, the icy spring reviving his spirits. “Those Black Demon Palace people are relentless.”
Chen Ping leaned against a rock, circulating spiritual energy to restore his depleted qi, frowning at the words: “Since they dared to chase us, it means Youyue has completely dropped all pretence.
Our situation will be even more dangerous now. We need to watch out not only for the Black Demon Palace and Black Wind Stronghold but also for other forces involved in the clan extermination back then.”
