The Science of Cultivation [Xianxia]

Chapter 161: Stalking the Cicada While Aware of the Oriole

“Please tell me what you consider help can be done from range?” Yun Ming finally asked, upon thinking through the proposal from the Energy Gatherer he had saved. His claim of being able to assist him against someone in the middle stages of Foundation Establishment was perplexing, but he could not spot any traces of deceit in his words. He could see that the young man truly believed in what he said.

“Yes, that’s what I intend to do,” Li Lang replied. “Don’t worry, I’m not suicidal. I am fully aware of how dumb it would be for me to get close. I just need my space ring back first, though.”

“Hmm, do you know which ring it is? I saw him wearing two.”

“It should be the one on his middle finger.”

The two quickly settled on a course of action and moved to carry it out. The cicada they were riding quickly dipped down to the treeline. As they suspected, their pursuers followed hot on their tail.

Their altitude went lower and lower until, finally, the canopy of the trees stretched above them. Their speed barely slowed down, and the roars of various beasts could be heard off in the distance upon detecting these new intruders.

The rustling of leaves was the only thing that could be heard as they continued zipping through the forest. Their persistence in staying at such a low altitude made their pursuers frown. He sucked in a deep breath and channeled a Qi art to project his voice across the distance.

“You two! You should know that these little tricks you’re coming up with won’t save you. The mantis stalks the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind, right? Do you really want to continue with your plan if I already know about them?”

No answer came as the giant cicada continued its flight. He couldn’t even catch sight of anyone on its back, which caused him to momentarily suspect they may have gotten off with the use of a concealment talisman or something similar.

While the boy he was chasing wasn’t his target, he preferred to eliminate those who had witnessed his attacks. He was fully confident in his ability to chase down his prey, even with the new Foundation Establishment cultivator added to the mix. The only problem was the time limit. Polarity City was near, and while he had items to counter their use of stealth implements, they were too costly to be used lightly.

Just as he was weighing the benefits of employing his trump cards, he sensed movement to his side. He turned just in time to see a badger-like Qi beast lunge out at him from some tree branch.

If he hadn’t noticed the Qi beast, he might have been in trouble, but now that he did, he simply waved his sword and a wall of stone blocked its path. After dealing with the badger, he made sure to keep his guard up against any follow-up sneak attacks too, which further added to the delay.

The momentary lapse in the chase caused the distance between him and his prey to grow.

“These stupid brats!” he spat out aggressively.

He then retrieved some red Qi crystals and shoved them into a compartment just under his seat. His pale purple Skyrunner almost shone in response before it suddenly sped up.

The distance once again shortened with each passing second at his newfound speed. That was until he was jumped by yet another Qi beast. This time, it was a colossal alligator that leaped at him from below. Its jaw was wide enough to easily fit his entire Skyrunner into it.

Having been on guard against these attacks by now, the man driving the purple Skyrunner immediately sent out a palm strike at the incoming foe. Nothing came out of his hand, but instead, the earth around the alligator started moving. It twisted together, twining around the Qi beast’s tail before it hardened into stone. It completely killed the momentum of the jump, pulling the large beast back down on the ground.

Distracted once more, the pursuer cursed out and forced even more red crystals into his Skyrunner. He had already gone well past the recommended consumption amount. While it was a viable way to force more power into his vehicle, there was a limit. There were real risks of his entire vehicle exploding right now if it failed to contain all the energy.

However, he didn’t care. He continued to abuse his vehicle, allowing him to catch up once again. This time, no Qi beast came to interrupt as he got closer and closer.

He could see his targets start to panic now, seeing them veering left and right, trying to use trickery to gain some distance. They even circled around a large tree back the way they came. In fact, they were heading straight back at the alligator.

With the surprise factor completely out of the window, the attacker was fully prepared to swat away the Qi beast. He channeled energy into his sword, preparing to maim the beast who dared to attack him. Before the alligator could even jump, a large spike erupted from the ground, impaling the beast and causing it to let out an agonizing wail.

Still, a Qi beast wasn’t so easy to deal with. It managed to spin around, breaking off the entire pillar of stone while it still impaled it. The man in the purple Skyrunner shook his head at the resilient beast before beginning to channel yet another move.

The moment he started it, he sensed multiple objects rapidly heading for him from all directions! He had been on the lookout for this type of sneak attack the entire time, so he instantly noticed.

Dozens and dozens of blades flew toward him, but even then, he knew he couldn’t dodge in time. He canceled his move so he could employ another one to counter the incoming attack. His skin began to turn brown, and a layer of earth started coating his entire body.

With his new defense deployed, the blades that made contact with his skin all shattered upon impact. However, the attacks didn’t stop there. A figure once again leaped out from the trees, closing the distance while he was preoccupied with his defensive Qi art.

He barely made it in time to intercept Yun Ming’s downward swing with his own sword.

“Is that all you got? You may be pretty strong among those in the early stages of Foundation Establishment, but you’re powerless against me! You better use everything you have soon because that alligator behind you may turn on you at any moment. These childish distractions won’t do you any good.”

Instead of replying, Yun Ming simply smiled.

It caused the man to knit his brows as he sensed something strange. It took him a second to realize what that strange sensation was as he watched Yun Ming retreat into the distance.

The attack he blocked just now had been too weak. He could see that Yun Ming had only held onto his sword with one hand. That was because, in his other hand, Yun Ming was currently holding onto a shiny object.

The assailant quickly checked his own hand to find one of the rings missing. He stared at his hand for a full second before he erupted into hysterical laughter.

“Haha haha, truly amusing. The ants I was hunting had the gall to take from me during the hunt. You sure are something else! I do have to compliment you for coming up with futile ways to resist until the end. It worked even though I knew it was coming, but I’ll have you know that it was the last clever trick you’ll ever be able to pull. Getting so close to me by your own initiative will be your last mistake!”

Ignoring his words, Yun Ming continued to dash back to his mount. The cicada was also headed for him, but before they could reunite, a large wall suddenly extended out from the ground. It separated Yun Ming from his mount.

Li Lang, who was still on the cicada, could only stare with wide eyes at the wall. It was so wide and tall that Yun Ming could only try to break through it, or else he would have to kill his momentum.

A loud crashing noise resounded as he impacted the thick walls. A crack appeared before some small pieces of debris scattered on both sides of the wall, revealing a small hole. However, it wasn’t large enough for Yun Ming to fit through.

“Shit! Take it, Li Lang! Things are going to have to go faster than we thought!”

Something shiny came sailing through the hole, straight toward the giant cicada. As if able to read its master’s intentions, the cicada positioned itself so Li Lang could catch the item.

The moment he caught it, the intense sound of fighting could be heard from the other side of the wall. He spotted Yun Ming’s figure trying to fly over the walls, only for it to extend upward, closing off the path. It was apparent their assailant didn’t plan to let him go.

Taking a quick survey of his surroundings, Li Lang only spotted the colossal alligator in the distance, but it was just standing there.

Shit, we’ll have to adjust the plan on the fly.

The original plan was to retrieve the space ring before performing their hit-and-run tactic again. They would flee until another Qi beast kept their attacker occupied, so the two of them could then launch another ambush.

With Yun Ming locked into a fight now, they had to make do with what they had.

Li Lang stared down at his space ring and began retrieving his belongings. It was time for him to get involved. He didn’t know exactly how useful he would be, but every bit helped. He just had to tip the scale in their favor.