Cultivators Are So Weak in This World-Chapter 289 - 265. Curtain of Darkness, Part 1

"What was that sound? I think I heard someone shouting?"

Zhang Rongfang tilted his head to look into the distance, but there was no light visible in the dark forest there.

Only faint voices drifted over.

"Robbers?" Nuban hesitated.

"Perhaps." Zhang Rongfang stood up, intending to take a look.

"By the way, were there many robbers around here before?" he asked.

"The intelligence reports don’t indicate many. In fact, there are even very few people, but... perhaps we just happened to run into some?" Nuban replied. "Do you intend to check it out, sir?"

"Well, we’re idle anyway." Zhang Rongfang nodded.

"Currently, our priority is finding the treasure herb, and you’re alone, sir; better not stir up unnecessary trouble." Nuban advised.

With just the two of them present, even if the master had exceptional martial skills, in case of any trouble, two fists could not match four hands. In the wilderness, anything could happen in a real fight.

Therefore, for safety’s sake, he didn’t want Zhang Rongfang to meddle.

Zhang Rongfang saw his point.

"Alright then, let’s find the herb first and discuss later." He sat down again.

"Such is this world, oftentimes you needn’t mind, Sir. The ones plundering others aren’t necessarily bad people. And those being plundered aren’t necessarily good people." Nuban appeared deeply moved.

"True. Words alone are about who can articulate better, who can be more persuasive.

There are even some people who can turn black into white." Zhang Rongfang nodded, taking a massive bite of the mutton leg.

"Speaking of which, we’ve set off fireworks, why is there no response nearby?" He asked, puzzled.

"They might not have seen it. I’ll set another off shortly, spacing them out a bit more." Nuban smiled, unconcerned.

"Originally planned to do it later, but since you’re eager, sir, I’ll try again." He took out another piece of fireworks, lit it with the campfire, and aimed it at the sky.

Swoosh.

The firework soared into the sky, exploding into a cross shape.

The bright yellow light illuminated the surrounding mountains and forests for an instant, like lightning.

The two quietly waited for a while.

But there was still no response around.

Zhang Rongfang frowned slightly, looking at Nuban.

"Are you sure the Celestial Extreme Cave is around here?"

"I’m sure!" At this point, Nuban also felt something was amiss.

He stood up, scanning the surrounding night sky.

But aside from the chirping insects, there was no other sound.

"If the location is confirmed correct...." Zhang Rongfang’s expression turned calm, "then perhaps something has happened."

"Sir...." Nuban wanted to say something more.

"Never mind, you stay here, I’ll check the surroundings; didn’t we hear voices just now? I’ll catch someone to ask." Zhang Rongfang stretched his neck.

"In such wilderness, perhaps we can find some locals to inquire about the situation..."

With a swish.

Without waiting for Nuban to respond, he swiftly retreated, vanishing into the night in the blink of an eye.

*

*

*

In the dark forest.

An indescribable sense of suffocation surged in Ding Luo’s heart, making him feel as if he would vomit blood from the anguish.

That Black Tiger, and the ghost-face figure behind it....

Why....he just wanted to be a good person...

He ran furiously, madly charging towards the denser forest ahead.

Initially, it was the senior sister pulling him along, but now it was he who was pulling the senior sister along in a mad dash.

Survive!

No matter what, he must survive.

Then, he would seek revenge on that person!!

Pain, hatred, and anger mixed together surged within his heart.

"Little brat, running pretty fast, aren’t you?"

Suddenly, a gray shadow lightly landed in front of them.

Just in time to block Ding Luo and Senior Sister Mu Chunxiu’s path.

The two quickly stopped, their faces tear-streaked, glaring intently at the person.

Clang!

Senior Sister stepped forward, drawing her sword.

"You go first! Junior Brother, remember to avenge me!!"

She was always the quiet type, yet now she shouted loudly without hesitation, charging towards the ghost-face figure.

"Senior Sister!!" Ding Luo’s vision blurred.

Yet he didn’t dare to stay, clutching the sword handle, he turned and ran in another direction!

He knew that as long as he himself escaped, as long as he....

"Too bad, neither of you can escape. Since you’ve seen me and Xiaohui, it’s your fate...."

The ghost-face man laughed eerily.

The treasure herb of the Celestial Extreme Cave is extremely precious, anyone who dares to have designs on it must die.

Even if these people were just passing by, if questioned, they might eventually trace it back to him.

So, to eliminate even the slightest trace, they couldn’t blame him for being ruthless.

A little leniency towards the herbalists earlier had already led to so many unintended accidents.

This time, he first silenced the entire convoy, then pursued these two who ran astray.

He must ensure nothing goes wrong.

After killing these two, he would head straight for the Celestial Extreme Cave.

He had figured it out; sometimes, the more foolproof it seems, the easier it is for something to go wrong if you lower your guard a bit.

Therefore....this time, he must fight swiftly and decisively!

After this, he should remember this lesson.

"Die!"

The ground beneath the ghost-faced man exploded, his body shot out like an arrow leaving the string, breaking out in an extremely short time.

He sidestepped to dodge the blade of the broadsword. The Mountain-Burning Finger technique circulated, aiming a finger at Mu Chunxiu.

The fingertip rapidly closed in, like a sharp spike, stabbing toward the side of her neck.

Bang!!

Suddenly, there was an explosive bang.

A burst of flames suddenly erupted on Mu Chunxiu’s body.

It was fireworks!

Not just one, but multiple fireworks exploded together, illuminating with dazzling brilliance.

The ghost-faced man, caught off guard, hastily withdrew and retreated.

But he was still a step too slow, his arm and the back of his hand were completely scorched and blackened by the fireworks.

Likewise, Mu Chunxiu, who triggered the fireworks, was in a worse state.

To conceal the firework explosion, she had entirely placed them in the abdomen of her clothing.

After the explosion, she suffered a greater injury.

With the massive impact, her entire body was heavily thrown and fell to the ground, her clothes catching fire.

"Senior Sister!!" Ding Luo, hearing the sound, turned back, eyes wide with horror.

"Go quickly!!" Mu Chunxiu rolled on the ground a few times to extinguish the flames, struggled to her feet, and charged at the ghost-faced man with the knife again.

"Little brat, courting death!!" The ghost-faced man lifted his hand to inspect his skin, seeing numerous burns scorched by the flames.

His expression darkened, looking at the woman in front of him, a silver flying knife slipped into his hand, ready to throw.

"Could you all pause for a moment?"

Suddenly, a voice drifted in from beside the three of them.

Under the night sky, a vague, strong figure was already standing on a thick branch to the right.

The ghost-faced man abruptly halted, glancing sideways.

"Who are you!?" His rage was abruptly suppressed, seeing someone approach so closely without his noticing.

It proved the person’s concealed and formidable body technique.

"Don’t be angry." The newcomer lightly leaped down from the branch, standing straight.

"I have no intention of interrupting your fight."

The newcomer raised his head, revealing a somber face with narrow eyes under the faint moonlight.

"Wait until I clarify the situation, then it won’t be too late for you to kill each other."

The ghost-faced man was about to reply but noticed that not far away, Ding Luo hadn’t ceased his actions, almost out of sight. His temper flared again.

"Get lost! If you delay the master’s affairs, I’ll kill you too!!"

Before he finished speaking, he turned and rushed toward Ding Luo.

But suddenly, he felt a shadow flash before his eyes, and that mysterious person had leaped across over ten meters to stand before him.

No time to think, he instinctively struck forward, aiming his well-honed Mountain-Burning Finger at this person.

Pa.

The fingertip precisely hit the opponent’s chest’s vital point.

But oddly, the ghost-faced man only felt his fingers go weak and soft, unable to exert any strength.

Only then did he realize in shock that the connection between his underarm and torso had been lightly touched by a finger at some point.

And that spot was precisely the core exertion point of his finger technique.

With the exertion point disrupted, his entire arm went limp and weak, utterly powerless.

"I saw your flaw..."

The newcomer smirked.

"Impossible!!" The ghost-faced man had never heard of such martial skills!

Neither the Sensing Sect nor the Spirit Court had ever heard of martial arts that could easily dismantle an opponent’s moves merely through acupoint strikes.

Moreover, the opponent had obviously used far less strength than he had.

Immediately, overwhelmed with shock and anger, he employed the Raging Flame Body Technique at full speed, along with his finger technique.

The Raging Flame Body Technique was a renowned superior body technique in the Thousand Stone Sect, which at its peak, caused one’s Qi and blood to blaze like a wild fire.

In a very short time, it could ignite the whole body with flames, bursting out with immense speed over short distances.

Paired with his exceptionally fierce Mountain-Burning Finger, he could unleash a terrifying speed close to that of Super Grade External Medicine.

This was the depth of the Sensing Sect!

"Yew Twigs!"

The Extreme State move of the Mountain-Burning Finger suddenly erupted.

The muscles in the ghost-faced man’s arms bulged, with streams of blood coursing through his veins into his palms, turning his hands dark red and large.

Then both fingers shot up like sharp steel spikes, boosted by the Raging Flame Body Technique, aiming at the opponent at a horrifying speed.

Under the night sky.

His hands were like two dark red spears, straight and parallel, viciously stabbing toward the newcomer’s chest.

"I already told you." The newcomer raised a hand, snapping it lightning-fast between the ghost-faced man’s arms.

Pa.

His palm snapped between the ghost-faced man’s arms with a crisp sound.

"I saw your flaw."

Bang!!

The ghost-faced man’s arms solidly hit the other person’s chest, but the original full strength was now reduced to only thirty percent.

The rest of the strength vanished with that seemingly insignificant light snap.

Bang.

The thirty percent strength hit the opponent, feeling like scratching an itch, leaving no trace.

The ghost-faced man was utterly terrified, realizing he was facing an opponent far exceeding his capabilities.

He immediately kicked the ground, hastily retreating.

To his horror, just as he exerted his legs, they suddenly felt numb, his Qi and blood seemingly halted entirely, losing all sensation.

Thud.

He fell back onto the ground, heavily hitting the grass, his back sending numbing tremors through his lungs.

"What... what did you do to me!!?"

Just then, Ding Luo and Mu Chunxiu were also casually tossed onto the side grass by the newcomer.

Like him, the two found their legs numb, unable to move at all.