Chapter 498 - 440: One Man Army (2)

Chapter 498: Chapter 440: One Man Army (2)

It would have been one thing if they’d managed to capture those Demon Hunters, but now they couldn’t even see a trace of them.

These elite soldiers would have died in vain.

At the same time, they lost any intention of staying.

This Profound person was simply too terrifying.

They were almost certain that even if the three of them joined forces, they would never be able to hold Bai Yuan back. That being the case, this battle was meaningless.

Continuing the fight would only cause more Witch Race members to die.

It was better to wait for the Great Witch to return before deciding anything.

Those soldiers were already scared witless. The moment they heard the Elder’s order, they fled into the depths of the mountain forest without a second glance.

Watching the army depart, Bai Yuan finally lowered his bow in satisfaction.

He let out a long sigh of relief.

’This Sun-Shooting Divine Bow is powerful, no doubt, but it’s incredibly draining.’

Even with his power from mastering the Barbarian Body Technique, he could only draw the bow three times a day at most. Any more than that, and he simply wouldn’t have the strength.

’Perhaps Big Beard could manage more.’

He still needed to protect the main body of Demon Hunters and might have to fight again. Otherwise, given his temperament, he would have undoubtedly fired all three arrows to grind for every last enhancement point.

Still, he was very satisfied with this outcome.

...

"Chief?!"

When the old chief and his people saw Bai Yuan return, their faces lit up with joy.

Bai Yuan smiled faintly. "Let’s keep moving."

He had originally thought he would be entangled with the Witch Race for several more days. He never expected the Sun-Shooting Divine Bow to intimidate all three of their masters, which saved him a great deal of trouble.

"Tell everyone to speed up. We must leave the Southern Border as soon as possible."

"Yes!"

The chief of the Celestial Halberd Race was the first to acknowledge the order. Bai Yuan’s actions over the past few days had completely won him over; he knew he could never have done something like single-handedly holding back the entire Witch Race army.

Bai Yuan continued to walk at the head of the group.

After a full day of travel, they finally saw the border between the Southern Border and Xuan Yang. Once they crossed it, the Southern Border Witch Race would at least not dare to openly send an army to hunt them down.

Joy appeared in the eyes of all the Demon Hunters.

After days of constant fear, they were finally about to escape and would no longer have to worry about pursuers.

But just then—

Bai Yuan suddenly let out a muffled grunt.

PTUI!

He then spat out a mouthful of blood.

It was jet-black!

Countless tiny insects writhed within the black blood, a truly terrifying sight.

Seeing this, the old chief gasped. "Ten Thousand Gu Devouring Heart!"

The Witch Race was infamous throughout the world for their curses, but their Gu techniques were just as feared. But there were no Witch Race members around, so how could they have administered the Gu?

The Great Witch!

The old chief quickly understood.

The only person in the world who could inflict a Gu curse from a distance was, he feared, the Great Witch of the Southern Border.

’The Great Witch of the Southern Border has made his move!’

The surrounding Demon Hunters stared at Bai Yuan’s tragic, blood-spewing state, their eyes filled with terror. With the Great Witch taking action, if Bai Yuan was killed by the poison, they would have no chance of escape.

But under their terrified gazes, Bai Yuan slowly raised the back of his hand and wiped the black blood from the corner of his mouth.

"You think this is enough to kill me?"

"Dream on!"

Bai Yuan’s back straightened once more, becoming as firm and unmoving as a mountain that had stood for ten thousand years.

The Demon Hunters watched, stunned into silence.

Their chief had been struck by the Great Witch’s Gu technique, yet he was completely unharmed. It was simply inconceivable.

When the Great Witch strikes, all below the Divinity level are mere ants.

This belief was practically etched into the bones of every Demon Hunter, yet Bai Yuan had just shattered this ironclad rule.

"The Demon Hunters will rise!"

The old chief could no longer suppress his excitement and roared.

Hearing him, the other Demon Hunters roared in unison.

"Rise!"

"Rise!"

"Rise!"

...

"Chief, we’re about to reach Nanzhou Crossing."

"Good."

Bai Yuan nodded.

He might have appeared calm and unbothered, but the memory of that day still made his heart pound with fear. The power of a Divinity Grandmaster was truly immense.

Even he had nearly died.

Killing from a thousand miles away... such a technique was truly beyond comprehension.

In comparison, the palm strike from the Heaven-Reaching Profound Sect’s ancestor had been far easier to deal with. He truly couldn’t afford to underestimate the world’s powerful figures.

Although the Witch Race wasn’t well-known in the Central Plains and was mostly perceived as a mysterious entity, now that he had experienced their power firsthand, he understood that the Witch Race was in no way inferior to the major sects. In fact, their bizarre techniques were even harder to defend against.

It was no wonder that in the thousand years since the founding of Xuan Yang, the Southern Border had always kept the Court at arm’s length. The lands even further south, much like the Northern Plains, were completely unexplored.

Aside from the Southern Border’s great distance from the Central Plains, this was likely also due to the Witch Race’s methods.

If Xuan Yang wanted to conquer the Southern Border, it would have to pay an enormous price.

’Old bastard, one day I’ll kill you for this!’

Bai Yuan cursed in his heart.

Only he knew how truly dangerous it had been. If not for the Divine Palace Profound Soldiers giving him an early warning, allowing him to channel the power of all his Divine Mansions into the Manggu Zhuha Technique and fight poison with poison, he would have been devoured by those Gu worms until nothing was left.

The slightest misstep would have cost him his life.

’This is a debt that must be repaid!’

Bai Yuan was never the type to turn the other cheek.

...

After a seven-day trek, they finally saw the surface of a wide river.

A massive dock came into view.

Nanzhou Crossing!

The Demon Hunters’ faces lit up with joy at the sight of the dock. Once they boarded the Cao Bang’s ships, they would finally be safe.

The journey had been anything but easy.

Nanzhou Crossing was at the very end of the Ten Thousand Miles Canal. As the largest port in the south, it saw no shortage of merchant ships.

The arrival of tens of thousands of people at the dock was a commotion that naturally drew a great deal of attention.

Ignoring the stares from the dockworkers and the crews of other merchant ships, Bai Yuan walked onto the Nanzhou Crossing pier.

Just then, a group of people came forward to greet him.

"Younger Brother Bai! Man, I’ve missed you!"

Qiu Yang walked over, laughing heartily.

"Brother Qiu, thank you for all your trouble."

"We’re practically family, no need for such formalities. The Gang Leader was going to come himself, but something came up in Lu State. He said he’ll have to meet Younger Brother Bai there."

Bai Yuan nodded. "The Gang Leader is too kind."

Come to think of it, although he had a good relationship with the Cao Bang, he had never actually met their leader.

Back then, he had been too weak and wasn’t qualified to meet the Cao Bang Leader. Later, he became strong enough, but he never had the opportunity to travel to Jiangnan.

Qiu Yang pulled Bai Yuan along. "Come on, let’s get you on board. I’ve prepared eight of our largest ships. Forget ten thousand people, these babies could fit a hundred thousand!"

The old chief and the others nearby were even more delighted to hear Qiu Yang’s words.

They had been worried whether the Cao Bang could accommodate so many people and their belongings, but seeing the massive ships moored at the dock put their fears to rest.

Each vessel stood three stories tall, their hulls so wide they seemed to stretch across the entire river. They were an impressive sight.

Even for the Cao Bang, mobilizing so many massive ships was no easy feat.

The Cao Bang had clearly spared no effort.

Perhaps they had some intention of befriending the Demon Hunters, but this was mostly because of Bai Yuan.

...

With a cry to cast off...

The eight great ships rumbled as they slowly pulled away from the dock. Massive sails, over a hundred feet high, were unfurled. The vessels picked up speed, and before long, they were cruising down the great river.

Truly riding the wind and cleaving the waves.

Just as Qiu Yang had said, the thirty thousand Demon Hunters had more than enough space aboard the eight massive ships.

They had a tailwind now; at this rate, they would reach the Northern Territory in less than five days.

Once there, they would no longer have to worry about any mishaps.

Bai Yuan was now the king of the Northern Territory.

"Younger Brother Bai, you really brought all the Demon Hunters out with you. I’m truly impressed."

Qiu Yang marveled, clicking his tongue as he gazed at the Demon Hunters on deck.

He had received Bai Yuan’s message ten days prior, asking the Cao Bang to prepare ships at Nanzhou Crossing capable of transporting fifty thousand people. Qiu Yang had guessed then that it had something to do with the Demon Hunters.

But seeing it with his own eyes was still unbelievable.

The Demon Hunters may have been in decline for a millennium, but they were still a major power in the Southern Border, with a foundation no weaker than the Cao Bang’s. For them to so readily follow Bai Yuan north was astounding.

"I merely exchanged sincerity for sincerity."

"..."

Qiu Yang was speechless.

’He acknowledged Bai Yuan’s strength, of course, but his character...? Probably about the same as my own.’