Dashing Student
Chapter 812 - 812: Escape from Death

Zhao Kai's legs trembled, and his crotch was already wet.

In his memory, this third senior brother had always been composed and proud, when had he ever lost composure like this?

In a moment of desperation, he blurted nervously, "Senior brother, even if you lend me a hundred lives, I wouldn't dare destroy this compass. If I'm not mistaken, that kid must possess a rare treasure! Otherwise, how could his power have surged so suddenly? This also explains why the mark suddenly disappeared!"

"A rare treasure?" Liu Tong squinted his eyes, casually tossing Zhao Kai aside, his gaze greedy: "Chase him! Even if we have to dig three feet into the ground, we must find him!"

The two followed in the direction where he last disappeared, quickly discovering fresh blood on the ground.

Liu Tong crouched down, dipped his fingertip into the still-warm blood, and revealed a cruel smile: "He can't run far..."

Before he finished speaking, the thick layer of fallen leaves on the ground suddenly exploded!

Chen Nan leapt out like a leopard, his blood-stained fist whistling through the air straight for Zhao Kai's face.

This strike had been prepared for a long time, and Zhao Kai had no time to react.

A crisp crack was heard.

His jaw shattered completely, teeth mixed with flesh and blood spewing out!

"Such audacity, not only did you not flee, but you even dared to ambush us!" Liu Tong's roar caused leaves to rustle and fall.

The longsword in his hand instantly burst into a blinding cold light, dozens of sword qi weaving into a net, shredding all the ancient trees within a radius of ten feet!

In the nick of time, Chen Nan dragged the unconscious Zhao Kai in front of him.

Like raindrops, the sword light shredded Zhao Kai's mutilated body into pieces while still in the air.

A blood-smeared eyeball rolled to Chen Nan's feet, its pupil frozen with disbelief and fear.

In that brief moment to catch his breath, Chen Nan turned and fled.

His body was already at its limit, each step was depleting his life force.

But to drag Zhao Kai down with him before dying, was already worth it.

"I'll extract your soul and refine it!" Liu Tong's roar was like the wail of a vengeful ghost.

His form was as fast as lightning, within a blink he was already behind Chen Nan, the sword tip aimed straight for his back!

The cold light flashed, death was just inches away.

"Pfft!"

A muffled sound of flesh being pierced exploded in the silent mountains, startling the resting birds into flight.

The cold sword blade penetrated Chen Nan's back, just an inch away from his heart, warm blood dripped down the sword edge, blossoming on the dead leaves like red plum blossoms.

Chen Nan staggered forward, a metallic taste welling up in his throat.

He clenched his teeth, swallowing back the blood rushing to his mouth.

Can't stop, absolutely can't stop!

The madman behind him was already in a frenzy, stopping meant being sliced to pieces.

Death wasn't frightening, what was frightening was that he hadn't found Nie Xiaoyu yet, hadn't killed that bastard Master Xuanming!

Dying now, he was unwilling!

"Whoosh!"

Another streak of sword light skimmed past his ear, slicing off a few strands of hair.

Liu Tong pursued like a shadow, the longsword in his hand gleaming with a chilling cold light, each swing left new wounds on Chen Nan's body.

The torn robe was already soaked with blood, sticking to the skin, each step tearing at the gaping wounds.

"Boom!"

A pine tree as thick as a bowl was cut in half by the sword qi, crashing down with a cloud of dust.

A rabbit, caught in the aftershock before it could react, was blasted apart, its bloody remains hanging in the bushes.

Chen Nan's vision began to blur, a blood-colored mist veiling his sight.

The two new sword wounds on his back burned with fiery pain, warm liquid continuously ran down his legs, leaving a trail of winding blood among the dead branches and leaves.

He viciously pinched his own thigh, the sharp pain momentarily clearing his muddled head.

"Bang!"

Yet another sword qi attack, forcing Chen Nan to roll to the ground, his back slammed against a hard root.

He leaned against the tree trunk, breathing heavily, his face as pale as paper, his lips turning a strange cyan-purple from the blood loss.

"Why aren't you running anymore? Hm?" Liu Tong stopped ten steps away, the blood dripping from his sword tip glistened eerily under the moonlight.

He deliberately tapped the sword on his palm, the metallic clash especially jarring in the silent woods: "Chen Nan, when you killed my two junior brothers, did you ever think there would be a day like this?"

Chen Nan bowed his head without responding, disheveled hair covering his suddenly constricted pupils.

The fingers hidden in his sleeve twitched slightly, as if they were out of strength.

This posture made Liu Tong sneer, but cautiously stepped forward half a step.

"I've changed my mind." Liu Tong said sinisterly, slowly lowering his sword: "Killing you directly would be too easy."

"I'll take you back, let Master use the Bone-Eroding Nail to crush your meridians inch by inch, and slowly roast your bone marrow with Separation Fire."

When the sword tip was still three inches from his Dantian, a silver light suddenly erupted from Chen Nan's chest!

"Trying the same trick again? You think I'd be so foolish?" Liu Tong was prepared, sneering without moving.

However, when the little snake in the silver light exposed its fangs, his pupils suddenly contracted, a sense of foreboding spreading in his heart.

In the instant the King of Ten Thousand Gu's fangs pierced the skin, a stench immediately emanated from the wound, the bitten arm turning a ghastly bluish-black at a visible rate.

"Bastard!" Liu Tong's face was grim, not expecting Chen Nan to be so cunning.

Meanwhile, Chen Nan used the opportunity to sprint away, disappearing into the dense forest in a few leaps.

Liu Tong wanted to pursue, but the intense pain forced him to sit cross-legged and expel the poison.

When he opened his eyes again, Chen Nan's traces were long gone from the forest, only a messy trail of blood extending into the distance.

He took a deep breath and immediately gave chase!

...

As the icy river water flooded over his face, Chen Nan could no longer feel the pain.

His body drifted along like a ragdoll, blood seeping from his wounds into the water, attracting curious little fish.

Before completely succumbing to darkness, he vaguely saw the reflection of a blood moon on the water's surface, like a cold, indifferent eye.

A day later, at the edge of the mountains.

An elder leaning on a Snake Head Staff suddenly halted, the wrinkles on his face deepening further.

He stared at the sword scar on the ground, more than a foot deep, his withered fingers lightly brushing the smooth edge, which was polished enough to reflect his image.

"Girl, we should....."

"Shut up!" The girl kicked a stone near her feet: "Coward! They've already bullied us to our territory! Should we just do nothing?"

The elder, with a worried look, tugged at the girl's sleeve: "Oh dear, at least a Foundation Establishment Stage Seven expert could leave such a sword mark, we...

"Splash!"

A strange noise suddenly came from the stream.

The girl turned her head alertly, then exclaimed, "Old man! There's someone in the water!"

The man drifting down the stream was as pale as paper, countless gruesome wounds revealed beneath his tattered clothing, some even bare to the bone.

Most horrifying was the through-and-through wound on his chest, pinkish blood foam seeping out with each shallow breath.

"Such severe injuries." The elder sucked in a breath, only to see the girl already rolling up her pants and wading into the water.

The icy stream covered her knees, she gritted her teeth and dragged the man ashore, her fingers trembling as they checked his carotid pulse.

"He's still alive! Get the Revitalizing Pill quick!"

The elder fumbled leisurely through his medicine pouch, muttering incessantly: "What misfortune... if enemies came looking for him..."

"Stop talking nonsense!" The girl snatched the bottle of medicine, gently but firmly prying open the wounded man's mouth, and fed him the pill.

The elder, rubbing his hands, came closer with a smile: "Girl, you see, our sect just happens to be short of a handyman, why not let him join our sect!"

The girl rolled her eyes, scoffing disdainfully: "Old man, can you not ruin people's lives? Even dogs wouldn't want to join your sect!"

The elder's face flushed red, angrily flicking his sleeves: "Indeed, petty people and women are hard to deal with, the sage spoke true!"