Chapter 1286: Rather Die Than Yield

Lü Wushuang looked surprised.

She could tell that every muffled pop had come from one of the acupoints she had sealed.

Hua Meiru, meanwhile, felt a bone-cracking pain shoot through her wrist.

The hand she had placed on Yuan Gang's shoulder had already been seized in his grip.

Whether it was a cultivator's magical restriction or an ordinary method of sealing the acupoints of flesh and blood, none of it worked on Yuan Gang's body.

He could be restrained only if he was willing to be restrained.

If he refused, then sealing his acupoints had no effect on him at all.

Even after the acupoints were sealed, if he chose to break free, the blood vitality within his body could surge in a manner that defied common sense and blast through the restrictions.

No one had ever told Yuan Gang why this happened.

No one had ever explained what was going on with his body.

So Yuan Gang himself did not know the answer.

Hua Meiru was badly startled.

Before she could react, a tremendous pulling force yanked her off balance.

In the next instant, Yuan Gang's furious face filled her vision.

Her body tightened.

He had locked her in a crushing bear hug.

Hua Meiru unleashed her cultivation but still found it difficult to break free.

She could scarcely believe it.

This bastard had spent the entire journey struggling without rest, yet he still possessed such monstrous strength, as though the power in his body could never be exhausted.

Bang!

Hua Meiru gathered every bit of her cultivation and drove one palm into Yuan Gang's chest, trying to blast herself free.

Yuan Gang's already injured body suffered another heavy blow.

"Puh!"

He spat out a mouthful of blood.

Yet with his mouth dripping blood and his body taking the strike head-on, Yuan Gang only tightened his grip.

He refused to let go.

That palm had failed to shake him loose.

Hua Meiru's combat techniques and magical arts were far beyond Yuan Gang's, but in this kind of raw contest of strength, she seemed unable to gain much advantage.

It was the same mistake she had made when she tried to take his saber strike head-on.

Yuan Gang knew perfectly well he could not defeat her in a proper fight.

That was why he had pretended to remain sealed, waiting for a chance to launch a surprise attack.

And the reason he had chosen a bear hug was simple.

He was afraid Hua Meiru would escape.

Once he had her trapped, he ignored his own injuries and ignored the blood pouring from his mouth.

He drew back his head and smashed it savagely toward hers.

This was a way of fighting that sought mutual destruction.

So long as he could kill the enemy, he was willing to die with her.

Bang!

The tremendous impact broke through the spray of blood forced out amid Hua Meiru's magical resistance and slammed into her head.

Blood splashed across Yuan Gang's face.

Blood covered Hua Meiru's face as well.

Her forehead split open beneath the collision.

Yuan Gang's body was clearly far tougher than hers.

The headbutt left Hua Meiru dazed.

Her skull rang.

Her eyes almost rolled back into her head, though instinct still drove her to resist with every shred of magic she could muster.

Fortunately for her, she possessed magical defenses that absorbed part of the impact.

Otherwise, that headbutt alone would have smashed her skull apart and sent her brains flying.

Yuan Gang had no time to think about any of that.

When the blow failed to kill her, he saw Hua Meiru's head thrown backward and opened his blood-filled mouth.

Then he bit down.

Wherever was weakest.

Wherever was most vulnerable.

Like a wild beast, he sank his teeth directly into Hua Meiru's throat.

It was the first time Lü Wushuang had ever encountered someone this ferocious, this much like a crazed animal.

For an instant, even she was shocked in the instinctive way one woman might be by seeing another subjected to such a savage attack.

Fortunately, her reactions were extraordinarily fast.

She moved in a flash and pressed one hand onto Yuan Gang's shoulder.

A tremendous surge of magical force burst out.

Just as Yuan Gang's bite was about to crush Hua Meiru's throat completely, the two bodies locked together were blasted apart.

Yuan Gang was pinned in place.

Hua Meiru flew backward.

After landing, she stumbled several steps and shook her head hard, still dazed from the headbutt.

Her face was so drenched in blood that it was impossible to tell how much belonged to Yuan Gang and how much to her.

Both hands clamped over her throat, which had nearly been bitten through and was pouring blood.

She hurriedly circulated magic to control the injury.

Terror filled her eyes.

She stared at Yuan Gang in fear and no longer dared approach him lightly.

She had nearly lost her life just now.

Nearly been bitten to death.

The instant Yuan Gang's arms were blasted free, he reacted again.

He twisted, seized Lü Wushuang's arm with one hand, roared, and swung a fist at her with all his strength.

Lü Wushuang had been watching Hua Meiru's injuries.

If she allowed this thing to kill her own disciple right in front of her, her face would be thoroughly lost.

Then she discovered that this death-seeking madman still dared attack her.

She had also underestimated the sheer brute force Yuan Gang could unleash when fighting for his life.

The amount of magical force she had used to restrain him had not been enough.

Lü Wushuang flew into a rage.

A surging burst of power erupted from her.

Yuan Gang was blasted away.

He crashed into the large bronze furnace inside the hall.

Boom!

The thick bronze side caved inward beneath the impact.

The furnace toppled over.

A deep metallic hum echoed throughout the hall as large sections of the jade-paved floor shattered.

"Cough... puh..."

After rolling across the ground, Yuan Gang ended up facedown.

He coughed out mouthful after mouthful of blood.

One hand still held the sleeve he had torn free.

His blood-covered face twisted into a savage grin.

He reached toward the fallen bronze furnace, braced himself against it, and tried inch by inch to force his body back up.

Lü Wushuang turned her head toward one arm.

The entire sleeve had been torn away by Yuan Gang.

One jade-smooth arm and the shoulder above it were left completely bare, her skin pale and soft.

She had fought countless top experts of the cultivation world without ever being reduced to such a state.

Now this madman had somehow made her look disheveled.

Lü Wushuang was both shocked and furious.

She swept one bare arm.

A length of gauze hanging inside the hall floated over.

It wound around her body several times and covered her upper torso.

Then she reached out with her other hand and made a grasping motion through empty air.

Yuan Gang immediately flew toward her.

Her fingers closed around his throat.

He could no longer move.

Even then, Yuan Gang pursed his lips and tried to spit bloody saliva into Lü Wushuang's face.

But he was far too badly injured.

He no longer had enough strength.

Only a weak puffing sound came from his mouth.

The bloody spittle barely bubbled at his lips and lacked the force to leave them.

Lü Wushuang's hand around his throat was one thing.

In truth, she was using the contact to inspect his injuries immediately.

She had struck in anger just now and worried that she might have killed him.

She had not yet obtained what she wanted.

He could not die yet.

What she found surprised her again.

Yuan Gang's injuries were indeed severe.

Many bones were broken.

His internal organs had all suffered damage.

Yet she could still feel a tremendous vitality inside him that seemed almost unaffected by the internal injuries.

His life force was not rapidly declining with the severity of his wounds.

How could a human body be this powerful?

Astonishment filled Lü Wushuang's eyes.

He could still endure it.

He would not die.

Good.

Only then did Lü Wushuang relax slightly.

With a turn of her hand, a wax pellet appeared.

She crushed it open and pushed the medicinal pill inside into Yuan Gang's mouth.

But Yuan Gang's lips parted only slightly.

His tongue gave a faint push.

The bloodstained Heavenly Succor Pill was shoved back out.

His eyes looked at Lü Wushuang with naked contempt.

Tap. Tap.

The Heavenly Succor Pill dropped to the ground and rolled away.

Lü Wushuang stared at him in silence.

He would rather die than accept treatment from her.

And he disdained her enough to show it plainly.

This was his declaration that he intended to resist to the end.

To think she had brought back such a bizarre creature.

An inexplicable anger rose in Lü Wushuang.

Her lofty superiority and overwhelming cultivation suddenly seemed almost worthless.

Against a man like this, would she truly be able to pry open his mouth and obtain whatever she wanted?

Irritated, she crooked one finger.

The Heavenly Succor Pill flew back from the ground.

She forced it into Yuan Gang's mouth and used magic to drive it directly into his stomach.

Then she released him and threw him aside.

Yuan Gang struck the ground and rolled twice.

He ended up lying facedown, clinging weakly to life.

The sleeve he had refused to release trembled faintly in his hand.

He seemed to be trying with all his strength to lift it and display his trophy to Lü Wushuang.

Or perhaps he was simply using it to humiliate her.

Lü Wushuang clenched her teeth.

Only then did she remember there was still another person present.

She suddenly raised her eyes.

Hua Meiru was still clutching her bloodied throat, trembling.

Lü Wushuang immediately scolded her.

"Get out and treat your injuries, you useless waste!"

Hua Meiru's throat had been damaged too badly for her to speak.

Her face was full of fear.

She backed away and left, covered in blood across her face and hands, looking utterly miserable.

Never in her dreams had she imagined that after capturing the man and dragging him back here, she would still somehow end up in such a state herself.

...

Inside the Demon Palace of Tianmo Sacred Land, the steady clang of hammer and chisel suddenly stopped.

Wu Chang, drenched in sweat, turned around with both tools still in his hands.

His wet hair clung to his face.

"He was taken first by Lü Wushuang's people?"

Hei Shi bowed respectfully. "Yes."

Wu Chang turned fully toward him.

Behind the sweat-soaked strands of hair, his eyes glimmered darkly.

"I told you to bring the man here at the first opportunity, yet someone else still got there before you."

"How exactly do you handle your affairs?"

Hei Shi was frightened.

"This subordinate is incompetent."

"But this subordinate did arrive almost immediately. Who could have imagined someone else would be even more anxious?"

Wu Chang said, "You were careless yourself. Do you still need to look for excuses?"

"Yes."

"What worries me now," Wu Chang said, "is whether Lü Wushuang was in such a hurry because she knows something as well."

Hei Shi replied, "By all reason, that shouldn't be likely."

"Our people below made inquiries."

"From what happened at the scene, Hua Meiru appeared to be in a hurry to take revenge on Yuan Gang."

Wu Chang said, "If Lü Wushuang kills him, who would turn hostile with her over someone like that?"

"Once the man is dead, what use is he?"

Hei Shi said, "Sacred Venerable might as well visit Wushuang Sacred Land personally and see the situation."

Wu Chang looked at him.

"You arrived at Wentian City almost on their heels to demand the same person."

"That may already have stirred the suspicions of those old monsters."

"If I now rush to Wushuang Sacred Land as well, it would be difficult not to make them suspicious."

"The more anxious we appear, the less likely we are to get him."

"Endure it for now."

"We'll act according to the situation."

"Yes. Sacred Venerable is wise."

Hei Shi bowed.

...

"The information you wanted has arrived."

Inside the quiet chamber at Maolu Annex in Nanzhou's prefectural capital, Yun Ji walked in with a report in hand.

With Yuan Gang gone, Niu Youdao had still kept some of his external channels separate.

He had not handed every contact over to Guan Fangyi alone.

Partly this was a safeguard for security.

Partly it was because if Guan Fangyi had too many matters to handle, she would never be able to cultivate in peace.

For the time being, Niu Youdao had given the channels Yuan Gang normally controlled to Yun Ji to manage in his place.

Niu Youdao had been sitting cross-legged in meditation.

He immediately ended his cultivation, opened his eyes, and took the report.

It had come from Sha Rulai.

The contents concerned Yuan Gang.

Niu Youdao had specifically asked Sha Rulai to keep watch for any news about him.

According to the report, Yuan Gang had been taken into the Sacred Realm at the first opportunity.

After reaching Wentian City, he had caused trouble again.

Niu Youdao felt a headache coming on as he read.

The moment Yuan Gang arrived in Wentian City, he had fought Hua Meiru again.

And this time he had suffered badly.

"Lü Wushuang's people and Wu Chang's people both appeared immediately to take him."

"And Wu Chang was the one who proposed that Misty Pavilion seize Monkey in the first place."

"What exactly are they trying to do...?"

Niu Youdao stared at the message and muttered to himself for a while.

At last, he sighed helplessly.

"Monkey has probably become a target for everyone now."

"The Nine Saints themselves have fixed their eyes on him."

"Trying to save him is almost impossible."

With that, he fell silent.

His gaze continued shifting without rest.

Yun Ji said nothing.

She knew what he was feeling.

He cursed Yuan Gang constantly, but in truth he still wanted to save him.

The difficulty was simply too great.

As Niu Youdao had said, it was nearly impossible.

And with everything on this side involved, they did not dare expose themselves.

Doing so would only make a disastrous situation worse.

A long time passed in silence.

Then Niu Youdao seemed to arrive at some final decision.

He suddenly raised his head toward the ceiling and let out a long sigh.

"How did this turn into such a mess?"

"If he were still outside, there would be ways to handle it."

"But now he's inside the Sacred Realm, and he's become a target for everyone."

"In the end, he'll have almost no path to survival."

"Looks like I have no choice but to act myself!"

[End of Chapter 1286]