NOVEL NEXT Chapter 277: Obstructing Gu Ran's Counterattack
"Ha ha ha! Kid, where do you think you're going?" barked a voice, one of the cultivators from Burning Blaze Ancient Sect. His derisive laughter echoed across the space.
"Tsk, tsk, tsk. Don’t be so hasty to kill him. Let’s toy with him a bit first," another cultivator added, his words laced with sinister amusement.
"You little human runt, you better run!" A third voice joined the fray. The cultivators from Burning Blaze Ancient Sect, seized by a peculiar whim, all adopted a cat-playing-with-a-mouse mentality. Instead of immediately cornering and killing Gu Ran, they seemed to delight in the chase.
And so, these cultivators from the Burning Blaze Ancient Sect trailed behind Gu Ran, filling the air with a relentless stream of belittling and insulting words, jeering him in their game of torment.
If Jiang Chen were present, he'd instantly diagnose the situation: a classic set-up where the protagonist is cornered, only to eventually turn the tables, forcing his adversaries to eat humble pie.
'A bunch of worthless scum! If it wasn’t for the powerhouse backing you, one I can’t challenge, you'd be nothing more than worthless trash in my eyes!' Fueled by simmering anger, Gu Ran hissed under his breath, while continuing his flight into the distance.
Yet, the unnerving sensation of being under the watchful gaze of a formidable foe persisted.
He dared not use his powers of concealment.
If this powerful enemy were to notice his sudden disappearance, they would likely resort to a wide-sweeping assault, engulfing the vast expanse he was in.
If such an event were to occur, his demise would be all but guaranteed.
'Damn it! It must be a cultivator of the Dao Palace realm!' Gu Ran concluded bitterly, his teeth gritted in frustration. Oddly enough, he found himself longing for the presence of Wu Qian and Liu Xiong.
If Wu Qian and Liu Xiong were here, he might have been able to take down a few enemies from the Inquiring Journey realm. He wouldn't have been reduced to such a desperate flight.
Time, however, waited for no one. In just a few dozen breaths, Gu Ran had moved towards the distant peak, its colossal shadow looming large. Hot on his heels, a throng of Burning Blaze Ancient Sect cultivators followed relentlessly.
Perched high above in the sky, Ji Junhao surveyed the scene below. His gaze followed Gu Ran's route of escape, eventually landing on the imposing mountain peak. 'What mountain is that?' He thought, amazed by what he had just discovered.
'This Cave Heaven is expansive, but such a colossal mountain peak is a rarity. Moreover, it doesn't appear naturally formed.'
'We're not far from where those demonic cultivators perished earlier. We'll dispose of those people first, then delve into the mysteries of this massive peak.' Doubt and curiosity sparked in Ji Junhao's eyes as he quickly commanded his subordinates to exterminate the 'insignificant ant' scurrying below.
Simultaneously, he retracted his divine sense, pressing onwards in his journey.
"Sect Master's orders! Kill that human runt. No more games. Take him down." The unhinged demonic cultivators of the Burning Blaze Ancient Sect sneered with malevolent delight, ready to act against Gu Ran.
But with the command from above, the task of finishing Gu Ran fell on the shoulders of a group of Inquiring Journey realm cultivators.
To everyone present, dealing with an Early-stage Inquiring Journey realm cultivator was hardly a challenge, requiring minimal effort.
As such, the majority of the forces opted to follow Ji Junhao, leaving only a handful to handle Gu Ran.
In a flash, Ji Junhao and his group moved swiftly, their figures disappearing into the distance.
Every move, every nuance of the scene unfolding before him, was keenly observed by the hidden Jiang Chen. 'Tsk, Ji Junhao and the others blatantly disregarded Gu Ran,' he thought.
'It's not just their disdain for Gu Ran, this 'insignificant ant', but also the workings of Heavenly Fate at play.'
'Otherwise, a stronger cultivator might have already intervened and killed Gu Ran in a heartbeat.'
'With the higher-ups of the Burning Blaze Ancient Sect gone, leaving only the less significant ones behind, it’s Gu Ran's chance to strike back, proving them wrong.' These thoughts raced through Jiang Chen's mind as he, along with Lu An and He Tian, swiftly moved towards Gu Ran's location.
En route, Jiang Chen also gathered Wu Qian and Liu Xiong, cloaking their presence using the Heavenly Demon Hidden Heart Ring.
Ji Junhao's group and Jiang Chen's party nearly intersected, yet none among Ji Junhao's team detected the quiet approach of Jiang Chen and his companions.
In a flash, Jiang Chen and his four companions arrived not far from Gu Ran, carefully steering clear of the observation range of Ji Junhao and the other Dao Palace realm adversaries.
'Gu Ran, to save you from making a spectacle of yourself and teaching others a lesson, I even forfeited a chance to ambush Ji Junhao.' Surveying the bustling scene below, a cool smirk tugged at the corner of Jiang Chen's mouth.
Simultaneously, a sense of relief washed over Gu Ran. "They're gone! That Dao Palace realm cultivator also left!" he exclaimed, the joy palpable in his voice.
"Ha ha ha, the heavens are truly on my side!" Elated with this realization, Gu Ran quickly pivoted, launching an attack against a Middle-stage Inquiring Journey realm cultivator.
"This kid's done for," one of the remaining demonic cultivators from the Burning Blaze Ancient Sect remarked with derisive certainty.
"A mere Early-stage Inquiring Journey realm taking on a Middle-stage? He'll be crushed in an instant."
"There's no need for us to intervene." The rest of the demonic cultivators from the Burning Blaze Ancient Sect echoed similar sentiments, lacking any real intention to step in. Instead, they seemed to relish in the spectacle unfolding before their eyes.
From Jiang Chen's vantage point, it was clear as day that Heavenly Fate was subtly orchestrating the events!
"You dare underestimate me! Die!" Gu Ran's eyes blazed with a fierce, blood-red light, brimming with a desperate, do-or-die resolve as he charged headlong at the cultivator!
The ensuing clash was titanic, sending shockwaves rippling across the vicinity.
"Spurt! How is this possible?" The complexion of the demonic cultivator from the Burning Blaze Ancient Sect altered drastically as he coughed up a mouthful of blood, hastily attempting to flee.
Gu Ran's face shone with a triumphant grin, ready to press on and deliver the final blow to the wounded Middle-stage Inquiring Journey realm demonic cultivator.
"Hmph!" But at that moment, a disdainful snort echoed from the sky, cutting short the life of the injured demonic cultivator in an instant.
Boom!
It was only then that Gu Ran's attack landed, pulverizing the remains of the demonic cultivator into bits and pieces.
But the joy that had previously lit Gu Ran's face vanished in an instant, replaced first by momentary bewilderment, which rapidly gave way to unbridled fury!
'Again?!!! How can this be?!' he thought, the disbelief clear in his inner voice.
'Where are the high-ranking demonic cultivators? Where is that Dao Palace realm demon?!! Why didn't they run into the Heavenly Gu Society members?!'
'They were supposed to cross paths and engage in battle!'
'Why has it turned out like this?!'
'I was on the verge of a breakthrough after killing that demonic cultivator!' Gu Ran's internal outcry escalated into a frenzy. He clenched his teeth with such force that they made a grinding noise, the sheer intensity causing his gums to bleed.
Meanwhile, an overwhelming sense of helplessness and fear swallowed him, continually testing his fundamental beliefs. He had always adhered to the principle of not taking innocent lives - a moral cornerstone for any protagonist.
Yet, in that moment, Gu Ran felt a potent urge to kill indiscriminately, to fortify his strength. It seemed as if only by slaughtering anyone he encountered could he stand more chances of growing stronger!
The scale of the carnage could indeed be amplified.
Gu Ran deduced that whenever he harbored the intention to kill, the Heavenly Gu Society rarely intervened to halt him. Instead, they preemptively pilfered his potential victims from under his nose.
So, how would the Heavenly Gu Society react if he initiated a large-scale slaughter or razed an entire city to the ground?
Would they put a stop to him? Or would they continue their previous approach, swooping in first to wreak havoc on the city?
If the latter scenario were to unfold, it would certainly escalate the situation, inevitably drawing the attention of other major powers.
With the intercession of these significant forces, he might find a chance to extricate himself from the grips of the Heavenly Gu Society sooner, evading the perilous labyrinth he was currently navigating, where every step was loaded with challenges!
As these thoughts whirled in his mind, another crushing assault descended from the sky, laying waste to the stunned demonic cultivators in one fell swoop.
'Ah—! I yearn to kill... No, I can't succumb to this, I am a human, not a demon, not a beast!' Witnessing this scene, Gu Ran roared internally, his clenched fists trembling with rage. The shadows cast by his disheveled hair masked his eyes, which flickered with a complex interplay of struggle and pain.
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