Chapter Ninety-Three: Gray Wolf Gorge

Seeing Long Yun stagger, Qi Ling and Cheng Rongxiang exchanged glances, and in an instant they both understood. They immediately launched themselves into pursuit.

For men of their level, a hundred-zhang distance vanished in the blink of an eye. In but a moment, they were only thirty meters behind Long Yun.

"Long Yun, I never thought you were so hard to kill. But I refuse to believe you'll stay lucky forever!" Cheng Rongxiang's eyes gleamed with a dark, murderous light.

He struck out from afar at the center of Long Yun's back. He held nothing back, nor dared to. Several times before, he had suffered from underestimating Long Yun, and this time he would by no means allow the tragedy to repeat itself.

Long Yun could only smile bitterly inwardly. At present, his true energy was abundant within him, and he had already broken through to the Return-to-Origin realm. If he could command that energy as naturally as his own limbs, perhaps he could have taken Cheng Rongxiang's blow with ease.

But now he could not gather even the slightest trace of it, and could only rely on the strength of his fleshly body as he dashed forward.

Cheng Rongxiang, with the later strike but the earlier arrival, had already closed to within fifteen or twenty meters of Long Yun's back. True energy burst from his palm, and the force was driven without reservation into Long Yun's back.

Qi Ling did not rush forward. He knew that Cheng Rongxiang now hated Long Yun to the bone, so it was best to leave this matter to him.

With a dull thud, Cheng Rongxiang's palm force struck Long Yun's back, yet contrary to expectation there was no scene of Long Yun coughing blood and flying away.

Instead, the instant that force touched Long Yun's body, a torrential power erupted from within him. A tremendous recoil slammed violently back toward Cheng Rongxiang.

Caught completely off guard, Cheng Rongxiang, who was charging forward at full speed, was struck dead-on by that force. He managed only a muffled groan before his body was sent flying backward, leaving a trail of shocking blood in his wake.

Long Yun's body was likewise affected by the rebound. It drew an arc through the air and was hurled toward the Deep Wolf Ravine.

"Rongxiang!" Qi Ling's expression changed drastically. He had not expected such a startling turn of events, and he abandoned the chase after Long Yun at once, catching Cheng Rongxiang's flying body in his arms.

Even so, the force was so great that Qi Ling stumbled back more than a dozen steps before regaining his footing. His face had already filled with utter shock. What terrifying power.

His gaze could not help but turn toward Long Yun. At this moment, Long Yun, propelled by Cheng Rongxiang's palm strike, had already leapt directly into the Deep Wolf Ravine. Hidden by the dense fog, he could no longer be seen at all.

"Rongxiang, how are you?" Sensing Cheng Rongxiang's life force rapidly fading, Qi Ling hurriedly poured true energy into his body without reservation.

Yet the moment that true energy entered Cheng Rongxiang's body, Qi Ling was stunned by the state of his injuries. At this time, every meridian in Cheng Rongxiang's body had been shattered, and there was scarcely a single place left intact.

His internal organs had also been pulverized into fragments, flowing out with the blood from his mouth. The sight was indescribably horrific, and his life was slipping away bit by bit.

"Rongxiang!" Qi Ling's heart tightened. He picked Cheng Rongxiang up and dared not delay even for a moment, immediately hurrying at full speed toward the direction of the Azure Sect.

Long Yun crashed to the ground with a thud, falling as if through clouds and mist. Without true energy to support him, the landing was about as solid as it could be. Fortunately, his body was as tough as iron and steel, so he was not injured.

Rubbing his faintly aching rear, Long Yun grimaced as he got to his feet. Before he could even curse aloud, the pain vanished without a trace.

"What a strange feeling." Thinking back on how, when Cheng Rongxiang attacked from behind, the true energy within him had spontaneously released that recoil and actually sent Cheng Rongxiang flying, Long Yun could not help but be somewhat astonished.

At the same time, he secretly breathed a sigh of relief. Fortunately, this uncontrollable true energy was still able to protect its host on its own. Otherwise, he truly might not have been able to withstand that blow.

"So this is the Deep Wolf Ravine?" Long Yun looked around. The fog was thick, and the stone walls on either side were covered in water droplets from the year-round mist. With the naked eye alone, one could not see the road ahead.

Long Yun was also somewhat uneasy. If he were at the height of his strength, perhaps he would not fear this Deep Wolf Ravine much. But now, the true energy inside him was like a stubborn child.

It simply would not obey him. Perhaps when danger arrived, it could automatically counterattack and protect its master, but he had little confidence in that.

After all, no one dared place full trust in something that did not truly belong to them. If that true energy decided to go on strike, Long Yun would be left in an extremely passive position.

But things had come to this, and he could only steel himself and press onward. He believed the Azure Sect had already dispatched many experts here; once he stepped outside, he would surely fall into their hands.

Thus Long Yun had no choice but to rely on the strength of his legs and continue forward.

He had long heard that the Deep Wolf Ravine was a paradise for demonic beasts, and that many had come here in hopes of receiving the protection of the legendary supreme beast. Countless beasts had long since gathered in this place.

Among them were no lack of powerful beings. Long Yun took each step with great caution, and his keen perception told him that from the instant he had entered the ravine, it had seemed as though a pair of eyes were watching him.

The dense mist gradually thinned, and sunlight suddenly appeared. In this ravine, perpetually shrouded in fog, Long Yun felt a wave of relief. Looking at the birdsong, the blossoms, and the valley that resembled a fairyland, his heart unexpectedly filled with joy.

He had never imagined that the Deep Wolf Ravine, veiled all day and all night in fog and spoken of with such fear, would actually be such a secluded paradise on earth. Waves of floral fragrance drifted toward him, and Long Yun could not help but breathe deeply several times, feeling refreshed to the heart.

"What person dares to trespass into the Deep Wolf Ravine?" A towering figure suddenly appeared before Long Yun, jolting him awake from that moment of pleasure.

He could not help looking toward the stranger across from him, and a bitter smile instantly flashed through his eyes. The man before him stood fully twice his height. Bare-chested, his skin was covered entirely in brown fur, and atop a human body sat the head of a bear. Its sharp fangs gleamed with a faint, chilly light.

Long Yun said in astonishment, "Big brother, I was being hunted and fled here by chance. I merely passed through accidentally; I mean no harm, and certainly did not force my way in."

"Hmph!" The bear-headed creature clearly scoffed at Long Yun's words. With a cold snort, it said, "You humans are all rotten to the core! I'll take you back first to see the boss. No matter how you try to argue, you won't be able to escape the boss's eyes!"

"The boss?" Long Yun could not help but show a look of surprise. Could the boss here be that legendary supreme beast? Good heavens, this was bad. It was said that the supreme beast harbored deep hatred for humans.

It had even declared that if any human entered this place, it would tear them apart and devour them alive. There had been many experts who claimed they could not abide such a supreme beast, and they had joined forces—more than a hundred innate experts had once besieged the Deep Wolf Ravine.

Yet after entering, none of them ever came out again. The ravine's fearsome reputation was thus made, and that supreme beast became known to the outside world as the Wolf King.

Thinking of these terrifying legends about the Wolf King, a cold sweat could not help but break out over Long Yun's body. He hurriedly waved his hands. "Big brother, no need, really no need. I'm only passing through. There is no need for the senior to meet me personally. Just treat me like a fart and let me go quietly. Thank you, big brother!"

As he spoke, Long Yun turned and attempted to slip around the bear-headed monster. However, the moment his body passed by the creature's side, he heard it burst into laughter.

"No wonder they say all of you humans are wickedly cunning. It seems that is indeed the case. But you are actually quite interesting. If I hand you over to the boss, she will certainly like you!" The bear-headed monster suddenly seized Long Yun by the neck and lifted him up as though he were a chick.

When had Long Yun ever suffered such humiliation? To be lifted up like a little chick by a bear-headed monster was a disgrace beyond measure, and anger rose in him at once. Yet the true energy in his body still refused to obey his command.

Moreover, since the bear monster was not attacking him, Long Yun could only swallow his rage and allow himself to be carried along by one hand as the creature rapidly dashed deeper into the ravine.