novelraw Chapter 301: Of All People, Never Provoke Yu Zhao
Chapter 301: Of All People, Never Provoke Yu Zhao
This novel is translated and hosted only on Bcatranslation.
Tian Pu Zi’s reactions spiraled one after another. Once he steadied himself, he took a closer look at what Yu Zhao had thrown—a Lotus Incense Burner containing nothing but cold ashes. No active incense.
It was just a decoy!
A decoy?
Tian Pu Zi froze and turned his gaze to Yu Zhao. She stood there, the corners of her lips curled in a faint smile, her right forefinger lightly tapping the colorless surface of the Fleeting Life Mirror.
In an instant, the mirror’s surface crystallized into a smooth, reflective plane. Then, with a flick of her finger…
Crack! Crack! Crack!
A cascade of sharp, cracking noises echoed as the mirror shattered into countless tiny shards.
Though Tian Pu Zi couldn’t comprehend what Yu Zhao was doing, unease swept over him like a storm. He hesitated, pondering whether to abandon his pride as a cultivator and flee, when a subtle shift occurred. The Three-Eyed Leopard, Hua Tu, opened the third eye on his forehead, releasing a beam of black light.
The black beam didn’t target Tian Pu Zi or his companions directly. Instead, it struck the fragmented mirror shards in Yu Zhao’s hand. Reflected and multiplied by the shards, the beam split into countless dark rays, raining down like an unrelenting volley of arrows on Tian Pu Zi and his comrades.Caught off guard, the three scrambled to evade. But the black rays seemed alive, relentlessly pursuing them.
Among the trio, the weakest—Ancestor Tu Hua Zhang—was the first to be caught. Although unfamiliar with the power of the black rays, he dared not underestimate them. In desperation, he threw several Defensive Artifacts in their path.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
The artifacts exploded on contact with the rays, unable to hold for even a moment. The black light pressed on, shattering the protective aura around Ancestor Tu. Seeing death fast approaching, he made a ruthless decision.
With a fierce glint in his eyes, he gripped his left arm and tore it off with brute force. Using it as a shield, he snarled, “Explode!”
Boom!
The severed arm detonated, forming a red mist that enveloped him. The black rays were partially corroded by the mist. Yet, a fragment of the attack pierced through and struck Ancestor Tu, eliciting a heart-wrenching scream from within the crimson haze.
The other two fared no better.
Hua Tu, the Three-Eyed Leopard, rarely used the deadly beam from his third eye due to its heavy toll on his vitality. Yet, today, Yu Zhao’s ingenuity had opened his eyes to new possibilities for the ability. Her clever manipulation of his power left a lasting impression. He knew, however, that such seamless synergy could only be achieved with someone as exceptional as Yu Zhao.
As the fighters from the Tai Bai Academy dealt with minor Heaven’s Punishment henchmen, the battle here reached its conclusion. The unnamed Nascent Soul cultivator perished under the relentless black beams, his body riddled with holes. Even his soul couldn’t escape.
Ancestor Tu and Tian Pu Zi survived but were grievously wounded. Tu had lost his left arm, and half his body was in tatters. Tian Pu Zi, though physically intact, was pale as a ghost, his shriveled frame suggesting he might collapse in a strong breeze.
“Yu Zhao… today’s events were a misunderstanding. I never intended to be your enemy…”
The sheer terror of Yu Zhao’s methods had utterly crushed Tian Pu Zi’s courage. All he could think of was escaping her clutches and never encountering her again.
Yu Zhao wasn’t human—she was a living calamity! Anyone but her could be provoked.
Ancestor Tu, rendered mute by his injuries, displayed his submission with a kowtow, his groveling posture screaming the same sentiment. What use were longevity and extended life if survival wasn’t guaranteed?
Yu Zhao’s cold voice cut through the tension. “What’s your connection to the Ghost Hag?”
It was her second time asking the question, and Tian Pu Zi, now considerably more obedient, answered immediately.
“Ghost Hag is my junior… well, technically. We studied and trained together but didn’t formally take the same master…”
It turned out Tian Pu Zi and Ghost Hag were acquainted, their relationship dating back to their Foundation Establishment stage. Both had been selected to join an isolated training ground, where masterless and unaffiliated cultivators honed their skills. Those who met certain criteria were allowed to leave, while the rest perished in their pursuit of cultivation or simply grew old and died.
Tian Pu Zi and Ghost Hag had been among the few to pass the tests and escape. Yet, they were never contacted again or asked to fulfill any obligations. To this day, they had no idea who their benefactors were or why they had been taught such sinister techniques.
Hua Tu shuddered at the tale. Such an inexplicable scheme could only mean one of two things: a benevolent saint or someone with unimaginable ambitions. He strongly suspected the latter.
Yu Zhao, meanwhile, found this story absent from her memories of her previous life. It wasn’t surprising. Her past had been a relentless struggle for survival, leaving little room to notice others’ affairs. Even so, she wasn’t entirely convinced by Tian Pu Zi’s account.
After employing some subtle means of verification, she confirmed the existence of such a place and group. However, Tian Pu Zi’s memories of its exact location and details had been tampered with.
Seeing no further value in him, Yu Zhao swiftly ended Tian Pu Zi and Ancestor Tu’s lives. As Tian Pu Zi died, he cursed her for breaking her word.
Yu Zhao sneered. “When did I ever promise to spare you?”
She deemed those who manipulated others and practiced sacrificial blood magic as deserving of death.
After splitting the spoils with Hua Tu, Yu Zhao returned to Star-Plucking Mountain, where Wei Ying and others anxiously awaited her.
Their fates were now irrevocably tied to Yu Zhao’s. If she succeeded, they would live. If she fell, they would perish alongside her.
Wei Ying wanted to believe in Yu Zhao, but logic told her that fighting three Nascent Soul cultivators was too much, even for her. Red-rimmed eyes betrayed her worry.
“If only I were stronger,” she murmured, blaming herself for Yu Zhao’s predicament.
“Senior Sister Wei! Look! Is that Yu Zhao returning?”
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