hhnovel Chapter 261: Running Out of Time
Chapter 261: Running Out of Time
1,000 points down!
Jiang Chen thought, a satisfied grin forming.
Not a bad haul at all.
His smirk grew wider.
This small incident originally had major consequences for Gu Ran. Using it, he would have climbed straight to the Inquiring Journey realm.
Jiang Chen continued monitoring the supporting characters scattered across Blackwood Island.
For now, Feng Liu’s group had narrowly escaped their deadly predicament, and their Fate Value had risen slightly.
Meanwhile, those with the lowest Fate Value were gathered elsewhere—at Blackwood Public Square!
Near the square, there weren’t any Inquiring Journey realm experts like Zhang San. However, several Peak-stage Heavenly Origin realm death warriors were stationed there.@@@@
These death warriors had been carefully chosen by Jiang Chen. They were cultivators capable of briefly unleashing combat power equal to the Inquiring Journey realm.
"Go! Intercept Gu Ran as planned!" Jiang Chen ordered, sharing the list of Gu Ran’s next targets with the death warriors. They moved out immediately without hesitation.
Soon it’s my turn to act!
A faint smile tugged at Jiang Chen’s lips. Masking his presence and suppressing his aura, he quietly headed towards Blackwood Island.
Inside Blackwood Island, Gu Ran—still cloaked in invisibility—raced at full speed.
Before long, he arrived at Blackwood Public Square.
By now, those assigned to Goldenleaf Street had already been warned and returned to their posts.
Meanwhile, the cultivators at Blackwood Public Square continued searching the area diligently.
Suddenly, a voice transmitted through divine sense jolted them to attention:
"Brothers, be alert! Niu Qing, whose real name is Gu Ran, is suspected to have entered Blackwood Public Square!"
"What?!" someone exclaimed.
"That guy is here in the square?!"
"I heard he used a strength-boosting secret art to reach the Inquiring Journey realm. He’s terrifyingly strong!"
"Who sent the warning? Where are they now?"
"It’s Old Chen! He came here with Elder Zhang on the spirit boat. I know him! He should be nearby. Let’s follow his lead!"
The cultivators from the Feng Clan stationed at Blackwood Public Square were first shocked, then became wary, exchanging hushed discussions.
At that moment, Gu Ran, still hidden, assessed his next targets carefully.
Four Heavenly Origin realm cultivators,
he noted silently.
And a few in the Mysterious Platform realm.
Eliminating them all might not directly push me to the Inquiring Journey realm, but it’ll definitely bring my cultivation base much closer!
A cold gleam flickered in his eyes as he sprang into action!
Boom!
A powerful aura burst forth in an instant.
Gu Ran’s fierce attack targeted the Feng Clan’s Heavenly Origin realm cultivators without mercy.
"Brace yourselves!"
Not far away, Gu Ran, still hidden, observed the group as they searched their surroundings. His eyes gleamed with determination.
Five at the Heavenly Origin realm,
he noted, his heart pounding.
I won’t accept that any of them can manifest Inquiring Journey realm combat power!
Resolving to act, his eyes flashed with intent as he launched his attack without hesitation.
Swoosh!
Gu Ran suddenly appeared, his long sword slashing like a venomous serpent toward one of the Heavenly Origin realm cultivators.
"He’s here!"
A death warrior shouted immediately, releasing his Inquiring Journey realm combat power and blocking Gu Ran’s strike directly!
"Wh... what?!" Gu Ran stammered, utterly stunned.
How can another Heavenly Origin realm cultivator unleash Inquiring Journey realm combat power? This is ridiculous!
How can a minor place like Blackwood Island have so many Heavenly Origin realm cultivators with such extraordinary combat strength?
Once or twice, it might have been a coincidence, but three times? It was utterly absurd!
For a moment, Gu Ran felt like he was trapped in a nightmare. How else could everything have gone so terribly wrong?!
By his calculations, he should have already defeated several Feng Clan cultivators and broken through to the Inquiring Journey realm.
Yet here he was, with nothing to show for it. From the moment he left the Feng Clan’s banquet until now, he hadn’t achieved anything.
Not even a single minor cultivator had fallen to his blade!
Frustration churned within him, a sickening sensation threatening to boil over.
To make things worse, the time remaining for his secret art was running out.
If the situation didn’t change soon, the risk would be far too great.
This won’t work!
Gu Ran clenched his fists, his teeth grinding as his veins throbbed in anger.
While Feng Hongbo is still busy with that demonic beast, I need to leave Blackwood Island first. I can come back for revenge later!
Without wasting another moment, he seized the chance to retreat.
Hiding his presence, he sped toward the edge of Blackwood Island’s Great Formation, intent on escaping.
The Great Formation surrounding Blackwood Island was primarily a defensive barrier against external threats. Its ability to trap someone inside wasn’t particularly strong.
Even restraining a true Inquiring Journey realm expert posed a significant challenge.
To maintain such a large formation, formation masters typically positioned themselves at key array nodes, ensuring everything functioned perfectly.
Destroying an array node or eliminating the formation master could weaken that section of the Great Formation, making escape much easier.
Gu Ran, however, remained completely unaware that Jiang Chen, by observing the fluctuating Fate Value of the supporting characters, had already deciphered his thoughts and read his intentions like an open book.
Trying to make a run for it, are you?
Jiang Chen thought, his eyes gleaming with amusement.
Looks like his confidence is starting to crack under my plans.
Now, let’s play with him one more time before starting the final stage of this strategy.
A sly smile appeared on his face as he issued another round of commands through divine sense.