Chapter 37

Chapter 37: Lost Little Six Again
Fang Cheng Lang walked to a disciple who was kneeling on one knee on the ground. He put the young man’s hand on his own shoulder and helped him retreat.

The other disciples followed his example one after another.

Zhang Jun, eyes filled with tears, looked deeply at Zhou Jin Yue’s back.

This was probably the last time he would ever see First Senior Sister.

He clenched his fists and made a silent vow in his heart: [First Senior Sister, from now on I will be like you and use my life to protect the sect and protect my fellow disciples.]

Zhou Jin Yue did not look back, but she could hear the sound of them leaving.

A relieved smile appeared on her face.

As long as they could leave safely, she would die with no regrets.

No, that was not quite true. There was still one regret in her heart that had not been resolved.

She thought to herself: [Junior Sister Yu’s Divination by Hexagrams really is not accurate at all. I must not believe it again in the future.]

“Roar!”

As the disciples of the Five Elements Dao Sect were retreating, the Scarlet Flame Lion not only failed to react, it even lazily lifted its right paw and gently licked the fur between its claws. It clearly did not put these tiny Humans in its eyes at all.

Only when the last disciple was about to leave the area did it suddenly open its mouth wide and spit out a ball of red flame.

At the same time, its four strong legs pounded the ground. It shot toward the disciples of the Five Elements Dao Sect like a bolt of lightning.

Zhou Jin Yue let out a cold snort and shouted: “Your opponent is me!”

Then she pulled out a big handful of Spirit Pills and stuffed them into her mouth.

In an instant, a huge wave of swelling Spirit Power rushed into her meridians, almost tearing her body apart.

She forced herself to endure the pain, lifted the Longbow with her left hand, and quickly pulled the bowstring with her right hand.

One after another, dark gold arrows with long tails of light shot out like a storm and rained down on the Scarlet Flame Lion.

The Scarlet Flame Lion did not dodge at all. The sharp arrows struck its body and made a series of clanging sounds.

Its speed was not affected in the slightest. In less than three breaths, the distance between it and Zhou Jin Yue had shrunk to less than ten li.

At such close range, Zhou Jin Yue could clearly see the Scarlet Flame Lion’s flowing whiskers and cold pupils. The oppressive pressure of a Fourth-rank Great Demon crashed down on her.

Zhou Jin Yue’s hands trembled for a moment, then quickly steadied again.

Only if she used her death at the very last moment, squeezing out its greatest value, could she hold the Scarlet Flame Lion back and win a sliver of life for her teammates.

So she could not retreat.

Closer.

Even closer.

…

On the other side.

Fang Cheng Lang and the others stepped on their Flying Swords and sped through the mountain forest.

Their Flying Swords flew in a very unsteady way, tilting and bobbing up and down, but no one dared to stop and adjust them.

Their eyes burned with hatred, and the Spirit Power in their bodies was almost running at full speed.

Sword Qi howled through the air around them.

Just then, a timid voice suddenly sounded from the forest on their right: “First Senior Brother.”

Fang Cheng Lang spoke to the others: “You keep going forward. Don’t stop.”

After he finished, he changed direction and flew to the front of the forest.

He called out: “Junior Sister, is that you?”

Ye Cong Xin stuck her delighted face out from the trees and answered: “It is me, First Senior Brother.”

As soon as she finished speaking, Fang Cheng Lang used his Spirit Power to pull her onto his own Flying Sword.

He said softly: “Hold on tight.”

The Flying Sword turned into a streak of light and chased after the others again.

Fang Cheng Lang’s brows stayed tightly knitted. His face was completely bloodless, and his lips were as white as paper.

He was already badly injured. Now he was also carrying two junior brothers and junior sisters while fleeing for his life, and he was feeling the strain.

But whenever he thought that their chance to live had been won by Zhou Jin Yue for them, his whole body was filled with strength.

As long as he kept his mind clear, he believed he could lead the team out of Dragon Roar Valley.

Right at that moment, Lan Zi Yu’s voice rang out from not far away: “Junior Sister, why is Yu Zhao not with you?”

Those words were like a heavy hammer, smashing into Fang Cheng Lang until his head spun and stars danced in front of his eyes.

He had only taken this Junior Sister with him. Where was Little Six?

He had lost her again.

Fang Cheng Lang’s mind slipped, and his sword also started to go out of control.

Standing at the back, Ye Cong Xin saw that the direction they were flying in was becoming more and more off, and that they were about to crash into the mountain wall ahead. She could not help but let out a sharp scream.

Her scream accidentally woke Fang Cheng Lang up. Just as the Flying Sword was about to slam into the mountain wall, Fang Cheng Lang used up all his remaining Spirit Power to force the Flying Sword to stop, and he himself fell from the sky from sheer exhaustion.

“First Senior Brother!”

“Senior Brother Fang!”

The other disciples of the Five Elements Dao Sect, who had been fleeing for their lives, all stopped when they saw this.

They could no longer bear the pain of losing any more fellow disciples.

Lan Zi Yu quickly jumped down from his own Flying Artifact and hurried to Fang Cheng Lang’s side. He grabbed his hand and asked in worry: “First Senior Brother, are you alright?”

Fang Cheng Lang gripped his hand back tightly and said in a hoarse, anguished voice: “Zi Yu, Little Six, Little Six did not keep up. I lost Little Six again.”

“What?” Lan Zi Yu’s eyes widened to the limit. He shouted: “Where is Yu Zhao? Where is she? We will go pick her up right now!”

Lan Zi Yu turned at once, ready to go back and look for Yu Zhao, but Fang Cheng Lang grabbed him with all his strength.

“We cannot go back.”

Fang Cheng Lang’s eyes were red as he spoke each word slowly and firmly.

Lan Zi Yu felt as if he had heard the biggest joke in the world. He roared at the top of his lungs: “Fang Cheng Lang, that is Yu Zhao, our Junior Sister. How can you abandon her!”

“But I am the team’s leader. I cannot risk the lives of the whole team for the sake of her alone. Our lives were bought with Senior Sister Zhou’s life. Do you want Senior Sister Zhou to have died for nothing?”

It was not that Fang Cheng Lang did not want to go back and save Yu Zhao. But at this time, he could not let his emotions lead him. He had to think of the larger picture.

Lan Zi Yu fell back and sat on the ground. His lost and broken look made everyone who saw him feel bitter in their hearts.

Ye Cong Xin finally could not hold back anymore. She said coldly: “First Senior Brother, Second Senior Brother, you cannot save Sixth Senior Sister. She already went to find Senior Sister Zhou.”

She wanted to curse Fang Cheng Lang and Lan Zi Yu with the sharpest, most poisonous words she could think of. Right now was the time to flee for their lives. Instead of thinking of ways to speed up and take everyone away, they were arguing here. They were wasting time.

Ye Cong Xin kept looking back toward the direction behind them, her heart burning with anxiety.

Zhou Jin Yue could not hold the enemy off alone for long. If they did not leave now, they would really not be able to leave at all.

Fang Cheng Lang stammered: “Junior Sister, you mean Yu Zhao, she, she…”

Not only Fang Cheng Lang and Lan Zi Yu, but the other disciples were also dumbfounded by what Ye Cong Xin had just told them.

Even they had no way to deal with a Fourth-rank Great Demon, yet Yu Zhao, a mere Foundation Establishment Cultivator, had taken the initiative to run over there to die. She really did not care about her life.

Seeing that they still had no intention of leaving, Ye Cong Xin added more fuel to the fire: “Sixth Senior Sister insisted on going to help. I could not stop her no matter what I said. She even scolded me, saying I was a coward who loved life and feared death and only cared about my own life. I… I just did not want to drag everyone down.”

Everyone’s eyes darkened when they heard this.

The words Yu Zhao had used to scold Ye Cong Xin could also be heard as scolding them.

They had already been feeling terrible. Hearing these words that pointed at the mulberry tree while cursing the locust tree, they felt ashamed and angry at the same time.

They had wanted to stay and help, but the difference in strength between them and the enemy was simply too big. They had no choice but to retreat.

Fang Cheng Lang took a deep breath and staggered to his feet.

He said quietly: “Since it was Yu Zhao’s own decision, we have no right to interfere. Keep moving. We must leave this place before dark.”

“Yes.”

The others answered weakly, then stepped back onto their own Flying Swords.

Just as they were about to fly away again, a huge boom suddenly rang out from behind them. The ground shook, and an invisible wave of air spread out in an instant, sending up countless clouds of dust.

Everyone turned their heads in fear and shock.

Tears rolled down in a line.

Senior Sister Zhou had fallen.