TM CH27

Chapter 27 The Third Person (2)

Rong Qi was greatly terrified. He retreated several steps, tightly gripping the short dagger in his hand.

At the same time, Gu Yunxing’s voice rang out, “Be careful!”

But it was too late.

The figure was like a ghost, its mouth twisted into a strange grin as it lunged toward Rong Qi.

Rong Qi had no time to think and could only duck instinctively, his right wrist twisting to redirect the dagger’s blade toward the freak.

“Ah!”

A sharp pain spread from his wrist. The point of the dagger struck something as hard as rock. Not only did it fail to sink into flesh, but a powerful inner force sent him reeling backward.

This outcome was completely beyond expectations. He had thought Gu Yunxing was overreacting, but he hadn’t anticipated that the freak appearing out of nowhere on this deserted island would be so terrifying.

Before Rong Qi could even retract his hand, the freak was already closing in, its arms outstretched.

“Let go! Mmm…”

In the blink of an eye, Rong Qi felt his feet leave the ground, followed by a tremendous force gripping his waist, rendering him completely immobile.

He was actually… actually being lifted off the ground by the freak’s arms!

“Hahaha!” The freak let out a gleeful laugh, as if celebrating the capture of its prey.

Rong Qi kicked and struggled in mid-air, but the arms holding him were like iron hoops, immovable, even tightening with every passing moment.

The freak continued laughing.

The wind howled, and the rain poured, with dark clouds obscuring the sun.

In that instant, it felt as if he had finally reached the end. Rong Qi’s face contorted in pain as he felt the hands around his waist tightening inch by inch, as if they were about to crush his bones. He gritted his teeth, letting his sleeves fall as he leaned backward—

A cold, piercing needle struck, its silver gleam flickering. In an instant, it was sent into the wind and rain.

“Hah—”

The freak let out a cry of pain, its hand loosening its grip.

In that fleeting moment, Rong Qi struggled to break free.

At the same time, Gu Yunxing arrived from the side, his palm strike cutting through the air like a blade, aiming at the hand still holding Rong Qi.

The freak completely withdrew its grip, and Rong Qi immediately spun around, stepping back, using his foot to kick several stones toward the figure.

In an instant, there was a sound like something breaking through the air. Amidst the flickering flashes of lightning, Rong Qi vaguely saw Gu Yunxing locked in combat with the freak. The two moved at incredible speed. Although his vision was limited, Rong Qi could sense that Gu Yunxing was gradually falling into a disadvantage.

From their brief exchange earlier, Rong Qi had gained a deep understanding of the freak’s strength. His arm still trembled faintly, shaking slightly at the slightest exertion. He didn’t know what kind of martial arts this freak practiced, but his skin and flesh were as hard as iron, impervious to blades and spears.

Could Gu Yunxing be his match?

The rain grew heavier, pouring down relentlessly, driven by the fierce winds, crashing onto the island.

Rong Qi bent down, picking up a few stones, straining to make out the figures of the two combatants.

Suddenly, Gu Yunxing’s sharp voice cut through the storm, “Why aren’t you running?!”

Rong Qi froze for a moment before quickly reacting, his anger flaring. “Gu Yunxing!”

Was he being considered a burden?

Just as he was about to curse, a low grunt from Gu Yunxing rumbled through the thunder.

Rong Qi hesitated for only a moment before viciously snapping off a tree branch. Unable to see clearly, he decided to shut his eyes, relying on his hearing to locate their positions and re-enter the fray. The freak was unusually tall, much larger than a normal person, towering over both of them. So, Rong Qi focused his strikes higher, aiming for the head, ensuring that Gu Yunxing wouldn’t be accidentally harmed.

His movements were quick and decisive, his strikes sharp and full of intent, leaving no room for maneuver. It was entirely different from Gu Yunxing’s more open, wide-swinging style.

“To the left!”

Gu Yunxing had already adjusted his movements when Rong Qi rushed in, offering timely advice from the side.

Rong Qi’s sword momentum hadn’t yet ceased as he twisted his body to the left, only to realize his left hand had been grabbed.

Gu Yunxing: “Hold onto me!”

Rong Qi: “……”

The freak roared in fury, swinging its massive fist toward them.

Rong Qi bent low, swiftly dodging, his movements as quick as a swallow. He held onto Gu Yunxing’s hand, using the momentum to dart to the side. As his wrist twisted, the tip of his sword grazed the freak’s arm, leaving a shallow wound.

Gu Yunxing shifted his position, using his palm to block, and placed Rong Qi behind him for protection.

The brief exchange had lasted only a moment, yet they had exchanged hundreds of blows. A slight misstep could have been fatal. Both of them were beginning to feel the strain.

But the freak showed no signs of tiring. Instead, it seemed even more enraged, its attacks growing fiercer. Its punches came like a mountain crashing down, yet its movements were as fast as lightning.

Their earlier coordinated strikes had been a fluke, but now that the figure was fighting with full force, Gu Yunxing and Rong Qi could only barely evade its deadly blows and retreat in disarray. Both of them were top-tier martial artists, yet together, they were being thoroughly suppressed with no room to fight back. While they hadn’t been defeated yet, it was only a matter of time.

What in the world was this monster?

Rong Qi had faced life-threatening situations before, but never one that left him as hopeless as this. The storm they had encountered at sea had only made him fear the insignificance of his own existence in the face of nature. But this freak before him had cultivation method that surpassed comprehension, reaching an unattainable level. It felt as if there was an insurmountable gulf between human strength and its power.

Gu Yunxing grabbed Rong Qi’s hand, pulling him along as they fought and retreated.

Yet the towering figure was always right behind them, like a relentless ghost they couldn’t shake off.

“Rong Qi, do you have a way to hold him off for a moment?” Gu Yunxing asked, his voice strained with each breath.

Rong Qi was also exhausted. Hearing the question, he pulled out the last few remaining bone-piercing needles from his waist and said, “At most, three breaths.”

Gu Yunxing spoke in a low voice, “It’s enough.”

The silver-ringed bone-piercing needles flew through the air, turning into cold flashes of light in the rain, shooting toward their target.

This was Rong Qi’s final trump card. The silver needles, three in total, could each strike a vital point with inner force, piercing through flesh and bone, delivering a deadly blow.

But this time, all three needles aimed for the same vital point — the Zhangmen acupoint.

Almost the instant the needles were released, Rong Qi felt his left hand being forcefully yanked, his entire body dragged forward as they fled.

Gu Yunxing spoke quickly, “The steep slope ahead on the right, there’s an underground river below.”

In that brief moment, Rong Qi immediately understood what Gu Yunxing meant.

To the left was the forest, and to the right was the steep slope.

Against an expert of this level, the terrain was no longer of any real importance. It was only a matter of time before the freak caught up to them. Their best option was to follow Gu Yunxing’s judgment and take the path on the right.

Fleeing in the dark was certainly the worst possible situation.

He only heard Gu Yunxing’s warning, “Be careful,” before his foot slipped, and he tumbled down the steep slope, rolling uncontrollably.

The island had many rocks, which pressed painfully against his skin through his clothes. By the time they finally came to a stop, Rong Qi’s head was spinning, but he knew the danger wasn’t over. He gritted his teeth and forced himself to push up, ignoring the discomfort.

The wound on his palm, pierced by sharp stones, seemed to have bled a little. He cursed under his breath, then pressed his palm to the ground, feeling around.

Soon, his wrist was grabbed.

Rong Qi froze for a moment.

The grip on his wrist loosened slightly, slowly sliding down the side of his wrist to his palm, then suddenly gently rubbed it with a fingertip.

It was Gu Yunxing.

Rong Qi hesitated for a moment, trying hard to ignore the itch in his palm. He curled his fingers and squeezed back.

Gu Yunxing tightened his grip.

With the wind and rain providing cover, they moved silently forward.

“Haah… come out… co-come out“

The freak was still close by.