The Samsara God King's rebirth

CHAPTER 23

                    

Towering over the fallen serpent's body, Shen Wuyin let out a small sigh, as though the kill had been nothing more than a minor feat.

Tang Luo and the others stared in disbelief, their jaws slack as they shifted their focus from the serpent to Shen Wuyin and back to the serpent again.

The air grew lighter, rippling across the valley before settling around them like a barrier.

A series of dry coughs tore from Xie Linger's throat. She leaned forward, placing both hands on her knees.

One of the men standing beside her wrapped his arms around her, asking about her well-being. Straightening her posture, she nodded.

“This is no ordinary spirit serpent. Its cultivation level surpasses that of even the high-level cultivators I've encountered so far,” Shen Wuyin muttered, staring down at the carcass.

Just then, the serpent's body slowly began to fade into bright ashes, glimmering beneath the horizon and leaving behind a glowing crimson orb. Its texture was thick and scaly, much like the serpent's skin.

Crouching beside the glowing orb, Shen Wuyin picked it up, its spirit essence flooding the space.

“Hmm.” Shen Wuyin hummed, inspecting the orb.

Just then, the others stepped forward, their eyes glimmering at the sight of it.

“That is one good-looking beast core,” one of the men remarked.

Xie Linger suddenly leaped forward, her vision dimming.

“Yun Li... you... made it,” she drawled, her voice barely recognizable. Staggering forward, a small smile tugged at her lips.

Shen Wuyin turned towards her, his gaze settling on her frail figure, the core still resting in his hand.

Xie Linger lifted her gaze, meeting his eyes.

Almost immediately, her irises rolled back. Within a breath, she fell forward, unconscious.

Shen Wuyin immediately wrapped his free hand around her waist, catching her just in time. The core in his other hand glowed faintly, hovering above his palm for a few seconds before vanishing into thin air.

“Xie...” Tang Luo muttered, his eyes widening.

Quickly, he rushed towards Shen Wuyin, his features twisted with worry. Swiftly, Shen Wuyin swept her off her feet and into his arms.

Looking down at her, his brows drew together. Blood soaked the fabric of her sleeve.

“The venom,” Shen Wuyin muttered.

Without wasting another second, he bolted towards the other side of the plain.

The others moved across the area, searching for those who had been flung away by the serpent.

Tang Luo followed Shen Wuyin, warmth flickering in his gaze.

Carefully, Shen Wuyin lowered Xie Linger to the ground, kneeling beside her.

Tang Luo crouched at her feet, his breathing now uneven.

“I'll activate my healing technique,” he choked out, struggling to catch his breath.

Shen Wuyin waved his hand once. Without uttering a word, Tang Luo stepped back, his gaze fixed on Xie Linger's frail figure.

“The snake's venom hit her,” Shen Wuyin muttered through his teeth.

Gently, he leaned back, his focus unwavering. Without a second thought, Shen Wuyin activated a reversal technique. The air around them tightened, and a white fog rose into the air with a sizzling crack.

Moving his hands over Xie Linger, Shen Wuyin gently guided the fog, forming lines around her torso.

Maintaining the movement of his arms, he guided the venom out of her meridians and towards her skin, slowly drawing it out of her body.

A thick, dark crimson liquid began seeping from the injury into the fog.

Within minutes, the fog began to fade as quickly as it had appeared.

Tang Luo lifted his gaze to Shen Wuyin, amusement flickering alongside a glint of curiosity.

“How...” His words died in his throat.

Shen Wuyin rose to his feet curtly, ignoring Tang Luo's gaping expression.

“She will regain consciousness in a while,” he said, his voice firm.

Just then, the others returned, carrying the injured ones on their shoulders.

One of them held Mo Yueli in his arms, his chest rising and falling rapidly as he struggled to catch his breath.

Tang Luo quickly straightened, his gaze locking onto Mo Yueli. Her face was covered in blood, and her fingers dangled limply, droplets of blood falling onto the ground.

The man rushed over and lowered her before Tang Luo.

“She’s severely injured,” he choked out, struggling to catch his breath.

Shen Wuyin turned towards her, his expression unreadable.

Elder Luo Yuyan has a lot of unfinished business with her, he sneered inwardly.

Tang Luo quickly activated his healing technique over Mo Yueli. A purple globe encircled her almost immediately, while the others who were injured activated their own techniques, healing themselves from within.

Suddenly, Shen Wuyin's eye flashed green. A pungent smell filled the air, strong enough to cause nausea.

Shen Wuyin glanced around at the others, his stance rigid, already on alert.

However, he soon noticed that the others seemed oblivious to the smell. They remained still, healing themselves. Tang Luo knelt beside Mo Yueli, while the others sat cross-legged on the ground, resting.

A shadow flashed past Shen Wuyin's eyes. The pungent smell grew heavier, its intensity almost suffocating.

Holding his breath, Shen Wuyin glanced around, his eyes searching for a possible presence. Instead, his gaze fell upon the seemingly undisturbed plain.

Without looking down, he spoke.

“We need to leave now.”

His voice came out firm and resounding.

Tang Luo and the others looked at him, their exhausted expressions reflecting their reluctance.

“Yun Li, half of us are injured, and Xie Linger and Mo Yueli are unconscious. How can we advance deeper into the valley in such a condition?” Tang Luo asked, heaving a sigh.

One of the men who had been resting shot to his feet, the exhaustion in his gaze replaced by rage.

“When that snake attacked us, you sat still, ignoring us completely, and now you want us to advance?” he snapped. “Don't make me mad.”

Shen Wuyin lowered himself beside Xie Linger. In one swift move, he carried her into his arms.

“This place isn't safe. Something lurks in the air,” he said without sparing them a glance.

The others shot to their feet.

“How come you're the only one sensing it? We're all second-grade cultivators too!” one of them hissed, his brows drawn together.

“Ignorance is no virtue,” he breathed, stepping forward with his grip around Xie Linger tightening.

“And absurdity isn't either,” the first man gritted out.

Shen Wuyin nodded curtly and channelled qi into his feet, propelling himself upwards.

Lifting his gaze towards him, Tang Luo let out a sigh.

“To be honest, we have no reason to be upset with him,” he said, his voice low, as though every word weighed heavily on him. “If not for him, we would all be dead by now.”

“Yes.” One of the others, Xiang Mu, agreed. “If we're to blame anyone, it should be the princess, Mo Yueli.” His voice came out hoarse.

Shen Wuyin hovered in the air, staring down at them.

“We can't move by land,” his voice rang across the plain.

Xiang Mu helped the man beside him stand, supporting him with his arm.

“I, for one, trust the young man Yun Li's senses,” he drawled, placing the man's arm across his shoulder. “All fifteen of us put together couldn't take down that snake, yet he did it all by himself.”

Whoosh!

He flew into the air, qi swirling around him and the man beside him.

Staring at Shen Wuyin, the scene of him defeating the serpent replayed in Xiang Mu's mind.

“And that healing technique... I haven't seen it before,” he muttered to himself.

“Are you all coming or not?” Xiang Mu's voice thundered through the space, snapping Tang Luo out of his thoughts.

Quickly, he channelled qi around himself, keeping Mo Yueli in his arms and the purple globe firmly surrounding her.

Now in the air, he hovered beside Shen Wuyin.

The others joined them one by one.

As soon as the last person rose into the air...

BOOM!

A dark shadow slammed into the ground where they had stood moments earlier. The ground shattered, leaving behind a large crack. Dark smoke slowly seeped from the crack, reaching towards the air.

“Move now!” Shen Wuyin ordered.