Chapter 121: The Mountains Loom Under the Approaching Storm...

Long Tianjiao suspected that Chu Tian was merely making excuses to take advantage of her. Otherwise, why would he show absolutely no sign of worry when they were clearly trapped in a perilous situation?

Well, the truth was that Chu Tian was indeed taking the opportunity to take advantage of his Fifth Senior Sister. Her sweet kisses were, in fact, quite fragrant!

After having his fill, Chu Tian hesitated no longer. He struck out with both palms simultaneously toward the massive boulder.

Boom!

In an instant, a fist-sized circular hole appeared in the rock. More than that, a sliver of light shone through the end of the hole, suggesting it had breached the exterior.

This... how could this be?

Long Tianjiao’s pupils constricted; she found it hard to believe what she was seeing. The stone chamber where they had been trapped was at least several tens of meters away from the entrance of the underground palace, and that entire distance had been completely choked with debris. Yet, Chu Tian had punched through all of it. Just how powerful were those palms of his? It was incredible!

Immediately, oxygen began to flow through the opening, replenishing the small corner. Long Tianjiao no longer needed to shallowly regulate her breathing; she could finally take deep gulps of fresh air.

Next, Chu Tian threw a series of punches.

Boom, boom, boom!

With several strikes, he punched more holes into the boulder. When countless holes merged together, they formed an opening several meters wide, large enough for two people to pass through side-by-side. Long Tianjiao took a look and realized she could easily crawl out through the gap.

"Xiao Tian, let's go quickly!" Long Tianjiao said, her face lit with surprise and impatience.

However, before she could even crawl toward the opening, Chu Tian had already wrapped an arm around her slender waist.

"Fifth Sister, I’ll take you out!"

Chu Tian pulled her close and leaped upward. Long Tianjiao felt a blur before her eyes, and by the time she opened them again, she found they had already escaped the underground palace and landed on the mountaintop. Chu Tian had leaped dozens of meters in a single bound; the speed was so incredible that it completely surpassed Long Tianjiao's ability to react.

It was only after a long moment, feeling the moonlight shining down on them once more, that Long Tianjiao snapped out of her daze and regained her composure.

"Where did Situ Deng go? Why have they all disappeared?" Long Tianjiao scanned her surroundings, but the area was deserted.

"No matter where he went, his purpose in kidnapping you was to threaten your grandfather, so they will certainly participate in the North-South Tournament," Chu Tian said, his expression darkening and his tone firm.

"Then we should head to the venue for the North-South Tournament too. We cannot let them succeed." Hearing this, Long Tianjiao’s eyes became grave.

The two descended the mountain and found Long Tianjiao’s sports car, but there was no sign of Wang Jiulong.

"Jiulong is gone?" Chu Tian frowned, a sense of foreboding welling up in his heart.

"Situ Deng left earlier; perhaps they crossed paths on the way, and he might be in danger," Long Tianjiao speculated after a moment of thought.

"Let’s search the surrounding area." Chu Tian did not hesitate; he took Long Tianjiao with him and began to scan the mountain forest.

They circled the base of the mountain but still could not find any trace of Wang Jiulong. Suddenly, Chu Tian stopped in his tracks.

"What is it?" Long Tianjiao asked.

"I smell blood," Chu Tian replied meaningfully, suddenly looking upward.

Just then, a drop of fresh blood fell from the sky. It plummeted with such extreme speed that an ordinary person’s eyes might not have caught it, but it could not escape Chu Tian’s sharp gaze. He reached out, and a drop of bright red blood landed in his palm.

"Wang Jiulong is on the mountain?" Long Tianjiao immediately realized who the blood belonged to.

"I’m going to save him." Chu Tian’s expression hardened, and he walked straight toward the sheer cliff face. He leaped upward, his feet landing on the cliff wall as he sprinted vertically into the air. Seeing this, a flash of shock crossed Long Tianjiao’s eyes.

In an instant, Chu Tian reached the mountainside and grabbed Wang Jiulong by the waist. Fortunately, although Wang Jiulong was on the brink of death, he still had a breath left in him.

Holding Wang Jiulong with one hand, Chu Tian moved with unwavering stability and leaped down from the cliff. Long Tianjiao hurriedly stepped back, expecting a heavy impact upon landing, but Chu Tian touched the ground as lightly as a dragonfly skimming the water.

He set Wang Jiulong down, quickly pressed several of his acupoints, and took out a Nourishing Qi Pill, forcing it into Wang Jiulong’s mouth. As the pure medicinal power melted, Wang Jiulong’s vitality gradually returned, and he slowly opened his eyes.

"Master, I... am I dreaming?" Wang Jiulong asked weakly, unable to believe he was still alive and looking at Chu Tian.

"You aren't dreaming. Get up, now." Knowing Wang Jiulong had recovered, Chu Tian ignored him further and strode toward the sports car. Wang Jiulong touched the wound on his shoulder, which had now completely stopped bleeding, and hurriedly scrambled to his feet to follow.

The three of them got into the car and headed toward the venue of the North-South Tournament.

...

Jinling was an ancient capital of six dynasties with a profound heritage. The annual North-South Tournament had always been held in the suburbs of Jinling, and this year was no exception.

A massive arena had been constructed in the outskirts of the city, capable of holding thousands of spectators at once. After all, the decennial North-South Tournament was undoubtedly a major event in the Jiangnan region. Many people spent a fortune on tickets just to witness the battles.

Soon, Chu Tian and his companions arrived outside the arena. A number of guesthouses had been set up nearby to accommodate travelers. While prestigious figures could enter the venue early and even rest in private rooms within the complex, ordinary spectators without status had to stay in the guesthouses outside.

If Chu Tian had revealed his identity, he could have easily stayed inside the venue. However, he did not want to expose himself too early. If he did, Situ Deng would know that he, Chu Tian, was still alive, and he would surely flee. Therefore, Chu Tian kept his presence hidden and simply rented and booked out an entire guesthouse on the outskirts.

"Jiulong, rest here. I’m going to take a look at the venue." Chu Tian wanted to scout for Situ Deng’s whereabouts; if his guess was correct, that was where he would be headed.

"I’ll go with you." Long Tianjiao was concerned, especially since Chu Tian had only just recovered from his injuries; she couldn't bear to let him go and face danger alone.

"Alright, but we must keep a low profile. Make sure no one notices us." Chu Tian smiled faintly, not refusing her request.

"Master, I..." Suddenly, Wang Jiulong hesitated, seemingly wanting to say something.