After releasing his Death Qi, Lu Yuan immediately sensed the vast disparity between himself and the black cloud opposite him.

At Lv5, [Circulation of Death Qi] theoretically shouldn't be inferior to the Death Qi controlled by a Strong Divine Servant of the Crow God Sect.

However, a rough calculation revealed that the amount of Death Qi required to form that black cloud was at least ten times his own.

It was clearly an opponent on an entirely different level.

Thankfully, I don't rely solely on [Death Teller (Extraordinary)]... Martial Arts are my foundation.

Lu Yuan stood on a large bluestone, wreathed in Death Qi, but did not initiate an attack.

The black cloud in his vision rapidly approached.

Then, the entire cloud collapsed inward, re-forming.

Countless crows soared into the sky, cawing and circling the massive vortex of Death Qi.

Soon, a figure slowly materialized from the vortex.

He was clad in a long robe of pure black silk that looked expensive.

The wide hem of the robe concealed his feet, making it impossible to discern his height.

He had wine-red hair and wore a black crow mask that covered only the upper half of his face.

The mask bore intricate silver patterns.

His exposed nose was remarkably high-bridged, his chin fair and delicate, and even his pupils were a deep blue.

It was clear he wasn't a Sum Countryman.

Lu Yuan wasn't surprised; the name Calophis already suggested he wasn't a local.

What did surprise Lu Yuan was that the visible parts of the man's body showed no signs of distortion from Death Qi.

Moreover, he didn't use any crows.

He could fly relying solely on his control of Death Qi and some unknown technique?!

This far exceeded Lu Yuan's expectations.

The red-haired man, enveloped by Death Qi and crows, walked towards Lu Yuan, treading on air.

From his superior vantage point, his deep blue eyes shot a gaze filled with coldness, contempt, and loathing.

Lu Yuan's eyes flickered. He lowered his voice, producing a raspy, hoarse sound like scraping rusty blades.

"@#￥%....."

He spoke in the Ancient Lingual he had learned not long ago, his tone thick with accusation.

[Calophis, the great King of Black Crow has seen through your treachery and betrayal.

Your actions have caused great and irreparable damage to the Crow God Sect. Kneel down.

Offer your head and soul, and perhaps I, on behalf of the great Crow God, will consider forgiving your sins...]

"Eh..."

The red-haired man, hovering in mid-air, was momentarily stunned.

A clear flicker of emotion crossed his eyes.

Then, he swiftly raised his hand, and an ice-cold voice issued from his lips.

"#￥%@!"

[You shameless scum!]

An intense sense of crisis instantly welled up in Lu Yuan's heart.

He was already in the Lv3 [Absolute Focus] state. His Martial Arts instincts were at full throttle.

Almost without thinking, he shot to the side.

Just as he dodged, a crescent-shaped wave of black Death Qi, radiating murderous intent, suddenly appeared above the bluestone.

It shot down violently, smashing into the bluestone.

BANG!

This ancient bluestone, which had rested in the forest for who knew how many years, was instantly shattered.

So powerful!

A chill ran down Lu Yuan's spine. Without time to think, his body unconsciously began to move again.

BANG!

BANG! BANG!

He darted and leaped between stones and ancient trees like a deer.

Almost every time he landed, a black Death Qi moon blade would appear, striking his landing spot.

Rocks exploded, and sturdy ancient trees groaned under the assault.

Wood chips, leaves, and shattered stone rained down everywhere.

Lu Yuan gritted his teeth, his mind racing, a thousand thoughts churning.

Damn it, this Crow God Sect expert's power is even greater than I expected.

Just like a bomber.

No wonder he dared to seek revenge so blatantly and openly.

I need to figure out a way to drag him down and fight on the ground.

Lu Yuan suddenly accelerated, dodging a Death Qi moon blade.

Then he quickly picked up a moss-covered stone as large as a millstone.

As he lifted the boulder, the insects underneath scurried in panic.

Lu Yuan's arms bulged, veins popping. He roared and hurled it vehemently at the emotionless, red-haired man in mid-air!

"@#￥%..."

[Are you only capable of spouting nonsense from up there?...

On behalf of the Crow God... I despise you!]

...

THUD!

A large boulder shot out from the forest like a cannonball, soaring high into the sky, straight towards the red-haired, black-robed man suspended in mid-air.

However, the latter merely raised his hand slightly. A Black Qi materialized from nowhere and instantly shattered the formidable flying boulder.

Gao Qing and the other two watched this scene from their Fly Shuttle, their expressions solemn.

"It seems this isn't a duel between Divine Envoys... The one fighting this Crow God Divine Envoy is only at the Strong Divine Servant Level. The two are not on the same level at all."

The buzz-cut man, one eye glowing blue, spoke gravely, "This should be an internal disciplinary action by the Crow God Sect, but..."

The blue light in the buzz-cut man's eye seemed to scan data. A hint of confusion touched his resolute face.

"Based on the translation and analysis of their conversation... it seems the suppressed Strong Divine Servant is the one in the right. Has this Crow God Divine Envoy come specifically to silence him?"

He turned to look at Gao Qing and the other man.

Gao Qing shook her head and replied, "I'm not sure. The Evil God Sect is rife with conspiracies and lies; the truth isn't important to us..."

"Indeed," the long-haired man beside her chimed in. "The course of this battle is the most valuable part for us. It will be very helpful for studying the power and methods wielded by the Crow God Sect's high-level combatants. If we retrieve the memory content and submit it, we might even earn extra Merit."

"When are the reinforcements arriving?" Gao Qing, who had been silent, suddenly asked.

The buzz-cut man replied, "Red Bear is on his way and should be here soon... Do you think this Crow God Sect Strong Divine Servant can last that long? What if the Crow God Divine Envoy deals with him and immediately turns on us... What then?"

Neither of them spoke.

After a moment, the long-haired man sighed faintly. "Let's hope... he can hold on a little longer."

「......」

Lu Yuan was not surprised to see the flying boulder blocked.

His eyes flickered, and he suddenly shouted again, "@#￥￥%..."

[Calophis! Your vile and rotten soul has been seen through by the Crow God! I have obtained proof of your guilt. Just wait for your flesh to be pecked away by a flock of crows!]

After speaking, Lu Yuan didn't look back.

He plunged into the dense forest behind him.

Believe it or not, his Experience Points in 'Ancient Language Expert' and 'Ancient Lingual' had risen after that verbal barrage.

Indeed, practical application was the fastest way to progress.

Seeing Lu Yuan flee, the red-haired man's brow furrowed slightly.

He manipulated the Death Qi, launching more frequent and ferocious attacks.

But this lowly Strong Divine Servant was as nimble as a flea, always evading his attacks.

Thanks to the "Crow God's Pact," he could always sense his opponent's exact location, so he wasn't afraid of them escaping.

But this was Sum Country, after all.

If this dragged on, it might attract stronger members of the law enforcement team.

At this thought, the red-haired man subconsciously glanced at a silver-gray Fly Shuttle in the distance, then grumbled under his breath.

"Annoying bug!"

A cold light flickered in his eyes, and his figure suddenly dove, plummeting swiftly.

Propelled by the vast Death Qi, the red-haired man began to chase Lu Yuan's fleeing figure, skimming the forest canopy.

His consciousness stirred, releasing his invisible Spiritual Power.

The dense tree branches below parted to either side as his gaze swept over them.

But as he ventured deeper, the terrain below grew lower, and merely parting the forest canopy made it difficult to lock onto the fleeing figure.

Obstructions increased.

It wasn't just the annoying trees.

There were also naturally formed stone pillars and cliff overhangs.

The red-haired man had no choice but to lower his altitude further. Thousands of crows flapped chaotically around him, darting between the dense forest and the sky.

「......」

Forty meters.

Thirty-five meters.

Thirty meters.

...

Lu Yuan ran headlong, his expression grim and determined.

His Spiritual Power spread out as he silently calculated the direct distance between himself and the red-haired man.

Closer...

Even closer.

Just a little closer...

A huge black lash of Death Qi, like a python, whipped past Lu Yuan's side, slamming into a tree directly in front of him to his right.

BANG!

A large hole was blasted through the thick trunk of the larch. The entire tree shook violently, pine needles raining down.

Then, creaking, it began to tilt slowly to one side.

It was the same tentacle-like Death Qi attack.

The contrast between the red-haired man and the Strong Divine Servants Lu Yuan had previously encountered was like night and day.

The former's attacks had greater range, and their destructive power was more than a level higher, comparable to a rocket launcher.

Twenty-five meters! Almost there... Now!

Under the crow mask, Lu Yuan's eyes flashed with brilliance.

His body, which had been bent forward in a run, suddenly twisted.

His right hand splayed open, the sharp edge of Moon Snatching on his fingertips gliding silkily across the falling larch trunk, leaving a deep gash.

BANG! CRACK—

Lu Yuan kicked the larch violently. The explosive force from his leg instantly caved in and snapped the sturdy trunk.

His entire body, like a cannonball, launched into the sky, shooting towards the red-haired man in mid-air behind him.

"The Crow God says... you die!"

The fierce wind whipped Lu Yuan's short hair back. His already robust body swelled another size during the ascent.

He had pushed the effect of Lv3 [Special Burst] almost to its limit.

Muscles rippled like gnarled tree roots all over his body. Enveloped in dense Death Qi, he soared upwards like a giant, ferocious crane.

Facing Lu Yuan's sudden counterattack, the red-haired man seemed to have anticipated it.

He snorted coldly, a disdainful smirk playing on his lips.

He ascended smoothly while extending a hand, casually manipulating the surrounding Death Qi to unfold like petals.

It instantly formed dozens of thick black tentacles and a dense swarm of palm-sized black moon blades.

With a flick of his finger, they descended upon Lu Yuan like a net.

Lu Yuan's eyes reflected this unprecedented onslaught of Death Qi.

His gaze seemed to waver slightly, but he remained calm.

Just as he was about to collide with the dense Death Qi moon blades and tentacles, the black Death Qi on Lu Yuan's body suddenly converged at his back.

At his spine, it formed a pair of blurry, crude, black wings resembling those of a crow.

They flapped down hard.

Propelled by this force, Lu Yuan's straight ascent suddenly shot up another segment.

His lower body narrowly dodged the volley of Death Qi moon blades. Before the black Death Qi tentacles could pursue and ensnare him, the black "wings" on Lu Yuan's back flapped hard again.

The force this time was so great it nearly dispersed the entire pair of wings.

And Lu Yuan used this momentum to completely close the distance to the red-haired man.

His arms, bearing Moon Snatching, spread wide.

His sturdy, dark-hued body resembled a fully drawn bow.

In a posture resembling a bear hug, Lu Yuan lunged at the red-haired man.

The red-haired man's deep blue pupils contracted sharply.

He was caught off guard.

Wrapped in the roiling Death Qi, they plummeted downwards.

"Now... it's my turn."

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