The First Summoner - Chapter 38

Zhuge Weiran nearly collapsed from fury.

Were these people from Nanxiao Kingdom insane?

Why were they so determined to drag everyone else to their deaths?

Ouyang Hong clearly shared the thought. Blocking another attack, he turned to Zhuge Weiran.

“We need to leave!”

Zhuge Weiran hesitated for only a moment before nodding.

“Agreed.”

He had warned his allies, yet they insisted on their own reckless course. They could not blame him for choosing to save himself.

He was not foolish enough to die for someone else’s stupidity.

Shen Xue overheard their exchange, and her expression changed at once.

Panic seized her.

“Seventh Prince, Crown Prince Ouyang, we can’t break free! Are you going to abandon us?” she cried, wielding morality like a weapon. “Zhuge Weiran, weren’t you the one who said no ally could be left behind?”

Zhuge Weiran had never imagined his own promise would become an obstacle to his escape.

Even his good temper finally snapped.

“I said retreat at once!”

“The problem is that we can’t!”

Zhuge Weiran almost coughed blood from rage.

He had clearly seen her chance to withdraw. Instead, she kept moving closer to the Soul-Severing Spirit Vine while claiming the exact opposite.

Even a fool could tell Shen Xue had some ulterior motive.

Another genius was ripped apart by the vine.

“Go!”

Zhuge Weiran refused to waste another word on her. He called to Ouyang Hong and fought toward the edge.

High above them, Shen Yan crouched on the branch of the towering tree.

She had originally intended to follow Nangong Yu and finish him while he was badly wounded. Then she noticed movement from the distant tree where the Qiutian Sect members were hiding.

For now, she set his death aside.

Her guarded gaze fixed on the sect’s concealed position.

At the same time, Zhuge Weiran’s argument with Shen Xue reached her ears.

Shen Yan glanced at Shen Xue, suspicion stirring.

The woman valued her life above everything. She would never rush deeper into danger without a reason.

By all logic, she should have retreated with Zhuge Weiran and the others.

Instead, she kept using their principles against them, trying to force them to stay.

Something was wrong.

Shen Xue pursued profit above all else. If she was willing to gamble her life…

Did she know the Blood-Devouring Pearl was here?

Coldness entered Shen Yan’s eyes.

“Zhuge Weiran! Ouyang Hong! Are you two hypocrites really going to abandon us?”

Nangong Jin realized they meant to leave and shouted in humiliated rage.

Ouyang Hong’s face was deathly pale. He raised his sword and knocked aside several tendrils, veins standing out along his neck.

“You can choose to retreat too!”

Nangong Jin turned toward Shen Xue.

She had already moved deep into the Soul-Severing Spirit Vine’s territory.

“Xue’er, come back!” he shouted, frantic with worry.

Lu Shaohuai also called out.

“Don’t be afraid, Xue’er! I’m coming to save you!”

He charged toward her while the vine attacked without pause.

As a spirit-plant master, Lu Shaohuai summoned a purple wisteria of his own.

The Soul-Severing Spirit Vine, however, was a sovereign among vine-type spirit plants.

It tore the mere purple wisteria to pieces in an instant.

Lu Shaohuai’s expression shifted.

He raised one hand, and a flower appeared in his palm. Its petals were silver, while flecks of gold shimmered across its bud. It was strikingly beautiful.

Shen Yan recognized it from a spirit-plant record in the Shen family library.

The flower was called a Silver Thunder Blossom, a low-level Mystic-rank spirit plant.

Silver light radiated from Lu Shaohuai’s entire body.

He formed a hand seal and shouted, “Blossom Thunderburst!”

Silver lightning struck the tendrils lunging toward him.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

The vines exploded one after another.

Their assault temporarily halted.

Delight crossed Lu Shaohuai’s face, and he rushed toward Shen Xue.

Shen Yan watched, her gaze deepening.

How could a spirit plant that even Elder Yu feared possess only this much strength?

The longer she observed it, the more convinced she became that the Soul-Severing Spirit Vine was playing with them.

Zhuge Weiran and Ouyang Hong had nearly escaped the danger zone.

Only three more steps remained.

Then—

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

Several tendrils moved with terrifying speed.

Neither man had time to dodge.

The vines caught them and dragged them back, slamming them to the ground at Shen Xue’s feet.

They screamed together.

Their hair was disheveled, their clothes stained with blood.

Shen Xue jumped. When she recognized them, her face changed.

“Seventh Prince! Crown Prince Ouyang!”

Behind her, Lu Shaohuai’s pupils contracted.

“Xue’er, watch out! Dodge!”

Shen Xue’s heart lurched.

She raised her sword, but a vine stabbed in from a treacherous angle and pierced her shoulder blade.

“Ah!”

Her lips went white.

She was about to sever the tendril when the old man’s excited, hoarse voice sounded inside her sea of consciousness.

“Xue’er, quickly! Use this chance to see if you can contract it!”

Her heart stirred.

Enduring the terrible pain, she answered through their mental link.

“But I’m not a spirit-plant master!”

The old man spoke with complete confidence.

“Your master is here to help you. Do it without fear!”

Excitement rose inside Shen Xue.

She immediately agreed and formed hand seals, attempting to create a contract formation.

The Soul-Severing Spirit Vine seemed to understand her intent.

It ripped the tendril from her shoulder blade.

Then the blood-covered vine slapped her across the face.

Smack!

The sound cracked through the forest.

Shen Xue was hurled to the ground.

A bloody lash mark appeared across her cheek.

She screamed, tears spilling from the pain, and lifted a trembling hand to touch her burning face.

Blood.

Terror filled her eyes.

Was she going to be disfigured?

“Xue’er, avoid its attacks!” the old man urged. “Your master did not expect this Soul-Severing Spirit Vine to be so vicious and intelligent. It must have awakened sentience!”

Shen Xue resented him for his mistake, but her answer remained obedient.

“Yes, Master.”

“Xue’er!”

Lu Shaohuai saw the woman he loved wounded and scarred.

Anger overwhelmed his reason.

“Don’t be afraid! I’ll avenge you!”

At the same time, Nangong Yu limped back into view.

More than a hundred contestants followed behind him.

He pointed toward the Soul-Severing Spirit Vine, his face bloodless.

“It’s right ahead! There are hundreds of flags just ahead!”

The contestants’ eyes lit up as they stared toward the vine’s territory.