Chapter Ninety-Seven: The Hunt for the Black Warrior

Chapter Ninety-Seven: The Pursuit of the Black-Faced Warrior

Seated within the stone chamber, Chu Jie felt as though he had become one with the stone palace itself. From the moment he took control of the stone hall, he sensed a profound connection between himself and the structure.

Though the stone hall traveled along fixed tracks, there were occasional forks in the path where one could alter its route. At their current location, they stood at such a junction. Chu Jie casually chose a path and guided the stone hall along it.

The stone hall moved at an incredible speed along the track, far faster than any of them could sprint—swift as a gale, exhilarating beyond measure. Moreover, the surrounding area was now fully illuminated, no longer shrouded in pitch darkness, which brought Chu Jie a great sense of relief.

Everyone seated in the stone hall’s main chamber opened their eyes. They felt the movement of the stone hall, no longer forced to grope blindly through darkness, which they found quite agreeable.

Though the stone hall raced like the wind outside, its interior remained perfectly stable, allowing them to meditate and cultivate without disruption. Thus, after briefly opening their eyes to sense the change, Duan Kun and the others settled back into their meditation.

Under Chu Jie’s guidance, the stone hall sped forward. Suddenly, he noticed a dense mass of dark figures looming in the distance. Upon closer inspection, it was a swarm of Black Wind Snakes. Strange that such creatures would gather here in such numbers.

Chu Jie immediately commanded the stone hall to increase its speed another level, though he knew this would drastically consume his spiritual energy. Luckily, his Wildfire Cauldron still contained a good number of Mystic Crystals; without them, such a sudden expenditure would have been impossible.

Soon, the stone hall collided with the snake swarm at full speed.

Thousands of Black Wind Snakes were smashed into a cloud of blood mist by the impact, exploding midair. Those struck were pulverized beyond recognition, utterly worthless even as prey.

Chu Jie was awestruck by the sheer power of the stone hall. That one collision had slain over a thousand snakes. The rest, flying higher, escaped the blow and didn't dare to attack, swiftly fleeing the area.

Yet Chu Jie did not press forward. Despite the massive snake presence earlier, there was no sign of battle—thus, the black-faced warrior they sought was likely not here.

He glanced at the map, steering the stone hall back to the fork, then raced down the alternate track.

Traveling by stone hall was effortless, though the spiritual energy consumption was steep. Still, compared to the Mystic Crystals expended, if he could obtain the Golden Armor, it would all be worthwhile.

Peering into the hall, Chu Jie saw Duan Kun and the others still deep in meditation, seemingly oblivious to the snake attack outside—proof of the stone hall’s excellent soundproofing.

Retracting his divine sense, Chu Jie focused fully on chasing the black-faced warrior, keeping his eyes sharp for any sign ahead. To avoid missing anything, he moderated the stone hall’s speed, ensuring every detail was observed.

Now, unlike before, everything around was laid bare to his vision. If the black-faced warrior had not detected him, Chu Jie could certainly spot the warrior first.

As the stone hall pressed onward, it soon reached a cavern. According to the map, caverns were rare; this was the first one encountered since activating the stone hall.

The stone hall gradually slowed. Utilizing its capabilities, Chu Jie scanned inside the cavern with perfect clarity, as if seeing with his own eyes. The cavern was empty, filled only with rubble—no sign of Black Wind Snakes or any other creatures.

He recalled that the peerless villain must have used a similar method to explore these caves.

Still finding no trace of the black-faced warrior, Chu Jie resumed driving the stone hall forward.

The stone hall operated quietly, a feature Chu Jie greatly appreciated—it allowed him to stealthily close in on his target.

The underground tunnels were perfectly sized for the stone hall. Though it had lain dormant long, it ran smoothly now without issue.

Just as Chu Jie feared the black-faced warrior had escaped for good, a golden figure appeared in his vision ahead—it was him.

Chu Jie commanded the stone hall to accelerate, determined to overtake him at once lest he slip away again.

The black-faced warrior seemed unaware of the approaching stone hall, running steadily forward. A glowing orb floated before him, casting light for some thirty feet.

“Another cavern lies just ahead,” Chu Jie thought, glancing at the map.

Though the black-faced warrior was now found, capturing him and securing the Golden Armor remained problematic. Previously, though the warrior hadn’t tried to kill him, he had shown intent to steal his treasure.

The Golden Armor had to be seized. If the black-faced warrior obtained the complete armor, he would likely come after them without hesitation.

At that moment, the black-faced warrior finally noticed the stone hall closing in and let out a long, piercing howl that echoed through the tunnel.

Suddenly, his speed tripled—he must possess secret techniques; otherwise, he could never run so fast.

Chu Jie sneered. No matter how fast he ran, how could he be faster than the stone hall? He pushed the stone hall to an even greater speed.

The sudden acceleration startled those inside.

“Speed’s increased,” Duan Kun frowned.

“The boss must have detected the Golden Armor’s trail,” Wu Long said.

Duan Kun nodded, rising. “Prepare yourselves. We may need to intervene soon.”

Wu Long and the others stood, following Duan Kun to the stone door, ready at any moment to confront the black-faced warrior.

Meanwhile, the black-faced warrior fled frantically, not daring to look back—not because he feared Chu Jie, but because he dreaded the stone hall. If it struck him, he’d be crushed into a pulp.

Had his Golden Armor been intact, he might have risked fighting, but it was incomplete—capable of blocking attacks, yes, but not resilient to the counterforce of a collision.

So he could do nothing but flee madly, cursing Chu Jie loudly.

“Just wait! I’ll shatter you into a thousand pieces!”

“How dare you chase me! You’ll regret this!”

Chu Jie’s expression darkened. This man had to die.

Pushing the stone hall’s speed to its limit, it emitted a low hum as spiritual energy drained rapidly. Unblinking, Chu Jie tossed another five hundred Mystic Crystals into the stone hall’s recess.

The infusion of potent spiritual energy halted the hum but kept the speed steady.

“This can still be pushed further!” Chu Jie’s eyes gleamed as he raised the speed again until the hum resumed.

The stone hall flew forward like a streak of light, leaving blurred afterimages in its wake. Its velocity was so extreme that explosive air sounds rang out, and dazzling spiritual light shone where it touched the track.

Inside, some weaker cultivators lost their footing and fell amid the sudden acceleration.

Duan Kun and the others were shocked. None of them could reach such speeds on their own—it was terrifying.

Within moments, the stone hall closed in on the black-faced warrior.

Chu Jie no longer hesitated, directly driving the stone hall to crush him.

“Once I escape, I’ll bring my men and slaughter you all! How dare you chase Black Grandpa!” the black-faced warrior screamed as he fled, shouting incessantly.

But by now, the stone hall was right behind him, its roaring wind forcing him to glance back—only to feel as if a wall slammed into his face.

Bones cracked audibly, yet his Golden Armor remained unscathed, its surface growing even smoother and faintly glowing from the impact.

The stone hall did not fling the warrior aside but rolled over him, the crunching sound distinct as it pressed down on an unfamiliar object. It lifted slightly, then settled back down.

Chu Jie worried briefly the armor might be damaged—it had just been crushed by the stone hall. If dented, he’d be in serious trouble.

The stone hall left a long glowing trail, sliding over a hundred meters before stopping.

Inside the stone hall, one of the disciples rubbed his head, feeling dizzy from the sudden acceleration and abrupt halt.

Everyone’s blood boiled with excitement from the speed surge.

“Rest and regulate your breath,” Duan Kun advised.

Meanwhile, Chu Jie, still within the stone chamber, reversed the stone hall. After a short time, it came to a stop. Each side of the stone hall had doors facing forward.

The central hall slowly rotated, turning the exit to face backward.

Just three meters from the stone door lay the black-faced warrior, sprawled on the ground in a pool of blood. His fate was uncertain.

Yet all could see his Golden Armor bore no scratches, not even a dent.

Such formidable defense stirred envy in all present. Duan Kun’s eyes shone brightly—any warrior would covet such a treasure.

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