Xiao Yan reacted swiftly, and the others were no less quick. As he turned to flee, Song Qing and the others also instantly broke away from the battle, then rushed into the forest with all their might! “Swish!” Among the fleeing group, Cao Ying was at the forefront, and as soon as the soul barrier shattered, she was the first to dash out. However, just a few breaths after her exclamation, a figure flashed past her, surpassing her in an instant. A glance with her beautiful eyes told her that aside from Xiao Yan, it could be no one else. The fleeing individuals were no fools; they did not all run in the same direction. Instead, with a mere exchange of glances, they scattered in all directions, dashing into the vast forest in a few blinks.
“Chase, don’t let anyone escape!” The black-robed man was startled by the fact that the soul barrier was broken so quickly by Cao Ying. He quickly regained his composure and barked coldly. “Yes!” Hearing the black-robed man’s command, the dozen or so black-robed figures nodded obediently, then dispersed in an orderly manner, chasing in the direction of the fleeing crowd.
“I want to see how long you can struggle!” The black-robed man’s cold gaze locked onto the direction where Xiao Yan and Cao Ying disappeared. A sinister smile crossed his face, and with a tremor, the space around him began to ripple, and his figure strangely vanished.
In the lush, green forest, two figures dashed out like agile monkeys. Both moved as fast as lightning, disappearing in a flash among the trees. “Swoosh!”
The two darted without looking back, and suddenly, the vegetation on the side stirred. Another figure emerged. The sudden appearance startled both Xiao Yan and Cao Ying. They hastily scanned the newcomer, recognizing Song Qing. Seeing the two, a look of joy flickered across Song Qing’s face. He stepped through the air and rushed over, urgently saying, “Hurry, those black-robed men are blocking our way…” Realizing his words were unnecessary, as Xiao Yan and Cao Ying didn’t slow down at all. Instead, they sped up, flashing forward. Seeing this, Song Qing’s face twitched, but there was no time for words. He pushed his speed to the limit, trying to keep up.
The three of them hurried through the forest, aiming for the summit of the mountain. To lose the black-robed Dou Zun, they had to lure out something that even he would fear. The top of this mountain, with its ultimate beast, seemed to be the only thing powerful enough to confront him.
Like a whirlwind, the three figures dashed through the forest, kicking up a flurry of dry leaves. Xiao Yan’s expression was somber, and radiant silver light continuously emitted from his feet. His fleeting figure left intermittent afterimages in the air, gradually fading away.
“Thud!” Xiao Yan’s foot landed on a giant tree, his knees slightly bent, ready to launch himself. But his expression suddenly changed, and he abruptly altered his path, bending his foot in an odd arc as he retreated backward.
“Bang!” At the moment Xiao Yan retreated, the space in front of his landing spot rippled and twisted. A black-robed figure suddenly materialized in front of the three, his cold, unforgiving gaze making Xiao Yan, Cao Ying, and Song Qing’s hearts sink.
“Your speed is impressive, but unfortunately, you still can’t escape me,” the black-robed man said, giving Xiao Yan a faint, amused glance. Seeing this, Xiao Yan’s eyes flashed with a chilling light. This guy was truly a thorn in his side.
“Don’t waste my time any longer…” The black-robed man’s patience seemed to be waning. His eyes turned icy, and he clenched his fist, a deep blue, strange crystal layer erupting from his body. It formed a giant crystalline claw in front of him. The claw solidified, and with a wave of his sleeve, it vanished into thin air!
“Be careful!” Seeing the crystalline claw disappear, Xiao Yan’s heart tightened, and he shouted urgently. Having fought this man before, he knew the terrifying power of that deep blue crystal.
As the shout fell, the three of them split off in different directions, retreating at lightning speed. Just as they were retreating, the space in front of Cao Ying started to ripple violently. The crystalline claw forcefully pierced through the space and reached out to grab her, as if the black-robed Dou Zun intended to strike her first.
As the crystalline claw clamped down, Cao Ying was shocked to find that the surrounding space had been frozen solid. She found herself completely immobilized, watching helplessly as the giant claw closed in.
Suddenly, Cao Ying’s perilous situation was noticed by Xiao Yan and Song Qing. Their expressions changed, and Song Qing’s eyes flickered. In a heartbeat, he bit his lip, leaped from a tree, and disappeared into the forest.
Seeing Song Qing abandon Cao Ying, Xiao Yan’s brows furrowed. Glancing at Cao Ying, who was desperately holding on, he sighed inwardly. Such a shameless act was something Xiao Yan couldn’t do. He snapped his fingers, and a silver figure darted out from his storage ring, standing in front of Cao Ying, shielding her with its body.
“Crack!” As the earth demon puppet appeared, the crystalline claw slammed down, and the puppet’s incredibly hard body cracked, emitting a low, muffled sound as it shattered.
“Go!” Using the earth demon puppet to block for Cao Ying, Xiao Yan roared. The unexpected aid left Cao Ying stunned. She looked deeply at Xiao Yan, her lips moving slightly, and a soft voice whispered, “Thank you.”
Realizing the current predicament, Cao Ying didn’t linger. Her lithe figure darted into the forest. As she turned, Xiao Yan recalled the nearly destroyed earth demon puppet, and his silver light-flashing feet activated “Three Thousand Lightning Movements” to the extreme, leaving a trail of afterimages as he dashed in another direction.
Seeing that his move was still fruitless, the black-robed Dou Zun’s face darkened. His cold eyes swept over the three diverging escape routes, focusing on Xiao Yan.
“Since you love saving others, I will see who saves you now,” the black-robed Dou Zun said, his voice full of malice. With a tremor, he vanished again, clearly infuriated by Xiao Yan’s repeated interference.
In the forest, Xiao Yan’s figure flashed like lightning. His face was grim, and though the black-robed Dou Zun was not in sight, he could sense that he was being targeted. Clearly, he was the chosen one among the three.
“Bastard, if you really push me, I’ll make you pay a bloody price, even if I get severely injured!” Dashing further, the feeling of being locked onto only intensified. His eyes flashed with a fierce light. Though the opponent was a Dou Zun, taking down such a tough opponent wouldn’t be easy.
With grim thoughts, Xiao Yan’s speed increased. Eventually, he became a blurred black line, invisible to the eye.
Stomping on the air, Xiao Yan’s eyes peered through the forest toward the mountain peak. They were almost there…
Just as he thought, Xiao Yan’s pupils contracted, and his foot stomped on the air, halting mid-air. His gaze fixed on a tree trunk not far away, where a black-robed figure sat cross-legged.
“Even the smartest prey can’t escape the hunter’s grasp,” the black-robed expert said, his eyes cold and dismissive. “Xiao Yan, I want to see if anyone will save you this time. Your Flame will be mine!”
These words made Xiao Yan’s heart stir. He gazed at the black-robed expert, his face changing. “You… are Elder Mu Gu?”
Hearing this, the black-robed man was slightly surprised, then his grin widened. “Didn’t recognize me?”
Recognizing the elder, Xiao Yan’s heart sank. This was indeed Elder Mu Gu, capable of hiding from the Three Great Elders of the Pill Tower and entering the Pill Realm.
“Recognize me and die knowing. Regardless, we have some connection. Technically, you should call me ‘Elder Uncle’,” Mu Gu laughed coldly.
“No such luck,” Xiao Yan retorted coldly.
Mu Gu smiled, unconcerned, his eyes burning as he stared at Xiao Yan. “This time, I won’t hold back. Kill you, take your soul, and extract the ‘Burning Decision’!”
With a cold laugh, Mu Gu clenched his fist, and the deep blue crystalline claw reappeared. With a flick of his sleeve, the claw vanished.
Seeing the claw vanish, Xiao Yan’s face changed. He knew from their previous encounter that this thing could penetrate space, unpredictable and unstoppable.
Xiao Yan’s prediction was correct. As he focused, the space in front of him twisted, and the giant crystalline claw appeared, lunging at him. The claw’s momentum was terrifying. Xiao Yan understood its power, having seen it almost destroy the earth demon puppet. With his body, a single grab would turn him into a pile of flesh.
But he was prepared. As the claw appeared, Xiao Yan didn’t wait for it to lock onto him. Silver light flashed under his feet, and he teleported dozens of meters away.
“Snort!” Seeing Xiao Yan’s swift reaction, Mu Gu sneered. His sneer fell, and Xiao Yan felt the air ripple as the crystalline claw reappeared, grasping at him. The space around him froze again.
Xiao Yan’s expression changed. This crystalline claw was a nuisance. Even evading it was difficult. A Dou Zun was indeed formidable.
Gritting his teeth, Xiao Yan stared at the claw, gathering all his Dou Qi. Ready for a final showdown!
The claw extended, then opened, closing in on Xiao Yan’s head like a ghostly hand.
As the giant claw approached, Xiao Yan’s face grew grim. “Heavenly Flame Three Mysterious Changes, First Change!” “Heavenly Flame Three Mysterious Changes, Second Change!”
Two shouts in rapid succession caused Xiao Yan’s Dou Qi to surge, loosening the frozen space.
“Heavenly Flame Three Mysterious Changes, Third Change!” Staring fiercely at Mu Gu, who was grinning, Xiao Yan took a deep breath and readied himself.
But just as Xiao Yan was about to execute his hand seal, the space in front of him rippled. A burly figure emerged from the distortions, towering like a steel tower in front of Xiao Yan.
The figure radiated a steady, heavy aura, like a mountain reaching the sky.
“Hehe, making such a ruckus in my territory to kill is pretty disrespectful, isn’t it?” The burly man appeared, surprising Xiao Yan, and then unleashed a simple, powerful punch, colliding with the giant claw.
“Boom!” The clash sent the previously menacing crystalline claw recoiling, showing a few cracks.
“Who are you?!” The sudden change startled Elder Mu Gu, who roared in anger. Before he finished, the burly man spoke, and a clear, melodious laugh echoed through the forest.
“Old geezer, you chase others, and I don’t care. But Xiao Yan is not someone you can kill…”
“Zi Yan?!” Hearing the familiar voice, Xiao Yan was stunned, and his eyes filled with surprise and joy.
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