“So, die!”
The leading figure in black robes roared, suddenly raising his head. Under the silver moonlight, his face appeared uncommonly unique, his eyes blood-red. He charged forward at an incredible speed, nearly turning into a streak of light, shocking the other two figures in black.
Although it was merely a small difference in cultivation realms, their leader was this powerful. This time, Li Tan was doomed to die, meaning they would soon have ample opportunities to redeem themselves.
The two black-robed men’s smug smiles made their already hideous faces even more repulsive.
However, contrary to expectations, the leading black-robed figure’s movements, even enhanced by spiritual energy, did not seem fast to Li Tan’s eyes—in fact, they felt somewhat slow.
Whoosh, whoosh.
The wind stirred by the black-robed figure’s charge did not even touch Li Tan’s hem.
Then followed more than ten continuous rounds of attacks. Numerous slashes had already been carved into the leading black-robed figure by Li Tan, but unfortunately, these were only superficial wounds. In exchange for causing these injuries, Li Tan had already consumed more than half of his Qi.
He clearly knew that if this continued, his previous fears would come true—he would once again be trapped by fate and repeat the mistakes of his past life.
A cold breeze blew, lifting Li Tan’s sweat-drenched hair, chilling him to the bone.
At this moment, Li Tan tried his best not to reveal any openings, but his heavy breathing and sweat betrayed his physical condition.
The black-robed figure cackled but did not waste time speaking. Instead, his movements grew faster, leaving behind faint afterimages in the air.
Run. He had to run! Although reluctant, Li Tan was forced to seize a gap in the enemy’s attack and used the mysterious Moye Steps to head toward Linjiang.
“Not entering the Zone of Fallen Immortals?
Have you lost your mind?”
The raspy voice of the black-robed figure expressed confusion, but he paused only briefly before quickly resuming pursuit, sneering to himself.
“If you enter the Zone of Fallen Immortals, you might still have a chance to escape, but running toward Linjiang means certain death!”
Moye Steps reached their peak efficiency in a forest full of obstacles, offering a chance to shake off pursuers. However, the path toward Linjiang was wide open—in other words, Moye Steps would be of little use for escaping.
He wanted to gamble, staking his life and future! The road between Linjiang City and Sa Malin was a wide highway; low hills lay to the left, and a steep cliff to the right, with water trickling through the terrain.
Right now, this winding highway was witnessing an intense chase between Li Tan and the black-robed figure. Clearly, the black-robed figure had the upper hand, gradually closing the distance between them. At this rate, the race would end before reaching Linjiang.
“Damn it!” Li Tan kept his spiritual energy focused on the black-robed figure, who followed closely behind like a shadow.
“This can’t go on,” Li Tan grew anxious, wishing he had an extra pair of legs, yet his abilities were tightly restricted by time itself.
Reborn just five days ago, advancing from no cultivation to the peak of the Post-Heavenly Realm was already his limit—no one could do better.
“Surrender. Stop struggling!”
The black-robed figure’s mocking voice came from behind. Li Tan angrily replied.
“It’s not over yet. The outcome remains uncertain.”
“Is that so? Hahaha!”
The black-robed figure laughed arrogantly. Li Tan loved it when enemies underestimated him, for arrogance meant looking down on him, but this black-robed figure infuriated him. Though his contempt was obvious, his actions remained vigilant and diligent.
That organization was no simple matter—just a minor leader, yet capable of this much, clearly demonstrating his strength.
Li Tan’s mind raced, thinking of ways to escape. Once he reached Linjiang, the black-robed figure would certainly not dare to chase him further.
But the only way to Linjiang was this straight road. Besides running faster, what else could he do?
Time passed, and as the distance narrowed, the black-robed figure shifted from merely chasing to throwing hidden weapons while pursuing.
Li Tan kept shifting his body, dodging the whizzing projectiles. Any slight mistake would lead to his death with no hope of burial.
To avoid this fate, he had to focus more attention on what was behind him, which inevitably slowed his speed.
The black-robed figure’s grin grew more sinister. Finally, he leapt forward and landed in front of Li Tan.
He had thought that before Li Tan’s Qi ran out, it would be hard to get close due to his strange techniques, so he decided to wait, draining Li Tan’s Qi completely until he became an easy target, perhaps even forcing him into the Zone of Fallen Immortals.
But reality diverged from his expectations. Li Tan showed no intention of fleeing, staring at him with sharp, focused eyes.
Why wasn’t he panicking?
This young man was strange! He needed to be cautious, lest there be a trap. The black-robed figure grew wary and gave Li Tan no chance to breathe, immediately engaging him in combat.
Thrusting, piercing, swirling, leaping, and horizontal slashes—their figures moved rapidly, creating a dazzling spectacle. No one would believe this was a duel between a Peak Pre-Heavenly Realm and a Peak Post-Heavenly Realm cultivator. If this scene spread across the Nine Provinces, Li Tan would surely become a target for major sects to fight over.
But such a scenario was impossible. If that were the case, Li Tan’s journey would have been too easy.
As time passed, Li Tan’s movements grew increasingly sluggish, his Qi gradually depleting exactly as the black-robed figure had hoped.
Finally, the battle entered its final stage.
After a prolonged fight, Li Tan and the black-robed figure separated for the first time. Li Tan’s shirt was soaked with sweat, his stamina nearly exhausted, yet he remained calm, analyzing the current situation.
The remaining Qi inside him could still support one more use of Moye Steps combined with the Coiling Dragon Fist. His spiritual energy was about half remaining, and a full burst might grant him around one second of enhanced ability. At this moment, the enemy’s vigilance should be at its lowest. If he seized the opportunity, he could deliver a fatal blow and reverse the battle.
The combination of Spiritual Storm and Coiling Dragon Fist was immensely powerful, but Li Tan dared not use it recklessly due to cultivation limitations. To affect this black-robed figure, it would consume nearly half his spiritual energy. Therefore, he had been waiting for this decisive moment since the beginning.
No matter how clever this black-robed figure was, facing a Post-Heavenly Realm practitioner seemingly at the end of his strength, he could not help but relax slightly.
And with even the slightest opening, Li Tan could find a chance to turn the tide.
The black-robed figure remained vigilant, carefully observing every move Li Tan made.
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