Chapter 8

In the White Stone Valley of the Giant Python Mountains, named for the white rocks scattered throughout the valley, a bonfire burned brightly. Three Xuan scholars sat around the fire, their faces grim.

They were all dressed in the robust attire of Xuan scholars, with patterns of ascending flames on their sashes, indicating they were the three guides from the Fire Cloud Daochang: Hong Xi, Lu Zhuo, and Wei Haoshan!

The flickering firelight cast shadows on their faces, revealing their somber expressions.

After a while, Lu Zhuo spoke, "What do we do now? That little brat is as slippery as an eel. Every time a disciple launches a warning rocket, we arrive too late!"

Hong Xi replied calmly, "No need to rush. The three teams of disciples we sent out have already blocked his escape routes from the Giant Python Mountains. Now he's like a fish in a pot; sooner or later, we'll catch him."

Wei Haoshan coughed and raised a question, "What if that kid just stays hidden? And what if he decides to return the way he came? Then all our efforts will be in vain."

Hong Xi shook his head and said, "That won't happen. He has limited supplies and can't sustain himself for long. Whether he stays hidden or returns, it will take time."

Although Hong Xi was not the strongest in terms of power, he was the de facto leader among the three due to his cunning and wisdom. His words were logical and convincing, even the hot-tempered Wei Haoshan couldn't help but believe his analysis.

Just as the three were sitting around the bonfire, a warning rocket suddenly shot up from the west, exploding in the night sky and forming a fiery phantom!

"He's here!" Hong Xi exclaimed, "Let's go!"

Wei Haoshan, being impatient, activated his Xuan power and leaped into the air, bounding swiftly over the undulating hills toward the warning rocket. Hong Xi and Lu Zhuo followed closely behind.

All three were late-stage Xuan scholars, and at full speed, they were extremely fast, reaching the scene in just the time it took to burn an incense stick.

"Where is that kid?" Lu Zhuo asked in a deep voice.

Hong Xi, being more observant, noticed that only three disciples were present, and they looked pale. He asked, "What happened? Where is the fourth member of your team?"

The three disciples huddled together, and upon seeing the three guides, they breathed a sigh of relief. One of them said urgently, "Mentor, Liu Can... he was killed by that person!"

"What?" Hong Xi frowned, asking for more details.

The three disciples were still shaken. One of them, gathering his courage, said, "We were patrolling in pairs, with a distance of only ten steps between each pair. We all heard a scream and turned around, but saw only a dark shadow, moving so fast it was almost invisible, darting into the nearby forest... When we approached, Liu Can was already dead. So we quickly launched the signal to request the mentors' assistance."

"Which direction did he go? Didn't you see?" Wei Haoshan's lips trembled, and he snorted angrily, "Useless!" He really wanted to slap these useless guys to death.

Hong Xi's face was grim. He formed a seal with his hands, and a thread of Liu Can's blood was drawn out, turning into a mist of blood.

The Blood Transformation Soul Locking Technique was activated again.

Following the faint blood trail, Wei Haoshan, Hong Xi, and Lu Zhuo immediately followed.

After less than a hundred paces, the blood trail faded. Wei Haoshan identified the direction and said in surprise, "That kid didn't take this opportunity to break through our defenses and return to Lin Yuan City. Instead, he fled deeper into the Giant Python Mountains?"

The direction indicated by the blood trail was indeed deeper into the Giant Python Mountains, the direction they had come from.

The three Xuan scholars exchanged glances, all feeling frustrated. Suddenly, another warning rocket lit up nearby, the fiery phantom shining in the sky.

"Trouble, let's go quickly!" The three, in unison, immediately sped toward the warning area, moving as fast as the wind.

"This area is where Zhu Fan and his team are, opposite to where Liu Can and his team were!" Hong Xi said while running, maintaining his breath.

"How is this happening? Is that kid really challenging us, trying to kill all our disciples?" Wei Haoshan, whose cultivation was higher than Hong Xi's, spoke more easily, "He's truly bold. If I catch him, I'll make him beg for death!"

Lu Zhuo remained silent, but his worried expression showed he wasn't faring much better.

When the three Xuan scholars arrived at the area where Zhu Fan and his team were, they found the situation even more dire—two more disciples had been killed!

"What's going on!" Wei Haoshan roared, "You have four people, all at the mid to late stages of the Xuan Disciple level, and you can't even handle one early-stage Xuan Disciple, and two of you are dead!"

A disciple named Zhu Fan, slightly overweight and panting, said, "Mentor, that guy, is he really only an early-stage Xuan Disciple? I saw him shatter Fei Long's chest bone with a single punch and cut Ma Heng's throat with a hand strike... the whole process didn't exceed ten breaths... it was terrifying!"

Hong Xi slapped him, sending Zhu Fan spinning through the air and landing dazed.

"The situation is serious," Hong Xi said with a cold expression, "That kid is clearly using a feint. We're being led around by the nose, putting us on the defensive."

"Why did your Blood Transformation Soul Locking Technique fail?!" Lu Zhuo demanded, "The direction we saw was deeper into the Giant Python Mountains, but now the enemy is appearing on the outskirts, killing our disciples!"

Hong Xi was also puzzled, "Clearly, that kid found a way to evade the Blood Transformation Soul Locking Technique. I'm not sure how, but now is not the time to assign blame! We need to split up and hide among the disciples to protect them. When that kid appears again, we'll strike and kill him directly!"

Waiting for the rabbit to come to the trap was a last resort.

Lu Zhuo and Wei Haoshan had no objections. In their view, whether they acted together or split up, any Xuan scholar could easily kill Xu Yang. This wasn't arrogance but the vast gap between Xuan scholars and Xuan disciples.

Xuan disciples could only rely on physical strength and could hardly practice Xuan techniques, making their combat power not much stronger than ordinary people. Xuan scholars, on the other hand, were powerful individuals who could materialize Xuan energy, with far greater physical strength than Xuan disciples. They could also attach surging Xuan energy to their movements and use a variety of Xuan techniques, making the gap in combat power between Xuan scholars and Xuan disciples significant.

"Now, I'll just wait you out!" Hong Xi, losing his calm and reason, said, "If you dare to show your face again, I'll hang you up and flay you alive!"

At this moment, Xu Yang, whom the three Xuan scholars were waiting for, was already dashing toward Lin Yuan City under the cover of night.

"The three Xuan scholars' speed is definitely faster than mine, but not by much," Xu Yang thought as he used the "Galloping Horse Stance" from the "Dynamic and Static Unity Qi-Induction Technique" to sprint, "By the time they realize, I'll have a half-day's lead. They'll also have to bring a group of Xuan disciples, making it harder for them to catch up."

The Xuan energy in the world surged into Xu Yang as he continuously used the Galloping Horse Stance, circulating with each breath.

The Dynamic and Static Unity Qi-Induction Technique, a culmination of the wisdom of Xuan practitioners over ten thousand years, was as powerful as divine techniques. Xu Yang was essentially escaping while drawing Xuan energy into his body, greatly increasing his endurance. An ordinary Xuan disciple, sprinting like Xu Yang, would run out of Xuan energy after twenty miles.

Xu Yang had smeared some light blue herb juice on his body, using a common herb called "Shouxin Grass" to disrupt the tracking of the Blood Transformation Soul Locking Technique.

Shouxin Grass had a spicy scent that could interfere with the guidance of the technique. Xu Yang had learned this from a medicinal book in the scripture hall, and it came in handy today.

"Although running at night can attract wild animals, there's no choice. I just hope it doesn't attract any strange beasts!"

Strange beasts were wild animals that had consumed rare herbs, making them stronger than ordinary wild animals. Some strange beasts could even cultivate Xuan energy and advance to higher levels of ferocious beasts.

Even the weakest strange beasts were beyond Xu Yang's current capabilities.

Half the night passed, and Hong Xi saw no warning rockets. The disciples he was secretly protecting showed no signs of being attacked, and his anxiety gradually subsided, his reason returning.

"This Xu Yang is a formidable opponent. At the early-stage Xuan Disciple level, he kills mid to late-stage Xuan Disciples like slaughtering chickens. He's also cunning and intelligent, making him a difficult adversary," Hong Xi analyzed silently, "Would such a cunning person continue to attack after killing three disciples and with us on guard?"

His thin eyebrows slowly furrowed, and he murmured, "Not good, I might have misjudged. That kid isn't impulsive; he'll definitely take the opportunity to escape! Waiting for the rabbit to come to the trap is giving him time to run."

With this thought, Hong Xi didn't hesitate, leaping down from the tree. The disciples were startled at first, then showed respect.

Hong Xi, not bothering to explain, said, "Launch the warning signal!"

"Whoosh!" A rocket shot into the sky, exploding into a fiery phantom that slowly dissipated.

In less than the time it took to burn an incense stick, Wei Haoshan and Lu Zhuo arrived, their faces showing relief. They asked, "Where is that little brat?"

Hong Xi waved his hand, his face serious, and explained his thoughts, concluding, "We can't waste time. Let's go after him quickly! The closer we get to Lin Yuan City, the sparser the trees and the flatter the terrain. Without cover, that kid will surely be caught. After all, we are at the Xuan Scholar level, and our speed is much faster than his."

"I think this is just your guess," Wei Haoshan snorted, "Why did you launch the signal if you haven't caught him? What if he uses another feint, and the disciples I'm protecting get attacked?"

"I agree with Wei," Lu Zhuo, who rarely spoke, added, "No one knows where that kid is hiding. It might be a feint. We've already lost five disciples, and one more will make us fail! If the three of us, as guides, return as failures, how will the Master view us?"

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