Chapter 9: Escape

The moment Karu landed, he darted straight toward Shi Yan, his figure moving as fast as lightning, his speed incredibly swift. A martial artist at the innate realm had profound essence energy, far surpassing that of ordinary martial artists at the acquired realm.

Mo Yan Yu's phoenix-like eyes glowed with a fierce light as she pursued him relentlessly, ignoring the Mo family's entourage behind her, determined to capture and slay Shi Yan.

Shi Yan's face was grim as he channeled all his essence energy into his leg meridians. With each powerful step, his lean body shot forward seven to eight meters, gradually closing the distance to the six White Blade Jade Spiders.

"Click! Click! Click!"

The White Blade Jade Spiders' legs dug into the wet ground, their eight legs moving in unison, quickly disappearing into the dense shrubs.

Shi Yan plunged into the shrubs, which were five to six meters tall, his expression growing increasingly serious. He focused intently on the lead White Blade Jade Spider, undeterred by its terrifying presence.

Once inside the shrubs, the White Blade Jade Spiders' speed suddenly slowed. Two of them turned around, their compound eyes gleaming with anger, seemingly enraged by the pursuit.

The White Blade Jade Spiders, of course, had no idea about Shi Yan's intentions. Seeing three humans in hot pursuit, they assumed these humans intended to fight them to the death. One of the White Blade Jade Spiders let out a sharp, strange cry, and the other four immediately turned around, all focusing on Shi Yan.

Shi Yan's expression remained unchanged, and his speed did not slow. Instead, he charged even faster toward the White Blade Jade Spiders.

His concentration was unparalleled, and his mind was as clear as a mirror. Suddenly, he entered a wondrous state, where everything around him became incredibly clear. He could hear the low, murmuring communication of the White Blade Jade Spiders and the fierce wind generated by Karu's high-speed movement behind him.

"Whoosh! Whoosh!"

As Shi Yan charged forward, his body moved through the air, the sound of the air currents growing louder.

Just as he was about to plunge into the center of the White Blade Jade Spiders, he suddenly changed direction in mid-air, narrowly avoiding the sharp legs of one of the spiders and darting past the group, continuing his flight forward without stopping.

The White Blade Jade Spiders were enraged.

The six White Blade Jade Spiders, feeling they had been toyed with by this audacious human, let out a shrill cry and all exerted their strength, chasing after Shi Yan.

Karu and Mo Yan Yu, after charging into the shrubs, found that Shi Yan had vanished. They only saw the six White Blade Jade Spiders sprinting ahead.

Karu's body came to an abrupt stop, his eyes gleaming with a cold light. "That kid must be hiding somewhere in the shrubs."

"Could he have passed through the White Blade Jade Spiders and gotten ahead of them?" Mo Yan Yu asked, her brows furrowed in uncertainty.

"Hmph." Karu's expression was disdainful. "Even if he had the nerve, he couldn't survive in the midst of the White Blade Jade Spiders. The shrubs are their territory, and their eight legs act like a meat grinder. If he becomes their target, he's as good as dead."

"That's true." Mo Yan Yu nodded and then split up with Karu to search for Shi Yan in the surrounding shrubs.

Shi Yan fled through the dark forest, the six White Blade Jade Spiders hot on his heels, the distance between them gradually closing.

In this area of shrubs, there were no towering ancient trees, only endless shrubs. These shrubs were not particularly sturdy, and the White Blade Jade Spiders' legs easily snapped them as they moved through the undergrowth.

Unable to find higher ground, Shi Yan could only run for his life, hoping to increase the distance between himself and the White Blade Jade Spiders.

Fortunately, a portion of a strange power had overflowed from his body's acupoints, mixing with his essence energy and making it twice as potent. Otherwise, he would have been unable to withstand the pursuit of the White Blade Jade Spiders and would have been torn apart by their legs.

Essence energy flowed through the meridians in his legs, making them feel as if they were filled with air. Each step allowed him to shoot forward several meters, light as a feather. He marveled at the power of essence energy and became even more determined to become a powerful martial artist.

After running for an unknown amount of time, Shi Yan gradually felt his strength waning. The essence energy in his leg meridians had diminished significantly due to prolonged exertion, and his speed had slowed.

His speed slowed, but the White Blade Jade Spiders did not. These powerful beasts, relying on their physical strength, could move through the shrubs like the wind without any need for additional power. With their eight legs, the White Blade Jade Spiders were indeed a deadly force in the shrubs.

The distance between them was gradually closing...

Shi Yan's heart raced, and sweat trickled down his back. At this rate, he would soon be caught by the White Blade Jade Spiders. When his essence energy was depleted, what could he use to fight them?

Suddenly, a damp mist came from the left. Shi Yan, with his keen senses, took a few deep breaths and his face lit up with joy. He abruptly changed direction and charged to the left.

Water!

Shi Yan's mental focus was intense, and he listened carefully to the sounds on the left. Indeed, after a few minutes of sprinting, he heard the pleasant sound of rushing water in the distance.

A few minutes later, Shi Yan's vision opened up. He saw a waterfall like a silver ribbon plunging into a deep pool below. The waterfall struck the massive rocks, sending pearl-like droplets flying, and the pool was shrouded in mist.

"Plunk!"

Shi Yan's body shot into the cool pool like an arrow, feeling a sense of relief, thinking he was now safe.

"Plunk! Plunk! Plunk! Plunk! Plunk! Plunk!"

The six White Blade Jade Spiders, after charging over, one by one also plunged into the pool. They floated like small boats on the surface, their eight sharp legs slicing through the water, quickly moving toward him.

Shi Yan, who had just caught his breath, cursed under his breath. Seeing the White Blade Jade Spiders getting closer, he quickly sank to the bottom of the pool.

Holding his breath, Shi Yan sank about seven to eight meters before daring to look up.

From the bottom of the pool, Shi Yan could clearly see the sharp, blade-like legs of the six White Blade Jade Spiders. Their legs continuously slashed and plunged into the pool.

The White Blade Jade Spiders were not afraid of water and could float on the surface, but they seemed hesitant to sink to the bottom. The six beasts slashed their legs in the water but remained on the surface.

At this point, Shi Yan truly felt relieved. He held his breath and stayed at the bottom of the pool.

Holding one's breath underwater was a challenge Shi Yan had often faced. He had experience in this area and could stay underwater for over ten minutes with a single breath.

The White Blade Jade Spiders did not stay on the surface for long. After slashing for a while and seeing no sign of Shi Yan, they one by one climbed out of the pool.

Shi Yan floated up a bit, just enough to see the six White Blade Jade Spiders on the shore, then immediately stopped and observed them from the water.

The six beasts soon left.

Shi Yan surfaced, took a deep breath of the damp air, and immediately sank back to the bottom of the pool. When his breath was used up, he would surface near a large rock at the edge of the pool, take a breath, and then sink back down, repeating this process.

He was concerned that the White Blade Jade Spiders might return and that Karu and Mo Yan Yu might follow their tracks, so he was cautious and did not immediately leave the pool.

At the bottom of the pool.

Shi Yan, holding his breath, began to ponder the strange phenomenon in his acupoints. When the two martial artists died, he had been right beside them, and their essence and blood seemed to have been absorbed by his acupoints. He clearly benefited from their deaths.

During his escape with the White Blade Jade Spiders, he distinctly felt a strange, pure force emanating from his acupoints. This force, when mixed with his essence energy, immediately doubled its strength, leaving him puzzled.

Could it be that the power absorbed from the two martial artists was purified by his acupoints and then bestowed upon his body?