“You… deserve to die!”

  Another voice emerged from the black mist, cold and sinister. At the same moment, a ghastly green withered hand stretched out from the fog, wrapped in threads of dark energy, and slammed toward Jia Si.

  Jia Si’s face instantly turned deathly pale. He dropped to his knees with a thud, trembling violently.

  “Disciple… disciple speaks only the truth! Except that I guessed his cultivation wrong, disciple—”

  His fear was so overwhelming that his words became completely incoherent.

  Around him, the other disciples of the Douxie Sect remained expressionless. A few even showed faint smiles of schadenfreude, which made the chill in Jia Si’s heart grow even deeper.

  Seeing the withered hand about to strike him down, a sudden spark of inspiration flashed through his mind.

  “I… I remember now!” he shouted desperately. “He asked the attendant in the Refining Pavilion if there were any pill furnaces above the fifth grade!”

  In truth, Jia Si had never heard such words clearly.

  Cornered by fear, he blurted out whatever came to mind. Yet as he spoke, even he began to half-believe it himself. Perhaps the man really had been buying a pill furnace.

  The withered hand froze in mid-air.

  The sinister voice spoke again.

  “A pill furnace? Jia Si… do you know the consequences of lying to me?”

  Jia Si clenched his teeth and raised his head.

  “This disciple dares to guarantee it with my life.”

  Inside, he could only bitterly laugh. If he did not say this now, he would die immediately. He might as well gamble. If he lost, it would simply be his fate. But if he won, his life would be spared.

  “Whether he’s telling the truth or not, we’ll know if we go take a look.”

  The third elder, who had remained silent the entire time, finally spoke. His voice was deep and resounding like a great bell.

  As soon as the words fell, the three elders no longer hesitated. They immediately rose into the air and shot toward Yun Che’s direction.

  The disciples hurriedly followed behind.

  Jia Si wiped the cold sweat from his forehead and cursed inwardly, but he too quickly chased after them.

  The three Douxie Sect elders had originally come to Nandou City to discuss important matters with the leaders of the three sects stationed here.

  Now that their business had concluded, the disciples of the three sects had received orders not to obstruct them. Thus the Douxie Sect’s group surged forward like a battering ram, quickly pursuing their target.

  As for Yun Che, every short distance he flew, someone would stop him for inspection.

  Only after carefully checking his travel token would they allow him to pass.

  After several such delays, Yun Che’s patience wore thin. Sensing people chasing him from behind, he simply stopped slowing down and began forcing his way forward.

  Soon, he reached the city gate and shot out of Nandou City in an instant.

  Not long afterward, the Douxie Sect group arrived and flew past the gate as well.

  Once they were gone, the disciples of the three sects guarding the city emerged under the leadership of several Core Formation cultivators.

  They had already received orders earlier.

  If fighting broke out inside the city, they were to drive the combatants out.

  But if the parties left the city on their own, they were neither to block nor assist them.

  The moment Yun Che exited Nandou City, he stomped lightly.

  His body immediately sank into the earth.

  Earth Escape Technique activated.

  He rapidly tunneled away underground.

  Among the three Core Formation cultivators chasing him, one suddenly let out a surprised sound.

  With a flip of his hand, an ancient mirror appeared in his palm.

  He exhaled a breath of spiritual energy onto it. The energy spread across the mirror’s surface, causing it to glow with crystalline light.

  The mirror shot into the air like a rainbow streak.

  After spinning several times midair, a beam of light suddenly shot out from its surface and pointed toward the ground in the distance.

  The beam began sliding forward rapidly.

  The three cultivators sneered and immediately chased along the direction indicated by the mirror.

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  Behind them, the Douxie Sect disciples were filled with excitement.

  Following their sect elders in a hunt like this gave them an intense thrill.

  Underground, Yun Che frowned slightly.

  He snorted coldly in his heart and instantly detonated the strand of divine sense he had planted inside Jia Si.

  In the group of Douxie Sect disciples, Jia Si suddenly screamed.

  Blood burst from his mouth as his body twisted and fell from his flying sword.

  The disciples beside him were shocked.

  Yun Che did not slow down.

  His divine sense spread again, locking onto another enemy.

  With a single thought—

  Another Douxie Sect disciple let out a miserable scream and plummeted from the sky.

  This caused the pursuing disciples to panic and halt, unwilling to continue the chase.

  Only the three Core Formation cultivators ignored the chaos and continued pursuing relentlessly.

  One of them waved his hand.

  A massive black seal flew out of his sleeve.

  After spinning in the air several times, it expanded rapidly into a mountain-sized peak.

  With a cold smile and a pointing finger from the cultivator—

  The giant mountain crashed down.

  Underground, Yun Che instantly twisted his body and narrowly avoided the strike.

  The cultivator’s smile grew colder.

  He continued pointing again and again.

  The mountain slammed down repeatedly.

  Amid thunderous explosions, a black shadow suddenly burst out from the ground.

  Yun Che shot into the sky, glanced coldly at the three men behind him, and sped away.

  “Hand over the magic treasure you purchased in the Refining Pavilion… or die!”

  The cultivator who had used the mirror shouted coldly.

  But the moment his words ended—

  A blinding flash suddenly erupted before his eyes.

  An incredibly powerful sword aura stabbed forward violently.

  He was horrified.

  His body shifted several inches to the left in desperation.

  The next moment—

  Pain exploded in his chest.

  Something pierced through his body and burst out from his back.

  Blood sprayed from his mouth.

  “What kind of flying sword is that?!”

  His face turned pale, lingering fear in his eyes.

  If he had not dodged just now, he would have died on the spot.

  Yun Che sighed inwardly in regret.

  With a gesture of his right hand, the crystal flying sword flashed and returned to his palm.

  The other two Core Formation cultivators were equally shocked.

  Without hesitation they immediately activated several defensive treasures before staring at Yun Che with flashing eyes.

  “Get lost.”

  Yun Che’s gaze was icy.

  He spoke only a single word before turning and flying away again.

  The three cultivators exchanged glances.

  Then their eyes simultaneously locked onto the flying sword circling around Yun Che.

  Greed filled their gazes.

  A sword that sharp was almost unheard of.

  Without another word, they chased after him once more.

  The injured cultivator continuously threw out defensive treasures while flying, surrounding himself in layers of protection.

  Only then did he relax slightly.

  He swallowed several pills in succession and crushed medicinal pellets onto his wound.

  After hesitating briefly, he took out a jade slip.

  He pressed it against his forehead momentarily before tossing it away.

  The jade slip flickered several times and vanished.

  Yun Che’s divine sense swept over them.

  Seeing the three still chasing, he sneered inwardly.

  They clearly intended to kill him and seize his treasures.

  For Yun Che now, being hunted by three Core Formation cultivators had almost become routine.

  If it were only one, he would have the confidence to fight.

  But three—even if they were all early Core Formation—could not be underestimated.

  However—

  Once he formed his own Core…

  Killing them would be as easy as crushing ants.

  Under their relentless pursuit, Yun Che fled for an entire day and night.

  The enemy threw countless treasures at him during the chase.

  Gradually, Yun Che began to feel exhausted.

  After the crystal sword’s first ambush, the enemy had become cautious, reducing its effectiveness.

  His gaze grew colder and colder.

  Suddenly—

  The Extreme Realm divine sense erupted.

  A flash of crimson light exploded before the three cultivators’ eyes.

  Their minds felt as though they had been struck by a massive hammer.

  Blood poured from their noses and mouths.

  Their bodies swayed violently, their faces filled with unprecedented shock.

  The previously injured cultivator spat another mouthful of blood.

  His eyes turned red with pain.

  “If someone hadn’t caught him, he would have fallen from his sword.

  “He’s definitely not a simple Foundation Establishment cultivator,” he gasped.

  “He must be one of those cultivators only a hair’s breadth away from Core Formation!”

  He took a deep breath and steadied his trembling divine sense.

  “We must kill him. Otherwise, once he forms his core, the three of us will certainly die!”

  “I’ve already informed the Sect Master. Reinforcements should arrive soon.”

  Yun Che frowned deeply.

  The Extreme Realm divine sense should have been ineffective against Core Formation cultivators.

  But ever since his Nine Nether Frozen Prison Art reached completion and his three cores merged into a proto-core, its power had begun to affect them slightly.

  It could injure them—

  But not kill them.

  The injuries looked serious, but for Core Formation cultivators they could recover with some rest.

  If there were only one enemy, he might be able to kill them with the help of the demon spirit.

  But now—

  He could only run.

  Eight hours later, night gradually fell.

  Yun Che had used the Extreme Realm divine sense several more times, each time only buying a little delay.

  Suddenly—

  He stopped midair.

  Turning around, he looked at the enemies who had chased him for two days and one night.

  The three pursuers were equally exhausted.

  Yet they dared not stop.

  If Yun Che formed his core later, they would certainly die.

  Seeing him suddenly halt, confusion filled their hearts.

  At that moment—

  Yun Che raised his right hand high, as if holding up the sky itself.

  Cold light flashed in his eyes.

  His hair fluttered wildly in the wind.

  The corners of his robe snapped loudly in the air.

  The crystal flying sword glowed faintly beneath his feet.

  Soon—

  A trace of blue flame appeared above his right hand.

  The moment it emerged, the surrounding air turned freezing cold.

  This icy flame was Yun Che’s greatest trump card besides the Extreme Realm.

  He had been reluctant to use it.

  After repeated use in the underground valleys before, he realized it was a consumable power.

  Each use weakened it slightly.

  But now the enemy pressed closer and closer.

  He had no choice.

  The instant the flame appeared—

  The three Core Formation cultivators’ expressions changed drastically.

  Before they could react—

  Yun Che swung his hand.

  The fist-sized icy flame drifted slowly toward them.

  It appeared slow.

  But in truth it was incredibly fast.

  The wind in the sky transformed into icy blades, solidifying instantly and slashing toward them.

  The three cultivators scattered immediately.

  But the flame suddenly accelerated and struck the repeatedly injured cultivator’s arm.

  In the blink of an eye—

  Before he could even scream—

  His entire body ignited in blue flames and disintegrated completely.

  The icy flame weakened slightly and drifted toward the next target.

  But at that moment—

  Thunderous winds suddenly roared in the distance.

  Seven or eight streaks of rainbow light tore through the sky.

  Yun Che’s expression changed.

  He immediately grabbed the icy flame back into his body.

  Without hesitation—

  He turned and fled.

  This time he used every ounce of spiritual power, escaping desperately with his life.