Li Nanzhu and Duan Xianxing’s eyes met briefly in mid-air, and in that instant, they understood each other’s intent.
The Golden Core stage monk’s gaze was seemingly calm, yet it swept with palpable weight over the two flags they held tightly—flags that could not be stored within a storage bag!
Clearly, the opposition was aiming precisely for the spoils they had worked so hard to obtain!
In a flash, the two demonstrated the startling chemistry developed through their usual training.
Li Nanzhu flipped her wrist, and a bright yellow acceleration talisman was accurately slapped onto Duan Xianxing’s back!
Almost simultaneously, Duan Xianxing’s footwork shifted. He leaned his body slightly, preparing for a high-speed sprint. The talisman activated instantly, and the power of wind spiritual energy once again enveloped him.
"Go!"
At the same time, Li Nanzhu’s mind raced as she sent a command to Suisui!
The ever-ready Suisui reacted with extreme speed. Its skeletal body suddenly spun in place, using centrifugal force to hurl the tightly bound, still unconscious Xuan Tian Sect disciple. The target was the three Mingguang Sect monks!
"Hm?!"
The three monks clearly hadn't expected the opponent to throw such a bizarre projectile, nor could they see clearly what the flying object was.
Out of defensive instinct, the Golden Core stage monk in the center frowned slightly. He gave his sleeve a casual wave, releasing a soft yet irresistible surge of vast power that precisely caught the flying humanoid bundle and batted it aside. It landed on the nearby mossy ground with a dull thud.
In the split second their attention was drawn by this sudden human sandbag!
Duan Xianxing and Li Nanzhu seized the fleeting opportunity. Their spiritual energy erupted as they shot forward like arrows from a bow, vanishing directly into the thick mist!
They moved so fast that faint afterimages were left in their wake.
Seeing this, a sliver of surprise finally appeared on the Golden Core monk’s emotionless face. He had not expected these two Foundation Establishment stage juniors to react so quickly and cooperate so seamlessly.
"Amitabha. Quite the quick-witted response."
He did not pursue immediately. Instead, he first glanced at the Xuan Tian Sect disciple lying on the ground. After confirming the boy was merely unconscious and unharmed—showing that the opponents hadn't struck to kill but had simply used him as an obstacle—he looked up.
"Senior Brother Huineng, which one should we chase?"
A monk at the late stage of Foundation Establishment asked immediately. He looked toward the direction where the two had disappeared, appearing somewhat hesitant. The targets had split up and were moving extremely fast. In this mist where divine sense was restricted, tracking would be incredibly difficult.
There was no need for him to ask. Almost the moment the two had moved, Huineng had already made the most stable decision—chasing Duan Xianxing!
He knew very well that Duan Xianxing possessed a natural sword bone. This constitution was one in ten thousand; not only did it allow for a cultivation speed far exceeding ordinary people, but his combat power was also unrivaled among those in the same rank, even allowing him to challenge those at higher stages.
Although Duan Xianxing was currently only in the Foundation Establishment stage, once his sword bone erupted, his potential would be immense. He would be far more troublesome to deal with than a normal Foundation Establishment cultivator. Huineng decided he must personally suppress him as a Golden Core cultivator to ensure nothing went wrong.
While Li Nanzhu’s performance was also striking, intelligence indicated she was better at controlling the field and using unexpected strategies. The value of the flag she carried might be slightly lower. Having two late-stage Foundation Establishment junior brothers pursue her made the risks relatively manageable.
"Huijue, Huiming!"
Huineng’s voice did not waver. "The two of you pursue Li Nanzhu. You must secure the flag in her hand. Be wary of her deceptive methods."
"Yes, Senior Brother Huineng!"
The two late-stage Foundation Establishment monks immediately complied. They moved, transforming into two streaks of saffron light as they gave chase in the direction Li Nanzhu had fled.
They had no objections to Huineng’s judgment. The sect had long since analyzed the strengths and weaknesses of each disciple of the Five Elements Dao Sect.
Meanwhile, Huineng’s figure blurred as he pursued the direction of Duan Xianxing’s escape at an even faster speed!
In the audience, everyone was once again dumbfounded by this turn of events.
"This... this... throwing a teammate? No, throwing a prisoner as bait?!"
"This is trouble! Duan Xianxing is being targeted by a Golden Core, and Li Nanzhu has to fight one against two!"
"It remains to be seen if they can hold out until they regroup!"
On the high platform, a flicker of nearly imperceptible praise flashed in Feng Yi’s eyes, but his brow also furrowed slightly.
Seeing this, Ling Xiao gave a cold snort. This time, however, he said nothing. After all, the Five Elements Dao Sect’s response was indeed clever; even he couldn't find fault with it for the moment.
He simply felt that Li Nanzhu’s methods were... a bit too slippery.
Within the secret realm, Li Nanzhu sensed the two late-stage Foundation Establishment auras hot on her heels, but her heart actually steadied a little.
As long as it wasn't that Golden Core cultivator himself, she had room to maneuver!
She pushed her movement technique to the limit while rapidly thinking of a counter-strategy.
Meanwhile, Duan Xianxing felt the powerful spiritual pressure—far exceeding the Foundation Establishment stage—rapidly approaching from behind. His scalp tingled. He could clearly feel that the aura locking onto him carried a sense of scrutiny and suppression. Clearly, the one behind him was the Golden Core monk.
He could only push the effects of the spirit-traveling talisman to the maximum and run for his life, feeling miserable in his heart.
'Junior Sister, help! Eldest Senior Brother, where are you?!'
However, under this immense pressure, Duan Xianxing actually felt a sense of relief. This meant only two late-stage Foundation Establishment monks were chasing the junior sister.
He had absolute confidence in Li Nanzhu.
With the junior sister’s endless stream of tricks, plus Suisui’s assistance from the side, dealing with two cultivators of the same rank should not be an issue. Even if she couldn't win, she should be able to hold her own and delay until they met up with the other senior brothers and sisters.
But soon, his mood turned heavy again.
Because he was carrying the flag representing the Xuan Tian Sect, those ten points had naturally transferred to him. Counting his own initial ten points, he now had twenty points in total.
It had been less than a shichen since the start. If Duan Xianxing was caught, not only would the flag be lost, but even his initial ten points would be plundered!
Duan Xianxing wasn't sure if he could escape from this Golden Core monk, but he had to at least hold out past the protection period!
With this thought, Duan Xianxing stopped fleeing in a straight line. Instead, he began to consciously change directions, utilizing his extreme control over speed and the misty environment to attempt to maneuver against the Golden Core cultivator behind him.
He no longer sought to completely shake him off—that was nearly impossible against a Golden Core cultivator. Instead, he aimed to stall for as much time as possible.
'Junior Sister, Eldest Senior Brother... you guys have to be fast...' Duan Xianxing thought to himself, while constantly trying to sense the positions of his other fellow disciples.
If he could just run into one... just one would be enough!
Meanwhile, Li Nanzhu, who was heading in the other direction, was in a situation far more dangerous than Duan Xianxing imagined.
Li Nanzhu traversed the thick mist at high speed, with the two saffron-robed figures trailing closely behind.
Just as she was considering how to completely lose her pursuers, a sudden surge of spiritual energy fluctuated in the mist ahead!
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