Hmm?

Gui Qian's heart stirred with joy, but fury soon overtook his expression. Without even turning his head, he swung a slap toward the figure beside him and bellowed, "Idiot! Don't spout such petty nonsense about lower—"

Bang!

A deafening explosion erupted as Gui Qian's body burst apart, scattering chunks of flesh everywhere. Standing in the spot he had occupied was none other than Fang Tiancheng, white-haired and white-bearded, freshly returned.

The martial artists of the Divine Palace stationed farther away were busy with their tasks, none daring to lift their heads toward Gui Qian lest they invoke his wrath. To them, yet another unfortunate colleague must have angered him and met their end. Little did they know—Gui Qian himself had fallen, his death swift and shocking.

Fang Tiancheng glanced at the clueless group, still pretending to be engrossed in their duties with fearful precision, and couldn't help but grin. Without hesitation, his silhouette flickered and leapt toward the nuclear warhead.

"Hmph!"

A low, guttural scoff emanated from Fang Tiancheng.

Swish!

Shrouded in inner qi, his figure surged forward, closing the distance to the nuclear warhead within moments. Wrapping his hands around it, he grabbed it in one swift motion, then vanished toward the horizon.

Seeing his figure retreat into the distance, the martial artists of the Divine Palace froze before exchanging astonished glances, confusion plastered across their faces.

Night had fallen, the moon absent from the sky. The surrounding flames had finally been extinguished thanks to their efforts. Despite their strength, the retreating figure's speed was overwhelming. Fear of Gui Qian kept them distracted, leaving them unaware of his demise. Only after the silhouette disappeared entirely did they realize they'd failed to discern its features or size.

"Was that... Lord Gui Qian? Somehow he seemed... different?" A martial artist muttered cautiously.

"When you're angry, naturally you won't look like yourself," another offered confidently, dismissing any suspicions.

Yet another surveyed the area before lowering his voice and stating, "Has anyone noticed Lord Gui Qian isn't here anymore?"

Turning to confirm, the group unanimously saw that Gui Qian's presence was indeed missing.

"This... Why would he personally transport that thing?"

"Obviously, he noticed the Divine Envoy from Cangben was furious and wanted to make a show of competence!"

"That must be it. Lord Gui Qian handles interactions with the Sanzan Association. With so much upheaval among them now, he's likely trying to redeem himself!"

"It's settled, then. What about us?"

"Foolish question—we head to the outskirts to search, of course! Or would you dare to make Lord Gui Qian dig out a pit for that thing himself? Do you have a death wish?"

"Right, right, let's go!"

The group's logical self-talk filled them with enough certainty to spring into action, chasing after the distant shadow without hesitation.

…

A kilometer ahead, Fang Tiancheng fled hastily, bearing the nuclear warhead on his shoulder. As he focused on the aura emanating from behind, he noted the pursuers were only martial artists of the Semi Venerable Realm; no other stronger individuals were present. Even the Divine Shrine remained motionless. Finally, he sighed in relief.

Without wasting a moment, his pace quickened further, throwing himself entirely into his escape.

…

Fuyuan Mountain Range, Yanjing County.

Several figures raced urgently toward the mountain peaks far in the distance, while a string of relentless shadows pursued them closely.

The fleeing group comprised Jiang Chen, Yan Hu, Xuan Long, and Li Tianchong.

Jiang Chen's pale complexion spoke volumes of his depleted strength, his entire being suffused with faint golden light. The Blood Saber, now sheathed at his waist, rested atop his cane held with his right hand, while his left gripped a Blood Crystal radiating mysterious vibrations—frantically absorbing its essence.

Even Jiang Chen, possessing dual inner qis, was nearing exhaustion, let alone Yan Hu and Xuan Long.

Both relied entirely on Li Tianchong to carry them forward; their inner qi reserves had run dry. Their pallid faces streamed with a mix of sweat and blood, their bodies barely clinging to life.

"Mr. Jiang, take them and leave. I'll hold off our pursuers!" Li Tianchong's bloodshot eyes locked onto Jiang Chen.

Three days—three relentless days of pursuit!

The group had faced countless battles on the run, leaving the elite forces of the Sanzan Association and Divine Palace in tatters along their path.

But the remnants were fearsome—true elites. The Shanben faction still had Sanben Wulie, Sanben Jinnan, Teng Tiangang, Qingyuan Caicaizi, alongside Xiaoye Yilang, who guarded Qingyuan.

Meanwhile, the Divine Palace retained ten exceptional warriors led by two Divine Envoys at the peak of the Venerable Realm, Jingshang Chuisi and Sanmu Zhengnai, accompanied by more than ten late-stage Venerable fighters.

These were the absolute best from both factions!

So far, Jiang Chen's group had eliminated nearly five hundred enemies, yet along the way, Li Tianchong hardly displayed his true abilities. Jiang Chen had deliberately restrained Li's movements, ensuring he conserved strength and concealed his power.

Initially, Li Tianchong believed Jiang Chen intended him to save them at a critical moment. However, upon scrutinizing their escape route, he realized Jiang Chen's objective was completely different—ensuring his own survival. It became evident Jiang Chen had no intention of relying on him for escape.

Enlightened by the truth, Li Tianchong's eyes burned red with rage!

"Old Li, you can relax. I know exactly what you're thinking. There's no need to rush—we have no plans to stay behind. The path is already mapped out. The reason I wanted you to conserve strength was for that final strike. The Eight-Headed Serpent's Saint Realm Soul Clone is approaching. If we haven't reached our destination by then, I need you to delay them briefly—I'll take them out myself!" Jiang Chen's tone was filled with urgency.

"Jiang Chen! You won't escape! Surrender now, or everyone in your group will die by your hands!" A booming voice resounded as the pursuers edged closer.

Jiang Chen turned his head for a brief glance, his eyes flashing with determination. His body soared into the sky, the Blood Crystal in his left hand dissolving in an instant.

"Old Li, take them to Fuyuan Mountain Pass!"

Jiang Chen shouted his final instruction, swiftly unsheathing the Blood Saber from his waist.

"Blood Fiend Sword Technique: Dance of Heavenly Blood!"

Buzzing vibrations filled the air.

Swoosh! Swoosh!

A formidable wave radiated outward as Jiang Chen's body erupted in vivid crimson hues. Suddenly, his capillaries burst open, forming dense clouds of blood mist around him.

This wasn't the typical blood mist generated by external inner qi—it came directly from Jiang Chen's own fresh blood!

The sky transformed into a blood-soaked panorama, rays of bloody radiance descending ceaselessly. The earth, already tinged with volcanic red, glowed even brighter.

The Blood Saber quivered violently in his grip, as though aware of his intent, its tremors accompanied by sharp humming notes.

Li Tianchong glanced up at Jiang Chen, yelling fiercely, "Mr. Jiang! If you perish, I, Li Tianchong, will not survive alone!"

With those words, Li Tianchong surged forward, redoubling his speed as he carried Yan Hu and Xuan Long toward the volcanic pass.

Hearing this, Jiang Chen cracked a faint smile, then bellowed powerfully:

"My blade—Slash!"

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