"Darn it! Xie Lianchu has made his escape!"


    "He''s making for that underground chamber in the cave mansion; his sights are set on the mysterious giant egg!"


    "Damn it, halt your steps!"


    "..."


    The expressions of the cultivators transformed dramatically, their voices thundering with uncontained fury.


    However, the mightier ones were entangled in ferociousbat with the monstrous creatures and could not extricate themselves promptly, while the less powerful cultivatorscked the courage to pursue.


    ''Hurry, hurry, hurry!''


    ''We must secure that enormous egg!''


    The gleeful smile that had once danced on Xie Lianchu''s face dissolved, supnted by a surge of profound anxiety!


    From his perspective, only he and the chief disciples of the Water Cloud Sect and Divine Wind School remained unscathed.


    He had been relentlessly pursued by the monster.


    Contrastingly, Hu Hanshan and the rest had managed to retreat with equanimity, likely locked in contention for the enormous egg at this very moment!


    Just as Xie Lianchu''s anxiety began to spike.


    A figure abruptly materialized before him  it was none other than Ye Fan!


    "The Azure Jade Sect''s pitiful wretch?"


    "Since you''ve crossed paths with me, embrace your doom!"


    Xie Lianchu was steeped in frustration and anxiety. Uponying eyes on Ye Fan, a cultivator of the Spiritual Awakening realm as insignificant as an ant, a surge of murderous desire welled up within him, seeking to unleash his wrath through ughter!


    Grasping his elongated saber, he shed with ferocity: "Majestic Gale Heavy de!!"


    "Huh?"


    "We bear no grudges, yet you assault me!"


    "Since that is so, don''t fault me for dispensing justice without restraint!"


    Ye Fan hadn''t anticipated an unprovoked attack from Xie Lianchu. A surge of indignation swelled within him, prompting him to draw his own elongated saber, shing fiercely  "Majestic Gale Heavy de!!"


    "What?!"


    "How is it conceivable that you too can wield the Majestic Gale Heavy de?!"


    "That is an arcane art exclusive to our school, not intended for external dissemination!"


    "Furthermore, how have you managed to refine the Majestic Gale Heavy de to the perfect-level?!"


    "And that elongated saber... did you y the scion of our Heavenly de School''s master?!"


    Witnessing that Ye Fan''s technique mirrored the Majestic Gale Heavy de and yet surpassed his own, Xie Lianchu was struck with immediate shock and dread!


    In the ensuing moment.


    The two elongated sabers shed.


    ng!


    Xie Lianchu''s saber fractured abruptly, his head was sent soaring, and a gaping wound on his neck gushed blood frically!


    "Hmph!"


    "Venturing to assault me! Ignorant of the sanctity of life!"


    Ye Fan grumbled, his toneced with irritation. He then retrieved the Wordless Heavenly Jade, preparing to absorb the residual qi and blood from Xie Lianchu''s lifeless form.


    But at that precise juncture.


    "Tsk, tsk."


    "Truly, utterly preposterous! It''s the epitome of absurdity!"


    A voice echoed from a nearby distance, followed by an apparition materializing beside Xie Lianchu''s corpse - it was none other than Jiang Chen!


    At this juncture, he found himself equally at a loss for words.


    Ye Fan had just been battered and coerced into retreat, only to promptly stumble upon an unexpected boon. This was a mboyant exhibition of the protagonist''s Heavenly Fate Value.


    Simultaneously.


    Jiang Chen was also appreciative of his foresight in utilizing the ck Crystal Sky Piercing Shuttle to traverse the majority of the distance, only resorting to his personal flight for the final leg of the journey after stowing away the flying artifact.


    Otherwise.


    He undoubtedly would not have arrived in time to thwart Ye Fan''s looting attempt.


    However.


    He was still a tad toote.


    Surveying Xie Lianchu''s lifeless form, he realized that Ye Fan had already flexed his might.


    "Jiang... Jiang Chen!"


    "How could you possibly have caught up so swiftly?!"


    On recognizing the new arrival as Jiang Chen, Ye Fan couldn''t suppress his astonishment, and a surge of intense wariness welled up within his heart!


    Not only had Jiang Chen managed to catch up.


    But he had aplished it in such a brief span of time.


    What did this imply?


    It suggested that Jiang Chen possessed a method to trace his steps, and his traversal speed was exceptionally swift!


    Earlier.


    When Jiang Chen materialized in the underground space.


    Ye Fan had harbored suspicions about whether Jiang Chen had a means to tail him.


    But given the massive uproar caused by the mountain peak''s copse, audible even from a considerable distance, he dismissed this conjecture.


    Unexpectedly.


    Jiang Chen truly did possess a method to track him!


    "Hehe!"


    "Ye Fan, do you grasp why I managed to traverse so rapidly?"


    "Because I possess a flying artifact!"


    Jiang Chen chuckled, thereafter revealing a Spiritual Awakening realm flying artifact.


    It was the very one he had previously procured from a fallen cultivator''s remains.


    Naturally, his disy of this flying artifact was intended to veil the existence of the ck Crystal Sky Piercing Shuttle.


    Indeed, he had once again yed his cards close to his chest!


    "A flying artifact!"


    "That exins it..."


    Upon spotting the flying artifact in Jiang Chen''s grasp, Ye Fan''s eyes instantly narrowed.


    "Ye Fan, you insolent cur!"


    "If you submit now, I''ll grant you a swift demise and preserve your mortal coil intact!"


    "But if you choose to resist, I''ll seize you alive and subject you to incremental torment until death ims you!"


    "Fear not, I''ll ensure your torment spans a considerable duration, even a lifetime, till your lifespan is fully depleted!"


    "Hehehe, you lowly wretch, kneel!"


    Jiang Chen scoffed, his gaze locked onto Ye Fan, the whites of his eyes gradually threaded with bloodshot veins, his countenance growing evermore menacing.


    His deep-rooted animosity was ringly evident!


    In the following moment.


    He produced the Shadowde Sword, appearing primed to execute Ye Fan.


    "Youck the standing to y me!"


    Ye Fan''s expression hardened, and he swiftly recoiled by several tens of meters, darting towards the expanse beyond!


    "Flee!"


    "Savor the creeping despair!"


    Jiang Chen unveiled a malicious grin, leisurely retrieved Xie Lianchu''s storage artifact, and annihted his remains!


    Subsequently.


    System notifications chimed in.


    [Ding! You have sessfully purloined a fraction of protagonist Ye Fan''s opportunities, Ye Fan''s Heavenly Fate Value diminished by 100 points!]


    [Ding! You have rued 200 points of Viin Value!]


    Having heard the system notifications, Jiang Chen triggered the Spiritual Awakening realm flying artifact and pursued his quarry!


    ''Damnation!''


    ''I''m left with no alternative but to utilize that thing!''


    While Ye Fan frantically endeavored to escape, he produced a ck pill.


    Without dy.


    He sealed his eyes and ingested the pill devoid of any hesitation!


    Boom!


    An immense tide of energy burst forth from his form.


    In a sh.


    Ye Fan''s velocity soared, amplifying manifold, and his entire figure morphed into an afterimage, vanishing into the inky depths of the forest!


    ''A self-inflicted damage pill?''


    ''It seems akin to the type that synergizes with a cultivation method.''


    ''As anticipated of the protagonist, who can fathom the extent of his concealed stratagems!?''


    ''...''


    Jiang Chen mused inwardly, thereafter unveiling a frigid smirk.


    Even though Ye Fan''s velocity had escted manifold, rendering him faster than Jiang Chen''s current pace.


    Nheless.


    Jiang Chen too had his genuine swiftness concealed!


    "Materialize, ck Crystal Sky Piercing Shuttle!"


    With a sweep of Jiang Chen''s hand, the ck Crystal Sky Piercing Shuttle instantly morphed into a three-meter-long streamlined flying artifact.


    Instantly.


    Jiang Chen mounted the ck Crystal Sky Piercing Shuttle, and his speed surged to several times its initial rate.


    Shortly.


    Ye Fan''s silhouette resurfaced within Jiang Chen''s divine sense.


    The chase was relentless!


    Before much time passed.


    The impact of Ye Fan''s pill dissipated, and his velocity abruptly diminished.


    To be ready for any unforeseen circumstances, the exceptionally vignt Ye Fan ingested another ck pill, persisting in his sprint at top speed.


    Following the consumption of the second pill.


    He extracted a third pill and swallowed it.


    During his flight, he changed all his attire and meticulously cleansed his body employing various techniques!


    ''Darn it.''


    ''You''re fleeing, even embarking on a nude sprint, why in the world hasn''t your character copsed?''


    Jiang Chen grumbled internally. Nheless, his spirits lifted.


    Because he discovered that he was bigger than Ye Fan.


    A note from AlphaWIA:


    A note from AlphaWIA


    :


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