Zhang Ergou saw that his carefully planned strike was still dodged by Li Kongcai.
A hint of disappointment flickered in his eyes.
The reactions of late-stage Nascent Soul cultivators could only be described as monstrous.
The slightest movement escaped their senses.
Although Zhang Ergou was disappointed that he did not land a fatal blow on Li Kongcai, he considered it not a wasted effort as Li Kongcai's forearm was still broken.
After breaking through to the Nascent Soul stage,
Zhang Ergou found that his previously practiced skill of controlling objects without spiritual energy had become increasingly refined.
Moreover, the weight of the objects he could control had multiplied.
This discovery excited him greatly.
However, he did not inform anyone of this, as combat naturally benefited from surprise attacks.
Zhang Ergou's two consecutive surprise attacks
had inflicted some damage on Li Kongcai.
"Kid, you're dead!" Li Kongcai said, gritting his teeth.
And Zhang Ergou was astonished to discover that in the blink of an eye,
Li Kongcai's broken forearm had healed.
Was this the terrifying power of a late-stage Nascent Soul cultivator?
Regeneration of a severed limb!
Zhang Ergou even looked at Li Kongcai with a trace of greed.
He was very interested in Li Kongcai's spell or skill that allowed him to recover from injuries so quickly.
The battle here naturally attracted the attention of various parties.
The commotion of Nascent Soul stage combat was immense, making it difficult to go unnoticed.
Soon, a large number of cultivators gathered around.
Those with lower cultivation levels could only sigh that the trip was not in vain.
To witness a battle between Nascent Soul cultivators was a divine opportunity for them.
Perhaps they might even gain some enlightenment during the battle of the Nascent Soul powerhouses.
However, these low-level cultivators dared not approach the battlefield too closely.
They merely stopped to watch from a distance.
If they got too close and were killed by an accidental blow, whom would they complain to?
"Isn't that Elder Li from the inner sect of the Liuhai Sect?"
Someone soon recognized one of the combatants.
"But who is fighting him? He looks somewhat unfamiliar."
"He must be a senior who has used a youth-preserving technique and doesn't want to reveal his identity."
These low-level cultivators discussed enthusiastically.
After cultivators broke through to the Nascent Soul stage, their appearance could be controlled at will.
Therefore, when the crowd clearly saw Zhang Ergou's youthful face, they unanimously agreed that he was a powerful being using a youth-preserving technique.
"Senior Brother Li, you seem to have regressed in your cultivation over the years."
Suddenly, a voice came from the void.
A figure slowly emerged.
Zhang Ergou became vigilant; this person's cultivation was clearly not inferior to Li Kongcai's.
And seeing his familiarity with Li Kongcai was not good news for him.
"If you're here to mock me, then scram!"
Li Kongcai cursed his bad luck, wondering why this old fellow had shown up.
Although the newcomer called him Senior Brother, he had never truly respected him.
If he couldn't defeat Zhang Ergou today, he would surely be ridiculed.
The most unwelcome event for Li Kongcai had happened.
He had intended to kill Zhang Ergou with a lightning-fast strike, swiftly and without warning.
However, Zhang Ergou's combat ability exceeded his expectations.
After such a long time, the battle had naturally attracted the attention of various parties.
"Senior Brother Li, that's not quite right. I've come on the sect leader's orders to assist you in capturing the thief who stole from the sect's treasury."
Without a word, the newcomer pinned the crime of theft onto Zhang Ergou.
They had completely positioned themselves on the side of righteousness.
The battle between Li Kongcai and Zhang Ergou already bordered on bullying the weak.
Without a legitimate reason, it would be difficult for him to intervene easily.
"Shameless."
Zhang Ergou snorted coldly, seeing that the situation was developing out of control.
He was already planning an escape route.
Facing two late-stage Nascent Soul cultivators, he had absolutely no chance of winning.
His life was more important.
This was not the time to be reckless.
It seemed that killing Li Kongcai today was no longer possible.
Just as Li Kongcai wanted to kill Zhang Ergou, Zhang Ergou had also harbored the same intention.
However, plans rarely matched reality.
If he didn't escape now, more and more people would gather.
The Liuhai Sect was not far from here; if one or two more Nascent Soul powerhouses arrived,
he wouldn't be able to escape even if he wanted to.
He acted as he thought. Zhang Ergou flashed into the sky.
A fierce attack shot towards Li Kongcai.
"Old scoundrel, take your life."
Zhang Ergou roared, his punch carrying immense power, shaking the void.
Li Kongcai dared not be careless and concentrated on blocking.
"Damn, the kid is trying to escape!" Yuan Yue, who had been observing the battle, exclaimed.
However, there was still some distance between him and Zhang Ergou.
With the advantage of preparedness, Zhang Ergou had already vanished ten miles away.
As he fled, he did not forget to bring the still-stunned Liu Yaxuan with him.
"Chase him! Don't let that kid get away."
Li Kongcai, upon regaining his senses, realized he had been tricked by Zhang Ergou.
He was instantly furious.
He and Yuan Yue transformed into two streaks of light, chasing in the direction Zhang Ergou had disappeared.
The moment Yuan Yue appeared, Zhang Ergou had already prepared to escape.
Under full exertion, his Shadow Phantasm technique was pushed to its limit.
In a flash, Zhang Ergou had already left Li Kongcai and Yuan Yue far behind.
But he dared not be careless; the might of a late-stage Nascent Soul cultivator was formidable.
He dared not stop until he reached a sufficiently safe place.
Zhang Ergou headed towards a more remote direction at high speed.
This place was not far from the Liuhai Sect, and the surrounding territories might be affiliated with the Liuhai Sect.
He did not want to be captured halfway through his escape.
Along the way, Zhang Ergou pushed his speed to the extreme, his figure becoming a series of afterimages.
"Brother Ergou, please leave me. Taking me with you will only make me a burden."
Liu Yaxuan, held by Zhang Ergou, glanced at his rapid flight.
"Be quiet."
Zhang Ergou hissed. If he abandoned Liu Yaxuan now,
death would be her only fate.
If he couldn't even save the person he wanted to save, what was the point of his cultivation?
He might as well return to Xinshan Village to hunt.
The deaths of the other members of the Scarlet Fire Demon Slaying Squad had already made Zhang Ergou feel very guilty.
If he were to abandon Liu Yaxuan as well, how could he face the trust Liu Yue and the others had placed in him?
After being rebuked by Zhang Ergou, Liu Yaxuan also quieted down.
It was the first time she had seen Zhang Ergou so serious.
To avoid attracting attention, Zhang Ergou did not fly but chose to run on the ground.
Along the way, Zhang Ergou chose to dash towards a secluded forest.
Seeing a continuous mountain range not far ahead,
Zhang Ergou quickened his pace.
"Damn, that kid is fleeing towards that mountain range."
Li Kongcai and Yuan Yue, who were still in hot pursuit, soon discovered Zhang Ergou's intention.