You've Limited Your Options

Descending the mountain gate of the Azure Profound Sect, Xiao Ruobai and Fang Hanyu did not immediately use their movement techniques to speed away. Instead, they chose to walk for a distance to experience the atmosphere of the outside world.

The closer they got to Yunzhou, the more different the atmosphere in the air became.

Over the once relatively peaceful wilderness and official roads, streaks of light from various fleeing techniques could now be seen flashing by from time to time, mostly heading in the same direction.

Occasionally, faint spiritual energy fluctuations and explosive sounds could be felt from afar, clearly indicating that conflicts were breaking out.

"It seems Master was right. It really is quite lively over here," Xiao Ruobai said, feeling the restless spiritual energy in the air with a look of eagerness in his eyes.

Fang Hanyu's gaze swept over several streaks of light rushing away into the horizon, and he gave a slight nod. "It's a mixed bag of fish and dragons out here. We should be careful."

The two proceeded with a low profile. Along the way, they even witnessed two unknown minor factions fiercely fighting over the ownership of a seemingly ordinary mine. The scene was chaotic, yet no one stepped in to stop it.

"We haven't even reached the core area, and they're already fighting like this..." Xiao Ruobai muttered.

To avoid unnecessary trouble, as they approached a small town on the edge of the former Demonic Heaven Sect's territory, the two tacitly circulated the You Can't See Through Me cultivation method. They altered their appearances, disguising themselves as two ordinary-looking rogue cultivators with auras only at the mid-stage of the Core Condensation Realm.

They walked into Listening Wind Pavilion, the only relatively bustling tavern in town.

The tavern was noisy, filled with cultivators from all walks of life. Most were talking loudly, and without exception, the core of their topics revolved around the massive power vacuum and treasure troves of resources left behind after the annihilation of the Demonic Heaven Sect and the Blood Soul Sect.

The two found a corner to sit, ordered some ordinary food and wine, and listened silently.

"Hey, did you hear? The people from the Ten Thousand Laws Pavilion officially took over the largest high-grade spirit stone main vein in the Black Hell Mountain Range the day before yesterday! They sent two elders and over a hundred disciples to guard it! What a grand display!" a burly man shouted after taking a gulp of wine.

"That's not all! The Haoran Sect of Yunzhou wasn't to be outdone either. They seized the Blood Soul Sect's largest Blood Marrow Jade mine. I heard that jade mine has accompanying supreme-grade Blood Spirit Crystals, which are invaluable!" another person chimed in.

"Tsk tsk, those two sects have swallowed the fattest pieces of meat. The other sects haven't been idle either. The Heavenly Evolution Sect has occupied several important spirit herb valleys..."

"It's not just the mines and herb gardens!" a shrill voice interjected. "The small and medium-sized families and sects that originally depended on the two great demonic sects are the truly miserable ones. Now they've become ownerless properties. They either have to quickly find a new backer, or they'll be swallowed up and encroached upon by the surrounding factions!"

"This place is like a pot of boiling porridge right now; everyone wants to scoop up a spoonful!"

"I heard that a few days ago, the Ten Thousand Laws Pavilion and the Haoran Sect almost went to war over a newly discovered accompanying mineral vein on the border! Elders from both sides were present, and they were at each other's throats!"

"Oh? And then what happened?" The crowd was intrigued and pressed for details.

"Then what? Then they didn't fight! Both sides exercised restraint. Neither wanted to be the first to stick their neck out and trigger a full-scale conflict between major sects. In the end, it seems they reached some sort of temporary agreement to jointly develop it or something... In short, it's still relatively peaceful on the surface, but dark currents are surging underneath!"

Xiao Ruobai and Fang Hanyu exchanged a glance, silently taking note of this information.

The situation was even more complex than they had imagined. The major sects were carving up the core interests, while the small and medium-sized factions fought over the scraps. The chaos was filled with both opportunities and dangers.

After finishing their meal, the two left behind some spirit stones and quietly exited the tavern. Their figures blurred as they transformed into two inconspicuous streaks of light, speeding toward that core area full of opportunity and chaos.

As they reached the edge of a valley, the two suddenly stopped in their tracks at the same time and looked into the distance.

On the horizon, several powerful auras were rapidly approaching from afar.

The aura in front was relatively weak, roughly at the Purple Mansion Realm, but its fleeing technique was extremely exquisite. The figure was as slippery as a loach, weaving through various complex terrains at a speed that was barely slower than the tyrannical Heavenly Realm auras chasing behind.

In the blink of an eye, both parties had drawn near.

Running at the forefront was a youth who looked to be sixteen or seventeen years old. He was slightly plump with a round face. At this moment, he was running so hard that he was covered in sweat and his face was pale, but his eyes darted around rapidly, revealing a cleverness and slyness that did not match his age...

The dharma robe he wore shimmered with the halos of various life-saving runes, and the boots on his feet surged with wind spiritual energy. Clearly, they were all top-grade items.

The pursuers behind him were five cultivators dressed in uniform dark red attire. Each of them possessed a deep aura, and their spiritual energy fluctuations shockingly reached the Heavenly Realm!

Their expressions were gloomy, evidently extremely irritated at being strung along by a Purple Mansion Realm brat for so long.

Seeing Xiao Ruobai and Fang Hanyu standing on the road ahead from a distance, the plump youth's eyes suddenly lit up as if he had seen his saviors. His face instantly contorted into an ecstatic expression of being saved.

He changed direction and unhesitatingly charged straight toward the two of them, shouting at the top of his lungs, "Senior Brothers! Senior Brothers, save me! They're trying to steal my treasures!"

He shouted with genuine emotion and smooth movements, acting as if Xiao Ruobai and Fang Hanyu really were his long-lost biological senior brothers.

Xiao Ruobai and Fang Hanyu watched his performance expressionlessly.

However, just as the plump youth rushed to within a hundred feet of them, almost close enough to see the subtle expressions on their faces, the ecstasy on his face instantly froze. Then, like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, he abruptly made an extremely sudden, nearly ninety-degree sharp turn!

"Whoosh!"

His chubby body displayed astonishing flexibility and explosive power as he forcefully changed direction, brushing past Xiao Ruobai and Fang Hanyu, and fleeing for his life toward a narrower valley fork to the rear side. His speed was so fast that he left only an afterimage.

At the same time, he quickly muttered something under his breath. Though his voice was low, it clearly reached the ears of Xiao Ruobai and Fang Hanyu:

"Damn it! I thought I ran into some big shots! How are they just two Core Condensation Realm noobs! Good thing I am kind-hearted and won't drag you down with me. You're on your own!"

His tone was filled with the frustration of a failed plan and a trace of... inexplicable kindness?

Xiao Ruobai: "..."

Fang Hanyu: "..."

This chubby kid, not forgetting to put on an act and complain even while running for his life, was truly a prodigy.

The five Heavenly Realm cultivators chasing from behind naturally saw Xiao Ruobai and Fang Hanyu as well.

The leader, a middle-aged cultivator with a cold and stern face, furrowed his brows. He swept a glance over the two of them, a flash of impatience and killing intent in his eyes, and ordered a companion beside him, "Old Fifth, wipe them out in passing. Don't leave any traces, and hurry up to follow us."

"Yes, Senior Brother!" The Heavenly Realm cultivator known as Old Fifth gave a sinister smile. His figure paused as he stopped his pursuit, turning instead to face Xiao Ruobai and Fang Hanyu.

He didn't put two Core Condensation rogue cultivators in his eyes at all. He casually struck out with a palm, and a solid blood-red palm print howled toward them, carrying a foul wind, intending to smash the two into a bloody pulp.

In his view, this was nothing more than crushing two ants and wouldn't delay him for more than a few breaths of time.

Fang Hanyu watched the blood-red palm print, which was more than enough to easily obliterate ordinary Core Condensation Realm cultivators, with completely calm eyes.

"You have chosen the narrow path!" Fang Hanyu sighed softly.

He did not even draw a weapon. Simply raising his right hand in a casual manner, he brought his fingers together to form a sword and made a light, forward slash.

Swish!

A thin yet incomparably fierce strand of sword qi shot forth. Though launched a step late, it arrived first, slicing silently through the blood-red palm print like a hot knife through butter. The palm print's spiritual energy instantly collapsed. The sword qi's momentum remained completely unabated. Before the Heaven Realm cultivator could even muster a reaction, it swept right past his neck, reflecting only in his utterly terrified eyes.

A head flew into the air, its face frozen in absolute disbelief as blood sprayed like a fountain.

Even in death, that Heaven Realm cultivator had no idea what had just happened.