Just as their voices faded, Ning Xuan’s astonished voice rose from nearby. "What... what’s happened to you two?"

The two men were taken aback, a brilliant light erupting in their eyes. "Ning Xuan! Get me out of here!" they shouted in unison. They no longer cared where Ning Xuan had gone or how he had emerged unscathed.

"Oh, alright, alright." Ning Xuan snapped out of his daze, about to help Yue Hua.

However, Cai Qing quickly interjected, "Never mind him, save me first!"

"Alright... no, I can’t. His injuries are worse than yours!" Ning Xuan responded, freezing in place.

His reminder snapped Yue Hua back to his senses as well. He immediately confronted Cai Qing, "What do you mean by that?!"

Ignoring Yue Hua completely, Cai Qing continued to plead with Ning Xuan. "Ning Xuan, he’s done for, but I can still be saved! Hurry and take me with you; I know a shortcut! If we’re quick, we can both survive! Otherwise, you’ll die here too!"

Yue Hua flew into a rage and revealed the truth to Ning Xuan. "That’s not it! Ning Xuan, don’t believe his lies! There is no shortcut here! He’s the one who planned for us to end up here. He wanted to use an aberrant beast to kill you!"

Cai Qing, not expecting Yue Hua to turn on him, refused to go down without a fight. He immediately retorted, "Yue Hua, what kind of bullshit is that! You were the one who wanted to kill him and Leng Yi!"

"So, there’s no such place to increase our strength. You were trying to kill me all along!" Ning Xuan’s voice cut in suddenly.

They both whipped their heads toward Ning Xuan, and in that instant, they understood. "It was you!" they exclaimed.

Ning Xuan just shook his head. "I don’t know what you’re talking about."

While the two were still stunned, Ning Xuan turned and walked away, not back the way they came, but deeper into the mountain.

Now, they understood everything. Although they didn’t know how Ning Xuan had done it, they knew that if he left, they were truly finished.

"Ning Xuan, Young Master Ning... no, Grandpa Ning, I was wrong! Please, be merciful and spare my life!"

"Grandpa Ning, I’m not human! I’m an animal, worse than a pig or a dog! For my worthless life to end here would only be an insult to your eyes."

They continued to beg, but Ning Xuan didn’t even pause. Realizing he intended to leave them to their fate, their pleas turned to curses.

"Ning Xuan, you bastard! You’ll die a dog’s death!"

"Harming your comrades! According to the Dali Code, you should be sentenced to death by a thousand cuts!"

As they cursed bitterly, the only response they received was the sound of Ning Xuan’s cheerful, strangely-toned singing drifting back to them. "Today’s a fine day..."

Ptoo!

The two of them were so enraged they coughed up blood. With what little life force they had left, they were on the brink of fading away completely.

「Meanwhile.」

Ning Xuan continued deeper into the mountain. This time, he didn’t use his Cultivation Technique or his Divine Vein Power. As a result, he was soon targeted by an aberrant beast.

The creature, incredibly patient and capable of turning invisible, followed Ning Xuan the entire way. Just as Ning Xuan stopped by a small stream and bent down to scoop up some water...

BOOM!

It materialized directly behind him, launching a powerful strike. But it had barely moved when it felt its paw caught in a vice-like grip. In its moment of shock, WHOOSH! A blade of light flashed, and its paw was suddenly in Ning Xuan’s hand.

"Not bad," Ning Xuan remarked, inspecting the severed limb. "Roasted bear paw for dinner!"

His words drove the beast into a frenzy.

"DIE!"

With a furious roar, a gigantic palm slammed down. Ning Xuan’s figure shot backward. The palm struck the earth like a mountain-quelling seal, instantly severing the stream. A massive crater formed, surrounded by a spiderweb of cracks.

"Not bad. You can actually use a Dao Mark. Where did you learn that?" Ning Xuan’s eyes lit up as he asked his opponent.

The response was an even more powerful strike. Unfortunately for the assailant, Ning Xuan was prepared and dodged again.

After several more failed attacks, the aberrant beast burst into a rage. "Despicable human, is dodging all you can do?!"

Ning Xuan remained calm and replied, "Tell me where you learned to use that Dao Mark, and I’ll stop dodging."

"Truly?!" the beast asked.

Ning Xuan affirmed resolutely, "A gentleman doesn’t joke."

To his surprise, the creature actually told him the location.

Ning Xuan cupped his fists in thanks, but the response was another terrifying Dao Mark hurtling toward him. Naturally, Ning Xuan dodged it. At the same time, he began sprinting toward the location the creature had revealed.

The beast stood stunned for a long moment before it finally reacted. "AAAAHH! DAMNABLE HUMAN! YOU SAID YOU WOULDN’T DODGE!"

Ning Xuan’s voice drifted back from the distance. "A gentleman doesn’t joke, but I’m no gentleman. So of course I’d dodge."

The creature howled in fury and immediately gave chase. However, even after pursuing for dozens of miles, there was still no sign of Ning Xuan. The beast didn’t stop, though. It knew where Ning Xuan was headed! But then, after another hundred miles, it suddenly screeched to a halt.

There was a terrifying being up ahead, and it had no desire to stir up trouble. It immediately took a detour.

What the creature didn’t know was that the very person it was hunting was now following it from behind. Ning Xuan had activated his Body Technique Skill, moving so silently that the beast was completely unaware.

When they reached the place that had given the beast pause, Ning Xuan certainly didn’t charge forward recklessly. He continued to follow it. Why take a risk when there was a perfectly safe way to reach his destination?

Following the creature, Ning Xuan moved farther and farther from his original entry point. Just as Leng Yi had said, Trial Mountain seemed truly vast and boundless, with no discernible edge.

He followed the creature on its roundabout path for a long time until, suddenly, it stopped moving. A look of surprise appeared on Ning Xuan’s face as well, because he could now hear the sound of people talking.

A commanding voice spoke up. "Are you sure it’s in this area?"

"Certain!"

Another voice said, "Big Brother, if there really are ruins, they shouldn’t be in this area, right?"

The first voice immediately scolded, "Fool! This is Trial Mountain! Anything is possible!"

"Found it! It’s right there!" The voice belonged to the guide, filled with excitement.

Just then, the leader’s voice barked, "Who’s there?!"

The next moment—BANG!

The aberrant beast that had led Ning Xuan all this way exploded into a bloody mist. The palm made of Element Force that had struck it instantly morphed into a claw. With a single grasping motion, Ning Xuan watched as the mist of blood was drawn into fine red threads that converged beneath the claw.

In an instant, it coalesced into a single Blood Bead.

"Big Brother, your Coagulating Blood Hand technique has improved again!" a delighted voice rang out from behind.

The owner of the claw seemed stunned for a moment, then said in a bewildered tone, "Why did you kill him?!"

"What? Big Brother, when you shouted, I thought that was the signal to attack him."

"Signal my ass! Now that you’ve killed him, who’s going to scout the path for us?!"

"Hehe. In all of Lingchi, who doesn’t know that my big brother, Qiu Yu, is the number one Law Enforcement Officer? With you here, Big Brother, he was useless anyway."

"Enough with the flattery! If this truly is the cave dwelling of a powerhouse from the Ancient Times, my strength alone probably won’t be enough. Stick close to me!"

"Righto!"

The voices faded as the two figures receded into the distance.