The Fire-Tipped Spear trembled! Bai Yunfei lunged towards Liu Cheng without the slightest hesitation!
Liu Cheng's pupils contracted, a flicker of surprise passing through his eyes. He hadn't expected Bai Yunfei, who had spoken so calmly moments before, to strike first.
A trace of disdain curled Liu Cheng's lips. His feet shifted slightly, sliding diagonally backward as he ordered curtly, "Take him down. Be careful not to kill him."
His command was almost unnecessary. The two men beside him were already moving, bursting forward simultaneously. One grabbed directly for Bai Yunfei's spear-bearing right hand, while the other punched fiercely toward his heart.
Judging by Liu Cheng's demeanor, he actually disdained to act personally! He intended to let his two subordinates capture Bai Yunfei!
Bai Yunfei's gaze sharpened. His right arm twisted, his body pivoting sharply to the left. The Fire-Tipped Spear swept horizontally with his movement. The man on his left hastily crossed his arms to block the sweeping spear shaft, only to be knocked stumbling sideways by the tremendous force.
"Thud!" A dull impact sounded as Bai Yunfei's back took a solid punch. He merely staggered half a step, then immediately lifted his right leg, kicking backward at his assailant. The man blocked downward with crossed arms but was still forced back half a step.
Both were mid-stage Soul Soldiers!
Bai Yunfei's expression turned grave. His Rippling Steps activated. In a blur, he charged towards the man on his left, thrusting the Fire-Tipped Spear straight for his heart. The instant Bai Yunfei moved, the man behind him also stamped his foot, charging in pursuit.
Just as the opponent across from him began to dodge, Bai Yunfei's figure jerked to a sudden halt. His feet tangled together in a complex step. After two faint afterimages shimmered, he transitioned instantly from a full-speed charge to a dead stop—and spun to face his rear!
The Fire-Tipped Spear had been retracted during the spin. Now it thrust out violently again, aimed at the chest of the man who had been chasing him!
The face of the pursuer blanched. Startled, he threw himself desperately to the left. The Fire-Tipped Spear grazed his chest. Before he could feel relief, immense force slammed into his right side—Bai Yunfei's kick connected. The man grunted, knocked flying.
Bai Yunfei wanted to press the attack, but the sound of tearing wind came from behind. The other attacker had leaped into the air, right leg extended, aiming a kick at Bai Yunfei's head.
Bai Yunfei's eyes flickered. His feet shifted, and he simultaneously raised the Fire-Tipped Spear horizontally. The kick landed squarely on the spear shaft. Bai Yunfei was forced half a step back. Instantly, the enemy's left leg snapped out in a follow-up kick, targeting his heart!
Muscles bulged on Bai Yunfei's arms as he pushed back with all his strength. As the attacker was shoved away, seeing no chance for another blow, he managed to stamp his left foot onto the spear shaft one last time. Using Bai Yunfei's own push for leverage, he flipped backward, landing lightly.
Bai Yunfei, however, was driven back another step by the force of that final stomp. His body swayed slightly. Before he could steady himself, sharp pain lanced through his right side—the man he had kicked away earlier had recovered and attacked, returning the favor with a vicious sweep to his waist.
Bai Yunfei sidestepped twice to the left, simultaneously sweeping his spear in a wide arc. The move forced his would-be pursuer into retreat. But he saw the other enemy already darting in from the side.
His eyes darted left and right. The table laden with dishes was conveniently nearby. A flash of insight sparked in his gaze. He retreated two more steps in a blur, then delivered a powerful kick.
With a loud crash, bowls and plates flew everywhere. The large table flipped over and hurtled through the air towards the attacker approaching from the left.
The man was barely four or five meters from Bai Yunfei. The flying table was impossible to evade completely. His pupils shrank. He thrust both palms forward, intending to knock the table aside.
"Careful!" The warning shout from his companion came just as his hands touched the tabletop. Alarmed and acting purely on instinct, he abruptly abandoned his push. His feet stamped down hard, halting his forward momentum. As he started scrambling backward—
Crack! A soft sound came from the round table blocking his view. A fiery red spear tip punched straight through the wood, aimed directly at his heart!
The man's face contorted in terror. He hadn't anticipated Bai Yunfei's speed! To kick the table and launch such a swift pursuit instantly! Without his companion's warning, he'd be impaled!
Staring at the spear tip relentlessly pursuing him, he scrambled backward frantically. Only after retreating over two meters did the spear finally stop its advance.
Bai Yunfei charged to the upright table. His Fire-Tipped Spear was buried almost to its hilt through the wood. Maintaining his momentum, he kicked the table again. Its speed surged as it flew forward. Bai Yunfei yanked the spear free and swept it behind him, forcing the second pursuer into retreat. Simultaneously, he activated Rippling Steps and raced after the soaring table.
The first man, still staggering backward, was about to sigh in relief when he saw the table flying back towards him. His eyes flashed; he wouldn't fall for the same trick twice. He drove his foot down powerfully and shot sideways to evade.
But the moment he cleared the edge of the spinning table's shadow—
Another fiery red spear tip filled his vision!
Infinite horror flooded his eyes. At the last possible instant, he threw himself into a desperate roll, sacrificing all balance to drop flat onto his back. The spear tip whistled past, missing him by a hair's breadth. He'd dodged the thrust, but he couldn't evade the follow-up!
Bai Yunfei was blindingly fast. Though the spear thrust missed, his opponent was now helplessly off-balance. As the spear blade swept past, Bai Yunfei closed the distance. Without hesitation, he delivered a powerful kick to the man's side. With a choked oof, the man was sent hurtling backward, crashing hard against the wall several meters away.
Bai Yunfei didn't pursue. The attack from behind demanded his attention. He threw himself sharply to the left, dodging a fist aimed at the back of his skull. Just before hitting the floor, his feet churned rapidly, propelling him backward at a steep angle. As he passed the attacker, he snapped his body upright. The moment he regained his posture, another fist shot towards his chest.
Bai Yunfei's eyes gleamed. His right arm moved—the Fire-Tipped Spear vanished! He made no attempt to dodge or block! Instead, he met the incoming fist head-on while his own right fist launched a thunderous counter-punch!
Ninefold Fist Force!
"Thud!" "Thud!"
Two dull impacts echoed almost simultaneously. Bai Yunfei staggered back several steps. His opponent, however, spat a mouthful of blood as he was sent flying backward!
A cold snort escaped Bai Yunfei. He didn't pause. He charged after the reeling man. His opponent, reeling from the brutal blow, had barely hit the floor and caught his breath when Bai Yunfei was upon him again. Panicked, he fought back clumsily. Just as he seemed about to be overwhelmed, the other man finally recovered and launched another assault on Bai Yunfei.
Bai Yunfei didn't summon the spear again. He met the two men head-on, fists and feet flying.
Thud! Thud! Thud! The impacts were constant. Bai Yunfei, relying on the defense of the Golden Silk Soul Armor and the agility of his Rippling Steps, seemed remarkably composed under the combined assault. Of course, this was partly due to his opponents' constraint—they couldn't risk killing him.
He snapped a kick out, meeting a kick from the man on his right. Both men recoiled half a step. But the attacker on Bai Yunfei's left seized this fleeting opening, driving a punch toward the back of his head.
Bai Yunfei twisted his body right. The punch slammed into his left shoulder, forcing him half a step sideways. Simultaneously, a leg swept viciously into his right side.
However, the instant the kick landed, a gleam of fierce light flashed in Bai Yunfei's eyes. Using the force of the blow, he drove his feet down hard and leaped explosively to the left. His speed suddenly surged. Trailing a string of afterimages, he shot forward like an arrow.
The direction he raced toward—
Was directly where Liu Cheng stood!
Liu Cheng had been standing there observing the fight. As an Elder of the Cold Ice Sect, a mid-stage Soul Ancestor, he disdained personally dealing with a mere Soul Soldier. But seeing his two disciples struggle so long to subdue one opponent had begun to irritate him. He was just considering intervening to end it swiftly when he saw Bai Yunfei turn and charge straight at him.
"Overestimating yourself. Seeking death!" Liu Cheng sneered internally. While killing Bai Yunfei wasn't an option, crippling him severely certainly was!
Bai Yunfei's speed was immense, closing the distance to Liu Cheng almost instantly. But to Liu Cheng, it was insignificant. As Bai Yunfei neared, Liu Cheng's right arm was already raised. Cold mist swirled around his palm as he thrust it forward towards Bai Yunfei.
Frigid Palm Strike!
"Thud!"
Unsurprisingly, Bai Yunfei took the palm strike squarely on his chest. His body lifted off the ground, a spurt of blood spraying from his mouth as he hurtled backward through the air.
He had blasted his opponent away with a single palm, but Liu Cheng's brow furrowed slightly. A flicker of doubt crossed his eyes. It felt… as if the other had deliberately collided with him?
That strange thought had barely formed when Liu Cheng's expression drastically changed. He realized—Bai Yunfei was flying straight towards the room's window!
As Liu Cheng's face twisted with realization, Bai Yunfei had already reached the window frame. Mid-air, he violently twisted his body and simultaneously threw a punch!
"CRASH!"
Wood splintered explosively. Bai Yunfei's right foot slammed down hard on the window ledge, propelling him downward and outward with even greater speed.
"Clever trick," Liu Cheng sneered, momentarily stunned by Bai Yunfei's gambit of trading a severe injury for an escape route. "But do you truly believe this lets you escape?!"
A Soul Ancestor's reflexes were incredibly fast. As Bai Yunfei vanished through the shattered window, Liu Cheng flashed to the opening. He saw Bai Yunfei land hard on the street below and immediately break into a desperate sprint. Liu Cheng's eyes hardened. He snorted coldly and leaped out the window in pursuit.
The two men who had been battling Bai Yunfei were also stunned by his sudden maneuver. Not daring to hesitate, they rushed out after their master.
Bai Yunfei clutched his right chest with his left hand as he ran, forcibly suppressing another mouthful of blood threatening to erupt. He had planned this meticulously, triggering the Golden Silk Soul Armor's additional effect at the critical moment to withstand the palm strike at peak defense. But a blow from a mid-stage Soul Ancestor was terrifying. Without the armor's protection, he likely would have been crippled instantly.
Excruciating pain radiated from his core. His internal organs felt shaken, damaged. Worse, a wave of bone-chilling cold began spreading from the point of impact, making him shiver uncontrollably. He hastily summoned the Fire-Tipped Spear. The familiar wave of heat flowed into his body, finally counteracting the invasive chill.
He pushed his Rippling Steps to their limit. A trail of afterimages blurred behind him as he raced desperately forward.
Ten-odd meters behind him, Liu Cheng matched his pace effortlessly. The Cold Ice Sect's movement techniques were suited for close combat, not long-distance sprints, but even without activating a specific soul skill, Liu Cheng's innate speed was slightly faster than Bai Yunfei's!
Watching the fleeing figure drawing inexorably closer, a flicker of surprise passed through Liu Cheng's eyes. The speed of Bai Yunfei's movement soul skill was unexpectedly impressive. He hadn't anticipated it would take this long for him, a mid-stage Soul Ancestor, to close the gap.
The western city gate loomed ahead. Liu Cheng gave a contemptuous snort. Soul force surged through his legs as he pushed off the ground with explosive power. His speed leaped dramatically as he vaulted forward, landing directly behind Bai Yunfei in an instant. His right hand shot out, clawing towards the back of Bai Yunfei's neck.
"You can't escape, brat! Surrender NOW!!"