Zhao Xuan did not wipe the blood from his body, nor did he bother changing into the clean clothes stored in his relic base. Covered in torn fabric and streaked with dried and fresh blood, he stepped out of the relic space exactly as he was.
His mental power, though low compared to his monstrous physical strength, was still close to two hundred—already quite high among fourth- and fifth-rank ability users. After all, increasing mental power was far more difficult than increasing physical attributes.
The moment he exited the relic, Zhao Xuan held his breath and focused his senses, carefully observing all movements around him.
"What a pity… If only I had Observation Haki right now."
He shook his head, clearing the distracting thought away, and continued scanning.
The three fifth-rank ability users atop the mountain had not bothered concealing their presence. Believing Zhao Xuan might have been buried under the rubble, they were loudly overturning broken earth and fallen rocks.
Thus, Zhao Xuan easily located their positions—two to the north, close together, and one alone toward the west.
"But where's the sixth-rank grandmaster?
Where is he?"
Zhao Xuan's brows tightened.
Ever since learning there was a sixth-rank grandmaster among the attackers, he had already set his next target. He did not believe he could beat a six-ranker head-on—not yet. His method for fighting sixth-rank beasts was purely opportunistic.
He needed the same opportunity now.
He needed the sixth-ranker to lower his guard and take a full-force blow.
If he acted now and killed the three fifth-rankers, the sixth-ranker would immediately become alert—and once that happened, defeating him in one strike would be nearly impossible.
So Zhao Xuan had to find the sixth-ranker first.
"He's not on the mountain… Did he stay below to intercept me?"
Zhao Xuan's eyes flashed. He clenched his teeth and forced two mouthfuls of blood out of his throat, letting his aura grow weaker and weaker.
Then he took out a mid-grade energy fluid pouch, filled his mouth with it—but didn't swallow.
Only after preparing everything did he begin stumbling down the mountain, swaying as if on the verge of collapse.
The moment he stepped out of the smoke and debris—
His gaze met the final member of the bandit group.
The sixth-rank grandmaster.
If a fourth-rank Zhao Xuan could detect him easily, then the sixth-ranker had naturally sensed Zhao Xuan at the same moment.
Their eyes locked.
The grandmaster's gaze swept over Zhao Xuan—his torn flesh, the blood, the pallid complexion, the unstable steps, and the faint aura of weakness.
A wild delight flooded his expression.
And then—
Tap. Tap. Tap.
Zhao Xuan "panicked" and burst into Shave, darting away like a terrified rabbit.
"Running!?"
The sixth-rank grandmaster let out a cold, mocking laugh.
"You think you can escape from me, boy!?"
He stomped the ground and shot forward, chasing after Zhao Xuan with deadly speed.
"You can't run! Accept your fate!"
Within seconds, he was nearly upon Zhao Xuan.
At that moment, Zhao Xuan swallowed a tiny sip of the mid-grade energy fluid.
Then—
He activated mini-dragon form.
His speed spiked, widening the distance between them slightly.
"Oh? So you still have strength left?
Good. Let's see how long you last!"
The sixth-ranker gritted his teeth and accelerated again.
The chase carried them deeper into the mountain range.
Meanwhile, the three fifth-rankers at the mountain peak heard the commotion.
"Zhao Xuan!?"
"Damn it—he escaped!?"
"When did he get down the mountain!?"
They rushed after their leader—but within a few minutes, the two fleeing figures disappeared entirely from their view.
"Damn! The brat's fast!"
"He's hurt that badly and can still run!?"
"Forget it. Boss is chasing him. He won't escape. Let's wait."
One of them suddenly frowned.
"Wait… where's Huang Jiong?"
The others froze.
"Right… where IS he?"
"He didn't follow us?"
"He should've been faster than all of us."
"Unless…"
An absurd thought surfaced simultaneously in all their minds.
The three exchanged grim looks.
"Could he have been… killed by Zhao Xuan?"
The mountain fell silent.
After a few breaths, one man forced a laugh.
"No… impossible. Zhao Xuan is strong, yes. A monster, even. But Huang Jiong has been a fifth-rank for years. He wouldn't be killed without making the slightest noise."
"He's probably still searching the mountain."
"Let's go back and find him."
As they turned back—
Zhao Xuan and the sixth-rank grandmaster had already run several kilometers away.
Just as Zhao Xuan neared the boundary between fifth-rank and sixth-rank territory…
The grandmaster panicked.
He did not trust himself against sixth-rank land kings. Anyone truly confident in their power would have attacked Zhao Xuan earlier, instead of hiding and firing crystal shells like a rat.
"No—no—no!
I can't let him go deeper!"
With a desperate roar, he unleashed all his strength.
His speed surged.
He caught up in an instant and slammed a fist into Zhao Xuan's back.
BOOM!
Zhao Xuan was hurled through the forest, smashing through seven or eight massive trees before rolling to a stop.
But before the grandmaster reached him—
Zhao Xuan lurched to his feet and continued running, dragging his trembling body forward.
"Damn brat!"
The sixth-ranker howled in fury and launched after him again.
He struck Zhao Xuan once more—
And Zhao Xuan was sent flying again, rolling across the ground for over ten meters.
His aura grew weaker… his body unsteady.
But he still climbed up and ran.
"You think you can escape!?"
The grandmaster lunged again, this time sweeping his leg sideways—
CRACK!
Zhao Xuan's left leg dislocated instantly.
He flew off the cliff edge.
He tumbled down the slope—five meters, ten, twenty—before crashing onto the earth far below.
The moment he hit the ground—
He swallowed the energy fluid in his mouth.
Then instantly opened the relic entrance and slipped inside.
Inside the relic—
Zhao Xuan tore open five or six packs of mid-grade energy fluid and chugged them like water.
His stamina surged back.
He grabbed his dislocated leg—
CRACK!
He forced it back into place, sweat dripping down his face from the pain.
Then—
ROAR!
He activated full dragon-man form.
He fixed his gaze on the relic entrance.
Outside—
Tap.
Almost at the same moment Zhao Xuan vanished, a figure dropped down from above.
The sixth-rank grandmaster.
He scanned the empty ground.
Then his expression shifted.
Hidden in the bushes, a faint silver crack in the air was closing.
A relic entrance.
Ecstasy twisted his face.
"A space-type relic core!
The brat really has one!"
Without hesitation—or caution—he lunged inside before the portal closed.
Why would he be cautious?
Zhao Xuan had looked like he was about to die.
Completely broken.
Barely breathing.
And spatial relics accepted all ranks.
There would be no rejection.
So he stepped in—
And instantly—
BOOM!!!!
A storm of killing intent greeted him.
He hadn't even formed a defensive stance.
Hadn't even seen the relic interior.
Zhao Xuan's lightning-wrapped finger spear pierced straight into the left side of his temple.
The solar plexus of the brain.
The weakest point.
His skull cracked.
Brain matter churned.
The grandmaster unleashed a final furious punch—
It slammed into Zhao Xuan's chest, blasting him into his stone-built base and collapsing the entire structure.
But the grandmaster did not pursue.
He stood swaying.
Blood poured from his seven orifices.
Chunks of white matter seeped out.
His aura plummeted.
"D… damn…"
His knees buckled—
THUD.
He fell face-first into the sand.
Dead.
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