The Orb of Light Recognized Only Li Zhexian

"Give me the secret of the treasure drops, and I'll take only you away."

"You can ask them first whether they agree."

Huo Wu raised her hand, and flames poured from her palm. Tongues of fire rushed toward the eaves at the entrance to the alley.

"Don't ask. Run!"

Jin Ling grabbed Li Zhexian by the shoulder and shoved him to the right.

"There's a door under the eaves."

Bone Flag Douluo sent out a burst of bone Qi, scattering fragments of the brick wall in all directions.

Huo Wu burned through the corner of the eaves, sending a shower of roof tiles down to block the alley entrance. Bone Flag Douluo paused for half a step, then raised a hand and blasted the falling tiles aside. The three of them seized the chance to enter the back street.

Behind the door, a great many empty wine jars were piled up.

Li Zhexian was running so fast that his shoulder knocked one of them over. The jar rolled to the wall and landed with a dull thud.

Huo Wu glanced at the jar.

"We don't have the money to pay for it."

"We'll pay for it after we get the reward."

"You're still thinking about those ten taels of silver?"

"The silver is still with the judge."

"If you dare go back, I'll burn you."

"Then I won't go back."

A bone spike flew at them from behind, grazing the wall. Jin Ling shoved Huo Wu aside, and Li Zhexian drew his sword to block the spike. The blade deflected most of its force, but the rest still struck beside his shoulder. His shield lit up, and the number displayed on it began dropping rapidly.

A flash of purple light fell from the air and struck the flagstones.

Bone Flag Douluo reached out to grab the orb of light, but it swerved around his hand and flew into Li Zhexian's storage bag.

He stopped where he stood and looked at the storage bag.

"Just as I thought, it only recognizes you."

"You only just found that out?"

"A living person is worth more than a dead one."

"That doesn't sound very auspicious."

Li Zhexian grabbed Huo Wu and ran forward again. Jin Ling fell to the rear, turned around, and sent out a burst of sword Qi.

The sword Qi struck the wall, sending broken bricks tumbling down to block the narrow passage.

Bone Flag Douluo waved his hand to blast the broken bricks aside, then set off in pursuit again.

"Stop running!"

"Chasing fast is no match for hitting hard!"

"You still dare provoke me with your words?"

"You were already attacking me."

Li Zhexian used Wind Walking Step to race through the narrow alley. He turned sideways to dodge a handcart being pushed toward him.

The vegetables on the cart tumbled all over the ground, and the cart driver's curses carried far into the distance.

Huo Wu sent out a line of fire, burning through a rope net at the entrance to the alley. Two pursuers had just arrived when the ropes tripped them to the ground.

"They're not Bone Banner's people," Jin Ling said.

"Someone in the city is helping him block the roads."

Jin Ling kicked down a pursuer who was about to get up.

"Keep moving. Don't stop."

Bone Flag Douluo stepped over the rope net, and a barrage of bone spikes shot out. Li Zhexian deflected the first two, but the third grazed his ribs, and his shield's value dropped further.

Two purple orbs of light fell from the sky.

One rolled into a drain, while the other caught on the corner of a wall. Li Zhexian reached out and scooped up the orb at the corner. A pursuer crushed the one in the drain underfoot, scattering its light.

"That's a pity."

Huo Wu tugged at his sleeve.

"You're still going to pick them up?"

"There's no reason not to pick up things that fall from above."

"If you keep picking them up, you won't be able to get away."

"Then I'll pick them up faster."

Bone Banner Douluo stopped in the middle of the alley and raised both arms. Bone patterns crept along his arms to his shoulders, and a grayish-white bone banner unfurled behind him.

His Soul Rings rose. The flagstones could not withstand the pressure, and cracks spread outward from beneath his feet.

Bone spikes sealed off the road ahead, while Soul Power blocked the way behind them.

"Everyone, stop!"

Huo Wu stepped in front of Li Zhexian.

"Don't move."

"I'm not moving."

"You were just walking toward the orb of light."

"My feet walked over there on their own."

Huo Wu raised both palms, and a curtain of fire stretched across the alley. The bone spikes glowed red and crackled in the flames. She burned a path through the obstruction ahead.

Her arms were already aching, and the flames were growing weaker.

Jin Ling glanced at her.

"Don't force yourself to hold on. The flames are about to disperse."

"I don't want to be tied up and taken back to the altar again."

Huo Wu gritted her teeth, and the flames in her palms rose a little higher. The curtain of fire expanded to both sides, barely leaving a path wide enough to pass through.

Li Zhexian grabbed her by the shoulders and pushed her toward the curtain of fire.

"Get out of here first."

"Don't do this."

"I'll follow behind you."

"If you dare stay behind, I'll stuff fire into your mouth."

"Then I'll go now."

Jin Ling followed the two of them through the curtain of fire. Bone Flag Douluo also charged through the flames, one of his sleeves already scorched.

Li Zhexian turned and shouted, "Huo Wu, don't try to control me."

"I'm controlling myself."

"Well said."

The three of them rounded the city wall and rushed out of Sunset City.

When the Soul Masters guarding the gate saw Bone Flag Douluo pursuing them, they all stepped aside. None of them dared come forward to stop him.

Outside the city were two mountain paths.

One went around the mountainside and was the longer route. The other led to a narrow gorge, where there were few places to hide.

Li Zhexian looked at the two paths and pointed toward the gorge.

"Through there."

"There's nowhere to hide in there," Jin Ling said.

"It's easier for someone to block us outside."

Huo Wu braced her hands on her knees, panting.

"That makes sense, but I don't like the choice."

The three of them entered the gorge. Bone spikes struck the rock walls, sending stones tumbling down around their feet.

Li Zhexian put away another purple orb of light, then turned and shouted at Bone Flag Douluo, "Chasing fast is no match for hitting hard!"

"Once I catch you, let's see what you have to say then!"

A vast cloud of green mist appeared at the bend ahead, blocking the road.

Bone Flag Douluo stopped as well.

Medicinal herbs had been trampled and broken. Their leaves were smeared with sap.

An old man's curses came from within the green mist.

"Who gave you permission to trample my herb field into this state?"

Li Zhexian looked into the mist. Huo Wu raised her sleeve and wiped the sweat from her face.

"This place belongs to him?"

"From the sound of his voice, it probably does."

"Do we need to apologize to him?"

"Let's first see whether he'll let us through."

The green mist parted to both sides, and a green-haired old man emerged from it, leaning on a cane.

He tapped the rocky ground several times with his cane, then lowered his head to examine the broken herbs. Afterward, he raised his head and looked over Li Zhexian and his two companions, as well as Bone Flag Douluo.

"You two aren't leaving here in one piece today."