Pursuit

"Is that... a Honey Badger?" Yuan Ming stared at the beast Bayin had transformed into, momentarily speechless.

Unlike the drastic changes in size when others used the Furring Technique, Bayin's body had not changed much. If anything, he looked rather comical.

Yet the crimson glow in his eyes, the heavy breaths from his nostrils, and the vicious, Baleful Intent radiating from his whole body made it clear that he was nowhere near as easy to deal with as he looked.

Close behind him, the other Green Wolf Gang members also used the Fur Transformation Technique, turning into three green wolves and one black panther.

Yuan Ming swiftly swept his gaze around, then pulled the White Bone Daggers embedded in the ground behind him free, gripping one in each hand.

His gaze passed over the Green Wolf Gang members one by one, as though searching for a target. Three of them were the same men who had followed Zaha earlier. Having witnessed Yuan Ming's methods before, they all understood what he intended to do next and hurriedly backed away.

"What are you afraid of? I'm here!" Bayin roared, his voice booming like a great bell.

Yet the instant his words fell, a sharp whistle split the air.

Yuan Ming used his Essence Accumulating Arm and hurled a bone dagger with all his strength, sending it like an arrow straight at Bayin's heart.

Just as it was about to pierce through his chest, a palm slammed down from above and struck the White Bone Dagger hard.

With a loud bang.

Yuan Ming saw a faint black glint burst beneath the badger's paw, and his White Bone Dagger seemed to have been struck by a sledgehammer. It exploded apart in the middle and fell to the ground.

But immediately afterward, another explosive whistle tore through the air.

The second White Bone Dagger had already arrived, flying straight at Bayin's face.

Bayin let out a thunderous shout. Not only did he not dodge, he rammed his head directly into the White Bone Dagger.

With a sharp smack.

The White Bone Dagger bounced off Bayin's forehead, and he caught it in one hand.

At the same time, a figure suddenly darted past his side and leaped toward the distance.

"Still trying to run?"

Bayin sneered, spun around at once, reversed the White Bone Dagger in his hand, and hurled it fiercely at the fleeing Yuan Ming.

Yuan Ming had already leaped into the air and was reaching for a low-hanging vine when he suddenly heard the roaring wind behind him. He hurriedly ducked his neck and dropped downward.

The White Bone Dagger shot past his scalp, severing the vine he had meant to grab. With a bang, it blasted a large hole through an old tree farther away, then pierced through another tree behind it.

What terrifying strength. Yuan Ming silently cried out.

As his body fell, he had barely landed when two black shadows lunged at him from either side. They were two green wolves transformed from Furred Beast Slaves, their bloody maws wide open as they bit at his left and right arms.

With no other choice, Yuan Ming rolled across the ground and dodged forward.

As he sprang back up, he saw a black panther directly ahead pouncing at him with bared fangs and claws, blocking his path.

This time, there was no way to avoid it.

As the black panther charged before him, Yuan Ming braced one hand against the ground and raised the other in front of himself, forming a hand seal as he shouted softly, "Rise."

In an instant, yellow light flared from the ground less than three feet before him. A sharp yellow stone spike abruptly rose up and pierced through the black panther's chest.

Blood sprayed everywhere, and the furred beast slave transformed into the black panther cried out in agony.

Yuan Ming swept past his side and sped up, fleeing deeper into the mountain forest.

"Be careful! That brat knows magic!" Bayin roared as he chased after him.

Taking advantage of the opening, Yuan Ming leaped up, climbed into the trees, and fled into the distance.

The three green wolves immediately followed. Their speed was naturally superior, and they steadily closed in on Yuan Ming, though they deliberately maintained a certain distance from him.

Only the Honey Badger Bayin had transformed into did not excel in speed, and he was gradually left behind.

As Yuan Ming fled under pursuit, he observed the surroundings and continuously identified his direction.

His face was tense, but there was no panic in his eyes.

Clearly, he had long prepared for his current predicament.

The three green wolves relentlessly pursued Yuan Ming, and the chase continued for more than half a shichen.

However, the distance between them and Yuan Ming had widened considerably. It was not that they could not keep up, but that they knew Bayin had been left far behind and did not dare follow too closely, fearing that Yuan Ming might turn back and catch them unprepared.

It was not that Yuan Ming had not considered doing exactly that. But he did not know Bayin's strength and could not predict when he would catch up. If he became entangled with the three green wolf beast slaves and could not break free, only to be caught by Bayin afterward, things would be far from ideal.

Without stopping, he headed straight for the entrance of a deep valley wedged between two towering mountain ridges and glanced inside.

It was noon, yet the mist within the valley had not fully dispersed. Smoke-like vapors drifted through it, making it seem like an illusion.

Yuan Ming did not hesitate. He plunged headfirst into the valley's mist.

The moment he entered the valley mouth, a faint breeze carrying a scorching smell rushed at his face, making him frown.

After walking deeper into the valley and passing that wind gap, the fishy, rancid stench instead became less intense.

The trees inside the valley were much sparser than those outside. Some ferocious beasts could be seen in the woods, but they seemed exceptionally cautious and timid. The moment they heard Yuan Ming's movements, they turned tail and ran.

Yuan Ming continued inward. After about half a shichen, the air in the valley suddenly became murky, thick with a pungent sulfur smell.

After he rounded a bend in the gorge, the view suddenly opened up. Not far ahead lay an irregular Sulphur Lake spanning roughly ten mu.

The lake water was clear, yet golden-yellow in color. Only along the rocky shore at its edges had a layer of white frost formed. From afar, it looked like a massive yellow gemstone set within the valley.

Yet upon that seemingly beautiful lake surface stood one white skeleton after another. Some remained relatively intact, while others were badly incomplete. Standing upon the water, they looked like plants growing from the lake.

On the mountain wall near the lake, more than a dozen caves of varying sizes were scattered about. Some were over ten zhang high, while others were as small as dog holes.

Yuan Ming glanced at those cave entrances, then immediately hurried around the lake and ran toward them.

Outside the valley, Bayin came charging over and saw his subordinates circling anxiously beyond the entrance, not daring to enter.

"Where is that brat? What are you all dawdling around here for?" Bayin immediately barked.

"Gang Leader Bayin, he ran into the valley. The mist is thick inside, and we did not dare rush in recklessly. We were afraid of falling into his ambush," one of the green wolves said.

"You useless trash! Get in there and chase him now! If you let him get away again, I'll throw you out of the Green Wolf Gang and leave you to fend for yourselves!" Bayin roared.

The few of them immediately panicked upon hearing this.

They had relied on the Green Wolf Gang's name to commit no small number of misdeeds, but had rarely suffered retaliation. Once they lost that protective identity, however, they would only die faster than anyone else.

Without another word, the three green wolf beast slaves rushed inside, and Bayin followed close behind.

Meanwhile, as Yuan Ming ran along the lakeshore, he suddenly saw a shadow swiftly sweep across the water toward him. As it drew closer, the dark shadow grew larger and larger.

He immediately stopped, staring intently at the water. But when the shadow swept onto the shore, realization struck him, and he swiftly raised his head toward the sky.

High above, a massive black hawk suddenly drew its spread wings back and dove fiercely toward him.

Yuan Ming immediately stepped back, clenching both fists as he waited for the hawk to approach.

Just as the hawk drew nearer, a faint sizzle suddenly sounded.

The hawk let out a piercing shriek. Blood suddenly burst from its enormous body, which seemed to have been sliced simultaneously by several sharp blades. It split into seven or eight chunks of flesh and crashed down.

Dark-red blood sprayed through the air, nearly splattering Yuan Ming from head to toe.

Yuan Ming was shocked. He hurriedly retreated several zhang, unable for a moment to understand what had happened.

But when he looked skyward again, he discovered several crisscrossing Blood-red Lines floating in the air more than ten zhang above the ground.

Yuan Ming narrowed his eyes and examined them carefully, only to discover that the Blood-red Lines stretched outward into a gigantic web that nearly blanketed the entire Sulphur Lake.

Had the hawk's blood not stained it, no one would have been able to spot it.

I was careless. I actually failed to notice it earlier. His heart went cold, and lingering fear rose within him.

At that moment, sounds came again from behind. The Green Wolf Gang men had caught up.

Yuan Ming glanced back and revealed a relieved smile, as if afraid they would not dare follow him.

He quickly accelerated toward the mountain wall.

Seeing Yuan Ming run toward the mountain wall, Bayin assumed he intended to climb the cliff and escape. He immediately shouted, "Don't let him get near the mountain wall! Stop him!"

As he spoke, he muttered an incantation. Wisps of pink mist unexpectedly began to rise from his body, his muscles swelled, and his running speed instantly doubled as he thundered toward Yuan Ming.

Two green wolves were the first to burst forward. They circled in from the left and right, pouncing at Yuan Ming at the same time.

Yuan Ming twisted left and right, swinging both arms at once and smashing them into the backs of the two green wolf beast slaves, knocking them both away.

But right afterward, the third green wolf beast slave had already closed in, sealing off his path.

Seeing this, Yuan Ming seemed deeply frustrated and let out an angry roar.

Without any White Bone Daggers left, he could only fight the three green wolf beast slaves barehanded. His heavy punches made them howl in pain, but close combat offered him no advantage. His own arms and shoulders were also bitten in many places, blood streaming freely.