Old Xin Lao San, Beset by Misfortune

Upon hearing the news, Yue Qianchou couldn't help but curse, "Bastard! He got away!" He retracted the dense array of intimidating flying swords that had surrounded him. He quickly flew to Wen Lanfeng and the other two's camp; the situation was a bit unfavorable, and it was safer here.

All eyes were on Bing Chengzi. Yin Baikang said in a deep voice, "Brother Bing, how do you explain this?"

"What do I need to explain?" Bing Chengzi turned his head and sneered, "You'd better think about how to explain the Seven Treasures Pill to us!"

Yin Baikang immediately lost his temper, his gaze turning cold as he stared at Yue Qianchou. The Seven Treasures Pill that had been sold had already claimed dozens of lives, and the exact cause was still unclear. However, Yin Baikang had already identified Yue Qianchou as the prime suspect...

Pei Fang chuckled, "Bing Chengzi, you've chosen the worst time to change the subject! If Yan Zhuixing had nothing to hide, why would he run away?"

Bing Chengzi gave Man Hu a wink, and the latter quickly went to his master's side. The two, master and disciple, stood with their backs to everyone, seemingly ready to fight to the death. Bing Chengzi calmly looked around and said, "Fatty Pei, stop stirring things up. Yan Zhuixing just went out on some business. Who said he ran away?"

Upon hearing that Yan Zhuixing had escaped the Treasure Gathering Basin, Bing Chengzi was immediately relieved. Outside lay a vast primeval forest, and more than an hour had passed; catching Yan Zhuixing again wouldn't be easy. At least, the various forces wouldn't be able to organize a large-scale manhunt like last time in the short term, and he believed Yan Zhuixing's emergency response capabilities could handle it.

"Since he didn't run away, Brother Bing, could you recall Yan Zhuixing so that everyone can ask him directly?" Pei Fang asked.

"What a joke, how would I know where he went?" As Bing Chengzi spoke, he noticed many people rushing towards the exit of the Treasure Gathering Basin. Clearly, the various lords present had secretly ordered their disciples to search for Yan Zhuixing. He then turned to Man Hu and said, "It seems we're not welcome here. Let's go."

He couldn't care less about anything else now; the Righteous Path was to go out and find a way to help Yan Zhuixing escape.

"No need to see me out!" Pei Fang waved generously. His gaze, however, drifted towards Yin Baikang. This trio's alliance was now on the verge of collapse. After Bing Chengzi left, everyone would inevitably settle accounts with Yin Baikang over the Seven Treasures Pill. Forcing Bing Chengzi away and suppressing Yin Baikang would leave only the lone, helpless Hu Changshou. With these major obstacles removed, Yan Zhuixing would inevitably fall into his grasp sooner or later...

Pei Fang, Qi Jiujun, and Ouyang Da exchanged glances, and smiles involuntarily crept onto their faces. The stalemate that had lasted for so many years was finally about to be decided...

The vast primeval forest outside the Treasure Gathering Basin has existed for countless years. Yan Zhuixing flew wildly through the sky, and as soon as he sensed someone ahead, he immediately ducked into the forest to hide. Once the sky was quiet, he took to the air again.

After fighting Yue Qianchou and being forced back by the exploding strange fire, he knew he couldn't kill Yue Qianchou in a short time. With his Devil Cultivation Method exposed, he could no longer stay in the Treasure Gathering Basin. The Treasure Gathering Basin now housed most of the Spirit Transformation stage experts in the entire Cultivation World; with his current cultivation level, he was no match for them. Without hesitation, he fled the Treasure Gathering Basin. Any later, and he probably wouldn't have been able to escape. Bing Chengzi alone couldn't handle so many experts, especially with Wen Lanfeng behind Yue Qianchou.

Thinking of Wen Lanfeng, Yan Zhuixing, who was desperately fleeing, was also worried about whether Wen Lanfeng would let Bing Chengzi and his disciple go. After all, he had offended Yue Qianchou, and Wen Lanfeng was clearly going to support Yue Qianchou. If something happened to Bing Chengzi, he would lose his only backer in the Cultivation World, and from then on he would have to rely on himself for everything.

Subconsciously touching his Storage Bag, Yan Zhuixing's eyes hardened. With these seven Blood Orchids, even without Bing Chengzi as his backer, he would have a chance to make a comeback, and that day wouldn't be too far away.

Considering the possibility of Bing Chengzi's safety, Yan Zhuixing did not flee towards the Ice Palace. Even if Bing Chengzi were unharmed, he had no intention of heading there. The lesson of being hunted down last time was still fresh in his mind; he suspected that various forces had already sent messages and deployed men to await him along the route to the Ice Palace. He now only wanted to find a safe place to use the Seven Star Blood Orchid to improve his Devil Cultivation Method and cultivation.

He wasn't worried that Bing Chengzi and his apprentice would be angry because he had abandoned them and run away alone. They should understand that even if he hadn't escaped from the Treasure Gathering Basin, they couldn't change the outcome. The two of them couldn't possibly protect him; on the contrary, his escape gave them a better chance of avoiding a bloody battle. Because the curse they carried would force them to fight to the death to save him...

The only thing Yan Zhuixing couldn't understand was why his Demon Eye technique had failed him on Yue Qianchou. What was once a sure victory had turned into a chaotic escape, and the situation had been completely reversed. He had been thinking about it all the way back but still couldn't figure out what had gone wrong.

He took a deep breath, deciding to put the problem aside for the moment and focus on getting as far Righteous Path as possible. Now was the best time to escape; even gaining a second was beneficial. Once the pursuers arrived, he would have to hide in the dense forest below again.

The wind rushed past, and Yan Zhuixing stared intently ahead. Suddenly, the pupils in his cold and resolute eyes contracted as he saw wisps of smoke rising from the distant dense forest.

In such a primeval forest, teeming with ferocious beasts, it's impossible for anyone to have settled there; they must be cultivators. Yan Zhuixing suddenly vanished into the air, transforming into three wisps of green smoke that disappeared into the dense forest below, before reappearing. Immediately, he unleashed his Demonic Phantom Movement Method, a phantom silently treading through the leaves, approaching the source of the rising smoke. Upon reaching his destination, he gently perched on a branch of a large tree, observing...

On the open ground below, a monk who looked like a playful old man was happily roasting a golden, juicy wild boar with his sleeves rolled up, seemingly thoroughly enjoying himself.

This man was none other than Xin Lao San. Ever since Lu Yanqing settled in the Wen Family Shop, she had given him free rein. Xin Lao San naturally had no objections; without his master's constraints, he was quite happy to be free. Then, the vast primeval forest outside the Treasure Gathering Basin became his paradise. He searched everywhere for all kinds of wild game, determined to roast a kind of wild game that could surpass Yue Qianchou's skills.

Yan Zhuixing didn't recognize him, but realized she couldn't discern his cultivation level; the other was clearly a master above the Tribulation Transcendence stage. After carefully observing her surroundings and confirming no one else was around, she lightly tapped a tree trunk. Xin Lao San suddenly looked up and exclaimed, "Who's there?"

However, what met his eyes were two eerie red blood-red eyes, radiating a captivating light. Xin Lao San's expression instantly became dazed, and the stick he was holding fell to the ground.

A moment later, Yan Zhuixing dimmed the red light in his eyes and breathed a slight sigh of relief. His opponent's cultivation level was clearly not yet at the Spirit Transformation stage; otherwise, it would have been difficult for him to control them using the Demon Eye Technique. Time was of the essence; he had no choice but to gamble!

Lightly floating down from the tree, Little Demon Fist slammed into the fire on the ground, creating a deep crater with a muffled thud. He unleashed several more punches, quickly burying the fire and the roasted wild boar to prevent the smoke from attracting pursuers. Yan Zhuixing looked Xin Lao San up and down, his expression blank, and asked, "What's your name? What kind of cultivator are you?"

"Xin Lao San from Lingfang Valley," Xin Lao San replied woodenly.

Yan Zhuixing confirmed his identity and asked, "Are you Xin Lao San, the disciple of Lu Yanqing Lingfang Valley?"

"Yes," Xin Lao San replied.

After receiving confirmation, Yan Zhuixing pondered for a moment, a look of surprise gradually appearing on his face. He muttered to himself, "As expected, Heaven has not forsaken me." Then, his eyes narrowed, as if he had remembered something, and he said indifferently, "Gouge out both of your eyes."

Upon hearing this, Xin Lao San unhesitatingly stretched out two fingers and stabbed them into his eyes. Just as he was about to touch his eyeballs, Yan Zhuixing suddenly said, "Stop."

He then conducted several more tests to confirm that he had truly controlled the creature before finally feeling relieved. He had been frightened by Yue Qianchou before, and couldn't help but doubt his own Demon Eye Technique, so he needed to test it first before he could feel at ease.

After trying it, he dared not dawdle any longer; danger could strike at any moment. He snapped Xin Lao San out of his daze, conveyed his command, and said, "Go!"

Xin Lao San quickly took off, while Yan Zhuixing disappeared into the dense forest. The two, one in the air and the other in the forest, maintained the same speed as they sped towards Lingfang Valley.

Before long, Xin Lao San, with his late Tribulation Transcendence stage Transcending cultivation, spotted the pursuers before Yan Zhuixing could react. Yan Zhuixing quickly hid in the dense forest, while Xin Lao San stopped in mid-air, turned around, and shouted to the group, "Who are you? Why are you chasing me?"

The five mid Tribulation stage Transcending cultivators clearly recognized him. They all cupped their hands in greeting, and one of the leaders replied, "So it's Senior Xin from Lingfang Valley. It's a misunderstanding. We are disciples of the World Commerce Association, ordered to pursue Yan Zhuixing, who caused trouble at the Treasure Gathering Basin. Did you see anyone suspicious passing by, Senior?"

"Chasing Yan Zhuixing? What trouble has he caused?" Xin Lao San asked curiously. "I ran into him a few times before, and I didn't see him show any inclination to run away!"

"Senior, did you see Yan Zhuixing earlier?" The man's eyes lit up, and he cupped his hands in greeting, "Could you tell me which direction he went?"

"I can tell you, but don't keep talking about chasing him. Be careful Bing Chengzi won't let you off the hook." Xin Lao San said, pointing to the left, "He went in that direction. When you see him, talk things out. Fighting will only hurt the harmony."

Having learned where Yan Zhuixing had gone, the group didn't want to waste any more time with him. The leader smiled and said perfunctorily, "This junior has noted it down and won't bother you any longer, senior." The five of them quickly turned and headed left.

After watching the group leave, Xin Lao San set off again towards Lingfang Valley. Yan Zhuixing emerged from his hiding place and followed closely through the dense forest.

After the five left, they quickly sent a message back to the Treasure Gathering Basin, and the pursuit forces of the World Commerce Association rapidly assembled in the direction pointed out by Xin Lao San. Such a commotion naturally did not escape the notice of various forces, immediately attracting everyone to chase after them...

P. S.: I have some things to do, so I'll only update one chapter today and will make up for it tomorrow.

Also! Many readers are rejected when trying to join our groups every day. Non-Self being arrogant; it's just that all our book club groups, except for the VIP groups, were full last year. We haven't updated the group full status because updating information is too troublesome. And as an amateur writer, I don't have that much time to manage these book club groups, so I haven't opened any new ones, which has offended quite a few readers.

The deputy moderator 'Fenxiang' has started another QQ group. I will announce the group number in the 'Book Review' section. For now, only book lovers who support us on 'Fenxiang' are welcome to join. If book lovers from other websites also come, there will be too many people to take care of.

If any book lovers who have joined the group are willing to spend a little time each day helping to manage the group, please send a message to the deputy moderator 'Who Burns Incense for Me' to apply to become a group administrator. New groups will be added gradually as enthusiastic book lovers help manage them. I will occasionally pop up in each group to chat and joke around!

Finally, thank you all for your support and encouragement!

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