Treasure Boots

In the night, Ye Qi's figure became an extremely faint black shadow, drifting left and right in an unpredictable manner.

But beneath Lu Chuan's Eagle Eye, Ye Qi's movements weren't nearly as mysterious.

The instant he advanced with his saber, Lu Chuan's saber was already waiting there.

"Clang!"

The two sabers collided, sparks bursting outward.

Ye Qi furrowed his brows. Unwilling to believe it, he changed his footing again and swept his saber horizontally.

Lu Chuan turned sideways and raised his saber, blocking it steadily.

"Clang!"

Another ringing clash.

Ye Qi's expression shifted slightly.

After roaming the martial world for several years, he had never suffered a disadvantage in nighttime fights while relying on Night Eye and Seven Star Steps. This was the first time he had encountered such a tough opponent.

The two fought amid the darkness.

Saber light crisscrossed as their figures flashed and spun.

Lu Chuan's feet seemed rooted to the ground, retreating not even half a step.

Although Ye Qi was fast and his footwork strange, after dozens of exchanges, Lu Chuan gradually grasped his level.

This fellow's saber technique was actually mediocre. In terms of saber mastery, he was at most at the Minor Success level of Mountain Splitting Saber.

He relied entirely on the speed and footwork of Seven Star Steps to seem difficult to deal with.

But combined, the two truly produced an effect greater than one plus one. Lu Chuan could only barely parry, unable to find an opportunity to counterattack for the time being.

On the other side, Mo Lao Er and the two men under Wang Zhi were fighting so fiercely that heaven and earth had been plunged into chaos.

It was said to be heaven and earth plunged into chaos because they genuinely couldn't see a thing.

The bonfire had long since gone mostly out, leaving only a few dim-red embers.

The three were locked in combat, and none could do anything to the others.

"Clang—"

Lu Chuan caught another blow, his tiger's web tingling faintly.

Several small wounds had already been added to his body. None were deep, but they burned painfully.

Yet the corners of Lu Chuan's mouth slowly curled upward.

"Ye Qi, is that all you've got?"

Ye Qi's expression darkened.

"Then you won't be taking these medicinal herbs today." Lu Chuan held his saber horizontally before him.

Ye Qi said nothing, but anxiety had already begun to surge in his heart.

Although his senior brother Ye Wu had lured away Chief Escort Fang, who was at the Second Qi and Blood realm, who knew when that man would return?

If they didn't deal with these people soon, once Chief Escort Fang came back, the dead ones would be the two of them.

"Ye Qi!" Mo Lao Er was growing anxious as well. While fending off the wild sabers of Wang Zhi and the other man, he shouted, "What are you doing? Aren't you known for nighttime combat prowess comparable to Second Qi and Blood? How come you still haven't taken down that brat after so long?!"

"Shut up!"

Ye Qi's face turned livid. He stared at Lu Chuan and gritted his teeth.

"You forced me into this."

As soon as his voice fell, his gaze abruptly changed. His pupils suddenly became stained scarlet.

His aura surged violently, and the strength of his qi and blood instantly climbed another level.

Wang Zhi caught sight of this from the corner of his eye, and his expression changed drastically.

"Brother Lu, watch out! That's Night Roaming Gate's Blood Burning Secret Art. His strength is about to surge!"

Lu Chuan's gaze instantly turned solemn.

He didn't need Wang Zhi's reminder. He had already sensed it.

At this moment, Ye Qi's qi-and-blood strength was directly comparable to Second Qi and Blood. He absolutely wouldn't be able to receive this saber strike easily.

The next moment, Ye Qi moved.

This time, he was so fast that his path was almost impossible to see.

The saber tore through the air, carrying a sharp gale as it shot straight for Lu Chuan's skull!

Lu Chuan advanced instead of retreating. His qi and blood instantly poured out from his entire body, all flooding into his saber.

Mountain Collapse!

"Clang!!!"

The two sabers collided, and a thunderous boom rang out!

Both men were jolted backward several steps by the force of the clash.

Ye Qi's chest heaved violently. A thread of blood seeped from the corner of his mouth as he widened his eyes, his face filled with disbelief.

"You... You're so young, yet not only have you trained your saber technique to Major Success, you've even comprehended a secret technique?"

"To comprehend this kind of saber technique in your teens—with talent like that, wouldn't every Martial Arts Hall treat you like a treasure? Why the hell did you come to Renhetang Pharmacy to deliver goods?"

A trace of blood also seeped from the corner of Lu Chuan's mouth, but he casually wiped it away, revealing a row of stark-white teeth.

"You don't need to worry about that. Come on, let's continue."

Ye Qi's face was as ugly as if he had swallowed a dead rat.

Continue?

Blood Burning Secret Art was an exchange of life for power. That previous saber strike had consumed nearly half a year's worth of his vital essence, and it would take several months at least to recover.

He had thought that even if the boy opposite him didn't die from that saber, he would at least be crippled.

But what happened?

The other man could actually still stand!

He glanced toward Mo Lao Er.

Mo Lao Er, fighting one against two, had already fallen into a disadvantage.

Although Wang Zhi and the other man couldn't see very clearly, their coordination was flawless. Mo Lao Er had gained nothing from several charges, and he had also suffered injuries.

I have to run... This thought flashed through Ye Qi's mind.

If he didn't flee now, once Chief Escort Fang of the Second Qi and Blood realm returned, he wouldn't be able to escape even if he wanted to.

His feet shifted slightly, and he began searching for a way out from the corner of his eye.

But at that moment, Lu Chuan saw through his intentions and struck directly, sweeping his saber across.

Ye Qi hurriedly swung his saber and barely blocked it.

Lu Chuan gave him no chance to catch his breath, striking again and again, every blow aimed at a vital point.

He pressed forward step by step, sealing off every route of retreat for Ye Qi.

The more Ye Qi fought, the more alarmed he became.

The Seven Star Steps he had always been proud of had lost their uncanny speed now that his vital essence had been greatly depleted.

Lu Chuan could already keep up with his footwork, gradually suppressing him.

"Brat, don't you—"

Ye Qi had just begun to speak when he suddenly heard a short, sharp scream from behind.

It was Mo Lao Er.

He instinctively turned his head, and the sight before him was a scene of utter despair:

Mo Lao Er had already fallen to the ground, while a burly figure stood beside him.

The figure held a long saber still dripping with blood. It was none other than Chief Escort Fang.

Mo Lao Er spasmed twice, then fell still.

One saber strike had taken his life, leaving him not even the chance to beg for mercy.

A roar rang in Ye Qi's mind, and he instantly lost all composure.

Now.

Lu Chuan's saber had already reached him.

Ye Qi instinctively tried to dodge, but the moment his foot moved, he realized that his escape route had long since been sealed.

Lu Chuan's saber came from a treacherous angle, leaving him nowhere to hide.

The saber flashed.

Ye Qi's body swayed. He pitched forward and fell, never moving again.

Lu Chuan stood where he was, breathing heavily.

He lowered his head and glanced at himself. There were several cuts on his arm, beneath his ribs, and on his thigh. None were deep, but some hurt.

Chief Escort Fang walked over, glanced at Ye Qi on the ground, then looked at Lu Chuan.

Without speaking, he pulled a porcelain bottle from his robes and tossed it over.

"Golden Wound Powder. Use it to stop the bleeding."

Lu Chuan caught it, pulled out the stopper, and poured some over each wound.

The powder stung like fire when it touched his flesh, but the bleeding truly did stop.

Wang Zhi and the other guard also walked over. Both men were pale, and both had suffered injuries.

Looking at Lu Chuan, whose body was covered in wounds, the two were filled with admiration.

"Chief, we owe this entirely to Brother Lu this time. If he hadn't noticed Ye Wu's presence first, none of us would even know how we died."

"And during the fight with Ye Qi, he was the one who held Ye Qi off alone. Otherwise, the two of us would probably have..."

Chief Escort Fang looked at Lu Chuan, whose body was covered in injuries, his face filled with gratification.

"Lu Chuan, I truly didn't expect someone your age to fight back and forth with a formidable man like Ye Qi. It seems the Young Master went to great lengths when he forced you onto my team..."

Lu Chuan felt somewhat embarrassed. "It was also thanks to you returning early, Chief Escort Fang. Otherwise, Ye Qi wouldn't have been distracted..."

Chief Escort Fang gave an exasperated smile, then swept his eyes over the surroundings, his gaze lingering on several corpses.

"Mo Lao Er and Xiao Si are dead. When we return, I'll explain it to Renhetang Pharmacy myself."

He paused, his expression somewhat complicated.

"Lu Chuan, I miscalculated this time."

Lu Chuan and the others all looked up at him.

"I originally thought that with five of you, you would be able to hold out even if another robber with Second Qi and Blood came along."

Chief Escort Fang's voice was low. "Who would have thought there was a traitor in the group?"

Lu Chuan waved his hand, looking quite relaxed.

"Don't worry, Chief Escort Fang. By the way, what about Ye Wu? Did you catch up to him?"

Chief Escort Fang shook his head.

"I only recovered the medicinal herbs. That fellow Ye Wu's Seven Star Steps must already be close to Perfection. After abandoning the medicinal herbs, I still couldn't catch him even though he was injured."

Lu Chuan had also experienced the uncanny nature of those steps, and a longing rose within him.

If I had such excellent footwork, my strength would definitely increase greatly!

After such a battle, dawn was nearly upon them, and everyone began cleaning up the battlefield.

At that moment, a startled cry from Wang Zhi caught Lu Chuan's attention.

"Damn, this kid Ye Qi's boots are actually made from Exotic Beast hide. These things must have cost a fortune..."