Su Shi'er swept his gaze over the leopard-headed, ring-eyed disciple. "Martial Brother, we should have no grudges from the past and no enmity today, right? Besides, before entering the trial, the Peak Master specifically instructed us that fellow disciples of the same peak were strictly forbidden from killing one another!"
With the three of them joining forces, he knew he was no match for them. If he could persuade the strongest one to leave, he was not afraid of facing the other two.
"Heh, what's this? Trying to use the Peak Master to scare us? Kid, do you know who this is? My own big brother, Zhao Yan—the strongest among Luofu Peak's menial disciples. You're finished today!"
Before Zhao Yan could speak, Zhao Yu glared and sneered viciously.
His own big brother?! The strongest among Luofu Peak's menial disciples?!
Su Shi'er's heart sank sharply, and the urge to leave immediately rose within him.
"Kid, if you know what's good for you, hand over the rare treasure on you. For the sake of us being fellow disciples from the same peak, I can make the decision to spare your life," Zhao Yan snorted, calling out to Su Shi'er from afar.
"Rare treasure? What do you mean by that?" Su Shi'er narrowed his eyes. His expression remained unchanged, but he silently drew out a handful of talismans and clenched them in his hand.
"You're a piece of trash with Mixed Spiritual Roots, yet you reached Qi Refining Stage Four in merely five years. If you say you don't have some rare treasure on you, do you think anyone would believe that?" Zhao Yu rolled his eyes, his tone utterly certain.
Zhao Yan snorted heavily, his eyes full of malice.
So my cultivation speed had still drawn attention after all?
A cold gleam flashed through Su Shi'er's eyes. He then looked at Zhao Yan and asked calmly, "That's right. I do have a treasure that can raise one's cultivation. But are you sure that if I give it to you, you'll let me leave?"
"Of course! When I, Zhao Yan, speak, my word carries the weight of nine tripods," Zhao Yan nodded calmly, looking magnanimous.
"Big Brother! This kid is crafty as hell. We absolutely can't let him leave..." Zhao Yu hurriedly turned to Zhao Yan, complaining in dissatisfaction.
"Hmph. I have my own plans for this matter," Zhao Yan snorted and rebuked him.
He looked as though he had truly made up his mind.
Heh, these guys really knew how to put on an act. But I'd be afraid if they didn't.
Su Shi'er sneered inwardly, though his face showed a conflicted expression. After hesitating for a moment, he pulled a Porcelain Bottle from his robes and tossed it over.
"This bottle contains a spiritual medicine that can rapidly improve cultivation."
The medicine bottle was still flying through the air when Zhao Yan abruptly raised his hand, and a long spear appeared in his grasp.
With a sweep of its tip, the bottle shattered, along with the talisman inside that had been in the midst of activating.
Clearly, he had never believed Su Shi'er's words.
"Kid, you dare play such petty tricks before me? Since you're courting death, I can only kill you first and search slowly afterward!"
Zhao Yan's mouth twitched. He snorted coldly as a powerful aura burst forth from his body.
With his spear in hand, he charged straight at Su Shi'er.
At the side, Zhao Yu and Fatty Huang did not remain idle either. A flying sword appeared in Zhao Yu's hand, and with a flick of his wrist, he sent out a streak of sword light.
Fatty Huang had no weapon, so he could only launch attacks with his clumsy spell techniques.
"Hmph! You want to kill me? You're thinking too much!"
Su Shi'er shouted, waving his hand as thirty offensive talismans flew out, transforming into all manner of attacks that surged toward the three before him.
"So many talismans?!"
"How is this kid so rich?!"
Seeing so many talisman attacks, the three could not help but be startled. What he was throwing around was not offensive talismans—it was money!
Moreover, such dense attacks were enough to threaten them.
Zhao Yu and Fatty Huang's expressions changed at once. They hurriedly acted, yet they were clearly somewhat overwhelmed.
Zhao Yan, however, remained unruffled. With his long spear in hand and True Yuan flowing through it, a series of clangs rang out as he swept away nearly half the talisman attacks.
The multicolored attacks struck the Stone Pillars. For a time, shattered rocks flew through the stone forest, kicking up billowing clouds of dust.
Su Shi'er paid them no mind. Seizing the opportunity, he took out an Escape Talisman and immediately infused it with True Yuan.
The Escape Talisman ignited on its own, and an earthen-yellow glow enveloped Su Shi'er.
Suddenly, a point of cold light shot toward him. The spear emerged like a dragon, and the instant its force appeared, it scattered the escaping light around Su Shi'er.
"Kid, you still want to run before me? You're making things far too simple!"
A savage grin hung on Zhao Yan's lips as his spear tip pointed straight at Su Shi'er's chest.
Su Shi'er's heart pounded violently. Waves of palpitations surged up from the soles of his feet.
He had never expected the Escape Talisman to be interrupted.
But he was not one to sit and wait for death. True Yuan surged within him, and the Turtle Pattern Shield he had placed against his chest activated instantly.
With a whoosh, the Turtle Pattern Shield flew out and swelled in the wind, transforming into a shield half a man tall that protected his front.
Clang!
With a piercing, crisp ring, Zhao Yan's spear struck the Turtle Pattern Shield, making it shake violently, yet it did not pierce through.
Still, the new crack on the Turtle Pattern Shield made Su Shi'er's heart ache.
With his cultivation, he simply could not fully unleash the defensive power of this Top-grade Defensive Magical Artifact.
"What?! You actually have a top-grade defensive magical artifact!!!"
Zhao Yan cried out in shock, his voice trembling.
The next moment, his breathing became unusually rapid, and incomparably fervent greed flooded his eyes.
Su Shi'er snorted coldly and ignored him, hurriedly urging the Turtle Pattern Shield to protect his body.
Then he kicked hard against the stone forest, using Shadowless Illusionary Steps as he darted through the Stone Pillars.
Yet he did not rush to leave the stone forest. Instead, he continuously swept his peripheral vision over Zhao Yu and Fatty Huang in the distance.
He possessed lightness skill, and within this stone forest, it was easier for him to move and evade. Without the cover of the stone forest, he would have no chance of victory against the three of them together.
Only by eliminating the two weakest first would he have a chance to escape.
"Even if that thing can protect you for a while, so what? With your strength, how much of this magical artifact's defense can you even bring out?"
"Let's see where you can run today. This thing is mine!"
Zhao Yan's greed had been roused, and the long spear in his hand released an astonishing aura.
With a sweep of his spear, huge boulders shattered and collapsed in sheets beneath his attacks.
His gaze locked tightly onto Su Shi'er as he pursued without letting up.
Within the dust, Zhao Yu and Fatty Huang had been blasted into a bedraggled state by the talismans. The moment they neutralized the attacks, they hurriedly began searching for Su Shi'er's trail as well.
Zhao Yu's gaze swept over Fatty Huang in the distance. His eyes shifted, and he silently stuck an invisibility talisman onto himself.
That kid hadn't left right away. Could he be planning to ambush us?
Just then, Su Shi'er moved like a hare rising and a falcon falling, suddenly appearing behind Fatty Huang.
His fist blazed with flames as it smashed viciously into Fatty Huang's back.
"Ah! You..."
Fatty Huang only had time to let out a miserable cry before his internal organs were crushed by that punch.
After killing Fatty Huang with a single blow, Su Shi'er retreated decisively.
"Kid, I've finally been waiting for you!"
Suddenly, Zhao Yu revealed himself, raising his sword as he slashed at Su Shi'er's back.
This sword strike was swift and ruthless, and he pushed the strength of Qi Refining Stage Five to its utmost limit.
Before you continue