A Sneaky Opportunist

The encirclement continued. Three men and one bear fought from the mountaintop to the mountainside, then from the mountainside to the valley.

As for the other martial artists, they had long since kept far away. A battle of this level was simply beyond their ability to interfere with.

Even among them were some outstanding Third Tier martial artists, but they would find it difficult to leave even a scratch on a Fourth-Tier Savage Beast. Yet a casual swipe from the beast could very well make them die with their grievance unavenged on the spot.

Three figures stood firmly in the open space of the valley, Qi and Blood surging around them, their auras as steady and imposing as mountains as they trapped the bear-type savage beast in the center.

One wore plain azure robes, his longsword tilted toward the ground. His face was lean and refined. He was Su Xuan, an elder of the Azure Profound Sect. His swordsmanship had reached the pinnacle of perfection, and his sword force was peerlessly sharp.

A brawny man stood bare-chested, his muscles knotted like coiled dragons. He wielded a broad-backed nine-ring saber as tall as a man. Its blade was thick and heavy, while the nine iron rings trembled faintly with his breathing, giving off a low hum. He was Zhou Lie, an elder of Blazing Flame Valley. His fierce body-tempering arts paired with his tyrannical saber techniques gave him the strength to split mountains.

Qin Cang, a Thousand Household Officer of the Martial Suppression Office, wore a dark official uniform of the Martial Suppression Office. An Embroidered Spring Saber with a chilling gleam hung at his waist. He stood straight as a pine, his gaze sharp as an eagle's. His saber techniques were swift, precise, and ruthless, equally adept at offense and defense, and he killed without hesitation.

The three fixed their eyes firmly on the bear-type savage beast, which let out an earth-shaking roar.

"This bear is probably close to Mid-Fourth Tier. Its hide is thick and its flesh tough, so the two of you should stop holding back."

After speaking, Zhou Lie did not wait for Su Xuan and Qin Cang to respond. Gripping his nine-ring saber tightly, he let out a low shout and struck first. He stomped violently against the ground and soared into the air, immediately unleashing a move that cleaved Mount Hua in two. Powerful Qi and Blood erupted, seemingly raising the temperature in the surrounding area by several degrees.

The giant bear roared furiously and abruptly twisted its massive body aside. Its heavy paw smashed viciously into the side of the saber. Paw and blade collided with a piercing clang of metal against iron. Zhou Lie felt an enormous force travel up the saber, forcing him to stagger several steps sideways. Deep pits appeared beneath his feet.

Seeing this, Qin Cang shouted angrily. His Tang saber left its sheath, and its target was actually the bear-type savage beast's rear passage. The beast had no choice but to abandon its pursuit of Zhou Lie, turning around in a fluster to block the attack.

At that moment, Su Xuan also closed in. His feet moved through exquisite footwork, his figure flickering unpredictably. Sword light streamed like silk, and sharp sword shadows enveloped every vital point on the giant bear's body.

Besieged by the three men, the giant bear flew into a rage. Roaring, it charged recklessly in all directions, its paws lashing out madly. Every blow carried the power to split mountains and shatter rocks, sending broken stones flying from the ground.

As it rampaged about, its momentum was terrifying. Zhou Lie swung his saber to meet it head-on, only to have his Qi and Blood churn from the impact. Qin Cang relied on his nimble movement technique to evade, his Tang saber constantly seeking openings to counterattack. Su Xuan circled at the side, continuously draining the savage beast's stamina with his exquisite swordsmanship. The three coordinated seamlessly—one attacking, one defending, one circling—holding this ferocious giant bear firmly in check.

The fierce battle lasted a full half hour. The three men's clothes had long been soaked through with sweat, their arms sore and swollen, their Qi and Blood greatly depleted. The savage beast had also gained numerous wounds, blood gushing steadily from them. Its movements gradually slowed, and its berserk aura weakened.

"Now!" A cold gleam flashed through Qin Cang's eyes. His figure suddenly surged forward, and his Tang saber swept toward the giant bear's throat with the force of thunder. Zhou Lie followed close behind, his broad-backed nine-ring saber chopping down with all his strength at the giant bear's foreleg to restrict its movement. Su Xuan shifted his sword force, and the Azure Profound Sword thrust directly toward the giant bear's right eye.

Attacked from three sides, every move was lethal! The giant bear had nowhere to evade. Roaring, it struggled desperately, its paws blocking frantically, but it was ultimately one step too slow. The Tang saber slashed viciously across its throat, the great saber severed its leg bone, and the longsword pierced through its eyeball. Three heavy blows landed at once.

The giant bear let out one final miserable roar. Its enormous body crashed to the ground, making the earth tremble violently. Its breath was completely extinguished. The Fourth-Tier bear-type savage beast had finally been slain by the three men after great difficulty.

The three collapsed onto the ground, gasping heavily. Their entire bodies ached and were weak with exhaustion. Looking at the fallen giant bear, they all breathed a sigh of relief.

Fourth-Tier Savage Beasts were already formidable in battle, and this giant bear's defense and strength were among the best of its tier. Had the three not joined forces, none of them could have slain it alone. This battle had truly been fraught with peril at every turn.

The three instructed their subordinates to divide up the giant bear's corpse. After resting briefly and recovering some strength, Qin Cang stood up, wiped the sweat from his face, and said:

"Bear-type savage beasts dwell in caves. Its lair must be hidden nearby. From here on, each of us will rely on our own abilities!"

Zhou Lie and Su Xuan rose upon hearing this. The three followed the trail left behind by the giant bear and headed deeper into the dense forest. Before long, a concealed cave appeared before them, a faint stench lingering at its entrance.

The three gripped their weapons and cautiously approached the cave entrance. Just as they were about to investigate the situation inside, a white figure suddenly shot out from the cave!

That figure moved with eerie speed, its steps light and nimble, like a ghost. Its body flickered unpredictably, entirely unlike the movement technique of an ordinary martial artist. It seemed slow, yet in an instant it had dashed several zhang away.

"Who goes there?!" Qin Cang shouted sharply and took the lead in pursuing with his saber drawn. Zhou Lie and Su Xuan reacted at once and followed closely behind.

But the white figure's movement technique was far too strange. Now it darted left, now it veered right, weaving freely through the dense forest. The three Fourth Tier experts pursued at full speed, yet they were never able to encircle it. Instead, the distance between them grew wider and wider.

After leaving the forest, the white figure raced madly in the direction of Azure Sun County Town. The martial artists along the road merely marveled at the person's impressive speed. Only after the three men chased past did they realize that this person was likely carrying a precious treasure, and they immediately gave chase.

By the time everyone pursued them into Azure Sun County Town, that person had already vanished into the county town's maze of streets and alleys. However, night had not yet fallen, and the streets were crowded with pedestrians. With enough inquiries, they would surely find some clue.

Sun Shaoping knew he definitely could not stay at places like inns, so he headed straight for secluded alleyways. Before long, he found an empty little courtyard and vaulted over its wall.