Xing Chang reached the flower of the Ten-Thousand-Year Golden-Rain Tree in two strides, picked up the peachwood box, and closed its lid again.
The strange sensation swiftly faded, but that terrifying presence was still drawing closer.
"Go!" Ding Songyan held Cold Shadow crosswise and ran over with Zheng Zhuxi on his back.
Under the circumstances, they had no time to cut off the heads of the Three Fiends of Xiao City and take them back for the bounty. Of course, Cao Yue no longer had a head to collect anyway.
As for the belongings on the Three Fiends of Xiao City, they were even less worth risking their lives to search for-Lu Guangqing's hundred-times-forged refined steel saber had been nicked in several places after repeated clashes with the Autumn Water Sword. It looked ready to snap and had lost most of its value.
"All right." Xing Chang immediately tucked the peachwood box into his belt and concealed it beneath his short blue-black jacket.
He reasoned that Heroine Zheng was gravely injured and Young Master Xie exhausted, leaving him with the best martial arts among the rest. If that terrifying presence really caught up, he would take the flower of the Ten-Thousand-Year Golden-Rain Tree and lure it away, leaving the others a thread of hope for survival.
Seeing this, Pan Yunzhou sheathed his saber, ran toward the main entrance, and hoisted Xie Fengchao onto his back.
Ding Songyan took the lead, charging out of the woods with Zheng Zhuxi on his back and returning to the mountain path they had followed earlier. Just then, dark clouds gathered overhead, blocking the bright moon and scattered stars, and rain began to drizzle down.
The terrifying presence deep in the mountain forest was like an even vaster bank of black clouds, rapidly closing in