Volume Three: Rising Fame - Chapter Ninety-Eight: Snatching Points

Jagged rocks stood in grotesque formations, and black trees stretched out like demonic claws. Shrouded in thick mist, the entire landscape resembled a world of the dead.

Yet, at this very moment, many living footsteps traversed this place.

Scattered figures were dispersed across the surroundings, systematically combing through the terrain. One group advanced from left to right, while another swept from right to left.

"Fenghua, this is the only area left unchecked. Qingyuan is bound to be hiding in here!" someone said.

Standing right beside her was Wang Fenghua, a fifth-tier cultivator. He was remarkably short, standing a full head lower than the woman who spoke.

As the woman spoke, she lowered her posture slightly.

"He should indeed be right here!" Wang Fenghua nodded. Looking at the intertwined and towering bizarre rocks, he gritted his teeth and said, "I truly never imagined that even after being poisoned, he still managed to escape!"

"Doesn't that simply prove that what Qingyuan holds in his hands is an immensely valuable treasure?" the woman chimed in softly. "If someone manages to acquire something that Qingyuan treasures this much, your strength will surely surge!"

"Mmm, tell our men to move faster!"

Wang Fenghua raised his head to gaze into the distance. Though he could not see through the fog, he knew that opposite him, Zhu Yangfeng must also be leading men to comb this sector.

As for the other participants, they had already been driven away by the joint efforts of him and Zhu Yangfeng.

*What kind of treasure could it be?* Wang Fenghua muttered inwardly.

Through subtle movements and probing, he had deduced that Qingyuan must be carrying a supreme treasure, or else why would he be so secretive? It was precisely for this reason that, even though he did not yet know what the exact treasure was, he was prepared to take such a desperate risk!

"Boom!"

Suddenly, a massive explosion rang out, shattering his conjectures. Wang Fenghua's expression turned to one of pleasant surprise as he cried out, "Found him?!"

He leaped forward and dashed toward the source of the sound.

He was thoroughly sick of the damp air here, sick of the exotic beasts that would pounce out from the ground at any moment, and above all, sick of this pervasive mist.

Had the bizarre rocks here not been extraordinarily hard, he would have flattened the entire region by force, driving Qingyuan out of every single nook and cranny among the stone caves!

Zhu Yangfeng reacted at the very same instant, and the two men reached the site of the commotion simultaneously.

"It's you?!" Wang Fenghua let out a cold snort.

"Why so hostile?" Zhu Yangfeng remained unbothered. He smiled and cast his gaze downward. "Oh ho, it's one of your men!"

On the rock formation below, a man lay flat on the ground. Blood flowed continuously from his chest and the corner of his mouth; he was clearly beyond saving!

A flicker of annoyance crossed Wang Fenghua's eyes. Maintaining his guard, he dropped down to the ground.

With a cold, sweeping glance, he confirmed it was indeed a member of his own team—a cultivator at the early stage of the sixth tier. Seeing him land, the dying man raised a weak hand.

"Save... save me!"

"Which direction did Qingyuan flee?" Wang Fenghua walked around, inspecting the traces while asking the question, yet the dying man gave no reply.

He glanced back and immediately let out a cold snort. The man's head had slumped to the side, life completely extinguished!

He carefully examined the surroundings. True enough, because Qingyuan had acted in such haste, many of his traces were difficult to conceal, and his trail had already been picked up.

"Found him! Follow the trail and be careful not to get ambushed again!"

A lean camel is still bigger than a horse; even heavily wounded and poisoned, Qingyuan was still capable of killing a sixth-tier cultivator in a single exchange. Realizing this, even without Wang Fenghua's warning, the reinforcements approaching the scene moved with utmost caution.

Wang Fenghua looked at Zhu Yangfeng and said, "Your men have arrived too. Are you not going to send them out, or are you waiting for me to pave the way for you?"

"Send your men up as well, and stay alert!" Zhu Yangfeng instructed his subordinates over his shoulder before turning back to Wang Fenghua: "Rest assured, the two of us must still work with one mind!"

The two fifth-tier cultivators exchanged a glance, then each fell in behind their respective subordinates.

The two men were not only guarding against each other, but also keeping a wary eye on Qingyuan, who was hiding in the shadows.

No matter how severe the fugitive's injuries might be, to the two of them, Qingyuan remained a lethal force capable of unleashing fifth-tier attacks. Naturally, neither intended to rush forward to search for him personally. Even if it meant sending their subordinates in as cannon fodder and suffering casualties, they felt no pity.

After all, if they sustained injuries now, how could they possibly contend with their fellow fifth-tier rival later?!

Inside a cave, Qingyuan quietly raised his head to take a look. Even through the low-visibility mist, he could make out two vague figures searching their way forward.

"Damn it!!" Qingyuan gritted his teeth. Wiping the fresh blood from the corner of his mouth, he glanced down at the well-preserved spiritual plant resting securely in his bosom, a flash of resolute determination crossing his eyes: "This is the very last stalk; I must never use it on myself!"

Watching the two figures maintain their cautious distance as they closed in, Qingyuan gritted his teeth, rose to his feet, and crept toward the rear. Unexpectedly, a startled cry rang out from behind him: "I see him! He's right here!"

Discovered?!

Abandoning all attempts at concealment, Qingyuan sprang directly into the air, hoping to break out of the area before the main body of pursuers arrived.

Unfortunately, two figures shot through the air to intercept him, blocking his path in mid-air.

"Brother Qing, where are you off to?" Wang Fenghua asked with a beaming smile.

Beside him, Zhu Yangfeng shouted harshly, "Let's finish him off quickly so we can divide the spoils!"

He saw at a glance that Qingyuan's condition was deeply abnormal, and with no desire for idle chatter, he struck without hesitation.

*Boom!*

The two exchanged a direct blow. A flash of surprise crossed Zhu Yangfeng's eyes as he found himself firmly holding the upper hand, forcing Qingyuan to stagger back repeatedly under a mere standard strike!

Had he truly grown this weak?!

Seeing this, Wang Fenghua dropped all pretense. The two joined forces and lunged at Qingyuan together.

The sounds of violent collisions echoed endlessly.

In just a short span of time, the three of them had exchanged dozens of blows.

Qingyuan wiped the blood from his mouth, his eyes bloodshot. He understood that if these two men were not harboring mutual distrust and holding back to guard against each other, he would have been defeated long ago.

Yet even so, given his current physical state, he could not possibly hold out much longer!

"What a lively scene!" A lazy voice drifted up from below.

All three men were startled. When on earth had a third faction entered this arena?!

The surrounding subordinates, unable to join the battle between the fifth-tier masters, turned their heads at the sound. Only then did they realize that, at some unknown moment, several figures had appeared nearby, casually watching the spectacle!

"Tsk tsk, how miserable!" Li Yu shook his head, calling out to Qingyuan.

"Li Yu!!" Zhu Yangfeng barked.

He recognized Li Yu's appearance at a glance and immediately knew who had arrived.

Meanwhile, Wang Fenghua looked somewhat astonished. "Could this be the thunder bloodline of the Qing clan?!"

He gazed at Qingyuan with a hint of suspicion: Could this person have caught wind of the news and come here specifically to rescue him?

If that were the case, this operation might well end in failure!

Noticing the shift in Wang Fenghua's demeanor, Zhu Yangfeng lowered his voice and said, "Don't worry, the relationship between Li Yu and Qingyuan is far from harmonious!"

"Indeed, it's far from harmonious. Don't worry, I'm not here to help him!" Li Yu said calmly. "I received word and came here to snatch the score!"