At dawn the next day, Song Changsheng staggered down beside a small stream. He had fled for his life throughout the night, completely draining his spiritual energy, and he had to stop and recover.
He cupped some water in his hands and moistened his parched mouth. Reflected in the rippling stream, his face appeared ghostly pale.
Liu Yunfeng's final strike, unleashed at the last moment, had combined the full power of all four cultivators. Thankfully, Song had the Xuantian Battle Armor shielding him, which absorbed most of the damage; otherwise, it would've been enough to kill him outright.
But the energy from that attack was bizarre and relentless. It still rampaged inside his body even now, and though he had been suppressing it with spiritual power, with his reserves depleted, it was acting up again.
Song sat on a smooth rock and tore off his tattered green robe, revealing the blood-streaked and battered Xuantian Battle Armor beneath. The sharp smell of blood made him frown slightly.
"Man proposes, but Heaven disposes... I didn't expect the Minor Four Symbols Battle Formation to hide such a deadly move. I nearly died in the gutter."
He guided water from the stream and rinsed himself thoroughly. In an instant, the clear water was dyed a deep red.
But he showed no reaction after putting on a clean robe, he swallowed some healing pills, and began meditating to recover. He knew the Lieyang Sect wouldn't let him go. Another deadly encounter could happen at any moment, so he had to restore his condition as quickly as possible.
Their group had already lost one member and could no longer form the Minor Four Symbols Battle Formation, which made them much less of a threat. What worried him now was the situation on Song Xianyun's side; the Azure Sky White Jade Pill affected the entire family's future. It couldn't be lost.
...
While Song Changsheng was recuperating, Liu Yunfeng issued a bounty in the name of Lieyang Sect, spreading it through disciples and informants across the Border Province.
"Whoever kills Song Changsheng will receive 100,000 low-grade spirit stones."
"Whoever captures him alive will be awarded one spirit artifact!"
The news stirred many hearts. After all, according to Lieyang Sect's declaration, Song Changsheng was only at the mid-Foundation Establishment stage and seriously injured to boot.
And if there was one thing the Border Province didn't lack, it was desperate cultivators with nothing to lose.
Soon, Song's head became the most sought-after prize in the region.
Of course, some kept their wits. If the Lieyang Sect was offering such a lavish reward, how could this person be anything but incredibly dangerous?
"You might earn it with your life, but you'll die before you can spend it."
Still, that didn't stop a wave of people from joining the hunt, swelling the net closing in around Song Changsheng.
As for Song himself, he was completely unaware of the bounty on his head.
It took him two full hours just to purge that chaotic energy from his body.
Only then did he begin truly recovering. Fortunately, he had diligently cultivated the Five Beast Body Tempering Art day and night; his physique had grown powerful, and most of his external injuries had already scabbed over.
What troubled him were the internal wounds. They couldn't be healed quickly and would take time to mend. But time was something he didn't have.
Suddenly, Song's brow furrowed slightly.
He had sensed a gaze secretly watching him.
He didn't need to guess that Lieyang Sect's scouts had found him.
His every move had been tracked by the Lieyang Sect because of the spies they had systematically trained and deployed. Though these spies weren't powerful cultivators, they had cultivated advanced concealment techniques that allowed them to mask their presence extremely well.
They were the Lieyang Sect's scattered "eyes."
And if Song Changsheng wanted to escape alive, he had to gouge out those eyes.
"Swoosh"
With a flick of his finger, a burst of spiritual energy shot toward a nearby bush. A muffled groan followed, and the spy was dead before they hit the ground.
But the damage was done; his location had been exposed again. Song Changsheng had no choice but to relocate once more. This time, he avoided flying on an artifact; after all, nothing drew more attention than being airborne.
Activating [Flickering Shadows], he crossed the creek and entered a dense forest. He extended his divine sense in all directions, striking down anyone who moved suspiciously.
There were cases of mistaken identity, but Song Changsheng could only offer a silent apology.
This world was cruel. If you showed up at the wrong time in the wrong place, you paid the price.
Maybe in your next life, you'll choose more wisely.
As it turned out, his strategy was highly effective. Over two days, he had eliminated more than a dozen suspicious spies. Liu Yunfeng and the others still hadn't caught up.
Everything seemed to be turning in his favor.
That is… until he met.
"Who are you?" Song Changsheng narrowed his eyes at the androgynous figure who had suddenly appeared in front of him. The stranger gave off a strange, unpleasant vibe that instinctively made Song uneasy.
The person curled their fingers delicately and replied in a high-pitched, nasal voice,
"You must be Song Changsheng, right?"
With a single sentence, they exposed his identity.
Song immediately realized this person was here for him. He shouted coldly,
"Who are you?"
"So it is you," the figure giggled, their voice grating and mocking. "They call me Jiao Nu. I've accepted the Lieyang Sect's bounty to take your head. Of course, capturing you alive would be even better. I advise you to surrender now, you'll suffer a lot less."
A bizarre smile twisted Jiao Nu's face. In their hands appeared two delicate, razor-sharp daggers, each smaller than a palm.
"A bounty?" Song Changsheng's heart sank. He hadn't expected that one day he would become a wanted man.
He scoffed coldly,
"My head's right here. Come and get it if you've got the guts."
Jiao Nu smiled flirtatiously.
"Well then, don't say I didn't warn you~"
As the words left their lips, their figure faded into nothing, vanishing from Song Changsheng's view.
He instantly became alert.
Though this Jiao Nu was only mid-Foundation Establishment in cultivation, they exuded a deep, unsettling danger, like a venomous serpent lurking in the shadows, just waiting to strike.
"Shhhk!"
One of the glowing daggers suddenly appeared beside his neck, aiming for his throat without warning.
[Flickering Shadows]!
Song's figure blurred and shifted to the side, narrowly dodging the strike. At the same time, he formed a hand seal and summoned a lifelike water dragon to lunge at the spot where the attack had come from.
Jiao Nu missed their mark and vanished again.
Even with Song's divine sense surpassing most late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivators, he couldn't trace their movements. Not even [Ten-Thousand Mile Tracker] could lock onto them by scent.
Song didn't dare move recklessly. His eyes scanned the surroundings, heart heavy.
This opponent's pressure was no less intense than the Four Symbols Formation cast by Liu Yunfeng's group.
If this were a head-on duel, Jiao Nu wouldn't stand a chance. Song could crush two of them tied together.
But instead, he chose to be the snake in the dark, waiting to strike from the shadows.
Ironically, the longer Jiao Nu held back, the more pressure Song felt.
I can't let this drag on. I have to bait him into making a move.
Song made up his mind. He stomped the ground and shot forward like an arrow loosed from a bow, his posture entirely exposed, as though he was fleeing in panic.
This would be the perfect moment for an assassin.
The moment his defenses were down… was the moment to strike.
If Jiao Nu took the bait, Song would strike back with overwhelming force.
If not?
Well, Song would simply vanish. He admitted that while Jiao Nu's stealth was impressive, his speed was lacking; by comparison, he could leave him in the dust.
So Jiao Nu had no choice but to make a move!
"Shhhk!"
A gleaming dagger appeared beside Song's neck once more.
The angle was perfect. The timing was impeccable.
But Song's movement technique was superior; he barely dodged the lethal blow.
The dagger passed within an inch of his carotid artery. He could feel the icy aura radiating from its edge.
It glowed with a bluish hue, clearly poisoned. Even the slightest cut would mean death or worse.
"Knew you couldn't resist." Song's lips curled into a cold smile as he reached out and grabbed Jiao Nu's wrist, soft and boneless, like a woman's.
Jiao Nu hadn't expected Song Changsheng to risk his own life as bait to lure him out, but he recovered quickly. With a swift flick, the dagger in his other hand slashed toward Song Changsheng's wrist in an attempt to force a disengage.
If he could vanish again, Song Changsheng would be powerless to stop him.
Unfortunately for Jiao Nu, he had underestimated his opponent's reaction speed.
Song Changsheng dodged the blade with a quick duck, then twisted his wrist fiercely. Jiao Nu's arm bent like a twisted rope, immediately followed by a devastating punch to the head.
His skull exploded like a watermelon, spraying blood and brains all over Song Changsheng.
But Song didn't have time to clean himself off. After snatching Jiao Nu's spatial pouch, he instantly fled the battlefield. He could sense another threat rapidly closing in.
Boom!
A nearby hill exploded into rubble with a deafening roar. When the dust settled, Song Changsheng had already added another spatial pouch to his collection.
It had been a full night since he killed Jiao Nu, and just moments ago, another rogue cultivator, an early Foundation Establishment swordsman, had tracked him down. The battle lasted barely a dozen exchanges before Song blasted him to death.
Yet Song felt no relief, only mounting pressure.
Two bounty hunters in less than a day.
A lot of people were after his head.
And he still had tens of thousands of miles left before reaching Luoxia City. Who knew how many more obstacles lay ahead?
"If you want to collect a bounty with my head, you'd better be worthy."
Song muttered coldly as he bandaged a gash on his arm, his expression grim and resolute.
The next day, two more Foundation cultivators came after him. These two were stronger and skilled in joint techniques. After a brutal clash, Song managed to kill one and drive off the other, but not without cost. He now had two deep, bone-deep wounds across his chest.
He barely treated them before changing direction and continuing his journey toward Luoxia City…
Elsewhere, Liu Yunfeng held the latest spy report in his trembling hands. His knuckles had turned white from gripping too hard.
He never imagined that even after being severely wounded, Song Changsheng would still be capable of slaughtering three Foundation rogue cultivators in a row.
"Is that guy even human?" Liu Yunfeng muttered, his face ashen.
"Senior Brother Liu, message from Elder Third,"
Qi Feiyun approached, holding a jade slip.
"Read it."
"Elder says they'll arrive soon. Until then, we are to stop Song Changsheng at all costs."
"At all costs?"
Liu Yunfeng's face darkened.
He knew… this was the final warning from Elder Third.
"Senior Brother, what should we do?"
Qi Feiyun's voice held a hint of fear. Even with the Four Symbols Formation, they had failed to stop Song Changsheng before, and now Huang Liqun was critically injured. They had little confidence in winning.
Liu Yunfeng gave a bitter smile.
"Do we have a choice?"
Qi Feiyun fell silent.
No, they didn't.
Over the next two days, Song Changsheng fought several more skirmishes, taking yet another life and collecting a few more gruesome wounds in the process.
"The Lieyang Sect is like a pack of ghosts haunting me…"
Now holed up in a mountain cave licking his wounds, a cold glint flashed in Song Changsheng's eyes.
He had sensed Liu Yunfeng and the others' presence. At their current pace, they'd reach him in less than a day.
He now had two options:
One: Give up healing and keep running, risking death by slow exhaustion.
Two: Set a trap and end this once and for all, even if the risk spikes.
Song didn't hesitate.
He'd been hunted long enough. His anger had been simmering this whole time.
"I still have a Heaven-Shaking Thunder Talisman. If I combine it with a lightning-attracting formation, the resulting power should be devastating. If I prepare everything right… I can wipe them out in one strike."
With his decision made, Song moved quickly.
He climbed to the tallest peak in the area and began setting up the formation with his array of flags. Though the Lightning-Attracting Formation was only a low-tier second-grade array with limited base power, it could become something deadly in the right hands.
Once everything was in place, he sat cross-legged atop the mountain quietly awaiting his prey.
But the first one to arrive wasn't Liu Yunfeng; it was a fairly well-known rogue cultivator, one with late-Foundation Establishment cultivation. His strength rivaled Liu Yunfeng's, one of the strongest hunters Song had encountered so far.
Upon seeing Song's heavily wounded figure, a gleam of greed flashed in the old man's eyes.
After all, a hundred thousand spirit stones were an enormous fortune.
"Trying to fish, eh? Didn't expect to hook a mudskipper first."
Song frowned as the man rapidly approached, but quickly relaxed. This was fine, exactly what he wanted.
He slowly stood, the motion tugging at his wounds and making him wince, but he gritted his teeth and raised his spear, charging forward to engage.
"Senior Brother Liu, someone's fighting up ahead!"
Qi Feiyun shouted as they neared the mountain.
"It must be Song Changsheng! Someone's engaged him, let's move!"
Liu Yunfeng's eyes lit up with glee.
Another person meant better odds for them.
The three raced toward the battlefield at full speed. When they saw who was fighting, Liu Yunfeng's delight turned into ecstasy.
"Fellow Daoist Qian Ming, allow us to assist you!"
Both Qian Ming and Song Changsheng looked toward the source of the voice, each with very different thoughts.
For Song Changsheng, his main targets had finally arrived.
He immediately disengaged from Qian Ming and retreated to the top of the hill.
"Time to close the net."
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