On the other side of the dense forest, Zhou Dayuan spat out a large mouthful of blood. His face turned deathly pale, and he looked as though he had aged several years. But a hint of joy appeared on his face as he shouted, "Found him! Twenty li from the outer woods of the Barbaric Beast Mountain Range, someone is running at top speed. If I'm not mistaken, that person must be the one who killed my Tao'Er! This person is only at the mid-stage of the Martial Arts Second Layer. Immediately inform Xingwu and have him go capture him!"
"Oh, and another thing!" Zhou Dayuan added. "Judging from his aura, he's a young man around twenty years old. His Soul Power is exceptionally strong; he was able to sense my prying eyes. Tell Xingwu to make sure he gets the right person. He must be brought before me alive!"
While still giving orders, Zhou Dayuan pulled out a bottle of Essence Qi Pills and poured the dozen or so pills straight into his mouth. He had just cast the Celestial Vision and Earthly Hearing Technique five times in a row, causing a severe loss of his Essence Blood. If he didn't regulate his internal state and replenish his vitality immediately, his cultivation would plummet from the Martial Weight Eighth Layer all the way down to the Martial Artist Fifth Layer. Even after taking numerous elixirs to supplement his qi and blood, his cultivation was still bound to drop to the Martial Arts Sixth Layer, and his lifespan would be shortened by over twenty years.
Zhou Dayuan was already in his seventies. With his life shortened by over twenty years, he didn't have much time left.
The consequences of using a Secret Technique beyond one's limits were truly severe.
"I must catch him! Death by a thousand cuts! Tear his body to pieces!" Thinking of the immense price he had just paid, Zhou Dayuan's face twisted into a savage scowl, a murderous glint flashing in his eyes.
**********
Zhaang Ye didn't know that the feeling of being watched was due to the Celestial Vision and Earthly Hearing technique, but he vaguely sensed that something was amiss. Ignoring his injuries and abandoning any attempt to hide his presence, he picked up his pace and ran toward the outskirts of the Barbaric Beast Mountain Range.
'Damn it!' Zhaang Ye thought, touching the box with the Blade Tip tucked in his shirt, feeling utterly frustrated. 'I have no idea what the deal is with this Blade Tip, but it's caused me nothing but trouble. I'm being hunted everywhere, as pathetic as a stray dog. If it's a real treasure, I guess I can live with it. But if this thing turns out to be just some worthless junk, then my luck has truly hit rock bottom!'
After sprinting for several li, Zhaang Ye suddenly heard a long, low whistle from behind. The sound wasn't loud, but it pierced the air and traveled a great distance, indicating the powerful internal reserves of the person who made it. Zhaang Ye glanced back; the whistle had come from the very spot where he'd killed the black-furred, sharp-snouted rat. It was clear his pursuers had found his trail.
'The person who whistled must be at least a Martial Artist of the Martial Arts Third Layer, maybe even an expert at the Martial Arts Fourth Layer! An expert of that caliber has cultivated their True Qi to the point where they can harm people from a distance. They don't even need to get close; they can project Qi Force to attack! If he catches up to me, escape will be impossible!' As Zhaang Ye estimated his opponent's strength, his feet moved even faster.
As he ran, Zhaang Ye faintly heard the sound of flowing water.
On the outskirts of the Barbaric Beast Mountain Range was a great river, a hundred zhang wide, called the Boundary River. This river had swift currents and great waves, and was home to some extremely powerful and ferocious fish. Legend said these fish were so formidable they could devour stone and iron. Even ordinary experts of the Martial Arts Fourth and Fifth Layers were no match for them.
The Boundary River cut across the outskirts of the Barbaric Beast Mountain Range, and one had to cross it to enter the mountains proper. The number of experts who died in that river every year was incalculable.
Zhaang Ye ran for several more li when the terrain ahead suddenly opened up. A great river, a hundred zhang wide, appeared before him. This was, without a doubt, the infamous Boundary River.
When a Martial Artist's Body Technique reached a certain level, they could walk on water. However, the Boundary River teemed with so many Fierce Beasts that even Martial Artists of the Martial Arts Fifth and Sixth Layers didn't dare attempt to cross on foot.
Zhaang Ye, with his meager Martial Arts Second Layer strength, certainly wouldn't dare to attempt such a feat.
However, that didn't mean Zhaang Ye had no way to cross. In fact, he already had an idea, but now he needed to see if it would actually work.
Zhaang Ye went to the bank of the Boundary River, picked up a rock, and casually tossed it in. The splash immediately attracted several enormous Fierce Beasts. A number of monstrous fish, each as large as a door panel and terrifying to behold, suddenly broke the surface. Pairs of bowl-sized eyeballs glared at Zhaang Ye, their cavernous maws gaping wide. A vicious light shot from their eyes as they finally fixed their gazes upon him.
Zhaang Ye remained outwardly calm. He swiftly took out the box containing the broken Blade Tip and quickly opened it.
The moment the box was opened, a faint wave of Suppression radiated from the Blade Tip.
Sensing this Suppression, the enormous Fierce Beasts dove back under the water with a WHOOSH, as if they had seen something terrifying.
"Ha! It worked!" Zhaang Ye exclaimed. "According to the ancient books, some Fierce Beasts will flee the moment they sense the aura of a powerful expert. The expert's aura contained in this Blade Tip is really enough to scare them away! With this, I should have no problem crossing the river!"
With his test successful, Zhaang Ye immediately cut off two pieces of a dry log and tied them to his shoes. He then took a running start and leaped toward the Boundary River.
While Zhaang Ye was still in mid-air, he heard a low whistle approaching from the distance. Turning to look, he saw a figure flitting across the treetops at high speed, moving even faster than he could run at his absolute limit.
Traveling through the forest by flitting across treetops was extremely dangerous, but this person was incredibly skilled. He effortlessly struck down the small beasts and venomous snakes that attacked from the canopy, one after another. His unstoppable momentum made Zhaang Ye's heart skip a beat. However, he quickly relaxed again. 'No matter how skilled he is, he won't dare to cross this treacherous Boundary River. I'm finally safe!'
SPLASH! Zhaang Ye landed on the surface of the water. The buoyancy from the two pieces of wood tied to his shoes steadily supported him. With a sly grin, Zhaang Ye pushed off with his feet, his body shooting toward the opposite bank like an arrow loosed from a bow.
By now, the man racing through the treetops was only a li or two from Zhaang Ye. This person, using his Body Technique to its full extent, was none other than Zhou Dayuan's second disciple, Zhou Xingwu. Zhou Xingwu saw Zhaang Ye leap toward the Boundary River from afar and was inwardly horrified. 'Is this kid insane?! That Boundary River is a hundred zhang wide, with turbulent waters and full of monsters. Jumping in there is certain death! Even if you want to die, you don't have to do it like that!'
Remembering his master's order to "capture him alive," Zhou Xingwu's heart tightened. If Zhaang Ye died, he would be in deep trouble. Taking a deep breath, Zhou Xingwu bellowed, "Kid, the Boundary River ahead is crawling with Fierce Beasts! You're just throwing your life away! Listen, just stop! We can talk this over! I swear I won't kill you, how about it?"
Zhaang Ye had no time for his ramblings. With a few quick pushes of his feet, in the space of a few breaths, he successfully reached the other side of the Boundary River and stepped into the outer edge of the Barbaric Beast Forest.
Zhou Xingwu stared after Zhaang Ye's disappearing figure, his eyes bugging out. "Th-this is impossible! With all those monstrous fish in the river, why didn't they come out and eat him? Don't tell me... all the fish in the river were asleep?!"
Lost in his confusion, he had unconsciously wandered to the riverbank. Just then, a huge fish leaped from the water with a WHOOSH and lunged at him. Scared out of his wits, Zhou Xingwu let out a strange cry, dodged back in a hurry, and retreated far away from the terrifying Boundary River...