Chapter 135: Zixuan at a Dead End (Part II)

Zixuan had been so focused on escaping that he completely forgot that sword-flight leaves behind lingering traces of spiritual energy, which would inevitably serve as a trail for his pursuers. His only thought was to put as much distance between himself and his enemies as possible, never imagining that they possessed such a formidable artifact as a flying vehicle.

Upon discovering the corpse of Zhang Zhi, the members of the Zhang family hesitated for less than two minutes before deciding on their course of action. They boarded their flying vehicle and pursued Zixuan at full speed. The speed of a flying vehicle is determined by the operator’s cultivation level, and since the leader of the party was of a similar rank to Zixuan, their top flight speeds were roughly comparable. However, Zixuan was slightly disadvantaged; while the lead Golden Core cultivator was no match for him in a one-on-one duel, the flying vehicle did not suffer from fatigue. As long as it was supplied with spiritual energy—which it consumed very efficiently—anyone could operate it, giving his pursuers a massive tactical advantage.

Zixuan, by contrast, was in dire straits. Having already engaged in a fierce battle, his internal spiritual energy was nearly depleted. Sword-flight was an energy-intensive endeavor; in normal circumstances, he could fly for two or three hours with ease, but now, after only twenty minutes, he felt his reserves reaching their limit. Although he had consumed restorative pills beforehand, the rate of recovery could not keep pace with his consumption. As his speed gradually waned, the Zhang family’s vehicle began to close the distance, and he could soon see their silhouettes looming behind him.

Zixuan had noticed them early on, but knowing they were there did not solve the problem of his dwindling energy. He knew that if this continued, he would likely be torn to pieces. What had started as a minor dispute with Zhang Zhi had escalated into a vendetta, and now that he had eliminated the head of the Zhang family's prized protégé, capture would surely result in a gruesome death.

Was Zixuan to accept his fate? No. He was never one to surrender to destiny—otherwise, he would have remained safely in the Divine Realm.

He knew he could not outrun them, and staying to fight was a death sentence. Was he truly going to be forced to use *that* technique? Before he could decide, the two Golden Core cultivators launched their assault. The leader’s flying sword took the lead, followed by the fat cultivator’s poison darts. Zixuan dodged the sword with a sharp turn, then performed an acrobatic flip to avoid the darts. Before he could regain his footing, the sword doubled back, and the darts followed, creating an pincer movement. Every direction of escape was blocked, and a direct confrontation was impossible in his current state.

Zixuan forced his mind to race, calculating every variable in search of a perfect solution. Seeing the sword and darts closing in, he gritted his teeth and lunged toward the flying sword. He twisted his body to avoid a fatal blow, but he could not escape injury; the sword pierced deeply into his shoulder. A wave of excruciating pain surged through him, and he nearly tumbled from his blade.

There was no time for hesitation. Once he steadied himself, he ruthlessly yanked the sword from his shoulder and flung it aside. With blood spraying from his wound, he began to chant, invoking the power of a Blood Escape technique. His internal energy began to churn as if boiling, and his entire body burned with the sensation of being devoured by thousands of insects. He nearly lost his focus, but for the sake of survival, he endured. As the incantation concluded, a sensation of being torn apart wracked his body, and when he opened his eyes again, he found himself in an entirely different location.

The site of the previous struggle was now empty. The two Golden Core cultivators were left in shock and terror. What kind of technique was this? To escape without leaving a trace!

The leader quickly regained his composure. "Split up and search! He cannot have gone far. Using such a method to escape at the last moment must have caused him severe damage; otherwise, he wouldn't have been pushed to such extremes. This man cannot be allowed to live, or he will surely become a grave threat to us in the future!"

The fat cultivator was about to fly off on his sword but hesitated, asking, "Why? Is he someone of great importance?"

"I do not know his background, but to possess such a miraculous technique, he is certainly no ordinary person. He may even be a disciple sent out for training by some ancient sect. Regardless, he will be our undoing. To avoid further trouble, we must kill him and silence him." The leader, clearly experienced from his time in a major sect, had correctly deduced Zixuan’s potential origins—likely a lesson learned from past hardships.

The fat cultivator found this reasoning sound. Without further questioning, they exchanged contact information and set off in different directions on their flying vehicles.

Meanwhile, Zixuan, having just completed the Blood Escape, felt as though his body were paralyzed. He lay motionless on the ground for nearly half an hour before he could struggle to his feet, stumbling toward the mountains. He knew he had to find a place to recover; if they caught up to him now, he would be crushed like an ant.

Zixuan sat cross-legged against a cliff wall. After circulating his energy, he realized his reserves were completely exhausted, his breath was chaotic, and his meridians were severely damaged. At this rate, with the aid of medicinal pills, it would take at least three to five months to fully recover. His immediate priority was to stabilize his condition and find a safer hiding spot.

Ten days passed in this spot. Although his wounds had not fully healed, he could move with slight exertion. He understood that staying in the mountains was not a long-term solution—if his tracks were discovered, he would be trapped. He needed to find a way to teleport to another planet or star system, but he had no idea which direction to take. He could only focus on healing and take things one step at a time.

But when luck is against you, even drinking water can cause you to choke. Just as he worried about being discovered, the laughter of a group of men and women drifted up from the mountain below. From their conversation, it was clear they were low-level cultivators out for a training excursion, boasting about the minor beasts they had hunted along the way.

In his current state, even a group of low-level cultivators could overpower him. Hearing them draw closer, Zixuan did his best to suppress his presence, pressing himself against the cliff wall without daring to take a deep breath, terrified of being exposed.

The voices paused below him. The group seemed to have lost their way. A woman’s voice suddenly cried out, "Wow, look at that flower! It’s beautiful!" As she ran toward the flower, the attention of the young group shifted, and they followed her.

Just as Zixuan thought he had escaped detection, a man’s voice rang out from further away: "Look, is that a Purple Gold Eagle perched on the cliff? Why isn't it flying away even though people are approaching?"

Zixuan remained motionless, terrified to move his numb legs. The voice startled him, and he froze, acting like a statue.

"Who do you think you are? We're so far away, it would be strange if it were afraid of you!" someone retorted.

"It really looks like a Purple Gold Eagle! Wow! We are so lucky to see one here. Isn't this species practically extinct on our planet? How could there be one here? Could it have escaped from a sect?"

"Who cares where it came from! If we can catch it now, it's ours!"

"Dream on! Even if we found it, we couldn't catch it. I heard a Purple Gold Eagle is equivalent to a Foundation Establishment cultivator! Our cultivation is too low, and it can fly!"

"Women have long hair and short insights—that saying is true. Can't you see how small it is? That's just a fledgling; of course we can catch it!"

"What does being a woman have to do with anything? You..."

The bickering of the young cultivators continued below. They were excited, while Zixuan was left feeling utterly aggrieved. He dared not make a sound, only cursing inwardly, "What kind of cursed Purple Gold Eagle? You are going to be the death of me!"