"So, you can really run."

Luo Feng arrived at the lakeside, observing the demon corpses nearby. It had taken him days to track this trail.

He hadn't expected Jiang Hao to flee so far.

Fortunately, Luo Feng had been prepared, bringing along a tracking artifact. Now that he had a trace, it was only a matter of time—within a day, at most—before he found his target.

Taking out a compass-like artifact, Luo Feng began scanning the area. Before long, he had results and hurried forward in the indicated direction.

Behind him, Qingxue from the Heavenly Joy Pavilion followed closely.

Jiang Hao's deliberate flight to such a distant location surprised them. He knew he was being hunted, yet he continued killing demons. There had to be a reason.

But why?

It was this curiosity that spurred Luo Feng to intercept and eliminate the demons himself, ensuring Jiang Hao couldn't achieve his goals—whatever they were. Unless, of course, Jiang Hao's purpose was to wear Luo Feng down.

After some time, they still hadn't caught sight of Jiang Hao. This suggested that he was maintaining a significant lead.

The nearby demon corpses, showing signs of being killed one or two days earlier, confirmed this.

"Something's wrong," Luo Feng muttered, furrowing his brows. "At this pace, he could keep avoiding us indefinitely. So why kill demons? Is he luring us in, or is he trying to obtain something from the demons?

"Even if he's discovered, he still kills. That means what he's after must be something he thinks he can use against us."

The realization hit Luo Feng hard. He needed to find Jiang Hao fast before the situation spiraled out of control.

If he had already made a move, it had to be decisive and eliminate all future threats.

Nightfall.

Jiang Hao sat cross-legged inside the hollow trunk of a massive tree, a temporary hiding spot he'd chosen.

Mountains were rare in the demonic cave, and there were no caves to be found. The best hiding places were within large trees.

At this moment, Jiang Hao was attempting to break through to the Foundation Establishment Pinnacle stage.

If accumulating 100 points of cultivation and blood energy wasn’t enough to achieve a breakthrough, his situation would become perilous.

He knew that the Heavenly Joy Pavilion cultivators would likely find him within a day or two, especially if they were prepared and not fools.

When that happened, he would have to face both a late Foundation Establishment cultivator and one at the pinnacle of Foundation Establishment. His chances of escaping would be slim.

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His only choice was to gamble on successfully breaking through.

The odds were in his favor—previous attempts had not required him to fully deplete his reserves of cultivation and blood energy.

Currently, the violet energy within him was guiding his spiritual power and blood energy, attempting to shatter the bottleneck. Jiang Hao remained calm, focusing on condensing his energy into his dantian for a decisive breakthrough.

The numbers on his system panel fluctuated continuously. His reserves of 100 had already dwindled to 27. If they dropped to zero before he succeeded, failure was certain.

At that moment, he suddenly detected movement outside.

The sudden noise didn't interrupt Jiang Hao's focus—he had to complete his breakthrough before being discovered.

Outside, Luo Feng was searching the forest.

He had pushed himself to the limit and finally reached this area, though there were no clear signs of Jiang Hao’s presence.

"Did I choose the wrong direction?" Luo Feng wondered.

But every tracking method he used pointed him here, so the direction had to be correct. The question was: where was Jiang Hao hiding?

Moving cautiously through the forest, Luo Feng remained alert.

Behind him, Qingxue followed, ensuring they wouldn’t both be caught off guard by an ambush. Jiang Hao’s unusual behavior had made them wary—he couldn’t be underestimated.

"Where can someone hide in a forest? Underground? Inside a tree?" Luo Feng murmured.

"A tree?"

The thought made him pause. Observing the surrounding trees more carefully, he soon noticed one with faint traces of spiritual energy. It appeared to be an ordinary spiritual tree, but his suspicions led him to investigate further.

Sensing something within, Luo Feng’s eyes lit up with delight, though his doubts deepened.

Jiang Hao was... breaking through?

Regardless, Luo Feng knew he had to act immediately to interrupt the process.

Clang!

Drawing his blade, he channeled his power into it. With a leap, he swung downwards.

"Still trying to hide?"

Boom!

The tree split in half, scattering debris.

Within the wreckage, Jiang Hao’s figure was revealed, still seated in meditation.

Seeing this, Luo Feng's face lit up with excitement. He gathered his strength for another strike, aiming directly for Jiang Hao’s brow to split him in two.

However, just as the blade neared its target, a protective phantom shield appeared, blocking the attack.

Clang!

The blade clashed against the shield, neither gaining the upper hand.

"A protective treasure?" Luo Feng exclaimed, stunned.

Undeterred, he prepared to pour more energy into his blade to shatter the defense.

But at that moment, Jiang Hao, who had been sitting with his eyes closed, suddenly opened them.

Their gazes met.

Golden light erupted from Jiang Hao’s cold, indifferent eyes, followed by a surge of powerful energy radiating from his body.

Foundation Establishment Pinnacle.

"Impossible!" Luo Feng gasped, overwhelmed by disbelief as he sensed Jiang Hao’s cultivation level.

Jiang Hao didn’t give him time to process the situation. Drawing his Shadow Blade, he unleashed an attack.

Demonic Sound Slash.

Boom!

The strike sent Luo Feng flying, even though he managed to block part of the attack.

Crash!

He collided with a tree, his blade shattered, and his hands bloodied. Though severely injured, he survived.

Jiang Hao remained indifferent. The attack had been a test, and wounding Luo Feng was enough for now. Rising slowly, Jiang Hao shifted his gaze to Qingxue in the distance.

Facing both of them together wouldn’t be ideal.

This needed to end quickly.

Qingxue, grasping her sword, activated a series of spells and charged at Jiang Hao, her aura cold and fierce.

Jiang Hao ignored the chill. Thankfully, the poison Gu in his body kept him from being distracted.

Wielding his Shadow Blade, he moved to intercept her.

Clang!

Blade clashed against sword repeatedly, each exchange sending shockwaves rippling through the area.

In the darkness, the two fought fiercely, their movements swift and deadly.

Each attack aimed to kill.

Boom!

A powerful clash forced them apart.

"Join forces!" Qingxue shouted to Luo Feng. "He just broke through; he won’t last long."

She couldn’t believe she was struggling to defeat someone who had only just reached the pinnacle stage.

If they didn’t kill him now, the two of them would undoubtedly perish.