"What's this? The kid isn't falling for it?!" The turbaned youth's eye twitched as he saw Su Shi'er not only avoiding the trap but also running away without hesitation. A surge of energy burst from his body.
"Crack!"
Under the impact of the energy, the trap turned to dust.
Before his feet touched the ground, a gust of wind swept him up, propelling him forward at an even faster speed.
In the blink of an eye, he caught up with Su Shi'er.
"Kid, let's see where you can run to today!" The turbaned youth sneered, forming hand seals as he followed closely behind Su Shi'er.
"Binding Technique! Go!"
With his voice, a rustling sound arose. Five or six vines slithered across the ground like snakes, quickly spreading out.
Caught off guard, Su Shi'er was tripped by two of the vines. Losing his balance, he stumbled forward, about to fall.
"Not good!"
Fortunately, he was skilled. With a twist of his waist, he performed a side flip, stabilizing himself.
However, as soon as he landed, the vines wrapped around his ankles, binding him tightly like a cocoon in the blink of an eye.
"Senior Brother, what do you mean by this? We don't seem to have any grudges between us, do we?" Su Shi'er channeled his energy quietly, poking his head out to observe the pursuing turbaned youth.
"Indeed, there's no grudge, but what do you mean by setting a trap for me?" The turbaned youth approached with a cold smile, his hands resting on his sword.
"Senior Brother, you've got the wrong person. This is my first time here; how could I have set a trap for you?" Su Shi'er replied with a smile.
"Is that so? Then why did you run when I got caught in the trap?" The turbaned youth's face darkened, his cold gaze scrutinizing Su Shi'er.
"Senior Brother, you must be joking! That little trap couldn't possibly hold you! I ran because I suddenly remembered something urgent I had to take care of. The sect manual clearly states that sect disciples are strictly prohibited from fighting and killing each other privately."
Su Shi'er said with a smile, knowing that breaking free from the vines wouldn't be difficult for him.
But this person had followed him all the way here, clearly with ill intentions. He wanted to know why the other party was here.
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"Sect rules? Hmph! I don't have time to waste words with you. If you want to live, hand over all your Gathering Qi Pills." The turbaned youth said indifferently, his eyes fixed sharply on Su Shi'er.
So he's after the Gathering Qi Pills?
Su Shi'er's heart skipped a beat, and the image of that Chu-named female cultivator flashed in his mind. He knew this matter was definitely related to her.
"Senior Brother, you've got the wrong person! Only Senior Brothers at the sixth level of the Qi Refining stage and above have Gathering Qi Pills. How could a fourth-level novice like me have any?" He took a deep breath and replied with a smile, not intending to admit anything.
"Is that so? In that case, you have no reason to live." The turbaned youth's eyes turned cold, a murderous intent flashing in them.
He formed hand seals, and True Essence surged in the air.
Suddenly, the temperature in the area rose sharply, and a fire crow the size of a head appeared in front of him.
"Wait! Don't be hasty! I do have a bottle of Gathering Qi Pills! As long as you let me go, I'll give it to you!" Su Shi'er quickly said, looking at the other party with secret alarm. This fire crow was much more powerful than the fireball he could summon with his Fire Control technique.
He knew that the difference in strength between him and the other party was too great. To defeat the enemy, he had to take a risky move.
"Hmph, you'd better not play tricks on me. Otherwise, I guarantee you'll die a horrible death!" The turbaned youth snorted coldly, controlling the fire crow with one hand while using the other to release part of the vines binding Su Shi'er.
Confident in his superior power, he wasn't afraid of Su Shi'er playing tricks.
"The Gathering Qi Pills are in this bottle. Please accept them, Senior Brother." Su Shi'er, with his hands freed, decisively pulled out a porcelain bottle from his robe and tossed it over.
Inside the bottle, there were no pills, but a pre-prepared Mid Grade Level 1 Explosive Talisman.
He had made no fewer than five such bottles, just in case.
The turbaned youth caught the bottle and was about to inspect it when he suddenly heard a whooshing sound by his ear.
"Wind Summoning! Go!"
The moment Su Shi'er tossed the bottle, his eyes twitched, and he unhesitatingly cast a Wind Summoning technique.
A gust of wind howled in, blowing directly at the fire crow hovering in front of the turbaned youth. The flames were swept back by the wind, surging toward the turbaned youth.
"Hmph! Courting death!" The turbaned youth had been wary of Su Shi'er all along. Seeing this, he sneered, raised his hand, and threw out a Rain Summoning Talisman.
A flash of water-blue light, and then a shower of rain descended from the sky, extinguishing the approaching flames.
Effortlessly neutralizing Su Shi'er's sneak attack, his eyes glinted with cold light, ready to strike again.
But at that moment, a violent energy gathered in his palm.
"Not good! It's an Explosive Talisman?!" The turbaned youth's face changed as he realized that the bottle in his hand contained no Gathering Qi Pills but an Explosive Talisman!
Despite all his precautions, when Su Shi'er launched his sneak attack, he focused his attention on Su Shi'er, never expecting this trick.
Without time to think, he hurriedly tried to discard the bottle. At such close range, even a Low Grade talisman could cause him significant harm.
But it was too late. The bottle exploded the moment it left his hand.
"Boom!"
A burst of fire shot up into the sky, engulfing him completely.
"Ah~ you bastard, I... I'll kill you!" The flames roared, igniting the dry branches and leaves on the ground, turning the area into a sea of fire, from which came the turbaned youth's anguished screams.
He had been thoroughly tricked by Su Shi'er!
"It's done!"
Seeing this, Su Shi'er showed a look of joy, his pupils contracted as a fire crow appeared in his palm, which he used to burn the vines binding his legs.
In the next second, he broke free from the restraints, his gaze turning fierce as he decisively activated the Shadowless Phantom Steps, launching an Eight Trigrams Punch at the opponent.
Strike while the iron is hot! Su Shi'er understood this principle well.
"Not good!" But just as he charged at the opponent, he sensed a looming danger.
In the next moment, the turbaned youth's furious roar came from within the flames.
"Kid, do you think an Explosive Talisman can seriously injure me? Today, I'll teach you a lesson. Let you know how unwise it is to oppose a sword cultivator."
Su Shi'er's pupils shrank sharply, his face changing instantly, but before he could react.
Two beams of Sword Light intertwined into a cross shape, shooting out from the flames. The Sword Light was fast and fierce, exuding a deadly aura with the power to take lives.
Su Shi'er cried out in his heart, knowing he was in trouble. But at such close range, there was no time to dodge. He cursed inwardly, but his hands moved swiftly.
Without hesitation, he reached into his robe. A Top Grade Level 1 defensive talisman should be enough to withstand such an attack.
But as he pulled out the talisman, his face changed again. The talisman in his hand was not a Top Grade Level 1 defensive talisman, but an ordinary Mid Grade Level 1 defensive talisman.