As Luo Wan’s figure disappeared, Ye Fei turned and fled in the opposite direction.
Less than two days remained until the trial concluded. He had to kill more demonic beasts and collect more beast ears within these two days. While the competition with that little girl wasn't crucial, he still had to give it his all out of respect for his opponent!
Ye Fei moved like a machine, tirelessly reaping the lives of demonic beasts. He only stopped when night fell.
The next morning, Ye Fei set out again, directly pursuing a demonic beast that was attempting to escape. As he pressed on, a familiar voice suddenly reached his ears. It sounded like his senior brother’s voice!
A surge of joy coursed through Ye Fei. He abandoned the pursuit of the demonic beast and instead rushed towards the source of the sound.
Meanwhile, his senior brother and a few others were confronting a group of masked figures in white robes, much like the encounter he'd had with Nangong Qingxue before.
"Who exactly are you?"
"Why are you chasing us?"
"Aren't you afraid of retaliation from my Martial Sect?"
The senior brother asked, his face etched with caution. Despite his words, he felt an unprecedented sense of danger.
"Hahaha!"
"Martial Sect?"
"What a colossal joke!"
"Even ten Martial Sects wouldn't be our match!"
"If you want to know why, perhaps you should ask the woman beside you!"
"She knows all too well!"
The man standing at the center, adorned with a jade pendant, sneered dismissively.
Nangong Qingxue hadn't expected these people to find her trail so quickly! It seemed she was still too weak.
"Senior brother, this has nothing to do with you. You all need to leave quickly!"
"I'll deal with them!"
"Don't worry, they only want to capture me alive; they won't kill me!"
Nangong Qingxue was acutely aware of the vast disparity in strength between the two sides, urging them on frantically.
"Junior sister, how can I abandon you and flee alone!"
"As long as you are my junior sister, I will never leave you behind!"
The senior brother adamantly refused.
"Senior brother, please leave quickly!"
"You are truly no match for them!"
"I don't want to see you all perish at their hands!"
"Otherwise, I would be an eternal sinner of the Martial Sect!"
Nangong Qingxue roared again. However, no matter how Nangong Qingxue pleaded, the senior brother remained unmoved.
"You don't need to persuade me further. As your senior brother, I do not fear death!"
Even so, to prevent innocent lives from being harmed, he sternly forbade the few disciples who wanted to stand with him from doing so.
"All of you, leave!"
"Don't make me have to look after you!"
"Hurry, go!"
With a few stern reprimands, the disciples had no choice but to obey the senior brother's orders and quickly departed. Whether they were going to seek reinforcements or something else, it was impossible to know.
"Your senior brother has some integrity!"
"A pity!"
The men in white robes paid no mind to the departing disciples. To them, these were mere ants. There was no need to annihilate them completely.
"Alright, now there are only two of you left!"
"Nangong Qingxue, if you know what's good for you, I advise you to hand over the treasure quickly!"
"Otherwise, our blades have no eyes!"
The man wearing the jade pendant spoke again. He stared intently at Nangong Qingxue, as if trying to discern something from her face. But Nangong Qingxue merely took a step back with a blank expression, retorting sarcastically.
"What difference is there between your actions and those of bandits?"
"Although my Nangong family has declined, we are not to be insulted by trash like you!"
The man with the jade pendant was so infuriated by Nangong Qingxue’s words that he was visibly trembling. He had initially intended to persuade her kindly to hand over the treasure voluntarily, but it was clear this tactic would not work!
"You wretched woman, since persuasion is useless, I see no need for pleasantries!"
"Once I capture you, I will find a way to make you speak!"
With a swish, the man with the jade pendant flew up and attacked Nangong Qingxue directly!
"Junior sister, allow me to lend you a hand!"
Seeing the man attack, the senior brother immediately stood shoulder-to-shoulder with Nangong Qingxue!
"Senior brother, I know I cannot dissuade you. From now on, you must hide behind me and absolutely avoid direct confrontation with him!"
"Leave everything to me!"
Since she couldn't dissuade him, Nangong Qingxue resigned herself to his decision. This was undoubtedly a fierce battle for Nangong Qingxue! But with her unyielding pride, she would not yield, even unto death!
The moment they clashed, the senior brother realized the vast difference between himself and the man with the jade pendant! This shocked him immensely! The critical point was that the opponent was of similar age to him, yet the gap between them was like a chasm!
At this moment, Nangong Qingxue unleashed her full might, battling the man with the jade pendant ferociously! The once lush forest was soon filled with falling leaves due to their intense combat, and many sturdy trees were cleaved by their attacks.
"Nangong Qingxue, it seems I underestimated you!"
"I never expected you to progress so rapidly!"
"Could it be due to the treasure?"
The man with the jade pendant coveted. However, Nangong Qingxue remained silent, her movements becoming even more precise. After several exchanges, the man gained no advantage and was subtly falling behind. Suddenly, he flashed a wicked smile, broke free from Nangong Qingxue’s encirclement, and charged directly towards the senior brother!
"Senior brother, be careful!"
Nangong Qingxue cried out sharply. The senior brother quickly retreated, attempting to evade the ferocious strike. But how could he let such an opportunity pass?
"Die!"
A sinister smile spread across the face of the man with the jade pendant, and he struck the senior brother directly in his Dantian!
"Beast, may you die a terrible death!"
Nangong Qingxue rushed over in a frenzy. After a successful strike, the man with the jade pendant swiftly returned to his original position. By then, the senior brother had lost his once spirited demeanor.
Nangong Qingxue quickly examined him and found that the senior brother's Dantian was shattered, and his internal Yuan energy was constantly escaping like water from a sieve. More critically, his face was pale to the point of being unnatural.
"Senior brother, senior brother, hold on!"
"You must hold on!"
As she spoke, Nangong Qingxue fed him a pill. This pill, known as the Five Revolutions Return Pill, was one her elders had prepared for her and now served as a crucial lifesaver. After taking the pill, the senior brother’s complexion improved slightly, and his breathing stabilized considerably.