A cold glint flashed across the old man's face.
"Whoosh!"
In the next instant, the old man moved, reappearing where Zhou Yan had originally stood. He flicked his sleeve, and streaks of black light spread outwards.
Seeing these black lines, Zhou Yan's pupils contracted sharply, for he felt as if he had been locked onto by them.
"Swish, swish, swish!"
Under Zhou Yan's startled gaze, wherever the black light passed, fine black threads rapidly extended, rubbing against the air with sharp, piercing sounds, and finally locking Zhou Yan firmly in place.
Witnessing this scene, Zhou Yan's expression became extremely grim, for he knew that breaking free from these black lines was almost impossible.
"Hmph!"
Taking a deep breath, beads of sweat appeared on Zhou Yan's forehead. He knew he had to sever these black lines quickly, or he would be trapped to death.
"Break!"
With a low cry, the Yuan force within Zhou Yan circulated instantly. He then raised his left leg and fiercely kicked forward at the black light.
"Boom!"
Accompanied by a deafening roar, Zhou Yan was sent flying backwards.
"Pfft!"
Zhou Yan's body slid several zhang through the air before crashing heavily to the ground, a trickle of crimson blood seeping from the corner of his mouth.
This move had consumed all the Yuan force within Zhou Yan, leaving him severely injured. However, he didn't care, as he could still endure such an injury.
"Hmm?"
However, as Zhou Yan prepared to get up, he discovered that the strange fluctuation within his body had receded again, and the pain in his body had vanished completely.
"What is happening?"
Feeling the inexplicable fluctuation within him, Zhou Yan's face lit up with surprise.
"Hoo!"
Taking a deep breath, Zhou Yan sat up again, a sharp glint flashing in his eyes.
"It seems I've turned misfortune into a blessing."
With a thought, Zhou Yan perfectly controlled the power of the move he had just unleashed and slowly stood up.
"Boy, are you alright?"
Just as Zhou Yan stood up, the old man's voice reached him. He had clearly sensed something was amiss with Zhou Yan and quickly asked.
Hearing this, Zhou Yan nodded and said, "Thank you for your concern, senior. This junior is fine now. May I ask why senior has come looking for me?"
Upon hearing Zhou Yan's question, the old man pondered for a moment and then said, "Boy, since you could escape my Soul Chasing Whip, it can be considered your fortune. I'll give you two choices: one, leave with me; the other, die!"
As he spoke, the old man's voice turned cold.
Hearing this, a faint smile played on Zhou Yan's lips.
"Two paths, neither seems good."
Saying this, Zhou Yan looked at the old man, "Does senior intend to choose the second or the third path?"
The old man frowned, then mused for a moment before replying, "The third path, I don't need to remind you, do I?"
Hearing the old man's words, Zhou Yan nodded, "Senior is indeed wise. This junior does intend to choose the third path."
Upon hearing this, the old man's eyebrows twitched, but he didn't refute further. Instead, he continued, "Very well. Since you intend to die, there's no need for me to waste words. Kneel!"
"Thump!"
As the old man's words fell, Zhou Yan promptly knelt down towards the old man.
Seeing this, the old man looked pleased and slammed his palm forward.
"Bang!"
A dull thud suddenly sounded, and the instant it did, Zhou Yan's figure was sent flying backwards, crashing heavily onto the ground.
"Pfft!"
A mouthful of blood sprayed directly from Zhou Yan's mouth.
"Boy, I don't care whose disciple you are, but anyone who dares to oppose me will be killed without mercy. Therefore, I advise you to obey obediently, or I will make you vanish into thin air!" The old man's indifferent voice echoed, filled with killing intent.
Zhou Yan's face twitched uncontrollably. Although he felt extremely wronged, at this moment, he had no choice but to yield, "Thank you for your guidance, senior. This junior understands."
"Hmph!"
The old man merely snorted coldly, then his hand seals changed. To Zhou Yan's astonished gaze, the dark barrier instantly collapsed.
"Buzz~"
The black vortex exploded, and at the same time, Zhou Yan transformed into a streak of light, disappearing without a trace. He reappeared a thousand meters away.
"Hmph!"
Seeing Zhou Yan's actions, the old man let out a cold laugh. Then, his gaze suddenly sharpened, for he sensed an extremely dangerous aura.
"Whoosh!"
Without hesitation, the old man's figure turned into a black light and shot out rapidly, disappearing tens of thousands of meters in the blink of an eye.
However, just as the old man appeared within Zhou Yan's line of sight, Zhou Yan gritted his teeth fiercely and swung out his Crimson Firmament Sword.
"Buzz!"
With a swing of the sword, the surrounding space distorted violently.
"Hmph! Petty trick!"
Sensing the terrifying power contained within Zhou Yan's sword strike, the old man sneered. He abruptly shook his arm, and a dark long spear materialized on his arm.
"Shuua!"
Dark mist swirled around the black spear, clearly having been tempered countless times and possessing unparalleled sharpness.
"Chik, chik, chik..."
With a flick of the old man's wrist, the black spear, like lightning, tore through space and pierced fiercely towards Zhou Yan.
Seeing this, Zhou Yan's face turned pale.
"Whoosh!"
The black spear tore through the air and pierced ruthlessly towards Zhou Yan. Its speed was such that even Zhou Yan could not dodge it.
Just as Zhou Yan was about to perish, his chest suddenly expanded, and his clothes shredded inch by inch.
At this moment, Zhou Yan's height surged to about six zhang.
"Bang!"
As Zhou Yan grew to six zhang, his fists, with a whooshing sound, slammed forward. Instantly, the black spear was snapped in half.