Chapter 297: Fool

The flying boat tore through the sea of fire, swiftly fleeing at high speed.

Before long, they saw a streak of dazzling silver light racing through the fiery expanse ahead, moving rapidly.

Qin Sang recognized the light—it came from one of Yan Wu’s artifacts, a treasured mirror. There were no evident fluctuations within the silver light, indicating that Yan Wu had not yet been overtaken by his pursuers.

Seeing this, Wandering Man put away the Spiritual Bamboo Flying Boat.

Qin Sang advanced while Wandering Man followed slightly behind, heading toward Yan Wu.

When Yan Wu suddenly saw two figures appear ahead, he was utterly horrified.

Upon realizing it was Qin Sang and Wandering Man, Yan Wu mistakenly assumed that Qin Sang was being pursued by Wandering Man. Without waiting for Qin Sang to explain, Yan Wu flipped his treasured mirror without hesitation, sending a beam of light straight at Qin Sang.

Then, using his evasion light, he veered to the right and tried to escape.

Yan Wu’s first reaction wasn’t to join forces with Qin Sang against their enemies but to use Qin Sang as a shield to buy himself time to flee.

Qin Sang could only smile wryly and sigh inwardly, though he wasn’t particularly surprised.

Better the other cultivator dies than me.

Such behavior was common in the world of immortal cultivation.

However, Yan Wu’s instinctive reaction—choosing to sacrifice Qin Sang as a scapegoat when the two could have easily worked together to kill their opponents—was truly outstanding in its shamelessness.

This wasn’t solely due to their personal grudge; Qin Sang was convinced Yan Wu would have done the same even if it had been Wu Chen in his place.

Wandering Man snorted disdainfully at the scene, immediately abandoning any intention of cooperating with Yan Wu. He said coldly, "Kill him."

Qin Sang nodded, sidestepping the mirror light in a flash. At the same time, Wandering Man used the power of the flying boat to easily catch up with Yan Wu, cutting off his escape route.

Thinking his plan had succeeded, Yan Wu had no time to rejoice before finding himself trapped by Wandering Man and Qin Sang, one in front and one behind. His face twisted in shock as realization dawned. "You two are working together!"

Wandering Man couldn’t be bothered to respond. With a flick of his right hand, he released a glowing orb, which spun in midair and radiated a verdant light. Though it appeared slow and weightless, it moved with deadly precision toward Yan Wu.

The seemingly gentle orb filled Yan Wu with an overwhelming sense of doom, and terror spread across his face.

He tried to retreat, but at the same time, Qin Sang tapped the ebony sword, which darted out like a phantom, cutting off Yan Wu’s retreat.

Both Qin Sang and Wandering Man were seasoned fighters. Their rare and extraordinary artifacts—the glowing orb and the ebony sword—formed a seamless pincer attack.

Yan Wu had no chance of escape. Overwhelmed from both sides, he couldn’t even put up a proper resistance before the ebony sword knocked the treasured mirror out of his hand.

The glowing orb flashed and struck Yan Wu square in the chest, shattering his heart.

Yan Wu died on the spot.

Wandering Man used his spiritual power to form a large hand, grabbing Yan Wu’s corpse. His expression suddenly changed, and he transmitted a message to Qin Sang, "They’re coming. Quickly, go!"

Without a second thought, Qin Sang flew past Wandering Man and into the sea of fire, activating the Nine-Dragon Heavenly Chariot Talisman to retreat far away.

Wandering Man carried Yan Wu’s corpse as he turned to face the approaching elder surnamed Gong and the hooked-nose man.

"Too late, fellow Daoists. I will happily take the spoils."

Wandering Man smiled faintly, holding up Yan Wu’s corpse as if to show it off. He swiped a Mustard Seed Pouch from the corpse’s waist before tossing the body aside.

The two men exchanged looks, watching as Yan Wu’s body was reduced to ashes in the flames. They couldn’t help but twitch their lips in frustration.

"The other guy—was he also dealt with by the Daoist Master?" The man surnamed Yin tentatively asked.

Wandering Man nodded and replied casually, "He was ignorant of the bigger picture. Despite my repeated persuasion, he stubbornly resisted, leaving me no choice but to kill him. I originally intended to assist you both with your troubles, but you hadn’t arrived yet. I had to act hastily and almost let him escape."

Hearing this, the two men secretly sneered. They doubted the claim of resistance—more likely, this old fox coveted their treasures and struck mercilessly, never intending to take a live captive.

According to their prior agreement, whoever found the spoils would keep them, and no one else was allowed to dispute it.

Two Foundation Building cultivators' Mustard Seed Pouches!

The elder surnamed Gong’s eyes gleamed as he chuckled. "I didn’t expect the Daoist Master to excel not only in evasion techniques but also in such formidable combat prowess. Effortlessly dispatching two opponents of similar cultivation—I truly admire you!"

"Just petty tricks!"

Wandering Man squinted and smiled, avoiding any mention of the spoils. He activated his evasion light and flew off into the distance.

The two men exchanged a glance and shook their heads helplessly. They were envious but dared not force Wandering Man to hand over the spoils for sharing.

In such a short time, Wandering Man had killed two opponents in succession without sustaining a single scratch, demonstrating unfathomable strength.

Outside the sea of fire.

Yu Kong was already dead, and the situation was entirely under Luo Xingnan’s control.

After listening to the elder surnamed Gong’s report, Luo Xingnan nodded nonchalantly. He strolled over to Shangguan Lifeng, a satisfied smile spreading across his face. "Well, young man, what do you think? I didn’t lie to you, did I? The one who killed your master was either Sheng Yuanzi or that old dog Yu Kong! And as I suspected, it was that cunning old dog!"

Shangguan Lifeng’s injuries were severe, but after taking a pill, his complexion had improved.

He coughed violently a few times before rasping, "Don’t worry. I will honor our agreement and stay to serve you as repayment."

Luo Xingnan laughed heartily, pleased with Shangguan Lifeng’s attitude. His gaze shifted to Wu Chen, and he asked indifferently, "Do you want to live?"

Wu Chen nodded hastily, not daring to hesitate.

...

After Luo Xingnan and the others departed, the barrier regained its tranquility, and the blazing fire continued to burn as if eternal.

Suddenly, a figure materialized from an illusory form—it was Ge Yuan.

Before Ge Yuan could steady himself, he saw another figure emerge from the flames ahead, prompting him to prepare for battle.

"Daoist Ge."

From a distance, Qin Sang cupped his hands in greeting. He carefully observed Ge Yuan and noted that, although there were no visible injuries on his body, his aura was unstable—a sign that the earlier attack by the serpent swarm had been extremely perilous.

If not for Wandering Man’s covert assistance, Ge Yuan would likely have perished in the serpents’ jaws.

"Has Senior Wandering Man sent word?"

"Not yet."

Recognizing Qin Sang, Ge Yuan lowered his guard and shook his head before asking about the earlier events.

Qin Sang recounted the situation honestly.

Hearing that Luo Xingnan not only suffered no losses but even gained reinforcements, Ge Yuan frowned deeply, his expression turning slightly anxious.

When Qin Sang mentioned the plan he and Wandering Man had devised, a trace of disbelief flashed in Ge Yuan’s eyes. He said gravely, "Luo Xingnan’s forces are strong. It’s best not to provoke him! Those people are reckless and untrustworthy. Who’s to say they won’t first help Luo Xingnan eliminate us? We’re here to gather herbs, not risk our lives!"

Qin Sang glanced at Ge Yuan but said nothing more.

The two waited in silence.

Suddenly, Ge Yuan’s face lit up with joy as he looked toward the blue flames on the left.

"Let’s go!"