Outside Northgaze Valley.
Lu Li and Wu De walked with arms over each other's shoulders, and before long, they turned onto a small path heading east.
"Old man, don't just think about picking up bargains, get some Talismans out for us to use." Lu Li's arm wrapped around Wu De's shoulder was currently folding one mid-level Talisman after another into inconspicuous triangles, secretly throwing a few into the grass beside them every few steps.
"Kid, aren't you being too cautious? You've already thrown more than twenty mid-level Talismans on the ground."
Wu De watched with heart palpitations, thinking this kid was simply too treacherous. With so many Talismans, even if they couldn't blow someone to death, they could definitely blow someone into a daze.
"This is called caution keeps the ship sailing for ten thousand years, got it? Less nonsense, bring them out, or you won't get a share of the spoils later."
"Take them, take them." Wu De gave Lu Li a sidelong glance, reached into his sleeve and took out a stack of mid-level Talismans, handing them to Lu Li. There were more than twenty of them.
"That's more like it." Lu Li took the Talismans and casually stored them in his spatial hall.
Wu De: ??? "Aren't you going to set them up in advance?"
Lu Li smiled faintly, "I'll keep them for now, I'll throw them during the fight. If I set them all up now and they don't all explode, I'd have to go around picking them up later, how troublesome."
"You little brat, tricking this old man again!" Wu De glared at Lu Li, blowing his beard and flaring his nostrils.
"Don't get excited, it's just a few mid-level Talismans, I'll return them to you later." As Lu Li spoke, the hand on Wu De's shoulder suddenly applied slight pressure, "They're here."
Hearing this, Wu De secretly released his Divine Sense to sense, and his expression abruptly changed, "Damn, there's a sixth-level one!"
"Sixth-level?!" Lu Li's heart skipped a beat, and he said seriously, "Can you handle it? If not, let's run?"
In Lu Li's view, running wasn't shameful.
Wu De was originally the type who would flee immediately when the situation looked unfavorable, but thinking about how this kid had just swindled twenty-five Talismans from him, if they ran now, wouldn't that be giving them away for free? So he gritted his teeth and said:
"The other one is only at Qi Refining fourth-level. I'll hold off the sixth-level one for a while, you finish off the other one and come help me right away, no problem?"
In his view, since Lu Li could even beat up someone like him who was at Qi Refining sixth-level, killing a fourth-level should be as easy as turning over his hand.
"So brave?" Lu Li was taken aback.
"Definitely."
"Alright, I'll take care of the fourth-level one. Hold on for a while, I'll come help you as soon as I kill him." Lu Li also felt that as someone at Qi Refining fifth-level, even if only early stage, killing a fourth-level should be as easy as flipping his hand.
Just as the two deliberately slowed their steps to discuss, that Senior Brother He and the black-clothed Junior Sister had already caught up to a distance of three zhang behind them. Senior Brother He called out to Lu Li's back:
"Fellow Daoist, please wait!"
Hearing this, Lu Li gave Wu De a meaningful look, and said in a low voice, "Attack!" Immediately, the two suddenly turned around, and in the blink of an eye, two figures shot back simultaneously.
Lu Li intentionally controlled his speed to be half a beat slower. Wu De stirred up dust and gravel as he flew, arriving in front of the young woman just over five chi away in an instant, simultaneously striking out with both palms, "Fire Dragon!"
Instantly, two fire snakes roared out, ruthlessly attacking the young woman's front.
"Stop!"
The young woman screamed in shock. She hadn't expected the two to attack without even saying a word. In her haste, she stumbled back several steps, and at the same time formed hand seals, several transparent water-colored ropes intertwined with each other, clapping twice as they collided with the two fire snakes.
Perhaps because the young woman's attack was too hasty, those water-colored ropes only held for less than half a breath before being scorched into nothingness, and then the two fire snakes continued forward.
Bang!
The black-clothed young woman covered her chest as she staggered back five or six chi. Wu De, not letting up on his advantage, stretched out his body and chased after her again, showing no mercy.
"Junior Sister, be careful!"
Senior Brother He exclaimed and was about to help, but at that moment, a gust of strong wind suddenly whistled toward him. Senior Brother He's heart tightened, and he instantly sidestepped several paces to the side.
Lu Li's punch landed empty, but he didn't pursue. Instead, he looked strangely at Senior Brother He's horrified face.
The next moment.
Boom!
An explosion sounded, accompanied by a plume of black smoke rising. Senior Brother He was directly blasted into the air, then crashed down with another rumble.
"Senior Brother!"
On the other side, the black-clothed young woman was entangled in battle with Wu De. Having recovered somewhat, though disheveled, she could still hold on while dodging and moving around. Seeing Senior Brother He blasted into the air, her pretty face immediately changed color. After a feint, she rushed toward Senior Brother He.
At this moment, Senior Brother He's trouser legs were tattered, his legs covered in dripping blood, looking quite miserable. The blood at the corner of his mouth told everyone that his injuries were serious.
Indeed, although mid-level Talismans didn't do much damage to fifth or sixth-level cultivators, this Senior Brother He was only at fourth-level. Stepping squarely on the Talisman, it was quite an ability that he wasn't blown to death.
The black-clothed young woman helped Senior Brother He up, worriedly asking, "Senior Brother, how are you..."
Boom!
Before she could finish, another explosion erupted beneath their feet.
This time, Senior Brother He was even more miserable. Both his legs were directly blasted into a bloody mess, with bones clearly visible. Though the young woman wasn't seriously injured, she also spat out black smoke, looking quite disheveled.
Lu Li looked at Wu De, only to see Wu De winking at him-clearly Wu De's doing.
Seeing this excellent opportunity, Wu De wasted no time. With a sudden movement, he shouted loudly, "Give me your lives!" As he rushed forward, his right hand formed into a palm, and fire snakes shot toward the black-clothed young woman relentlessly.
The ruthlessness of his attack made Lu Li secretly frown.
Actually, from the beginning until now, Lu Li had a doubt in his mind. He couldn't figure out why these two were tailing them? From their expressions and words, they didn't seem to be after their possessions, so he hadn't gone for the kill when attacking earlier.
Otherwise, his first punch could have taken that black-clothed man's life, instead of waiting for him to step on the explosive Talisman.
"Junior Sister, stop holding back!"
Seeing the fire snakes whistling toward them, Senior Brother He swayed unsteadily, his heart pounding wildly as he loudly reminded the black-clothed young woman.
Holding back?
Lu Li and Wu De both felt their hearts tighten upon hearing this, almost simultaneously retreating explosively.
Ding ding ding...
As soon as the two landed, a crisp ringing of bells sounded in their minds. Instantly, Lu Li felt a dull pain in his head, as if he'd been hit hard with an iron hammer. His vision went white, and he fell forward with a thud.
Wu De's situation was somewhat better than Lu Li's. He swayed for a moment, blinked his eyes forcefully several times, then exclaimed in shock, "Soul-Taking Bell!" He immediately rushed to Lu Li's side, grabbed the back of Lu Li's collar, lifted him up, and ran.
"Junior Sister, chase them quickly." Seeing this, Senior Brother He urgently shouted.
The black-clothed young woman also seemed quite drained. She shook her head and said, "Senior Brother, I feel... my bell doesn't affect that old man. Moreover, you're injured so badly, you need treatment soon. How about... we go back and tell Master?"
"Sigh, alright."
Hearing this, although Senior Brother He was unwilling in his heart, he had no choice. Compared to the Profound Yin Land, his Master should value this Junior Sister's safety more.
After running for who knows how far.
Lu Li slowly regained consciousness and found himself being carried by Wu De as they ran. The dirt and stones on the ground rapidly receded beneath his eyelids. He felt both moved and speechless, and quickly said, "Old man, put me down."