Chapter 73: Chapter 73: Killing for Treasure

On a Desolate Mountain, within a dense forest, it was abnormally quiet. Not the sound of insects or birds could be heard!

SWOOSH!

Suddenly, a figure came streaking from the distance. Without pausing for an instant, it dove into the dense forest. But a few breaths later, the figure reemerged, its expression starkly different.

"I didn’t think you’d actually take this path. We’ve been waiting for you for a long time!" Five young men followed, emerging from the dense forest. They wore matching, distinctive blue robes and sneered at the retreating figure.

The leader of the five stared at the figure and said, "Xiang Shan, you had the fucking nerve to take my things. Hand them over, and I’ll spare your life."

"Bai Han, we agreed before we went into the ruins: whoever got the treasure first, it was theirs. You’re breaking your word," Xiang Shan said.

"I did say that whoever gets the treasure first, it’s theirs. But I never said I wouldn’t snatch it from you," Bai Han retorted with a jeering laugh.

"You..." Xiang Shan’s expression changed. He realized the five of them were planning to kill him and take his treasure, and he immediately began to retreat.

"Don’t even think about escaping again. You’re only at the Qi Vortex Sixth Layer. You think you can get away from the five of us?" Bai Han scoffed, shooting a look at the other four to encircle Xiang Shan.

SWOOSH!

SWOOSH! 𝐟𝕣𝗲𝕖𝕨𝗲𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝗲𝚕.𝗰𝚘𝐦

The four understood the signal. With a flash, their figures moved to flank and surround Xiang Shan.

’Not good!’ Panic crossed Xiang Shan’s face. He tried to break out of their encirclement, but they reacted in a flash, completely surrounding him in less than half a breath.

"Nowhere to run, huh?" Bai Han scratched his ear. "I’ll say it one last time: hand over the treasure, and I’ll let you live."

"You think I’d believe you again?" Xiang Shan eyed the five approaching men warily. He gripped a Jade Box and roared, "Don’t come any closer, or I’ll destroy this treasure!"

The moment they saw the Jade Box in Xiang Shan’s hand, the eyes of all five men burned with feverish greed.

But they weren’t the only ones. High up in an Ancient Tree, another pair of eyes glowed with the same feverish light. He waited in silence, a predator lying in ambush, ready to strike at any moment.

"Then go ahead and destroy it. But if you do, I guarantee I’ll cut your body into a thousand pieces." Bai Han’s face darkened, his killing intent palpable. He exchanged a look with his four men, conveying a silent, mutual understanding.

BOOM!

Seizing the opening created by Bai Han’s words, one of the young men moved in a flash, his longsword chopping down toward the back of Xiang Shan’s hand.

"Bastard!"

Seeing the sneak attack, Xiang Shan’s expression twisted. With a flick of his wrist, he hurled the Jade Box directly at the incoming youth.

The youth, unable to react in time and thinking it was a hidden weapon, brought his longsword down on it in a vicious chop.

At this, Bai Han’s face changed. "Zhang Cheng, don’t you dare destroy my treasure!" he yelled.

Left with no choice, Zhang Cheng spun around, hastily retracting his sword. Abandoning the attack, he lunged for the Jade Box with one hand.

As he lunged, Zhang Cheng left his position open. A flicker of joy crossed Xiang Shan’s face. Seizing the gap, his figure blurred as he dashed toward the opening to escape.

"Trying to run!"

Killing intent flashed in Bai Han’s eyes. He thrust his longsword through the air. The speed of a Qi Vortex Seventh Layer cultivator was astonishing; in the blink of an eye, the blade pierced through Xiang Shan’s body.

"You..."

Xiang Shan turned his head to glare at Bai Han, his eyes filled with bitter resentment. Then, his body crashed heavily to the ground.

Gazing down at the dead Xiang Shan, Bai Han smirked viciously. "I saw that trick coming a mile away. Trying to match wits with me? You’ve got a long fucking way to go."

Bai Han spat on the ground, then began to search Xiang Shan’s body for valuables. A moment later, he pulled out a Jade Box.

Bai Han’s brows furrowed. This Jade Box was identical to the one Xiang Shan had just thrown. ’Damn it,’ he thought, ’did that little bastard pull a bait-and-switch on me!’

Even as the thought crossed his mind, his hands didn’t stop moving. He hastily opened the Jade Box, and his face lit up with joy at its contents. He held it high and yelled to his four companions, "This is the real one! The one you guys have is—"

SHIIING!

Before the words left his mouth, a blurry afterimage shot out from the dense forest. A fiery red spear, like a streak of light in the night, tore through the air, aimed straight for Bai Han.

The attack was so sudden that Bai Han had no time to react. His hand trembled in shock, and the Jade Box fell to the ground. He retreated explosively, simultaneously sweeping out a massive wave of Sword Light that crashed against the spear’s sharp aura.

BOOM!

The very air seemed to explode as a terrifying shockwave blasted Bai Han backward.

Seizing the opportunity, the figure blurred, darting toward the fallen Jade Box.

"Son of a bitch! Playing the oriole to my mantis! I’ll kill you too!" Bai Han roared in fury. He bellowed at his four approaching men and charged, his sword radiating a chilling Sword Light!

BOOM!

All five attacked simultaneously—one at the Qi Vortex Seventh Layer, and four at the Qi Vortex Sixth Layer. The resulting explosion of energy was terrifying as it bore down on the lone figure.

The figure’s Cultivation was only at the Qi Vortex Sixth Layer; how could he possibly withstand their joint attack?

The treasure was within arm’s reach, but he had no choice but to give up on it. If he took even a second to grab the Jade Box, their five attacks would land, killing him instantly.

Left with no choice, he retreated.

"Kill him!" Bai Han’s rage was unabated. He yelled at Zhang Cheng and the other three, who immediately pounced on the retreating figure.

Bai Han walked back to the Jade Box and bent to pick it up, cursing, "I play the mantis stalking the cicada, and some asshole actually plays the oriole from behind. What’s next, a hunter showing up? Fuck!"

"Then... as you wish!"

The moment the words left Bai Han’s mouth, a mocking voice suddenly rang in his ears.

SHIING!

Once again, from the dense forest, a Sword Aura flared into existence. It was as fast as a bolt of lightning, arriving in an instant and filling the air with a chilling killing intent.

’Fuck, there really is one!’

Bai Han froze. A bone-deep chill seized his heart, and he instinctively tried to pull back his hand and retreat.

But this Sword Light was several times faster than the spear aura from before. In the blink of an eye, it sliced through his arm. He could only watch helplessly as his own arm flew through the air, still clutching the Jade Box.

Suddenly, a white-robed figure moved like the wind, darting out from the forest like a bolt of lightning to snatch the Jade Box from the air. A faint smile touched his lips.

"I quite like being the hunter."

The white-robed figure gave a faint smile, then transformed into a streak of light and vanished into the distance.

On the ground, Bai Han writhed and screamed in agony. Hearing his cries, his four men instantly abandoned their pursuit of the spear-wielder and rushed to his side.

Seeing this, the spear-wielder retracted his weapon and took off in the direction the white-robed figure had disappeared. He had to get what was in that Jade Box!

"AHHH! All of you, get the fuck after him! Hack that bastard to pieces!" Bai Han shrieked, his face contorted in a ferocious snarl even as he screamed in pain.