Upon hearing this, Chu Feng’s spirits lifted. "Is there a way to track him?"

Luo Yan stood up. His hollow eyes looked past the warehouse doors as he said hoarsely:

"Although the thief’s Qinggong is superb and the footprints he left are extremely faint, he cannot escape these eyes of mine... Follow me."

With that, Luo Yan strode out.

He would occasionally squat to examine something, then look up toward the distance. A barely perceptible, spectral light would flicker in his Ghost Eye from time to time.

He actually managed to follow the direction Fang Han had fled, tracking him all the way out of Chishui City and onto the main road!

"This way!" Luo Yan pointed northeast. "He left not long ago, no more than four hours!"

Killing intent flashed in Chu Feng’s eyes. "After him!"

The group executed their Body Techniques, speeding along the main road.

Although Luo Yan’s Cultivation was not high, his Body Technique was peculiar enough that he managed to keep up.

Beside the main road, deep in the forest.

"Hm?"

Fang Han was using his Body Technique to travel swiftly when suddenly, his nostrils twitched slightly.

The extraordinary sense of smell granted by his Perfection Level Spirit Nose Technique allowed him to catch a few extremely faint but rapidly approaching, unfamiliar scents on the wind.

’Are they just happening to go the same way, or are they tracking me?’

A chill shot through Fang Han’s heart.

His Ten Thousand Transformations Concealing Breath Technique was at the Great Success Level, as was his Flowing Wind Shadowless Step. Even a master tracker would find it difficult to follow him.

Were these people simply traveling the same route by coincidence, or were they after him?

If they were tracking him, then there had to be an exceptionally skilled tracker among them.

’A little test will tell me for sure!’

Fang Han changed direction. He stopped moving in a straight line and veered toward the more rugged and difficult mountain terrain.

If they were just fellow travelers, their path would no longer match his. But if they were hunting him, they would change course just as he had.

He pushed his Spirit Nose Technique to its limit, sensing the movements of the people behind him.

His expression turned grave.

The worst-case scenario had come to pass. The scents had also changed direction and were still closing in on him fast.

’They’re after me, and they have an incredible tracker with them!’

Fang Han’s expression became completely serious.

To be able to track him while he was using his Great Success Level Flowing Wind Shadowless Step and Ten Thousand Transformations Concealing Breath Technique... the tracker’s skill was terrifying.

What was worse, considering the strength he had previously displayed, the fact that they dared to pursue him meant there had to be someone extremely powerful among them.

’Chu Feng... is very likely with them!’

Fang Han’s mind raced.

Given the power he’d shown before, Chu Feng had probably joined the hunt himself just to be safe.

With his current strength, he had few rivals among Sixth Grade Martial Artists and could even hold his own against an ordinary Fifth Grade Martial Artist.

But he wasn’t arrogant enough to believe he could fight Chu Feng—a man with Fifth Grade Cultivation who was on the Celestial Pride List.

A direct confrontation would be foolish.

But if he couldn’t shake his pursuers, he would eventually be caught. If his identity was exposed then, the consequences would be unthinkable.

’I have to get rid of that master tracker!’

A cold glint flashed in Fang Han’s eyes.

He quickly considered how he could eliminate the tracker right under ’Chu Feng’s’ nose.

A bold plan rapidly took shape in his mind.

He took a deep breath and pushed his Flowing Wind Shadowless Step to its absolute limit, his figure becoming like a bolt of azure lightning.

He tore toward a primeval mountain forest ahead, one with increasingly complex terrain and towering ancient trees.

After several more miles of pursuit, Luo Yan suddenly stopped, squatting down again to check the trail. He frowned slightly.

"His stride has changed. He’s sped up... And he’s changed direction, turning toward the southeast forest."

Chu Feng’s eyes narrowed. "He found us?"

Luo Yan mused, "I’m not sure. It could be a precaution, or... he might have sensed something. This person’s awareness is extremely high."

Chu Feng stopped hesitating. He said to Song Xiang and the others, "You all protect Mr. Luo and follow the trail! I’ll go on ahead to cut him off!"

With that, Chu Feng’s Fifth Grade Inner Qi erupted from his body. He transformed into a streak of light, giving his all to pursue the thief in the southeastern direction Luo Yan had indicated.

This time, he absolutely could not let this damn thief escape again!

SWOOSH!

Fang Han’s figure was like a phantom as he sped through the rugged mountain terrain.

After reaching the Great Success Level in Flowing Wind Shadowless Step, his speed and agility had taken a quantum leap. Even on such complex terrain, his speed barely diminished.

Relying on his Perfection Level Spirit Nose Technique, he clearly detected the scents of his relentless pursuers.

He even picked up on one scent that had broken away from the others and was rapidly closing in on him.

’They split up, just as I’d hoped!’

A cold smirk appeared on Fang Han’s lips. He stopped running straight ahead and abruptly changed direction.

He circled around in a wide arc, evading the pursuer he suspected was Chu Feng, and silently appeared to the side of the remaining trackers.

Like a weightless shadow, he lay in ambush within the dense canopy of an ancient tree.

He pushed his Ten Thousand Transformations Concealing Breath Technique to its limit, his aura merging completely with the ancient tree and the surrounding forest. Through a gap in the leaves, he calmly observed the group approaching below.

There were four of them in total.

Leading the group was an old man in a cloth robe whose eyes were a strange, grayish-white, with pupils constricted to tiny points.

From those bizarre eyes, it wasn’t hard to deduce that the old man must have practiced some kind of tracking Pupil Technique. He had to be the master tracker.

Beside the old man was Chu Feng’s number one follower, Song Xiang.

And behind those two were two middle-aged men in tight-fitting outfits, their auras dense and formidable.

Their temples bulged, their gazes were as sharp as eagles’, and their bodies faintly emanated powerful Inner Qi fluctuations. They were likely Sixth Grade Martial Artists.

"Senior Brother Chu has already gone after him. We need to hurry and catch up!"

Song Xiang said, a faint unease in his heart.

"Don’t worry. With True Inheritor Chu’s strength, he’ll surely deal with that thief easily."

A cold-faced man, likely a Sixth Grade Martial Artist, said in a deep voice, his tone full of confidence in Chu Feng’s power.

"That’s right. With True Inheritor Chu’s strength, handling that thief will be a piece of cake."

The other man, who also appeared to be a Sixth Grade Martial Artist and had a scar on his face, agreed.

’If you’re going to be my enemy, then be prepared to pay with your life!’

In the treetop, Fang Han’s eyes turned sharp.

The one who had been lured away was indeed Chu Feng. With him gone, now was the perfect time to eliminate the source of the tracking.

If this old man were allowed to live, he would be an endless source of trouble.

During the earlier robbery, he had only sought wealth and hadn’t killed anyone.

But now, this old man was helping Chu Feng hunt him down, gravely endangering his safety. He would no longer show a shred of mercy.

The target was clear—kill the old man first!

The Flowing Wind Sword slid silently from its sheath, its dark-azure blade reflecting no light whatsoever.

Inner Qi surged through his body as he gathered the full intent of his Great Success Level Wind Shadow Annihilation Sword.

SWOOSH—

Without any warning, Fang Han’s masked figure blended into the wind and plunged down from the treetop.

He was as fast as a streak of pale-azure lightning, aimed straight at the cloth-robed old man, Luo Yan.

This strike pushed the true essence of deception, finality, and speed to their absolute peak.

The wind from his blade was compressed to near silence; only at the very tip of the sword did the brutally torn air let out a faint yet heart-stopping shriek.

"Watch out!"

"Ambush!"

The two suspected Sixth Grade Martial Artists reacted with incredible speed. The very instant Fang Han’s killing intent erupted, alarms blared in their minds, and they roared in unison.

Unleashing their Cultivation as Sixth Grade Martial Artists, they drew their weapons in a flash. Two sharp glints of cold light, one from the left and one from the right, tried to intercept Fang Han’s killing blow.

Their reactions were undeniably fast, but Fang Han’s strike was a long-prepared ambush, and his speed far exceeded their estimations.

PFFT!

The muffled thud of a blade slicing through flesh was piercingly loud in the quiet forest.

Luo Yan’s bizarre Ghost Eye shot wide open, his pupils reflecting Fang Han’s cold, merciless mask and the deadly glint of his sword.

He opened his mouth as if to say something, but only a gurgling "hrrk" sound came out.

A thin line of blood appeared on his neck, and then blood gushed out like a fountain.

His body slumped to the ground, his eyes still filled with horror and disbelief.

In his final moment, he was filled with regret. He never should have rashly involved himself in such a dangerous affair. But it was too late for regrets.

"Mr. Luo!"

Song Xiang was scared out of his wits. He let out a shrill scream, his face instantly turning as white as a sheet.

"Bastard! Die!"

Seeing Luo Yan killed in an instant, the two Sixth Grade Martial Artists were both shocked and enraged, their eyes instantly becoming bloodshot.

Luo Yan was the key person Chu Feng had brought for the tracking. Now that he had died right in front of them, they could not escape the blame.

Only by capturing or killing this masked thief could they hope to atone for their failure.

The pair’s attacks instantly grew more ferocious. A storm of saber light and sword shadows descended upon Fang Han.

One man’s Saber Technique was broad and sweeping, his blows heavy and powerful, as if they could cleave mountains and sunder peaks.

The other’s Swordsmanship was cunning and vicious, aimed exclusively at Fang Han’s vitals. They coordinated seamlessly.

Saber Qi and Sword Qi crisscrossed, sending fallen leaves fluttering through the air.

Facing the frenzied assault of two Martial Artists of the same rank, Fang Han’s expression was as calm as still water.

The Flowing Wind Sword seemed to come alive in his hand. As he executed his Great Success Level Wind Shadow Annihilation Sword, his blade moved like wind and lightning—uncanny and unpredictable.

CLANG! CLANG! CLANG... BOOM!

The explosive sounds of clashing Qi Force rang out incessantly.

Fang Han’s figure flickered erratically under their combined attack. His Flowing Wind Shadowless Step made him like a phantom, often allowing him to evade fatal blows by a hair’s breadth, while his own sword would always counterattack from an unbelievable angle.

"Urk—"

In just over ten exchanges, the cold-faced Martial Artist let out a muffled grunt. A gash deep enough to show bone was sliced open on his saber-wielding arm by Sword Qi, and he nearly dropped his weapon.

Blood streamed out nonstop.

Seeing this, the scar-faced Martial Artist knew things were bad.

What had been a two-on-one siege had now become a one-on-one fight. The pressure on him soared, and a strong sense of crisis welled up inside him.

SHIING—!

Naturally, Fang Han would not miss such an opportunity.

The Flowing Wind Sword suddenly accelerated, transforming into a razor-thin azure line. With the speed of a thunderclap, it pierced through the scar-faced Martial Artist’s web of sword strikes and tapped him over the heart.

PUFF!

The scar-faced Martial Artist’s body shuddered violently. The light in his eyes quickly faded as he fell backward, full of unwillingness and despair.

"Damn it!"

The cold-faced Martial Artist ignored the injury on his arm and charged at Fang Han like a mad tiger, swinging his saber in a reckless, all-or-nothing attack.

It wasn’t that he and the scar-faced man were particularly close friends; he just knew that with his partner dead, he stood no chance against this thief alone.

He had to use this brief opening, created as the thief killed the scar-faced man, to either kill or severely injure the thief himself.