Ezio entered the pitch-black cave without turning back. He already knew pursuers were just behind him. As soon as he stepped inside the cave, he took out the Millenium Yin Cherry for a second to alert the Wuchuge hiding inside the cave. The indignant Wuchuge started to rush toward the entrance but the presence of the plant vanished like it was never there.
"SHIIIIII!" Enraged Wuchuge shrieked in frustration. Not only did they lose their precious plant, now the thief was toying with them.
Ezio used the Godly Artifact to vanish before his pursuer entered. He took his time to find Wind Grass to remove his smell, not because the artifact wasn't able to do it, but by removing a factor, he would reduce the depletion of the energy. After all, the Godly Artifact depleted essence by the factor of discoverability. Smell, Vision, Sound, Presence, Space, Weight…
All of those, based on opponents' way of searching, depleted essence. Since the enemy couldn't see in the pitch black cave, the visibility factor wouldn't deplete energy, and with their low cultivation, they couldn't feel a presence in space, thus that too was void. By removing the smell, he could reduce the depletion of essence tremendously.
The pursuers were bewildered by the sudden disappearance of the target but linked it to the uniqueness of the cave's entrance. They walked after Ezio and passed through him without being any wiser.
Ezio looked at the entrance and behind him, then decided to follow for a while. With his breakthrough, he was able to use Qi Force more effectively. Although he had Qi Force even before he broke through, he wasn't able to use it as deftly.
The Azure Wolf King's Ultimate Fang was a technique specialized in swift and hidden deadly attacks. Even without Godly Artifact, he was able to hide his presence to a certain extent. With the help of Goldy Artifact, it was as if he wasn't there. Especially now, when his pursuers were only searching ahead with their spiritual perception, and not behind them.
Ezio, as if a phantom, walked behind the group silently. There were some hundred meters between them, but he could feel them as clear as day. The group was walking in the dark and didn't light up any illuminating tool or technique. But after all, they were all at the peak of the Qi Solidification Realm, and thus were able to see to some extent. But because of the lack of light, Ezio was unable to identify them.
After walking for more than an hour, they started to feel something was amiss. Their will was stronger than a bunch of kids at the Qi Force Opening Realm, but one hour of walking in the dark started to make them nervous. Wuchuge were screaming blue murder because of the recent theft and now the presence of the plant vanished again as if someone was mocking them. They were fuming with anger.
Still, they weren't out of their reasons. They knew the opponents this time were stronger, but what if they were stronger. As long as the intruders didn't know how to use Light Element, they were invincible.
"Something is not right." After walking another half an hour, Adam Lynx was uneasy. He felt something was watching him ever since he entered the cave, but the feeling was getting stronger with each step.
"Oh no!" A cultivator from Crimson Fire Sect thought of something as he pulled out a torch, but he couldn't illuminate the area no matter what.
His friend from the same sect raised his hand to light up a fire with his Signium, but it wasn't effective at all. The fire couldn't be lit. "Wuchuge!"
"What the hell?" All of them went ballistic. Being in a hole with a bunch of Wuchuge was a death sentence even for them.
"Anyone have a Light Element?" All of them looked at each other but shook their heads nervously. After a few silent seconds, they all started to dash towards the exit.
"Cowards!" Ezio snickered and let them pass through him. At this juncture, he couldn't make sudden moves that could give away his presence. With his Godly Artifact, they would all pass through him anyway.
Ezio chased after them again. It wasn't long before they arrived at the exit at their full speed. Wuchuge didn't want to let them, but there wasn't much they could do. Wuchuge could only kill slowly.
"That was dangerous." One of them said as he was panting.
"Thank God we noticed something was amiss."
"But the kid we were following entered the cave, he will die there!" The cultivator from the Cleansing Buddhist Sect said nervously. They knew they weren't chasing a Qi Solidification Realm cultivator but Ezio. But they still act ignorant to keep Ezio's identity secret. They didn't know the other two sect already knew who they were chasing after.
"If there is Wuchuge, there must—" The other one from the Cleansing Buddhist Sect was about to speak, Adam Lynx's sword with lightning passed through his body and she dropped dead.
"I let you follow because you could identify the brat in case I wouldn't be able to. But your mouth is running too much." Adam Lynx displayed his Signiums. One, two, and third one.
"Qi Crystallization Realm?" The other cultivator from the Cleansing Buddhist Sect was having a breakdown. "You are not even 40 years old yet!"
Although all of them were at the peak of the Qi Solidification Realm, they weren't able to break through for years because the accumulation of Qi wasn't enough to activate acupoints. Spotting acupoints was harder than activating them. All of them were older than fifty years old, but this man was still in his thirties but ahead of them by miles.
"The boy will die inside, and I will claim the Millenium Yin Cherry, any problem?" Adam Lynx looked at the Crimson Fire Sect cultivators. They dared not to object, but they were unwilling to give up on the plant.
"Any problem?" Adam Lynx grabbed his sword and lightning cracked. His third Signium started to shine.
"No problem." Both of them nodded.
"Good! Kill him." Adam Lynx nodded and pointed to the last cultivator from the Cleansing Buddhist Sect. The two looked at each other and started to attack. It wasn't long after they killed the cultivator.
Ezio lit up a talisman after he ran away from the cave. He wasn't able to save those two cultivators and knew they would be killed as soon as he entered the cave, but he didn't have any other choice. He had to draw them there to survive. Any other cave, and Adam would notice his absence. By entering Wuchuge Cave, however, he created the illusion that he was dead and also made them greedy for the Millennium Yin Cherry. One stone, two birds, what else could Adam want?
First of all, his sudden disappearance was linked to the cave now. If he were to use his Godly Artifact while they were chasing him, his tricks would be exposed, and a stronger Spiritual Perception would search for him. With the factor looking for him strengthening, his energy depletion would increase and he would be caught not long after.
Secondly, he needed to shake them off his tail no matter what. Even if he could vanish in the forest, they still would search him day and night, and he couldn't relax for a second. But now, they believed him dead, and would not follow after him.
Thirdly, he was hoping they would die inside the cave. After all, it was hard to detect Wuchuge. He was able to do it when they first entered because they were hunted after Sister Yang Yu deactivated his Light Element, which gave Ezio a lot of clues. But Adam Lynx was able to perceive it without prior information, thanks to his cultivation.
Ezio informed Abbot with a talisman and started to run to a certain location where he could meet with Abbot.
***
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