"Where did they go?"
Pu Wen weaved through the wilderness, his gaze constantly scanning the surroundings in search of the figure of Number 8.
According to the original plan, five law enforcers who had embarked on the Path of the Martial God would confront five Fire Tamperers, while he and Yan Xicai would work together to set a trap and eliminate the leader, Number 8. However, halfway through the plan, Yan Xicai was chased down and fled by one of the Fire Tamperers.
Just when Pu Wen thought he would have to confront Number 8 alone, Number 8 himself ran away...
As the battle raged on, both allies and enemies disappeared, leaving only Pu Wen.
Boom!
Just as Pu Wen was perplexed, a faint tremor emanated from the sky. He looked up, his eyes filled with surprise.
Beneath the clouds, a black ribbon was gradually retracting into the Dao Foundation located at the hilt of the sword. Yet, perched atop that ribbon, a figure was desperately clinging on, struggling fiercely.
Wasn't that one of the Fire Tamperers?
Number 8's figure rapidly soared away from the ground, his eyes alight with excitement and madness as he gazed at the approaching Dao Foundation of the Path of the Martial God.
His hand delved into the black ribbon, grasping frantically several times, only to grasp emptiness each time... Yet, he showed no sign of stopping, continuing to employ the technique of "Stealing Objects."
Finally, after dozens of attempts, a dark red fragment landed in his palm.
About half the size of a palm, this fragment was but a stone slipping from a mountain compared to the complete Dao Foundation of the Path. Yet, it was the limit of what he could achieve...
The instant this fragment detached, the entire Ancient Treasure of the Martial Path suddenly trembled. The black ribbon shattered into nothingness on the spot, and without support, Number 8 plummeted from mid-air, hurtling towards the ground!
"His target was the Dao Foundation?" Seeing this, Pu Wen's expression turned solemn.
Pu Wen knew little about the Dao Foundation. Although every Ancient Treasure possessed a corresponding Dao Foundation, they had no opportunity to interact with it. They only knew that it seemed crucial to the Ancient Treasure. The Fire Tamperer's daring theft of the Dao Foundation of the Path of the Martial God would inevitably trigger a series of chain reactions.
Pu Wen didn't believe that the entities deep within the Ancient Treasure of the Martial Path would allow them to leave this sea region unscathed.
"The Fire Tamperer who stole the Dao Foundation fragment is a Third-Order cultivator. Now that Yan Xicai is missing and Lu Xuanming's whereabouts are unknown... I'm the only one left. How can I handle him alone?"
Pu Wen glanced at the direction where Number 8 had fallen, then towards the battlefield where chaos still reigned. He immediately felt a headache coming on.
The melee between the law enforcers and Fire Tamperers was nearing its end. Three of the five law enforcers who had embarked on the Path of the Martial God had already fallen, while two of the Fire Tamperers had also perished. The casualties among the ordinary law enforcers were countless, leaving only three or four figures still fighting amidst the scattered corpses.
After a rough estimate, Pu Wen realized that out of the original seventy-plus people who had entered the Ancient Treasure, fewer than ten were likely still alive. In the past hundred years, the trials of the Ancient Treasure of the Martial Path had never witnessed such devastating casualties.
The law enforcers of Aurora City had hoped to capitalize on this opportunity to nurture more recruits and restore their strength. Little did they expect that most of these fledglings would perish within the Ancient Treasure.
If the Ancient Treasure were to open now, wouldn't those three law enforcers be terrified on the spot?
Pu Wen shook his head, casting aside his chaotic thoughts, and rushed straight towards the direction where Number 8 had fallen... At this point in the battle, no one could hope to leave alive without eliminating that most troublesome Fire Tamperer.
Meanwhile,
Plummeting from the sky, Number 8 tightly clutched the Dao Foundation fragment in his hand, reaching down towards the ground.
Solid rocks were instantly stolen, leaving only loose sand beneath. He landed heavily on it, raising a cloud of dust.
Even though the soft surface cushioned his fall, the impact was still considerable. Staggering to his feet, he felt pain radiating through his internal organs... Yet, when he gazed at the Dao Foundation fragment in his hand, joy still flickered in his eyes.
Mission accomplished!
Having stolen a fragment of the Dao Foundation of the Path of the Martial God, his rank should soar, perhaps even entering the top five.
As Number 8 rejoiced silently, a whistling sound suddenly echoed from behind him. He felt a chill down his nape and instantly rolled forward without hesitation!
Slash!
A long knife sliced past Number 8's scalp, shaving off a large patch of bloodied hair.
Before Number 8 could even make out who his attacker was, the glint of the blade came swooping back at an astonishing speed. Thoughts flashed through his mind, and with a flick of his finger, the menacing chill aimed at his forehead vanished into thin air, only to reappear in his grasp.
But the attacking hand seemed to have anticipated the disappearance of the weapon. Instead of halting the attack, it transformed into a makeshift knife, covered in iron-hard darkness, slashing towards Number 8's face like lightning!
Number 8 immediately swung his own knife to block, creating a burst of dazzling sparks as the blades clashed, but the sheer force still sent him flying several meters away!
Number 8, with his wealth of combat experience, adjusted his body mid-air and landed steadily on the ground. He looked up to see a young man in all black standing there, coolly shaking off his bloodied palm.
"Escaped, huh..." Lu Xuanming's brow furrowed with concentration.
"It's you?" Number 8's eyes glinted with cold intent.
Lu Xuanming's attack had come too suddenly, as if he had been lurking nearby, striking when Number 8's guard was down. Had it not been for Number 8's extensive combat experience, he would have lost his head in an instant.
But now he had survived, and the distance between them had widened... Under such circumstances, the scales of victory could no longer tilt in Lu Xuanming's favor.
"A first-order law enforcer dares to ambush me." Number 8 slowly straightened up, gripping his long knife tightly with his right hand. "Impressive courage for the son of that renowned law enforcer... Unfortunately, you've run out of chances."
Lu Xuanming frowned and stomped his foot, charging towards Number 8 like a beast.
Number 8 calmly stood his ground, his right hand reaching out towards nothingness:
"Steal 'Light'."
Instantly, darkness enveloped Lu Xuanming's vision.
The target vanished, the surroundings disappeared. This sudden change caused Lu Xuanming to hesitate, and in that moment, a howling blade sliced towards his neck!
It was his own knife.
Without hesitation, Lu Xuanming's skin was instantly covered by the 'Iron Garment', but the sharp blade pierced through the sturdy armor, sending him stumbling to the side. As he prepared to roll and dissipate the force, a distinct sound of a bullet being chambered echoed.
Crack!
Oh no!
The thought flashed through Lu Xuanming's mind, and the next instant, a bloody flower blossomed on his thigh!