Tang Jian let out a sigh, his expression turning serious as he gave a respectful bow to his opponents. Then, with a flick of his wrist, a clear chime sounded from his long sword, and crimson, white, and cyan lights flickered along the blade.
Seeing this, Hu Wei slowly drew out the yellow ancient sword from his side, its tip turning to point at Tang Jian.
"Hehe, you two deal with that guy. I'll take this little girl," said the ugly youth with a sharp nose and monkey-like face, rubbing his giant black axe and chuckling.
"Shi Qian, don't let lust cloud your judgment to the point of risking your life. That girl doesn't look like a pushover," the masked man reminded him in a low, hoarse voice.
"I prefer the thorny ones. What fun is there in something without spines that can't withstand a bit of tossing?" Shi Qian's gaze didn't leave Yan Zi as he spoke with a wicked smile.
"Tang Hui, don't forget what I told you earlier," Hu Wei suddenly spoke up, whispering to the masked man.
The latter nodded silently, stepped backward, and gradually disappeared into the darkness.
Tang Jian's eyes didn't blink as he stared at the three people not far away. He lowered his voice and said to Yan Zi, "When the fighting starts, they'll mainly target me. At least two of them will deal with me. I'll try to hold the other one back, and you'll take the opportunity to escape back to the city."
After he finished speaking, there was no response from Yan Zi for a while. He slightly turned his body and glanced at her with the corner of his eye. He saw her pinching two cyan talismans and attaching them to her calves.
A flash of light appeared on the talismans, and two cyan lights emerged, wrapping around her ankles like two gentle breezes rustling through the grass.
"Lightness Talisman..." Tang Jian was slightly surprised to see this.
The Lightness Talisman was a type of talisman that could enhance a cultivator's movement speed. Although its rank wasn't high, it was very practical. However, it required some time to activate, so it could only maximize its effectiveness if used before engaging in combat.
Yan Zi's clear understanding of this indicated that she wasn't using it for the first time.
Just then, a rumbling sound suddenly echoed through the mountains and forests, and a yellowish-brown light rose from the ground.
The yellow light surged forward like a spiritual snake, rushing towards Tang Jian's feet. Wherever it passed, the earth cracked, and soil and stones fell, splitting into a winding gorge several zhang deep.
Tang Jian's gaze intensified, and he shook his long sword, sweeping it horizontally in front of him.
A white light flashed on the trichromatic sword, and a cold aura swept out, carving a deep sword mark on the ground. Threads of cold air penetrated along the sword mark, freezing the earth beneath his feet into incredibly hard frozen soil.
The gorge carved by the yellow light crashed into this frozen soil, continuing to advance several zhang before its momentum dissipated and it stopped.
At the other end of the gorge, Hu Wei stood with his sword planted in the ground, his face expressionless as he looked over. The sword's body was bathed in yellow light.
"Junior Brother, you dare to be distracted while facing me?" He furrowed his brows and spoke.
As soon as he finished speaking, yellow light suddenly enveloped his entire body, and his aura changed. He looked like a golden ancient Buddha standing firmly, immovable like a mountain.
The aura he emitted had clearly reached the ninth layer of the Qi Refining Stage, one level higher than Tang Jian.
Tang Jian didn't say anything, but his mind was already focused, and he no longer looked at Yan Zi.
He lifted the trichromatic sword with one hand and, with his toes tapping the ground repeatedly, his body hugged the ground as he rushed forward at high speed, actively charging towards Hu Wei.
Seeing this, the latter tightly gripped the sword's hilt and suddenly twisted it forcefully.
Beneath the sword's tip, a yellowish-brown aura rippled out like water waves, instantly enveloping an area of several tens of zhang around him.
Within the scope of the yellow light, dust settled, and the ground seemed to be slightly depressed under tremendous pressure.
Tang Jian took a step forward, his toes almost touching the edge of the glowing aura, when suddenly his long sword trembled in his hand. With a swift motion, he planted the tip of his sword into the ground.
There was a sharp "zheng" sound.
The trichromatic sword bent into a perfect arc on the ground and then sprang back vigorously, bouncing him entirely out of the aura's reach.
He stumbled upon landing, seemingly unsteady on his feet.
Seeing this, Shi Qian dragged his giant black axe behind him, twisted his waist, and with a powerful swing, hurled the axe horizontally towards Tang Jian.
"Hu-hu-hu!"
A whistling sound filled the air as the black axe spun in mid-air, slicing fiercely towards Tang Jian with a faint black glow.
Tang Jian's eyes flashed, and he dropped to one knee, sliding under the giant axe. With a lunge forward, he grasped his sword and thrust it straight at Shi Qian.
"Well done!"
Shi Qian sneered, tapped his foot on the ground, and a flash of light enveloped him. Like a flying squirrel, he soared into the air, spread his arms, and glided over Tang Jian's head.
Tang Jian's sword thrust missed its mark, and he immediately halted, leaping backward.
Shi Qian's figure, however, suddenly accelerated, catching up with the black axe. Crouching on the blade, he flew towards Yan Zi's direction.
A cold voice sounded from mid-air:
"I've said it before, I want that girl. I have no interest in you, so why are you still chasing me?"
Tang Jian growled low, rotated his sword, and swung it at his feet. An azure wind blade shot out, exploding beneath him.
Riding the updraft, he shot up into the air, chasing after Shi Qian at full speed.
However, as he reached mid-air, a sudden rupture sounded, and a flash of yellow light appeared high above him.
A yard-long earthy yellow sword beam sliced down towards him.
Tang Jian had to block it with his sword, meeting the yellow light head-on.
There was a dull "dong" sound!
It was like the tolling of a bell. Tang Jian felt his arms numb, as if hit by a boulder, and he crashed heavily onto the ground.
The forest floor was relatively soft, and his legs sank into it, burying up to his knees.
Before he could pull his legs out, Hu Wei's figure flashed swiftly towards him. His ancient yellow sword swept out, slashing at Tang Jian's waist with incredible speed.
Tang Jian couldn't dodge in time and could only grip his sword tightly, using it as a support to thrust it before him.
"Dong!"
Another muffled sound echoed as his sword was hit by a tremendous force, causing it to slant and sending him flying sideways.
A series of "crack" sounds rang out as several old huai trees, each as thick as a bowl, snapped one after another.
Tang Jian crashed heavily into the sixth ancient tree, which was so large that three people could embrace it, finally halting his roll and coming to a stop.
After stabilizing himself, he immediately held his sword in front of him. Without checking his wounds, he vigilantly surveyed his surroundings. Seeing no one else pursuing him, he quickly glanced over at Yan Zi.
Due to the distance, he could only see sword lights flashing frequently and the continuous sound of clashing blades. The specific situation of the battle, however, remained unknown.