Chapter Eighty-One: The Pursuit!

Today was undoubtedly the liveliest day in the entire Hunter’s Arena, for before night fell, a new batch of inner disciples of the Azure Profound Sect would be chosen here.

As the red sun rose, Yang Yan and his team set out at dawn. With Sun Zhixin’s recent addition, their group had become an absolute powerhouse within the arena. Everywhere they passed, all others fell silent, avoiding them as best they could.

Still, the earlier actions of Long Aodi’s trio had given Yang Yan a lesson. Learning from this, Yang Yan, Sun Zhixin, and Liu Zhengqing split up, each hunting down competitors ranked among the top hundred.

Over the course of half a day, the five of them amassed nearly 1,500 soul-hunting points in total. When divided, Liu Zhengqing ranked second on the leader board with 1,650 points, Yang Yan was third with 1,600, and Sun Zhixin—delayed previously by being hunted by Long Aodi’s group—was fourth with 1,500. Fifth place belonged to Chu Feiyun, who, like Liu Zhengqing, possessed a fifth-grade innate spiritual body, with 1,400 points.

Meanwhile, Zhang Lin and Zhang Fei had also broken into the top hundred, tied for thirty-fifth place with 700 points each. The two were overjoyed, and Yang Yan breathed a sigh of relief; barring any surprises, they were safely within the ranks.

The top spot, of course, was still held firmly by Leng Yuetian, whose soul-hunting points had reached a terrifying 3,100.

“All right, let’s rest here for a while and recover our spiritual power,” Yang Yan said, halting at noon and addressing the four behind him.

The others had no objections. With half a day left before the arena closed, they knew this was the most dangerous time—those who hadn't yet made the top hundred would stop at nothing to gain points, while those already in the ranks would fight for higher positions and the Azure Profound Sect’s generous rewards.

Thus, the five had to remain at their peak.

...

“Let’s get moving…”

After cultivating with eyes closed for about half an hour, their spiritual power was fully restored.

“Look at that!” Liu Zhengqing called out in delight, pointing at the leader board as Yang Yan rose to his feet.

Yang Yan’s gaze sharpened. On the glowing screen, a dim golden dot was moving rapidly in the southeast. When he saw the name marked there, a chill flickered across his expression.

Xu Shaoguang.

“So, Xu Shaoguang, you didn’t let me down after all. You finally broke into the top hundred…” A cold smile crept onto Yang Yan’s lips as he spoke.

With a sudden burst, Yang Yan shot forward, streaking toward Xu Shaoguang’s location. Liu Zhengqing and the others wasted no time, unleashing their spiritual power and following close behind.

“Xu Shaoguang, it’s time to pay your debt!”

As if sensing their pursuit, the golden dot representing Xu Shaoguang began fleeing even faster across the map. Yang Yan’s eyes were cold as he willed his spiritual energy to surge, gathering at the Yongquan acupoint beneath his feet, accelerating even more.

Liu Zhengqing and the others followed suit, keeping pace by pushing their own strength to the limit.

As the group closed in on the golden dot, Yang Yan’s sharp gaze caught sight of Xu Shaoguang’s fleeing figure darting through the woods ahead.

“Let’s see where you run now!” Yang Yan sneered to himself, channeling another surge of energy as he closed the distance like an arrow loosed from a bow.

Yet, just as Yang Yan was mere dozens of yards away, Xu Shaoguang’s retreat came to an abrupt stop. He turned, arms crossed, a mocking smile playing on his lips—as if he had been waiting for Yang Yan.

Yang Yan bristled at the oddity, but his killing intent only intensified.

“Whatever tricks you’ve prepared, your life is forfeit!” Yang Yan landed a short distance away, his eyes sharp and cold.

“Xu Shaoguang, I told you long ago, the day would come when even death would be a luxury for you—and today, I keep my promise.”

Xu Shaoguang only shrugged, unconcerned by the murderous aura radiating from Yang Yan.

“Are all cultivators from Jinhuan City this arrogant and foolish?” came a cold, shadowy voice from behind Xu Shaoguang. A youth in blue and white stepped out from behind a tree.

“Leng Yuetian? Impossible!” Yang Yan’s heart clenched in shock at the sight.

“Yang Yan, what’s happening?” Liu Zhengqing and the rest arrived just then, equally shocked to see the coldly smiling youth at Xu Shaoguang’s side—the leader board had shown he was nowhere near here.

“You’re not worried, handing your identity token to someone else?” Yang Yan calmed himself, quickly deducing the truth.

“What’s there to worry about? With my name on the list, who’d dare come near within ten miles?” Leng Yuetian laughed, pointing at the leader board.

Indeed, he had reason to be so arrogant. Around where his token was displayed, no other dots dared approach, his terrifying dominance as number one was absolute.

The Jade Sword Pavilion was unrivaled in Hanxiang City, and it was hardly surprising that Leng Yuetian wasn’t the only disciple sent for the selection. Given his talent, his status in the sect was high enough that entrusting his token to a fellow disciple posed little risk.

“So, you mean to shield this scum?” Yang Yan’s gaze darkened, leveling a finger at Xu Shaoguang.

Leng Yuetian only chuckled, licking his lips. “I’m just repaying a favor. But I’m also very interested in your soul-hunting points…”

“Oh? So, you plan to take on five of us with just the two of you?” Liu Zhengqing stepped forward, releasing the full force of his level four spiritual power.

But facing Liu Zhengqing’s pressure, Leng Yuetian showed no fear at all. He shook his head.

“You see, this is why I called you fools. The moment you started chasing, you’d already lost.”

“Flame Spirit Baptism Array, rise!”