Chapter 143: Chasing Down

Zu An rubbed his eyes, realizing they weren't disappearing into the distance but were actually entering the mountain.

This small mountain was not so small after all, spanning hundreds of meters in circumference and nearly a hundred meters in height. What made it unusual was its appearance: while ordinary mountains usually have uneven surfaces with various valleys and gulleys, this one looked remarkably smooth. The trees planted on it were neatly arranged, and the entire mountain conveyed a sense of symmetry.

The zombie soldiers marched directly towards the base of the mountain. They disappeared because there appeared to be an opening there, and they all entered it.

Zu An cautiously approached, only to discover that what he thought was a cave entrance at the foot of the mountain was actually a magnificent stone gate. On either side of the gate stood numerous bizarrely shaped stone beasts. He knew too little about this world to identify their names or origins.

It seemed he would have to find Shang Liuyu for some private lessons in the evenings from now on.

He noticed that the two stone gates seemed to be sealed shut. When he reached out and pushed, they didn't budge, and an intensely cold sensation emanated from his palm, making him shiver involuntarily.

This place felt truly sinister!

Zu An explored the vicinity, and a realization slowly dawned on him. This place strongly resembled a graveyard. As for the small mountain before him, perhaps it wasn't a mountain at all, but a gigantic burial mound.

In ancient China of his previous life, during the Qin and Han dynasties, earth was piled up to form monumental tombs, while in the Tang Dynasty, entire mountains were excavated to create mausoleums. Other dynasties, constrained by their national power, lacked such grandiosity.

Zu An spent a good while trying to figure out how to open the gate but found no method. With no other option, he had to give up.

He reasoned that a rare treasure like the Traceless Illusory Lotus shouldn't grow in a place of such extreme darkness and malevolence.

Zu An could only comfort himself with this thought. Noticing that dawn had broken, he decided to return and rendezvous with Ji Xiaoxi first, hoping she might know where the Traceless Illusory Lotus could grow.

On his way back to the valley, Zu An was still contemplating how to open the stone gate when suddenly, a profound sense of danger washed over him, making the hairs on his body stand on end. He immediately activated Sunflower Phantoms and darted to the side.

Just then, a cold glint flashed out from behind a large rock, pursuing him relentlessly, as if stuck to his bones.

Zu An repeatedly deployed Sunflower Phantoms, finally managing to create some distance. He touched his chest and found his hand stained scarlet; he had clearly been wounded by the assailant's sneak attack. If he hadn't dodged quickly enough, he would likely have been cut in half.

"Huh?" The person couldn't help but feel confused when their intended strike missed its mark.

Zu An studied the person who had nearly taken his life. It wasn't a zombie or a fierce beast, but a living human. Noticing the clothes he wore and his vaguely familiar face, a thought sparked in Zu An's mind: "You're from the academy!"

"'Oh, it's Instructor Zu. My deepest apologies. I just passed through the valley and noticed many zombie remains, so my nerves were on edge. When I sensed movement, I assumed it was some powerful zombie and hastily attacked. I never expected to nearly harm an instructor. I am truly sorry.' His tone was filled with utmost sincerity."

Zu An secretly sneered. That well-aimed strike had clearly been prepared; if the man claimed he hadn't seen Zu An clearly, not even a ghost would believe him. However, Zu An showed nothing on his face and instead said with a grin, "What's your name, student?"

"My name is Shi Shangfei. I'm in the Earth-level class now," the person replied.

"'Flying on Shit?'" Zu An's body stiffened, and he grinned as he patted the student's shoulder. "Good name, good name."

His cultivation was likely at the high third rank, clearly having been intentionally concealed during his time at the academy.

"'Oh, you flatter me,' Shi Shangfei replied, his body tensing as Zu An's hand landed on his shoulder, fearing he would seize the opportunity to attack."

"By the way, why are you here alone? Aren't you with your teachers and classmates?" Zu An asked.

Shi Shangfei respectfully replied, "Instructor, we encountered a pack of wolves on the way, and everyone got separated during the frantic escape."

"This secret realm seems much more dangerous than expected," Zu An couldn't help but exclaim.

"Indeed," Shi Shangfei echoed. "By the way, how did those zombies in the valley die just now?"

Zu An patted his chest. "Of course, it was I, your instructor, who displayed my divine might, vanquishing them all with my sword."

Shi Shangfei remained silent.

This guy's bragging knows no bounds. If he truly possessed such an ability, I'd eat my sword right here. Is this shamelessness how he won the favor of Miss Chu?

Shi Shangfei's Rage +300!

"'By the way, Instructor Zu, you came with Ji Xiaoxi, didn't you? Why haven't I seen her?' Shi Shangfei asked, needing to be vigilant. An unseen companion was a huge variable."

"'She went to pick wild fruits, and look, she's back now,' Zu An said, smiling as he looked behind Shi Shangfei."

Shi Shangfei instinctively turned his head but immediately realized his mistake and rapidly retreated. Yet it was too late. Even as he tightly clutched his neck, blood continued to gush out uncontrollably. "Why... why!"

He simply couldn't believe it. The other person, an instructor, had dared to kill a student so easily. Shi Shangfei had believed his acting was excellent and his explanation perfectly reasonable. Even if the instructor harbored suspicions, he shouldn't have immediately aimed for a vital spot.

Zu An couldn't help but sigh. "If you're going to act like a villain, don't pretend to be righteous. If you had chosen to confront me head-on from the start, given your strength, killing you wouldn't have been this easy. But you just had to show off your acting in front of me. Didn't you know my old nickname was 'Sanlitun Tony Leung'?"

Though he didn't understand who Tony Leung was, Shi Shangfei realized he had been seen through from the very beginning. The thought filled him with both regret and anger.

Shi Shangfei's Rage +723!

"'You... don't get complacent. I've already notified my companions. You... you'll die soon too.' Shi Shangfei's face turned crimson, and the blood flowed even faster."

"'I'll thank your companions on your behalf,' Zu An said, grinning as he squatted beside him. 'I had initially relaxed my guard, and they might have killed me instantly. But thanks to your warning, I predict they'll be the ones dying now.'"

"You..." Shi Shangfei felt like he was about to faint from anger. This guy wouldn't even let him die in peace.

Shi Shangfei's Rage +856!

"'Enough with the stuttering,' Zu An said. 'As a mere extra, you should know your place. You've been dying for so long and still haven't died; the director will start cursing. Seeing you stuck in this purgatory is quite painful, so let me give you a hand.' With that, Zu An pulled his hand away."

With his hands no longer covering it, blood spurted directly from Shi Shangfei's neck, and he finally drew his last breath, unwillingly.

(Oh, thank you very much!)

Shi Shangfei's Rage +1024!

Zu An searched his body, finding only some dry rations, a few silver bits, and a few elemental stones.

The blade he carried was of poor quality, clearly inferior to the weapons the Chu clan had provided him.

Damn it, poor bastard!

With a net worth of a million taels of silver, he scoffed at such paltry items.

Zu An cursed inwardly, then began to reflect on the recent danger. While his previous encounters with Pei Mianman and Xue'er had been perilous, their cultivation levels were far superior to his, making those situations understandable.

However, this person's cultivation was comparable to his, yet he had nearly lost his life to a single strike. It seemed he was still far too careless when surviving in the wild.

Oh, right, he just mentioned he had notified his companions...

Just then, a sharp whooshing sound pierced the air, and a dark streak of light shot towards him.

This time, Zu An was prepared. With a swift maneuver, he shifted three feet to the side. Without the slightest hesitation, he executed another roll to evade.

In that same instant, three feathered arrows quivered in the ground where he had just stood and in the spots where he might have dodged!

Judging by the speed and power of the arrows, they were significantly stronger than those fired by the zombies on the battlefield earlier. However, this didn't necessarily mean they were harder to deal with, as the zombies operated in formations, unleashing barrages of arrows.

But this time, although the archery was powerful, there was only one archer!

Engaging ranged units required close combat; this was an ancient and unchanging truth.

The moment he dodged, he immediately charged towards his assailant without hesitation. As long as he closed the distance, he was confident that with his "Evil-Warding Swordplay," he had the ability to kill him.

Just as he was about to flank the archer, three more people suddenly appeared around him. One wielded a sword, another a saber, and a third a spear. Though their weapons differed, their coordination was incredibly precise, perfectly covering all of Zu An's vital points.

Zu An abruptly halted his advance, turned around, and took off running.

Judging by the aura they had just unleashed, the weakest among them was at the early fourth rank, and the one wielding the spear was even at the high fourth rank. Although his "Evil-Warding Swordplay" was extraordinary, the gap in cultivation levels was too vast. He might not fear them in a one-on-one fight, but together, they would be an insurmountable challenge.

After a major battle, he might be able to kill one or two of them, but he would most likely be killed by their companions as well. His life was too precious; even a mutual kill would be a net loss.

Those people hadn't expected him to be able to turn back in mid-air, completely defying the laws of physics. They were all stunned for a moment, then immediately gave chase. At this point, the archer also recovered, drew his bow, nocked an arrow, and aimed at Zu An's fleeing back.

The archer shot an arrow with full confidence, but Zu An, as if he had eyes in the back of his head, twisted his body at the crucial moment and dodged it.

The archer: "???"

Zu An inwardly considered himself lucky. He had been wary of the archer from the beginning, so when he heard the whooshing sound, he hastily dodged. Of course, it was also thanks to the elusive footwork of Sunflower Phantoms; otherwise, even with conscious preparation, he wouldn't have been able to dodge so easily.

Meanwhile, the fourth-rank cultivators chasing him were also filled with surprise and doubt. "How can this guy run so fast?"

One should know that after advancing to the fourth rank, agility greatly increases, allowing for brief aerial leaps. Logically, their speed should far surpass that of a third-rank cultivator. Yet, even after chasing him for so long, they hadn't managed to catch up, though they weren't completely shaken off either!

Zu An, desperately using the Sunflower Phantoms footwork, was now inwardly grumbling. He finally understood why, in the wuxia films he watched in his previous life, some people could pull ahead with a single somersault while using qinggong. The cultivators behind him were vividly demonstrating that very concept.

Although Sunflower Phantoms significantly boosted his speed, the most crucial aspect of this movement technique lay in its 'phantom' nature, not its aptitude for straight-line sprints. That's why, even after running for so long, he still couldn't shake them off.