86: Zhangyumen Pass

Li Wuji looked back at the increasingly close Insect King, his expression somewhat grim. He had exhausted all means to shake off the opponent.

However, his methods had only delayed things for a moment. If he couldn't find a solution soon, being caught was only a matter of time.

"Hmm?"

Suddenly, on the horizon of the distant desert, Li Wuji vaguely saw a city wall stretching for thousands of meters.

"It's Yumen Pass!"

Li Wuji instantly beamed. Immediately, a pair of wings vaguely condensed behind him, and in the next moment, his speed suddenly soared.

His entire being streaked across the sky like a streak of rainbow light. Seeing this, the Insect King behind him revealed fierce eyes and also abruptly accelerated in pursuit.

"Human, you won't get away."

The Lithification Sandworm King looked at the distant Yumen Pass with a hint of fear, but thinking of the stolen treasure, he couldn't possibly give up just like that, so he decided to take a gamble.

He had to completely intercept Li Wuji and reclaim the treasure before he entered Yumen Pass.

Yumen Pass, as the border of the Northern Desert Region, bordering the Death Desert, has a population of up to a million and is the main force resisting the demon beast tides from the Death Desert.

Most importantly, Li Wuji had previously traveled from here to Yulan City and had some understanding of the situation here.

Yumen Pass is filled with experts. It is said that the Lord there is even one of the Great Xia Nine Sovereigns, Blade Lord — Lan Cang!

These Nine Lords are naturally the nine strongest Martial Lords in Great Xia, and each of them is far beyond what ordinary Martial Lord Realm experts can compare to.

Above them are the Four Kings, who are Martial King experts, the true powerhouses who guard the nation. They are stationed in the four inner regions.

As for the Nine Lords, they are stationed in the eight outer regions, resisting foreign enemies. It is said that among the Nine Lords, the only one who doesn't need to guard a region is the Dragon Lord. Although his whereabouts are mysterious and his personality is eccentric, his strength is the greatest.

This Blade Lord is second only to the Dragon Lord. Although the truth of the rumors is unknown, his strength is definitely among the top three of the Nine Lords.

It was precisely because Yumen Pass was guarded by Blade Lord Lan Cang that Li Wuji dared to run here. If this Insect King dared to come, it would surely die. If it didn't dare to come, he could use this opportunity to escape.

"Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!"

Several sounds of tearing through the air came, and Li Wuji, moving like lightning, dodged this terrifying attack.

The next moment, the Lithification Sandworm King's body appeared in front of Li Wuji. Its hundred eyes on its chest were already bulging, as if it wanted to glare him to death.

"Human, hand over the treasure, and I can let you leave!"

The Lithification Sandworm King said in a low voice. It wasn't that he didn't want to kill Li Wuji directly, but now he wanted to reclaim the gem. If the other party, cornered, destroyed the gem, the loss would outweigh the gain.

Moreover, as a Martial Grandmaster, he naturally knew about the terrifying existence within Yumen Pass. Even he didn't dare to provoke the being inside.

If he displayed his strength, he would likely be detected by that person instantly. Naturally, he didn't dare to act rashly.

Li Wuji naturally knew the other party's reservations, but this gem had the ability to affect time, and its temptation was too great for him to give up.

"Heh heh, could it be that the magnificent Insect King of the Wu Zong Realm is yielding to me?"

Li Wuji chuckled directly. He wasn't a three-year-old child. If he really handed over the treasure, he would likely lose his life in an instant.

"You humans have an old saying, 'A wise man submits to circumstances.' Don't court disaster!"

A hint of coldness flashed in the Lithification Sandworm King's eyes. He cautiously and fearfully scanned the situation at the distant Yumen Pass again.

"Then tell me, what is this thing, and where did you get it?"

Li Wuji's face was calm, but his heart was full of doubts about the gem in his hand.

He didn't believe this was created by the demon beast in front of him. Even a Martial Grandmaster couldn't control time.

Moreover, for some reason, even though he had traveled through several of Great Xia's twelve regions, there were very few records about matters above the Martial Grandmaster realm.

Aside from the names mentioned above, there were no records whatsoever, which indicated that this information was not publicly available to commoners.

Therefore, if he wanted to know something, he would have to inquire from these experts above the Martial Grandmaster realm or borrow ancient texts from powerful factions.

But no matter which method, it was not an easy task.

"Human, do you know the consequences of threatening a Martial Grandmaster expert?"

The Lithification Sandworm King's face was extremely gloomy, as if he would strike and kill Li Wuji in the next moment.

But after a moment, he still chose to compromise. After all, the gem's effect on him was truly too great, and he absolutely couldn't allow it to be lost in any way.

"This thing is called a time gem, a mid-grade special saint relic. It changes the flow of time by infusing a large amount of power."

The Lithification Sandworm slowly explained, "As for its origin, it is naturally something my clan has guarded all along."

"Human, don't waste my last shred of patience,"

After saying that, the killing intent on his body was no longer concealed. The killing intent was substantial, pressing down on Li Wuji like a tide. "Hand over the time gem, or die!!!"

Li Wuji stared intently at the Lithification Sandworm King in front of him. Just as the other party's patience was reaching its limit, his eyes narrowed, and a strange energy instantly enveloped him.

The next moment, his figure appeared several miles away, flying towards Yumen Pass at a terrifying speed.

At this moment, Li Wuji's face was somewhat pale, and all the spiritual energy in his body erupted. He had started preparing the moment the Lithification Sandworm King blocked him.

Using the ability obtained from 007, he temporarily controlled the Lithification Sandworm King, but he also knew that given the disparity in strength between them, he absolutely couldn't control it for long.

As expected, three seconds later, Li Wuji sensed the terrifying power behind him.

"Human, I want you dead!"

His vision blurred, and he saw the enraged Lithification Sandworm King. Its forelimbs, like sharp blades, abruptly stabbed out.

"Pfft!"

Li Wuji's chest was instantly pierced through, and at the same time, the wound began to petrify and spread outwards.

"I will make you wish you were dead but unable to die!"

The Lithification Sandworm King roared, but just as he was preparing to torment Li Wuji further, an explosion suddenly occurred outside the distant Yumen Pass.

Instantly, energy surged within Yumen Pass. The next moment, several figures flew out from it. They immediately saw Li Wuji and the Lithification Sandworm King in the distance.

"Impudent creature, how dare you harm my Human Clan!"

The next moment, two figures flashed in front of the Lithification Sandworm King in the blink of an eye. The terrifying pressure emanating from them fully displayed their formidable strength.

"Lord, I didn't..."

The Lithification Sandworm King's face drastically changed. Just as he was about to say something, he was struck down by a terrifying saber energy, and Li Wuji also took this opportunity to break free.

"Thank you, two Lords!"

At this moment, Li Wuji looked quite battered, as if he would lose his life in the next second. One of the two people took out a bottle of potion.

"Drink this. It can temporarily stabilize your injuries."

Li Wuji didn't refuse. After drinking it, his body actually began to heal, and even the petrification on his chest started to recede at a slow pace.

"A first-level Martial Grandmaster Lithification Sandworm, it's been quite a few years since I've seen one."

The middle-aged man holding the saber who had just attacked showed a look of surprise. "This is a backlash from failing to break through to the second level of Martial Grandmaster. Its strength is only slightly stronger than the Martial General Realm peak. No wonder you could escape."