503: Chapter 503 Escape Tunnel - Boss Hunt

"I'm going to die! I'm going to die! I'm going to die!"

Xiao Sheng felt like a sail, drifting freely against the waves of the sea.

In the next instant, he felt as if he had become a dandelion, about to scatter and wither away.

"This feeling is absolutely fantastic!" Wang Yao cheered loudly.

"This feeling is absolutely terrible!" Xiao Sheng groaned in pain.

The Cultivators who came to surround them seemed to be moving in slow motion as Wang Yao passed them one by one.

As for those with weaker strength, Wang Yao didn't even bother to dodge, colliding directly into them.

The two soon broke out of the encirclement; even though there were still Nascent Soul Cultivators among them, they were still unable to stop Wang Yao.

However, to prevent any accidents, or perhaps because Wang Yao was caught up in the moment, the two of them sprinted for an unknown amount of time before finally coming to a stop.

As soon as they stopped, Xiao Sheng began to vomit, asking questions even as he threw up.

"That stuff of yours... *urgh*... what the hell was it?"

At this moment, although Wang Yao had calmed down somewhat, his chest was still heaving, and even his eyes were slightly red.

It was unclear whether it was the effect of the intense exercise or a side effect of that injection.

"Oh, you mean the Nine Dragon Serum?"

"This is something I've been researching for a while now."

"It's just that my cultivation was too low before, and I didn't have a dao body. If I injected it into myself back then, I would easily faint on the spot."

"Although I wouldn't die, passing out has no strategic value."

"But since I had my Core Formation Breakthrough, my Physique seems to have evolved once again, so I've completely developed the Nine Dragon Injection."

"It's a pity my Senior Brother can't see my results now. This serum was created based on the inspiration he gave me."

"Sigh, I wonder how things are going on Long Tianxing's end."

"Worrying about others at a time like this—isn't that a bit too arrogant?"

The corners of Wang Yao's mouth stiffened as he looked at Xiao Sheng. Just as he was wondering why the other would say such a thing, he found that Xiao Sheng was still vomiting.

At this moment, his mind, which had been affected by the drug, began to recover, and Wang Yao instantly became alert.

"Who's there!"

Wang Yao looked around, his Divine Sense and eyes constantly searching, trying to find the enemy's location.

Even Xiao Sheng endured the dizziness, using his wooden sword for support to stand up.

"Hahaha."

Following a loud laugh, the original wasteland became like a quagmire, trapping the two men's feet deep in the soil.

A vortex appeared in front of them, as if turning the flat ground into flowing water. An old man, leaning on a cane with both hands, slowly rose from the vortex.

"I really didn't expect so many people to fail to stop you. To think I'd be the one to pick up the spoils."

"Tsk tsk, passing through the encirclement relying solely on your Physical Body cultivation... if the timing weren't so inappropriate, I'd even want to take you as a disciple."

Wang Yao looked warily at the old man in the vortex.

His figure was hunched and small, and a purple-brown robe hung loosely around his body.

His face looked middle-aged to elderly, and a large hooked nose made his features seem a bit more sinister.

He held a dark gold cane steadily with both hands. The cane's body was heavy and solid, making him appear both aged and possessed of a hidden, restrained aura.

"It's you, you old geezer! You still dare to show your face here!"

Wang Yao turned and looked at the indignant Xiao Sheng.

"You know him?"

"More than just 'know' him."

Xiao Sheng's face was full of rage. Just as he was about to lash out, the old man interrupted him and finished his sentence.

"More than just 'know' him indeed. I've nearly killed him several times; we could be considered life-and-death acquaintances." The corners of the old man's mouth curled slightly, unexpectedly carrying a hint of kindliness.

"Back then, when this little brother was on his way to West River, he accidentally offended me, and we had a bit of a verbal confrontation."

As he spoke, the old man reached out to stroke the corner of his eye. Only then did Wang Yao see a very small scar there.

"Ah, as the saying goes, no discord, no concord."

"That sword strike from your Senior Brother... it really hurts when it cuts. I still remember that feeling now."

"So when I heard someone wanted to kill you—and was even willing to pay—I couldn't wait to come and take a look."

"I originally thought that by being placed at the final line of defense, I wouldn't get to see you, kid. I didn't expect you to be as resilient as ever."

Xiao Sheng's dizziness had subsided significantly by now, and he pointed at the old man and began to curse.

"No, are you sick in the head, you old geezer? What kind of grudge do we have that you've chased me until now?"

"Don't you know this isn't far from the city? Are you really not afraid of the Law Enforcement Team's heavy hand?"

After speaking, Xiao Sheng didn't forget to explain to Wang Yao beside him.

"This old thing is called Luo Jie. His true form is a Sand Scorpion."

"This guy is a Loose Cultivator entrenched on the border of West River and the Southern Desert. When I went down the mountain to the Northern Frontier back then, I encountered this guy committing highway robbery."

"Fortunately, my Second Senior Brother was nearby at the time, and I managed to survive by calling for help with a Talisman."

"Since then, this old geezer has had his eye on me. When I was in West River, he blocked my path more than a few times!"

"Hahaha, so I say you and I are fated."

"I let you escape so many times, but you've finally fallen into my hands. As for the Law Enforcement Team you mentioned... why don't you guess why this is the final line of defense?"

"Rest assured, at this distance and with the arrangements those guys made, we have plenty of time to catch up."

Luo Jie tapped his cane lightly on the ground. With a humming sound, the silt that had trapped the two completely spread out, and the originally barren plain became a desert filled with swirling yellow sand.

"Oh no, this old guy was stalling for time just now to set up his Domain!"

Xiao Sheng quickly slapped a Light Body Talisman and an Earth-Walking Talisman onto each of them. Only then did they break free from the quagmire and quickly distance themselves from the old man.

"Domain? Is he at the Late Nascent Soul Stage?"

Wang Yao's brow furrowed, realizing the enemy was troublesome.

But Xiao Sheng took the opportunity to send a voice transmission.

"He is indeed at the Late Nascent Soul Stage, but this old thing suffered a dao wound in his early years and had his tail cut off, so he switched from being a Poison Cultivator to an Earth Cultivator."

"His Domain is hit-or-miss now; sometimes releasing it requires pre-conditions."

"But don't worry, I've been dealing with him for a long time. While he was busy setting up his Domain just now, I took the chance to drop my mecha into the dust storm."

"The mecha is already following a preset route to seek help from a nearby major city. We just need to stall for a while. In a moment, pick me up on your back immediately and follow my directions."

A wave of yellow sand, like a tsunami sweeping the ground, covered toward them. Wang Yao immediately put Xiao Sheng on his back and began to run again.

With Wang Yao's powerful physical fitness, the two easily dodged the sand waves.

"Go southeast first!" Xiao Sheng sent a voice transmission, targeting the southeast corner of the Domain.

Receiving the instruction, Wang Yao exerted all his strength and quickly sprinted toward the southeast.

During this time, the sand waves tried to stop them, but Xiao Sheng predicted them all in advance, skillfully guiding the way to avoid them.

Although Xiao Sheng wasn't very proficient in the fortune-telling trade, he knew Luo Jie far too well. The man was old and refused to adapt, using the same few moves every time.

As long as he calculated the general idea, he could understand how to dodge.

"Where do you think you're going!"

Echoes came from behind them, accompanied by a swirl of wind and sand. Clearly, Luo Jie was catching up.

A giant scorpion appeared, using the sea of sand to occasionally swing two earthy-yellow giant pincers, kicking up wind and sand from time to time in an attempt to block the two.

The two didn't have time to look back; they just kept running southeast. With Wang Yao's speed, they actually seemed to be on the verge of shaking Luo Jie off.

"Southeast is the Xun position, which governs wind."

"This old guy was a born Poison Cultivator who later switched to earth."

"His Domain requires secondary modifications to be used. As a Loose Cultivator, he lacks a foundation, so he can only model it after a Formation."

"And this Formation can be broken using the principles of the Eight Trigrams. As long as we head southeast first to use the Formation to counter-pressure, we can alleviate the natural laws here, greatly reducing his speed and destructive power."

"Then, as long as we head to the Gen position in the northeast, we can break through the sand and escape this Domain."

"Originally, it would be hard for me to escape alone, but with Old Wang's physical fitness and my experience, getting out won't be difficult!"

What the two didn't notice was that although Luo Jie shouted fiercely, there was a hint of playfulness in his eyes.

And in one of his scorpion eyes, a red light was calmly observing everything.