Chapter 58

That burst of fierce energy came fast and left even faster.

The light of the One-Time Acceleration Rune went out completely, like a candle snuffed by someone's fingers.

The Black Feather Boat's speed plummeted, as if a huge stone had fallen from the sky, heavy and powerless.

The creaking sound from the hull grew louder, making one's teeth ache just to hear it.

We're screwed!

Wang Shan's heart gave a jolt; without looking at the system's urging red dot, he just felt it—something was wrong!

That chilling, powerful aura that made one's hairs stand on end drew near in an instant!

On the system interface, the red dot representing at least a Foundation Establishment old monster had jumped from 'about eighty li away' to 'within thirty li'! Thirty li! For a Foundation Establishment cultivator's spiritual sense, what's the difference from a point-blank attack? They might now be scanning their broken boat with their spiritual sense, like looking at a naked monkey.

"Damn it, that's fast!" Wang Shan cursed, but his hand moved as fast as lightning, pulling another talisman from his bosom. This talisman glowed with a fainter, more obscure light—exactly the One-Time Concealment Talisman he had painfully exchanged for in the system mall!

No time to hesitate! He was now a gambler, staking all his hope on those damn expensive system items!

With a surge of spiritual power, a 'pop' sounded as another talisman slapped onto the control console.

Hum…

A barely perceptible ripple spread like water ripples, quickly enveloping the entire Black Feather Boat.

From the outside, the flying boat seemed unchanged, but on the level of spiritual sense perception, it was as if suddenly covered with a thick layer of frosted glass, becoming blurry and distorted, hard to pinpoint precisely.

Done!

Although it's only temporary, as long as it works!

Wang Shan dared not delay; almost as he slapped down the Concealment Talisman, he reflexively pulled out the last One-Time Acceleration Rune!

This stuff is like a stimulant—use one, lose one—but if we don't use it now, are we just waiting to die?

"Give me more speed!"

The rune again turned into light and merged into the hull; the Black Feather Boat, as if shot with adrenaline once more, surged forward again.

This time, the target was clearer—up ahead, in the thin mist of the dawning dawn, the vast, undulating outline like a giant beast's spine could already be seen: it was the Man Yun Mountain Range!

As long as they charge into that primitive forest, with its complex terrain and rampant demonic beasts, they, as the local snakes, might still have a sliver of hope!

Wang Shan stared intently at the Environmental Scan on the system screen.

Indeed, the relentlessly pursuing red dot, after they used the Concealment Talisman, clearly paused in place, seeming a bit bewildered, having lost the precise lock-on feeling from before.

"Hey, old thing, you dazed, huh?" Wang Shan's heart loosened a tiny bit. This Concealment Talisman, though ridiculously expensive, really works. At least it bought them precious time!

But after less than three seconds of relief, Wang Shan immediately tensed up again. He knew better than anyone that this was only temporary.

The Concealment Talisman has a time limit, and Foundation Establishment cultivators have plenty of tricks; once the opponent reacts, they'll surely have other ways to track.

Such petty tricks can fool for a moment, but not for a lifetime.

He glanced back at the cabin.

Wang Zhize and the others, though he had just shouted at them and temporarily suppressed their fear, could not hide the panic and fatigue on their faces from the unknown.

"Cheer up! Get your gear ready!" Wang Shan's voice remained low, but carried an unquestionable command: "Don't expect to win, but if they catch up, even in death you must bite off a piece of flesh!"

Those words were harsh, but also realistic. For a Body Refining cultivator to face a Foundation Establishment one is like an egg hitting a stone. But Wang Shan must make them prepare for the worst. Hope? Hope is something you fight for, not wait for!

Inside the cabin, the atmosphere grew heavy again. Some young clan members silently inspected their crude weapons, while women and children clung tightly together, gazing toward the rear.

There, the direction of Luo Bay County was now just a fuzzy black dot on the horizon.

That was their ancestral home, their roots. Now they could only flee in panic; even turning back for another look had become a luxury.

Reluctance, sorrow, fear... various emotions churned in each heart, but ultimately they all gathered into the most primal desire—to survive!

"Hummm… Crack…"

Just then, the Black Feather Boat shuddered violently, and a heart‑pounding cracking sound came from within the hull!

Wang Shan's face changed, and he instantly looked at the system prompt.

【Warning: One-Time Concealment Talisman effect remaining less than a quarter hour!】

【Warning: Energy Core loss exceeds 70%! Structure on the verge of collapse! May disintegrate at any moment!】

Damn it! When it rains, it pours! This broken boat really can't hold on much longer!

What's worse, the concealment effect is about to fade! Once it disappears, that Foundation Establishment old monster will definitely re‑lock onto them at once!

What now?

Just as Wang Shan burned with anxiety, a soft light suddenly came from the system space.

【Prompt: The second batch of Spirit Plants has finished ripening. Collect?】

Here it comes! A lifesaving straw!

"Collect! Collect now!" Wang Shan roared in his mind.

【Spirit Plant Points +1200, current total: 1503 points.】

Fifteen hundred points! Although not much, it's enough!

Wang Shan almost instantly opened the system mall, his goal clear—life‑saving items!

【Second‑Rank Earth Escape Talisman】: Price 800 Spirit Plant Points. Can perform a short‑distance instantaneous shift in earth‑stone environments, distance depending on the user's cultivation and environment.

That's it! Although only second‑rank, at a critical moment it could let them escape underground, perhaps avoiding a fatal blow!

"Exchange!"

【Spirit Plant Points -800, remaining 703 points.】

He quickly glanced at the medicine area, spending a few dozen points to exchange some basic healing pills for emergencies. The remaining six hundred-odd points he left untouched, keeping them as a final reserve.

Having done all that, it was practically in the blink of an eye.

Just then——

【Prompt: One-Time Concealment Talisman effect has disappeared!】

Hum!

That powerful spiritual sense, like a thorn in the back, almost at the same instant the concealment effect faded, once again precisely locked onto the wobbling Black Feather Boat like a bone‑eating maggot.

On the System Map, that red dot once again approached at astonishing speed!

Done! Completely exposed!

Wang Shan jerked his head up and looked ahead.

The lofty, primitive, danger‑filled peaks of the Man Yun Mountain Range were already in sight! Even faintly audible from deep in the forests were the roars of unknown demon beasts.

Can't fly any longer! This broken ship could fall apart at any moment! And in the air, they're sitting ducks!

A flash of resolve crossed his eyes; he sprang to his feet and pointed at a relatively dense patch of forest below.

"Prepare for an emergency landing!"

His voice wasn't loud, yet it carried clearly into the ears of every tribesperson.

"Remember! Survive! This is the only order!"

Wang Zhize responded immediately, gripping the Control Console with both hands, ready to carry out this final order.