Chapter 291: One Against Two

"Pupupupu…"

A series of faint popping sounds erupted as water arrows and crimson qi annihilated each other midair; the escaping energy rattled tables and chairs, but ultimately intercepted every attack, saving the lives of the dozen or so men.

At the very moment Chen Mu intercepted, Bu Nantian's figure lurched violently, blood-red light exploding around him as he transformed once more into a crimson streak—not fleeing through the front door, but smashing straight through the wooden wall of the tavern, hurtling toward the backyard like a cannonball!

"Think you can run?"

Chen Mu's eyes turned icy; the ground beneath his feet trembled slightly, and his body vanished like a ghost, chasing after the crimson streak.

"Swoosh!"

"Swoosh!"

Two figures, one behind the other, shot skyward like meteors, leaping over rooftops, racing straight toward the city's outskirts!

So fast that to ordinary eyes, they left only blurred afterimages.

The soldiers on the inner city wall felt a gust of wind sweep over their heads; by the time they looked up, only two tiny, receding black dots remained.

Yet just as Chen Mu, following Bu Nantian, was about to fly beyond the outer city wall—

Swoosh!

An extremely concealed, razor-sharp qi shot forth without warning from a dark alley below, like a venomous snake lying in wait—its angle cunning and ruthless, striking straight for Chen Mu's dantian!

The timing of this strike was flawless, precisely when Chen Mu's focus was overwhelmingly locked on Bu Nantian.

Alarm bells screamed in Chen Mu's mind; at the last possible instant, he forcibly twisted his body, the Yanling Feather Robe flashing with liquid light as he executed an almost impossible, bizarre refraction in midair.

"Sssch!"

The sharp qi grazed Chen Mu's flank, tearing a slit in his robe; the icy killing intent sent a chill across his skin.

Chen Mu stabilized his form in midair, his gaze like lightning, instantly sweeping toward the alley from which the qi had come—his expression cold and indifferent.

He looked at Bu Nantian, who had also halted, and spoke softly, "Is this the ally you summoned?"

In a flash of insight, Chen Mu finally understood Bu Nantian's earlier scheme.

Holding those dozen diners hostage wasn't meant to threaten him—it was to buy time!

Bu Nantian had secretly contacted an ally, positioning him along the inevitable escape route, waiting to unleash this lethal strike.

"Only now do you realize? Too bad. Too late."

Seeing Chen Mu dodge the ambush, Bu Nantian showed no surprise—instead, he smirked, triumphant.

"Swoosh!"

Almost as he finished speaking, another razor-sharp, condensed qi shot from the dark alley below—this time aimed straight at Chen Mu's face!

Simultaneously, a thick, chilling aura erupted from the alley like a geyser; a figure shrouded in a wide black robe, face obscured, flashed out like a ghost.

The aura radiating from him was unmistakably the level of Earth Altar Realm, Three Flowers Converging!

Before him, Bu Nantian watched with predatory intent; behind him, the mysterious black-robed figure blocked his path—both formed a pincer attack.

Chen Mu's gaze hardened; the Yanling Feather Robe flashed with light as he carved a bizarre arc through the air, narrowly evading the ambush, then without hesitation shot toward the wilds beyond the city, trying to create distance and break the encirclement.

"Think you can run? Dream on!"

Bu Nantian snarled, blood-red light flaring again as he gave chase without pause.

The black-robed figure let out a guttural, inhuman roar, his speed exploding—he overtook Chen Mu despite starting behind, flashing forward several times until he stood like a black wall directly in Chen Mu's path.

Seeing this, Chen Mu changed direction instantly, veering sharply north and flying hundreds of meters in one breath.

As the black-robed figure and Bu Nantian adjusted to follow, he instantly turned west, streaking another few hundred meters.

Then he swung south, flying another few hundred meters.

Then east again…

Like a headless fly, like an erratic streak of light, he darted back and forth across a thousand-meter radius—north, south, east, west—with no discernible pattern, moving at maximum speed, leaving trails of afterimages.

"Hmph! Desperate flailing—you won't escape."

Seeing this, Bu Nantian assumed Chen Mu was panicking and shouted loudly, "Surrender! Since you're a man of some worth, I'll give you a quick death!"

As he spoke, he swung the blood-colored longsword condensing in his hand, infusing it with his Second Heaven's bloody sword intent, mingled with torrential blood qi, slashing out a massive crimson net that sealed off several possible escape routes.

At the same moment, the black-robed figure blocking the front extended a withered, clawed hand from his robe; his five fingers curled into hooks, emitting a piercing, ghostly wail as he lunged forward with a sudden grab!

"Sssch—"

A colossal ghostly claw, formed from chilling death qi, tore through the air and slammed straight down toward Chen Mu's head!

Where the claw's wind passed, even light seemed swallowed; the temperature plummeted.

As the crimson net and the chilling ghost claw closed in to engulf Chen Mu—

At the critical moment, Chen Mu's figure vanished into thin air like a ghost!

Not an afterimage created by speed—this was true, unannounced, absolute disappearance from the spot!

"What?"

Bu Nantian's pupils shrank violently; his triumphant smirk froze, alarm bells screaming in his mind.

Before he could react, an intense, razor-sharp killing intent erupted from just meters behind him—materializing out of nowhere!

Chen Mu's figure stepped forth as if emerging from empty space, the Xian Long Sword wrapped in crimson flame, perfectly concealed by the Hidden Sword Art—silent, yet faster than lightning, stabbing straight for Bu Nantian's heart!

Bu Nantian felt his back sear as if pressed by a red-hot iron; the burning sword qi had already touched his robes—the shadow of death engulfed him instantly.

He screamed, relying on years of battle instinct, abandoning dignity as he lunged forward and twisted his body with all his strength.

"Sssch!"

The crimson blade grazed his back, spraying a trail of blood droplets, leaving a charred, blackened scar.

Searing pain surged through him—he broke into a cold sweat, his heart trembling with terror.

Meanwhile, his crimson sword net and the black-robed figure's ghost claw, deprived of their target, slammed violently into each other!

"Boom—"

The blood-demon qi and the chilling ghost qi exploded in a deafening roar; the violent shockwave swept outward, scouring a layer off the ground.

Yet, this chaotic energy had not yet settled—

"Shua!"

Chen Mu's figure vanished into thin air once more.

The next instant, he reappeared directly in front of the black-robed man, who had just turned after his attack missed and was now fully guarding his rear!

"Hou~"

Chen Mu gathered Qi in his right hand and unleashed a fierce "Blazing Dragon Claw" imbued with the realm of fire!

The spectral claw, wreathed in Xiong Xiong flames, tore through the air with a force to rend all things and struck precisely upon the black-robed man's hastily formed defensive aura!