Chapter 3

Xiao Ai and the other six were crouched behind a massive boulder, watching two figures battle in the distance. It was a spectacular sight, with rocks flying and flashes of white and green light. They saw the man wielding a heavy silver sword gradually gain the upper hand, when suddenly the green-robed figure emitted a cloud of green mist. Even from that far away, Xiao Ai and the others caught a whiff of a foul stench. Xiao Wu and Fatty couldn't take it and were already vomiting violently to the side.

Soon, they realized this green mist wasn't just disgusting. The white-clad man, who had been winning, began to sway unsteadily after the mist drifted past him, nearly getting hit by the green-robed opponent several times.

"Oh no!" A Xu suddenly yelled, startling Jing Yuan, who hissed a warning, "Keep your voice down! If we're discovered, we're done for."

"No, look," A Xu explained, pointing at the two ahead. "That guy in white was winning just a moment ago, but now he can't hold his own. That green stuff must be poisonous. All those years reading novels weren't for nothing."

"No way... then we..." Youyou cried out in fright, drawing the attention of the two combatants. Xiao Ai and Jing Yuan could only sigh in exasperation, shoving everyone further under the boulder while frantically considering an escape plan.

Unexpectedly, the two merely glanced in their direction before turning back to fight even more fiercely. Their earth-shattering blows made the ground beneath the group tremble.

Xiao Wu and Fatty had somewhat recovered, breathing easier now. Xu Haoyue patted their backs and said with concern, "Should we run? If they're ruthless killers, we're no match for them."

Le You hesitated. "But if what A Xu said is true, and that green stuff was poisonous, haven't we all been poisoned by now?"

"So, do we stay or go?" Xiao Ai was at a loss, fear welling up inside her, threatening to bring tears to her eyes.

A Xu thumped his chest confidently. "Now's the time you should listen to me. We can't outrun them anyway, so we might as well stay and see how this plays out. Besides, in a fight like this, there's usually a good guy and a bad guy. If we firmly side with the stronger one, they'd have no reason to kill a bunch of bystanders like us."

Jing Yuan retorted impatiently, "What kind of twisted logic is that? We should get out of here fast and try to find our vehicle and our senior brothers. I don't want to stay in this godforsaken place a second longer."

As they argued, Fatty, lying nearby, struggled to reach out and tug at A Xu's pants. Irritated by the pulling, A Xu complained, "Fatty, why do you keep tugging at me?"

Panting heavily, Fatty said urgently, "Don't... don't you see they're moving this way?" His words snapped everyone to attention. They realized that although the two were locked in fierce combat, they were indeed steadily approaching. Panicking like startled birds, the seven of them broke into a frantic run. Xiao Wu and Fatty struggled to keep up, so Jing Yuan and Xu Haoyue each grabbed one to help. A Xu brought up the rear, protecting Xiao Ai and Le You.

"Ahhh...! Run! That green guy is coming after us!" Xiao Ai looked back and saw the green-robed figure, whose face was obscured, suddenly break away from the man in white and fly towards them. The white-clad man in the rear was desperately trying to hinder him. "Run! That guy seems like he wants to kill us!" Hearing this, A Xu glanced back, saw the ferocious face of the green-robed man, and shouted frantically in panic.

However, no matter how fast the seven of them sprinted, they couldn't match the speed of the two figures flying behind them, defying gravity. Soon, the green-robed man closed the distance. Though the white-clad man still fought to obstruct him, the poison had taken its toll, leaving him weakened and struggling.

Xiao Ai and Le You, supporting each other as they ran, stumbled and fell to the ground due to their frantic speed. A Xu, tripped by them, couldn't help but tumble and roll to the side.

Seizing the opportunity, the green-robed man caught up instantly, hovering above them. His ferocious face and eerie smile reminded Le You and Xiao Ai of a bloodthirsty demon lord from a TV drama. Tears welled up, but they had no time to wipe them, still struggling desperately to get up. The others ahead, realizing the two had fallen, were already turning back to help.

But it was too late. The green-robed man swung his fan, and a green light instantly shot towards the two women.