Mortal: I have a Spirit Gathering Cauldron

At first, Liu Yunwu, who was on the flying boat, was not sure if they were pursuers or just passing cultivators.

After all, they had already traveled hundreds of miles during the time their elders had delayed them, far exceeding the tracking range of Foundation Establishment cultivators.

But the two streaks of light were extremely fast and maintained a stable direction, following them closely and getting closer.

"Yunwu, they're coming!"

Behind the flying boat, a boy of about fifteen or sixteen years old was deathly pale, his voice trembling. He glanced back; the two streaks of light were getting closer and closer, particularly dazzling in the hazy sky.

"I saw it." Liu Yunwu's voice was calm, but his fingers, which were operating the flying boat, turned slightly white.

His mind was racing.

There was no way to escape; how could he, with only five Qi Refining juniors, possibly outrun two Foundation Establishment cultivators in full pursuit?

"Yunwu, what should we do?" A girl's voice trembled with tears. "I don't want to die, I don't want to die..."

"Shut up!" Liu Yunwu shouted sternly, his voice carrying an undeniable authority.

There was a moment of silence on the airship.

Liu Yunwu took a deep breath and said to the five young men and women on the flying boat, "Listen up, if we get caught, everyone immediately split up and run southwest. Don't look back. Run as far as you can, into the Yuanwu Kingdom, find a place where no one knows you, and live in seclusion under assumed names."

While Liu Yunwu and the others were still explaining the details of their escape, Lin Feng and Han Tianya were already less than a mile away from them.

Lin Feng and his companion exchanged a glance and simultaneously activated their magical artifacts, increasing their speed even further.

Lin Feng's Wind-Escape Shuttle shone brightly with silver light, and the azure flying boat beneath Han Tianya's feet also lit up with dazzling spiritual light. The two streaks of light streaked across the sky like shooting stars, rushing towards the fleeing flying boat.

Han Tianya made the first move.

Three cyan throwing knives flew out from his sleeve, forming a triangular shape, drawing three strange arcs in the air and blocking the direction of the airship's advance.

Lin Feng followed closely behind.

The Wind-Breaking Spear flew from his hand, golden spear light condensing at its tip, transforming into a golden beam that shot towards Liu Yunwu on the flying boat.

The spear thrust was fierce, carrying an aura of extreme sharpness, even the air itself seemed to be torn open by a thin black line.

Liu Yunwu's face turned ashen.

Without thinking twice, he grabbed the five boys and girls on the airship and shoved them down hard.

The flying boat plummeted rapidly under the manipulation of magic, barely avoiding the sharp edge of the wind-breaking spear.

A golden spear light swept over their heads, blasting a large tree in the distance into pieces, sending wood chips flying everywhere.

The airship crashed onto a dry riverbed, kicking up a cloud of dust.

Liu Yunwu jumped off the flying boat and summoned a cyan flying sword and a small jade shield.

The flying sword hovered beside him, its light flickering; the small shield transformed into a three-foot square, blocking his path, its surface shimmering with milky-white spiritual light.

The five young men and women also jumped off the airship. They were all pale-faced and trembling. Some were too scared to speak, while others had red eyes but held back their tears.

Liu Yunwu's telepathic message exploded in their minds, his voice urgent and resolute: "Split up and run! Run as many as you can! Don't look back!"

The five people paused for a moment, then moved at the same time.

The two boys patted the talismans on their bodies, transformed into two streaks of green light, and fled towards the forests on both sides of the riverbed.

A young girl took out an earth-遁 (earth-escaping) talisman from her bosom, stuck it to her leg, and her body instantly sank into the ground. The other two young men and women summoned flying artifacts and flew southwest, skimming the treetops.

Each displaying their unique skills, the five people had already leaped dozens of feet away in the blink of an eye.

Han Tianya glanced at the direction the five fled, a slight sneer appearing on his lips.

"Fellow Daoist Lin, I'll go and take care of those little ants." He said casually, "You take care of this big one."

Lin Feng didn't say much. He turned his Wind-Breaking Spear around and aimed the tip at Liu Yunwu.

Han Tianya flashed, transforming into a streak of green light, and chased after the forest.

His speed was astonishing; in just a few breaths, he caught up with the two boys fleeing into the forest. Three throwing knives flew from his hands, drawing three arcs in the air and blocking all their escape routes.

A scream came from the forest, short and piercing, then stopped abruptly.

Lin Feng didn't check on the battle situation on Han Tianya's side. He focused his attention on Liu Yunwu.

Liu Yunwu's cultivation level is at the early stage of Foundation Establishment, but his foundation is very solid and his spiritual power is abundant.

Moreover, his cyan flying sword was of exceptional quality, with fine runes on its blade and a flowing spiritual light, indicating it was at least a top-tier magic weapon. The milky-white spiritual light on the surface of his jade shield also gave it a warm yet sturdy feel.

Lin Feng touched his storage bag, and fifteen puppets flew out of it, wolf-shaped and leopard-shaped puppets, which were neatly arranged in front of him.

The puppet's claws gleamed coldly in the sunlight; those claws, reinforced with shattered rock crystals, were exceptionally sharp.

"go."

Fifteen puppets simultaneously lunged at Liu Yunwu.

The wolf-shaped puppets rushed to the front, moving the fastest. They flanked from both sides, opening their blood-red mouths to bite at Liu Yunwu's legs.

The leopard-shaped puppets followed closely behind. They were better at jumping and pouncing, leaping up from above and pouncing towards Liu Yunwu's head and shoulders.

Liu Yunwu had no time to think. He activated the jade shield to its maximum, and a milky white light screen spread out from the shield's surface, enveloping his entire body.

The cyan flying sword transformed into a streak of cyan light, weaving through the group of puppets and slashing at those that rushed towards it.

"Clang clang clang—"

The flying sword struck the claw of a wolf-shaped puppet, sending sparks flying. The puppet's claw was much harder than he had expected.

He gritted his teeth, and his flying sword became even faster, drawing streaks of azure sword light in the air, but they were all entangled and blocked by Lin Feng's Wind-Breaking Spear.

The puppets were like tireless beasts, their claws leaving shallow marks on the light screen of the jade shield.

Although each strike did not cause any substantial damage, the simultaneous attack of more than a dozen puppets caused the light screen to dim at a visible speed.

Liu Yunwu simultaneously activated his flying sword and small shield with all his might, while also dealing with the combined attacks of fifteen puppets and the Wind-Breaking Spear. His spiritual power was decreasing at a visible rate.

After a dozen or so breaths, Liu Yunwu's breathing became rapid, and fine beads of sweat appeared on his forehead.

His flying sword was no longer as sharp as before, and the light screen of the small shield had become much dimmer.

Seeing his growing disadvantage and inability to escape, a resolute look appeared on Liu Yunwu's anxious face. He took out a storage bag from his pocket and said to Lin Feng:

"Fellow Daoist of the Seventh Sect, this is the savings of my Liu family accumulated over many years. I, Liu, am willing to offer it to you. Please give it to you so that I may have a way out."

Lin Feng coldly said, "Hmph, I'll kill you and then take it myself." He then increased the activation of the golden spiritual power within his body, making the Wind-Breaking Spear's attack even more ferocious.

Finally, the cyan flying sword was knocked several feet away by the Wind-Breaking Spear during a parry.

Lin Feng seized this opportunity.

The golden light of the Wind-Breaking Spear drew a dazzling trajectory in the air, heading straight for Liu Yunwu's chest.

At the same time, the wolf-shaped puppet pounced from both sides, and the leopard-shaped puppet pressed down from above, blocking all his escape routes.

Liu Yunwu's face turned deathly pale.

He desperately tried to recall the flying sword, but it was too late.

He could only push the spiritual power of the small shield to its limit. The milky white light screen suddenly brightened and then quickly contracted, tightly protecting him.

The golden spear light of the Wind-Breaking Spear pierced the light barrier like a red-hot iron rod being plunged into butter. The light barrier shattered beneath the spear tip, and the fragments transformed into a sky full of spiritual light.

The Wind-Breaking Spear cut through the light barrier with unstoppable force, piercing through Liu Yunwu's chest.

"puff--"

The spear tip pierced through his back, kicking up a cloud of blood.

Liu Yunwu's body stiffened abruptly.

He looked down at his pierced chest, then looked up at Lin Feng.

His lips moved as if he wanted to say something, but he only made a "clucking" sound before his body swayed and he fell backward.

The Windbreaker Spear was still stuck in his chest, the shaft trembling slightly, and the golden light on the tip gradually fading.

Just as Lin Feng reached out, intending to use his spiritual power to retract the Wind-Breaking Spear...

A bell rang.

"clang--"

The sound of the bell exploded directly in his mind.