Five people with pale faces shrieked and scrambled down the hillside, some tumbling as they ran, their expressions more panicked than if they had seen the police.
Meanwhile.
Gedong, already at full speed in his escape, couldn't fathom how he had been exposed.
"Impossible. If they planted a tracker on me, I've changed all my clothes. There shouldn't be any equipment inside me. I've been suppressing my aura all along. How did they find me?"
In less than a minute, Gedong had crossed the hill and reached a national highway. However, as the location was quite remote, no vehicles were passing by.
This place was not ideal for concealing one's identity, yet Gedong ran right up to the highway, quickly took off his upper garment, and rubbed it vigorously on the dirt. Nearby, there was a discarded leather bag, which Gedong snatched up.
In less than half a minute, he had transformed into the image of a vagrant.
Gedong completely suppressed his aura. His ability to escape successfully for so many years was largely due to his qi concealment technique. He was even confident that even a sixth-layer expert standing before him would not detect the slightest flaw.
Picking up bottles discarded by drivers along the road, Gedong pondered the events of moments ago.
A significant characteristic of his was that after every failure, he had to find the reason in the shortest possible time. He would not allow himself to make the same mistake twice.
However, no matter how much he thought, he couldn't figure out where he had gone wrong. Just then, that inexplicable aura locked onto him once more.
"Damn it, you've got to be kidding me. They can still recognize me?"
Gedong's actions paused, but this time he did not flee.
"I refuse to believe it. It must be a mistake! They must have some method of wide-area detection, it shouldn't be an exposure!"
Gedong gritted his teeth and ignored it, continuing to bend over and pick through the trash.
Until Li Zhonglou's figure appeared before him.
"Ah!"
Gedong feigned terror, took a step back, and then, by accident, fell to the ground.
"Are you human or ghost?"
Gedong's body had also been smeared with some waste material, and a foul odor emanated from him. It was not just outsiders; even his closest family members, if present, would not have recognized him.
However, Gedong was unaware that from the moment he appeared, Li Zhonglou's gaze had barely left him.
Li Zhonglou smiled calmly and said lightly, "Hello, Mr. Gedong. Thank you for waiting."
Gedong's heart sank, but he still said with feigned panic, "What Gedong? What are you talking about?"
Li Zhonglou shook his head. "Stop pretending. This act might fool others, but not me."
Gedong finally understood that he had been under someone's lock-on from the very beginning. He immediately dropped the pretense and said grimly, "I don't understand. How did you find me?"
Gedong secretly circulated his internal energy to its peak, ready to strike at any moment.
"It varies from person to person. Will you come back with me yourself, or should I make you?"
As he spoke, a fifth-layer aura enveloped Gedong. Gedong's expression changed, and he could no longer maintain his composure. He grabbed a handful of dust from the ground and flung it into Li Zhonglou's face, simultaneously channeling his internal energy into his feet.
Escape!
Gedong's body shot away like a rocket, leaving a deep pit at his feet. His strength was not weak; he was already at the peak of the fourth layer.
Gedong was highly confident that this reaction would be too quick even for someone at the peak of the fifth layer.
However, before he had run a hundred meters, a figure suddenly blocked his path.
Along with it came Li Zhonglou's calm voice.
"Apologies, I'm a bit pressed for time and don't have the luxury of playing around with you."
Playing around? You're telling me a life-or-death escape is just playing around?
A surge of anger ignited within him. This time, Gedong chose not to evade but to attack proactively!
"Little Li, leave this to me!"
Caihong had been waiting for this opportune moment. His previous fight with Adou had ended before even warming up, and he couldn't stand it any longer.
Li Zhonglou did not refuse and voluntarily relinquished control of his body.
In the forest, bursts of explosive sounds echoed.
At their level of strength, their destructive power could no longer be judged by ordinary standards. Even with conventional weapons, once one reached a certain realm, they became impervious to regular weaponry.
Let alone masters who had surpassed the third layer!
The two figures exchanged fierce blows in the forest, each punch generating a violent sonic boom. Small trees nearby were shattered by the invisible force.
Punch, block, swing, guard. The two figures traded blows, fists meeting flesh, fighting fiercely with pure combat skills in the woods.
Gradually, however, Gedong's stamina began to falter. Firstly, his age was catching up to him. Secondly, Li Zhonglou had developed his latent potential. While Caihong couldn't utilize it, each of his strikes conserved a third of the energy a normal person would expend.
This led to Caihong becoming more and more engrossed in the fight, the exhilarating combat allowing him to gradually recapture the feeling he had in his previous life. He was a fighter who grew stronger with each engagement.
Conversely, Gedong not only saw his stamina rapidly draining but also had to endure the psychological pressure of potential pursuers. He soon found himself completely at a disadvantage.
"Get lost, you bastard!"
Finally, he couldn't hold back any longer. He roared, unleashing all his internal energy, and employed his unique secret technique.
"Don't think you're invincible just because you're fifth layer! I haven't killed anyone before!"
As he spoke, a cry suddenly erupted from within Gedong. This sound was neither like a bird's nor anything else. Caihong's movements immediately froze.
Li Zhonglou, however, spotted a clue and quickly warned, "Senior, be careful, this should be an ancient martial art secret technique."
Ancient martial art secret technique?
Caihong, not well-versed in Chinese martial arts, didn't understand what was happening. Suddenly, a piercing sound drilled into his ears, causing his spirit to falter for a moment.
By the time Caihong recovered, a massive fist had landed on his face.
"Boom!"
This strike contained all of Gedong's power. Li Zhonglou's face even caved in significantly.
Then, his body was sent flying backward. While still in mid-air, Caihong's consciousness plunged into unconsciousness.
Gedong sneered and pressed his advantage. He had a clear view of all of Li Zhonglou's reactions. This was the perfect time to deliver the finishing blow.
However, to his utter astonishment, as he caught up, he saw Li Zhonglou's eyes suddenly open again.
There was a clarity in them, with no sign of unconsciousness whatsoever!
"Impossible!"
Gedong's pupils contracted sharply, but he had no time for further reactions, only to rush forward again.
"Die, you bastard!"