The man, however, noticed Jin Bao'er's presence and shouted with all his might!
"Fellow Daoist, run!"
She snapped back to attention, turned, and fled without hesitation. The demon beast behind them also noticed Jin Bao'er. Without a word, it abandoned the young man and gave chase to Jin Bao'er, its saliva flying everywhere, its greedy eyes shining with unmistakable avarice.
The young man ran for a while before finally realizing the giant creature behind him had shifted its target. He froze for a moment, then instantly understood the reason. His expression changed, and he hurried to catch up.
Compared to a strong and sturdy man, this demon beast would surely prefer to eat a tender, young girl in her teens!
Jin Bao'er, inexplicably chased by a demon beast, felt utterly speechless. She knew that running indefinitely was not an option, as her stamina would eventually run out. So, a spark of inspiration struck her, and she began setting up formations while running in circles…
After three laps, the formation lit up brilliantly, its pale white light trapping the giant demon beast inside. The pursuing beast, not noticing, slammed directly into the formation's spiritual barrier. With a deafening roar, it fell unconscious.
The young man, who had just caught up to Jin Bao'er, stared at the scene in utter astonishment. His eyes were filled with surprise; someone at the Foundation Establishment stage could set up a formation while running for their life like that…
"Are you a Formation Master?"
As he spoke, he noticed the extremely delicate and beautiful face before him. Alchemists and Formation Masters were rare in this era, especially those with power, who were often arrogant. He never expected to encounter one like this!
Jin Bao'er glanced up at him. She realized the demon beast was merely hungry and wanted to eat people, and that this person had done nothing to provoke it. However, she still felt no goodwill. If not for this fellow, why would she have wasted so much spiritual energy and stamina?
Seeing the young Daoist turn to leave, Li Qingjiu quickly followed, a joyful smile on his face. If he had the assistance of a Formation Master on his journey, nothing would go wrong!
"Hehe, fellow Daoist, slow down! I am Li Qingjiu of the Carefree Palace. Thank you for your timely assistance just now. What is your name? You can call me Ajiu…" One thousand words omitted here!
An incense stick later, even the cool and composed Jin Bao'er couldn't take it anymore! Her expression darkened noticeably. The man beside her was still chattering incessantly, his exasperating demeanor truly unbearable!
"Enough! My surname is Jin…"
She conceded! It wasn't because she feared the young man's half-step Golden Core cultivation, but rather because she was certain she couldn't shake him off and, more importantly, she didn't want to listen to his incessant rambling anymore!
Although she only revealed her surname, Li Qingjiu was quite satisfied! He knew it all along—his charm was indeed boundless!
Half an incense stick later… the incessant chatter in her ear made Jin Bao'er feel her head was about to explode. The chill emanating from her intensified.
Suddenly, a sharp scream echoed from behind them, and the ground trembled faintly. As time passed, the sounds grew more deafening. Jin Bao'er realized something was wrong and turned just in time to see three figures, and behind them, a horde of demon beasts… What was even more infuriating was that those three were heading in Jin Bao'er's direction! Clearly, they intended to lead the disaster her way!
Seeing this, Jin Bao'er couldn't help but frown. She turned and fled, her speed more than double what it was before! Li Qingjiu, seeing this, followed suit, still muttering complaints.
"Oh, heavens! I've been chased by demon beasts all day! And now there are so many! If this continues, I'll die of exhaustion before anyone kills me…"
Jin Bao'er listened, speechless. She turned and shot him an angry glare, which finally made the young man sheepishly shut his mouth. He wondered why, despite his higher cultivation, he instinctively obeyed this young person.
Among the three being chased by the horde of demon beasts, a woman in red quickly noticed Jin Bao'er's presence and an idea sparked in her mind! As she ran, she took a talisman from her storage space, a hint of maliciousness flashing across her face! With a surge of spiritual energy, the talisman instantly vanished…
Jin Bao'er was fleeing when she suddenly felt a chill down her back. Instinctively turning her head, she saw the previously enraged horde of demon beasts had shifted their target and were charging directly towards them! It was as if Jin Bao'er had stolen their husbands!
The three, as if they had narrowly escaped death, leaned against a large tree, panting and watching the show. The woman in red's eyes were filled with arrogant satisfaction.
The horde of demon beasts pursued relentlessly, and the two were chased in a rather disheveled state, drawing the woman in red's arrogant laughter!
"You little brat, beg me! Perhaps I'll be merciful and let you go!"
Jin Bao'er sensed something was amiss, her eyes turned cold, and she ran directly towards the woman in red! As a partial Talisman user, how could she not detect the anomaly on her person?
Seeing Jin Bao'er getting closer and closer, the woman in red's expression immediately changed, her panic evident. The other two were also terrified, and their resentment towards the woman in red grew.
However, they were now too exhausted to run, and could only try to trap Jin Bao'er, making her bear the brunt of the demon beasts' fury.
The two men exchanged glances, and simultaneously took out a few pebbles, preparing to set up a formation to restrict Jin Bao'er's movements and prevent her from getting any closer to them…
Soon, a flash of white light appeared before Jin Bao'er, abruptly halting her steps. She was now less than ten meters away from the trio. Realizing they intended to use her as a scapegoat, Jin Bao'er finally grew angry, her inner chill deepening!
The next second, as the horde of demon beasts was about to pounce and tear apart Jin Bao'er's slender body, a hint of triumph and anticipation gradually appeared in the woman in red's eyes. The other two also showed a flicker of apology, but mostly indifference…
Jin Bao'er, however, suddenly moved. Her fingers flicked, and she shattered the formation. She leaped onto the large tree!
Instantly, hundreds of demon beasts bared their fangs and lunged at the unsuspecting trio…
Screams and wails echoed, quickly fading into the horde of demon beasts!
Li Qingjiu, watching from afar, was stunned. He had wanted to help distract the demon beasts, but all of them seemed fixated on Jin Bao'er and were unmoving. He had even given up just now; after all, they were only newly acquainted friends, and he couldn't sacrifice himself for them. It was a pity for such a talented formation user!
However, the situation suddenly took a drastic turn. The three reaped what they had sown, while the young one landed safely on the tree, watching everything with cold eyes, no hesitation or fear in her gaze.
Li Qingjiu suddenly remembered something his father had once said: only a select few in this world could truly become strong. While talent was important, whether one could go far depended on their mindset and intelligence!
He felt he finally understood the meaning of those words!
At the same moment, within the Di Yun Sect, a middle-aged man looked at the shattered soul lamp before him and roared in fury!
"Who! Who killed my disciple!"
After an unknown period, the horde of demon beasts finally dispersed, leaving behind only a layer of foul-smelling blood on the ground. Not even bones remained, a testament to the tragic fate of the three.
Jin Bao'er descended from the tree, her gaze fixed westward. The setting sun reminded her of something… The Wood Zero Flower would bloom completely at sunset!