A Relentless Pursuit

"By the heavens, this lad can run!" The two azure-clad guards behind him exchanged alarmed glances, hastily accelerating their pursuit, determined to close the distance between themselves and Yang Fan. 

Confident in their abilities as late-stage Qi Refiners, they believed their profound mana and enduring vitality would soon allow them to overtake him. Thus, the three of them dashed through the deep mountains, a fierce race unfolding between pursuer and pursued. 

As cultivators, their physiques surpassed that of mere mortals, and their speed was swifter than that of the finest steeds. In no time, they had traversed over a hundred miles. 

The two azure guards emitted a faint green glow, their mana swirling within them. "This brat's speed is surprisingly formidable; how are we to catch him at this rate?" one of them panted. 

"It's not entirely unexpected; fleeing may very well be his forte. Moreover, we haven't exerted our full strength. Let us instead engage in a battle of endurance. We'll exhaust him with our superior mana. With our late-stage Qi Refining prowess, our mana should be at least half again as potent as that of this early-stage brat." 

The other guard's eyes gleamed with enthusiasm. "A splendid idea! We can tire him out without laying a finger on him. But we must be cautious; if we inadvertently kill him during our contest of spells, our master would surely punish us." 

Soon, the two azure guards formulated a new plan, even as Yang Fan maintained a distance of several dozen feet, aware of their scheming. 

"An endurance contest, is it?" Yang Fan mused, a subtle smirk curving his lips. "How quaint… Yet this region is close to the 'Xiuyuge.' Even if we venture a hundred miles out, the spiritual fluctuations and artifacts from our confrontation might still attract the attention of sword-flying masters above, making it an unsuitable venue for a covert elimination." 

With this thought, Yang Fan surged forward, increasing his speed to the utmost limit. In such a state, the consumption of his mana was immense. 

Seeing him accelerate, the guards' expressions shifted dramatically as they gritted their teeth and channeled their mana, pushing their speed to the max as well. Thus, a fierce contest of endurance commenced, each side depleting their mana at an alarming rate.

Yet Yang Fan found little difficulty in maintaining his pace. His recovery ability was astonishing, and being in "All-Knowing Mode" allowed him to restore his energy continuously, even as his life force diminished. Overall, while his consumption slightly outweighed his recovery, he still managed with relative ease.

In stark contrast, the two guards struggled; beads of sweat dripped from their brows, and their breathing became labored. "Hang in there, let's swallow some Qi-Recovery Pills," one of them urged, struggling to maintain composure. 

With persistence, they produced their medicine, quickly consuming the spiritual elixirs. Their stamina gradually returned, yet Yang Fan, noticing their efforts, felt no trepidation. 

For such low-grade elixirs, even multiple doses offered limited effectiveness during this extreme exertion. Overconsumption could lead to physical harm, draining life force and shortening lifespan. If they were to collapse, the repercussions could be dire. 

As the seconds ticked by, Yang Fan controlled his speed meticulously, ensuring he remained just out of their reach, feeding their flickering hopes. He exaggerated his fatigue, panting heavily and forcing beads of sweat from his brow. 

"Hold on! That brat can't last much longer!" the guards gritted their teeth in furious determination. 

"Once we catch him, he'll get what's coming to him," one of them hissed, the bitterness clear in his voice. 

Their pace gradually waned; after two hundred miles, the once energetic pursuit had devolved into a staggering shuffle, the guards gasping for breath, their strength all but spent. 

Yang Fan couldn't help but smile, a victor's grin blooming on his face. But then, ahead loomed an ominous cliff, a sheer drop to unfathomable depths. 

There was no escape! The scene before him caused Yang Fan's expression to shift in alarm. 

"Ha! Where do you think you can run now, brat?" The guards, invigorated by the prospect of victory, pushed forth with their remaining mana. 

Yang Fan stood his ground, body motionless, an air of calm surrounding him as he readied to regain his energy. 

"Charge!" The guards exerted every ounce of remaining strength, fixated solely on their quarry. 

Facing away from them, Yang Fan maintained his nonchalance, smirking ever so slightly as he recovered his mana, all the while monitoring their condition through his heightened perception. 

Ten feet… nine feet… eight feet… The gap narrowed steadily, their hopes rekindled as they forced a flicker of mana and energy from their nearly depleted bodies. 

Five feet… three feet… one foot… The guards, at last, recognized something was amiss. 

With his back to them, Yang Fan stood resolute against the mountain winds, exuding an aura of unattainable supremacy. 

"What are we afraid of? Rush him! That scoundrel must be spent…" Despite their instincts urging caution, the azure guards dismissed their unease, clinging to self-deception. 

Eight feet… nine feet… seven feet… The distance closed to a hair's breadth, Yang Fan's figure now within their grasp. 

Three feet… two feet… one foot… 

"Now!" The guards' eyes ignited with final determination as they lunged toward Yang Fan, their last hope of capturing him. 

Yet Yang Fan merely sighed, not moving an inch, instead crouching as though wearied, prepared to rest for a moment. 

But as he bent, the guards missed their chance completely. One moment they beheld him; the next, he vanished from their view. 

In their last moments of consciousness, all thought vanished as the guards collapsed, utterly spent, their breaths shallow and filled with confusion and regret. 

"Ah, commendable spirit, you two," Yang Fan remarked, standing before them with a radiant smile, as if praising worthy adversaries. 

"Wha—!" The two guards stared at him, aghast, their expressions a blend of disbelief and astonishment. 

Before them stood Yang Fan, languid and nonchalant, as though he had just awakened from a leisurely nap, entirely unbothered by fatigue. 

"This… how can this be…" They gaped, hardly able to believe the evidence before their eyes. 

An early-stage Qi Refiner, without consuming any elixirs, had succeeded in exhausting two late-stage Qi Refiner guards to the brink of collapse.