Escape at the Drop of a Hat

The three men had an unkind look in their eyes, and without a word, things escalated quickly, making Kent more certain of the perilous situation he was in.

His mind quickly reviewed the profiles of the three, and his heart sank.

"Gao Qiang, 35 years old, has a Level 55 mid-tier Golden Beast, the Fire Demon Bull. His personal strength is barely that of a B-grade Warrior, with a bounty of 2 million credit points."

"Pi Xiaobiao, 26 years old, his beast is a Level 54 Golden Black Horned Horse, a top-tier Golden Beast. He is a C-grade Warrior who specializes in traps, is very crafty, and possesses earth-moving abilities. It's suspected he might have a second beast with tunneling powers. His bounty is 2.5 million credit points."

"As for Qin Jianxuan, he is quite a capable individual. At 40 years old, he is a true A-grade Warrior, capable of going head-to-head with a Golden Emperor-tier Beast. His Ghost Spin Kill Sword Art is a five-rank skill, stronger than Kent's Dragon's Breath Blade."

In other words, without his beasts or the ability to call upon them, Kent would be at a disadvantage when facing Qin Jianxuan.

However, Kent did have the first two layers of the eight-rank Storm Battle Art (the eighth and ninth layers were still unachieved, so the Storm Battle Art was considered a seven-rank skill) and the first two layers of the Flying Sword Meditation technique, which would allow him to last for some time and not be defeated immediately.

"Gao Qiang and Pi Xiaobiao are not too difficult to handle, even if they team up against me. I should be able to manage them."

Kent furrowed his brow, "But Qin Jianxuan, with his Golden Beast, the Dragon-eating Eagle King, a Level 60 beast, would be very hard to deal with."

The Dragon-eating Eagle King, as the name suggests, had a huge body and powerful claws. It was ferocious and brutal, known to hunt young dragons. There was even a tale of a Heavenly-tier Dragon-eating Eagle King killing a baby dragon in front of two adult Earth Dragons.

Earth Dragons were true dragons, not comparable to the legendary Fire Dragons, Water Dragons, or Azure Dragons, but they were still part of the dragon family, and not something a regular Golden Beast could handle.

The Dragon-eating Eagle King, however, was an exception. If it could kill young dragons, its hunting skills were extraordinary.

Due to Qin Jianxuan's exceptional personal strength and the terrifying power of his Dragon-eating Eagle King, his bounty had surpassed 28 million credit points, which made him highly coveted by mercenary groups.

After a brief consideration, Kent made his decision.

With his current strength, defeating these three criminals on the Wanted List was practically impossible. His only chance of survival was to escape.

Of course, he could also try to buy his life. Although Qin Jianxuan and the others couldn't use credit points because they couldn't enter the cities, if they captured Kent, they could demand a huge ransom and get many valuable supplies in exchange.

But who could guarantee their behavior? Once they had squeezed him for everything, there was a real risk they would kill him. Criminals, after all, had no integrity, especially those who had no hesitation in killing.

"Gentlemen, I..." Kent began, deliberately hesitating, while simultaneously sharing the abilities of Garfield and Wukong.

In a smooth motion, he leaped nearly 200 meters into the air and then moved sideways for another 100 meters, landing on another tree branch.

"Damn it, you dare run? Looks like you have the guts of a king leopard!" Gao Qiang's rough voice echoed through the forest.

The three criminals immediately gave chase, each using their unique abilities.

Pi Xiaobiao was nimble, jumping into the air and quickly ascending, only slightly slower than Kent.

Gao Qiang, strong and muscular, sprinted rapidly through the forest, relying on his strength to keep up.

Qin Jianxuan, the last to move, looked down on Kent with a sneer. He didn't believe anyone could escape from him. If it were a high-ranking patrol officer, they might have a chance, but not a young, inexperienced kid like Kent.

With a wave of his hand, Qin Jianxuan summoned his Dragon-eating Eagle King. The massive beast appeared beside him, its black feathers like the night. Its giant talons dug deep into the ground, its body larger than a villa.

With a snap of its wings, the Dragon-eating Eagle King unfurled its wings, which spanned over 20 yards, creating a massive gust of wind.

"Up!" Qin Jianxuan shouted.

The colossal beast took flight, sending a shockwave through the forest. Within three breaths, it was soaring above Changguo Mountain.

Kent was still hundreds of meters away, racing through the trees.

Hearing the approaching chaos, Kent's heart raced, and he increased his speed, no longer holding back.

He knew this was a life-or-death situation, and he couldn't escape unless he thought of something.

"Given the danger level of Changguo Mountain, it seems unlikely that these three criminals will be deterred by the forest. After all, the Dragon-eating Eagle King is a 60-level Emperor-tier beast. No matter how dangerous the trees are, they won't be able to stop it," Kent thought, well-versed in the relative strengths of various creatures.

But then, he suddenly felt a chill. He looked up and saw the Dragon-eating Eagle King flying overhead. Though the many large trees in the forest made it hard to maneuver, the beast's massive size still made it a threat.

Pi Xiaobiao and Gao Qiang were falling further behind, nearly a kilometer away.

But running indefinitely wouldn't work. Kent couldn't just keep circling Changguo Mountain.

Kent's mind raced, and he considered his options. If he left the forest and entered open space, he would be an easy target.

The Fruit Space was an option, but getting there wasn't simple. The entrance to the cloud cluster was a thousand meters in the air, and even with a leap from the tall tree canopies, Kent would still have trouble reaching it.

Moreover, Kent wasn't eager to enter the Fruit Space—it was a perilous place, and it would be no different than jumping from the tiger's den into the dragon's lair.

With this in mind, Kent realized his only chance of survival was to rely on luck and endurance, using his speed to circle the mountain, hoping to outlast the criminals.

"Wait... if I could use the Earth Control Chouwa Beast's abilities... I could escape underground," Kent thought, his eyes lighting up with realization.