Chapter 188: Please, Do Not Proceed Any Further.

In the evening, Xu Ming led Mo Zhu'er and Shen Shengsheng out of the room, heading to the first floor of the inn to openly enjoy dinner.

As expected, the food was indeed poisoned.

Xu Ming thought that if not for the strange attributes he had gained over the years, which made him more sensitive to toxins, he might not have noticed the anomaly in the dishes. Like most cultivators, it would have been easy for him to fall into the trap.

As for why Mo Zhu'er was also able to detect the poison, Xu Ming wasn't sure. Perhaps she had undergone special training? After all, given her background as a woman of the demonic sect, her vigilance must be at its peak.

After finishing their meal, the trio returned to their room.

By the middle of the fifth watch, the sky had turned completely dark, and the nightlife of Yan Zhi City was just beginning. Many brothels were only then opening their doors to guests. The streets and alleys were filled with laughter, and as one passed by a brothel, one could even feel the faint vibrations of activity within.

Disciples of the Hehuan Sect glanced at the moon and felt it was the right time to act.

But just as they were about to make their move, they saw Xu Ming and his companions leave the inn, walking down the street with laughter and chatter.

The Hehuan Sect disciples exchanged glances, surprised that the trio had come out.

"Notify the sect master immediately, and let's follow them," ordered a steward of the sect.

"Young master, should we follow them?" an old servant asked.

Ji Wuming sneered. "They were a bit troublesome in the inn, but now that they've stepped outside, it'll be much easier. Let's go! Follow them!"

Half a stick of incense after "Xu Ming and his companions" left the inn, the real Xu Ming and his group slipped out through a window and headed swiftly in the opposite direction of Yan Zhi City.

If not for the city's no-fly formation, they would have already taken to the skies.

"We need to move faster," Mo Zhu'er estimated. "Those three strawmen can hold out for half an hour at most."

"Isn't it possible you're being too optimistic? What if they can't even last that long?" Xu Ming glanced at Mo Zhu'er.

Mo Zhu'er: "..."

In the eastern part of Yan Zhi City, the "strawman Xu Ming trio" continued walking forward in silence. Not a single word escaped their mouths.

Ji Wuming and the Hehuan Sect disciples followed closely, having received their orders.

At first, Ji Wuming pondered where the trio might be headed and where would be the best place to ambush them.

But the longer he followed, the more he felt something was wrong.

Why hadn't they spoken a word? It was as if they were merely walking forward without any awareness.

When a man accidentally bumped into "Mo Zhu'er," apologized, and the trio completely ignored him, continuing forward without acknowledgment, Ji Wuming's unease deepened.

"Something's off!" Ji Wuming frowned.

The old servant was puzzled. "Young master, what's off?"

"These three... there's something very wrong about them," Ji Wuming said, gripping his fan tightly. "They're like puppets!"

With that, Ji Wuming strode forward, and under the watchful eyes of the crowd, he drew his sword and slashed horizontally. The heads of "Xu Ming and his companions" fell cleanly from their necks.

"Help! Murder!"

"Someone's killing people in the street!"

The onlookers covered their mouths in shock, screaming loudly.

But soon, they noticed that not a drop of blood spilled from the severed heads. The three figures collapsed to the ground, their bodies transforming bit by bit until they turned into strawmen covered in white paper.

"We've been tricked!"

Gazing at the three strawmen, Ji Wuming gripped his longsword tightly.

Meanwhile, Xu Ming and his companions had already exited Yan Zhi City and were flying toward Xuanyue City.

As long as they could make it to Xuanyue City, they would essentially be safe. Xuanyue City was directly under the jurisdiction of the Tianxuan Sect, and no one dared to casually kill within its borders. Doing so would be a blatant slap to the face of the Tianxuan Sect.

The problem was, Xu Ming and the others weren't certain if they could reach Xuanyue City safely.

Unsurprisingly, the Hehuan Sect was undoubtedly in a frenzy, desperately searching for them. With their plan exposed, they were determined to eliminate Xu Ming and Mo Zhu'er. Otherwise, with the backing Xu Ming and Mo Zhu'er had, retaliation would spell disaster for the Hehuan Sect.

Outside Yan Zhi City, scattered disciples of the Hehuan Sect had already received orders and were relentlessly searching.

"Who are you?! Stop right there! Don't fly any further!"

Two patrolling Hehuan Sect disciples spotted two unknown figures in the air.

"Stop! I said stop! Do you hear me?!"

Boom!

As the two figures approached, one of them, a man carrying a young girl, threw a punch. One of the disciples instantly exploded into a mist of blood.

"Something's wrong! Notify the sect master immediately!" one disciple shouted. But before he could act, Xu Ming smashed him into blood mist as well.

The last Hehuan Sect disciple was filled with terror as he saw the man rushing toward him. He hastily released a signal flare.

Though the final disciple fell to Xu Ming's punch, the flare had already exploded in the sky.

"Let's move. We need to be faster," Xu Ming said.

"Got it," Mo Zhu'er replied seriously, no longer showing her usual playful demeanor.

The Hehuan Sect master wasn't foolish. He had already suspected that Xu Ming's group might head for Xuanyue City, so he had stationed disciples along the route. Now, the signal flare confirmed his hunch.

Cultivators who saw the flare began rushing toward Xu Ming's direction.

Xu Ming and his companions encountered more and more Hehuan Sect disciples, breaking through encirclements time and again.

Each of Xu Ming's punches obliterated a target, body and soul. Mo Zhu'er's silk ribbon pierced through the bodies of cultivators, while the soft sword at her waist was drawn, striking like a serpent to stab into her opponents' hearts.

Even Shen Shengsheng, who was hooked around Xu Ming's neck, proved to be a formidable force. Transforming into a cannon, she unleashed black flames at anyone who approached.

Mo Zhu'er couldn't help but feel that this little girl was increasingly extraordinary.

"You three might as well stop here."

Just as they were less than ten miles from Xuanyue City, a voice filled with authority rang out.

A beam of light descended from the sky, and the Hehuan Sect master appeared, blocking Xu Ming and his companions' path.