Chapter 9: Escape

As soon as Karu landed, his figure flashed like lightning and charged straight toward Shi Yan. His speed was incredibly fast—being a warrior of the Innate Realm, his essence was deep and far superior to ordinary warriors of the Acquired Realm.

Mo Yan and Yu Feng followed closely behind, their eyes filled with killing intent. They pursued relentlessly, ignoring the rest of the Mo Clan's team, determined to capture and kill Shi Yan.

Shi Yan kept his composure. He channeled all his essence into his leg muscles. With each step, he slammed his feet into the ground, propelling his thin body forward by seven or eight meters, getting closer to the six White-Blade Jade Spiders.

"Crack! Crack! Crack!"

The spider legs of the White-Blade Jade Spiders dug into the wet ground as they scurried, quickly disappearing into the dense shrubs.

Shi Yan dove into the five or six-meter-high shrubs, his face growing even more serious. He focused his gaze on the leading White-Blade Jade Spider, disregarding its terrifying presence.

As soon as they entered the shrubs, the White-Blade Jade Spiders slowed down. Two of them suddenly turned around, their compound eyes glittering, seemingly enraged by the pursuit.

The White-Blade Jade Spiders, unaware of Shi Yan's intentions, assumed that the three humans were preparing for a final battle. One of the spiders let out a strange sharp cry, and suddenly the other four White-Blade Jade Spiders turned around, all targeting Shi Yan.

Shi Yan remained unfazed. He didn't slow down but instead accelerated toward the White-Blade Jade Spiders.

His focus intensified. It was as if everything around him became extraordinarily clear—he could hear the low, rumbling sounds the White-Blade Jade Spiders made to communicate and the whooshing of Karu moving at high speed behind him.

"Whoosh!"

As Shi Yan rapidly charged forward, his body cut through the air, the rushing sound of wind growing louder. Just as he was about to plunge into the heart of the White-Blade Jade Spider group, he suddenly changed direction in mid-air. He narrowly avoided a sharp spider leg and swiftly passed through one side of the group, not pausing at all as he shot forward.

The White-Blade Jade Spiders were enraged.

It seemed they felt mocked by the audacity of this human, who had dared to toy with them. With a sharp cry, all six White-Blade Jade Spiders suddenly accelerated and charged after Shi Yan.

Karu and Mo Yan, entering the shrubbery after him, soon found that Shi Yan had disappeared. They saw the six White-Blade Jade Spiders racing ahead.

Karu stopped abruptly, his eyes filled with cold light. "That kid must be hiding somewhere in the surrounding shrubs."

"Could he have crossed through the White-Blade Jade Spider group and made it to the front?" Mo Yan asked, her brows slightly furrowed.

"Hmph." Karu sneered disdainfully. "Even if he had the guts, he wouldn't have survived in the White-Blade Jade Spider group. The eight legs of the spiders in this dense underbrush are like meat grinders. This is their territory. If he becomes their target, it's a dead end for him."

"True." Mo Yan nodded and then separated from Karu, searching the shrubs for Shi Yan.

Shi Yan fled through the dark forest, the six White-Blade Jade Spiders closing in from behind. The gap between them was narrowing.

In this patch of shrubs, there were no towering ancient trees—only endless shrubs, which weren't very sturdy. With each swipe of the White-Blade Jade Spiders' legs, the shrubs were easily snapped apart.

Shi Yan couldn't find a high place to take refuge, so he had no choice but to run desperately, hoping to increase the distance between himself and the spiders.

Fortunately, a strange power had previously leaked from his acupoints, blending with his essence. This made his essence twice as thick and pure. Otherwise, with the relentless pursuit of the White-Blade Jade Spiders, he might have already collapsed, killed by the spiders' deadly legs.

The essence surged through his leg muscles, and Shi Yan felt as if his legs were inflated. With each stomp, he could propel himself forward a few meters, light as a feather. He secretly admired the wonders of his essence, solidifying his determination to become a powerful warrior.

After an unknown amount of time, Shi Yan began to feel fatigued. The essence flowing through his leg muscles was depleting, and his speed began to slow down.

However, the White-Blade Jade Spiders didn't slow down at all. These monsters, whose physical strength was immense, didn't require any external support and could move freely through the underbrush. Their eight legs made them swift and deadly.

The gap between them grew smaller...

Shi Yan's heart raced. Beads of sweat formed on his back. If this continued, it wouldn't be long before the White-Blade Jade Spiders caught up. Once his essence was exhausted, what could he use to fight them off?

Suddenly, a damp, watery scent wafted from the left side. Shi Yan's keen senses caught it, and his face lit up. Without hesitation, he changed direction, rushing toward the left.

Water!

His mental focus sharpened, and he immediately started listening for any sounds that might indicate a water source. Sure enough, after running for a few more minutes, he heard the pleasant sound of water rushing in the distance.

A few minutes later, Shi Yan's vision cleared. Ahead of him, a waterfall like a silver ribbon cascaded into a deep pool below. The water splashed against large rocks, sending pearl-like droplets flying. The mist hung in the air, creating a hazy atmosphere.

"Splash!"

Shi Yan shot into the cool water, feeling a great sense of relief. He thought to himself that this was his chance to escape.

"Splash! Splash! Splash! Splash!"

The six White-Blade Jade Spiders, upon reaching the pool, followed one by one, entering the water. They floated on the surface like little boats, their eight sharp legs slicing through the water as they rapidly advanced toward him.

Shi Yan, who had just taken a moment to catch his breath, cursed under his breath. Seeing the spiders drawing closer, he immediately dove into the pool, swimming down.

Holding his breath, Shi Yan descended to a depth of seven or eight meters before daring to look up.

From the depths, he could clearly see the six White-Blade Jade Spiders, their legs slashing violently through the water. The spiders couldn't dive into the depths of the pool, but their legs continued to hack at the surface.

At this point, Shi Yan finally relaxed. He stayed submerged at the bottom of the pool, holding his breath.

Shi Yan had often trained in holding his breath, so he was accustomed to it. With a single breath, he could stay underwater for over ten minutes.

The White-Blade Jade Spiders didn't stay in the pool for long. After hacking at the water's surface for a while, they climbed onto the shore, one by one.

Shi Yan floated up slightly from the bottom, but he stopped once he could see the six White-Blade Jade Spiders on the shore. He carefully observed them, waiting for them to leave.

Soon, the spiders wandered off.

Shi Yan surfaced, taking a deep breath of the damp air before quickly sinking back into the pool. He repeated this process, breathing in only when he was sure the spiders weren't returning, being cautious of Karu and Mo Yan, who might follow the spiders' tracks and catch up with him.

At the bottom of the pool, Shi Yan held his breath and began to reflect on the strange occurrences with his acupoints. When the two warriors died, he had been right next to them. Their life essence and blood had seemingly been absorbed by his acupoints. He could tell he had benefited from this.

While escaping with the White-Blade Jade Spiders, he had clearly felt a strange power spill from his acupoints. This power was pure and, when combined with his essence, greatly increased its strength.

Could it be that the power from the two dead warriors had been purified by his acupoints and then transferred to his body?