Chapter 369: Don't Go

However, there were also objective reasons for seeking a swift resolution: the whirlwind he had created was extinguished by the immense power of his opponent's sword.

Without the whirlwind, he had no leverage in the air. It would take some time to create another gust, but the masked figure below was incredibly decisive and gave him no chance. There wasn't enough time. Summoning lightning from above would also be futile, as the opponent was clearly not afraid of it.

Without external forces, he lacked the ability to levitate or move agilely in the air, as his true cultivation had not yet reached that level.

As he fell and the masked figure charged, he had nowhere to evade. What choice did he have but to engage in close combat and aim for a swift conclusion?

In fact, his close-quarters combat skills were formidable, leaving him fearless.

Before the light completely faded from the expanding, enormous, fragmented pillar, the observing Yanbao Sect disciples, along with Xu and You, all witnessed a figure charging upward against the surge within it.

What? He's not dead yet?

Everyone was stunned. Had they not heard the thunderous impact, and had they not seen Li Hongjiu charging down with his sword to engage, they would have believed their eyes were deceiving them.

How was this possible?

They tried to get a clear look to confirm, but the light and shadows within the pillar vanished. Countless fragmented, wispy clouds then obscured their vision, and the lighting in the Land of Ignorance was poor to begin with.

*Bang!* An explosive shockwave erupted from within the wispy clouds.

The sound of their clash confirmed that the masked figure was, in fact, still alive.

The moment their weapons met in close quarters, Li Hongjiu finally understood the nature of the explosive sounds he had heard earlier. The instant their blade and sword clashed, he felt an explosive force radiating from the opponent's weapon.

This explosive force might not have been extremely powerful, but the jolt and cushioning effect it created upon impact were sufficient to absorb most of the force of his attack.

This surprised him, yet after the clang of their weapons, it also confirmed that his opponent's cultivation was not particularly high.

This was no time for extensive thought. The instant they engaged, his superior cultivation and faster reaction time became evident. As their weapons recoiled from the impact, he seized the opportunity to deliver a swift palm strike directly to his opponent's chest.

To his surprise, the opponent neither blocked nor dodged, but instead forcefully delivered a palm strike to his own chest.

Li Hongjiu felt a slight surprise. Regardless of the consequences his superior cultivation might inflict with a direct hit, he had launched his attack first. He would connect before his opponent, and his palm strike's force would surely push the opponent away before their counter-attack could reach him.

He already suspected there was something unusual about Shi Chun's palm strike.

In that fleeting moment of crossing paths, there was no opportunity for further deliberation, nor did he intend to withdraw his hand. He was confident that his self-mastered cultivation technique possessed unique intricacies, rendering him immune to harm from a single palm strike.

Even a perfected Human Immortal might not be able to injure him.

*Boom!* After landing a direct palm strike on the masked figure's chest, he immediately understood the mystery: the opponent also possessed that explosive force protecting their body, capable of cushioning a significant portion of his palm strike's power.

Even so, based on the way their weapons had clashed and recoiled, his palm strike should have been powerful enough to knock the masked figure away, preventing the masked figure's counter-strike from landing.

Yet, when his palm struck the masked figure's chest, the remaining force surprisingly failed to produce the expected effect of knocking them away, or at least not with the powerful repulsion he had anticipated. The insufficient power naturally meant a slower repulsion speed.

This realization startled him. Had the opponent been feigning weakness and concealing their true cultivation from the very beginning?

Shi Chun's eyes glinted with fierceness; trading a palm strike for a palm strike was precisely what he had been waiting for.

Indeed, the opponent's cultivation was one realm higher than his, but he was protected by demonic arts, and beneath that, by a precious garment. With this dual protection, the opponent's cultivation wasn't so overwhelming that he couldn't endure it.

He only needed one successful palm strike to suffice. His "Demon-Unraveling Hand" technique had proven infallible, with virtually no exceptions; anyone hit was typically doomed, unless they were wearing a unique protective artifact like Mulan Qingqing's special armor.

This was his ultimate technique!

The result was a solid *thud* as a palm strike landed squarely on Li Hongjiu's chest.

Only then did the two, who had crossed paths, truly separate.

One was oriented head-down and feet-up, the other feet-down and head-up; they quickly passed each other after separating.

Almost simultaneously, the subdued wind in their immediate vicinity was finally overtaken by external forces. Powerful gusts, sweeping in like wind columns from all directions, instantly ripped apart the fragmented, pillar-shaped cloud mist, revealing the two figures as they crossed paths.

The masked figure was indeed still alive. The Yanbao Sect disciples were filled with disbelief, wondering who that person was and how someone stronger than their Junior Uncle could have possibly entered.

This time, even they began to suspect that an elder guarding the exit might have intervened.

Xu and You, meanwhile, showed expressions of surprise and extreme excitement. Even though they were somewhat blackened by the lightning, their delight was evident.

Powerful! The person sent from above is truly too powerful!

Of the two combatants, one surged upward while the other descended toward the ground.

The surging Shi Chun sneered, unwilling to let his opponent escape. Activating his Cloud-Stepping Boots, he spun around and plunged downward, now oriented head-first, brandishing his blade in pursuit.

Someone struck by his "Demon-Unraveling Hand" technique, still tries to run?

He distinctly felt that the palm force of his "Demon-Unraveling Hand" had decisively breached the opponent's defenses and penetrated their body.

Encountering such an opponent in the Divine Fire Domain, he would not grant them an inch of respite. When facing someone with abnormally high power, who knew what could happen if they recovered? Leaving them alive would surely invite future trouble. He resolved to strike while they were weakened and finish them off.

This reversal of the chase was too clear; at the very least, it proved the masked figure had no fear of Li Hongjiu.

This scene sent shivers down the Yanbao Sect disciples' spines. *Surely not*, they thought, *Junior Uncle is so powerful, he can't be losing, can he?*

Xu and You's eyes widened, and they held their breath.

Li Hongjiu landed first, rolling to his feet. He then swung his sword skyward, *boom*, deflecting the masked figure's fierce downward strike.

Then, almost identically to their previous encounter, he thrust a palm into the air, while the plummeting Shi Chun delivered a palm strike toward him.

The two, one above and one below, met palms in a direct line.

*Clang!* A resounding impact.

Li Hongjiu stood unmoving and unshaken, only his robes fluttering in the wind.

Shi Chun was sent flying sideways, landing then stumbling back two steps, his eyes fixed on Li Hongjiu as if he had just seen a ghost.

Li Hongjiu, meanwhile, smiled brightly and said, "Quite interesting. This trip to the Divine Fire Domain wasn't in vain. Don't go; let's enjoy ourselves a little longer."

Not staying was out of the question. Shi Chun, looking as if he had seen a ghost, immediately turned and fled.

All his previous fierce determination vanished. Seizing the opportunity before the wind gathered force again, he turned and sprinted away as if his life depended on it.

His sudden change in demeanor was entirely due to that last palm strike.

Heaven knew the depth of his shock. This Li Hongjiu actually also cultivated the 'Demonic Bath Art', and the palm strike he had just exchanged with him had precisely used the 'Demon-Unraveling Hand' technique.

Having cultivated the 'Demon-Unraveling Hand' for years, he knew it intimately; there was no mistaking it. That palm strike was truly the 'Demon-Unraveling Hand', perfect in every detail.

It had caught him completely off guard, causing him to stumble upon landing. He had only managed to neutralize its effects by urgently activating his Demonic Bath Art.

No wonder the opponent had endured his "Demon-Unraveling Hand" without appearing affected and had even handled him with ease. This was entirely unlike anyone else who had ever been struck by that technique. It dawned on him that the opponent also cultivated this very art.

His cultivation was inferior, the opponent knew what he knew, and the opponent had superior numbers. How could he possibly continue this fight? Wait until people from other factions arrived?

His greatest concern now was not the arrival of other factions, but that he had exposed the opponent's secret. If the opponent knew he was aware of their demonic cultivation, they would surely kill him to silence him.

If the opponent decided to drop all pretense and attack openly, given their cultivation, he stood no chance.

This smiling tiger was too deeply hidden, too sinister. How could he dare to linger for even a moment? Whether he could escape or not, he had to try first.

And so, filled with profound shock, he fled in a panic.

Xu and You, hidden in the shadows, were greatly surprised, unsure what had transpired. The one who had just been so imposing and vigorous had suddenly turned and fled.

Seeing this, the two couldn't remain idle. They immediately vanished, using the terrain for cover, and pursued in the direction Shi Chun had fled.

Li Hongjiu, with one bare arm, stood silently clutching his sword. He made no move to pursue. After watching them disappear, the smile abruptly vanished from his face, and he once again made a hand sign, casting a spell into the wind.

Consequently, the winds impeding Shi Chun's escape grew more ferocious. Sensing his opponent's intent to block him, Shi Chun redoubled his efforts, desperately fleeing with all his might.

Seeing this, the group of Yanbao Sect disciples quickly gathered around Li Hongjiu.

After glancing at their silent Junior Uncle, Guang Haoyou waved his hand and commanded, "Pursue!"

No sooner had he spoken than Li Hongjiu raised the sword in his hand horizontally, a clear gesture of deterrence. He spoke softly, "Don't pursue them. You are not his match."

His voice was so quiet that they could barely hear him.

The disciples exchanged glances, thinking, *We might not be his match, but don't we still have you, Junior Uncle? He's already been driven away in disarray by you, hasn't he? We can simply act as lookouts and keep an eye on him.*

Li Hongjiu offered no explanation. Only when he sensed Shi Chun had fled far enough did he lower his hand gesture. His gaze swept around, then he walked toward a nearby, smooth stone pillar about his height.

Standing before the pillar, he raised his empty palm flat towards the sky, gradually bringing it to chest height. After a brief moment of silence, he suddenly clapped his palm onto the stone pillar without much sound.

After retracting his palm, his body trembled slightly, and he let out a muffled groan, then unexpectedly spat a mouthful of blood in front of everyone.

As the fresh blood was carried away by the wind, the Yanbao Sect disciples collectively gasped in concerned alarm, "Junior Uncle..."

They rushed to surround him. By this point, even a fool would understand why their Junior Uncle forbade pursuit: he had been injured by the masked figure and had simply been enduring, with no strength left for another fight.

Yet, what they couldn't grasp was why the masked figure had fled in disarray, and if the masked figure was also injured, why their Junior Uncle wouldn't allow them to give chase.

Li Hongjiu, who had produced an 'ice sheep' and was heavily trying to regain his breath near his mouth and nose, waved a dismissive hand, signaling that he was alright, and simultaneously gestured for those surrounding him to clear the way.

Once the area around the stone pillar was clear, he swiftly swung his sword horizontally, instantly slicing off a section of it. He then sheathed his sword, pulled out a piece of sandalwood gold for illumination, and meticulously examined the stone pillar's smooth, cut surface.