"Don't let him escape! His strength is dropping!"
Jiang Baishan's eyes flashed. He had clearly sensed it—the man's Gang Yuan no longer carried the oppressive force it had earlier.
Without hesitation, he surged forward, longsword blazing with Gang Yuan light.
This intruder had appeared without warning. His motives were unknown, and allowing such a figure to vanish into the dark would leave the True Martial Sect unable to rest easy. If they could capture him alive, all the better.
Strike while the iron is hot.
Every True Disciple understood this principle.
Their cultivation methods came from the same root. Though they had yet to reach the fabled realm of the Nine Heavens Martial Saint, their coordination was seamless. Together, they forced Iron Dragon—already weakened—into a passive position.
Iron Dragon's fury boiled.
If not for the backlash from the Twin Hearts Gu—and his lack of desire to continue fighting—how could these juniors have pressed him so hard?
At this point, with Iron Eagle already dead near the Scripture Pavilion, there was no need to hide anything further.
Iron Dragon struck out with his palm.
Gang Yuan erupted, coiling like a raging dragon as it roared toward Ye Qinghe.
Jiang Baishan's expression changed sharply. He flashed forward, sword qi cascading down in layers. After several clashes, the dragon-shaped Gang Yuan finally shattered.
Bear Stone's eyes widened in recognition.
"River-Mixing Dragon! You're River-Mixing Dragon—one of the Iron Ridge Three Fiends!"
The name alone caused a ripple of shock.
Everyone had heard of the Iron Ridge Three Fiends. What made them truly terrifying was not individual strength, but the fact that the three always acted together.
Three Gang Yuan Realm experts.
The realization made hearts pound. Instinctively, the disciples scanned their surroundings, no longer daring to pursue recklessly.
In that brief hesitation—
Iron Dragon pulled away, rapidly widening the distance.
He cast a cold glance back at Jiang Baishan and the others, saying nothing.
Just then, a burly figure charged in from afar, voice like a beast's growl.
"Boss! I'm here! How did Second Brother die?!"
Bloodshot eyes. Savage aura.
Ground-Walking Tiger, Iron Tiger.
But his words stunned everyone.
Flying Sky Eagle… dead?
Iron Dragon roared:
"You fool! We've been set up—leave, now!"
There was no time to explain.
He turned and fled down the mountain without hesitation. Iron Tiger froze, stared unwillingly toward Zhenwu Mountain, then stomped his foot and followed.
No one from the True Martial Sect gave chase.
No one knew whether Flying Sky Eagle was truly dead—or whether this was bait. And even if he was dead, two Gang Yuan Realm experts were not something they could pursue lightly.
Deep in the mountain forest.
Iron Dragon finally stopped, breathing heavily.
"Damn it!"
His fist slammed into a tree, blasting a hollow through the trunk.
Iron Tiger snarled:
"Boss, what exactly happened? Those brats weren't worth fearing. How did Second Brother die?"
Iron Dragon turned sharply.
"That Wang bastard tricked us. The True Martial Sect doesn't just have Jiang Baishan—there's a hidden expert."
"I drew everyone's attention while Second Brother slipped into the Scripture Pavilion. But in less than a moment, the Twin Hearts Gu backfired."
His eyes darkened.
"Do you know what that means? He was killed—easily."
Iron Tiger's pupils shrank.
"You think it was Dragon Mountain Old Taoist?"
"I suspect it," Iron Dragon said grimly. "Maybe he never entered seclusion at all. Maybe he was waiting for us."
After a pause, Iron Tiger hesitated.
"If it were truly Dragon Mountain Old Taoist… we wouldn't have escaped so smoothly. And that hidden master didn't pursue us. Maybe Second Brother was careless?"
Iron Dragon fell silent, then shook his head.
"Second Brother was never careless. Even if it wasn't Dragon Mountain Old Taoist, whoever killed him is not simple."
He clenched his fists.
"Our identities are exposed. We leave Qing Province immediately. If Dragon Mountain Daoist comes looking later, the two of us won't survive."
Iron Tiger glanced back toward the mountain, unwilling.
"But my Overlord Tiger True Intent Diagram—"
"Enough," Iron Dragon snapped. "Don't lose your life over a dead thing. Go back now and you'll be walking straight into a trap."
Iron Tiger fell silent.
After a moment, Iron Dragon patted his shoulder.
"Ah Hu… from now on, it's just the two of us. This isn't over. Give us a few years. When we reach Jade Liquid—or even Core Formation—we'll return."
Iron Tiger grunted.
"Yes, Big Brother."
Yet irritation lingered in his heart. If it were his brother's legacy that was lost, would Big Brother still be so calm?
The two figures vanished into the night.
Back on the training ground of the True Martial Sect.
Torches burned bright. Jiang Baishan and the others remained tense, scanning the darkness.
"Why would the Iron Ridge Three Fiends target us?"
"Only two appeared… is Flying Sky Eagle truly dead?"
"If he died—who killed him?"
Questions piled up.
By the time Ning Qi arrived, the identities of the intruders had already spread among the disciples.
Iron Ridge Three Fiends…
Ning Qi's gaze lowered slightly.
So the one I killed was Flying Sky Eagle.
A thought surfaced—brief and dangerous.
Should I pursue them now and finish it?
He dismissed it almost immediately.
There was no certainty the Iron Ridge Three Fiends were the only enemies. Leaving the mountain now could invite disaster. Night pursuits through dense forests were also prone to ambush.
Protecting the mountain was the wiser choice.
Ning Qi quietly dispersed his disguise, returning to his youthful appearance, and stepped forward.
Ye Qinghe noticed him at once.
"Xiao Jiu? Why are you here?" she scolded. "There were intruders! What if you ran into one?"
"I heard the disturbance," Ning Qi replied gently. "I wanted to help Senior Brothers and Sisters."
The others relaxed, though they still warned him:
"If something like this happens again, hide properly. Leave it to us."
No matter how outstanding Ning Qi was, he was still young—in their eyes, not someone meant for battles of this level.
Just then, a shout rang out from afar.
"Second Senior Brother! Third Senior Sister! We found traces of a fight—and a corpse!"
All eyes snapped in that direction.