Chapter 73: Egrets and Clams in Conflict

Clang—

The tip of the blade struck the throat of the first-tier Enforcer, making a harsh clang as if it had hit steel. The Usurper of Fire felt a sudden numbness in his hand, and an ominous premonition surged within him. The next moment, the off-balance Enforcer suddenly twisted, and a black fist whistled, smashing into the Usurper's jaw. The terrifying force directly sent him flying.

Broken teeth, mixed with blood, scattered across the barren ground. That punch left the Usurper of Fire dazed and disoriented. He instinctively raised his hand, attempting to steal his opponent's weapon, but his grasp met only empty air. He couldn't steal someone's "fist."

The Enforcer himself hadn't expected the frontal combat strength of these "thieves" to be so poor. His confidence soared, and he suddenly unleashed a whip kick. Just then, his vision abruptly turned black! Losing his target and direction, his kick landed in empty air, and he almost fell to the ground himself from losing his balance.

"What's happening? I, I can't see..." Losing his sight in such a chaotic battlefield panicked the Enforcer who had just embarked on the Divine Path. Like a blind man, he raised his hands, fumbling in the darkness, calling out in terror. Then, he felt a chill on the back of his neck, as if something was pressed against it.

Bang—!

A gunshot rang out. His head instantly exploded, blood and brain matter splattering onto the ground like a blossoming bouquet.

A wisp of smoke drifted from the gun muzzle. Number 8 stood behind the collapsed corpse, holding the gun in one hand, his face devoid of expression.

"I told you, don't underestimate them."

The Usurper of Fire, whose jaw had been shattered by the punch, struggled to his feet, his eyes filled with pain.

Number 8 looked towards the nearby battle. Four first-tier Enforcers of the Divine Path of Arms and four Usurpers of Fire were locked in a fierce struggle. In close combat, the Divine Path of Arms had a clear advantage, almost completely dominating the other Usurpers of Fire, who could only barely hold their ground by continuously stealing weapons.

Among the seven Usurpers of Fire who had entered the Ancient Armory, only Number 8 had reached the third tier. He snorted coldly, about to head towards that battle, when a voice came from a distance:

"Fire."

A Xuan paper unfolded in the wind, and a scorching fireball instantly shot out from the character for "fire," heading directly for Number 8's face!

Number 8's brow furrowed, and he immediately retreated. A fierce burst of fire erupted where he had just been, nearly engulfing him.

"Just a first-tier Enforcer of the Divine Path of Calligraphy, seeking death!" A cold glint flashed in Number 8's eyes. He immediately abandoned his plan to help the other Usurpers of Fire and charged towards Pu Wen on the hillside. Pu Wen's expression was grave. He unhesitatingly pulled out another piece of Xuan paper from his sleeve, but just as he was about to unfurl it, the paper vanished into thin air.

At the same time, Number 8 tore the Xuan paper in his hand into pieces and spoke coldly, "I've stolen your character. Let's see what else you can do?"

Seeing Number 8 getting closer, Pu Wen instinctively took a step back and shouted to the side:

"Yan Xicai! What are you waiting for?!"

As soon as the words left his mouth, Yan Xicai, who had been hiding and watching, finally made his move. He raised his hand, adorned with a ruby ring, into the air, and a chilling word escaped his throat:

"Twist—"

An invisible twisting force erupted from nothingness. Number 8's hair immediately stood on end. He instantly dodged to the side, but even so, his right hand was caught in the effect!

The sound of bones breaking filled the air. Number 8's arm was visibly twisted like a rope, hanging limply. He let out a painful growl, his eyes filled with rage as he looked at Yan Xicai. The moment their eyes met, Yan Xicai turned and ran without hesitation!

"Just as I thought," a sharp glint flickered in Pu Wen's eyes. "Your 'stolen items' also have a distance limit... You can steal my Xuan paper right now, but you can't steal his ring. This maximum distance... should be less than fifty meters?"

Number 8's heart skipped a beat. He looked at Pu Wen with unprecedented seriousness. He had underestimated these young people. This guy had already formulated a plan specifically against him!

Number 8 gave a glance to a nearby Usurper of Fire, who immediately understood. He instantly stole several weapons and pursued Yan Xicai in the direction he was fleeing. Initially, many Enforcers who had not yet embarked on the Divine Path were blocking that route, but seeing Number 10 charging menacingly, they gasped and frantically scrambled to the sides, clearing a path for him.

"You're very clever, but so what?" Number 8 turned back, speaking grimly. "Your teammate doesn't seem so reliable... He ran away. How will you survive?"

Pu Wen remained silent. He didn't pull out any more Xuan paper. Instead, he made a hand seal in front of him with one hand and softly chanted, "Wind."

Simultaneously, a life-saving Xuan paper hidden beneath his inner clothing rapidly faded. A whirlwind materialized from nothingness, making his robes billow. His body flickered, and with the aid of the wind, he fled into the distance at an astonishing speed!

He still had Xuan paper?! Number 8 gritted his teeth and quickly gave chase. He had realized that this young man from the Divine Path of Calligraphy was Yan Xicai's strategist and the most troublesome opponent.

Number 10 was already pursuing Yan Xicai; once he stole the latter's ritual artifact, killing him shouldn't be difficult. As long as Pu Wen and Yan Xicai were dead, this disorganized group of Enforcers would pose no significant threat.

Meanwhile.

Yan Xicai, accompanied by two Enforcers, sprinted into the distance.

"Young Master Yan, aren't you going to help Young Master Pu as planned?" an Enforcer asked in confusion.

"Help how? If I don't run now, they'll steal my ring soon. How would I defend myself then?" Yan Xicai clutched the ring in his hand as if it were a treasure. "This item is extremely precious... It absolutely cannot fall into anyone else's hands."

The three ran for several hundred meters before stopping to catch their breath. Yan Xicai was about to say something else when his palm suddenly felt light. He froze, then looked down.

The red ring was gone.

"I finally caught up," a voice came from nearby. Yan Xicai turned to see the Usurper of Fire, designated Number 10, toying with the red ring, sneering at the three of them. "Run, why aren't you running now?"

Yan Xicai's face instantly turned ashen.

Without hesitation, he pushed the two Enforcers from behind, sending them stumbling towards Number 10, while he himself turned and continued to sprint down the hillside. The two Enforcers had no idea Yan Xicai would be so ruthless. Caught completely off guard, they crashed directly into Number 10.

Number 10 snorted coldly. A short sword slid into his palm. After dodging half a step to the side, he instantly slashed one Enforcer's throat. The other reacted, cried out, and tried to flee, but was still struck down by Number 10's sword. Two bodies fell one after another. Covered in blood, Number 10 looked in the direction Yan Xicai had fled, his gaze incredibly cold.