However, as I watched this group fighting me, their faces were flushed, and their movements were no longer as fluid and effortless as before; from time to time, they would toss medicinal pills into their mouths.
I secretly surmised that these people were not doing so well. Based on my previous experience killing eighteen men, a cultivator at the 9th Layer of Foundation Establishment can only maintain high-intensity combat for about forty minutes at most. Besides, this group had been chasing me for nearly an hour. In truth, I hadn't spent much time actually fighting them; most of the time, I was fleeing. But the fact that few people were resorting to sword flight to catch up told me one thing: sword flight must consume significant amounts of Spirit Qi.
It seemed these people now had to divert their Spirit Qi to suppress the drug's effects within their bodies. This was the perfect moment for me to strike; if I missed this chance, I might never get another. Even I can hold my breath for a minute, and they—while fighting me—could likely hold theirs even longer.
Chapter 407