Before leaving the ruins, Xu Chen had made preparations. Upon discovering Elder Jian and the others outside, he had retreated decisively, then absorbed and refined the Wind Artistic Conception crystal he had recently acquired. Afterward, he entered the Heavenly Emperor Palace, utilizing the time dilation between the palace and the outside world to contemplate the Wind Artistic Conception. Inside the palace, he had managed to elevate his understanding of the essence of wind to sixty percent, surpassing his Sword Intent by ten percent.
Xu Chen tapped his toes against the ground. Enveloped in the essence of wind, his body dissipated like a breeze. A moment later, a blurred afterimage appeared hundreds of meters away; before one could blink, that shadow vanished with the wind, appearing even further ahead.
In the valley, wind blew from all directions. Xu Chen’s figure flickered, moving with the currents. Hearing the whistling of the wind, the scarred man turned his head; seeing no sign of Xu Chen, he breathed a sigh of relief. He had finally shaken him off. A sense of smugness welled up in him. Among the eight guards protecting Fang Xingchen, his strength was not particularly outstanding, but he possessed two advantages others lacked: decisiveness—had he hesitated to abandon Fang Xingchen and flee, he would likely be dead—and speed. Without his speed, he could never have escaped Xu Chen’s pursuit.
Chapter 98