Xiao Jie suddenly flew out from the abyss-like giant mouth of the Giant Kunkun.

Without a trace of hesitation, he frantically circulated the immortal power within him, maximizing the speed of the Golden Crow Dharma Form, transforming into a golden rainbow light that tore through the sky, accelerating towards the vast open waters of the North Sea Territory ahead.

At this moment, alarms were ringing in his heart, and he dared not hesitate or linger for a second. Since achieving the immortal position and mastering extraordinary power, this was the first time he genuinely felt the crisis of life and death. The absolute crushing power level left him filled with a sense of powerlessness and urgency.

He could clearly feel that his recent loss to the opponent wasn’t due to any significant flaws in combat skills or wrong tactical choices in battle, but rather the essential gap caused by the vast disparity in realm cultivation. If the opponent were just one realm higher, a True Immortal, he might have stood a chance with a few powerful Dharma Forms of the Ten Thousand Transformations Immortal and the Divine Artifact in his hand.

But the opponent was an Earth Immortal! Two full major realms higher! It’s almost like the difference between immortals and mortals, a further ascension that makes the disparity as vast as clouds and mud, leaving no hope of facing them head-on.

Could not even break the defense... Xiao Jie recalled the attacks he launched earlier, and the way the opponent easily and casually dispelled them, his heart was filled with awe. This guy is too dangerous! With my current meager cultivation level as an Independent Immortal, facing him is like an egg hitting a rock, with no hope of victory.

To deal with this guy, even returning to join forces with the Daoists Lin Xuance, Wu Qingyue, and Su Zhiqing might not guarantee success; the risk is too high.

For safety, it’s most reliable to seek Shen Jizi’s help. Xiao Jie quickly considered that although Shen Jizi refrains from worldly affairs, the Gu Yun Immortals are completely relaxed, but Ma Yuan’s mysterious origin and strange behavior, neither like a Gu Yun Immortal nor a Penglai Immortal, would interest Shen Jizi. As long as Shen Jizi takes action, dealing with a mere Earth Immortal would be a piece of cake.

It would be best if that oblivious Ma Yuan pursued him all the way to Gu Yun State, alerting Shen Jizi and leading to his demise! If a Heavenly Immortal faces an Earth Immortal, it would be Ma Yuan who gets crushed, right?

As Xiao Jie thought this, he pushed the Golden Rainbow Escape Light Technique to its limit, and in an instant, he had flown thousands of meters away. While flying at full speed, he split his attention to observe the situation behind him. Indeed, he saw the figure of Ma Yuan emerging like a ghost from the mouth of the Giant Kunkun, hovering in mid-air as if searching for his trace.

Xiao Jie’s heart tightened, and he decisively pushed his immortal power to the extreme, making the golden escapelight even more dazzling and increasing the speed once more, leaving thousands of meters behind in the blink of an eye. He deliberately avoided using the concealment skill, but instead made the trail of escapelight left behind clearer and more noticeable, just waiting for the opponent to follow the trail and chase after him, so he could lead him all the way to Gu Yun State.

However, to his surprise, after Ma Yuan rushed out of the Kunkun’s mouth and scanned the surroundings, he didn’t immediately pursue but instead stopped beside the surging sea near the Kunkun, remaining motionless.

Huh? What is happening? Xiao Jie was greatly puzzled and couldn’t help but slow down a bit, watching from afar. This guy was clearly so aggressive and determined to kill me just now; why did he stop chasing all of a sudden? Is he wary of the external environment? Or is there another plot?

His mind was full of questions, and he activated the Eagle Eye Skill, focusing on Ma Yuan in the distance. Upon seeing, he was even more astonished to find that the glaringly conspicuous red hostile name above the opponent’s head had somehow turned green, indicating friendliness!

"What the hell? Is the system glitching? Or..." Xiao Jie was momentarily stunned, almost thinking he was seeing things. He blinked hard and confirmed once more that it was indeed the green "Ma Yuan (Mixed Element Immortal)" label.

He saw Ma Yuan hovering above the sea, not looking in the direction he had fled, but rather standing dazedly, glancing around at the vast and boundless North Sea, the somber and vast sky, the salty sea wind blowing by... His eyes were filled with confusion, unfamiliarity, and a dazedness like waking from a great dream.

Everything around him seemed particularly unfamiliar to him.

Recalling Ma Yuan’s previous mad words within the Kunkun’s belly about "Immortal Puppet," "they," and "this breath of spiritual energy of mine," then looking at this drastically different state now, Xiao Jie vaguely guessed: "Could it be... his previously insane and violent demeanor wasn’t his true nature? But rather the result of some reason leading to a lost mind or split personality? Now that he’s out of the special environment inside the Kunkun, or stimulated by something from the outside, has he regained clarity?"

This hypothesis is rather bold, but it’s not entirely impossible. Seeing Ma Yuan standing there seemingly lost in thought and memory, Xiao Jie struggled in his heart. Should he seize the chance to escape safely? Or take a risk and go back to investigate? After all, a sober Level 92 Earth Immortal who might hold ancient secrets is invaluable.

Ultimately, curiosity and the balance of potential gains won out. With clenched teeth, he decided to go over and take a look. As long as the opponent’s name is green, according to this world’s fundamental rules, he cannot initiate an attack on him. The power of the system is one of this world’s basic laws, and even an Earth Immortal, theoretically, cannot defy it—at least not without special reasons.