"What?"

The sudden turn of events not only startled the Purple-Eyed Iron Armor Dragon, but even the heavily injured Black Bear’s eyes went wide.

The two Ultimate Venerables never imagined that after fighting so hard for so long, their prize would be snatched away by a human who appeared out of nowhere.

The Purple-Eyed Iron Armor Dragon might not have known who this human was, but how could the Black Bear not recognize him?

"Dammit!"

When Zi Tong saw that the figure who had snatched the jade bottle was a human, he nearly exploded with rage. With a long roar, he stomped his massive hind legs on the ground, his huge body shooting forward like an arrow!

"Give me back the Spiritual Liquid...!"

Although the Black Bear had been pierced by the Iron Armor Dragon’s sharp horn, the wound wasn’t fatal. Seeing the dragon charge, it too shot forward in pursuit.

’These two are really fast!’

The one who had snatched the Spiritual Liquid was, of course, Nie Yun, who had been hiding off to the side. He was now pushing his strength to the absolute limit, moving like a flash of lightning. In the blink of an eye, he reached the spot where he’d stolen the liquid from.

He had only just arrived when he realized the two Ultimate Venerable Level Demon Beasts were already closing in on him.

As expected of Ultimate Venerable Demon Beasts, their speed was more than three times greater than his. Nie Yun calculated that if he kept running, he wouldn’t make it three hundred meters before they caught him.

Once they caught him, a combined attack from two Ultimate Venerable Level Demon Beasts would mean certain death.

’Trying to chase me? Bring it on!’

Nie Yun had anticipated this. With a sinister chuckle, his body blurred into an afterimage as he dove back into the cave he had dug earlier.

The moment he was inside, he whipped out the Profound Jade Sword and unleashed a flurry of wild slashes behind him.

RUMBLE!

The Profound Jade Sword was immensely powerful. Combined with the Momentum of Mountains and Rivers he had comprehended, it shattered the already narrow passage, sealing the cave entrance once more.

"You’re courting death!"

Seeing the escape tunnel blocked, the Purple-Eyed Iron Armor Beast let out a long roar and slammed itself against the cliff face.

BOOM! Its immense power gouged a massive crater, over ten meters deep, into the rock wall.

But that was as far as it got. It was impossible for it to advance any further.

The granite’s hardness was trivial for an Ultimate Venerable Demon Beast, but how could digging through it possibly be faster than simply chasing its prey? 𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝚠𝕖𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝕖𝚕.𝚌𝗼𝗺

Besides, even if Nie Yun hadn’t collapsed the tunnel, the massive bodies of the Purple-Eyed Iron Armor Dragon and the Black Bear were too large to fit inside, let alone give chase.

"Zi Tong, I have no grudge against you. This was all for that drop of Primordial Essence Spirit Liquid! I know where he’s going to escape. Why don’t we work together? I’ll go stand guard over there. If he comes out that way, I’ll kill him. If he tries to double back this way, you kill him here! Whoever kills him first gets the liquid. How about it?"

Just as Zi Tong was seething with rage, the voice of the Black Bear, Tie Yan, came from behind him.

"You’re right, we have no real grudge against each other. Fine, we’ll do it your way!"

Zi Tong thought about it and realized it was true. He and the Black Bear had coexisted for several hundred years, their only conflict of interest being the Primordial Essence Spirit Liquid. Now that a human had stolen the liquid, what the hell was left for them to fight over?

Realizing this, he immediately agreed to Tie Yan’s terms.

A mere human at the Armor Realm had managed to infuriate two proud Ultimate Venerable Demon Beasts. At this point, killing the human had become their top priority, and the importance of the Primordial Essence Spirit Liquid had faded into the background.

If Nie Yun knew that stealing the Primordial Essence Spirit Liquid had not only erased the enmity between the two Demon Beasts but also turned them into partners, he probably wouldn’t know whether to laugh or cry.

As it was, Nie Yun truly didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.

He raced through the tunnel and reached the other exit of the Sword Burial Tomb’s cave system. Just as he was about to make his escape, he found the Black Bear already blocking the way.

’This guy is way too fast!’

’If he weren’t guarding the entrance, I could just charge out. With the Profound Jade Sword and the Momentum of the Earth, those Qi Sect Demon Beasts outside wouldn’t stand a chance!’

’Once I get some distance, I can call the Wind Wolf King to pick me up and make a clean getaway!’

’After all, the Wind Wolf King is an Ultimate Venerable, and a speed-type Demon Beast at that. Even carrying me, there’s no way those two could ever catch us!’

’But in this situation, with two Ultimate Venerable Demon Beasts and dozens of Qi Sect Demon Beasts on guard, I wouldn’t dare call the Wind Wolf King even if I could!’

’I went to so much trouble to tame an Ultimate Venerable Demon Pet. If I call it here now, those two will surely team up and kill it. If that happens, it’ll be too late for regrets!’

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

As he grimaced, he heard the Black Bear outside erupt in a furious rage, its powerful attacks hammering wildly against the cliff face.

It seemed to be aware that attacking the cave directly would trigger the Sword Burial King’s deadly Sword Array. So, instead of striking the cave itself, it aimed for a spot two to three hundred meters away, intending to isolate Nie Yun within the mountain itself.

In its eyes, if it hollowed out the entire area around the cave, the boy would have no escape. Even if the beasts couldn’t charge into the Sword Array, he would be trapped inside and die.

"All of you, move! Watch every direction—up, down, left, and right! Don’t you dare let this brat escape!"

At its command, the dozens of Peak Qi Sect Demon Beasts nearby attacked simultaneously. The entire cliff face erupted in an endless series of explosions, and countless shards of rock tumbled down past the cave entrance.

"This brat must die!"

The Purple-Eyed Iron Armor Dragon flew over as well. It and the Black Bear, the two Ultimate Venerable Demon Beasts, hovered in mid-air and relentlessly assaulted the cliff face.

’Now there’s really nowhere to run...’

Seeing the rock being hollowed out from the left, right, and above, with Demon Beasts guarding the area below, Nie Yun knew he was well and truly trapped. There was no escape.

Last time, he had a Purple Flame Tiger for rations. Now, with two Ultimate Venerable Demon Beasts personally standing guard, forget about rations—he couldn’t get his hands on anything at all.

’Weren’t these two just trying to kill each other a minute ago? How are they working together now? Dammit!’

Nie Yun couldn’t understand it. Just moments ago, the Black Bear and the Purple-Eyed Iron Armor Dragon had been locked in a bitter battle, eager to kill one another. Why had they suddenly joined forces?

In reality, it wasn’t that hard to understand. Imagine two enemies dueling to the death when a tiger suddenly appears. Would they continue trying to kill each other, or would they team up to fight their common foe?

The answer was obvious. They would choose the latter.

This was precisely why the two Demon Beasts were able to unite. The human was, after all, an outsider. In the face of a common enemy from another race, even the greatest of grudges had to be put aside.

’Go ahead and stand guard. With the Sword Array protecting this place, you don’t dare charge in anyway. Since that’s the case, I’ll just consume the Primordial Essence Spirit Liquid and break through to the second Nirvana!’

A ruthless look appeared on his face. With a flick of his wrist, Nie Yun took out the jade bottle he had just stolen.