The Humpback Mountains stretched far and wide, a rare mountain range in the otherwise flat Central Region.

Named for its resemblance to a camel’s hump, it possessed two main peaks known as the East Hump and the West Hump.

When cultivators spoke of travel speed, they rarely meant their absolute maximum. Instead, it referred to the fastest pace they could maintain without compromising their combat prowess.

In this extraordinary world, danger lurked everywhere. Unless facing an urgent situation, no one would sacrifice their strength for speed.

Moreover, within the territories of major powers, recklessly flying at high speeds could easily be seen as a provocation. Unless one’s aura was registered with the power, and permission granted beforehand.

Jiang Wang maintained a brisk pace, about ninety percent of his maximum sustainable speed.

Ever since he learned of Hai Zongming’s murderous intent, he maintained this pace during the day, still stopping to cultivate at night. A very stable and predictable routine.

This was to maintain his usual travel habits and avoid arousing Hai Zongming’s suspicion. It also made it easier for Hai Zongming to track his movements.

The Humpback Mountains were his chosen battlefield. Entering the mountains meant that Hai Zongming could strike at any moment.

Every half-incense stick of time, Jiang Wang stopped to survey the environment within a fifty-li radius using the Rouge Mirror. Of course, he mainly observed the eastern direction.

As for forward, he had already entered the West Hump and was busy setting up a sword formation. As a successor to one of the three great swordplay masters of the flying sword era, his methods were sure to be even more sophisticated than Jiang Wang’s.

Once Jiang Wang spotted Hai Zongming, he would immediately head towards the West Hump, luring him into the sword formation.

The sky darkened.

Jiang Wang found a rocky outcrop to rest.

The location wasn’t chosen randomly. The eastern side was blocked by rocks and trees, making it difficult to spot at first glance. But when he used the Rouge Mirror to observe the surroundings, the obstructed view was not a consideration.

He was almost out of the East Hump, yet there was still no sign of Hai Zongming.

If he crossed the West Hump without encountering him, and left forward’s ambush point, Jiang Wang would abandon the attempt. He would grit his teeth and hire the Door to Hell to take action. The Central Region was densely populated with many influences. Further ahead, it would be hard to find an open environment as the Humpback mountains, making ambushes prone to complications.

Each night of travel was Jiang Wang’s usual cultivation time. But since he was already within the Humpback Mountains, Jiang Wang wasn’t foolish enough to cultivate. Instead, he just sat there and casually set up a Vine Serpent Entanglement to envelop the Rouge Mirror, then entered the mirror world to observe the surroundings.

It was incredibly tedious. Perhaps an entire night would pass without any changes in the fifty-li radius. Yet he needed to carefully observe every rustle and stir, lest he miss something.

If Hai Zongming caught him off guard, all his plans would be for naught.

Jiang Wang steeled his heart, attentively observing the limits of the Rouge Mirror’s projection, fully focused and without a moment’s distraction. He would not allow himself to be careless.

Around the fourth watch, a figure flashed and vanished within the Rouge Mirror’s range.

Hai Zongming had arrived!

Jiang Wang immediately leaped out of the Rouge Mirror, without the slightest hesitation.

*Bang bang bang bang bang!* Explosions rang out in rapid succession, as he instantly transformed into a Flame Meteor, fleeing westwards.

At that moment, the bright moon hung high in the sky.

A fiery meteor streaked across the dark.

It was indeed a perfect time to kill.

Upon learning that Jiang Wang had left the borders of Qi, Hai Zongming instantly realized that this was a golden opportunity. A genius outside the protection of Qi was just a genius.

Even the most talented individuals needed time to grow.

If he missed this chance, his chances of reclaiming the Rouge Mirror would only diminish.

So he decisively announced his retreat into secluded cultivation, but secretly left Crescent Moon Island.

Of course, he didn’t know that the news of his departure had been “leaked” the moment he left the island.

The world was vast. Few people knew where Jiang Wang had gone, but it wasn’t a problem for Hai Zongming.

He was tracking Jiang Wang with a secret treasure called the Qi Compass.

The “qi” in question was not air, but the life force energy: essence, vitality, and spirit. Something that everyone needed and could not avoid.

By secretly collecting a bit of Jiang Wang’s “qi” from a place he had lived, he could easily track him.

Linzi might have been a bit troublesome, but Green Sheep Town was practically undefended for Hai Zongming.

Relying on the Qi Compass, he pursued Jiang Wang relentlessly. Jiang Wang’s pace was normal, traveling by day and resting at night, seemingly unaware of his pursuer. It was only natural, really. If not for the clue he had read in that ancient text, he himself would never had suspected he was seeking to kill the murderer of Hu Shaomeng.

He did not foresee his own actions, so how could anyone else have anticipated them?

He chased day and night, finally nearing his target. The Qi Compass indicated that Jiang Wang was in the Humpback Mountains.

Of course, he knew that Jiang Wang was a Divine Power Inner Mansion cultivator, and even that his divine power was the Samadhi True Fire. But that didn’t shake his confidence in the least.

It was said that a Divine Power Inner Mansion cultivator could rival a normal Outer Building cultivator. But there was still a difference in the end. Jiang Wang only had one mansion opened, while he had established four buildings.

Hai Zongming had fought on the seas his entire life. He wasn’t one of those cultivators who were pampered and lacked practical combat experience. What reason did he have to fail to capture Jiang Wang?

When he spotted the Flame Meteor that Jiang Wang had transformed into, he was overjoyed instead of surprised.

He did not know how Jiang Wang had discovered him, but it was consistent with the peculiarities of a genius, wasn’t it?

Jiang Wang’s decisive flight indicated he lacked the confidence to face an Outer Building powerhouse.

Hai Zongming’s mind raced, but his movements were not slow.

In the night sky, four brilliant points of light appeared in the east, south, west, and north, and vast starlight descended.

He directly activated the Four Saintly Towers!

A lion uses its full strength to hunt a rabbit. Although Hai Zongming was certain that he could easily kill Jiang Wang, he wouldn’t let carelessness offer the target an opportunity.

What was fifty li to a peak Outer Building cultivator?

When Jiang Wang discovered Hai Zongming, he was still fifty li away. By the time he transformed into a Flame Meteor and flew to the West Hump, Hai Zongming’s tall figure had already appeared in sight!

He would arrive in an instant!

The starlight of the Four Saintly Towers blessed his body, and he released a magic artifact at the very first moment.

A faint dragon roar echoed in the air, and the phantom of a divine dragon flashed past, already overtaking the rapidly fleeing Flame Meteor.

Hai Zongming’s most powerful magic artifact, the Dragon Imprisoning Rope!

Bind at a touch, inescapable to gods and ghosts!

Just as the Dragon Imprisoning Rope was about to capture its target, Jiang Wang leaped out of the Flame Meteor.

Suddenly, a black chain shot out of the void, colliding with the Dragon Imprisoning Rope.

It was exquisitely coincidental and desperately urgent.

The Body Imprisoning Chain!

One of the ten most famous chains of the Legalist School. If cultivated to mastery, it would naturally be comparable to the Dragon Imprisoning Rope. But Jiang Wang was just a beginner, so the Body Imprisoning Chain, specially designed for binding people, was immediately restrained.

However, the Dragon Imprisoning Rope lost its target because of this.

This was precisely the countermeasure Jiang Wang had planned in advance.

At the same time, he fell from the sky as if losing his balance.

Jiang Wang landed, and the sound of swords rang out.

This was already the West Hump.

The Flame Meteor was currently his fastest speed, and it also served as a reminder to forward.