Li Kongcai and Yuan Yue returned and continued to guard their original positions.
By then, fewer people remained to watch.
Firstly, everyone was unfamiliar with Zhang Ergou.
Secondly, the previous deaths of more than a dozen lives had made those cultivators abandon their desire to compete.
Although the golden fire dragon appeared dazzling, it was no less dangerous, and it took lives silently.
Compared to life, no treasure was worth mentioning.
Of course, there were always a few who were defiant, or who believed themselves to be chosen ones.
Relying on their cultivation, they planned to make a big move once everyone else had left.
They were determined to claim the golden fire dragon as their own.
After the spiritual fire completely devoured the crimson fire dragon formed by the Crimson Flame Mountain Range, Zhang Ergou noticed many figures gathering nearby.
Among them were cultivators whose cultivation base surpassed the Nascent Soul stage, led by Liu Xun, the sect master of the Flowing Sea Sect.
With his current eyesight, he still couldn't sense Liu Xun's cultivation.
The inconspicuous old man beside Liu Xun appeared unfathomable.
Zhang Ergou's head spun.
He had just escaped from the tiger's jaws, and now he was facing a pack of wolves.
As he was worrying, a dozen anxious cultivators arrived, preparing to seize the spiritual fire.
Zhang Ergou's heart grew anxious.
However, before he could react, those dozen cultivators, who were not yet close, vanished, completely turning into nothingness.
He was even a little stunned and confused.
When he looked towards the golden fire dragon in the void, he clearly saw the golden fire dragon wink at him.
Only then did Zhang Ergou understand.
Although the spiritual fire had devoured the crimson fire dragon formed by the Crimson Flame Mountain Range, it had also inherited all the abilities of the Crimson Flame Mountain Range.
He clearly knew that the spiritual fire had not possessed such abilities before.
Zhang Ergou had known the spiritual fire was extraordinary, but it had never displayed such formidable power in his hands.
Things like taking lives from afar had never happened before.
If he had to explain it, it could only be attributed to its inheritance of all the abilities of the Crimson Flame Mountain Range.
Knowing this outcome, Zhang Ergou was overjoyed.
With this, the spiritual fire would also become a powerful weapon in the future.
When enemies were caught off guard, it could strike stealthily, inflicting immeasurable damage.
With a plan in mind, Zhang Ergou was no longer overly worried about the cultivators watching from the periphery.
He even considered going out and ambushing those who were trying to take advantage of the situation.
However, after careful consideration, his situation was not very favorable.
Although he didn't know why Liu Xun and the unfathomable old man had left, Li Kongcai and the person who later assisted Li Kongcai had returned.
It was clear that those two old men were still persistent.
It seemed they intended to put him to death.
Moreover, his possession of the spiritual fire seemed to have been exposed at the Flowing Sea Sect.
As an inner elder of the Flowing Sea Sect, Li Kongcai couldn't have been unaware of this.
Even if he hadn't heard of it, based on the principle of caution, Zhang Ergou couldn't act recklessly.
Besides, he was currently burdened with a "drag."
He hadn't figured out what reactions the spiritual fire would have after swallowing the Crimson Flame Mountain Range, so venturing out would be detrimental to him.
Having sorted out his predicament, Zhang Ergou no longer paid attention to the dwindling observers on the periphery.
Instead, he contemplated his escape.
"Brother Ergou, what should we do now?"
Although Liu Yaxuan's cultivation was not high, she could still feel the pressure emanating from those people.
If not for Zhang Ergou protecting her, she would have been unable to stand.
"Don't panic. Since some people are determined to wait for us to come out, why don't we do the opposite?"
Zhang Ergou's expression remained unchanged, and a plan formed in his mind.
Subsequently, through communication with the spiritual fire, Zhang Ergou discovered that the spiritual fire, after devouring the Crimson Flame Mountain Range, could not only split into several clones but also possessed rudimentary intelligence.
This was tremendous news for Zhang Ergou at this moment.
With the spiritual fire's cover, his plan would be even more flawless.
...
In the following days, Li Kongcai and Yuan Yue continued to meditate, waiting for Zhang Ergou to appear.
But after several days passed, the golden fire dragon in the sky was still circling, yet Zhang Ergou's figure was nowhere to be seen.
Eventually, even the young girl's figure disappeared.
At first, the two paid no attention.
Li Kongcai reasoned that the golden fire dragon hovering in the void was a manifestation of the mysterious flame within Zhang Ergou's body.
Since the golden fire dragon was present, Zhang Ergou must be nearby.
However, as days passed, their unease grew.
"Senior Brother, has that brat secretly run away?"
Yuan Yue seemed to feel his words lacked credibility and spoke softly.
However, his words suddenly startled Li Kongcai.
He had previously ordered Zhang Ergou to be captured and imprisoned in the Flowing Sea Sect.
Even under such a tight net, Zhang Ergou had escaped without a trace.
Now that the world was wide open and paths were everywhere, if Zhang Ergou wanted to leave, he would have done so long ago.
How foolish of them to have guarded here for over ten days.
"This is bad."
Li Kongcai slapped his thigh and immediately stood up.
He then intended to go to the Crimson Flame Mountain Range to investigate.
"Senior Brother, no."
Yuan Yue quickly stopped him, recalling the recent precedent.
The lives of those dozen cultivators had vanished into thin air before everyone's eyes.
Yuan Yue feared that Li Kongcai would suffer the same fate as those individuals.
But Li Kongcai, now enraged, could not afford to consider these things.
If his suspicions were true, Zhang Ergou would have long since fled, making them a laughingstock.
Li Kongcai did not want to be ridiculed by cultivators worldwide.
Seeing Li Kongcai charge straight towards the Crimson Flame Mountain Range, Yuan Yue could not fall behind. However, he was more cautious, keeping a significant distance behind Li Kongcai. This way, if something went wrong, he would have room to retreat.
However, when the two entered the ten-mile radius of the Crimson Flame Mountain Range, they did not encounter the expected scorching heat.
Even as they approached the Crimson Flame Mountain Range, they remained unharmed, feeling no discomfort.
The golden fire dragon in the void was still circling, but it seemed to have completely failed to notice the approaching duo.
"Junior Brother, we've been tricked."
At this point, Li Kongcai had no words to express his frustration.
This was not the first time he had been outsmarted by Zhang Ergou.
The circling golden fire dragon in the void was clearly a diversion. For all his years of cultivation, he had actually fallen for it.
"Senior Brother, you mean that brat... ran away?"