Since the fight had already begun, all pretense was gone. Ning Beichen launched his ultimate move as soon as he acted.
A colossal sword slashed towards them.
With a thunderous boom!
The two must not have anticipated the sheer power of Ning Beichen's attack. Despite their combined efforts, they were sent flying by a single sword strike.
Ning Beichen, however, did not linger to fight. He immediately fled into the distance. Luo Yingying was in seclusion nearby, so he had to find a way to lure them away.
These two, having been tricked by a mere youngster, were enraged and pursued Ning Beichen furiously.
Ning Beichen fought and fled, with the two men relentlessly on his heels.
If there had been only one of them, Ning Beichen might have dared to fight. But with two, he was no match.
While escaping, Ning Beichen suddenly recalled the stone giant that had given him and Luo Yingying such a harsh beating. An idea struck him: he would lure them into a trap, leading them to confront the stone giant.
Ning Beichen instantly changed direction, flying back towards the mountain range where he and Luo Yingying had been.
The two pursuers, oblivious to Ning Beichen's intentions, followed him relentlessly.
Although their cultivation was higher than Ning Beichen's, it wasn't an insurmountable difference in realms. Therefore, killing Ning Beichen wouldn't be easy.
Furthermore, while Ning Beichen's cultivation might have been lower, his cultivation techniques and sword arts were far superior to theirs. If it came down to a desperate fight, the outcome was uncertain.
The chase lasted for three days and three nights.
By then, Ning Beichen had reached the vicinity of the stone giant, which was resting on the ground, waiting for his pursuers.
Before long, the two men arrived, spotting Ning Beichen and charging towards him immediately.
This kid was too good at escaping; they had struggled to keep up.
Seeing that he had stopped running, they assumed he was nearly exhausted.
"Kid, where do you think you can run now!"
Both men were panting, struggling for breath.
"Why are you chasing me? I haven't offended you," Ning Beichen said, utterly bewildered.
There had to be a reason for them to kill him!
But these two imbeciles had attacked him without any cause. It was clearly a sign of a troubled mind.
"No more talk. If I don't kill you today, I won't be able to swallow my rage," one of them declared, hands on his hips, gasping for air.
"You're insane. If you want to kill me, come on then," Ning Beichen retorted.
"Attack!"
The two men simultaneously lunged at Ning Beichen. Having experienced his elusiveness before, they dared not underestimate this slippery fellow.
Seeing them attack, Ning Beichen sneered and immediately dashed towards the stone giant. He then unleashed a sword strike at the giant and swiftly retreated.
However, he didn't flee elsewhere, but rather towards the two men who were trying to kill him, which left them momentarily stunned.
This guy wasn't supposed to be running away from them?
Had they gotten the script wrong?
Or perhaps he was so terrified that he had run back blindly to meet his doom.
But whatever the reason, the two men were delighted to see Ning Beichen heading their way, seemingly offering himself up.
However, as Ning Beichen neared them, he flicked his sword tip, and a torrent of sword light rained down from the sky. Then, they heard a sound that nearly deafened them.
"Scram!"
Ning Beichen unleashed a sonic wave that surged towards them.
It made their ears ring as if someone were banging gongs beside them.
This was a signature move Ning Beichen had developed for ambushing enemies.
While it might not seem to possess much destructive power, when used skillfully and cunningly, it was an absolute killer move.
Ning Beichen, using the moment the two men were dazed by the sound, slipped past them at maximum speed.
This wasn't Ning Beichen's first encounter with the stone giant. The giant stood over three hundred meters tall, comparable to a skyscraper in his world.
Forget fighting it; to put it bluntly, even a single hair of the stone giant would be larger than Ning Beichen, if the giant had hair.
As Ning Beichen had predicted, the stone giant was once again provoked.
The giant could not distinguish between Ning Beichen and anyone else. In its eyes, they were all just annoying little ants.
With a roar!
A colossal fist, like a mountain peak, descended upon the two men chasing Ning Beichen.
Before they could even comprehend what was happening, they saw a dark shadow engulf them. By the time they reacted, it was already too late.
With a deafening crash!
A massive fist slammed down from the sky, crushing the two men into a bottomless pit.
Whether they lived or died was uncertain, but Ning Beichen had already made a swift and familiar escape.
After all, he and Luo Yingying had been chased by this stone giant for over ten days. He was intimately familiar with the giant's capabilities and temperament.
Before long, Ning Beichen returned to the lake. He checked on Luo Yingying and, finding her unharmed, felt a wave of relief.
However, he was unsure how much longer she would remain in seclusion. For safety's sake, Ning Beichen did not linger. After reinforcing the protective formations, he hastily departed. He then lay in ambush by the lake for a long time, but the two men who had pursued him never reappeared.
He didn't know if they had perished at the hands of the stone giant, escaped, or were, like he and Luo Yingying had been, currently being pursued by the giant.
Regardless, their absence brought him considerable peace of mind.
"Should I... go back and take a look?"
A thought suddenly flashed through Ning Beichen's mind.
Those two must have carried valuable items, especially Starfall Stones. If they were killed by the stone giant, he could loot their bodies.
If they survived but were heavily injured, Ning Beichen could seize the opportunity to finish them off.
Even if they were being chased by the stone giant, he could subtly sabotage them from the shadows.
No matter how he considered it, Ning Beichen felt the situation would be advantageous to him.
"I'll go!"
Since Luo Yingying would likely remain in seclusion for a considerable time, Ning Beichen left a note at her secluded location, explaining his situation so she wouldn't worry when she emerged and couldn't find him.
After leaving the note for Luo Yingying, Ning Beichen stealthily returned.
Soon, he was once again at the deep pit created by the stone giant. He crept along the edge of the pit like an earthworm, peeking his head in to observe.