"Star Point Finger!"
"Hmph, it's not like we haven't seen it before!"
"Showing off a martial skill? Who's afraid of who!"
The other three sneered. This Star Point Finger was Senior Brother Liu's signature technique, and they all knew about it, so they didn't take it too seriously.
However, the next moment, their expressions shifted dramatically, their faces turning bitter.
That casually flicked finger force condensed into an invisible airflow, which unexpectedly ignited into a ball of fire, instantly blazing towards them.
That casual flick had actually ignited the void itself, forming a lethal spiritual attack!
"Your Spirit Sea is formed, your Spirit Domain is formed. You... you've broken through? Entered the true first level of the Spirit Realm?"
"This... condensing spirit into a technique, you've really broken through!"
"Senior Brother Liu, you..."
That Senior Brother Liu spoke lightly, a faint, detached smile on his face: "Can you get lost now?"
The other three exchanged uneasy glances, their faces showing unwillingness but also helplessness. They knew that once one broke through from the half-step Spirit Realm into the true first level, their strength would increase severalfold at least.
The three of them combined probably wouldn't be a match for a single first-level Spirit Realm cultivator. In other words, Senior Brother Liu wasn't crazy—he absolutely had the right to tell them to get lost!
In this world, the strong were kings. Even among fellow disciples, when competing for resources, no one would yield.
"Senior Brother Liu, don't be like this! The bow and arrows are yours, the blade is yours too. We'll just divide the other things! How about that?" The triangular-eyed youth reacted the fastest.
"Right, Senior Brother Liu, even though you've advanced, 'a hero needs three helpers'—you still need assistants. We're willing to work under you. This kid has accomplices, their whole group is a fat sheep. You take the meat, we get some soup, that should be fine?" Yi Qiansui also caught on.
"Senior Brother Liu, we're all brothers from the same sect. There'll be plenty of chances to help each other out in the future. You're the strongest, we admit it. You take the lion's share, we get a small portion. Besides, this kid is slippery and is all alone—I'm afraid he might slip away!"
Senior Brother Liu sneered: "You want to tag along, fine. It's settled then—the spirit birds they're riding, you each get one. Don't even think about anything else."
"Just one?" Yi Qiansui shook his head. "Three each. That's only nine for the three of us. They have twenty or thirty total!"
"Senior Brother Liu, you're taking the biggest share, don't be too harsh," the fat one pleaded.
"Senior Brother Liu, I have one more request. We can forgo the weapons, but if there are any cultivation technique manuals, we must be allowed to make a copy." The triangular-eyed youth also made his demand.
Senior Brother Liu pondered for a moment, then nodded: "Fine. Two spirit birds each. If there are technique manuals, you each get one copy. Don't bargain anymore—if you don't like it, you can get lost!"
Although the other three felt somewhat humiliated, being weaker, they had no choice but to swallow their pride.
"Alright! It's a deal!"
"Let's all attack together, don't let this kid escape!" Yi Qiansui hated Jiang Chen the most.
Jiang Chen watched them haggle, feeling secretly amused. This Senior Brother Liu had just barely broken through into the first level of the Spirit Realm—the absolute bottom tier of the realm. In terms of strength, he was far inferior to even Xu Zhen. Yet, he had the other three completely cowed. This made Jiang Chen sigh inwardly—this world of martial cultivation was truly one where the strong preyed on the weak.
However, Jiang Chen had no intention of being the weak meat to be devoured.
After hearing them finish their discussion, he let out a long whistle: "A few fools, go play among yourselves! This young master won't be joining you!"
In fact, while these people were discussing how to split the spoils, Jiang Chen had already used his Wind-listening Ear to detect that Gouyu's group had opened a gap and broken through that layer of interception.
Since Gouyu and the others had already broken through the defensive line, why would Jiang Chen have any interest in playing this boring game with these idiots?
He slapped the Golden-Winged Sword Bird, pushing it to its utmost speed. A streak of golden light shot through the air, and then vanished into the clouds.
"Chase!" Seeing Jiang Chen escape, Yi Qiansui flew into a rage.
The fat one and the triangular-eyed youth also took off in pursuit.
It was Senior Brother Liu who remained unhurried. He sensed for a moment, then spurred his mount and headed in the direction Jiang Chen had fled.
The way a Spirit Realm expert commanded a spirit bird was indeed far superior to a half-step one. Although Senior Brother Liu started last, within a few breaths, he had caught up with the other three. After a few more breaths, he had left them all far behind.
As for those still in the True Qi Realm, their speed was even slower, and they fell further behind Yi Qiansui's group.
"Tsk tsk! Now Senior Brother Liu has something to be smug about," the fat one muttered.
"Heh, if you broke through, maybe you'd be even smugger," the triangular-eyed youth scoffed.
"Bullshit! I, Fatty, am the most easy-going. Even if I broke through, I wouldn't put on airs like him. Hmph, what's there to be arrogant about? He eats meat, we drink soup."
"Less nonsense. If you had the ability to eat meat, we'd willingly drink the soup," Yi Qiansui had no interest in grumbling behind someone's back. He just wanted to catch up to Jiang Chen, torture and kill him, to vent the resentment from earlier. He also sighed inwardly—if only his strength had been just a bit higher, if he could have finished off the opponent before Senior Brother Liu arrived, all that equipment would have been his!
"A pity, the fat meat right at our mouths just flew away." Yi Qiansui was very frustrated.
Jiang Chen dashed forward at maximum speed. About a quarter of an hour later, he spotted Gouyu's group in the distance. With the help of the Eight Desolations Spirit-Attraction Formation, their party had cleared out the group of pursuers to the south using various methods.