Chapter 881: The Escaped Foundation Establishment Insect

Ye Mo, ever decisive, burst from the stealth formation. Reaching Chang Fen Hill, he sensed a bone-chilling killing intent and surging cultivation essence. Without pausing to observe the duel before him, he flung dozens of formation flags, subtly altering Sima Zhu's modified array. Then, he dashed toward the two jade boxes, shielded by restrictions.

His speed was lightning-fast, yet he was instantly detected. Sima Zhu chuckled, sneering without turning, "This little ant is amusing." Tong Wusheng, similarly unfazed, merely adjusted his sword formation, adding, "Old Man Sima, shouldn't we dispatch this foundation establishment insect first, then resume our fight?" His attack intensified.

Sima Zhu scoffed, offering no reply. He poured more cultivation essence into the darkening net, maintaining his advantage as the transmission formation drew the jade boxes closer. He wouldn't cease now; a foundation establishment cultivator couldn't even touch the boxes—the outer restrictions would obliterate him.

To them, Ye Mo was inconsequential. A foundation establishment cultivator would be dreaming to breach restrictions set by hollow spirit masters. Even without the restrictions, the trap formation—though now a transmission array—would still contain him. The time required to overcome it would afford the hollow spirit masters ample opportunity to kill him countless times.

Even if he somehow bypassed the restrictions and escaped the trap, the boxes possessed self-destruct mechanisms. Even without self-destruction, the jade boxes would lead the hollow spirit masters directly to him. A foundation establishment cultivator, even fleeing relentlessly for five days, wouldn't escape two hollow spirit masters.

Their disregard for Ye Mo masked their simmering fury; his audacious attempt to deceive hollow spirit masters for their possessions had ignited their killing intent. Before he even reached the restriction, it activated, primed to kill him under the two hollow spirit masters' spiritual control.

Ye Mo, a superior formation master, understood the risk; forcing the restriction meant certain death. Ignoring it, he placed the final formation flag, realizing they deemed him a negligible threat. Activating the trap now would likely halt their duel and focus their attention on him.

Approaching the restriction, he reached in, seizing both jade boxes, and then immediately fled the hill, seemingly unaffected by the restrictions and formations. Exiting, he activated a formation flag, triggering the outer trap formation should anyone attempt to follow.

The swiftness of it all stunned even the hollow spirit cultivators. Despite Tong Wusheng's trap formation's strength, Ye Mo had effortlessly escaped. His familiarity with the formation—unknown to them—was the key to his success. Though shocked, they didn't rage, knowing that as long as he possessed the jade boxes, his escape was temporary.

Outside the hill, Ye Mo mounted his flying sword, eschewing his pike to avoid detection. He knew that even at maximum speed, 800–1000 kilometers remained within the range of a hollow spirit master's spiritual sense.

Observing the ongoing duel through a surveillance formation, Ye Mo rejoiced. Once beyond their spiritual sense, he could vanish completely.

"...Old Man Sima, the thing's gone. What's the point of this?" Tong Wusheng grumbled, though he knew Ye Mo's escape was short-lived.

Sima Zhu nodded. "Indeed. I'll recover it, but this insect's audacity is infuriating. Let's cease fighting and hunt him. First one to reclaim it, keeps it."

Tong Wusheng readily agreed, mounting his flying artifact.

Noticing their shift in focus, Ye Mo accelerated.

The duo burst from Chang Fen Hill. Reaching the trap formation's edge, it sprang to life, along with three other attack formations. Though momentarily hindered, they quickly broke free, glaring at each other, realizing neither had activated the formations.

Tong Wusheng examined a formation flag, his face darkening. "Damn it! Not only an activation flag, but a surveillance formation! This little..."

Sima Zhu laughed; Tong Wusheng's formations had been used, not only by him, but by the foundation establishment cultivator.

Ye Mo, estimating that he'd escaped their spiritual sense range, used his pike for maximum speed, storing the jade boxes within his golden page world. He knew no outside spiritual sense, not even that of a Truth Realization cultivator, could penetrate it.

Beyond their spiritual sense, he landed in a valley, descending hundreds of meters underground before entering his golden page world. He felt certain he'd escaped, his only worry being that they might have recognized his disguise—a remote, but not negligible possibility.

He gambled that they’d dismissed him as an insect, not closely scrutinizing his face.

Tong Wusheng and Sima Zhu fell silent, repeatedly contacting their spirit sense marks on the boxes in disbelief, yet receiving no response. They exchanged glances, realizing their mutual failure.

"Hmph! A measly foundation establishment cultivator dares to be so bold!" Tong Wusheng roared.

"Draw me a picture of him. The audacity to steal from me! Hehehe. The little wretch has guts." Sima Zhu licked his lips.