On the path to immortality, I can see destiny.

Zhao Fan dared not linger and continued running wildly through the dense forest.

He didn't know how long he had been running, only that his legs were numb and the soreness in his whole body was getting worse.

But he dared not stop.

Behind them, the two whooshing sounds continued relentlessly.

The strangest thing is that Zhao Fan had clearly used the Shadow Escape technique to create distance, and that burst of ten breaths was enough to create a very long distance.

In addition to the invisibility effect of the Netherworld Mirror, under normal circumstances, they would not be able to find their hiding place so easily.

It must have been the young master of the workshop. He was the one who discovered me when I hid last time, so he must have some kind of reconnaissance method that I don't know about.

Zhao Fan gritted his teeth and sped up again.

No matter how he ran, no matter which direction he turned, no matter how he used the terrain to conceal his presence, the two people would reappear behind him in the time it takes for an incense stick to burn.

How did they do it?

Zhao Fan was in very poor condition, but he had to hold on until Su San arrived.

The Swiftness Talisman had long been used up, the Cloud-Stepping Boots' spiritual light had dimmed considerably, and the Shadow Escape technique was no longer to be used.

That secret technique puts too much strain on the body; it takes a long time to recover after each use, not to mention that he doesn't have time to rest now.

He could only rely on his own two legs. His spiritual energy was being consumed very quickly while he was using the Cloud-Stepping Boots. Seeing that his spiritual energy was about to run out, Zhao Fan had to stop using the Cloud-Stepping Boots and only use them in critical moments.

This process was repeated for nearly fifteen minutes.

Zhao Fan's legs began to tremble, the world before his eyes became blurred, and the moonlight turned into shimmering spots of light in his eyes.

He didn't know how much longer he could hold on, he only knew he couldn't stop, because stopping meant death.

Just when he was about to despair, a beam of blue light suddenly appeared in front of him!

The blue light approached from afar at an extremely fast speed, arriving in front of them in the blink of an eye!

Zhao Fan's pupils contracted sharply, followed by a surge of wild joy!

It's a flying boat!

A familiar figure stood at the bow of the boat, dressed in a gray robe with a calm expression—it was Su San!

"Fellow Daoist Su!"

With his last breath, Zhao Fan screamed and staggered toward the flying boat.

Su San immediately noticed Zhao Fan's appearance: his face was deathly pale, and he was staggering, clearly having pushed himself to the limit.

His expression darkened, and the flying boat suddenly accelerated, arriving in front of Zhao Fan in the blink of an eye.

"Fellow Daoist Zhao!"

Su San leaped down and reached out to support Zhao Fan, who was about to fall. A gentle and mellow spiritual energy flowed into Zhao Fan's body, stabilizing his swaying body.

"What happened?"

Zhao Fan opened his mouth, but before he could speak, two whooshing sounds came from behind him.

The Zhou family cultivators and the young master emerged from the darkness, landing several feet away.

They slowed down and stopped chasing.

Under the moonlight, the faces of the two were clearly visible. The young master's face was ashen, and there was a thin bloodstain on his neck. The Zhou family cultivator, on the other hand, was expressionless and just looked coldly at Zhao Fan and Su San.

Su San's gaze swept over the two of them, her brows furrowing slightly.

He recognized the Zhou family cultivator. Although this fellow Daoist Zhou was not a core member of the direct line, he still held some status within the Zhou family.

As for the young master of the market, he was even more familiar with him. He was the only son of the market owner of Yulin Mountain Market and the most outstanding member of the Song family in this generation.

Why would these two be chasing Zhao Fan?

Su San was puzzled, but remained outwardly calm, simply shielding Zhao Fan behind her and bowing respectfully.

"Fellow Daoist Zhou, Fellow Daoist Song, what is the meaning of this?"

The young master stepped forward, the lividity on his face fading, replaced by an expression of shock and anger.

"What do you mean?"

He pointed at Zhao Fan, his voice filled with unbelievable anger.

"This Fellow Daoist Zhao suddenly attacked me in the cave! Every move was aimed at vital points. If I hadn't reacted in time, I would already be a corpse!"

Su San frowned and looked at Zhao Fan.

Zhao Fan gritted his teeth, about to speak, when the Zhou family cultivator also spoke.

"Fellow Daoist Su, I was also present at this event and witnessed it with my own eyes."

His voice was calm, yet carried an undeniable certainty.

"Song Daoyou and I kindly invited him to explore the possible hiding place of that demonic cultivator. Who knew that as soon as we entered the cave, he suddenly attacked. He failed to ambush Song Daoyou and then fled. If we hadn't chased him closely, he would have been gone by now."

Su San's gaze swept across the two faces before settling on Zhao Fan.

Zhao Fan's face turned pale, his lips moved, but he didn't know how to refute it for a moment.

They were telling the truth. He did make a move and he did escape. Although he could see the air currents before, he couldn't tell anyone.

Zhao Fan took a deep breath, suppressed his surging emotions, and looked up at Su San.

He didn't speak, but instead transmitted his voice quietly.

"Fellow Daoist Su, there is more to this matter than meets the eye. In that cave, I sensed the aura of demonic cultivators. They should have known there was danger inside, yet they forced me in. This is clearly an attempt to use Zhang Tie to kill me."

"Moreover, they appeared calm and composed throughout the journey, showing no signs of tension, as if they knew there was no danger inside. I suspect they are colluding with Zhang Tie!"

Su San listened to the telepathic message, her face remaining expressionless, but her eyes flickered slightly.

After a moment, he nodded slightly, indicating that he understood.

Then he turned around, facing the Zhou family cultivators and the young master, a slightly apologetic smile on his face.

"Fellow Daoists, please calm down."

His voice was gentle, with just the right amount of apology.

"Fellow Daoist Zhao is young and impetuous, and acts rashly. If he has done anything inappropriate, I, Su, apologize to you both on his behalf."

The young master raised an eyebrow, about to speak, but Su San continued.

"However, Fellow Daoist Zhao has his reasons for doing this."

He paused for a moment, then continued.

"He just transmitted his voice to me, saying that he sensed a strange aura in that cave, which may be the hiding place of that demonic cultivator."

"We two have personally witnessed the strength of that demonic cultivator. Fellow Daoist Zhao knows that the three of you are no match for him."

"I acted in a moment of desperation to distract you two and prevent you from losing your lives, but my method was too impulsive and damaged our harmony."

Zhao Fan was slightly taken aback when he heard this.

Su San didn't say much. She didn't mention most of the speculations, as there was no evidence for them, and saying them would only allow the other party to turn the tables on her.

He used a different approach, explaining Zhao Fan's reasons for taking action without directly blaming anyone.

Upon hearing this, the young master's anger subsided slightly, but he still showed some displeasure.

"Even so, he launched a sneak attack, and there should be an explanation for it."

"nature."

Su San nodded.

"Fellow Daoist Zhao's actions were indeed inappropriate. I, Su, am willing to compensate you both for some of your losses on his behalf, as a token of my apology."

As he spoke, he took out two jade bottles from his bosom and handed them to the two men respectively.

"Here are some healing pills. They are nothing special, but they are a token of my appreciation. I hope you two fellow Daoists will forgive me."

The Zhou family cultivator took the jade bottle, put it into his pocket without even looking at it, and his face remained expressionless.

"Since Fellow Daoist Su has said so, let's leave it at that."

His voice was flat.

"Just next time, please keep your Su family in check and don't cause such misunderstandings again."

Su San smiled slightly and cupped his hands in greeting.

"Fellow Daoist Zhou is right, I've noted that down."

The young shopkeeper glanced at Zhao Fan, his expression complex and unreadable. He opened his mouth as if to say something, but seeing that the Zhou-surnamed cultivator had already accepted the items, he didn't say anything more. He just snorted coldly, left without taking anything, and turned to leave.

The Zhou family cultivator said no more, and with a flash, disappeared into the night.

After the two left, the smile on Su San's face gradually faded, replaced by a solemn expression.

He turned to look at Zhao Fan, his gaze lingering for a moment on his pale face and blood-stained clothes, and said softly.

"Let's go back first and talk about it then."

Zhao Fan nodded, his whole body almost collapsing.

Su San helped him up and led him onto the flying boat. The green leaf boat slowly rose, turned around, and sped towards Mount Fuling.

The night wind howled, making the hem of clothes flutter.

Zhao Fan leaned against the ship's railing, and without the pressure, his fatigue quickly washed over him.

In the blink of an eye, Zhao Fan fell asleep.