After a while, the burly man in blue was ultimately no match for the Bald Monk. His Flying Sword, which had been quite sharp, now showed cracks under the Bald Monk's fierce attacks.
"No, if this continues, I'll surely die!" the burly man in blue thought with a bitter heart.
In desperation, he suddenly threw his Flying Sword at the Bald Monk, attempting to delay him for a moment, then turned and fled desperately into the distance.
"It's too late to escape now," the Bald Monk's eyes narrowed, a hint of disdain flashing within them.
The Bald Monk snorted, immediately took out a Wind Blade Talisman from his embrace, and with a flick of his wrist, the Wind Blade Talisman flew rapidly towards the burly man in blue.
"Pfft!"
The Wind Blade Talisman instantly transformed into several sharp Wind Blades in the air, whistling as they swept towards the burly man in blue.
"Ahhh!" The burly man in blue was fleeing in a panic, only thinking about how to escape the danger behind him, completely forgetting to dodge the attacks from behind.
Those few Wind Blades mercilessly struck his body. Instantly, several blood marks appeared on him, and blood stained his clothes.
His body swayed a few times, and finally, unable to bear the severe pain, he fell to the ground with a "thud" and began to wail in agony.
Fang Hong, hidden to the side, witnessed all of this. The Wind Blade Talisman the Bald Monk used was one he had personally made.
"Fellow Daoist, wait! I can offer my identity token. Please spare my life, and I can also tell you an important piece of information!" The burly man in blue struggled to stand up from the ground.
"Oh? Important information? Tell me, if it's useful to me, this poor monk is not inclined to kill excessively," the Bald Monk's eyes flashed with curiosity upon hearing this.
"Fellow Daoist will definitely be interested; it's information about a hidden reward!" The burly man in blue immediately replied, as if he had grasped a life-saving straw.
"Hidden reward? Fellow Daoist, are you trying to trick me? If there's a reward, why wouldn't you go get it yourself? Why would it be my turn?" The Bald Monk's face instantly darkened, feeling that he had been deceived by the burly man in blue.
"No, no, no... I'm not tricking you. There's a Second-Level Demon Beast guarding it, and I'm no match for it, so I couldn't claim the reward. With Fellow Daoist's strength, you should be able to deal with that Second-Level Demon Beast!" The burly man in blue dared not hide anything and quickly said.
"So it's a Second-Level Demon Beast..." The Bald Monk's expression improved slightly upon hearing this.
Although a Second-Level Demon Beast was somewhat challenging for him, it was not unbeatable. Thinking of the hidden reward, a surge of anticipation welled up in his heart.
"Where is this hidden reward? If you tell me, I can let you go and give you some spirit stones as compensation." The Bald Monk narrowed his eyes slightly, a faint smile on his face.
Fang Hong, hidden to the side, perked up his ears. He was equally curious about the location of this hidden reward...
"No need for spirit stones, I just hope Fellow Daoist can spare my life. The hidden reward is in a tree hollow about twenty li in this direction." The burly man in blue extended a trembling finger, pointing in a northerly direction.
The Bald Monk looked in the direction the burly man in blue indicated and nodded.
Just then, the burly man in blue gritted his teeth and proactively offered his identity token.
The Bald Monk's face lit up with joy upon seeing the identity token handed over.
But just as he took the identity token, a fierce glint flashed in the burly man in blue's eyes!
He suddenly raised his fingertip, flicked out a silver needle, and thrust it towards the Bald Monk's throat!
The Bald Monk's face changed drastically. Fortunately, he reacted extremely quickly, instinctively dodging to the side.
The silver needle grazed his throat and ultimately only struck his shoulder.
Seeing his sneak attack fail, the burly man in blue's face instantly showed despair.
"You're courting death!!" the Bald Monk roared, his face filled with anger.
He no longer hesitated, immediately manipulating the Flying Sword beside him and shooting it fiercely towards the burly man in blue.
"Pfft!"
The Flying Sword accurately pierced the burly man in blue's heart. The burly man in blue's body stiffened abruptly, he spat out a mouthful of blood, then slowly fell to the ground, no longer moving.
"Damn fellow, how dare he ambush me! Uh..." The anger on the Bald Monk's face had not subsided. He reached out to cover his injured shoulder, and suddenly, he felt a numbness spreading from his shoulder.
The Bald Monk's face changed instantly, realizing that the silver needle might have been poisoned.
A hint of panic flashed in his eyes. He quickly crouched down and began frantically searching the burly man in blue's body, hoping to find an antidote.
"Rustle, rustle, rustle..." Just then, Fang Hong no longer concealed himself. He stepped out from the side with steady strides.
"It's you!" Seeing Fang Hong's figure, the Bald Monk's face showed surprise.
He never expected to encounter the owner who sold him Talismans here...
"Fellow Daoist, what a coincidence, you're here too," Fang Hong smiled slightly.
"It is quite a coincidence. I didn't expect Fellow Daoist to also come to participate in the Ascension Gathering." The Bald Monk stood up, feigning composure, forcing a smile onto his face, his eyes vigilantly fixed on Fang Hong.
"Fellow Daoist, how about you hand this person's identity token to me? I've been tracking him for a long time..." Fang Hong's gaze fell on the identity token, making up a casual excuse.
Upon hearing this, the Bald Monk's originally smiling face twitched slightly. He cursed Fang Hong inwardly, thinking, 'This is clearly a forceful snatch, why bother with an excuse...'
"Alright, this poor monk knows he's no match, so I'll yield it to Fellow Daoist. Farewell!" The Bald Monk gritted his teeth, threw down the identity token, and turned to leave.
His current condition was poor, the poison on his shoulder significantly reduced his strength, and he wasn't confident he could defeat Fang Hong, so it was best to retreat.
"Fellow Daoist, don't be in such a hurry to leave!" Fang Hong immediately called out to the Bald Monk.
"What else does Fellow Daoist want? This poor monk's spoils of war have already been given to you," the Bald Monk stopped, turned his head, and said with some displeasure.
"I want to take Fellow Daoist's life." Fang Hong's face showed no change in expression as he calmly uttered these words.