Ren Yuanhao was instantly terrified, which indicated a serious problem.
Even cultivators were involved in the scramble for the Mandara gene!
After all, this was something that could change the global landscape. Whoever held it firmly in their grasp would be at the forefront of the world!
The temptation of power was enough to draw everyone into this dark vortex.
The four of them surged in from different directions. Ren Yuanhao leaped into the air, skillfully evading the four, though their sword techniques were highly coordinated. After missing him, one immediately drew his sword and lunged, while the others instantly predicted Ren Yuanhao's movement and blocked him from behind. Fortunately, Ren Yuanhao's reading ability was exceptional, and he weaved left and right, always managing to dodge the sword's edge and escape unharmed.
Seeing the five engaged in a fierce battle, the female thief sneaked into a corner and gradually crept out along the wall.
"If not now, when?"
The female thief, beaming with joy, tiptoed down the stairs. By the time the five reacted, the female thief had vanished without a trace!
"What do we do? That woman has escaped!"
"A woman with no skills is easy to catch. The problem is, this guy is a bit troublesome."
As the two spoke, Ren Yuanhao finally drew out the Wuji Blade. "I'm done playing with you. I'm leaving!"
Ren Yuanhao pushed his blade horizontally, unleashing an incredibly domineering Wildfire Prairies. He instantly broke through the four's coordinated attack. If Ren Yuanhao hadn't been unwilling to make enemies of cultivators, he would have already ended the fight with his Star Absorbing Technique. Moreover, the four's sword techniques were quite profound, their movements elegant and free of any malevolent energy, meaning they were certainly not cultivators who bullied the weak. There must be some misunderstanding in this matter.
The Wildfire Prairies, combined with fire-attribute true qi, was more than enough to push the four back. Ren Yuanhao seized the opportunity to escape. As the four dodged and blocked, preparing to pursue, the leader stopped the other three.
"Senior Brother, why aren't you letting us chase him?"
The speaker was the shortest of the four, but his sword was the longest. In his words, this was called compensating for weaknesses with strengths.
"Haven't you realized that this kid went easy on us? If he had truly intended to kill us, even the four of us combined wouldn't have survived ten rounds under his blade!"
The leader's hair was slightly graying, his build tall and slender, with sharp eyebrows and bright eyes, making him quite remarkable.
"Senior Brother, I've never heard you say such discouraging words before."
"That's right, we, the Hunyuan Sword, didn't even perform at our best, did we?"
The leader suddenly exclaimed lightly, "Enough. Our mission is to find the Mandara gene and destroy it. Master said that such evil things only bring great disaster to the world. Moreover, don't you think his saber technique resembles the Wildfire Prairies of the Chixiao Sect?"
The other three recalled and suddenly realized.
"His saber technique possesses a unique momentum. I believe he is not an evil person. We should focus on our task."
...
Ren Yuanhao ran for a long time. As there were goods piled everywhere, many merchants, and complex terrain, with areas of haphazardly stacked herbs and then spots for clothing, medicines, food, and drinks, it was like entering a giant maze.
Just then, Ren Yuanhao suddenly spotted a tall building to the northwest. If he could get up there, with his eyesight, finding the female thief wouldn't be difficult.
With that thought, he broke into a run. However, before he had run far, he found traces of the female thief in a warehouse corner.
The female thief was now sitting idly in a corner of the warehouse, cautiously watching to see if anyone was following. Unexpectedly, someone patted her on the back.
"Don't bother me, I'm busy."
The female thief shrugged her shoulders, ignoring the person behind her.
"Busy with what?"
"Someone's chasing me~"
Mid-sentence, she suddenly shivered, realizing that the voice behind her belonged to the man who had fought four opponents!
She instinctively pointed to the sky and exclaimed, "Look, a UFO!" Then she prepared to flee.
But Ren Yuanhao had learned his lesson from being tricked once. The female thief was so focused on running that she found the scenery on both sides remained unchanged. Looking down, she saw that she had already been lifted by the man behind her.
"Let me down! If you dare touch me again, I'll cry out about indecent assault!"
Ren Yuanhao chuckled slyly, "Alright, go ahead and shout. If those four fellows discover you here, you might be in for a rough time."
"You, you're bullying me!"
Seeing tears welling up in the female thief's eyes, Ren Yuanhao's heart softened. "Fine, fine. I saw those four bullying you and came to save you out of kindness, but you're calling me a bully. Fine, you win."
Ren Yuanhao put the female thief down. She didn't seem to be trying to escape anymore and suddenly chuckled, "What, aren't you afraid I'll run away?"
"If you run, I'll chase. You have the time, and so do I," Ren Yuanhao replied, putting on a scoundrel's demeanor.
The female thief's lips curved slightly. Ren Yuanhao then realized that this woman was probably around 20 years old.
"Alright, I won't run anymore. Ask whatever you want to ask, considering you saved my life."
"What do you mean 'considering'? It's definite. Alright, let's be reasonable." Ren Yuanhao looked around and added, "Let's find a quiet place. We can't just stand here."
"Sure, I'll go if you treat me."
The female thief smiled like a blooming flower, appearing quite open and aboveboard.
"Alright, I saved you, and you still want me to treat you? The world is changing, little sister."
"Well, I'm only accompanying you for a bite to eat because you saved me. If it were anyone else, I wouldn't agree even if they carried me in a sedan chair."
The female thief spoke with such righteous indignation that Ren Yuanhao was at a loss whether to laugh or cry.
"Okay, okay. So I'm the one taking advantage of you. That's quite something. Lead the way."
After a bit of banter, they entered a bar, led by the cautiously moving female thief.
"Hey, little sister, the bar is too noisy. Can we find another place?"
"We're already here. You're not going to treat me to tea, are you? I'm not old enough to steep goji berries in a thermos."
Ren Yuanhao was slightly choked by her retort. "Fine, it's been a long time since I met a girl who can match my wit. Alright, I concede. Let's go."
Upon entering the bar, it felt like stepping into another realm, with a dance floor, lights, wine pools, and a decadent atmosphere of release and desire. As it was close to the Western Desert, they also had "fire-seared knives" brought from the desert.
"Little brother, I want a Fire-Seared Knife."