Chapter 373: A Crazy Thief

　　Suppressing his throbbing heart, Fang Ping raised his head slowly. At this moment, he had also seen that crystal clear energy waterfall!

　　Waves and waves of rich energy were rising, disseminating outward continuously.

　　Everyone in the concourse was frantically absorbing these disseminated energies.

　　On the other hand, it looked like a real waterfall had appeared. Sounds of water crashing and colliding were heard repeatedly, surging and roaring, letting out a series of whistling noises.

　　In the concourse, there were even tiny drizzles. The energy was exceedingly rich, forming countless raindrops and drizzled down, turning into grain-sized energy stones.

　　As soon as Fang Ping lifted his head, countless raindrops fell into his mouth. In an instant, they were turned into solid energy and began slamming against his vital organs!

　　“How much energy is there exactly?”

　　“This is too terrifying!”

　　“MCMAU’s Energy Room is nothing. What a piece of crap. That doesn’t make any sense at all!”

　　That remarkable feeling of the energy disseminating nearly had Fang Ping lost in the pleasant sensation of cultivation. He felt an irresistible impulse to close his eyes.

　　In a split second later, Fang Ping woke up with a start!

　　He must have a death wish!

　　“Are these guys just like me, indulging in this pleasant feeling? I don’t have any energy waves. As long as none of them open their eyes to take a look, they won’t notice my existence.”

　　“If they open their eyes, I’ll be a lump of dead meat!”

　　It was too dangerous! Fang Ping took another look at the waterfall-like energy flow in front of his eyes, flowing backward. For the waterfall, the disseminating energy currently was only a drop in the bucket!

　　“Should I do it? Should I do it?”

　　Fang Ping was dreadfully anxious. He could not wait any longer now. Once all of them were done cultivating or had absorbed to the fullest until they could absorb no more, then someone might open their eyes to take a look.

　　He was right under a Rank-8’s nose now!

　　Moreover, on top of the waterfall, countless thick roots were entangling around the concourse. Those were the Willow Tree Monster’s roots.

　　“Willow Tree Monster may be relying on aura or Mentality to sense its target. I’ve concealed my aura, so I don’t actually exist…”

　　“No, clothes. Can the aura that exists on clothes be shielded off?”

　　Fang Ping was not too sure. Humans might not be able to make a clear-cut difference, though an enchanted tree might.

　　As Fang Ping thought about this, he hid underground instantly. A while later, he popped his head up once more. Other than the countless mud stuck to Fang Ping’s body, there were no clothes left.

　　“Now, the Willow Tree Monster would not be able to sense my presence anymore, right? Only mud aura can be found all over the place.”

　　Fang Ping did not dare to even breathe anymore. Taking advantage of the pouring energy waves, he pushed his body upward, again and again, detaching himself from the ground completely.

　　Watching the martial artist glowing in gold not far away, Fang Ping quickly turned his gaze away. He did not dare to take a second look.

　　What a pity. His abilities were not strong enough!

　　If he launched a sneak attack right now as a Rank-7 powerhouse, he might be able to kill a Rank-8 powerhouse with one slash, obliterating his indestructible body!

　　After feeling sorry for himself silently in his heart, Fang Ping did not continue thinking about it. As long as his ability was sufficient, he could just do it next time if he could not kill the other party this time!

　　He was already here anyway. He would take the risk and do it for once.

　　As long as they did not open their eyes, they would not see him!

　　If they opened their eyes…

　　Fang Ping thought about this and retracted himself back underground. No can do. He must dig a hole underneath the waterfall. If someone opened their eyes, he would hide in the hole immediately and make an escape.

　　However… his chances of getting squashed to death were high.

　　Although a Rank-8 powerhouse could not find him, he would still be squashed to death the second Mentality pressure was released.

　　Despite that, Fang Ping bet that the other party would not care for anyone or unleash the pressure recklessly. Right now, there were many Rank-5 and 6 martial artists in the concourse too. Fang Ping’s Mentality was stronger than them.

　　If he was squashed to death, none of these guys would stand a chance at surviving.

　　Now it was up to the Rank-8 to decide whether he would allow these guys to be killed together with him?

　　These guys were the essence of Gigantic Willow City. Even if one was a Rank-8, one might not have the guts to kill so brazenly.

　　Whilst thinking about this in his heart, Fang Ping did not waste any time either, drilling into the ground and continued tunneling. This time, he did not dig completely through. Fang Ping stopped as soon as he almost reached the surface and continued digging his way back.

　　…

　　“I’ll take my chances! It is said that the courageous ones will always gain more than the timid ones. As long as it’s not a seckill, then I have the confidence to escape!”

　　“But, do I really want to take this risk?”

　　“Why don’t I wait for all of them to leave and try then?”

　　Fang Ping lifted his head again to take a look at the energy waterfall. After taking a closer look at it, Fang Ping frowned slightly.

　　Outside of the energy waterfall, there was a constant rippling effect.

　　Fang Ping was not a typical Rank-4. His Mentality was also very strong. At this moment, he had made a conclusion in his heart.

　　“A solidified barrier created with Mentality! Quite similar to the confinement Old Man Chen employed on Qin Fengqing last time.”

　　However, that was only a temporary one. Moreover, it could only confine weaklings like Qin Fengqing for a moment.

　　Moreover, such immense energy was not something Old Man Chen could confine. It would only be possible with a Rank-9, at least.

　　Besides, if one wanted to perform long-term confinement, one might need to exert a tremendous amount of energy.

　　“Is Willow Tree Monster or Gigantic Willow City’s king stabilizing the barrier?”

　　“No, Willow King may not be in the city!”

　　Fang Ping did not know whether he had made the right assumption. He could only speculate so because Gigantic Willow City’s powerhouses would most certainly be guarding the passageway.

　　There were only two Rank-8s in Gigantic Willow City now. One of them was over here. It was impossible for a Rank-8 to guard the passageway alone.

　　What Fang Ping did not know was that the Rank-8 had already gone to keep an eye out on Cretaceous City, whereas Willow King was guarding the passageway alone.

　　“If Willow Tree Monster is the only one here, it may not attack in order to keep the barrier stabilized. If it allows the barrier to shatter just because of a puny person like me, then these energies would be scattered away.”

　　“With this much energy, even raising a few high ranks wouldn’t be an issue, right?”

　　At this moment, Fang Ping was continually changing his mind.

　　This was too dangerous!

　　So dangerous to the extent that he did not quite want to do it, although he was also slightly reluctant to back out at the same time.

　　Also, if he did not do it, how long would Old Man Li be able to last?

　　His Mentality was obliterated and his golden body was shattered. The only reason why he was still breathing now was all thanks to Old Man Li’s extremely weak Mentality, incapable of being completely expelled, hence it was not obliterated. The leftover Mentality paired with his shattered golden body was the reason why he was still alive now.

　　There might be ways to save him after returning to the human world.

　　But, when could they return?

　　If he stayed on for too long, Old Man Li might really die soon.

　　If he died just like that, then it would be better for him to die earlier on. At least he would die in a grand and spectacular way. If he died like that now, it would just make it seem like he was such a wimp.

　　“With all these energy essences, it should be able to help him reconstruct his half-golden body, right? If his golden body recovers, then he won’t die.”

　　“Old fellow, do you know that you’re beyond fortunate! In exchange for that bit of promotion you gave me on that day, I will risk my life for you!”

　　“If I’d known, you shouldn’t have held on to that last breath. If you die, and worse comes to the worst, I’ll avenge you. Right now, you’re stuck between life and death, could I possibly just sit around and watch you die like that?”

　　If Li Changsheng did die, at the worst, Fang Ping would avenge him.

　　But, he did not die. Was he supposed to do nothing and watch him die like a wimp like that?

　　His train of thought was once again shifting violently. Take a chance!

　　Fang Ping was calm and composed once again. He no longer looked at the ones in front. Instead, he turned his head and shot a look at the Rank-5 and 6 martial artists at the side. Excellent. They were all cultivating with their eyes closed.

　　That made sense. Fang Ping had not come across anyone who cultivated with their eyes open.

　　Giving a quick peek later, none of them in front had opened their eyes, right?

　　Without walking on the ground, Fang Ping employed the Flight Step and levitated.

　　Even though he was employing the Flight Step, there were no Vitality and energy waves around Fang Ping either. Thus was the beauty of the energy shield.

　　Without looking with the naked eye, no one would realize that there was a person in the air.

　　Fang Ping figured that he could moonlight as an assassin in the future.

　　The energy waterfall was still constantly pouring out energy. Fang Ping could already sense the existence of the tiny door.

　　“It won’t be enough if I rely on the amount that’s pouring out from here.”

　　“I must go in, open up the storage space, and fill it to the brim!”

　　“But if I try, then I will be discovered in no time!”

　　Fang Ping had already realized the problem. This cannot be done stealthily. The moment he intercepted the energy, these guys would snap back to reality in no time at all.

　　Fang Ping took a look at the distance between the energy waterfall and the Rank-8 who was furthest ahead. As soon as the energy supply was cut off, the other party would sense that something was off in a second at most.

　　Eyes opened, unleashed outbursts, two seconds at most!

　　How far could he flee underground in two seconds?

　　“Escaping underground is much slower. Landing takes time. I can flee 50 meters at most. If he unleashes a full outburst, recklessly and caring for no one, then it will be the end of me for sure!”

　　50 meters. It was still within a Rank-8’s pressure coverage area.

　　At this moment, the only thing that he could bet on was the other party would not murder all powerhouses who were weaker than the high ranks.

　　If he slightly hesitated, Fang Ping could escape a hundred meters away, moving away from his range. Any outbursts that were unleashed after that would not be able to kill him.

　　“I’ll take my chances!”

　　As soon as the thought emerged in his mind, Fang Ping moved. He charged into the invisible passageway in an instant, opening up his storage space and began absorbing quickly!

　　Massive amounts of energy waves bore down on Fang Ping, the force nearly washed him out.

　　His movements were slightly louder now.

　　At this moment, the energy supply was not cut off yet. Underneath, Rank-8 powerhouse’s eyelids were trembling slightly, an indication that he was about to open his eyes.

　　Fang Ping was roaring madly inside, “Absorb, quick!”

　　One cubic meter was not big at all. However, the energy flow was not quick either. Fang Ping had no choice but to get actively involved, pressing his palm on the energy waterfall.

　　As soon as he pressed it, the passageway was suddenly quivering!

　　The energy supply was not cut off yet, but Willow Tree Monster had sensed something amiss. Someone was stealing Life Essence!

　　Right now, the storage space had not been filled to the brim yet. But, Fang Ping was already aware of the impending doom. He did not even have the guts to continue absorbing anymore. Without thinking about it, Fang Ping went straight for the ground. He no longer cared whether he was moving loudly or not. In the blink of an eye, he rushed straight into the hole.

　　He had just landed on the ground when the Rank-8 powerhouse’s eyes shot open. Then, a stern look flashed across his face, his Mentality enveloped the entire area immediately!

　　“Pu!”

　　All Fang Ping could feel was his internal organs were about to explode, even his Mentality was about to blow up. Suppressing the agony, he dug underground at lightning speed.

　　As soon as he was underground, the Rank-8 golden powerhouse’s expression changed. With utter ruthlessness, he smacked the ground. The entire concourse was wobbling intensely!

　　Now, everyone was awake.

　　Due to the turmoil, some of them who were trying to reach another level even spat out blood instantly. The energy exploded. In no time, a few people were blown up.

　　“Venerable Maple!”

　　Among a few Rank-7 chieftains, some of them had blood spilling out of their mouths. They opened their eyes a little slower and were also healing their wounds, hence they did not see Fang Ping.

　　Seeing that Venerable Maple was infuriated, they could not help but look frightened.

　　Venerable Maple paid no attention to them. He frowned slightly, smacking the ground again!

　　In the concourse, a few more men blew up.

　　Just as Venerable Maple was planning to employ his Mentality to make a clean sweep across the area, he saw this scene unfolding and his eyebrows knitted instantly. If he continued, everyone under Rank-7 would be killed by him.

　　He lifted his head to take a look at the Fountain of Life. Divine Willow was already sealing off the passageway.

　　A hint of rage was evident in Venerable Maple’s eyes. Divine Willow might be really unhappy this time. Now, Divine Willow was sealing off the passageway. It might not have any spare time to attend to other matters now.

　　“Someone is stealing from the Fountain of Life and has escaped underground. Take this person down immediately, all of you!”

　　Venerable Maple growled, his voice resounded throughout the ground underneath.

　　Without waiting for others to react, Venerable Maple smashed up the ground surface with a smack. Tremendous amounts of stones and mud splattered all over the place. Mentality did not come with it this time. The rest of them had also stopped cultivating, hence none of them were affected too greatly.

　　After making a quick check, a piece of stained, crimson-blood mud flew into his hands.

　　After sensing for a bit, Venerable Maple’s expression changed drastically, roaring, “The Land of Rebirth’s martial artist. Seal off all the passageways!”

　　“Seal off Royal City!”

　　“Both Light Wood and Maple Wind chieftains seal off the city, quick!”

　　“Both Maple Leaf and Wood Green chieftains seal off the underground!”

　　“As for the rest, dig through the ground and search for underground passageways!”

　　“…”

　　While he gave orders, this Rank-8 powerhouse amplified his Mentality and began searching the underground passageways.

　　Very quickly, he detected Fang Ping’s escape passageway route.

　　Venerable Maple chased after him at blinding speed. But, halfway there, the winding underground passageway was divided into a few forks.

　　Venerable Maple emitted his Mentality throughout the entire area, discovering two passageways.

　　One of them was the passageway Fang Ping used when he came; the other was a newly made passageway when he was escaping.

　　Just as Venerable Maple was prepared to continue detecting and searching for him, an intense Mentality emanated toward him. “Assist me in sealing off the Fountain of Life!”

　　Right now, in the concourse far away from him, the energy waterfall was still constantly surging.

　　Although a portion of the opening earlier had been sealed off, there was still another portion spilling out energy ceaselessly.

　　Abruptly sealing off the Mentality barrier forcefully had caused the solidified barrier to become destabilized.

　　Venerable Maple’s expression changed once more. He roared, “Head south and search for him. The thief has escaped south!”

　　Having said that, Venerable Maple flew back abruptly. The Fountain of Life was the priority. The thief had stolen a portion of Life Essence, though only a drop in a bucket. If the barrier had shattered and all the Life Essence was spilled out, then the king would kill him when he returned!

　　…

　　Underground.

　　Fang Ping forced his blood and internal organ pieces back in this throat!

　　At lightning speed, he scurried forward, opening up a new passageway!

　　He ignored the infuriated yelling and deafening roars behind him. Even though Fang Ping had concealed his entire aura, he was currently escaping, so he could not conceal the underground passageway.

　　Behind him, although the Rank-8 powerhouse was no longer chasing after him, there were Rank-7 powerhouses who were amplifying their Mentalities, tracing the passageway and chasing after him swiftly.

　　“Old Man Li is still at the inn!”

　　“Although I’ve collapsed off a portion of the passageway where I came in, if they scan it thoroughly, they will trace it all the way to the inn in no time!”

　　“If they find him, then Old Man Li will be dead for sure!”

　　“I still have to return and escape with him!”

　　Fang Ping suppressed the agony of his shattering five viscera and charged forward at the speed of light.

　　The Mentalities behind were already closing in on him!

　　“If I do this, my location will be too obvious!”

　　A split second later, Fang Ping suddenly dug his way upward, digging through the passageway all of a sudden, entering the mine pit.

　　After entering the mine pit, he concealed his aura. There was no fresh trace, hence it would be more laborious for the other party to locate him.

　　He had just dug out when Fang Ping heard the guards’ maddening roar, along with sabers and swords cutting through the air at lightning speed!

　　Fang Ping wasted no time either. His Chaos-Vanquishing Saber emerged instantly. Very quickly, he spat out blood mixed with internal organ pieces from his mouth. His Mentality emerged. The changdao flashed across. Two of them in front first had their throats pierced through by the blood arrow, then had their skulls cut across by the changdao!

　　Without taking a second look at both of them, Fang Ping employed the Midair Step and flew hundreds of meters forward. With a punch, he blew up the top of the passageway, digging in instantly and continued opening up new passageways.

　　Doing so again and again, Fang Ping himself felt slightly giddy and dizzy from all the turning and twisting.

　　“F*ck, am I even heading toward the inn?”

　　Fang Ping was slowly losing confidence!

　　At this moment, however, he had no time to think of other things.

　　Behind him, a few intense auras were hot on his heels. Even though he continuously opened up new passageways, he found it impossible to shake them off completely.

　　Fang Ping was slightly regretful that he had brought Old Man Li together this time. Otherwise, he might be able to escape alone.

　　If he truly wanted to hide, he could conceal his aura and simply dig a hole and hide there. The other party might not locate him in such a short period of time.

　　Now, however, he was slightly careless even before he came here, leaving the passageway he arrived in as it was.

　　It was not that Fang Ping was careless, though. That time, he was worried that he would alarm Willow Tree Monster, hence he was not brave enough to simply open up passageways.

　　Fang Ping stopped thinking too much about it. One after another, he was opening up underground passageways.

　　Then, Fang Ping suddenly thought of something. Gritting his teeth, he dug outward with his head!

　　Rumble!

　　A split second later, Fang Ping broke through the ground surface, climbing out from the underground immediately.

　　Now, as it turned out, he was on the main street!

　　He had just dug out when the two chieftain powerhouses who came out earlier arrived with the Midair Step. They arrived at blinding speed, the sound of them cutting through the air was exceedingly ear-piercing!

　　Fang Ping had expected this a long time ago. Without lifting his head, he scurried into a store next to him. Without taking a look, he employed his changdao instantly, killing a few people in the shop. Then, he smashed the ground with a punch once more, digging into it.

　　He had just dug underground when the shop was smashed into pieces. Both chieftains cared for nothing, smashing the shop with a smack!

　　When they sensed that the aura had once again disappeared, both chieftains flew into a great rage. It was also at this time when a chieftain powerhouse flew out from where Fang Ping dug out earlier. Seeing that the shop was smashed into pieces, he frowned slightly.

　　“The entire city is now under lockdown! A thief has intruded. All generals listen to the transfer order and seize the thief!”

　　“Close the city gates!”

　　A chieftain yelled. Then, he smashed the ground surface with a punch once more. Seeing the hole underground, he let out a cold humph. His Mentality traced along the entrance of the hole and began searching.

　　The thief did not have a strong ability. Although right now it was difficult to determine his level specifically, he was most certainly not at a level that was higher than the chieftain-level!

　　There was no escaping for this bastard in Royal City!

　　In the next moment, a Rank-7 powerhouse laid out a punch, exploding a shop into pieces in the far distance.

　　Everyone in the shop was instantly killed.

　　Whereas Fang Ping’s aura flashed and vanished. He proceeded to disappear without a trace.

　　“Bastard!”

　　A chieftain cursed in rage. They could already see what the thief was scheming at. If this continued, even if they managed to blow Fang Ping up, they would also cause catastrophic damage.

　　An auraless Fang Ping was very difficult to catch. They could only rely on the underground passageways to search for him.

　　Their speed was naturally slowed down.

　　On the other hand, this fellow did not constantly dig tunnels. He fled at a random pattern. When he fled out of the ground surface, he would disappear without a trace very quickly when no one attacked him. Their only option was to launch attacks and blow Fang Ping up.

　　Seeing that many shops were devastated, a chieftain yelled, “Everyone, stay indoors and don’t come out! Don’t make any noise!”

　　At this moment, many people were on the main street. The other party blended in, so it was very difficult to trace him.

　　However, as soon as there was no one on the main street, then there would not be many places where Fang Ping could run to.

　　No one dared to talk back to an enraged powerhouse. The crowd started moving indoors or into the shops next to them. Many of them were trembling in fear.

　　It was at this moment that a chieftain-level powerhouse attacked without a warning. Without saying a word, he smashed a building next to the street into pieces!

　　…

　　“Pu!”

　　Fang Ping was only hit by the after-wave. Now, he could also feel that his five viscera were shattering. He spat out a mouthful of blood mixed with his internal organ bits.

　　“There’s no escaping my fate now?”

　　Fang Ping felt slightly giddy now. Underground, a powerhouse was tracing along the passageway, coming after him.

　　On the ground surface, the entire city was enveloped in silence. Even if he had concealed his aura, digging underground would produce some sounds somehow. A high-ranked powerhouses’ sense of hearing was too powerful, as soon as he poked his head out, a slight sound and they could sense it instantly.

　　The other party cared nothing for anyone’s death. As soon as he had sensed it, he would attack in a move. Fang Ping was nearly smacked to death earlier.

　　The powerhouse’s aura behind him was getting more and more distinct. Now, Fang Ping did not even dare to poke his head out at all.

　　“Am I really going to die just like that?”

　　“I’ve underestimated these fellows!”

　　If this were in Sino Nation, he might have really escaped.

　　At least the Grandmasters in Sino Nation would not smash everyone in a building into pieces for no reason at all.

　　One could still trick a nobleman with reason, though encountering these Catacombs fellows who did not treat those of the lower status as humans, there was really no way around this.

　　“What should I do?”

　　Fang Ping thought of something suddenly. He continued digging tunnels. This time, he was digging his way back instead.

　　If there were numerous underground passageways, like a labyrinth, I would like to see how these guys could locate me if they could not sense my aura!

　　If he could reconnect with the passageways earlier, creating countless possible directions to flee, Fang Ping would have the time to take a breather.

　　Moreover, he could also use the opportunity to conceal the passageway he arrived in, throwing them off Old Man Li’s trail.

　　“Do you think it’s so easy to kill me!”

　　What Fang Ping found most regrettable right now was not having an iron head. Otherwise, he could dig tunnels even quicker and could straightaway fill the Royal City’s underground with them. He would like to see how these fellows could locate him. With an energy shield, these fellows could not locate him, there was also no way of killing him instantly.

　　“If you’re so capable, then use your Mentality to envelope the entire city straightway. Squash everyone in the city to death. I’d say that it’s worth getting killed together with everyone else!”

　　If these Rank-7 and 8 powerhouses, Willow Tree Monster included, had the intention to cover and suppress the entire city inch by inch, then Fang Ping would not have the slightest chance of surviving.

　　However, if he had no chance at surviving, then the entire city would have to be buried alive with him.

　　Would these guys dare to do it?

　　“I’m still not strong enough. Otherwise, going out to provoke them now is what I would call thrilling!”

　　Fang Ping found pleasure in spite of his bitterness. He dug tunnels wildly. Very quickly, he had opened up a passageway that was connected to the passageway he used to escape earlier.

　　A second later, Fang Ping disappeared on the spot. Underground, with a hint of resentment and loathsome look on his face, a chieftain chased after him. Where did that fellow run to now?

　　The path on his left was the one he dug out from underneath the ground earlier; the path on his right was the one he used to escape to the ground surface earlier. Whereas he was currently standing at the path where Fang Ping had just dug his way back.

　　If he could sense his aura, he would not even need to think. But, now, this was one hell of a chase.

　　“After this incident, Royal City’s underground must be changed into Life Crystals completely!”

　　This chieftain let out a humph. Next time, when all of them were changed into Life Crystals, even if they were crystals with depleted energies, it would still not be so easy for one to dig through them.

　　What a pity. After so many years, the Royal City had never once considered the possibility that the enemy would use the underground as a means of escaping.

　　Besides, for a high rank, even if it was underground, it was not much different from the ground surface actually. Aura was something that could not be concealed. There would be energy waves when you dig.

　　At this moment, however, Fang Ping had widened their knowledge in showing them that the ground was not hard enough. That was also a great flaw in their defense.

　　“You can’t escape!”

　　Intense Mentality waves mixed with an enraged roar echoed in the underground repeatedly.

　　Amidst this chieftain’s rage was a hint of puzzlement.

　　Even though the other party did not have an aura, what about the Fountain of Life? Where did it go? One must know Life Essence carried an immense amount of energy with it. Why was there not the slightest stir?

　　“The Land of Rebirth…”

　　At this moment, a ripple was rippling in a few hunting chieftains’ hearts. Were all Land of Rebirth martial artists so difficult to deal with?

　　There were countless casualties yesterday itself. Their king even wished to launch an attack into the Land of Rebirth. Was it really possible?