Soon, the two men were fighting hand-to-hand. Although their injuries prevented them from unleashing the full strength of a Great Swordsman, their fists and feet were still swift as they exchanged blows to each other’s faces and bodies.
Amid the muffled thuds, the scene resembled two freshly roasted pig heads.
In the past, upon seeing these two fellows turn against each other, Zirong couldn’t help but add fuel to the fire and fan the flames. After all, neither of the men was a good character—one was hypocritical and full of malicious intent, and the other was dishonest and deceitful. Watching them fight against each other was more satisfying than taking action herself; but now, Huayue and the others couldn’t afford to enjoy the drama and turned their attention to Mu Hanyan.
"Hurry up and look for the Dragon Blood Stone," Mu Hanyan urged, taking advantage of the heated fight between the unwilling brothers.
Although Zong He was wounded, given his status as a Tenth Rank Great Swordsman and the fact that Mu Hanyan had used up his two chances to save his own life, killing them wouldn’t be easy, and there was no need for unnecessary complications. ʀᴇᴀᴅ ʟᴀᴛᴇsᴛ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs ᴀᴛ novel•fire.net
Fortunately, they were unaware of his circumstances and thought he had no chance to compete for the strange treasure due to his severe injuries, focusing instead on venting their fury on each other, leaving them unbothered.
Mu Hanyan and his companions began to dig three feet into the ground in search of the Dragon Blood Stone. "Sharpening the axe will not delay the chopping of firewood"; they also collected the exceptional Medicinal Herbs they came across. There were too many herbs to carry them all back, but selecting the finest quality could yield a substantial amount of money.
"I found it!" Mu Nan suddenly shouted in delighted surprise.
Below, a streak of red light soared into the sky, clearly indicating the real target of Mu Hanyan’s journey to the Longyan Mountains: the Dragon Blood Stone.
The red light burst from the ground but didn’t dissipate. It seemed to be drawn by something, slowly rotating and finally forming a red cocoon of light about three feet in diameter, floating half a yard above the ground. At its center, a fist-sized rock gleamed vividly, like dripping blood.
Upon finally finding the Dragon Blood Stone, Mu Hanyan rushed forward, elated.
But before she could reach it, a figure descended from the sky, reaching for the Dragon Blood Stone.
"The mantis stalks the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind!" Just as this thought formed in Mu Hanyan’s mind, she was pushed back by a blast of Qi from the person, forced to watch helplessly as he reached for the Dragon Blood Stone.
"Stop!" Just then, amid a loud shout, another person flew through the air, reaching for the Dragon Blood Stone.
It seemed there was more than one oriole! Mu Hanyan cursed her luck silently.
She could tell that the two newcomers were also Great Swordsmen. Having used up her two life-saving opportunities, she had no way to retrieve the Dragon Blood Stone in front of them. Was she destined to return empty-handed today?
"Boom!" Both individuals, fast as shooting stars, almost simultaneously reached the front of the Dragon Blood Stone just as a thunderous sound erupted.
An invisible shock wave rippled out like water waves. Everything in sight was distorted. The two men were enveloped by the light cocoon of the Dragon Blood Stone and flung out, their disheveled appearances utterly embarrassed.
Then, five or six more figures descended, originally also targeting the Dragon Blood Stone. But upon catching sight of the plight of the first two, they quickly changed direction, landing around the Dragon Blood Stone and forming an encirclement.
The two who were earlier flung away disregarded their injuries and immediately joined the group, all of them warily watching each other.