"The second possibility is that the black-armored man at Ox Head Mountain was your mortal enemy. But that seems even less likely—you could have waited until after obtaining the Demon Binding Rope to seek revenge yourself. There was no need for such haste."

  "That leaves the third possibility: Ox Head Mountain held something you desperately wanted. Something so crucial you feared something might happen to it while we were at the underground palace. And since you weren't certain of my strength—it had been years since you last saw me fight in the mine—you decided to use me to kill the four bandit leaders at Ox Head Mountain and gauge my abilities in the process."

  "If you saw through it all, why wait until now to confront me?"

  Hann ground his teeth, but a wave of helplessness washed over him. This young man, young only in appearance, was meticulous in his observations. The supposedly flawless trap Hann had so carefully constructed had revealed so many loopholes, and he hadn't even realized his opponent had seen through it long ago. No wonder Leo had killed the Black Wind Gulch Eight so swiftly and returned to the chamber—to deny him time to refine the artifact. And feigning injury to trick him into revealing his secrets while he was flushed with overconfidence.

  Thinking of his earlier arrogance, Hann couldn't help but feel ridiculous.

  "Good question. I tolerated you for three reasons. First, I genuinely wanted the Demon Binding Rope. Second, I was curious what treasure at Ox Head Mountain was worth such an elaborate scheme. You're always cautious—only in your moment of triumph would you willingly reveal it. I never expected a Foundation Establishment Pill. That was a surprise. Third, I figured your outside accomplice, the one who did so much for you, would grow anxious when you didn't emerge. Especially after that burly man escaped, he'd worry whether you succeeded and come to check. By my calculation, he should be arriving soon. I wonder, once he gets here, will you be willing to share your forging arts?"

  Leo smiled slyly. "Did you think I had time for all this idle chatter otherwise?"

  "You—damn!" Hann's expression shifted. Hearing faint footsteps echoing from the passage, he opened his mouth to shout. But as he tried to warn his accomplice, a pleasant sound like flowing water filled the air, and Hann's mind went blank.

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  Ice Soul Mystic Sound was more effective against lower cultivation. Leo grew fonder of this spiritual sense attack. The delay allowed a tall, thin middle-aged man to appear in the passage. His face anxious, he cried out at the sight of Hann's bloodied state, "Father! What happened to you?"

  "Stop! I'll give you the forging arts!" Hann shouted desperately, knowing Leo's spell mastery. If Leo attacked, his son, also at the seventh layer, wouldn't stand a chance.

  "Speak sooner, and we avoid this. If I use my artifact, all is lost." Leo's voice was cold.

  "One condition. You must let us both go." Hann's tone was firm.

  "Do you really have room to bargain? I already have two artifacts. Your forging arts aren't essential." Leo's voice remained cold.

  "Blood Escape Great Art—go!" Hann suddenly roared.

  "Think you can escape?" Leo unleashed the black sword. Its artifact aura surged.

  But as he did, Hann and the tall man exploded into clouds of blood mist, fleeing at astonishing speed.

  "Damn!" Leo cursed. He hadn't expected such an escape technique. Their speed was beyond him. But he gave chase, directing the black sword after them. Such technique must have a cost. Speed like that couldn't last.

  Soon, they reappeared on an ancient altar. Out of steam, or had the technique reached its limit? They were now skeletal, the aftermath of the Blood Escape.

  "Die!" Leo's black sword shot toward them.

  But as it flew, Hann cast a venomous glance back and thrust five mid-grade spirit stones into five depressions on the altar. A spinning light array materialized.

  Thud! His sharp flying sword rebounded.

  "Impossible!" Leo's eyes widened.

  "Leo! One day, I'll make you suffer!" Hann's gaze was pure poison. The light array spun, and they vanished.

  "If you ever reappear, you won't have another chance to flee." Leo snorted. They were no match for him even at full strength, let alone now, weakened by the Blood Escape.

  The light array faded with their disappearance. Leo approached the altar. The five spirit stones had turned to powder. The array's consumption was immense. A teleportation array. Where had it sent them?

  Hann was resilient. Despite being outmaneuvered, he had stalled until his son arrived, then used the Blood Escape. He knew his son would die otherwise. Leo had been careless. Though Hann couldn't turn the tables, his escape was formidable. But every cloud has a silver lining—Leo now knew of this array, a potential escape route.

  Should he pursue? He dismissed the idea. Three months had gone into forging the rope. The Bloody Battlefield awaited. If the array sent him somewhere unfamiliar, returning in time would be difficult. The father and son, without the Foundation Establishment Pill, posed little threat.

  After the last competition, nearly a hundred Foundation Establishment Pills had yielded only eleven new Foundation cultivators. A ten percent success rate. Those who ranked were the Palace's most gifted disciples. Leo knew his cultivation came from large amount of pills, not talent. One pill wasn't enough. He needed the materials to refine more. With enough pills, even low odds favored him.