Chapter 46: Collision

Seeing Qin Jue, Cui Dongxing slightly raised his chin, his face full of arrogance as he said, “What, are you still going to be a scaredy-cat this time?”

His cold words were laden with provocation.

Qin Jue, however, paid no heed.

He glanced at his own status panel—there was now a plus sign after his cultivation technique.

Even with the improvement, he still had to face a fierce battle against his opponent.

At present, aside from them, four others lay hidden in the shadows.

If a fight broke out, it would likely only serve to benefit others.

So, Qin Jue turned and walked away.

Cui Dongxing’s eyes darkened, his face full of contempt.

He had known the other would continue to run.

But this time, escape was impossible!

Cui Dongxing activated the blood energy within him, surging it to his legs with such force that even the fallen leaves beneath his feet were gently blown upwards.

Then, with a burst of power, his blood energy roared through his body as he charged fiercely in pursuit of Qin Jue.

In just a moment, he had closed the distance.

Qin Jue glanced back, his eyes growing cold, and quickened his pace once more.

Under the bright moon hanging high, moonlight sifted through the dense branches, casting patches of light upon the ground.

Qin Jue weaved between light and shadow, his figure ghostlike.

Behind him, Cui Dongxing pursued relentlessly, stepping on branches; each leap shortened the gap between them considerably.

Qin Jue could never shake him off.

This puzzled him deeply.

During the day, he had been able to lose him, but now Cui Dongxing clung to him like a leech.

Had he become stronger?

He had no time to ponder further and could only speed up.

---

At the valley’s edge, the soldiers who had previously praised Cui Dongxing looked at Chen Xi with pride.

“Not calling out now? I told you, Commander Cui will definitely be first.”

Chen Xi sneered, “He’s only ahead by one point.”

“But he’s first now and he’ll stay first!” The other shot back Chen Xi’s own words with a smile.

If Cui Dongxing won, he would earn a hefty reward.

“Let’s see about that,” Chen Xi rolled his eyes and added, “In the end, our village chief will be the winner.”

“You won’t believe it until you see the coffin,” the other mocked with a sneer.

---

Elsewhere, Wang Zhong and the others atop a high vantage point learned that Qin Jue had encountered Cui Dongxing.

“I thought these two wouldn’t meet,” a middle-ranking general sighed.

Judging by strength, Cui Dongxing was definitely superior to Qin Jue; if they didn’t clash, Qin Jue might have surpassed him on points.

The commander obviously favored Qin Jue, so naturally, these generals hoped Qin Jue would take first place.

Unfortunately, if they met, Qin Jue’s chances were slim.

After speaking, the general glanced at Wang Zhong.

Wang Zhong’s eyes were deep and inscrutable as he gazed up at the moonlight, lost in thought.

---

In the forest, Qin Jue continuously accelerated but still couldn’t shake Cui Dongxing.

They maintained a close distance, weaving through the trees.

In the shadows, the officials responsible for recording points watched the scene with a slight shake of their heads.

They had admired Qin Jue’s earlier performance and secretly wished for him to claim first place.

But now, having encountered Cui Dongxing, it was basically hopeless.

“Such a pity,” one said, holding a booklet, shaking his head slightly.

Others nodded in agreement.

Suddenly, someone spoke up, “But isn’t this cheating? Isn’t it unfair to Qin Jue and the others?”

Apparently, the supervisors had witnessed Cui Dongxing consume a pill that dramatically boosted his blood energy, leading to this chase.

Although the third round had no explicit rules, relying on external aids like pills was forbidden—a point the commander had emphasized.

However...

After the comment, the other supervisors around seemed not to have heard.

The man immediately realized his mistake, smiling awkwardly and falling silent.

In officialdom, as in the military, one must blend in and avoid disruption.

---

Time passed steadily. Qin Jue, seeing Cui Dongxing still in close pursuit, knew he could no longer outrun him.

Since that was the case, he had to face him.

He searched swiftly for the best battleground to ensure they wouldn’t be interrupted.

After finding a relatively secluded flat area, he stopped.

“Not running anymore?” Cui Dongxing landed steadily behind him, his gaze sharp like a hawk’s, mockingly fixed on Qin Jue, his words dripping with unhidden contempt.

---

Qin Jue turned slowly, facing Cui Dongxing head-on.

His eyes were clear and calm, like a tranquil, unruffled pool.

He spoke softly, “I’m running, but not because I fear you.”

“Ha.” Cui Dongxing’s lips curled into a cold smirk, his laughter full of scorn. “If all you can do is talk big, I advise you to kneel before me and admit defeat. Maybe then I’ll go easy on you.”

He dismissed Qin Jue’s words as mere excuses for cowardice, growing more disdainful.

Qin Jue remained composed, unfazed by the provocation, calmly retorting, “A jealous man—how can he deserve to be a commander?”

By nature decisive and straightforward, Qin Jue disliked wasting time with such words.

But after more than half an hour of fleeing, his energy was depleted.

Facing Cui Dongxing, a master of martial arts at the pinnacle of the fourth stage, he had to be at his best.

His words struck like a blade, hitting Cui Dongxing’s sore spot.

His face instantly darkened, features twisted in fury as he roared viciously, “You dare judge me? Tonight, I will show the commander just how despicable his favored one really is!”

“See, you’re flustered,” Qin Jue’s lips curved into a faint, elusive smile.

Cui Dongxing exploded in rage, clenching his fists until the bones cracked.

“Seeking death!”

With a thunderous roar, he charged like a raging beast toward Qin Jue.

The aura of a fourth-stage master erupted fiercely; his right fist was raised high, blood energy swirling around it like a blazing flame, stirring a gust of wind.

Qin Jue’s gaze sharpened.

His opponent’s strength was far more terrifying than the fighters he had faced during the day—perhaps even nearing the second realm.

He did not choose to block head-on; instead, his body flashed like lightning, swiftly darting to the left front, narrowly evading the blow.

At the same time, he took a deep breath, blood energy rushing inside him like a raging river, gathering suddenly in his right fist as he struck back fiercely.

“Hmph!”

Cui Dongxing snorted coldly, twisting his body to dodge the hit.

His previously fierce punch retracted at a strange speed and appeared behind Qin Jue.

Qin Jue had no choice but to turn around to block.

“Bang!”

Cui Dongxing’s fist slammed into Qin Jue’s arm, and a faint red glow appeared on the tough skin.

Thanks to his enhanced physique, Qin Jue only staggered back a few steps, pain radiating from his arm.

He shook his arm, while Cui Dongxing charged again...