Soon, two middle-aged men came into view. It looked like they were likely to enter the cave and take a look.
At that moment, Ye Feifei and Ye Lin were inside the cave. Ye Tian wasn't sure how Ye Lin's absorption of the Three-leaf Golden Ganoderma was progressing. If he was at a critical point in absorbing its Energy, it would be a huge problem.
'I can't let them enter the cave. I have to find a way to lure them away,' Ye Tian thought. 'While I'm at it, I'll figure out why they've come to Lisha City.'
Ye Tian immediately strode toward the two men. Of course, he was extremely cautious with every step. When you didn't know the extent of your opponent's power, self-preservation was paramount.
"Kid, who are you and why are you here?" one of the middle-aged men asked Ye Tian.
"And who are you to be here?" Ye Tian's tone was laced with disdain, a deliberate attempt to provoke them so he could lure them away.
"Heh, for a snot-nosed kid, you've got some nerve talking to us like that!" the other man said.
Ye Tian deliberately gripped his Black Glaze Sword, his goal to attract their attention. He wanted to tempt them into trying to steal it, making it easier for them to fall into his trap.
"So, who are you, and what are you doing here? You don't look like you're from Lisha City. Don't tell me you're here to hunt Demon Beasts?" Ye Tian asked with a faint smile, his expression perfectly calm and composed.
"Kid, you ask too many damn questions! Why all the prying? That sword in your hand looks pretty good. How about you leave it behind? If you do, maybe we'll let you live. Otherwise, running into us today is the worst luck you'll ever have," the middle-aged man said.
Ye Tian laughed to himself. 'These two have taken the bait.' "You want my sword? You're not worthy," he sneered. "The renowned Black Iron Guard, trying to rob a boy of his sword. The Shadow Celestial Dragon Team must be teeming with talent!"
Ye Tian had revealed their identities on purpose. This would stoke their anger, making it easier for him to achieve his goal of luring them away.
The two men froze, staring at Ye Tian in shock. "Kid, who the hell are you? How do you know who we are? If you don't come clean today, you'll die without a grave."
"Heh, threatening me? I'm not the type to be intimidated! I don't have time to play with you. See ya!" With that, Ye Tian's figure blurred as he shot forward.
"Stop! Explain yourself! You think you can just run away? Not so fast!" one of them roared, and the two men immediately gave chase.
Ye Tian knew their Power Realms were far higher than his. His earlier fight with the other Black Iron Guard had consumed a great deal of his Dragon Spiritual Power, and he had only recovered about half of it. Still, it was enough to execute the Flowing Cloud Step.
'I really need to master the First Form of Dragon Form Hundred Transformations,' he thought. 'Otherwise, I'll be in some real trouble.'
Ye Tian was fast, pushing his Flowing Cloud Step to its absolute limit, but he was still no match for the speed of the two Black Iron Guards. The distance between them was steadily closing.
"There's nowhere to run, kid! Just give up quietly. If I'm in a good mood, I might leave your corpse in one piece. Otherwise... you know what'll happen!" one of the Black Iron Guards roared.
Ye Tian was no fool. If Flowing Cloud Step wasn't enough, he'd switch to the First Form, even though he hadn't mastered it. It was much faster than Flowing Cloud Step, but its one drawback was how quickly it drained his Dragon Spiritual Power.
His speed suddenly surged, shocking the two Black Iron Guards chasing him. "What kind of Body Technique is that? How is he so fast? This kid is more than he seems!" one of them exclaimed.
"Who cares? We'll find out once we catch him. I can't believe we're being played for fools by a little brat! If anyone else finds out, we'll be completely disgraced!" the other man said.
The two men sped up, and the high-speed chase continued across the back of the mountain.
Ye Tian found that he was becoming more and more proficient with Dragon Form Hundred Transformations as he used it. His speed actually began to increase, and he gradually started to pull away.
"What's going on? How is he faster than us? This is just bizarre! The kid must have a reason for this... It's like he's deliberately luring us away! Don't tell me there's something suspicious about that cave?" one of the Black Iron Guards said.
"I agree, something's not right. The timing of his appearance was too coincidental, and everything he said was calculated to provoke us. His goal was to lure us away. I can't believe we let a little brat run us around in circles.
If we stop chasing, I'm sure he'll just head back! There's no time to waste, let's go see what's so strange about that cave. I have a gut feeling Hei Shisan has already met a grim fate. Otherwise, no one would know who we are," the other Black Iron Guard said.
The two men's figures flashed as they immediately turned back. The moment they did, Ye Tian knew something was wrong. 'Did those two see through my ruse? They're damn cunning! No, I have to stop them.'
Defeating the two of them was simply impossible with Ye Tian's current strength. He also didn't know Ye Lin's condition. If Ye Lin had completely absorbed the Energy from the Three-leaf Golden Ganoderma, then there would be nothing to worry about.
But if those two barged in at the most critical moment, it would be a disaster. Ye Feifei was in there too—the danger was immense. For a moment, Ye Tian's mind was a mess.
In his heart, Ye Tian didn't want to bother Elder Qing. He wanted to accomplish things on his own. Relying too much on one person would be a major obstacle to his own growth.
But at this moment, he had no choice but to ask for Elder Qing's help. At the same time, his desire for power grew even more intense.
"Elder Qing! Elder Qing!" Ye Tian roared into the air. He knew Elder Qing would appear before him in an instant.
And just as he expected, within a few breaths, Elder Qing's figure appeared out of nowhere. "Young Master, are you in trouble?"
"Quick, go intercept those two men. They seem to be some kind of Black Iron Guard. Help me investigate what they're doing in Lisha City," Ye Tian said.
With Elder Qing on the case, a lot of his troubles were solved. Today's chase had given him a deeper understanding of Dragon Form Hundred Transformations. He knew he had to cultivate it more diligently in the future, as well as the Light Body Technique the Divine Dragon Remnant Soul had taught him back in the well.
"Rest assured, Young Master. I'll see to it at once!" Elder Qing said. The words had barely left his lips before he vanished, leaving Ye Tian staring in astonishment.
'Now that's a true expert, coming and going without a trace. I wonder when I'll be able to reach his Realm,' Ye Tian muttered to himself. Then, his own figure blurred as he quickly gave chase...