Elsewhere, half an hour after the battle began,
Bai Tian opened his eyes. A sharp pain stabbed the back of his neck, making him tense for a moment. As he looked around, he realized he was like a corpse thrown away in the forest.
Without wasting time, he swallowed pills to heal his wounds, then began absorbing the surrounding spiritual energy. Since it felt too slow, he used the spiritual stones in his storage. Time passed, and eventually, Bai Tian had almost fully recovered.
When he opened his eyes, they locked onto a necklace floating before him, and a voice was heard:
"Young man, hurry, save your beloved," said the voice of a middle-aged man.
"Beloved? Who are you, why are you in my necklace?" Bai Tian asked cautiously.
"Calm down, boy. You've already taken the book containing that legacy… Aihh, I've helped you twice, and today you can't even protect yourself, hiding behind a woman instead," the middle-aged man's voice sounded stern, yet faintly shaking his head.
Bai Tian fell silent for a moment, then realized. This man was the one who had given him the chance to obtain the Fire Seed, and the one who asked him to protect a girl in an ice coffin. With a serious expression, Bai Tian asked:
"Why are you in my necklace?"
"Enough. I am only a fragment of consciousness left to protect the young lady," the middle-aged man replied, his voice deep and commanding.
"Now, take out ten thousand spiritual stones, and I will prepare a teleportation formation for you," he continued.
Bai Tian sighed helplessly, then handed over the spiritual stones. The middle-aged man instantly melted them, and a complex structure floated, forming into a glowing stone. That stone then flew toward Bai Tian, and the command was heard:
"Shatter this stone! You will be teleported randomly, about five to fifteen kilometers from here. Beware of the teleportation backlash!"
"Hurry… your little beloved will not last much longer!"
Without a second thought, Bai Tian rushed toward the battlefield. When he arrived, his eyes widened. Two forces were colliding violently, devastating the forest around them, branches snapping and dust whirling like a storm. Amidst the destruction, he saw Xuan Ying'er—constantly being forced back, her body covered in wounds, her clothes and skin soaked with blood and sweat.
Bai Tian immediately took action. He pulled out a large number of smoke bombs, detonating them to cover his path, then dashed as fast as possible toward Xuan Ying'er. Thick smoke engulfed the battlefield, concealing their positions from the enemy, while Bai Tian's heart pounded fiercely.
Seeing Bai Tian approach, Xuan Ying'er grew frustrated. Her eyes filled with both worry and fury, and she deliberately tried to knock Bai Tian unconscious so he would stay away from danger and live. Yet Bai Tian instead stepped right into the jaws of death.
Frustrated and disappointed, Xuan Ying'er glared at him coldly:
"Why did you come here? Do you pity me and want to die alon—"
But before her words could finish, Bai Tian silenced her with one swift motion, staring into her eyes, and whispered:
"Unleash your strongest attack."
Xuan Ying'er froze for a moment, her breathing ragged, but sparks of anger glimmered in her eyes. She knew Bai Tian didn't mean it recklessly. Before Xuan Ying'er could voice her doubts, Bai Tian quickly said: "Hurry."
For a moment, Xuan Ying'er stared into Bai Tian's eyes, their gaze locked in mutual resolve. Then, she began unleashing all her spiritual energy, her body glowing with the aura of the five elements spinning wildly. Thousands of swords floated in the sky, each shrouded in fire, wind, earth, water, and lightning, then rained down upon the enemy with lethal force.
On the opposing side, the cultivators quickly formed protective shields, their energy pulsating to resist the sword barrage.
Swoosh! Clang! Boom! Rumble!
The clash of thousands of swords against shields created bursts of energy, sparks of fire, and spiraling gales that ravaged the forest. Dust, leaves, and shattered wood were flung into the air, forming a storm that threatened to swallow everything.
In the midst of the chaotic forest, Bai Tian gazed at Xuan Ying'er. His breath was ragged, his heart racing wildly. Without hesitation, he carried her in his arms, breaking through the whirlpool of raging energy like an enraged dragon. Around them, enemies darted forward, their shadows forming terrifying silhouettes, yet not a single one could touch Bai Tian.
Once they broke free from the storm, Bai Tian drew out a glowing stone that looked small in his hand. But as soon as he crushed it, radiant light burst forth with such intensity that the air around them trembled. The blast of light pierced the heavy mist, soaring high into the night sky like a newborn sun igniting in the forest.
Their enemies froze, stunned, eyes widening in disbelief. Mouths hung open, bodies stiffened. They watched as spirals of light danced wildly in the air, forming a circle of energy that spun, hummed, and radiated both scorching heat and chilling cold that bewildered their senses. The vibrations shook the ground, swayed the trees, and filled the air with inhuman power.
Bai Tian turned to Xuan Ying'er, their eyes meeting. Their breaths raced, hearts pounding uncontrollably. In a soft yet nervous voice, he whispered:
"Young lady… hold tight. This is my first time using it."
Xuan Ying'er clutched Bai Tian's neck tightly. In an instant, the glowing stone's light wrapped around them, forming a spiraling vortex that swallowed them slowly yet forcefully. Winds whirled violently, spiritual energy danced wildly around them, creating a vortex of light that shattered enemy shadows. Leaves scattered, branches snapped, and the thunderous roar of energy echoed like thousands of gales crashing all at once.
Their bodies trembled, as though being dragged by a current from another dimension. Space around them warped, light blazing through every crack of the night. Xuan Ying'er's eyes glowed in awe, while Bai Tian continuously channeled spiritual energy to shield them. After that, it felt as if they were being pulled into an unseen whirlpool that erased both distance and time.
And then… in a blinding flash of light, they vanished.
Their enemies could only stare at the empty space where Bai Tian and Xuan Ying'er had stood seconds ago. Lips trembled, eyes bulged, hearts seized with disbelief.
"What… was that…? Where did they go?" whispered one of them, his voice cracking with frustration.
The vortex of light left lingering energy behind, like a miniature aurora dancing among the trees, casting strange, shifting shadows that moved on their own.
A leader among the enemies wiped his face, trying to comprehend what had just occurred. His hands trembled, his body felt cold despite the night air burning hot with residual energy. All who witnessed it, friend and foe alike, felt the same thing: their mission had utterly failed.
The ruined forest now echoed only with whispers of wind and drifting dust. Broken branches swayed within the fading remnants of energy, while the last sparks of light slowly dimmed. Yet the aura of mystery remained, shrouding the forest as if declaring one truth: Bai Tian and Xuan Ying'er had gone far away.