"No good!"
Bai Zhixi's face paled, and her figure shot up into the air instantly. Nine fluffy tails appeared out of nowhere behind her, radiating dazzling spiritual light.
"Bang!"
But Bai Zhixi was only at the Xuanqing Realm—how could she block the attack of an Illusion-Breaking Realm powerhouse? A rain of sword qi fell, instantly splattering blood across the air. Bai Zhixi's figure plummeted from the sky and landed in front of Ling Xiao. By now, her body was covered in crisscrossing sword wounds, making her look rather pitiful.
"Damn it—hey, you need to run now! I'll hold him off for a while."
Bai Zhixi turned to glance at Ling Xiao, her pink eyes filled with solemnity. Ling Xiao frowned slightly, sneering inwardly: Typical Chosen One—always so upright and righteous. Even on the verge of death, still worrying about others' lives?
Nine tails… the Heavenly Fox Clan? Among the Nine Kings of the Ten Thousand Monsters Holy Land, the Heavenly Fox Clan had always kept to themselves and avoided conflict. But the powerhouse from the Blood Soul Temple was clearly targeting this little girl. Could it be that they coveted her talent?
"What are you standing around for? He's here to kill me—run! Hmph, I, Bai Zhixi, am not a coward who fears death!"
Bai Zhixi snorted coldly. Her pale face held a trace of defiance, clearly trying to embolden herself. It was obvious that the white-robed swordsman had come prepared. Even if she fled, she would never escape his grasp. But Ling Xiao did not move—the Void Dao Principles in Bai Zhixi's body were equally tempting to him. Void power, even among the three thousand Dao Principles, was among the most top-tier and mysterious. With two thousand points of Destiny Value protecting her, this little girl could not possibly perish easily. Perhaps he could take this opportunity to suppress his demonic intent. The Heavenly Dao's protection relied on the principle of "all things are karma." Since he was here, he might be the source of this little girl's survival.
"Hum."
Space rippled, and the figure of the white-robed swordsman reappeared in mid-air, his eyes carrying a faint trace of mockery.
"You… you fool, run now! I won't have time to care about you once we start fighting!"
Bai Zhixi gritted her teeth and looked up at the Blood Temple powerhouse.
"Did the Azure Wolf Clan send you?"
Bai Zhixi had endured numerous assassination attempts even back in the Holy State. The Heavenly Fox Clan had few enemies; the only faction with conflicting interests was the Howling Moon Azure Wolf Clan. In the Ten Thousand Monsters Holy Land, three Emperors stood above all, ruling over countless clans. The remaining Nine Kings governed separately, each in charge of their own territories. Among them, the Heavenly Fox Clan and the Azure Wolf Clan shared adjacent territories, and conflicts often arose between them. Especially since Bai Zhixi was hailed as the most talented in the Nine-Tailed Heavenly Fox Clan—having awakened the Void Dao Principles at the age of fourteen, she was destined to become a Supreme Powerhouse in the future. The Howling Moon Azure Wolf Clan would never allow her to grow unchecked.
"A dead person doesn't need to know too much."
The white-robed swordsman sneered. The ancient sword in his hand burst forth with mysterious light once more. Dark clouds gathered violently, and the roar of thunder pressed down across ten thousand li. Even the space within a hundred li radius was locked by a sharp sword intent. Clearly, he had no intention of giving Bai Zhixi another chance to escape.
"Hm? The origin of Sword Dao? This white-robed swordsman has also comprehended Dao Principles."
A trace of surprise flashed across Ling Xiao's eyes again. From this swordsman, he sensed an terrifying sharpness capable of slaying all living things under heaven—mingled with a wisp of the Great Dao's origin. It seemed the Blood Soul Temple had paid a heavy price to kill Bai Zhixi. But… what slightly puzzled Ling Xiao was how this white-robed swordsman, with his Illusion-Breaking Realm cultivation, had broken through the realm barrier and descended in his true form. He and Elder Yin had needed to obtain a Realm-Breaking Talisman from his mother to descend to the mortal realm. Such an item was as precious as a heaven-defying treasure. Though Ling Xiao did not know where his mother had obtained such a divine artifact, it was clear that very few in the Holy State possessed such items. Moreover, the higher one's cultivation, the more repelled they were by the realm barrier; a single misstep could result in being crushed to dust.
Ling Xiao could understand how Bai Zhixi had crossed the barrier—after all, she had comprehended the Void Dao Principles, and her control over space was far beyond that of ordinary people. But this white-robed swordsman had also comprehended Dao Principles; theoretically, he could never have evaded the Holy Religion's surveillance and descended here easily. Unconsciously, Ling Xiao caught a whiff of conspiracy.
"Die!"
In the sky, a massive sword slashed down furiously. Golden light flowed over it, Dao patterns swirled, and it emanated the sacred might of the Great Dao. The sword fell slowly, yet it gave people a sense of inevitability—there was no way to dodge it. Bai Zhixi's face turned icy cold. Knowing she could not escape, she suddenly kicked Ling Xiao hard.
"Go!"
Even at this moment, she still found time to worry about him. Ling Xiao suddenly smiled. How could he fail to see that if this sword struck, Bai Zhixi would either die or be severely injured? How could he miss such a perfect opportunity to "save the beauty like a hero"? The Nine-Tailed Fox Clan was renowned for their peerless beauty and ability to charm all living things. The world only knew that foxes were enchanting, yet few realized that once this clan gave their hearts, they were always loyal. This little girl was exceptionally talented and blessed with destiny—wouldn't it be wonderful to subdue her and raise her as his own?
A wisp of demonic intent quietly spread across the world. The clear blue sky instantly lost its radiance.
"Hum!"
An unparalleled sword intent cascaded down from the heavens, like the Milky Way descending. Clouds shattered, heaven and earth reversed, and in an instant, the entire mountain range was covered. Bai Zhixi clenched her teeth tightly. A crimson treasure cauldron had appeared in her hand at some point—its surface also exuding strange light, as if flames were rising in the void. A Dao Artifact. With just one glance, Ling Xiao sensed the terrifying power of this crimson cauldron. But while Dao Artifacts were powerful, their effectiveness depended on who wielded them. Bai Zhixi's talent was extraordinary, but her cultivation realm was far too low. If she were given a few more years to grow, no one in the entire Holy State would be her match. But now… the flames on the crimson cauldron were quickly extinguished. And the unparalleled sword intent finally descended upon Bai Zhixi.
"Bang!"
The entire barren mountain trembled for a moment. Cracks a hundred zhang long spread from the peak to the foot of the mountain, terrifying all living beings. Yet there was no trace of joy on the white-robed swordsman's face—instead, a hint of surprise flickered across it. Amidst the bright spiritual light that flickered on and off, a tall, pitch-black figure was faintly revealed. Bai Zhixi had closed her eyes tightly, her small face as pale as a sheet. But after waiting for a long time, the sword intent never struck. Puzzled, Bai Zhixi opened her eyes—only to see a figure shrouded in demonic light standing before her, holding the sword intent firmly in one hand, as if lifting the heavens!
Who is this? How could there be such a powerful cultivator in the Four Wastelands? To block a sword infused with Dao Principles from an Illusion-Breaking Realm swordsman with just his physical body? How is this possible? At this moment, Bai Zhixi's eyes widened abruptly, her small face filled with shock.
"This demonic aura…"
Above her, the white-robed swordsman's face also flashed with fear. Suddenly, as if he had realized something, a look of extreme terror erupted from the depths of his eyes.
"It's… it's you! So you're the one the Holy Elder was talking about!!"