What?!
As the rest of them witnessed this scene, they were terrorized deep down inside, feeling like their innards were splitting with fear!
At this moment, only one thought was on their mind.
Escape!
Including Shi Xiao and Brother Bao, the remaining six people turned without hesitation and fled for their lives in different directions!
"None of you is leaving."
The young woman in a black dress snorted coldly. Her delicate, jade-like hand lightly patted a delicate pouch embroidered with cloud patterns at her waist.
Instantly, two yellow Fu talismans shot out and transformed into seven blazing fire arrows, making the shrill air-ripping sounds and accurately targeting the seven fleeing figures!
Thud, thud, thud...
Not a single arrow missed its mark. Each brutally pierced through their thighs near the groin, lunging them forth with its great momentum and pinning them firmly to the ground. Piercing, miserable screams immediately split through the night air.
The only exception was Brother Bao, who, at the moment the arrow was about to hit, whirled around and, pouring all his Qi and blood into the war blade in his hand, slashed out with all his might!
Clang!
An explosive sound of metal clashing rang out as the war blade snapped, and Brother Bao was sent staggering back five or six steps before barely steadying himself. His thumb web split open, bleeding profusely.
But in the end, he had relied on his Realm of the Tempered Body Ninth Level, blocking this strike. This boosted his morale.
"I am at the Tempered Body Ninth Level! Even if you are a cultivator, you're only at the Qi Refining Sixth Level! I just don't believe that with my tempered body that has been hardened countless times, I can't handle a mere young girl like you!"
Brother Bao let out a beast-like, low roar. The bones throughout his body emitted a series of cracking pops. The Qi and blood within him were pushed to their limit, surging towards his fists, turning them crimson red like branding irons.
"Blood Leopard Wrestling Dragon Fist!"
He stomped both feet hard on the ground, causing the brick pavement to crack, and, like a leopard pouncing on its prey, charged with a fierce, desperate air straight at the black-clad young woman on the eaves.
"You're wasting your energy!"
The young woman's gaze was forbiddingly cold, without the slightest emotion. She lightly patted her storage pouch again, from which an exquisite dagger, only palm-length and pitch-black all over, flew out.
The moment the dagger left her hand, it swelled into a black war blade over a meter long in a flash. The blade was engulfed in raging dark flames. The temperature of the surroundings rose sharply, the heatwave blistering.
"Go!"
The young woman pointed a finger and coldly shouted.
The black flame blade hummed, then tore through the air like a black lightning bolt, heading straight for Brother Bao!
The next moment!
"Ahhh—!"
A shrill, almost distorted scream erupted!
Brother Bao flew backward like a ragged sack for over ten meters, crashing heavily to the ground.
One of his arms had already vanished without a trace, the stump charred black. On his chest, there was a terrifying wound over a foot long, the flesh torn and curled, the burnt smell suffusing the air.
At this moment, the previous ferocity in Brother Bao's eyes had given way to shock and terror.
He had finally grasped the saying widespread among martial artists.
Immortals are incomparable and cannot be challenged!
The martial artist's Tempered Body Realm and the cultivator's Qi Refining Realm were both the first realm, but the combat powers they brought were as far apart as clouds and dirt!
He, at Tempered Body Ninth Level, all through Qi and blood Nurturing, Tendon and Muscle Tempering, and Bone Forging, possessed a tempered body as strong as steel. Yet, up against the opponent's strange magical weapon, it was as flimsy as paper!
And the opponent was only at Qi Refining Sixth Level!
This left him in despair.
The young woman seemed somewhat dissatisfied that this strike hadn't achieved complete success. Her delicate brows slightly furrowed as she snorted coldly. Once again, she activated the black flame blade, intending to finish off Brother Bao for good.
Right at this moment...
Whoosh!
A gleaming, silvery flying sword shot through the air, accurately intercepting the black blade. A clear clang rang out as it parried the blade away.
"Hmm?" The black-dressed young woman's face turned cold, her sharp gaze swinging towards the alley entrance to the right.
There, a figure wearing a black conical hat drifted into view. The silvery flying sword nimbly circled back, hovering around its master; it flickered with light, flanking him.
"So there is a cultivator backing them up. No wonder they had the guts." The young woman's voice was icy. "You stealthy mouse, let me see which immortal sect's esteemed disciple you are, or... just a shady rogue cultivator!"
As she formed quick hand seals, her spiritual power continuously streamed into the black blade, setting its dark flames swelling like an inferno. With a hum, a massive black slash escaped the blade, hacking its way with an apocalyptic air toward the man in a conical hat.
The conical-hatted man didn't dare neglect it, kicking the silvery flying sword into high gear to ward it off.
In an instant, the two magical weapons clashed fiercely in mid-air, their arcs colliding and intertwining wildly, the energy waves that leaked out cutting the surrounding walls and ground into a mess.
"Run, now!" The conical-hatted person seized a moment to let out a low shout.
Hearing this, Brother suppressed his intense pain and struggled to his feet. No longer heeding anything, he stumbled and disappeared into the depths of the darkness in the blink of an eye.
The black-clad young woman's eyes turned fierce. She raised her hand, trying to shoot out another Fu talisman to block his escape, but it was intercepted midway by a talisman that the conical-hatted man unleashed.
The two cultivators no longer held anything back, engaging in an all-out battle.
And as this chaos stretched, from the pile of "rubble and ruins" leaped a soundless figure, who, like the most agile of cats, using the cover of shadows, swiftly chased in the direction Brother Bao had fled.
...
As Brother Bao fled for his life, he dared not pass through any bustling street, taking particularly remote, dark, and complicated alleys to thread his way through.
He summoned the last ounce of his strength, pushing his tempered body to its limit, and made a mad dash through six consecutive alleys before daring to lean his back against a wall, taking lungful after lungful of air. His face was pale as paper. From his severed arm and ravaged chest, blood seeped continuously.
With a trembling hand, he fumbled in his bosom for some vulnerary powder, randomly sprinkling it on the wounds. Just as he was about to tear off a piece of his clothing to bandage them, he suddenly became alert like a wounded beast as his sharp eyes scanned the alley diagonally across from him.
"Who's there?! Show yourself!"
"Big brother... it's... It's me..." From the darkness came a hoarse, weak voice, as if its owner was also injured.
The next moment, a figure lunged out from the darkness. However, the expected helping hand did not come. Instead, a handful of mixed dust and sand was thrown into his face.
Severely injured, Brother Bao's reactions were far slower than usual, allowing this underhanded trick to spatter all over his face.
A large amount of sand instantly invaded his eyes. The sharp pain and sudden darkness drew a panicked roar from him. His remaining arm flailed wildly forward.
Such a chaotic defense was practically nonexistent in Lu Lin's eyes. He easily dodged the wildly swinging lone arm. His fist, concentrated with nearly 2,700 jin of immense strength, smashed like a cannonball into the wound on Brother Bao's chest.
Thud!
Crack!
A dull impact echo accompanied the crack of bone.
If he were at his peak, Brother Bao would naturally be fearless with his steel-like body. But now, severely wounded and weak, after his wound took another solid blow, how could he possibly still hold himself together? He was sent flying backward once more, crashing heavily into the wall behind him, then sliding down limply to the ground. Blood gushed from his mouth; he was already on the verge of death.
"You... who... are you..." Brother Bao fixed a wide, bloodshot stare at Lu Lin emerging from the shadows, letting out a resentful roar.
Lu Lin's eyes were icy cold. Without a word, he stepped forward, delivering a fierce kick to the wound on Brother Bao's chest. Brother Bao's scream was cut short, turning into a pained whimper.
Immediately after, another precise and ruthless punch shattered his throat.
Brother Bao's body convulsed a few times. His gaze dimmed sharply until he went completely still and silent.
Lu Lin didn't waste a moment. He quickly untied the two bundles from Brother Bao's back. Opening the box lids, the rich medicinal aroma once again filled the air. Inside were none other than the two hundred Qi and Blood Pills, one hundred Tendon-Tempering Pills, and that Xueyan Deer Antler.
Store!
With a thought, all the pills and the deer antler inside the three boxes instantly vanished, transferred into the Inner Space of the Martial Dao Furnace.
As for the wooden boxes, with limited space, they had to be abandoned.
After all this, Lu Lin quickly left the scene and, with top speed, took the route he had come, returning to the alley where they had been ambushed.
"No, something is still wrong."
Lu Lin came to a sudden stop. He clenched his right hand into a fist and held it over his chest, then, with an abrupt burst of his Qi and Blood, pounded hard on his chest.
Crack!
A rib in his chest was fractured. A mouthful of blood trickled from his lips.
Now, everything is fine.
When he stealthily made his way back, the battle between the two cultivators was nearing its end.
The black-clad young woman's strength far exceeded the conical-hatted man's expectations. With her fierce, unpredictable means, she actually had the higher-Realm conical-hatted fellow scrambling, who could only take a defensive posture.
He was both shocked and furious. They were both in the Qi Refining Realm, yet he had been overpowered by her, who was two Levels lower than him! This girl was definitely no ordinary disciple within the Xuesha Demonic Sect.
Gritting his teeth, he extravagantly activated several precious talismans in one go, temporarily forcing the black-dressed young woman back, before turning tail and running.
However, several figures had already emerged from the surrounding darkness. Projecting a profound air, all of them were Body Tempering Tenth Level superintendents from the Demonic Sect. They instantly formed a formation, blocking his escape. The black-attired young woman would surely not let this opportunity slip. That black flame blade was once again summoned, transforming into a deadly bolt of black light that cut off the conical-hatted fellow's head.
Just as everyone's attention was drawn to the conical-hatted guy, Lu Lin, like a slippery eel, once again sneaked back into the pile of rubble. He lay back on his stomach at the original place, retracted his aura, and became motionless.
"Greetings, Immortal Master!" These few Tempered Body Tenth Level superintendents respectfully bowed to the black-dressed young woman.
The young woman let her cold gaze sweep over the scene, a complete mess, her voice devoid of emotion. "One of them escaped with our Sect's pills. Send people after him immediately. I want to see him, whether living or dead."
She paused, then added, "Also, carefully check if there are any survivors among these warriors of our Sect.