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The others smiled upon seeing her unharmed.
"Tsk, I thought I wouldn't be seeing your face for a good while." Qing Wentian laughed. "But you've arrived at a good time. We just needed someone good at killing."
Qing Tanwei chuckled. "Stop chatting and get to work, these guys are way more rowdy than I imagined!"
She began forming hand seals before pressing them against the ground. The earth started to rise and take shape, transforming into four two-meter-tall golems!
"Now run!" Qing Muyu took the lead, wreathing his body in fire. "I'm not great at protecting people, so I'll take the front and be the tip of the formation! Just make sure you look after those brats!"
None of them wasted time as they formed a protective formation around the thirty children. Unfortunately, the children weren't moving very fast. Even worse, the children were highly coveted "goods" from the auction...
"Hey, where do you think you're going?! Each one of those could fetch over a thousand spirit stones!"
"What?! What cunning bastards! Taking advantage of the chaos to snatch the most valuable items!"
"Kill them and take the children!"
The rogue cultivators shouted in rage as they charged toward Qing Xuanling's team. Obviously, the others weren't going to be so kind as to let them walk away with the children without a fight...
Qing Tanwei clicked her tongue and directed the golems to engage two cultivators trying to approach from the right. From the first brother to the third, they were at the forefront, cutting down anyone who dared try to stop them.
Qing Hanlin's rapier was a blur as he pierced enemy necks, taking advantage of the distractions caused by Qing Muyu's fire. Qing Xunwei was more direct, effortlessly killing with her wind arrows.
No rogue cultivator could last more than five seconds against their attacks.
That was the difference between those nurtured by great clans and rogue cultivators.
Qing Xuanling sighed regretfully as she watched the slaughter. Though her situation wasn't much better either. Memory moved like a grinder in her hands, severing the heads of any fool who dared approach her.
Thus, little by little, they managed to get closer to the secret room through which they had entered the Immortal Market.
Although the children were all sweaty and exhausted, none had sustained injuries, so everyone was quite satisfied. The group of forty people finally began to distance themselves from the crowd, and gradually, the attacks against them ceased.
Even the mental stimulant Qing Xuanling had created couldn't make people so reckless as to constantly throw themselves to their deaths.
Qing Xuanling let out a sigh of relief when her senses suddenly flared with alarm, and she began scanning her surroundings. Qing Hanlin was the first to realize the situation.
"Down!"
Everyone immediately threw themselves to the ground.
Qing Xuanling felt a cold, sharp wind pass over her head.
"Hm~? You noticed? Impressive!" A playful voice came from a dark alley. "I've never seen anyone react to my empty cut! You really aren't normal people!"
Several people began surrounding Qing Xuanling's group. The person who spoke first wore a fox mask and held his hand in a sword shape, surrounded by pure white Qi.
Qing Xuanling's pupils contracted. 'Sword Qi!'
The fox-masked person didn't notice her surprise and continued speaking. "You're quite a strong group, but so is mine. I doubt either side wants to start a fight if there's room for dialogue."
The man in the fox mask was eloquent and had a seductive voice, almost making Qing Xuanling's group forget that he had been the one to launch a nearly lethal attack moments ago...
Qing Muyu smiled ironically. "You're quite talkative after launching an attack, but before you state your demands, we're not giving you any of these children. Who knows what a cunning bastard like you might do to them!"
"Come on, come on, don't play the hero now. We both want those children for the same reason." The fox-masked man remained unfazed. "Look, I'll even give you a huge advantage. I only want that one child! You can keep the rest."
He pointed to a short, brown-haired child standing next to Qing Xuanling, making him tremble.
"That brat is quite important to our clan. Apparently, it possesses the rare lineage of the devouring boa!" The fox-masked man's voice suddenly dropped. "Otherwise, I wouldn't mind playing the villain if you want to play heroes and attack those children! After all, I only need one~"
Qing Xuanling frowned. The man had the aura of someone at the peak stage, and he also seemed to belong to a clan, judging by his desire for the child with the special lineage. It wouldn't be an easy battle, especially considering he was a sword cultivator.
Not to mention they had to protect the children from the enemy's attacks, unlike before, when the enemies had been more careful than they were about not harming the children.
A movement caught her attention as she thought all this over.
"I-I'll go with you!" The brown-haired boy stepped forward, his face ashen and filled with terror. "Just promise you won't h-hurt my friends and the older brothers and sisters!"
The other children shouted in fear.
"No, Ye Fan, don't go with that man! He looks like a bad person!"
"Don't leave, what will we do without you...!"
"Wahhh!"
The brown-haired boy, named Ye Fan, shook his head.
Ye Fan didn't really understand the situation he was in, why he was so heavily sought after, or why he was so valuable. He had been an ordinary child from a remote village before a sinister-looking old man kidnapped him and began experimenting on him and other children.
His life had been filled with constant torment and torture. Until the old man seemed to die while experimenting on himself. At first, he thought that would be the beginning of a new life for him and his friends, who were like younger siblings to him.
But Ye Fan soon realized how wrong he was.
It wasn't long before another terrifying-looking adult kidnapped them. But this time was even worse. From the conversations he had overheard, they had been sold to an auction house as high-quality breeding stock.
Although Ye Fan didn't fully understand what that meant, he knew it was nothing good for them, especially given the cruel, cold treatment they received from the auction house staff. Until that moment, he believed his life was just going from one abyss to a deeper one.
Until he finally saw a ray of hope.
Ye Fan looked at the older brothers and sisters who had broken into the cages where they were kept. For the first time in a long while, they had been treated like humans by these older siblings, even receiving some delicious food and water before being escorted out of the auction house up to the present moment.
Though it was for a short time, Ye Fan realized that the older siblings truly wanted to help them. So if his sacrifice was enough to give his younger siblings a good life, he would leap into hell itself if necessary!
"What a dramatic brat."
A warm hand suddenly touched Ye Fan's head and ruffled his hair vigorously. Ye Fan looked with a dazed expression at the older sister who had suddenly appeared carrying a sword that seemed to hold a rainbow within it.
"Who told you to act like a self-sacrificing hero? Do you really think we're not strong enough to protect you?!" Qing Xuanling smiled brightly. "Listen, brat, as long as I'm here, no one will lay a finger on you if you don't want them to, understood?!"
Ye Fan nodded, somewhat dazed as he stared at Qing Xuanling's brilliant smile. An inexplicable feeling that everything would be alright sprouted in the boy's heart for the first time in many years.
"You really know how to talk, little ninth!" Qing Muyu laughed heartily. "You took the words right out of my mouth! Like you said, as long as we're here, no one will touch a single hair on these children's heads!"
Qing Muyu roared as he expelled golden fire from his hands, which transformed into a golden dragon that attacked the fox-masked man's companions! The golden dragon, which seemed alive, roared and charged at the enemies!
Qing Xuanling's words seemed to motivate her companions, as each of them brought out their trump cards.
Qing Xuanling smiled faintly as she unsheathed Memory and approached the fox-masked man. The worst enemy for a sword cultivator was another sword cultivator.
Especially in the Qi Refinement realm.
Though everyone who mastered sword Qi in this realm was considered a top-tier genius who overwhelmingly dominated other cultivators, that dominance was shattered when they faced another sword cultivator.
The most terrifying part was that cultivation level barely mattered in a battle between sword cultivators. At least in the Qi Refinement realm. The victory in such a clash depended entirely on mastery of sword Qi and sword techniques.
Of course, the sword cultivator with deeper cultivation usually had a slight advantage, but it wasn't as significant as it should be. It was an advantage that could easily be closed with great talent.
The fox-masked man knew all this, which is why he was deeply offended.
"I already suspected it from how young your voice sounded, but you really are a reckless brat." He laughed disdainfully. "You may have mastered sword Qi at an early age, but do you seriously think you can beat a superior just because of that? Let me remind you, I'm at the peak stage of Qi Refinement!"
Qing Xuanling laughed. "Stop talking and fight! I didn't know there could be a sword cultivator who knew how to use his mouth better than his sword!"
The face beneath the fox mask grew cold. He took a deep breath, unsheathed his sword, and surrounded it with pure white sword Qi, just like Qing Xuanling's.
Qing Xuanling's expression turned serious. The only other sword cultivator she had faced, Che Yogun, though defeated easily, had only been so thanks to the element of surprise. But in reality, he had been quite strong and a tough opponent to overcome.
And the man before her seemed slightly stronger than Che Yogun.
'Well, I rarely face easy opponents~'
A sharp aura erupted from Qing Xuanling's entire body as her eyes filled with battle intent. Qing Xuanling's sword had always been aimed at enemies stronger than herself, so in reality, her sword Qi seemed even sharper when facing someone superior!
Qing Xuanling's figure vanished as she used the Lifeless Step, the first movement of the Purple Phantom movements, and appeared to the right of the fox-masked man!
Memory advanced at great speed toward his neck!
Clang!
"Too predictable." The fox-masked man mocked, easily blocking Qing Xuanling's attack.
He spun his sword, gripping it with both hands, and slashed toward Qing Xuanling!
Qing Xuanling deflected the sword and counterattacked, aiming for the fox-masked man's abdomen. But he caught on and stepped back while striking back.
Sparks flew through the air as Qing Xuanling and the fox-masked man exchanged increasingly rapid blows.
To the fox-masked man's dismay, the combat was fairly even. Though his reflexes should have been superior to the girl's due to his more developed divine sense, she was always able to react to his attacks and even counterattack.
Moreover, the girl's strength was far greater than what a cultivator who had only just reached the intermediate stage should possess!
Though a cultivator's strength didn't improve excessively with cultivation breakthroughs, there was still a certain improvement. Besides, strengthen the body with Qi granted cultivators superhuman strength, even if temporarily.
That improvement grew stronger as cultivation levels increased.
But strangely, Qing Xuanling's strength was that of someone at the seventh layer of Qi Refinement, despite clearly being at the fourth layer!
Not to mention her inhuman stamina! The brat's breathing remained steady even though she attacked three times as often as he did!
But above all, the girl's sword technique was no ordinary one. It was clearly a high-level technique, likely of the Profound Rank. He clenched his teeth tightly thinking about all that.
He felt it was deeply unfair that the girl had so many advantages! He couldn't keep this up!
He made a decision immediately.
The fox-masked man's sword Qi increased in volume as he suddenly raised his sword high.
"Meteor Sword!"
He brought his sword down with a force and speed he hadn't shown before, ferociously slashing at Qing Xuanling's shoulder! Her eyes narrowed, and she hastily blocked the attack!
But the strike was so powerful it sent her flying backward!
She clicked her tongue as she endured the pain in her wrist and planted her feet on the ground, making sure not to approach the area where the children and the others were. But the attack against her wasn't over.
"Starfall Rain!"
Dozens of sword lights suddenly flew toward her!
She frowned as she felt intense danger from each of the star-like sword lights. She was only a few meters from the children, so she couldn't retreat or dodge.
So she did what she did best. Advance with unwavering determination!
Qing Xuanling's eyes shone as she used Nine changes, destroying the sword lights that were clearly intended to strike the children behind her and those that might hit her right shoulder and arm, the one holding her sword.
As for the rest... she let them hit her body directly!
Blood splattered as Qing Xuanling's body was pierced!
"Hahaha, at first I didn't believe it, but did you really come to save those brats out of pure goodwill?!" The fox-masked man laughed heartily upon seeing Qing Xuanling take the hits for the children. "I really don't know how you've managed to survive until now, you must have been incredibly lucky! Pity that luck ends today!"
Several children had been watching Qing Xuanling's fight, including Ye Fan, since they had nowhere to run and nothing to do. They screamed when they saw blood splatter from Qing Xuanling's body.
Ye Fan's eyes reddened as guilt filled his chest and tears welled up, but before any could fall, the expression on his face and the situation changed completely.
Qing Xuanling, despite suffering several deep wounds, didn't let out a single scream and instead struck, thrusting toward the fox-masked man. Her sword blurred before transforming into two! One aimed at his neck and the other at his heart!
The fox-masked man was momentarily stunned at seeing Qing Xuanling ignore his attack, but alarms rang in his head as he saw the incoming strike. He quickly discerned which sword was real and which was fake, but a bad feeling crept in...
His eyes suddenly gleamed. "What a sinister sword technique!"
He couldn't help but exclaim as he ignored the two swords heading for vital points and instead protected his right shoulder!
Clang!
The fox-masked man laughed loudly. "Impressive! If I were any less sensitive, I might have fallen for the trick, but it's a pity, brat! Your trump card was useless against me!"
"Who said that was my trump card?" Qing Xuanling smiled as she tightened her grip on Memory. "That doesn't qualify as my trump card... This does: Fourth movement of the Wandering Sword, Six Waves!"
Qing Xuanling's sword struck hard, clashing against the fox-masked man's blade.
He frowned, but resisted the attack easily, even more easily than before. But before he could mock Qing Xuanling for feinting strength, another attack came from her. This time, at least thirty percent stronger than before!
His heart skipped a beat as he remembered the technique's name. He couldn't help but shout as realization dawned. "Don't tell me every attack you make from now on will increase in force?!"
Qing Xuanling smiled and didn't respond. She simply focused on attacking. That alone required considerable effort due to her injuries!
The fox-masked man clenched his teeth as he resisted the third attack, which was thirty percent stronger than the previous one.
"Fine, if you won't answer, I'll just endure these attacks! I bet you'll run out of strength after this! You can't possibly have that much Qi reserves!"
Qing Xuanling ignored him and delivered the fourth strike.
The man stumbled back three steps!
He clenched his teeth as a deep pain shot through both wrists, while feeling utterly bewildered. He was losing in raw power even though he held his sword with both hands and Qing Xuanling with one!
'This girl's sword technique truly isn't ordinary! But it doesn't matter, I just have to hold out until the sixth strike!'
The fifth strike arrived quickly, forcing the fox-masked man back seven steps this time.
"Alright, brat, I admit you've got guts, but your time runs out after this strike!"
The fox-masked man roared as he reinforced his body with the maximum amount of Qi possible and blocked the sixth strike.
Clang!!!
The fox-masked man's eyes widened in disbelief as his feet lost contact with the ground. Qing Xuanling's attack lifted him off the ground by a few centimeters while driving him back three meters!
But he survived! He won!
The fox-masked man's eyes filled with euphoria, but that caused his to miss a flash of five colors that was moving at breakneck speed.
'Brat, I won... Huh? Why can't I... speak? And why am I getting closer to the ground...?'
"Idiot~"
Qing Xuanling breathed heavily, completely exhausted. But that didn't stop her eyes from filling with mockery and disdain.
"Who said a technique called Six Waves only has to have six attacks?"