At this critical moment where life and death hung by a thread, a sudden change erupted in the battlefield.
Shen Hanyi bit the tip of her tongue, forcibly squeezing out the last trace of strength. An abnormal flush spread across her face.
“Buzz—”
A low hum sounded, as if space itself were trembling.
A tiny sword, no larger than a baby’s fist and shining with dazzling golden light, slowly emerged from her lower abdomen.
The moment this small sword appeared, it released a pure and terrifyingly sharp aura.
Sword Embryo.
Zhou Kai, hidden in the treetop over 100 meters away, still felt a needle-like sting on his face.
Sword Embryo. This was the life-bound treasure of a sword cultivator, comparable to a cultivator’s Golden Core or Nascent Soul. Unless it was a life-and-death situation, one would never release it outside the body. If the Sword Embryo were damaged, at best one’s cultivation would plummet and their path be cut off; at worst, they would die on the spot.
A storm surged in Zhou Kai’s heart. “Damn, this woman is risking her life again!”
“Shen Hanyi! Are you crazy?” The young cultivator’s expression changed drastically. He clearly recognized what it was, and for the first time, fear appeared in his eyes.
He had never imagined that this proud daughter of Lone Swan Hall would be so resolute. She would rather risk destroying her own foundation just to drag him down with her.
“Break!” Shen Hanyi forced the word out from her throat.
The golden Sword Embryo streaked through the air, leaving behind a trail of light as it shot toward the young cultivator at an extreme speed.
Sensing the terrifying power within it, the young cultivator no longer cared about anything else. The White Jade Folding Fan in his hand burst with light as he swung it desperately, while simultaneously activating the Gale Force Wind to protect his body.
“Crack!”
The White Jade Folding Fan shattered instantly, turning into powder.
The golden streak did not slow down in the slightest. It pierced through layers of Gale Force Wind like bamboo splitting apart.
“Pfft!”
A sickening sound of flesh being pierced rang out.
The golden streak passed through the young cultivator’s chest, bringing up a spray of blood. Strangely, it did not explode or disperse. Instead, like a solid nail, it pinned him firmly to the ground, leaving him unable to move.
“What a chance!”
Zhou Kai, who had been watching from the shadows, had his eyes flash.
“When the snipe and the clam fight, the fisherman profits. Fairy Shen, your assist is perfect! This wave is worth it!”
“This is a ready-made opportunity to take advantage of the chaos… no, to save the beauty like a hero! With two favors stacked, this top-tier beauty will surely be grateful and devoted to me! Exchange points, here I come!”
Zhou Kai was overjoyed and no longer hesitated.
His figure flashed as he leaped out from the treetop, shouting loudly at the same time, his voice filled with perfectly timed urgency and righteous indignation, “Fellow Daoist, do not panic! I’m here to help you! I am Zhou Kai, Guest Elder of the Chen Family!”
Shen Hanyi turned her head with difficulty. Having lost too much blood, her vision was already blurred. She vaguely saw that familiar figure return, and her dim eyes were filled with confusion.
Hearing the familiar voice, the young cultivator’s eyes lit up, thinking reinforcements had arrived. “Quick, restrain Shen Hanyi, she’s already exhausted…”
At some point, Zhou Kai already had a large stack of talismans in his hand.
“Hehe, sure!”
He sneered inwardly. With a flick of his wrist, dozens of talismans scattered like heavenly flowers, flashing with various lights as they whistled toward the young cultivator pinned to the ground.
“Slow Talisman! Metal Piercing Talisman! Fireball Talisman! Lightning Strike Talisman! Ice Spike Talisman!”
Various low-grade talismans, along with a few mid-grade ones of slightly greater power, were all thrown out at once.
The young cultivator was pinned by the Sword Embryo, sword qi raging within his body. He could not move at all, nor could he activate any defensive artifact. He could only watch helplessly as these low-level spells, which he normally would not even glance at, bombarded him like a storm.
“Bang! Bang! Bang!”
In an instant, flames surged into the sky, lightning writhed wildly, ice shards scattered, golden blades cut through, and earth and stone flew everywhere. The protective robe on the young cultivator turned to ashes, his Protective Spiritual Light shattered, and his flesh was torn open and blasted apart, blood dripping everywhere, charred black and horrifying to look at.
“You… you’re not…” The young cultivator was both shocked and furious, the intense pain nearly causing him to faint.
Enduring the tearing agony and the sword qi rampaging inside him, he desperately tried to reach for the Storage Pouch at his waist, as if trying to take out some life-saving trump card.
A mere 4th stage Qi Refining Realm ant dared to ambush him? Even a tiger fallen to the plains was not something an ant could bully. As long as he had a sliver of opportunity…
But would Zhou Kai give him that chance?
Of course not.
Strike when the enemy is down. That was Zhou Kai’s principle.
With a point of his left hand, an Azure Flying Sword shot out, piercing straight toward the young cultivator’s dantian.
And that was not all.
With a flip of his wrist, the Crimson Gourd Artifact he had seized earlier, the Flameheart Gourd, appeared in his hand.
The young cultivator recognized the gourd at a glance. His pupils shrank, and the shock and fury in his heart reached their peak.
Before he could speak, Zhou Kai aimed the gourd’s mouth at him. With a “hiss,” a stream of scorching flames burst forth, instantly engulfing him.
“Ah—!”
The young cultivator had already been severely wounded by Shen Hanyi’s Sword Embryo, with sword qi wreaking havoc inside him. His strength was barely one-tenth of its usual level.
What of being at the 7th stage Qi Refining Realm? Unable to move and completely defenseless, facing Zhou Kai’s relentless and all-out killing assault, even an iron man would be melted.
Zhou Kai watched expressionlessly as the young cultivator gradually stopped moving, only relaxing once he was certain the man was completely dead.
“Phew…” He finally let out a long breath, feeling that more than half of his spiritual power had been consumed.
But it was worth it. Completely worth it.
Zhou Kai first glanced at Shen Hanyi lying limp on the ground. Seeing that her aura was weak and that she could not even move a finger, he finally felt reassured.
Moving quickly, he rushed forward and tore off the Storage Pouch from the young cultivator’s waist. He swiftly erased its mark, confirmed the contents, and stuffed it into his clothes in one smooth motion.
Only after finishing all this did he turn to look at Shen Hanyi. Get faster updates on g.com.
At this moment, Shen Hanyi was looking at him with an extremely complex and indescribable gaze.
Those eyes, which should have been cold and aloof, were now filled with shock, confusion, vigilance, and perhaps a trace of… the dazed disbelief and faint gratitude of surviving a catastrophe.
Her condition was worse than Zhou Kai had expected. After activating the Sword Embryo, it was as if all her vitality had been drained. She lay limp on the ground, without even the strength to stand. The golden Sword Embryo had already dimmed and slowly retracted into her body, as if it could collapse at any moment.
Her aura was frighteningly weak. Her face was pale, blood still slowly flowing from the corner of her lips. Her once clear gaze had become unfocused, as if her consciousness was about to fade.
The smell of blood in the air grew heavier. The young cultivator’s corpse still emitted faint smoke, and the Blood Signal Sphere in the sky was still glowing. Reinforcements could arrive at any moment.
“We can’t stay here.”
Zhou Kai made a swift decision. He stepped forward and, without hesitation, bent down and lifted Shen Hanyi into his arms.
Her skin was cold and smooth to the touch, her body soft and delicate.
He quickly took out a Swift Movement Talisman and slapped it onto his leg. With spiritual power activated, his figure turned into a blur as he rushed toward the depths of the forest, away from the battlefield.
The warm softness in his arms contrasted sharply with her cold body pressed against his chest. A faint orchid-like fragrance mixed with the scent of blood entered his nose, strangely stimulating.
Zhou Kai could clearly feel her weak breathing brushing against his neck, light and ticklish, like feathers.
The beauty in his arms, though in a miserable state, still revealed glimpses of her snow-white, smooth skin beneath her torn clothing. Especially her long, stunning legs, swaying gently with his movement, drawing out breathtaking curves.
“Damn it, what am I thinking at a time like this? Lust is a blade that shaves the bone. I have to endure!” Zhou Kai cursed himself inwardly, though carrying such a peerless beauty while fleeing did feel… rather exhilarating.
“Sword Fairy, I’ve saved you twice now. You’d better remember this favor well!” He lowered his head and grinned at the unconscious beauty in his arms, revealing a row of white teeth.
Shen Hanyi seemed to hear his words. She slightly opened her heavy eyelids, looking at him in confusion. Her lips moved as if she wanted to say something, but in the end, only a faint, barely audible murmur escaped her throat before she sank back into unconsciousness.
The effect of the Swift Movement Talisman was gradually weakening, and Zhou Kai’s spiritual power was almost depleted.
Carrying someone while running wildly for four hours was no small burden for someone at the 4th stage Qi Refining Realm.
Sweat soaked through his back.
Finally, beneath an unremarkable cliff face, he discovered a cave entrance hidden by vines.
The entrance was small, just enough for a person to bend down and enter.
Zhou Kai carefully checked the surroundings and confirmed that there were no dangers such as spirit beasts inside.
He carried Shen Hanyi into the cave.
The cave was not deep, but it was dry, and there were some patches of withered grass in the corner.
Zhou Kai gently placed Shen Hanyi onto the dry grass and sat down on the ground himself, breathing heavily.
Outside, the sky had already begun to brighten.
He wiped the sweat from his forehead and looked at Shen Hanyi lying on the ground.
Perhaps due to her posture, her legs overlapped, forming smooth and elegant lines.
Zhou Kai’s gaze lingered for a moment.
“For now… it’s safe…”