"Hmph, arrogant brat! Break for me!"
The elder Minshu roared and charged towards them.
Zhou Xuan neither dodged nor blocked. His eyes were tightly shut, his hands clasped around Lu Ling'er's waist. He stood like a titan, shielding her with his chest.
"Rumble~"
Zhou Xuan felt a sharp pain in his chest. His body was sent flying several feet away, and a trickle of blood oozed from the corner of his mouth.
The elder Minshu, however, stood his ground, his eyes fixed on Lu Ling'er.
"How could this happen... Brother Xuan, are you alright?"
"Ling'er, I, I'm fine."
Zhou Xuan gritted his teeth and stood up.
"No! I must send you away first!"
As Zhou Xuan spoke, he pushed Lu Ling'er forward a few steps.
The elder Minshu's gaze was fierce as he charged again, landing a punch on Zhou Xuan's stomach.
"Bang~"
Zhou Xuan was sent flying backward again, smashing through a stone pillar.
Seeing this, Lu Ling'er quickly ran forward to support him. "Brother Xuan!"
"Haha! Let's see how you survive this time!"
The elder Minshu laughed maniacally and pursued them again. He grabbed Lu Ling'er's shoulder and was about to strike her with his palm.
Just then, Zhou Xuan suddenly opened his eyes. A white light flashed from their depths.
His eyes seemed to contain an endless starry sky, vast and boundless.
Lu Ling'er felt her body grow heavy, as if she were trapped within a golden alms bowl.
Zhou Xuan's eyes turned blood red, and his aura surged to its peak.
He had already reached the Transcendent Realm, coupled with his cultivation of the Supreme Yang Nine Yang Divine Art, and possessed the innate Yin-Yang Dao body.
His aura far surpassed that of ordinary Transcendent Realm cultivators. His full burst now caused the surrounding temperature to drop significantly.
The elder Minshu's heart stirred, and he hesitated to advance, stopping in his tracks.
He looked at Zhou Xuan, a flicker of apprehension in his eyes.
Though he did not fear this young man, he found him to be as tenacious as a cockroach, extremely troublesome.
After all, he was certain that this young man's strength was not limited to what he displayed, and could even be higher.
He was convinced that if he couldn't kill him today, he would certainly not be his match in the future.
"Hmph, if you won't make a move, then I'll go first."
Zhou Xuan roared and lunged forward.
The elder Minshu's expression changed slightly, and he immediately dodged.
He was sure that this person, though strong, was absolutely no match for him. However, he did not want to suffer a loss of his cultivation because of him.
"You insignificant bastard, how dare you disrupt my plan to refine the Immortal Spirit Bone! Die!"
The elder Minshu unleashed a palm strike.
Several golden lights appeared in the air, instantly forming a giant vortex that engulfed Zhou Xuan.
Zhou Xuan's figure was tossed about within the vortex, but he stubbornly resisted.
The flames of rage burned in his eyes.
"Brat, I think you've had enough of living!"
With that, another wave of intense energy washed over him.
Zhou Xuan gritted his teeth, forcefully activating his true yang energy. He exerted his arms, enduring the impact.
"Brother Xuan!"
Seeing Zhou Xuan being blown away by the energy wave while protecting her, Lu Ling'er's heart ached. Without a second thought, she rushed forward.
Then, a scream was heard.
Lu Ling'er abruptly stopped. She saw a figure being flung out.
Falling to the ground, the person spat out a mouthful of blood.
"Brother Xuan!"
Lu Ling'er was consumed by anxiety, but she felt the weight on her body double, rendering her unable to move an inch.
"Little girl, your death has come!"
The elder Minshu laughed wildly.
Zhou Xuan clutched his chest, managing to stand, and glared at the elder Minshu, gritting his teeth. "If you dare to touch her, even if I die today, I will grind you into dust!"
"I'm not speaking pleasantries, but facts! Your woman's Immortal Spirit Bone is destined to be mine, and you are severely injured now. I could kill you with a single finger!"
As he spoke, his face was filled with mockery and disdain.
Lu Ling'er bit her lip tightly, her eyes wide open.
Her heart surged with hatred, and without thinking, she struck out with her palm at the elder Minshu.
"Boom!"
A resounding impact.
The elder Minshu was sent flying three feet away by Lu Ling'er's palm, crashing to the ground and unable to get up for a long time.
Zhou Xuan looked at Lu Ling'er with disbelief. He saw that her eyes were slightly red, and tears were falling uncontrollably.
What was wrong with this little girl?
Could she really kill the elder Minshu?
It shouldn't be possible!
The elder Minshu's cultivation was far higher than his. How could he be defeated by this little girl?
Even if this little girl was a cultivator of the Creation Realm, she shouldn't possess such immense power.
Zhou Xuan was baffled.
Could the golden alms bowl really be playing a role?
But seeing Lu Ling'er shed tears, his heart ached intensely. He hurried to her side, his voice filled with concern. "Ling'er, what's wrong? Do you feel unwell?"
Lu Ling'er looked up at Zhou Xuan, shook her head, and lowered her gaze, tears still clinging to her eyelashes.
"Brother Xuan, Ling'er, Ling'er is useless..."
"Ling'er, don't cry, we're not afraid. I will protect you!"
As Zhou Xuan spoke, he suddenly reached out his right hand and clasped Lu Ling'er's shoulder, intending to lift her onto his back.
Unexpectedly, Lu Ling'er broke free.
"Brother Xuan, I, I will protect you too!"
"Minshu, you scoundrel, you won't kill me, nor will you harm my Brother Xuan!"
"..."
The elder Minshu was injured by a girl he had underestimated.
His heart was filled with shame and anger, and his immense rage surged towards Lu Ling'er.
"Damn girl, I'll fight you to the death today!"
The people nearby wanted to help.
The two elders Qi Xuan and Su Ming stopped them.
"This girl is unusual. She has some reputation. Just watch, the outcome might not be the girl's loss."
Hearing this, Minshu was so enraged he almost spat blood.
His eyes darted, and with a sinister grin, he took out a gourd from his sleeve.
It was the item stolen from the Sun family previously.
Sun Zhibiao and Sun Tianyou, father and son, had their eyes wide open.
"Damn it, isn't this the Sun family's thing?"
"Scoundrel, you have no shame! That's ours!"
They wished they could rush forward and snatch it back immediately!
But all they could do was rage in vain.
"I underestimated you before, but now I want to see how you escape being sucked into my gourd's space. Won't you be at my mercy then?"
"Hahahaha!"
The elder Minshu chuckled lewdly.
His gaze swept from top to bottom over her body.
Lu Ling'er shivered slightly, but Zhou Xuan placed his hands on her lower back.
"Good girl, have confidence. Brother Xuan knows you are capable of more than this."
As soon as the gourd was brought out, ominous clouds erupted in the sky.
Instantly, black clouds rolled over the entire Bai Li manor, and evil winds raged.
Many people almost lost their footing.
"Ling'er, listen. The golden alms bowl is now connected to your Immortal Spirit Body. You must use all your strength to wield the alms bowl as your weapon and kill this man!"
"I, I... can I do it?"
"Yes, you've always been amazing. My Ling'er is stronger than anyone."
Minshu's hair was disheveled, and he laughed madly and deliriously. "Die! None of you are my match!"