That night, Qin Xiaoxiao leaned on Luo Xiaowei's shoulder and said, "I really miss Blue Star, miss my family, my friends, and my Immortal Brother."
Luo Xiaowei held her in his arms, gazing at the starry sky, and said, "Do you have the heart to abandon your friends now?"
Qin Xiaoxiao buried her head in Luo Xiaowei's chest, feeling wronged. This situation wasn't fun at all. After playing for so long, she had people she cared about on both sides.
"We can go back in fifty years. Just bear with it a little longer. These damned Shitian clan, why are they like locusts, endless and impossible to wipe out?"
"We are not powerful enough. If only we were as strong as those Immortal Emperors, we could swat all these Shitian clan to death with a single palm!"
"We have another tough battle to fight tomorrow. Do you want to sleep?"
"I'm not sleeping. I want to cultivate. I want to become an Immortal Emperor!"
...
No one knew what challenges they would face tomorrow.
Apart from their companions, no one could be trusted.
The elder who assigned them missions might also be deceiving them. In this world, they frequently witnessed the dark side of human nature.
Some people were jealous of their reputation, their equipment, and everything they gained on the front lines.
As a result, they had been tricked more than once, lured into Shitian clan ambushes with false information, or forced into direct confrontations.
Caution was the first lesson for survival in this world. So, using the map, Luo Xiaowei asked Aji to scout the designated location first.
As a pure-blooded Ice Phoenix, Aji's growth was also incredibly rapid.
Furthermore, Qin Xiaoxiao had already signed a beast-taming contract with it, deepening their bond.
Qin Xiaoxiao was in the middle stage of the Void Return Realm, and Aji had already reached the fifth rank as a demonic beast, its strength keeping pace closely.
Soon, Aji transmitted information to Qin Xiaoxiao, stating that everything was normal. At the location, there was one Shitian clan member in the sixth realm, five in the fifth realm, and countless Shitian clan members of lower cultivation.
After relaying this information to his comrades, Luo Xiaowei solemnly asked, "It matches the description exactly. Shall we do it?"
"Let's do it! My spear has been thirsty for a long time!"
"You're the commander, your word is law."
"We're all in with you."
Luo Xiaowei nodded and led everyone charging towards the direction marked on the map.
They were already deep within Shitian clan territory. They had to finish the battle quickly, otherwise, enemy reinforcements would arrive.
A thunderous barrier encased a very beautiful fairy. This was a one-time activation formation that could only be broken by someone with the combat power of the Grand Ascension stage, and it could only last for three days at most.
Coincidentally, today was the third day.
Fairy Qing Chan was in despair. She had already requested reinforcements from her sect, but her sect members had not yet arrived to save her.
Today was the last day, and she feared she would die here.
However, at that moment, accompanied by an impassioned phoenix cry.
A magnificent giant Ice Phoenix streaked across the sky above them.
The Shitian clan members stationed there immediately went on high alert.
"Enemy attack! Enemy attack!"
"Ice Phoenix! Confirmed to be the Ice Sword Mercenary Group!"
"Prepare for battle! Prepare for battle!"
Fairy Qing Chan's face lit up with joy. She had also heard of the Ice Sword Mercenary Group's fame. She heard that the number of Shitian clan members they had killed, when accumulated, amounted to hundreds of thousands.
But her joy lasted only a second. She suddenly thought of something and quickly shouted, "It's an ambush! Run quickly!"
Luo Xiaowei was taken aback, and a warning bell rang in his heart: "Comrades, it's an ambush! Get behind me!"
It was too late for them to retreat, as the Shitian clan members, who were originally only in the fifth realm, had their auras surge, shattering their disguises and revealing their true cultivation levels.
It turned out they were all Shitian clan members in the sixth realm, possessing secret techniques to disguise their strength.
Their target was none other than the Ice Sword Mercenary Group, which had caused them so much trouble.
The Floating Immortal Palace could think of only the Ice Sword Mercenary Group as capable of saving Fairy Qing Chan, so how could the Shitian clan not have anticipated this?
Thus, they precisely set up the scene, making it appear as if only the Ice Sword Mercenary Group could pose a threat to them.
"Hehehe! Luo Xiaowei! Finally, we have you!"
"How ridiculous, Ice Sword Mercenary Group. We've tricked you here with just a little scheme!"
"This woman is indeed from the Floating Immortal Palace. Her value is so high that it has drawn such a cautious group like you here for a rescue!"
"Attack! This time, we will annihilate the entire Ice Sword Mercenary Group!"
Everyone's faces turned grim.
Luo Xiaowei gritted his teeth, his hands gripping the [Candle Dragon Burning Heaven Sword] tightly.
It was the same scene again. It was due to his misjudgment back then that the original Ice Sword Mercenary Group, except for him and Qin Xiaoxiao, was almost completely annihilated.
He still couldn't forget that defeat.
Thirteenth Prince Yun Lei hadn't expected this either. He gripped his spear and prepared to charge forward, "Damn it, let's fight them!"
But Luo Xiaowei stared at him and said, "Fall back!"
"Fall back for what? We're all going to die anyway, might as well fight them..."
Luo Xiaowei, with red eyes, roared at them, "I told you to stand behind me, don't you understand?"
Qin Xiaoxiao's chest heaved violently. She looked at Luo Xiaowei, whose emotions were slightly out of control, with worry.
He must have remembered the past.
"Awei..."
Luo Xiaowei's sword intent erupted. He held his long sword in one hand and said coldly, "It's not over yet."
The others were also stunned by Luo Xiaowei's roar.
He looked at Qin Xiaoxiao and said, "All out."
Qin Xiaoxiao understood. She had long since passed the age of fearing battle.
By her actual age, she was already over ninety.
However, her cultivation had improved rapidly, far from causing her appearance to age. Coupled with the fact that she truly didn't grow any taller, despite her small stature, she was actually quite ancient.
Boom!
A phoenix cry echoed, and ice-blue patterns emerged on Qin Xiaoxiao's body.
Her hair and pupils turned ice-blue, symbolizing extreme cold.
Her cultivation, which was only in the middle stage of the Void Return Realm, instantly exuded the pressure of the Nascent Soul stage.
Going all out meant unleashing everything she had in that moment without reservation.
The [Heaven Splitting Divine Axe] erupted with terrifying power, seemingly capable of tearing apart the firmament.
The [Star Hammer] also appeared in her right hand. The stellar power emanating from this hammer seemed capable of shattering the earth.
Now that she had reached the Void Return Realm, much of the seal left by Chu Yang within these two immortal artifacts had also been released, allowing them to unleash even greater power.