The pressure emanating from the Jin family grounds descended upon them before they could even approach, so immense that even Elder Ping felt as though he were carrying a mountain, rendering him unable to move.
Yue Ran’s face turned crimson under the oppressive force. He strained every fiber of his being to remain standing, narrowly avoiding collapsing.
Xiao Man calmly turned her gaze backward. A figure materialized before her in an instant. Clad in black robes, the person exuded an aura that made her profoundly uncomfortable. When Xiao Man finally saw the figure’s face, she gasped in disbelief. This person was supposed to be dead! How could they still be alive?
“You’re surprised to see me!” the figure rasped, their voice grating like fingernails dragging across a door, causing Xiao Man’s eardrums to ache.
Xiao Man wiggled her fingers. Feeling her mobility return, she immediately acted, pushing Yue Ran away. “Quick, leave! It’s a demon!”
“It is you indeed!” The figure reached out towards Xiao Man. Their movements were agonizingly slow, allowing Xiao Man to clearly observe every motion. Yet, her body remained frozen, forcing her to watch helplessly as the attack came, unable to retaliate.
Suddenly, a hidden crossbow bolt shot from behind Xiao Man, aiming directly for the figure’s brow. However, the bolt proved utterly useless, unable to even scratch the assailant or come within reach.
Simultaneously, several figures appeared, converging to attack the intruder. Yet, not a single one could breach the figure’s defenses.
Their combined assault, however, granted Xiao Man a crucial moment to break free from the enemy’s lock. She immediately created distance between herself and the attacker. This person was after her!
“We’ll hold him off. You escape!” Chong Sheng stepped in front of Xiao Man.
“He’s after me. I’ll lure him out of Fengling City. You must protect the Jin family. The Jin family cannot afford any losses!” Xiao Man leaped, swiftly heading towards the city’s outskirts. “Old man, I am the one who disrupted your demon race’s plan for restoration. Come and kill me if you dare!”
“Impudent whelp, still so defiant even at death’s door!” The figure sneered, shaking off those surrounding him. Using the technique of ‘shrinking the ground to an inch,’ he vanished instantly, covering vast distances. Cheng Ze and Cheng Le, the moment Xiao Man fled, followed closely. Outside the city would be the true battlefield for their beast-taming sect!
As Cheng Ze exited the city, he immediately began playing a beast-taming melody, summoning nearby spirit beasts to their aid. Hearing the music, Xiao Man glanced back. Seeing Cheng Ze and Cheng Le, she recalled that these were the same individuals who had been tracking her. She had initially assumed they were spies from a rival faction, never imagining they would assist her at such a critical juncture!
However, time was of the essence, and Xiao Man could not dwell on such thoughts. This Nascent Soul stage elder must have cultivated for a considerable period, and as a demon cultivator, they were likely on the verge of entering the Soul Transformation stage. Outside Jinling City, there were no spirit beasts capable of contending with such a formidable elder!
“You two, quickly hide. This person is likely a half-step mighty being. Outside Fengling City, there are no spirit beasts that can match him. Do not throw your lives away needlessly.” Xiao Man’s voice was a stern warning as she then slipped into the dense forest.
Cheng Ze understood, but he had to obstruct the assailant’s pursuit, to give Xiao Man an opportunity to escape. They could die, but Xiao Man must not. Otherwise, they would be betraying the Young Sect Master’s trust!
Alas, they had overestimated their own capabilities. The moment the enemy appeared, they were pinned to the ground. Not only could they not obstruct him, but even moving was an arduous task. They could only watch helplessly as the enemy pursued Xiao Man.
“Cheng Ze, he’s pursuing her. What do we do?” Cheng Le’s face contorted. “This person is too powerful. Even if our Sect Master were here, he might not be an equal opponent, let alone us.”
Cheng Ze knew this all too well, but he had received the Young Master’s orders to protect Xiao Man. He struggled with all his might, wanting to rescue Xiao Man, even though he knew any attempt would be suicidal. Yet, it was better than doing nothing!
Just then, several more figures emerged from the city, none other than Chong Sheng and Yue Ran, among others.
“That direction,” Cheng Ze quickly pointed towards the path Xiao Man had taken.
Yue Ran took the lead, pursuing them. Chong Sheng followed closely, bringing along the Nascent Soul elders from his family, even summoning their Grand Elder.
If Xiao Man had offended some other faction, the Grand Elder might not have been willing to intervene. But the arrival of the demon race was a different matter. The demon race posed a threat not to a single faction, but to the entire Cangxuan Continent. It had taken the combined might of four Soul Transformation stage great experts to barely suppress the Demon Lord. Now, with only one Soul Transformation stage great expert remaining on the entire Cangxuan Continent, if the Demon Lord were to escape, the Cangxuan Continent would undoubtedly be plunged into chaos and suffering!
“Boy, you cannot escape!” The elder unleashed an attack that struck Xiao Man’s back, sending her flying and crashing onto the ground. She lay there for a long time, unable to rise.
Xiao Man rolled over. The elder was already standing before her. Xiao Man looked up at the elder and chuckled, “Looking at your face, it’s like seeing that demon cultivator lurking within the Five Poisons Sect. Are you father and son, perhaps!”
The elder’s snake-like, icy eyes fixed on Xiao Man, cold and sharp, ready to bare their fangs and deliver a fatal blow at any moment.
“You carry my son’s aura,” the elder stated, his voice as frigid and grating as before, each word drilling into Xiao Man’s skull. “With your capabilities, you couldn’t have killed him, but you know who did.”
Xiao Man smiled. “Unfortunately, I don’t know who killed him.”
“It matters not if you don’t know. I will extract the identity of my son’s killer from your mind.” The elder extended his hand towards Xiao Man. Xiao Man’s expression grew grim. He wanted to extract her memories. No, she absolutely could not let him. If he succeeded, her possession of the Heavenly Pagoda would be exposed, and everyone within it would surely perish!
Xiao Man’s mind raced, searching for a solution. However, facing such a powerful enemy, all her strategies were rendered useless. Poisons were ineffective against this kind of opponent. The toxins she had developed to deal with Nascent Soul cultivators could only affect ordinary Nascent Soul powerhouses!
“You cannot touch me. If you do, your demon race will never have a chance to rise again!” Xiao Man said calmly. “If anything happens to me, the Demon Lord will never be able to emerge from the Land of Nothingness!”
The elder’s hand paused. He narrowed his eyes, staring at Xiao Man. “What do you mean?”
“The Demon Lord was sealed by the Soul Transformation stage experts of the Four Great Sects in the past. To break the seal, the bloodlines of the Four Great Sects are required. But the Four Great Sects today are not what they were then!”
The elder withdrew his hand. “The Heaven Shield Sect is extinct.”
“I know the whereabouts of the Heaven Shield Sect’s bloodline. If you dare to harm me, I guarantee that even if your Demon Lord is suppressed until the end of time, until his soul is scattered, he will never emerge from the Land of Nothingness!”
“I only need to know how to open the seal.”
“On the entire Cangxuan Continent, there is only me who can open the seal! Even if you learn how to break it, you cannot do it yourself!” Xiao Man laughed. “Now, do you still intend to kill me?”