The battery of soldiers of the Immortals’ League threw forth all their strength. Xiao Chen and his companions were barely holding ground; he was surrounded and pinned down by three Envoys of the Nirvana Realm, Yi Tong and None-flower Dust were enclosed in a ring of soldiers that they were scarcely holding it together, while Su Xiaomei and Gui Xian, both Soul Bodies with no corporeal physical forms of their own, could hardly use their full power.

“Beam of Decimation!” A cry came from behind Xiao Chen. An Envoy set loose a golden Sword Qi bolt at Xiao Chen, its tail flowing 70 to 80 feet long like a serpent. “Clang!” In a desperate attempt to defend himself, Xiao Chen took the blow with his saber with his other hand on the blade of his weapon, absorbing its force with his body.

Realizing a chance, two other Envoys set loose a pair of magical bolts of their own. Xiao Chen knew he could not take on two more Sword Qi bolts. He evaded the energy shafts with a great leap to his back and landed 70 to 80 feet away. He staggered backward unsteadily as he struck ground, his knees threatening to buckle due to his fatigue until a firm hand from behind stopped and held him fast.

Xiao Chen’s head whirled frantically to see who it was and he gasped with shock, “Xin’er!”

A cold and solemn Huangfu Xin’er loomed behind him, her eyes and her lips completely a morbid flush of blood red. The glowing red mark on her forehead flashed like a pulse and her aura burgeoned many times over rapidly.

The three Envoys mounted another offensive, confident that they could take down Xiao Chen even with Huangfu Xin’er meddling. The latter’s hand gripped tightly on Xiao Chen’s shoulder and she whisked him away to her back and she lunged like a black streak of lightning. She clicked her tongue hungrily, her talon-like claws glistening like rubies in the dark, and in a flash, the first envoy was dead, reduced into shreds of viscera and blood.

The sight of blood and gore was enough to shatter any confidence that the other two Envoys had. But Huangfu Xin’er was upon them before they could even react. She clutched their heads with both her hands. Then there was a pair of sickening crunches. With her bare hands, Huangfu Xin’er shattered their skulls and the two men crumbled lifelessly with blood and gray matter flowing out of the five hollows and slicking the snow-swathed ground.

They were dead even before they hit the ground, their insides and their Vital Souls utterly crushed.

Xiao Chen breathed heavily with disbelief. He inhaled a long breath of cold air. “Everything had happened just so quickly… How… Why is Xin’er suddenly so powerful?!”

Huangfu Xin’er continued her dance of death like a lioness on the hunt. She dove at other Envoys of the League, leaving death and destruction in her wake. Everywhere she went, she left dead men in the snow, ripped into strips of flesh and blood or their skulls crushed beyond recognition and their Vital Souls destroyed.

In just a matter of mere seconds, the soldiers of the League were all but vanquished. Everyone held their breaths, beholding the terrible scene. “What is she… This woman in red… She’s even more terrible than Xiao Chen himself and we have yet to see how powerful she really is!” Their stomachs lurching with fear, they glimpsed how merciless Huangfu Xin’er had become.

“So it’s true…” Xuanxuzi muttered to himself ponderously as he observed Huangfu Xin’er inflicting her carnage, his calm and composed countenance broke for the first time. He threw forth an arm and channeled his powers. The sky boiled with unnatural clouds swirling restlessly overhead and a colossal golden sword of magical energy, spanning hundreds of meters long, hung high up over Mount Wuyue.

The sudden appearance took everyone by surprise that even the entire crest of Mount Wuyue turned dark and gloomy as if in reverence to the might of the Rogue Immortal. Wearing terrified looks on their faces, the very same thought shot through everyone’s mind, “The Tier-4 Rogue Immortal is making his move!”

The monolithic sword of pure magical power came down like the Judgment of Heaven, aiming straight for Huangfu Xin’er. The staggering pressure of the incoming strike tremored both air and ground; winds howled in pain and the earth seemed to groan in agony as the ground shivered. The blow had yet to fall, but countless gravels and stones were pounded to dust by its sheer strain.

Underneath, standing right in the center of a cocoon of Sword Qi magic rays, was a helpless Huangfu Xin’er who could only watch as the monstrous bolt of energy hammered down on her.

The mountains shuddered as the stroke came down and all color left the faces of the people watching from afar. Xuanxuzi had been mustering his powers to channel enough magical force into his rendition of the Beam of Decimation only to defeat Gu Feng or Xiao Ning. Yet no one had expected that he would have to use it on Huangfu Xin’er. This would be a blow so devastating that Huangfu Xin’er’s soul would also be destroyed, and for a Rogue Immortal to strike down a mortal girl, Xuanxuzi would have to face a hefty penalty himself!

Nanpuzi, who was still locked in battle against Gu Feng, immediately realized what was going on. He jerked his head back and looked at his colleague and senior with an aghast look, screaming, “Senior Brother! No! Stop! You cannot!”

But Xuanxuzi merely ignored him; he maintained his utmost concentration on directing the Beam of Decimation down on Huangfu Xin’er. He only knew that he needed to kill her, although he could not well explain why himself.

The Beam of Decimation was mere 200 feet away from Huangfu Xin’er when the ground beneath her cracked and sank, forming a huge crater that marked her in the center and everyone nearby was thrown off their feet by the might force of the stroke.

Huangfu Xin’er watched the gigantic golden shaft fell with her eyes wide with consternation and despair. She would never be able to withstand such a calamitous attack from a Tier-4 Rogue Immortal. Not even the fullest stage of the Heartless Cultivation Method would be of any help. Death was all but certain!

“XIN’ER! NOOOO!”

From a distance, Xiao Chen howled with crushing anguish. He stomped hard, willing himself to rise against the astounding pressure of the incoming stroke that the ground broke and splintered under his feet. Then he kicked and morphed into a ray of light that shot straight towards Huangfu Xin’er.

“My Lord!” Ziyun’er and her sisters screamed, terrified. But they could not chase up to Xiao Chen. The absolute behemoth of the golden sword smote at the top of Mount Wuyue without any trace of mercy and its destructive force threatening to impale the mountain whole.

Another howl from Xiao Chen reverberated across the peak of Wuyue Peak. A howl that echoed the throes of excruciating pain he was feeling. Blood poured out like a spring from his shoulder as the powerful Beam of Decimation came down and lopped off his arm but he has successfully rescued Huangfu Xin’er.

Everyone froze, startled beyond belief, including Su Yue, Su Ying, Su Zimu, Su Wan, Xiaoyue, Zuoqiu Yang, and the three young lads…

“Xiao Chen!” Huangfu Xin’er shrieked, her face now the color of milk before she regurgitated a mouthful of blood herself. Ziyun’er and her sisters rushed to them and she was horrified to tears when she saw all that was left was a mangled wound, “My Lord!”

Xiao Chen quickly tapped on a few spots on his left shoulders, sealing off the major acupuncture points around the area to stop his bleeding. Despite the grievous wound, he looked relatively confident and self-assured. “Don’t fret! Retreat at once!”

None-flower Dust and Yi Tong caught up to them, both looking visibly shaken. “Brother Xiao,” they called frantically. Not far away, Gui Xian flitted across the battlefield like a wraith. He snatched up Xiao Chen’s severed arm and encased it in a block of ice. He formed up to them and screeched, “We must go now, Boy!”

Up in the air, Xuanxuzi was readying himself for another salvo. But this was noticed by Nanpuzi. For a brief second, he dislodged himself from his battle with Gu Feng and hurried to his senior and colleague. “Stop, Senior Brother! Too strong an intent to spill blood and you’ll never achieve Earth Immortality!”

Xuanxuzi stared blankly for a second but finally relented, bringing down his outstretched arm as he watched Xiao Chen and his companions retreating. Yet from afar, despite being defeated in battle, Xiao Chen gave him a look so dangerous and piercing that even he found it scary.

“I’ll remember this, Xuanxuzi! I’ll remember what you’ve done this day, and I’ll come back to exact my vengeance!”

Xiao Chen’s ominous declaration resounded across the Wuyue Peak, his glare terrifying and fierce. Even as a Tier-4 Rogue Immortal who wielded tremendous strength and power way beyond Xiao Chen, he could not suppress the involuntary shudder that the chill running down his spine caused. Quietly, he began wondering if he should hasten his study and cultivation of magic. He would need to achieve Earth Immortality before coming of the second stage of the Annihilation Era, if he wished to fully feel safe from Xiao Chen.

The sight of Xiao Chen being able to escape his attack, when most other mages of the Grand Completion Realm would have been utterly decimated to bits, with only one severed arm unsettled him greatly and left him brooding about his own safety.

Seeing this, Gu Feng and Xiao Ning landed at once. It was not because they lacked the skills or power to defeat the three Rogue Immortals, but rather, the duel between them before had left them fatigued and wearied.

“After them!” Xuanxuzi squinted and growled, “We cannot let them escape!”

At the same time, at a hidden corner inside an unknown mystic domain was a man trapped in ice. His face was veiled by his silvery-white hair and his eyes opened suddenly.

…

Prowling amid the frigid winds, perched on the top of Nanyue Peak, one of the peaks of Mount Wuyue, were two masked strangers. One of them, the one with a runic “Luo” inscribed on his mask observed dryly. “That really is the Undead Body. To think that he’s able to escape with his life from the attack of a Tier-4 Rogue Immortal…”

His companion, another man with a mask bearing the runic word of “Ji” merely remarked indifferently without any whiff of emotion, “One day. One day I will take back everything that is rightfully mine.”

…

With Gu Feng and Xiao Ning leading the way, Xiao Chen and his companions fled North, fighting off whatever pursuers that the League had hurled at them. Only a paltry seven men remained of the band of swordsmen that escaped the custody of the Envoys of the League. “Follow them,” one of them screamed, “Follow them or we’ll never make it away alive!”

In a last-ditch attempt, the remaining seven swordsmen managed to free themselves from the encirclement of the Envoys in the Nirvana Realm and ran after Xiao Chen and his companions.

They nearly caught up with Xiao Chen when Ziyun’er screamed suddenly when she saw them emerging from the undergrowth of thorns and briars, “Who goes there!”

“Please, my Lady! We’re not your enemies! We’re only poor folk from the Wastelands who have been oppressed by the Immortals’ League!”

The leader of the seven was a young man in his thirties. Dressed in green, he bore the distinctive mark on his face that marked him as a fugitive of the League.

“Go!” Xiao Chen croaked hoarsely. There was no way Xiao Ning and Gu Feng could hold back the three Rogue Immortals for long.

The party retreated to the tall cliffs to the north that hung over chasms 30,000 meters deep. With most of the Levitating Dark Fragrance wounded, they could not fly away by riding on swords and that left only fleeing down the mountain paths.

But a gust of wind came from nowhere, slamming into their face and throwing up stray blades of grasses and gravels. More Envoys of the League! Soldiers of the northern detachment of the Immortals’ League that came with Flying-cloud Stones and they had already had men lying around the vicinity of Mount Wuyue in wait for them!

“All right,” Xiao Chen snarled and said, his face hard as stone, “Impeccable timing!” He lunged at the soldiers closing in on them and sent one magical blow after another with his saber at any foe he laid eyes on. Behind him, Ziyun’er shrieked a warning, “No, My Lord! You should not be channeling your powers again!”

None-flower Dust and Yi Tong rushed forward and were joined by the seven other swordsmen. They found a Flying-cloud Stone that was not carrying any soldiers of the Grand Completion Realm and killed everyone on board, allowing Gui Xian to commandeer it. “Get yourself up here on the double, Boy!” He cried.

Each holding on to Xiao Chen, Ziyun’er and Huangfu Xin’er hopped onto the flying stone conveyance followed by everyone else, with only Xiao Ning and Gu Feng still behind to hold off the three Rogue Immortals. The leader of the seven swordsmen cried, “Please, bring us with you!”

“No!” Ziyun’er snapped firmly. Her lord was in a critical condition and she could not risk having strangers with them now.

But Xiao Chen, who never once let go of his Blood Lotus Demon Blade, drew a difficult breath and croaked, “It’s fine. Let them up!”

“But, My Lord!” Ziyun’er protested with horror, although any attempt to object was quickly stopped by Xiao Chen’s resolute shake of his head and she could only trust his judgment for allowing the swordsmen onboard. She shouted to the swordsman in green, “Come up quickly!”

The seven swordsmen leaped up the Flying-cloud Stone and settled themselves in at once. “All right, sit tight!” Gui Xian yelped as he steered the flying-cloud Stone towards north with all the speed he could muster.

Atop Mount Wuyue, Xiao Ning and Gu Feng waited until the Flying-cloud Stone was far enough before they jointed their powers to deliver a pair of powerful blows at the three Rogue Immortals, using the force to propel themselves into the distance where they morphed into two blinding rays of light that streaked off after Xiao Chen and his companions.

Xiao Chen looked visibly relieved to see Gu Feng and Xiao Ning rejoining them. Then he turned to the seven swordsmen from the Wastelands, putting up a calm and somber demeanor to put Ziyun’er and everyone else to ease, “Tell me about the Wastelands you mentioned earlier.”