Lu Xueqi tilted her head slightly, the blade grazing past, and countered with a swift horizontal slash toward his waist.
Startled, Xiao Zhou leapt back, vanishing into the smoke like a shadow melting into the night.
Lu Xueqi stood silently, her sword raised, scanning the haze. No movement. No sound.
Knowing she couldn't waste time hunting a single assassin, she pressed forward, her figure disappearing into the dust as she raced toward the battle between Zhang Xiaofan and the Blood Refining Hall's leader....Boss Nian.
Elsewhere in the cave, chaos raged.
Lin Feng stood alone, wielding the Mountain and River Fan.
With each wave, torrents of sand and dust surged, rolling into the air and swirling around Zhang Xiaofan and the others.
The storm cut the disciples of Qingyun off from one another, leaving each one isolated, unable to join forces.
The disciples of the Blood Refining Hall moved freely within the haze, striking wherever they pleased.
The weaker members of the Hall were present as well, but their strength was mediocre.
The real danger came from the leaders....Boss Nian, the Wild Dog Taoist, and a seductive woman with unfathomable power.
Lu Xueqi burst out of the swirling dust and immediately caught sight of Zhang Xiaofan.
He stood alone on the rocky ground, fire stick in hand, clashing with Boss Nian from a distance.
The old man stood atop a boulder, his skeletal hand glowing crimson as rays of red light shot forth like bolts of lightning.
Each blast carried terrifying force, smashing against the cavern walls.
Zhang Xiaofan, his fire stick glowing with green light, stood his ground.
Each wave of his staff met the red rays head-on, deflecting them, shielding himself with sheer strength.
Lu Xueqi was taken aback. "Xiaofan, why don't you break through his attacks and engage him in close combat?"
Zhang Xiaofan shook his head, his expression solemn.
"Boss Nian is too powerful. I can't get past this blockade.
If I charge recklessly, I'll be destroyed instantly. I can only defend and wait."
His words were calm, but his eyes burned with calculation. In truth, he wasn't going all out. He was biding his time, waiting for the right chance.
Lu Xueqi nodded slightly. Feeling the oppressive weight of the red light herself, she realized his caution was not cowardice, but necessity.
"Then let me break the blockade!" she declared.
Her figure shot forward like a streak of white lightning. The Tianya Sword hummed as it slashed through the red beams.
Bang!
The impact shattered the crimson rays, sending shockwaves through the cavern. Lu Xueqi pressed on, determined to strike Boss Nian directly.
But the old demon only sneered. His other hand rose, and a storm of red rays rained down.
Lu Xueqi was forced to stop, deflecting them one after another. Each strike carried monstrous power.
She felt her arms tremble slightly from the force. "So strong… no wonder Xiaofan could only defend."
Just then, a shadow appeared behind her.
The beautiful woman struck, casting out the Immortal Binding Rope.
The crimson rope shot forward like a serpent, coiling around Lu Xueqi's body.
Lu Xueqi slashed back swiftly, her Tianya Sword colliding with the rope.
But to her shock, the rope bent like water, slipping past her blade and wrapping tightly around her arms.
She tried to retreat, but a volley of red rays sealed her path.
Crash!
The Tianya Sword was knocked from her grip. In an instant, her body was bound, suspended in midair, struggling but unable to move.
The seductive woman pulled gently, reeling her in like a captured prey. She stood before Lu Xueqi, eyes glittering as she examined her.
"What a beauty," she said with a laugh, her voice dripping with honey. "Not just men....even I feel my heart stir just looking at you."
Lu Xueqi's face turned pale. Struggling against the rope only made it tighten further.
Zhang Xiaofan saw it all.
His fire stick swung furiously, holding back Boss Nian's storm of red light.
But his eyes never left Lu Xueqi, bound and suffering.
"Let her go!" he shouted, his voice booming through the cavern. "Release her, and I will spare your life!"
The woman only laughed mockingly. "Spare my life? Boy, there are three of us, and only one of you.
You can barely protect yourself. Do you even know how foolish you sound?"
Lu Xueqi's eyes met his, urgent and desperate. "Xiaofan, you can't fight them alone. Don't worry about me....go find Senior Brother Qi Hao and the others!"
But Boss Nian sneered coldly. "He won't escape. Today, you two will die together as a pair of mandarin ducks in despair."
He turned. "Wild Dog, go finish him."
The Wild Dog Taoist staggered forward, but suddenly coughed violently, spitting a mouthful of blood
. "Boss… I'm too injured. I can't fight. I need to rest…"
Boss Nian's face twitched. "…Useless."
"Fine. I'll kill him myself."
His palms glowed as he unleashed another barrage of red light.
But this time, Zhang Xiaofan's eyes sharpened.
"Six-Combination Mirror!"
A golden mirror manifested above him, radiating light. The halo around his body absorbed the storm of red rays like a shield.
Boss Nian's eyes blazed greedily. "What a divine treasure… soon it will be mine!"
Abandoning long-range attacks, the old demon lunged directly, his palms blazing like fire, slamming down toward Zhang Xiaofan.
But Zhang Xiaofan's gaze had already changed.
He looked at Lu Xueqi, bound and in pain, her body trembling beneath the rope. A surge of fury exploded in his chest.
No more holding back.
"Righteousness of heaven and earth endures forever," he muttered under his breath. "I do not seek to slay immortals… only to slay gods and ghosts!"
A brilliant cyan light erupted from his palm. His dual cultivation of Buddhism and Daoism roared to life, his power far surpassing his age.
Boom!
His strike landed on Boss Nian with the force of a primordial beast.
The old demon screamed as his body was hurled more than ten meters away, his arm shattered, numb, and powerless. His eyes bulged with disbelief.
"How… how could a mere sixteen-year-old possess Jade Purity Peak cultivation… purer than mine…?"
Zhang Xiaofan ignored him. His fire stick blazed with emerald light. Above him, a green dragon condensed, roaring to the heavens.
He leapt high, his voice thunderous:
"Kill!"
The fire stick slashed downward.
The dragon roared, surging forward with unstoppable might, crashing down upon Boss Nian and the beautiful woman together.
The cavern shook violently, the air itself splitting apart.
In that instant, gods and ghosts alike trembled.
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