In midair, A Jun scanned intently. He spotted a distant masked figure, eyes fierce and domineering…
Fortunately, one Golden Leaf remained, delayed but decisive. The small one couldn't dodge in time.
The belated strike aimed straight at the head. Just as it was about to hit, A Jun's eyes flickered, his hand trembled—the leaf veered off course, slicing through the cloak just a centimeter above the head.
Clang! The golden light fell. The small one realized they had nearly been killed. Their eyes filled with panic, then hatred. Regaining composure, they glared at A Jun, ready to demand retribution.
But A Jun was already gone—fled far enough to vanish. Their long chase had carried them out of the woods, to the edge of a cliff.
"Buzzzzz!"
At that moment, the sudden warning from his wristband made A Jun instantly aware of the danger behind him—because right behind him was a sheer cliff. Luckily, he noticed in time, his heart still pounding with fear.
Yet the small figure hadn't realized the danger at all, blinded by hatred.
Just as A Jun paused at the cliff's edge, scanning the area and preparing to retreat, the small one lunged at him, too consumed by vengeance to notice A Jun's gaze.
Then, with a sudden rush, the small figure charged, and A Jun reacted on instinct. Their bodies blurred across the scene—straight toward the cliff. Danger!
In that instant, A Jun had no time to think. His Guardian instincts took over, and he grabbed the other's hand to save them. But the momentum was too great, dragging them both toward the edge.
—What now? They were about to fall… But then, A Jun had an idea. With all his strength, he swung the small one back to safety using centrifugal force—while he himself was flung into the air.
Of course, the boy had a plan. His wristband wasn't ordinary—it could summon tools, even a glider! Risky, yes, but…
Just as A Jun prepared to activate his survival plan, suddenly, a rope came from nowhere, binding him and yanking him back. Thud! Like a puppet, he was pulled straight into the small one, the two collapsing in a heap.
—Huh? That scent… this shampoo smells just like his elder sister's!
Looking down at the small one beneath him, A Jun was puzzled. Why would a man use a woman's shampoo? Oh—maybe it belonged to his sister?
As A Jun's thoughts tangled, the small one shoved him off violently, then kicked him again. When they both stood facing each other, the small one's eyes grew complicated. Then, with another kick, A Jun was sent flying, his frail body landing lightly in the distance.
The small one's gaze softened—hatred turning to grievance, even a trace of hurt.
—So what if you saved me? No need to make such a fuss. Ow… at least it doesn't hurt.
A Jun froze, baffled. I just saved you—why repay kindness with hostility? Can't we talk this out?
Could it be… a girl? His eyes met the small one's, his mind racing to piece things together. But his body's condition worsened suddenly. He could only stand there, pretending nothing was wrong.
Fortunately, the small one didn't act further, just stood there, eyes full of displeasure. But another figure thought otherwise. Suddenly, a tall silhouette appeared between them. Was it reinforcements? Had A Jun's plan worked?
—No, child, look carefully!
It was the masked man who had intercepted A Jun's hidden weapons earlier. He was tall, standing beside the small one. Their eyes met, as if agreeing to finish this quickly. The small one seemed unwilling, wanting to fight A Jun alone again, but the newcomer stopped them with a hand on the shoulder.
They exchanged another look but said nothing. Then the tall one gently pushed the small one aside and drew his weapon—a crimson Luòshí (洛什).
—First… Manifestation!
The tall figure glared coldly, chanting. From the weapon's hilt, a blade of fiery red energy flared to life.
Clearly, this weapon had reached near the second stage of the Luòshí—beyond the first stage of raw qi, now infused with elemental power. This masked man's ability was formidable, no weaker than a Guardian of great renown. Worse, his elemental attribute was troublesome for A Jun—an outright counter.
A Jun's stamina was drained, his body unstable. Yet the crisis had arrived. What surprised the enemies was that he still stood there, puzzled. Huh? Why aren't they saying anything?
—Hey, wait, you're just going to attack without a word? Where's the courtesy…
The fiery blade slashed toward him, stopping just short. Luckily, A Jun's lightfoot skill was sharp, his reflexes quick. Though exhausted, he barely dodged.
In the next few exchanges, A Jun scurried like a rat, dodging desperately. It was all he could do—crawl, roll, anything to buy time for reinforcements.
But the tall one was far stronger than expected, every strike deadly. Several times, A Jun nearly burned from the searing sword qi. His cloak shielded him, but he was left panting, his frail body close to collapse.
Soon, his vision blurred, his legs gave out, and he collapsed to the ground. The sword's shadow loomed again, descending from above. He couldn't move—only await a miracle.
—Eh? What's this… Suddenly, he felt something furry behind him. He grabbed instinctively—what? A tiny, adorable rabbit?!
His condition was too poor to sense more. He hadn't noticed when the rabbit appeared. What now… he had to protect it!
The next second, the sword light was less than a meter away, closing fast. A Jun had no choice but to resist with his gaze. What else could he do?
And then—the miracle came. To his shock, the sword light slowed. One meter… half a meter… thirty centimeters… until it nearly froze in place.
—What's going on? Never mind, keep staring…
A Jun glared with all his will. The blade halted just three centimeters from his face, as if blocked by something invisible.
The masked man's eyes widened in surprise. Then—Clang! The sword qi rebounded, forcing the tall one back several steps.
—Huh? Did I awaken some new ability?
As all three wondered, A Jun realized he was holding an activated Nángōng Sphere (南宫球)—capable of forming a miniature protective shield.
—Oh! So that's it!
Relieved, he turned to glance at the fluffy rabbit—but the masked man gave him no chance. The sword qi flared again, now wreathed in crimson flames, nearly tangible, at the peak of second stage.
The blazing sword qi, heavy with emotion, fell once more. But miracles don't always repeat. The rabbit had vanished.
—This is it… sigh. I just hope the others are alright.
Resigned, A Jun braced for the end, worrying for his companions.
But just then—fools' luck! A streak of violet blade light flashed, intercepting the fiery strike.
A Jun felt saved, collapsing completely to the ground. His rescuer was none other than the small masked figure. They now stood wielding a violet-gold Luòshí, its first-stage qi blade glowing purple with faint sparks of electricity—utterly unaffected by the other's element.
—Brilliant!
Earlier, A Jun had already learned that this man's power matched that of the Alliance Leader—his element was Li (离), the most domineering among the Five Counties, with extremely high offensive strength. It seemed the tall one's ability level was already on par with the elder sister and elder brother of Exotic Beast Town.
Originally, with the Saintess present, there was no need to worry. Xuanwu County was the only one among the Five Counties able to counterbalance such power, and her element restrained his. But now there was a problem. From Ning'er's secret arts, A Jun could sense that her strength had not yet recovered. The earlier battle had consumed much of her inner force. This barrier was not the same as before—it was likely already at its limit.
If the enemy attacked now, the barrier itself would not collapse, but his companions might be harmed—including his younger brother Xiao Xi, who stood at the front.
Just as A Jun worried that others might be hurt because of him, and the tall one was about to strike, suddenly another figure appeared in front of him, standing between both sides. Immediately, a squad of Guardian soldiers rushed in, forming a neat line at the figure's sides. Reinforcements had arrived—surely the tide would turn?
Wait—not so fast! The tall one looked surprised, but his cold, dismissive gaze still showed intent to attack. Perhaps he was truly that strong, confident enough to ignore reinforcements and still prevail.
A Jun strained to see the new arrivals. The leading figure grew clearer—a youth in white robes and silver armor, about A Jun's age, the smallest of them all. Yet this silver-clad boy calmly and skillfully commanded the few Guardian soldiers, instantly surrounding the enemy.
The soldiers followed orders, stepping in unison, their rhythm unified. The masked men grew flustered. Though A Jun's vision was not fully restored, his vast memory recalled ancient texts describing this military tactic: Formation (阵式), the Huangfu clan's supreme art of Qinglong County.
Formations, like the arrays and arts of A Jun's homeland, were said to originate from the ancient Qimen Dunjia divination, though from different schools. In the East, they were arts; in the West, styles. Formations could marshal troops into a net of heaven and earth, combining strength so that 1+1=2.
The difference was that formations also borrowed from array techniques, cleverly fusing elemental attributes. With a skilled commander and united soldiers, the power could far exceed 2—just like the protective barrier A Jun and the Saintess had woven together in Xuanwu County.
Now, the silver youth deployed the classic Qingxu Formation. Though it lacked elemental infusion, his mastery and the soldiers' coordination impressed A Jun. The masked group grew increasingly unsettled. Even the tall one hesitated—he glanced at the small one, then at his struggling companions, trapped and failing within the formation. He paused, but soon resolved to finish it in one strike.
As the tall one completed his charge-up and prepared to unleash his move, the short scout among the masked men raised the alarm—another wave of reinforcements was coming. This time, not just a patrol, but an entire army.
At the same time, the silver youth received a parrot message. A cute green parrot appeared on his shoulder, chattering its report.
The tall one sensed it too. His team was trapped, his plan disrupted again. Helpless, he glanced at the small one, shook his head, and ordered a retreat.
Yet the small one glared once more at A Jun and Ning'er, then suddenly dashed into the Qingxu Formation. Still unwilling to let A Jun go—too reckless for the mission's sake.
Yes, A Jun guessed right. The small one's hostility toward him was obsessive, dragging herself into the heart of the formation, leaving her comrades frantic. The tall one had no choice but to risk everything to save her.
The silver youth, calm and perceptive, saw their intent and immediately ordered an encirclement. The small one was surrounded, trapped, soldiers' attacks closing in.
"—Wait!"
Suddenly, A Jun shouted from afar. Whether from kindness, or because he saw the fluffy creature in the small one's arms, or perhaps because he sensed something more—he wanted to stop the slaughter. To his surprise, the silver youth complied, canceling the order and redeploying the formation. The small one escaped.
Then, the masked group showed no fear. Three hulking brutes stepped forward, trembling as they pulled marble-sized objects from their robes. With a sudden throw—Boom! A deafening blast. Smoke bombs—but far too loud, like explosives.
The battlefield was instantly shrouded in thick smoke. Fortunately, A Jun was within the Saintess's barrier, his breathing protected, unaffected.
The acrid smoke threw many into confusion. But A Jun's eyes still tracked the enemy's movements, hearing their coughing and commotion. At the rear, the small one lingered, pausing as if still fixated on him. Then, a strange gust blew her hood away—hmm?
He caught a glimpse of her features—long hair. What? This boy looks… rather feminine! Then he noticed, before leaving, she clutched the rabbit tightly, fumbling in the smoke. So—it was her rabbit all along!
Yet for many reasons, A Jun could no longer provide intel to his companions. Perhaps it wasn't necessary. Pursuing a routed foe was unwise. The enemy remained shrouded in mystery. Maybe this outcome was best.
At last, the crisis ended. A Jun finally relaxed. His companions rushed to his side, worried for his condition. Perhaps it was the aftereffects of stress and anxiety, or simply that this battle had pushed him beyond his limits… Soon, his body collapsed once more.