More than a hundred people, women, children, and the elderly, followed my lead, rushing swiftly towards the passage exit. We soon cleared the main hall's doorway, but just then, a group of men suddenly charged out from ahead. Leading them was the young mage named Chi Kun. Behind him were at least twenty masters from the Scarlet Moon faction.

“It really is you!” Upon seeing the rapier I held, Chi Kun immediately recognized me. I had killed the Scarlet Flood Dragon right before his eyes and even wounded him back then: “I will kill you.” Chi Kun instantly shot out a stream of (Swift Light Phantom). At the same moment, the others unleashed their magical assaults.

“You all go ahead!” At this moment, any hesitation would spell disaster. Almost at the moment of confrontation, I immediately drew my sword and charged toward Chi Kun at the front. As the saying goes, to catch bandits, first catch the king; by dispatching Chi Kun immediately, the rest would be easier to handle.

“Be careful,” came the anxious reminder from the Matriarch behind me.

Whoosh! Almost concurrently with my charge, countless streams of and (Ice Roar) instantly descended, completely engulfing a ten-meter radius around me. In the past, I would certainly have been calculating how to evade such magical attacks. However, ever since I learned that my Demon Devouring Body possessed complete immunity to magic, that concern vanished. With virtually no evasion, I maintained my speed, piercing directly through that ten-meter zone of magical storm.

In the blink of an eye, I burst to within ten meters of Chi Kun.

Ah! This sudden convergence caught Chi Kun completely off guard. In his view, I should have been hit squarely by the barrage from the numerous mages, so why was I completely unharmed now? It was precisely in that fleeting moment of shock that my sword lunged for his chest.

Roar! Just as I believed Chi Kun was surely done for, amidst a muffled thunderous bellow, a white light flashed. A snow-white blade struck the edge of my rapier in a split second. It was a Scarlet Moon warrior standing beside Chi Kun, blocking my swift thrust with his Frost Condensation Sword.

With a crisp ding, the deflected blade only grazed Chi Kun’s left shoulder.

Splat! Thud! The wounded Chi Kun reacted instantly, using the force of my thrust to spring back and retreat. But how could I easily relinquish such an opportunity? I unfolded my movement technique, pursuing him like a shadow. The other Scarlet Moon warriors intercepted desperately, attempting to hold me back. Meanwhile, several mages broke off and pursued the direction my mother and the Matriarch were fleeing.

Damn it! These bastards wouldn't even spare my mother and the others! Panic flared in my heart. I instantly changed trajectory, abandoning the pursuit of Chi Kun, and charged toward those mages, with the dozen or so Scarlet Moon warriors still relentlessly on my tail, along with the magic attacks hurled by the mages further behind.

All this occurred within a mere two or three seconds. My sudden change in direction greatly startled the mages chasing my mother and the others. They desperately pushed on toward my family to try and establish distance from me, simultaneously raising their magic shields. One of them, while running full tilt, raised his hand, intending to hurl a massive Fireball at my mother and the others fleeing ahead.

No! They were all helpless, defenseless elderly, women, and children. If hit by those spells, the consequences would be catastrophic. My thoughts raced, and (Blazing Fire Sword Qi) shot out instantly.

Swish! A golden-red arc of light sliced through the air, striking the mage with a peng. However, because he was protected by a magic shield, the strike didn't penetrate him instantly. But even so, his magic shield dimmed instantly. The sheer force of the impact slammed him back several steps before he crashed heavily to the ground, utterly humiliated.

The few mages running at top speed were even more alarmed as they saw me bearing down on them like a ferocious demon. The magic they were about to unleash on my mother and the others immediately redirected toward me. This was exactly what I wanted. These people truly hadn't learned their lesson; the dense barrage of magic just now couldn't touch me, so what could the attacks from just a few of them possibly do? I met the whistling Fireball head-on without any attempt to dodge. My rapier flashed, swinging several times like lightning, instantly unleashing four fierce, peerless stabbing sword energies that shot out with astonishing speed toward the four mages.

Boom! Boom! With two resounding collisions, two mages were struck by my assassination sword energies, though their magic shields managed to deflect them. The other two cleverly evaded my sword energy attacks. But none dared to expose their backs to me, so they had no choice but to abandon the chase. However, this momentary delay allowed the warriors behind me to catch up instantly.

“Quickly surround him!” Chi Kun roared in frustration; it seemed his injury hadn't been serious. But at this moment, he dared not approach again, remaining at a distance, his hand crackling with dazzling blue electrical arcs. He had clearly changed tactics, intending to use the warriors to tie me down before seizing an opportunity for a lightning strike. Yet, no matter how hard he racked his brain, he couldn't guess that I had no fear of his magical attacks. Perhaps they assumed I had relied on my formidable Protective Battle Qi to withstand their assault. Because of this, they were exceptionally wary of me. Logically, the ability to resist the high-intensity magic attacks of so many people relying only on Protective Battle Qi suggested strength surpassing the level of Chi Xiao—a high-tier warrior of the Scarlet Moon faction. It was no wonder they adopted such cautious tactics, even abandoning the pursuit of my escaping mother and the others. But this suited my intentions perfectly.

The dozen warriors who quickly caught up instantly surrounded me, their expressions grave, yet they dared not initiate an attack lightly. I also stopped, holding my long saber across my chest.

Hmph! At this point, Chi Kun seemed to have finally caught his breath: “This time, let’s see where you run.”

“Interesting. Which of your eyes saw me running?” By now, my mother’s group had vanished into the distance, which brought me considerable relief. It seemed Chi Kun and the others weren't concerned about the fleeing group. In comparison, my own life held greater importance to them. But this was only logical. After all, I had killed the Wild Dragon Gang’s Scarlet Flood Dragon and wounded Chi Kun twice. Furthermore, I had slain many of the Wild Dragon Gang experts guarding the side door route to the main hall. It was no wonder they harbored such deep hatred for me: “ If I remember correctly, it has always been you who were running away.”

“Hmph!” Chi Kun exploded in fury at my retort: “Kill him.”

Roar! The dozen Scarlet Moon warriors immediately swung their (Judgement) blades, attacking me furiously.

But before they could draw near, with a spin, my Hundred Battles Saber instantly stirred up a dazzling silver-white light, forming a perfect circular halo. It flashed like lightning, enveloping the surroundings.

In fact, ever since they encircled me, I had secretly grasped the hilt of my Hundred Battles Saber that protruded from its spatial sheath, intending to strike the moment they closed in. As I drew the blade, I channeled my Battle Qi energy to its utmost strength, thus launching this powerful (Half-Moon Scimitar). It was sudden; no one expected me to unleash such a bizarre sweeping attack.

Splat splat! A series of sounds washed over them, hitting the foremost Scarlet Moon warriors squarely with the potent crescent sword energy. Even the super-strong defense of the God of War Armor was sliced through by the fierce blade mixed with the crescent energy. Blood spurted wildly, accompanied by shrieks, and they collapsed to the ground. The warriors slightly further away were also injured by the shockwave of the sword energy. However, their defensive equipment was truly superior, so the damage wasn't severe, but even so, it chilled them to the bone, causing them to retreat repeatedly.

“Be careful, don't get too close to him!” Chi Kun roared: “Use Battle Qi attacks.”

His analysis was not unfounded. Given my speed, getting too close was extremely dangerous, and once distance was established, my speed advantage couldn't be utilized. However, I couldn't let them have their way. Almost as soon as those warriors retreated, I rapidly closed the distance. The Hundred Battles Saber conjured numerous shadows, firmly boxing them in. Amidst the blade shadows, those Scarlet Moon warriors were thrown into disarray, wildly blocking left and right—a truly pathetic sight. Although the speed of my Hundred Battles Saber wasn't as exaggerated as the rapier, it was still significantly faster than heavy weapons like their . Moreover, the angles of my every strike were extremely tricky and unpredictable, coupled with the fact that I was practically sticking to them like glue. Fearing they might injure their own comrades, they didn't dare casually deploy sharp Battle Qi killing moves like (Blazing Fire Sword Technique) or . They could only use ordinary offensive maneuvers. I, however, had no such concerns. Battle Qi infused the Hundred Battles Saber, and every slash carried immense force—horizontal cuts and vertical chops, a truly satisfying exchange. In the blink of an eye, I had beaten them into utter disarray.

Chi Kun on the other side was nearly bursting with rage. He had been fighting for years and had experienced dozens of battles, yet he had never witnessed such a bizarre fighting style where the opponent used vastly superior speed to pin down those few Scarlet Moon warriors, preventing them from fighting freely. Furthermore, he dared not use his own magic carelessly, lest he miss him and harm his own men. If the distance between those warriors were to increase, the consequences would be even worse. Given his skill, ordinary Scarlet Moon warriors probably couldn't withstand a single one of his sword strikes—Chi Kun had experienced that speed firsthand. An opponent like this couldn't be dealt with just by numbers.

It seemed only a master like Chi Xiao could handle him. Unfortunately, Chi Xiao was heavily wounded in his previous duel with Yan Kong. With the current force at hand, they were completely helpless against me.

“Retreat!” Although deeply unwilling, Chi Kun reluctantly gave the order to withdraw. If the fight continued, his meager forces would certainly come to a bad end.

Upon hearing Chi Kun’s command, the warriors showed unconcealed joy, simultaneously channeling their Protective Battle Qi. It appeared they planned to endure one of my strikes just to break free.

This suited my intentions perfectly, as I couldn't afford to delay for too long. Who knew when Chi Yan and Chi Xiao might return? That would put me in real trouble.

I must leave quickly!

As those warriors broke free of the encirclement, I leaped after the direction my mother and the others had fled. However, countless sharp whistles sounded from behind me. It was the resentful magic attacks launched by Chi Kun and the remaining mages. , (Lightning Spell), (Great Fireball)—they rained down like a furious storm.

Of course, I paid them no mind. I suddenly exerted force beneath my feet, instantly escaping the range of their magical bombardment.

“Damn you, I will kill you someday!” Chi Kun’s furious roar reached me from behind. That howl of grief, resentment, and unwillingness gave me a scalp-tingling urge. To be hated by such a person meant I would likely never know a peaceful moment in this life.

At this moment,

Several dazzling magical fireworks rose in the sky. They must be signals of some kind, but I couldn't decipher their meaning.

Of course, none of that mattered anymore. After all, my objective for ascending the mountain had been achieved.

On the other side, Yan Luo and the others at the checkpoint gloomily observed the Wild Dragon Gang forces at the forward checkpoint. The situation was a stalemate: the Ginkgo City Defense Force couldn't advance, and the Wild Dragon Gang dared not launch a full assault, especially since trouble seemed to be brewing behind their lines.

It wasn't until several colorful flames shot into the sky that Yan Luo and the others involuntarily let out a sigh of relief. It seemed the Wild Dragon Gang intended to abandon this mountain stronghold.

Thinking back to how the Wild Dragon Gang had almost wiped out their entire force during this ambush, everyone felt a lingering fear. However, Yan Kong was plagued by deep self-reproach, as this disastrous defeat was caused by his own underestimation and rashness; he bore undeniable responsibility. Yan Luo, conversely, maintained her usual calm and composed demeanor. It seemed nothing short of the sky falling could elicit a different expression from this woman.

Running non-stop, I finally caught up to my mother and the Matriarch at the side exit of the stronghold. But with them were Chen Feng, the Patriarch, and several others I didn't recognize. Behind them stood several hundred fully arrayed Ginkgo City Defense Force soldiers, including archers, mages, and warriors. Only then did the knot of anxiety in my chest finally loosen. Yet, I found it strange that they were already positioned here in advance.

Seeing me approach, everyone let out an enthusiastic cheer.

“Hero, thank you for saving me.” The Matriarch stepped forward from the crowd and approached me with gratitude.

The Patriarch also bowed deeply to me with an expression of sincere thanks: “This time was all thanks to your help. Our Ye family is eternally grateful.”

The others also looked eager, except for Chen Feng and my mother, who watched me with shifting, uncertain expressions. My mother, especially, had worn a look of wanting to speak since seeing me, as if she sensed something. She pulled Chen Feng aside, gesturing secretly.

“Um, Patriarch! Thank you is perhaps unnecessary!” I didn't know what to say, so I simply took off my skull helmet.

Ah!....................

The surroundings instantly fell silent.

Everyone wore an expression of utter disbelief.

“Xiao! Xiao Man.” The Patriarch could barely believe his eyes, grabbing my shoulder and scrutinizing me from head to toe.

“No way! It really is Xiao Man,” the Matriarch murmured, now seeing clearly.

“Well, hehe! It’s me,” I mumbled softly.

“You little brat!” Chen Feng rushed forward instantly: “It’s really you.” He then swept me up into a hug: “No wonder I thought your build looked familiar!”

“Ah! Put me down quickly, I’m not a child anymore!” When Chen Feng got excited, he always treated me like a teddy bear, which was utterly unbearable for me.

At this moment, my mother also rushed to me, her bright eyes filled with tears of joy. But because she couldn't speak, she snatched me from Chen Feng’s embrace.

“Hehe! Mom!” Being held by my mother, I couldn't utter a single word. I simply allowed her to hold me, letting out a long cry. I thought that after everything I had been through, I had become strong, certainly no longer a sentimental youth. Yet, the moment she held me, tears streamed down uncontrollably. I don't know why this happened; subconsciously, I didn't want it to, as a grown man bawling his eyes out was quite embarrassing. But my body defied my control, and my eyes flowed like an opened faucet, as if this was the only way to vent some repressed emotion within my heart.

The others wisely kept quiet.

After a long while, my mother and I finally separated.

“Um! Su Lan?” The Matriarch subtly tugged at my mother's sleeve: “Perhaps we should step aside now.”

Mm. My mother snapped back to reality, nervously scratching the back of her head, then looked at me, only to see me awkwardly scratching the back of my own head. She quickly lowered her hand, and I mirrored the action.

This prompted another burst of laughter.

“What an interesting pair of mother and son,” the Patriarch chuckled lightly.

I finally understood—my habit of scratching my head was inherited from my mother.

Soon, the Ginkgo City Defense Force encircled us, intending to escort us away.

But at this moment, I remembered something critically important.

“Ah! Wait, I forgot, Chen Zhen!” Before storming the stronghold, I had knocked Chen Zhen unconscious. I wondered how he was doing now, and anxiety immediately gripped me.

“You little bastard,” came an annoyed, furious voice from behind me. I quickly turned my head. “You only just remembered me now.” The speaker was none other than Chen Zhen, who was looking at me with an unfriendly expression: “You really had the heart to do that. Just wait, I’ll deal with you later.”

“Ah! You’re awake already?” I could only offer a dry, awkward laugh.

“What’s going on here?” Chen Feng noticed the oddity and asked curiously.

“Nothing!” Chen Zhen said while staring intently at me. It seemed if I dared to say one more word, he would skin me alive—being knocked out wasn't exactly an honorable thing.

“Um! And that, hehe, nothing,” I naturally dared not reveal the truth.

The others were puzzled by our strange exchange.

Escorted by the Defense Force, we headed toward the military camp stationed at the main gate. Before long, we arrived at the troops’ quarters. This area was an open grassland near the base of the mountain, surrounded by simple fences and makeshift barriers forming a temporary defensive structure. There weren't many people in the camp currently, perhaps only around three hundred. Upon seeing our return, everyone erupted in cheers.

From afar, we saw a large contingent of people approaching the camp from the direction of the stronghold’s main gate. It seemed the City Lord and his party had returned. What surprised me was seeing Yan Luo and a group of Divine Moon Palace experts walking beside the City Lord. Their somber expressions suggested they had suffered heavy losses; I just didn't know how many men they had lost this time.

Upon learning that the hostages had been rescued safely, the City Lord was overjoyed, though he showed some apology toward the Divine Moon Palace members, as almost all the experts they brought had perished in this engagement.

“City Lord Ye, you need not blame yourself,” Yan Kong said mournfully: “In truth, it was our Divine Moon Palace that implicated everyone. The Wild Dragon Gang disguised themselves as bandits to lure the Divine Moon Palace into revealing ourselves, which is why they captured the villagers. Fortunately, everyone escaped unharmed.”

“This! So that’s how it is. No wonder those bandits were so formidable; they were the Wild Dragon Gang, renowned equally to the Divine Moon Palace, in disguise.”