"I know you're nearby!" Demon Luo Yinzhi pressed the tip of his blade against Long Xin’s throat, looking around and shouting into the woods, "Show yourself now, or I kill her."
"You bastard, using me as a hostage—what kind of prowess is that!" Long Xin cursed him furiously!!!
Yet, the only reply was absolute, dead silence!
"Are you really going to stand by and let her die?" Demon Luo Yinzhi seemed genuinely enraged, applying a slight increase in force to the greatsword held against Long Xin’s neck!
A thin trickle of crimson blood, like a tiny stream, tracked down her alabaster neck and soaked into the fabric before her chest, dyeing it a horrifying, shocking red! The razor edge of the Sky-Splitting Greatsword had just sliced through Long Xin's skin.
Just a touch deeper, and it would sever her windpipe, ending her life right then and there!
Ah! Even the usually audacious Long Xin was genuinely terrified this time!
The forest remained eerily silent! The approaching presence seemed utterly indifferent to Long Xin's plight!
How could this be!
The opponent showed not the slightest reaction!
Could it be that the other party wasn't here to rescue Long Xin after all?
Demon Luo Yinfeng felt a flicker of unease and doubt! Thinking hard, the Demon Dragon Empire didn't seem to harbor anyone this terrifyingly powerful!
But just then!
"Whoosh..." A slight, indistinct rush of air—a whisper passing through space—came from directly behind them!
Accompanying it was a wave of soul-shaking, terrifying killing intent!
"Watch your back!" Demon Luo shouted in shock, spinning around instantly! A massive crescent of sword energy lashed out behind him like lightning!
Almost at the very moment he turned!
A blurred afterimage swept past, as light as a gentle breeze! Moving with unbelievable fluidity and ethereal grace, it slipped clean through the half-moon arc of sword energy Demon Luo Yinfeng had unleashed!
"Ah..." A few sharp cries shattered the void once more.
Demon Luo Yinfeng felt nothing more than a passing brush of cool air!
Instinctively, he brought his sword up to guard his throat!
Clang! A sharp, resonant sound echoed!
The Sky-Splitting Greatsword in his hand jerked violently, and then, a shadowy afterimage flashed—darting away like lightning into the dense branches of another colossal tree!
The speed was utterly horrifying! Even having witnessed it firsthand, Demon Luo Yinfeng could not believe his own eyes!
What shocked him even more was that his three companions beside him were already headless, dropping lifelessly onto the ground! The severed heads that rolled settled with eyes wide open, fixed on the space ahead, maintaining the look of tension they held in their final moment.
It was clear: right up until the moment of their deaths, they hadn't even glimpsed the enemy!
Everyone present couldn't help but have their faces change drastically!
"What speed was that!!!" Even Demon Luo Yinfeng and Demon Luo Yinzhi hadn't clearly seen who it was! If not for their superior spiritual senses, they too would likely have met the same fate!
But that was also the absolute limit of their capability!
This was too terrifying! Aside from Demon Luo Yinfeng and Demon Luo Yinzhi, everyone else was merely meaningless decoration; they couldn't even manage a basic defense because their cultivation levels were utterly incapable of tracking that terrifying velocity!
This meant that, among those present, everyone except Demon Luo Yinfeng and Demon Luo Yinzhi was utterly useless!
Everyone present was a battle-hardened, top-tier master!
Yet, the more accomplished they were, the harder it was to control the fear rising within them!
The sheer cultivation level and speed of this suddenly appearing mysterious assassin were simply beyond comprehension!
So powerful!
Long Xin was also stunned speechless by the unbelievable scene unfolding! She never imagined this mysterious figure would be so ridiculously strong, eliminating three Thunder Warriors in a single exchange!
With the cultivation of Demon Luo Yinfeng and Demon Luo Yinzhi, they could only defend passively, without even a chance to counterattack!
"Who on earth is that?"
"Could it be a phantom?"
All of them were chilled to the bone!
"Damn it!" Demon Luo Yinfeng's face twisted with extreme displeasure: "It's someone from the Holy Word Church."
Although the speed of that person had been incredibly fast just now, Demon Luo Yinfeng had clearly spotted the distinctive Cross emblem of the Holy Word Church emblazoned on the chest of the blue Thunder Battle Armor!
"Impossible," Demon Luo Yinzhi stared at Demon Luo Yinfeng in disbelief.
"It's the Holy Word Church emblem," Demon Luo Yinfeng ground out through clenched teeth. "I didn't mistake it."
"They dare to ambush us," Demon Luo Yinzhi whispered, his voice trembling.
After all, the Demon Luo Church and the Holy Word Church were currently maintaining a cooperative facade, yet this mysterious person struck with such ruthless intensity, leaving absolutely no quarter!
"....."
However, no one could fathom when the Holy Word Church had cultivated such a terrifying master.
But one thing was certain: since the arrival was from the Holy Word Church, they certainly weren't here to rescue Long Xin!
Not here for Long Xin! Could it be they came for the Night Luminous Pearl? Demon Luo Yinfeng instinctively reached toward the satchel at his waist!
If this terrifying master managed to seize the Night Luminous Pearl, the consequences would be unimaginable!
Demon Luo Yinzhi seemed to realize this as well and involuntarily sucked in a sharp breath!
"Heh, how amusing. So it’s an internal spat?" Long Xin couldn't resist taunting, "Truly a case of dogs fighting dogs, teeth and hair flying."
"Shut your mouth, or I swear I’ll kill you right now!" Demon Luo Yinzhi was enraged by shame.
"Oh, I'm so scared," Long Xin was entirely undeterred and even pushed further. "If you have the guts, kill me now."
"Seeking death!" Demon Luo Yinzhi roared in anger, ready to strike!
"Stop!" Demon Luo Yinfeng shouted, "If you kill her, what about the map?"
"Damn it, you wretched woman, remember this," Demon Luo Yinzhi was extremely unwilling, but Demon Luo Yinfeng's words held undeniable logic.
He could only glare viciously at Long Xin before immediately scanning the surroundings again! Even in his fury, Demon Luo Yinzhi dared not relax even for a second!
That mysterious assassin’s speed was far too freakish; one lapse in concentration, and his head would roll!
The traps they had laid had not ensnared their intended prey; instead, they had lured out a terrifying wolf!
And that wolf had turned the tables, treating them as the prey to be hunted!
This sudden, massive shift unsettled even the usually calm and collected Demon Luo Yinfeng!
He instinctively looked around. Beyond the dense forest, there was only more dense forest. In the distance came the cries of apes and howls of wolves, along with the calls of many unknown birds, making the woods seem even more bizarre and gloomy!
Where the enemy was hidden remained an utter mystery!
Demon Luo Yinfeng subconsciously tried to sense any ripples in the surrounding energy!
But even with his cultivation and the Illusory Demon Eye, he could detect no trace of the foe. The only certainty was that the person remained nearby, as that invisible, intangible killing aura still faintly permeated the area, lingering stubbornly.
"Maintain vigilance, we walk while retreating!" Demon Luo Yinfeng commanded. "Once we get out of this wood, he won't be able to do anything to us."
"Hmph!" Demon Luo Yinzhi, though deeply unwilling, had no choice but to agree with a nod.
"A pack of cowards!" Long Xin found it highly entertaining seeing the usually composed Demon Luo Yinfeng so tense. "Just one person, and look how busy you are being scared."
"Do you believe I won't just seal your mouth?" Demon Luo Yinzhi raged, snatching up a handful of rotten leaves from the ground!
"Hmph!"
Long Xin snorted coldly but kept silent thereafter!
She allowed them to untie the ropes binding her back, and then she was slung over a shoulder like a sack!
The attacker turned out to be from the Holy Word Church! This disappointed Long Xin, yet she felt this might present a superb opportunity to escape! Thus, she subtly paid close attention to the movements around her!
The dense woods remained terrifyingly still!
Leading the way were two Thunder Warriors, one gripping a blade, the other holding a shield! They carefully parted the thorns ahead while constantly scanning their surroundings!
Fearful that a moment's inattention would cost them their heads!
The scene from earlier had been too shocking!
No one expected that upon entering this dense forest, they would encounter such a terrifying adversary! On this journey, hardly anyone dared to let their guard down even slightly!
Now, moving while maintaining full combat readiness, their pace was literally snail-slow!
A full day passed!
The assassin had not made another move.
But the group's tightly strung nerves had reached their breaking point!
This whole time, the scent of death had followed them like a shadow, ubiquitous! Yet they dared not relax their guard for a single second!
Even the highly cultivated Thunder War Generals, Flame Sorcerer Gods, and Light Dao Masters were struggling to endure!
Just as everyone's concentration momentarily wavered!
Boom! A thunderous blast erupted!
Snow scattered, fighting energy surged violently, and a fierce killing aura flooded toward them! Amidst this haze, a flash of brilliant white light appeared—so fast it was dazzling!
"Ah, ah..." Two sharp, urgent screams rang out immediately!
Long Xin only managed to catch a fleeting glimpse of a blurred blue streak of light flashing past her side!
"Roar..." Demon Luo Yinfeng, who had been maintaining intense focus, roared in frustration!
The Sky-Splitting Greatsword summoned a dragon of sword energy, chasing the vague blue streak like lightning!
Swish, swish!
However, the stream of light, which had been moving in a straight line, executed an impossibly sharp, bizarre change of direction in that split second!
It whipped out in a strange arc, darting unbelievably onto a high branch of a nearby tree!
The furiously expelled dragon of sword energy pierced only a fleeting afterimage!
"Die!" Demon Luo Yinzhi's reaction was quick enough; almost as the afterimage changed direction! He bellowed, and the sword energy he launched seemed to have eyes, shooting toward the blue streak that had suddenly taken to the air!
Hmph!
As if anticipating this move, the blue figure hanging in the air suddenly exploded in a burst of golden light! The Thunder Wings on the back of the Thunder Battle Armor flapped violently!
The entire figure became like a great bird!
It executed yet another sudden maneuver while rapidly ascending—reversing course, it flew back over Long Xin’s head, then vanished into the thick foliage of another towering tree!
The speed was beyond description!
Yet, Long Xin was utterly stunned by what she witnessed!
Because just as the mysterious assassin flashed over her head a moment ago! Long Xin actually saw the eyes hidden beneath the mask!
They were black eyes!
And as the figure vanished completely, they cast one final glance toward Long Xin!
That look—cunning, mocking, yet laced with concern—was one Long Xin knew too well!
Could it be him!
Long Xin felt struck by lightning, frozen on the spot! She could scarcely believe what she had seen!
It was Xing Chen! There was no mistake! It absolutely had to be him!
Has this fellow actually come back to life?
And he has arrived on the Snow Domain Continent, finding this place at this very moment!
Thinking of this, Long Xin couldn't help but feel a surge of excitement and wild joy!
If it really was him, everything would make sense! After all, the miracles that had happened to him were too numerous! Even adding this level of abnormal cultivation seemed entirely plausible!
Just as Long Xin struggled to contain the ecstasy bubbling up inside her!
......................................................................................
Thud, thud... Two muffled thuds sounded beside her again!
The two men who had been holding Long Xin suddenly dropped dead! Their heads had already rolled onto the ground from their necks!
Long Xin hadn't even seen how they were decapitated!
"Ah!" Demon Luo Yinfeng and Demon Luo Yinzhi’s faces changed drastically!
Although they had already witnessed the man's terrifying speed, witnessing this shocking scene again left them stunned!
This person dared to act so brazenly, killing two more Thunder Warriors and two Light Dao Masters right before their eyes, and then escaping coolly!
And Demon Luo Yinfeng and Demon Luo Yinzhi, despite being prepared, hadn't even grazed the enemy's shadow!
This was nothing less than an insult and a provocation!
But neither Demon Luo Yinfeng nor Demon Luo Yinzhi dared to give chase! Everyone else was trembling with fear! The deaths of the four men stretched the already taut nerves of the group almost to the point of collapse!
No one expected that this group of over thirty top-tier masters would be chased into such terror by one person, unable to move forward easily!
They could only stand rooted to the spot, like lambs awaiting slaughter, nervously peering into the surroundings!
"Damn it! I'll kill you!" Demon Luo Yinzhi was fit to burst with rage, but he was utterly helpless against this enemy who moved like a phantom and vanished like the wind!
What infuriated them most was that this mysterious enemy absolutely refused direct confrontation, striking once and leaving immediately, unwilling to linger even a moment longer, and always resorting to despicable, shameless sneak attacks!
No one knew when or where he would strike next!
Despite having so many people, including two Phoenix Heaven War Gods, they could only wait passively for death!
This vast, snowy forest seemed to have become an inescapable cage, trapping them all tightly!
If this continued, it seemed none of them would ever leave this wood!
Demon Luo Yinfeng's heart sank! Even now, he couldn't fathom the identity of this person whose speed defied logic, yet the oppressive, suffocating killing aura gave him a strange, familiar pang of dread!
It felt like a memory resurfacing, but who could it be!
This was the second encounter with this terrifying foe, and it only deepened the fear in everyone's hearts!
Even Demon Luo Yinfeng and Demon Luo Yinzhi couldn't help but feel a profound chill creeping over them!
It was all because the mysterious assassin’s speed was too quick; his attacks, lacking any harbinger, were like the summons of Death itself, stretching everyone's nerves to near breaking point!
It was clear the goal of this person was to eliminate everyone present; currently, he was only wiping out the Thunder Warriors, Flame Sorcerer Gods, and Light Dao Masters! Once these personnel were cleared, only Demon Luo Yinfeng and Demon Luo Yinzhi would remain!
As for why he hadn't killed Long Xin, it was likely because he intended to keep Long Xin—a liability—to slow down their progress!
This was the conclusion Demon Luo Yinfeng analyzed at that moment!
One person taking on thirty-four top-tier masters of the Thunder One level, plus two Phoenix Heaven War Gods of the Seventh Heaven Realm, looked on the face of it like an act of suicidal madness!
However, Demon Luo Yinfeng and his group knew very well that their opponent, relying on that terrifying speed and the cover of the dense woods, could absolutely achieve this! Even if he couldn't kill Demon Luo Yinfeng and Demon Luo Yinzhi, he was certainly capable of eliminating the remaining Thunder Generals and Flame Sorcerers! After all, seven people had already died by his hand!
Although he had seen through the opponent's intentions, Demon Luo Yinfeng and the others had no choice but to grit their teeth and continue this arduous journey!