"You are the Tower of the Raging Four Winds!" Ye Xiu assumed the Tower of the Raging Four Winds was merely a location, but hearing the tone of this person, he realized it was a state of being where man and wind merged. "Whatever you want, direct it at me. Stop making things difficult for this woman."

"You..." Qi'er was not afraid of the violent winds; she was also unwilling to yield. "Do whatever you want. This young lady isn't scared of you."

"Hah!" With that declaration, a stream of air rose beside the hair of the Tower of the Raging Four Winds, immediately accompanied by the sound of thunder and lightning. The volume of that air current grew from small to large, as if something inside was trying to tear it apart.

"Heavenly Scorn Divine Sense!" Before the opponent could gather strength, Ye Xiu unleashed his peerless sword technique once more. At this moment, his body remained motionless, but the sword struck first. After a crisp sound, he discovered his Heavenly Scorn Sword had been absorbed by the air current and was now floating slowly in the air. "How could this be..."

"It seems your sword speed cannot outmatch the entanglement of the wind!" The Tower of the Raging Four Winds finally opened his eyes. At this moment, his arm ended not in a palm, but in a continuously spinning hurricane, and the structure of his feet was exactly the same. "It stands to reason. Wind is the fundamental rhythm of all things; what power in this world can contend with the wind!"

"You... who exactly are you?" Ye Xiu was deeply shocked by the appearance of the Tower of the Raging Four Winds. He had seen many monsters, but this fellow had wind and clouds composing his limbs, leaving only his head. He gasped, utterly bewildered. "How is this possible?"

"Do you know how the Tower of the Raging Four Winds was formed?" The Tower of the Raging Four Winds had no intention of taking Ye Xiu's life immediately. He twisted his head and smiled. "I merged all my cultivation here, precisely to cultivate the speed of heavenly-human unity. In this Boundless Realm, only one person can rival my speed."

"Who... who?" Ye Xiu involuntarily blurted out the question. For someone who could absorb a move as potent as the Heavenly Scorn Divine Sense, his cultivation ability must be terrifying.

"The Fox Demon Palace's Thousand-Year Shadow Demon!" The Tower of the Raging Four Winds' tone suddenly carried sorrow. "He is the king of speed. Decades ago, he severed my hands and feet but spared my life. I refuse to accept it. I will prove to him that someone in this world can surpass the speed he prides himself on."

Ye Xiu swallowed hard and touched his legs. This Thousand-Year Shadow Demon was none other than the fox demon who had passed his cultivation to him. He vaguely recalled his legs displaying extraordinary power during a desperate fight—it was the strength of the Thousand-Year Shadow Demon.

"Hahahaha! What a pity I can never leave the Tower of the Raging Four Winds! What a pity he cannot witness my victory, ah!" The Tower of the Raging Four Winds' emotions teetered on the brink of collapse. He swayed his head like a roly-poly toy. "I thought I could find some amusement through you, but even your divine weapon is merely adequate!"

"Be careful, something is behind me," Ye Xiu noticed the Tower of the Raging Four Winds was losing control. He focused on protecting Qi'er, determined not to let her be harmed regardless of what happened.

The Tower of the Raging Four Winds shed tears. A single drop fell onto his lips. He grinned hideously and flashed in front of Ye Xiu: "Since that's the case, you have no further value in existing. No one leaves the Four Winds Tower; you will all die here!"

Seeing the hurricane blade sweep from the arm of the Tower of the Raging Four Winds, he shoved Qi'er behind him. As a result, a long gash was ripped open down his entire arm, and his body was propelled several yards away as if pushed by an unseen force. "Qi'er, are you alright?"

Qi'er shook her head, looking at Ye Xiu's wound with distress. However, she was even more astonished by Ye Xiu's speed. "Ye Xiu, how did you get me over here in an instant? Over there..."

In a moment of panic, Ye Xiu had only thought of pushing Qi'er away. When he looked back, he realized he had moved an incredible distance away from the Tower of the Raging Four Winds. "What... what is happening?"

"That damned fox, the Thousand-Year Shadow Demon, again!" The Tower of the Raging Four Winds panted heavily, staring viciously at Ye Xiu. "There's no mistaking this aura. It is the Thousand-Year Shadow Demon. I didn't expect that old fellow had already found a successor. Is he sending you here to humiliate me again this time?"

"How did you do that, Ye Xiu?" Qi'er was amazed by Ye Xiu's unexpected power, and her respect for him grew even deeper. He was indeed the man her father, Ba Fangjin, had entrusted her to.

Ye Xiu lowered his head to look at his legs. A surge of heat traveled up from his toes throughout his body. He vaguely felt the pain brought on by the Life-Extending Heavenly Needles controlled within him. Was the power originating from the Thousand-Year Shadow Demon about to break its limits?

"Hahahaha! It is all destiny!" The Tower of the Raging Four Winds roared to the heavens, the winds and clouds swirling around his limbs growing even more intense. "Thank you, Thousand-Year Shadow Demon! Thank you for giving me this chance to wash away my shame, hahahaha!"

"Whoosh-boom..." Before the words faded, the wind struck first. The Tower of the Raging Four Winds was instantly beside Ye Xiu. At that moment, the chaotic winds beneath his feet entangled themselves around Ye Xiu's legs.

"Blast!" Ye Xiu felt his balance vanish. Unexpectedly, his right foot suddenly dissolved into nothingness, taking on a wind-like form as it wrapped around the waist of the Tower of the Raging Four Winds. "This is..."

"Wind blades at such close range—let's see how you block this!" The Tower of the Raging Four Winds, desperate for revenge, went completely berserk, and the wind blades generated by the wind beneath his feet were boundless and devastatingly sharp. "Die! Hahahaha!"

"Clang, clang, clang!" At the critical moment, Ye Xiu's right foot reappeared, transforming into a curved blade with a metallic sheen. That blade split into four sections, continuing to circle and intertwine with the wind blades, sparking a joyous cascade of sparks in all directions.

The Tower of the Raging Four Winds was enraged to see Ye Xiu successfully defend. He retreated several yards and unleashed a whirlwind toward Ye Xiu with one foot: "Let's see how you break through my wind formation this time."

Ye Xiu felt dizzy and could no longer control his body. Apart from the stinging pain in his abdomen, he had lost all other sensation. Driven by those two legs, his body pierced into the wind formation like a sky-soaring sword, his feet twisting and spinning repeatedly like a drill burrowing into unexplored territory.

"Ye Xiu, quickly retract your cultivation!" Qi'er, who had studied medicine, knew her master had once warned Ye Xiu. At this moment, she sent a needle flying, catching the air before piercing down onto the back of Ye Xiu's hand.

The wind formation was broken, but the scene was stained with blood. Ye Xiu clutched his stomach, stumbling to stand before the Tower of the Raging Four Winds. He could barely open his eyes. "What is this power? My legs..."

"This is the strength of the Thousand-Year Shadow Demon," the Tower of the Raging Four Winds stood steadily before him, his eyes filled with despair. He had truly lost, because the power bestowed upon Ye Xiu's legs by the Thousand-Year Shadow Demon had easily shattered the wind formation. "I never thought that after so many years, I still couldn't surpass that old fox."

Qi'er rushed over to support Ye Xiu. Only she knew what was happening to him. "Ye Xiu, quickly quell your malevolent energy. Do not exert any power."

"Hoo..." Ye Xiu regulated his breathing; the dull ache in his abdomen was almost unbearable. "The Thousand-Year Shadow Demon is dead. He transferred his power to me in his final moments. What just happened? Did this power awaken on its own?"

The Tower of the Raging Four Winds hung his head, having lost all will to fight. He stared blankly at Ye Xiu. "So, that old fox didn't forget me even at the end. It was my speed that awakened the power within your body. How ironic."

Ye Xiu's condition temporarily stabilized under Qi'er's needlework. Seeing the dejected Tower of the Raging Four Winds, he whispered, "Can we leave now?"

"Forget it. Since you already possess the strength of the Thousand-Year Shadow Demon, my Four Winds Steps would be useless to you anyway." After that casual remark, the Tower of the Raging Four Winds allowed his entire form to dissipate into a gentle breeze, spiraling directly into Qi'er's sleeves and trouser legs. "Consider this an apology to this young lady."

"Wha—!" Qi'er felt a long gust of wind enter her body, and as the Tower of the Raging Four Winds swept past, she became noticeably lighter. "What is this..."

Ye Xiu watched the disappearance of the Tower of the Raging Four Winds with a touch of melancholy. Ba Fangjin's promise was a form of reliance for him, and pursuing the strength of the Thousand-Year Shadow Demon was a reliance for the Tower of the Raging Four Winds. Then, what was the Empress of All Demons constantly seeking powerful individuals to bestow the Heart's Blood of Pluto upon, if not a form of reliance?

Having absorbed the cultivation of the Tower of the Raging Four Winds, Qi'er lightly leaped back to the platform they had been on earlier. She waved to Ye Xiu with a smile. "Ye Xiu, did you see that? I can almost fly!"

"Hey, figure out a way to bring me over here," Ye Xiu had no way to control the Thousand-Year Shadow Demon's power by himself. He gestured awkwardly to Qi'er. "Hurry back and take me over."

The Tower of the Raging Four Winds was broken, and the wall of wind outside the suspended cavern instantly vanished into nothingness. The surrounding Demon Peak disciples were filled with terror and scattered in all directions.

Seeing this, Gale Shadow approached, bringing Black Crow to surround the entrance. "The Fox Demon Palace truly has hidden depths; someone was actually able to break through the state of the Tower of the Raging Four Winds. Surround them quickly! Don't let a single fly escape."

"Yes!" Black Crow signaled the surrounding minions to fly into the space. Many disciples had already transformed into grotesque birds of prey, lurking on the cliff face.

"Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh..." As Ye Xiu exited the Tower of the Raging Four Winds, he swept away the obstacles ahead with his Heavenly Scorn Sword Intent. He pulled Qi'er, intending to flee back through the previous passage, but Qi'er seemed extremely irritated with the people who had kidnapped her. She leaped forward and charged straight into the crowd. "Qi'er, what are you doing!"

"Let you all taste the might of this young lady's Heavenly Needles." Qi'er moved again, instantly darting into a group of Black Crows. The crows swooped down, trying to tear her apart, but couldn't grasp her trace. With a move of her Heavenly Needles, she struck the creatures, causing them to fall numbly to the ground.

"You seek death!" Gale Shadow, although surprised by Qi'er's speed, possessed rich combat experience. He lunged forward, attempting a sneak attack from the rear, but Ye Xiu's sword intervened, parrying him away. "Who are you? State your name!"

"Hall Master Ye, down below!" It turned out Ant-One, Spider-Ji, and Snake-Beauty had not left. Knowing Ye Xiu was infiltrating, they had long been ambushed underground. At this moment, Spider-Ji unfurled her web, directly sticking the charging crowd to the cliff face. "Go quickly!"

Seeing the underground path, Ye Xiu grabbed Qi'er and darted down. "Stop fighting, let's go!"

"Rumble!" With an explosion, Ant-One fired a cloud of smoke to cover everyone as they escaped beneath the ground. This underground network was interconnected, offering an easy way to find an exit.

"When did the Insect Demon Sect get involved with the Fox Demon Palace?" Gale Shadow was not foolish. He ordered the Demon Peak members, "Pursue them in the area between the Sea of Exile and the Fox Demon Palace. Don't let them get away!"

"Yes!"

The moonlight permeated the scene, but for the five of them, this beautiful setting was only suitable for escape, even though Qi'er maintained that she didn't need to use the underground tunnels.

"Ah-hoo..." Finally emerging, Qi'er was the first to leap out of the ground. She tidied her clothes and asked, "Ye Xiu, who are these people? Are they your friends?"