A fallen leaf drifted slowly in the void.
It was as if some kind of delaying spell had been cast upon it, making it move especially slow.
And not just the leaf, everything in this world seemed to instantly delay, slowing down.
“The Nomological Truth of Speed and Slowness?” Ji Ruobing frowned and said.
The sound of the jade flute echoed through heaven and earth, telling the tale of a hunter chasing its prey.
The flute melody was tense and tight, almost like the strumming of a pipa.
Urging steeds to gallop and drink before the battle, how many have ever returned from ancient wars?
As the flute played, even Ji Ruobing’s movements were affected.
The Myriad Tribulation Cone that had been spinning rapidly slowed down more and more.
The thunder tribulation that appeared in the sky also weakened significantly.
The sword-wielding man broke free from the swamp of lightning tribulation, and his enormous sword swept through the void.
“Chaotic Slaughter in the Dark Night.”
The sword vanished, and so did the man.
The next moment, countless sword intents appeared in the sky, coming from every direction.
They surrounded Ji Ruobing.
What followed was a scene of chaotic sword frenzy.
The sound of clanging swords echoed continuously.
It reverberated in the hollow void.
After dodging several strikes in a row, Ji Ruobing was finally hit by one.
Her opponent’s speed was too fast, even Xu Zimo could only barely make out faint shadows.
Xu Zimo had always believed that there was a great chasm between the God Meridian realm and the Arcane Immortal realm.
Though some geniuses of the God Meridian realm could challenge Arcane Immortal cultivators across realms, they could only challenge ordinary ones.
One must know that among Arcane Immortals, there were also those who were exceptional in strength.
These individuals could also be considered prodigies within their own realm.
The three before him, in Xu Zimo’s eyes, were such top figures among the Arcane Immortal realm.
The moment the first sword intent struck Ji Ruobing, countless more followed.
Sword intents ripped apart the silent void, cutting it into countless fragments.
And Ji Ruobing stood at the very center, every sword intent slashing past her.
Her white garments shattered, and blood scattered through the void.
“Now!” Xu Zimo shouted in a low voice.
The Heaven-Derivation Astrolabe in his hand spun, radiating endless starlight.
This starlight surged upward, enveloping the entire talisman formation.
Every formation had an eye.
Xu Zimo threw a punch, shattering the core of the formation.
The talisman formation dissipated into nothingness.
Xu Zimo’s figure flashed, and the next moment, he was already before Ji Ruobing.
“Go.” He grabbed her with one hand and tore open the void with the other, vanishing from the scene.
Seeing Ji Ruobing escape, the sword-wielding man wanted to pursue.
But the jade flute man stopped him.
“Let’s return to report,” the jade flute man said calmly.
“But she escaped,” the sword-wielding man replied in confusion.
“Just say the Holy Son of True Martial Sacred Ground saved her. That is explanation enough,” the jade flute man replied flatly.
“Why not pursue?” the sword-wielding man still asked, puzzled.
“Why pursue?” the jade flute man countered. “We were ordered by Young Master Lu to hunt her down. If we let her slip away so obviously, how do we explain ourselves?” the sword-wielding man shook his head slightly, then turned to the talisman master. “Second brother, what do you say?”
“You still don’t understand? Big brother just doesn’t want trouble,” the talisman man chuckled.
“Lu Changhen and Ji Ruobing are competing for status within the Immortal Extinction Sacred Ground. The ties and implications here are immense. If one step is mishandled, none of us will have a good ending.”
“Big brother wants to offend neither side?” the sword-wielding man asked in surprise.
“Exactly. If we refused Lu Changhen at the start, we would have offended him. But if we killed Ji Ruobing, those in the lineage who support her would never let us off. So, we agree with Lu Changhen, but don’t actually kill Ji Ruobing. That Holy Son of True Martial Sacred Ground is the perfect unpredictable factor,” the talisman man laughed.
“There’s another reason,” the jade flute man added calmly. “As the Saintess of Immortal Extinction Sacred Ground, do you truly think she has no trump card? That she could be killed so easily?”
The sword-wielding man fell silent, lost in thought.
……
Xu Zimo carried Ji Ruobing, traversing the void until they reached a place a hundred miles away before finally stopping.
By now Ji Ruobing was gravely wounded, her garments completely soaked in blood.
Even her consciousness had begun to blur.
She forcefully swallowed a pill.
“Thank you.”
“It’s nothing,” Xu Zimo waved his hand, channeling a wisp of the Tree of Life’s vitality into her body.
It was enough to keep her alive.
With her cultivation, even if nothing else was done, she would recover in time, it was just a matter of how long.
Xu Zimo placed Ji Ruobing atop a hillside, letting her heal.
They didn’t know exactly where they were, or how far they were from Immortal City.
Xu Zimo couldn’t tell.
He had avoided fighting those three for two reasons.
First, they bore no true malice toward him and merely wished to trap him. There was no need to antagonize the Immortal Extinction Sacred Ground.
Second, in a one-on-one fight, he wasn’t afraid, but against all three together, even he would be outmatched.
……
Autumn was a season of frequent rain.
The weather was like a woman’s temper, changing in an instant.
A caravan passed along the road at the foot of the hill.
Nearly a hundred escorts accompanied it, guarding a single carriage.
The carriage was made of purple-heart wood, with a curtain engraved with the character “Fan.”
The near-hundred looked to be guards. The procession resembled a long dragon, imposing as it headed north.
“There’s someone there,” someone suddenly shouted, pointing up the hill.
The escorts, clearly well-trained, immediately surrounded the hillside in formation.
“Who goes there? Step forward and explain yourself,” asked an elder in green robes at the front, his voice strong.
“Don’t misunderstand,” Xu Zimo said, carrying Ji Ruobing as he descended the hill.
“We were ambushed and fled here. I just need to know the way to Immortal City.”
The old man glanced at the blood-soaked Ji Ruobing in Xu Zimo’s arms, frowning.
Then he said, “Follow this road north, pass a few more bends, and you’ll reach Immortal City.”
Xu Zimo frowned slightly. The route seemed complicated; it looked like he would have to ask along the way.
“Uncle Chen, since they’re heading the same way, let’s travel together,” a crisp, lark-like voice came from the carriage.
“When traveling, it’s good to look out for one another. We’re headed to Immortal City anyway.”
Hearing the girl’s words, the old man frowned.
“Miss, these two’s origins are unclear, and they’ve been hunted. This may not be wise.”