45: Chapter 45 Annihilation

You paused in place for a moment, carefully sensing that reborn Sword Intent.

The original Sword Intent was like a stiff puppet, requiring you to spend a lot of mental energy to guide it, and it was very rigid.

Now the puppet seemed to have a soul, requiring no manipulation; wherever your mind went, the sword's edge followed, and its power increased exponentially.

"Squeak, squeak, squeak!"

Just in the moment you were dazed, a dozen or so Blood Rats surrounded you again, throwing themselves at you once more without fear of death.

Your gaze flickered slightly, the long sword in your hand trembling like a chant, and with a casual slash, the white sword light rippled through the air like a circle.

"Hiss~!"

Before the sound faded, the surrounding Blood Rats abruptly stopped, and then simultaneously split into two halves, blood mist spewing out, and their severed bodies crashed to the ground.

The few figures in black who were originally prepared to flee all paused in place, looking at this scene in disbelief.

Even a Qi Condensation peak master couldn't take a single sword strike, and those extremely ferocious Blood Rats were completely incapable of resisting in front of your sword's edge, akin to moths flying into a flame and courting their own destruction.

"Not running anymore?"

Your voice suddenly sounded behind a man in black.

His pupils shrank. Looking closely, he found that the figure that was still more than ten zhang away just moments before had vanished into thin air.

Yet he had no chance to speak anymore; a chillingly cold sword tip protruded from his chest, blood droplets sliding down the blade, bone-chillingly cold.

The Second Realm of Sword Dao cultivation could even injure Foundation Establishment cultivators, let alone your Body Refining cultivation which had also reached the first-stage high tier; facing these low-tier Blood Rats, you were completely invincible.

Next, under the dumbfounded gazes of several fellow sect members, your figure shuttled through the forest like a ghost, carrying out an inhumane and bloody massacre.

The Blood Rats' instinct of not fearing death actually saved you a lot of effort.

When your three teammates arrived, what came into view was your figure leaning against a giant boulder, propped up by a long sword in your hand.

All around lay layers upon layers of Blood Rat corpses, with an overwhelming baleful aura soaring into the sky.

"Wuwu~ Senior Sister looked so cool again."

That slender female teammate hurried to your side, quickly taking out a handkerchief to help wipe the blood stains off your face.

You remembered her name, Zhou Xiaonuan.

The white clothes on your body had long been soaked into a dark red by fresh blood, revealing patches of breathtaking snow-white where they were torn; your hair was disheveled, clinging to your sweat-dampened temples and the side of your neck.

At this moment, your brows and eyes were fatigued, your posture languid, yet amidst the disarray, you exuded a heart-palpitating, shattered aesthetic.

As her movements grew larger and larger, a strange, sweet fragrance flooded into your nasal cavity, causing your tightly strung heartstrings to involuntarily relax a bit.

With a casual glance, you realized that Zhou Xiaonuan had already pressed herself entirely into your embrace.

However, you were indeed very exhausted at the moment, and seeing her earnestly helping you wipe the bloodstains off your body, you didn't stop this purest care from your Junior Sister and some insignificant little actions, peacefully enjoying it.

After all, for a technique like the Cleansing Spell, one really tends to forget how to use it in certain specific scenarios...

High in the air, those two figures locked in fierce battle stopped simultaneously, their surrounding auras surging unceasingly, as if brewing some ultimate move.

The person entangled by the baleful aura seemed to have perceived the situation below, and forcibly withdrew their move at the very last second, their figure rolling up and transforming into a beam of blood light, so fast it almost tore the line of sight, vanishing at the edge of the horizon in the blink of an eye.

Ran away?

Your brows and eyes lifted slightly; you actually quite admired this style. Just like a certain Dao Ancestor, if you are not sure, retreat; knowing how to preserve one's life is the ultimate profound meaning of immortal cultivation.

However, that blood light should be the famous Blood Escape Technique, right?

You felt that this technique was destined for you.

The Foundation Establishment cultivator of the Tianxuan Sword Sect didn't chase after them, instead descending and coming straight before you.

As the light dissipated, it was a middle-aged man with a dignified appearance.

"Good, good, good!"

The admiration in the other party's eyes had no trace of concealment; despite being high in the air, the powerful divine sense of a Foundation Establishment cultivator still allowed him to watch your battle completely.

With that said, he pulled a jade bottle from his bosom and handed it over.

Seeing the confusion on your face, the middle-aged man smiled slightly:

"A first-tier top-grade medicinal pill, Spirit Restoration Pill, which can rapidly restore a cultivator's spiritual power."

"Thank you, Uncle-Master!"

Qi Condensation disciples mostly addressed Foundation Establishment ones as Uncle-Master. As for Ling Shuanghua, she was an exception; after all, most pretty female cultivators didn't like being called Uncle-Master.

You didn't stand on ceremony, taking the pill and swallowing it in one gulp.

The next moment, the majestic medicinal power dissolved inside your body, and within a few breaths, your spiritual power had recovered seven or eight-tenths, and even the sense of exhaustion had diminished greatly.

Seeing you act so magnanimously and resolutely, the admiration in the man's eyes grew even more intense.

Just as he was about to say something, a startled cry suddenly came from afar:

"Help!"

The corners of your mouth twitched slightly; this voice...

Soon, a figure whose clothes were tattered like a beggar rushed out from the forest. The unease in your heart amplified, and sure enough, you hadn't guessed wrong—it was Lin Bufan.

Looking at him, it seemed he had provoked some entity he couldn't handle. After you got up, your steps involuntarily retreated a few steps.

And you conveniently pulled Zhou Xiaonuan, who was still infatuated in your embrace, behind you.

"Uncle-Master, save me!"

After rushing out of the dense forest, Lin Bufan scanned the surroundings and finally let his gaze fall on the middle-aged man.

"Come over quickly!"

The middle-aged man's expression sank, his gaze locked tightly behind Lin Bufan.

"Rumble!"

The earth gradually trembled, and a giant Blood Rat about five meters tall rampaged forward; its speed was so fast that it rushed out of the dense forest and arrived before everyone in the blink of an eye.

"Late Second Realm!"

The middle-aged man spat out a few words with an unsightly expression, causing the expressions of the cultivators present to all change drastically.

"This... Senior Sister!"

Zhou Xiaonuan stiffly tugged at the corner of your clothes, her face pale.

Even the hand you used to hold the sword couldn't help trembling slightly—not out of fear, but due to the suppression of life levels.

Also at the Late Second Realm, this Blood Rat was far stronger than the Silver-Armored Scaled Crocodile in that secret realm.

"Uncle-Master, can you handle it?"

You patted your infatuated Junior Sister's hand and looked at the giant Blood Rat not far away that showed a humanized look of mockery.

"Cannot beat it."

...

The middle-aged man's honesty choked you for a moment, so you turned your gaze to a certain Child of Luck who was stealthily retreating.

"Junior Brother Lin, where are you going?"

Lin Bufan paused his steps, a trace of awkwardness appearing on his face.

"Senior Sister, as a minor cultivator at the mid-stage of Qi Condensation, I'm afraid I won't be able to help much."

"Then how did you escape its pursuit?"

Seeing that he still wanted to say something, you waved your hand to interrupt.

"Whatever methods you have, hurry and use them. Cooperating with Uncle-Master to slay it is the true way."

Immediately following, a gentle smile bloomed on your pretty face:

"Junior Brother Lin, you wouldn't want all your fellow sect members present to suffer unprovoked disaster because of you, right?"