22: Chapter 22: Separate Escape? Can they even escape?

Almost the instant Baiyun Mountain finished speaking, his figure transformed into a blurry grey shadow, darting without hesitation toward the shadows of the street to the left!

Fight? Fight my foot!

No matter how great the temptation of the Green Lotus Secret Realm was, one had to be alive to take it!

The longer they stayed here, the more likely they were to perish at the hands of this Emperor of the Underworld!

Lei Wujie's reaction was also extremely fast. Seeing Baiyun Mountain flee first, he cursed "old fox" in his heart and immediately hurtled toward the right, the opposite direction of Baiyun Mountain!

One out of two. He didn't believe that Xia Jin, being all alone, could use Clones to simultaneously pursue two Great Grandmasters.

"Only thinking of leaving now? Don't you think it's a bit too late!"

Xia Jin gave a cold laugh. With a flip of his right hand, two purple-copper metal fragments suddenly appeared in his palm.

"Who should I choose first?" Xia Jin's eyes swept over Lei Wujie, then shifted to Baiyun Mountain, the corners of his mouth curling up slightly. "Hmph! Old ghost, I'll let you experience this Prince's 'Little Lis Flying Dagger'!"

Swoosh! Swoosh!

Two faint, almost inaudible sounds of breaking air rang out, and those two purple-copper fragments vanished from his hand.

"Hm!? Not good..." While sprinting at top speed, Baiyun Mountain suddenly sensed a chill.

He hurriedly rolled on the ground, only to see a streak of purple light zip past his scalp!

But at the same time, he felt a sharp pain coming from his right leg!

"My right leg... the meridians are severed!?" Baiyun Mountain clutched his injured right leg, tearing off a piece of black cloth to bandage it.

"Hmph! I'll deal with you later, old man!" Xia Jin glanced coldly at Baiyun Mountain, before his gaze fell upon the frantically fleeing Lei Wujie.

"Don't think you can escape from this Prince's hands either!" Xia Jin reached back with his left hand, instantly grabbing an Embroidered Spring Blade from a nearby Imperial Guard.

"I'm borrowing the blade."

"Your... Your Highness, please, help yourself!" that Imperial Guard hurriedly said.

Holding the Embroidered Spring Blade, Xia Jin took a single step forward.

With just one step, his Aura underwent an earth-shattering transformation!

"Whew~" Xia Jin took a deep breath. The blade of the Embroidered Spring Blade in his hand instantly became as crimson as blood!

That's right, this was Killing Intent—an extreme, terrifying Killing Intent.

Three Blades of the Avici Path—First Blade, Severing Karma!

Xia Jin's movement as he swung the blade was simple to the extreme; he merely slashed through the air toward Lei Wujie's back.

Boom-crack—!!!

Accompanied by a thunderous roar, a massive blood-red Saber Qi instantly shot out from the blade, howling as it swept along the ground!

Wherever the Saber Qi passed, trees as thick as bowls on both sides of the street were severed at the roots, their cuts smooth as mirrors. Immediately after, the tall perimeter walls on both sides collapsed with a crash, bricks and stones flying everywhere amidst a haze of dust!

Even before the Saber Qi arrived, that terrifying Killing Intent that sought to destroy everything had already enveloped Lei Wujie!

In this moment, the entire Capital was affected by the muffled thunder triggered by this strike. Countless people were startled awake from their dreams, looking toward this direction with racing hearts.

To the left, Baiyun Mountain, who had just finished bandaging his right leg, felt his soul tremble as the sound of thunder reached his ears.

He turned his head and soon witnessed a scene he would find difficult to forget for the rest of his life.

He saw that the fleeing Lei Wujie also seemed to have sensed something. Lei Wujie turned back hurriedly, and his face instantly froze.

In his vision, everything was filled with blood-light; the street, the trees, and the walls were all disintegrating before that blood-colored Saber Qi!

"Wait, what kind of blade technique is this?! This kind of power... even a ninth-tier Great Grandmaster couldn't possibly possess such might!"

"No, no matter what, I must block this strike today. Otherwise, this Cult Leader might truly perish here today!"

Survival instincts overrode everything. Lei Wujie gave a wild roar as his True Qi erupted fully without reservation, his body even swelling a size larger.

"Burning Heaven Palm!!"

His famous ultimate technique—the Burning Heaven Palm!

He overlapped his palms, pouring in his entire life's cultivation, and thrust them fiercely toward that blood-colored Saber Qi!

The crimson palm force and the blood-colored Saber Qi collided with a bang!

Bang—!!!

Amidst the deafening sound, the crimson palm force was like snow meeting a scorching sun, instantly scattering and melting away.

And while that blood-colored Saber Qi was weakened slightly, its momentum remained undiminished as it slashed ruthlessly into Lei Wujie's crossed arms and chest!

Crack! The sound of arm bones snapping was clearly audible.

Pfft—! Lei Wujie sprayed out a mouthful of fresh blood as he was sent flying backward off the ground, crashing violently through the wall of a residential house behind him.

His robes on his chest were completely shredded, revealing a terrifying saber wound stretching from his right shoulder to his left waist that was deep enough to see bone. Blood gushed out like a fountain; he had almost been cut in half on the spot!

Two moves!

With just two seemingly casual moves, two notoriously fierce Great Grandmasters were both utterly defeated on the spot!

"As expected, my guess was right. Even if the Cult Leaders joined forces, they wouldn't be a match for this Emperor of the Underworld!" Left Emissary Pei, who had originally thought of breaking out amidst the chaos, felt his legs begin to tremble uncontrollably.

Every Imperial Guard present, including Commander Qin Hu, had their mouths wide open and their eyes glazed, as if they had witnessed a miracle.

Then, an unparalleled fervor and awe erupted in their eyes like a volcano!

"Divine Might to the Prince!!"

No one knew who shouted it first, but immediately after, a mountain-shaking roar of fanatical shouting rang out. The gaze of every Imperial Guard toward Xia Jin was filled with near-blind worship!

This was the guardian deity of their Great Xia, the never-defeated Emperor of the Underworld!

"It's over, everything is over! How could I have been so possessed back then to actually believe the words of that bastard Lei Wujie!"

"Escape, I must take advantage of the fact that no one is paying attention to me now and escape quickly. Perhaps there's still a glimmer of hope!"

Shen Cangsheng, who had been shrinking behind the crowd and trying his best to minimize his presence, now had only one thought in his mind.

As the Cult Leader of the White Lotus Cult, he knew very well that colluding with the Ming Cult and participating in this operation was a capital offense among capital offenses.

His eyes flickered as the True Qi within his body circulated quietly. Moving his feet, he was about to flee...

Chii—!

The soft sound of a sharp blade piercing through a body abruptly rang out from his chest.

Shen Cangsheng's entire body stiffened. He lowered his head in disbelief and saw a sword tip protruding from his heart, blood slowly dripping from the point.

The coldness and sharp pain transmitted from the sword blade instantly drained all his strength.

He turned his head with great difficulty, inch by inch, to look behind him.

Su Xuanji had stood behind him silently at some unknown point. On that beautiful and charming face, there was no expression now, only a cold indifference.

"It's... it's you..." Shen Cangsheng's pupils dilated as bloody foam overflowed from his mouth. He finally understood.

Why this stronghold had been found.

All of this was because this 'ally'—the Hehuan Sect Leader Su Xuanji—had already defected and colluded with the 'Emperor of the Underworld' Xia Jin!

Unfortunately, he understood too late.

Su Xuanji gave her wrist a gentle twist, and Sword Qi erupted, instantly shredding Shen Cangsheng's heart meridians.

The light in the White Lotus Cult Leader's eyes was completely extinguished, and he slumped down, devoid of any breath.

Su Xuanji expressionlessly withdrew her longsword, flicked off the blood droplets on the blade, and returned it to its scabbard.

Then, she raised her beautiful eyes, looking past the crowd to gaze from afar at Xia Jin, who stood with his hands behind his back, her gaze somewhat complex.