28: Chapter 28 I disagree; no one can take your life!

In just a few breaths, the distance between Elder Zhao Yuankui of the Qingyun Sect and Emperor Xia Yu had closed by several dozen meters.

Su Xuanji was guarding Emperor Xia Yu. Feeling the opponent's aura drawing closer, she hurriedly looked back. That one glance instantly made her expression heavy.

With Elder Zhao Yuankui's strength in the Great Great Grandmaster Realm, even if these Capital Garrison soldiers resisted to the death, they could not delay him for long.

They would likely be overtaken by Elder Zhao Yuankui within thirty breaths at most.

"Your Majesty," Su Xuanji said after a moment of silence, a hint of determination in her eyes, "I will do my best to hold that old ghost back; you must take the opportunity to leave quickly!"

A trace of hesitation flashed in Emperor Xia Yu's eyes, but it quickly vanished.

As the ruler of a nation, if he were captured by Elder Zhao Yuankui here, then the sacrifices of these Capital Garrison soldiers and Imperial Guard would have been in vain.

"I leave it to you, Lady Su!"

Su Xuanji stopped, drew her longsword, and her figure turned into a pale purple afterimage, charging against the flow of the crowd to meet Elder Zhao Yuankui.

Elder Zhao Yuankui had just sent seven Capital Garrison lieutenants flying with a single palm strike. Just as he was about to continue pursuing Emperor Xia Yu, he suddenly saw Su Xuanji charging at him with her sword drawn. A trace of mockery appeared in his eyes: "Hm? This woman doesn't take the chance to escape, yet she dares to come seeking death! What a fool!!"

"However, if you want to die, this old man will grant your wish!!"

Elder Zhao Yuankui raised his right palm, which had been dyed deep red with blood, and struck fiercely toward the incoming Su Xuanji.

Before Su Xuanji even arrived, her tied-up long hair was scattered by the force of that palm wind.

"Floating Clouds, Chasing the Moon!"

She gritted her teeth and poured all her inner energy into the tip of her sword. The tip shone with a bright light, like a shooting star rapidly piercing toward Elder Zhao Yuankui's throat!

"This sword technique... it actually shows some talent!" A glimmer of surprise flashed in Elder Zhao Yuankui's eyes, but his gaze immediately turned incomparably sinister. "Unfortunately, that just means I cannot let you live!"

He changed his palm into a claw and directly grabbed the blade of Su Xuanji's sword.

Su Xuanji felt an overwhelming force surge from the blade; the web between her thumb and index finger instantly split, and blood dripped down the hilt. She gritted her teeth, resisting with all her might, but Elder Zhao Yuankui sneered and suddenly unleashed another thirty percent of his Protective Aura from his right palm.

"Crack!" A crisp, ear-piercing sound of shattering rang out.

"How is this possible!" Su Xuanji's expression changed. Her sword, which had accompanied her for many years, was shattering inch by inch, starting from the tip!

The moment the sword broke, Elder Zhao Yuankui gave her no chance to breathe. His left palm, carrying an even fiercer Protective Aura, struck down toward the crown of her head!

"You are going to die!" The corners of his mouth curled up slightly, a flicker of satisfaction in his eyes.

It's over! Su Xuanji's heart turned cold. This palm strike completely sealed off all her paths of retreat; there was no way to dodge.

The gap between a Grandmaster and a Great Grandmaster could not be bridged, no matter how exquisite the sword technique.

"Sigh! I never expected that I, as Sect Master, would fall like this one day!" A bitter smile appeared on Su Xuanji's lips.

Ever since the old Sect Master of the Hehuan Sect passed away unexpectedly, she had relied on her status as a Personal Disciple and her formidable martial talent to forcefully take up the banner of the Hehuan Sect. Over these years, although she hadn't expanded the Hehuan Sect, she had at least managed to maintain it.

She had originally thought that after defecting to Xia Jin, her future would become even brighter. She never expected that after just two short months, she would die at the hands of such an old ghost.

Is she unwilling? Su Xuanji sighed and closed her eyes, as if resigning herself to fate.

However, the death she anticipated did not arrive.

Just at the moment when that palm was about to touch her forehead, Su Xuanji felt a force at her waist, and her entire body was pulled away from the spot by a surge of energy.

In a whirlwind, she fell into a warm embrace.

Immediately after, a familiar voice rang in her ear, carrying a hint of playfulness.

"What, have you resigned yourself to fate just like that? However, I do not agree, and no one shall take your life!"

This voice... Su Xuanji's heart trembled, and she abruptly opened her eyes.

She saw Xia Jin's face clearly coming into view. Sunlight spilled from behind him, vaguely forming a hazy golden rim. At that moment, in Su Xuanji's eyes, Xia Jin was like a god.

For a moment, she even forgot to breathe.

"Who goes there!?" Elder Zhao Yuankui's heart also trembled, and a hint of wariness appeared in his eyes.

With his strength at the second level of the Great Great Grandmaster Realm, he hadn't even noticed when the other person had blocked the path in front of Su Xuanji!

However, very quickly, his eyes filled with ruthlessness.

This person was actually so arrogant; after saving someone, he not only didn't immediately create distance, but instead turned his back to him, exposing his vital points completely!

Since the other person was seeking death, he would happily accept it!

"Go to hell!"

Ferocious light surged in Elder Zhao Yuankui's eyes. His left palm, which had originally been aimed at Su Xuanji's crown, forced a turn in mid-air and struck fiercely toward Xia Jin's back!

With this palm strike, he held nothing back.

Wherever the palm wind passed, the bluestone bricks beneath his feet sank half a foot deep. He wanted to shatter this arrogant person and the Su Xuanji in his arms into pulp!

"Bang—!!!" A muffled, thunderous sound exploded.

The scene he had envisioned did not happen at all.

Elder Zhao Yuankui felt a sharp pain in his left hand. It was as if his palm strike hadn't landed on a flesh-and-blood body, but had smashed into an extraterrestrial meteorite! No, it was even harder than an extraterrestrial meteorite; it was a kind of near-absolute defense he had never experienced before!

Immediately after, an unimaginably huge rebounding force surged back violently along his arm, bones, and Meridians!

"Crack—crack—crack—!!!" A series of crisp, snapping sounds of bones breaking rang out continuously.

"Ah—!!! My hand! My arm!!!"

Elder Zhao Yuankui let out a heart-wrenching scream. His entire left arm was twisted and deformed at an extremely bizarre angle. His body was sent flying, crashing heavily onto the ground several zhang away.

Only then did Xia Jin, holding Su Xuanji, slowly turn around.

His gaze fell upon Elder Zhao Yuankui. There was no smile, no anger in his eyes, only the indifference of looking down at an ant.

"You certainly have some nerve."

"Daring to invade my Great Xia while I was away!?"