"You think... what the hell are you...?!"
A soft shout rang beside everyone's ears. Along with it came the keen ring of a sword and a blinding flash of sword light. With a single stroke, the pitch-black palm print was cleaved in two before dissipating before their eyes.
Only now did Yao Xiaotian begin to truly take this white-haired young man seriously. The Combat Skill Xiao Heng had used earlier was not of the Heavenly Rank, yet with his Dou Sheng-level strength, even another Dou Sheng should not have been able to dispel it so easily—unless the other party was simply far stronger than him.
"Who exactly are you? You possess such tremendous strength, so why help Yao Ming? He is nothing but trash and isn't worth your aid. How about this—leave now, and I'll let you go. I'll forget everything that happened, and I, Yao Xiaotian, will owe you a favor...!"
"You talk too much!" Before Yao Xiaotian could finish, Xiao Heng cut him off. His body suddenly moved, and with a single sword strike, he slashed straight at Yao Xiaotian.
Sword Qi danced as Sword Qi condensed. The sword arrived before Yao Xiaotian in an instant, causing his expression to change drastically.
"Nine Netherworld Underworld Armor...!" With a furious shout, black scales gathered over Yao Xiaotian's body, forming a suit of armor. The sword struck the armor and sent sparks flying. Its blade sliced through the armor but did not cut deeply. As it passed, it drew several drops of blood that fell toward the ground.
"How... is that possible?!" Yao Xiaotian's face was filled with shock. Though inwardly stunned, he still instinctively counterattacked, throwing a punch that erupted with immense power.
Xiao Heng raised his sword to block it. With a clang, Xiao Heng was forced back