Fierce Battle with the White Lotus Saintess

As the White Lotus Mother's words fell, the space behind her slowly cracked open.

Inside a gloomy hall, a woman identical to the White Lotus Mother's incarnation sat cross-legged atop a white lotus dais.

The Emperor and the White Lotus Mother looked at each other across the void, each seeing killing intent in the other's eyes.

The White Lotus Mother's incarnation exhausted its final trace of power and dissipated into the void, while the spatial rift slowly closed as well.

This was the privilege of Void Shattering Realm experts: they could tear open space anywhere and launch attacks directly.

As the space healed, an order to retreat rang out in the ears of the White Lotus Sect experts.

Above the imperial palace, the two fiercely contested battlefields erupted at once. Ruthless Old Man and the pair of twins each unleashed their strongest strikes, temporarily forcing back Liu Jin and the other before fleeing toward the outskirts of the capital.

"Trying to run..."

Liu Jin and the other shot after them in pursuit.

As the White Lotus Sect experts retreated, a strange smile appeared on the Emperor's face.

"Did you think this was a place you could come and go as you pleased?"

At that moment, countless powerful auras suddenly emerged within the imperial city. They belonged to the Great Grandmaster Realm experts who had once guarded the city and had been dispatched on missions.

The fleeing White Lotus Sect experts were immediately intercepted and surrounded by those experts.

Thunderous sounds of battle continued to echo from outside the city, while the winds and clouds churned across the horizon. Yet the battle did not last long. Ruthless Old Man, the White Lotus Sect elder, and the two protectors were slain.

Though Ruthless Old Man and the two protectors were powerful, their opponents were experts of the same realm, and vastly outnumbered them. Once surrounded, they had no hope of surviving.

Within the capital, the White Lotus Sect followers causing havoc had nearly all been cleared out.

They were merely foot soldiers bewitched by the White Lotus Sect, making them much easier to deal with.

The White Lotus Sect built its foundations upon the art of bewitchment. Those followers were merely deathsworn men they had deceived; no matter how many died, it would not greatly affect them.

The White Lotus Sect was said to have a million followers. Its organization was tightly knit and its influence immense, so it would never care about such minor losses.

A fierce battle was also taking place inside an ordinary home.

Li Yue, three Six Doors constables, and a Jinyiwei Thousand-Household Commander at the Grandmaster Realm were surrounding three people.

The three being besieged were the White Lotus Saintess and her subordinates.

All three were in the Innate Realm. The White Lotus Saintess herself, despite only being in the Innate Realm, was holding off the Jinyiwei Thousand-Household Commander at the Grandmaster Realm.

The White Lotus Saintess formed seals with her fingers, white lotuses drifting around her. Every lotus that exploded unleashed terrifying power.

Though she was only at the Peak Innate Realm, she handled the attacks of a Grandmaster Realm expert with effortless ease.

"True Void Homeland, Eternal Life Parents."

"The White Lotus descends; all people shall rise."

The White Lotus Saintess parted her cherry lips and proclaimed the White Lotus Sect's slogan. A massive white lotus formed in her palm, which she thrust toward the Thousand-Household Commander and the others.

BOOM!!!

The tremendous impact blew apart the house and its courtyard. Three figures scattered like ghosts, fleeing in different directions.

"You demoness! Is the capital a place where you can come and go as you please?"

Seeing the White Lotus Saintess and the other two escape, the Thousand-Household Commander's face turned livid.

She was the White Lotus Sect's Saintess. Capturing her would be an enormous merit.

Yet the White Lotus Saintess's strength also made him wary.

He was a Grandmaster Realm expert, yet he had failed to subdue her. Was this the talent of someone on the Hidden Dragon Rankings?

In this world, cultivation realm was certainly important, but combat power depended on many factors: cultivation techniques, martial skills, weapons, and more.

Take the White Lotus Saintess, for instance. She cultivated the White Lotus Sect's secret technique, the Eternal Life Scripture.

With only Peak Innate Realm cultivation, she could withstand a Grandmaster. That was because of the powerful technique she cultivated.

Of course, it was also related to the White Lotus Saintess's martial talent. As a genius on the Hidden Dragon Rankings, her combat power could never be measured by realm alone.

As she fled, a trace of pallor appeared on the White Lotus Saintess's face.

Though her final move just now had looked powerful, it had consumed a great deal of her true qi. Without it, she could not have shaken off that Grandmaster Realm Thousand-Household Commander's entanglement.

Less than thirty percent of her true qi remained. If she were surrounded again, she might truly be captured.

The White Lotus Saintess thought as she fled.

Li Yue and the others did not hesitate, pursuing closely behind her.

At this moment, in this neighborhood of ordinary homes.

Lin Xiao's home was here.

As chaos erupted outside, Lin Xiao, who had been digesting the power of the Lesser Revitalizing Pill, slowly opened his eyes.

The one hundred and eight major acupoints within his body shone in concert. The bridges of Heaven and Earth had long since been forced open by his immense inner force, allowing him to leap into the Innate Realm.

True qi covered his entire palm, forming a protective barrier.

The mark of an Innate Realm expert was releasing true qi beyond the body.

The Acquired Realm trained strength, the Innate Realm trained qi, and the Grandmaster Realm shaped true qi into form.

These were the defining signs of each realm.

While cultivating, he suddenly sensed something. He discovered a martial artist sneaking into his courtyard, so he rose and walked out of his room.

CRACK!!!

The door opened, and Lin Xiao stepped outside with a long saber in hand.

The moment he entered the courtyard, he saw a figure standing atop the wall. She was a woman in white with a light veil over her face. Though he could not see her features clearly, he could tell she was exceptionally beautiful.

The woman swayed unsteadily. Though no external injuries could be seen, her aura was weak. She must have gone through a fierce battle and expended a great deal of true qi.

Along with the woman's arrival, voices could be heard in the distance.

"Search! That White Lotus demoness can't have gone far. Search every house, one by one!"

The White Lotus Saintess had believed that this was a commoners' district and there would be no experts here. But upon seeing Lin Xiao, her expression changed.

"An expert."

The White Lotus Saintess gave Lin Xiao no chance to attack. Strange light instantly filled her eyes. Before Lin Xiao could react, he felt dizzy and disoriented, followed by an eerie voice in his mind.

That voice carried a bewitching intent, seeking to make him obey its commands.

"How dare you!"

Purple qi flooded Lin Xiao's mind, instantly shattering the bewitching intent and returning his senses to reality.

But the moment he recovered, he saw the white-clad figure already striking at him with her palm.

CLANG!!!

Lin Xiao wasted no words. His long saber suddenly left its sheath, a flash of blood-red light appearing as he attacked the White Lotus Saintess with lightning speed.

The White Lotus Saintess had only thirty percent of her power remaining. In her haste, she turned offense into defense and used the technique of catching a blade barehanded.

At the critical moment, two slender jade fingers clamped onto the blade.

Lin Xiao was not surprised. True qi surged within him as he twisted the saber, instantly breaking free of the White Lotus Saintess's grip and continuing his assault.

For a moment.

Within the entire courtyard, a young man wielding a blood-glowing saber could be seen relentlessly hacking at a woman in white.

After more than ten exchanges, the White Lotus Saintess was in peril after peril due to her excessive depletion of true qi.

The White Lotus Saintess was deeply shocked as she fought Lin Xiao. She had initially believed that, even with her depleted strength, she could easily subdue this man with the White Lotus Sect's spiritual secret technique. She had never expected to be forced into such a miserable state by him.

RIP!!!

The White Lotus Saintess failed to dodge in time, and a corner of her clothing was sliced off by the saber.

"A mere Jinyiwei, yet you possess such strength."

"If this Saintess had not expended too much strength earlier today, I would surely have killed you."

"Heh. You should first think about whether you can live through today."

Having just broken through to the Innate Realm, Lin Xiao had wanted to test his saber. Since the White Lotus Saintess had delivered herself to his door, he naturally would not be courteous. With a cold laugh, he attacked again.

After more than twenty exchanges, the footsteps outside had drawn near.

Having sensed the fluctuations of battle here, the approaching people were rushing over at full speed.

Li Yue kicked open the gate. When he saw Lin Xiao fighting the White Lotus Saintess, he was briefly surprised, then utterly shocked.

Yesterday evening, this man had still been in the same realm as him. How had he broken through to the Innate Realm after only half a night?

But there was no time to think further. He could not let the credit for capturing the White Lotus Saintess be stolen by this brat again.

Without another word, he drew his saber and joined the battle.

Seeing Li Yue enter the fight, Lin Xiao sneered inwardly.

He had no favorable impression of Li Yue, and there was already bad blood between them. Even if they had not yet reached the point of fighting to the death, this man would not let him off in the future.

It was better to strike first and find a chance to eliminate him. As for Li Yue's status, Lin Xiao was not afraid in the slightest. If he planned things properly, he could naturally remove himself from suspicion.

Moreover, how could Lin Xiao fail to see that Li Yue was clearly trying to snatch the credit? Thus, he secretly held back during the fight.

The White Lotus Saintess also saw through his intentions and became even more wary of Lin Xiao. Even in a life-or-death battle, this man was thinking of setting someone else up. His schemes ran deep.

But this was also her opportunity.

Facing Lin Xiao alone had already been taxing enough. With Li Yue added to the battle, things should have become even harder. But now that Lin Xiao wanted to harm another, she could only play along, kill Li Yue first to relieve the pressure, then find an opportunity to escape Lin Xiao's entanglement.

After forcing Lin Xiao back with one move, she turned and struck Li Yue with her palm.

Even with the White Lotus Saintess so heavily depleted, she was not someone Li Yue of the Acquired Realm could withstand. After all, he was not Lin Xiao.

BANG!!!

Li Yue was sent flying. He spat out a mouthful of blood in midair, smashed through the courtyard wall, and crashed onto the street outside.

Having finally dealt with the eyesore that was Li Yue, Lin Xiao stopped holding back. His feet moved with Divine Swift Travel, his figure flickering from side to side as he launched another fierce assault on the White Lotus Saintess.

PUFF!!!

The White Lotus Saintess's shoulder was cut by saber qi. She knew that if she did not deal with Lin Xiao soon, then once that Grandmaster Realm Thousand-Household Commander arrived, she might truly be left behind.

"Boy, I'll remember you."

As her words fell, a white lotus containing a terrifying aura appeared in the White Lotus Saintess's hand.

The moment he saw that lotus, Lin Xiao's vigilance surged.

"Go."

The white lotus drifted slowly forward.

This white lotus had been given to the White Lotus Saintess by the White Lotus Mother as a life-saving measure.

At a critical moment, it could unleash a strike from a Grandmaster Realm expert.

Though the white lotus flew slowly, Lin Xiao had a feeling that if he did not get away from it, he would certainly face mortal danger.

The long saber spun madly in his palm. True qi spread over his body and saber, forming an airtight shield of true qi.

"Watch out."

Just as the white lotus was about to explode, the Grandmaster Realm Thousand-Household Commander arrived. He grabbed Lin Xiao and rapidly retreated, erecting a defensive wall of qi with one hand as they withdrew.

BOOM!!!

A heaven-shattering sound rang through the commoners' district.

More than ten nearby homes exploded, and the commoners inside died on the spot.

When the dust settled, the White Lotus Saintess had long since vanished without a trace.

Amid the ruins, the Grandmaster Realm Thousand-Household Commander slowly rose with Lin Xiao. The Thousand-Household Commander wiped blood from the corner of his mouth and looked toward where the White Lotus Sect's Saintess had fled, his expression grave. As expected of the White Lotus Sect's Saintess—she actually possessed such a terrifying trump card.

"Are you all right?"

The Thousand-Household Commander turned his head and asked.

Lin Xiao shook his head. "Thank you for saving me, Thousand-Household Commander. This subordinate is fine."

"Mm. It's good that you're all right."

The Thousand-Household Commander nodded, then called over his subordinates arriving in the distance to clean up the battlefield.

Although the Grandmaster Realm Thousand-Household Commander had helped Lin Xiao block most of the attack, Lin Xiao still would have been seriously injured if not for his max-level Purple Mist Divine Skill.

This battle also made Lin Xiao realize that martial arts flourished in this world, with trump cards emerging one after another. If he encountered someone like the White Lotus Saintess again, he might be schemed to death. He had to raise his strength quickly and find more trump cards to protect himself.