Slaying Zhang Xiao!

Zhang Xiao had already provoked Xia Wuji with his words before.

Now, he had even pointed his sword at him.

A cold, fierce glint flashed through Xia Wuji's eyes.

Huang Hu hurriedly stepped in front of Zhang Xiao's blade, raised his hand to knock the sword aside, and said, "Brother Zhang, you've gone too far!"

A glint flashed through Zhang Xiao's eyes as he snorted. "Brother Huang, I'm only letting this kind of trash off because of you. Otherwise, I wouldn't continue arguing with him!"

Huang Hu said, "Brother Zhang, I won't be going to your hiding place. Brother Xia and I have already agreed to travel through the night and head straight for Qingyun City."

Zhang Xiao's expression tightened. "Very well. Everyone has their own aspirations, so I won't force you. I'll return there later and tell Miss He that you've escaped, so she won't have to worry so much anymore."

"Miss He is there too?" Huang Hu asked hurriedly.

Miss He's name was He Lan, and she was the woman Huang Hu admired.

Zhang Xiao nodded. "Miss He was injured, and quite seriously at that. Actually, one of the main reasons we chose to find a place to hide and await rescue was Miss He. Her condition isn't suitable for traveling any farther. We have to make every second count and treat her wounds."

Huang Hu gritted his teeth. "Brother Zhang, I'll go with you!"

Then Huang Hu turned around and looked at Xia Wuji. "Brother Xia, you..."

Before Huang Hu could finish, Xia Wuji said, "Since Brother Huang can't rest easy about Miss He, I understand. But I still won't be going."

Huang Hu urged him, "Brother Xia, traveling alone to Qingyun City through the night is dangerous too."

Xia Wuji said calmly, "It's fine. I'll just be more careful."

Huang Hu was silent for a moment. Then he took out a bottle of pills and a talisman and stuffed them into Xia Wuji's hands.

"Brother Xia, this is a supreme-grade treasure pill called the Explosive Origin Pill. There's only one. Don't use it unless absolutely necessary. Once swallowed, the pill will cause the origin energy in your body to burn furiously, granting you one overwhelmingly powerful burst. But afterward, your dantian and meridians may suffer damage."

"This talisman is a high-grade Wind Chasing Talisman. If you encounter danger, directly inject a wisp of origin energy into it to activate it. It can make your speed soar for the duration of a quarter of an hour."

"You're traveling alone, so be extremely careful. I wish you a smooth journey. We'll meet again in Qingyun City!" Huang Hu cupped his hands and said.

"Brother Huang, take care as well!" Xia Wuji said. Then he left alone and disappeared into the night.

However, he had not gone far before Xia Wuji sensed that something was following him!

"You lot, take my Brother Huang to the hiding place first!" Zhang Xiao ordered his guards.

Huang Hu asked, "Brother Zhang, what are you going to do?"

Zhang Xiao said, "Because of the Bloodfire Demonic Cult's assault, many people who went to Qingyun City for the examination like us have met with disaster. How could I, Zhang Xiao, stand by and watch them die?"

"I only want to do everything I can to find more people and have them all hide in a secluded place until they get through this danger."

"Brother Zhang, your righteousness is admirable!" Huang Hu's expression grew solemn as he cupped his hands toward Zhang Xiao.

Zhang Xiao parted ways with Huang Hu and the others.

"Have we caught up?" Zhang Xiao asked a guard beside him, a vicious glint flashing through his eyes.

"We have. That brat isn't very fast. He's moving at a snail's pace."

"Pursue him!" Zhang Xiao shouted coldly. He quickened his pace and led the others swiftly through the darkness.

A moment later, Zhang Xiao brought his people to a desolate area strewn with piles of rocks. He looked around and said, "Where is he?"

"Don't worry, Young Master. I'll look for him!" someone said.

The man immediately bit through his fingertip. Crimson blood seeped from his skin. He formed hand seals, and that single drop of blood instantly turned into a wisp of blood mist, giving off a pungent, fishy stench.

Immediately afterward, numerous little snakes rapidly crawled out from all directions and slithered to his feet.

The man knitted his brows tightly and looked toward Zhang Xiao. "Young Master, that fellow called Xia Wuji is here..."

Zhang Xiao roared angrily, "Useless trash! You said he was here, so where is he?!"

Just then.

The little snakes on the ground suddenly straightened their bodies and rose upright.

Immediately afterward, all the little snakes exploded!

Streams of sword qi shot out from their bodies!

"Protect Young Master!" panicked voices rang out.

Even though they reacted quickly, several of them were still killed outright by that wave of sword qi!

Xia Wuji, who had been hiding not far away, charged out as well. His right hand seized the hilt of his sword and yanked it free. The Jinghong Sword flashed from its sheath!

Overlapping Waves Sword Art!

Second Wave!

Sword light surged and roiled. The Second Wave gathered together and howled toward Zhang Xiao and the others.

"Ahhh!"

Wails rang out without end. Any of Zhang Xiao's guards struck by Xia Wuji's sword light had no chance of survival!

When the sword light slammed into Zhang Xiao, he let out a low growl. A heavy aura spread from his body, and he actually withstood the eruption of Xia Wuji's Second Wave.

Looking at the corpses of the guards around him, Zhang Xiao's face turned livid. The talisman he had been clutching in his hand crumbled into fragments that scattered through the air.

"Looks like you took the Explosive Origin Pill that fool Huang Hu gave you. That's the only reason someone with first-level Sea of Qi Realm cultivation like you could slash out such a powerful sword strike, kill so many of my brothers, and even waste one of my supreme-grade treasure talismans!"

He could not see that Xia Wuji had already reached the second level of the Sea of Qi Realm.

He had also mistaken Xia Wuji's sword strike just now for the burst of power caused by swallowing a pill.

Zhang Xiao suddenly swung the sword in his hand. Sword light erupted, and the origin energy belonging to the eighth level of the Sea of Qi Realm boiled within him. His entire aura became extremely berserk.

"Xia Wuji, the consequences of angering me are very serious!"

As his voice fell, Zhang Xiao, who possessed eighth-level Sea of Qi Realm cultivation, suddenly lunged forward.

He rushed in front of Xia Wuji and unleashed a violent slash!

Xia Wuji merely lifted his sword lightly. With a clang, the hand Zhang Xiao used to hold his sword was shattered. The long sword flew away, and Zhang Xiao's body was sent flying backward as well.

"Bang!"

Zhang Xiao crashed heavily to the ground and let out a miserable cry. His right palm was gone, and blood sprayed from his severed wrist!

"Ahhh!"

"Xia Wuji, you... You actually concealed your strength! You definitely aren't at the first level of the Sea of Qi Realm..." Zhang Xiao's voice was filled with pain and shock.

Xia Wuji's expression was indifferent. "You got that right. I'm indeed not at the first level of the Sea of Qi Realm, but the second."

"No! Impossible! You're lying! Your explosive power has reached a level that only a Primal Energy Realm expert could achieve!" Zhang Xiao shouted.

Xia Wuji had no need to explain so much to him. He slowly walked toward the battered Zhang Xiao.

As Zhang Xiao watched Xia Wuji draw closer, the expression on his face suddenly became extremely ferocious, despite the intense pain he had shown moments earlier from losing his palm.

His eyes instantly turned blood-red.

And within his pupils, flames seemed to leap and dance!

"Xia Wuji, go to hell!"

Zhang Xiao let out a roar and suddenly pounced forward like a bloodthirsty beast.

Whoosh!

Xia Wuji swept his sword out once more.

"Ah!"

Though Zhang Xiao was in midair, he let out a scream even more shrill than the one he had made when he lost his palm.

"Bang!"

Zhang Xiao's body smashed into the ground. Xia Wuji's previous sword strike had nearly cleaved him in two.

"I never expected you to be a member of the Bloodfire Demonic Cult as well."

"Tell me the truth. What exactly is your Bloodfire Demonic Cult trying to do?"

Xia Wuji shouted coldly as the tip of the Jinghong Sword pressed against the center of Zhang Xiao's brow.