After saying this, Wang Chao and the group of mercenaries stood ready, waiting for the Four-Eyed Demon Fox to make its move.
Whether it was battle or death, they were prepared for either!
But the cold wind in the darkness swept up bleak snowflakes, which drifted down onto their shoulders.
Time passed second by second, yet not only did the Four-Eyed Demon Fox fail to appear and attack them—
Instead—
The dark Hunting Domain shrouding them was actually fading little by little.
"...?"
After several seconds of silence, just as Ma Han and the others were completely baffled and unable to understand why the Four-Eyed Demon Fox had not attacked, Wang Chao—the strongest among them and the quickest thinker—suddenly realized that something was wrong!
"Something's wrong, something's wrong! That demon fox went after the young master and the others!"
"Damn it, why didn't you say so sooner!"
With a shout, Wang Chao took off running, swiftly pursuing them in the direction Xue Mingqing and Ning Yurong had fled.
Ma Han and the others followed close behind. The moment Wang Chao rushed out, they chased after him...
At the same time, elsewhere.
Holding Ning Yurong by the wrist, Xue Mingqing had stopped using Soul Power to travel and switched to ordinary running.
After all, Level 13 Soul Power was limited and could not withstand such reckless expenditure. If he exhausted his Soul Power while fleeing—
That would hardly be a wise choice.
Breathing slightly unevenly, Xue Mingqing glanced back worriedly.
"What? Are you worried about those mercenaries?"
As though he had sensed Xue Mingqing's concern, Feng Qingyang's sinister voice rang out in his mental sea.
Xue Mingqing nodded slightly, admitting it.
"Yes... After all, I was the one who wanted to save her. If they really paid the price for my decision, I..."
Xue Mingqing did not continue.
Hearing this, Feng Qingyang gave an eerie smile.
"Don't worry. They'll be fine."
Xue Mingqing's brows instinctively furrowed.
"How can you be so sure?"
"Heh heh, because I transferred that four-eyed creature's hatred onto you."
"..."
"Damn it!!!"
After a moment of silence, Xue Mingqing reacted and instinctively cried out, startling Ning Yurong's delicate body into a tremble.
Her beautiful eyes filled with suspicion, Ning Yurong looked up at Xue Mingqing, crimson pupils brimming with doubt.
"Young Master Xue, what... happened...?"
Hearing Ning Yurong's question, Xue Mingqing did not answer. He closed his eyes briefly, as though he had made some kind of decision.
Releasing Ning Yurong's wrist, he turned the Snow Wind in his hand—
A three-foot Snow Sword, its blade wreathed in clear wind, appeared alongside a resplendent pale-purple soul ring.
At this sight, Ning Yurong's beautiful eyes suddenly widened. She could hardly believe what she was seeing.
Xue Mingqing's first soul ring was purple—a thousand-year soul ring. Was such a thing truly possible for a human?
Judging by Xue Mingqing's appearance, he was probably around her age. Yet from the childishness still lingering between his brows, he might even be younger than nine-year-old her.
How had he become the first person in all of history capable of doing this?
Ning Yurong's crimson almond eyes were opened wide, her heart filled with incomprehensible shock.
However, before she could recover from her astonishment, Xue Mingqing's calm yet resolute voice rang out.
"Go. I'll stay behind. From the moment I took you and fled, the demon fox's target became me. Hurry and leave."
Hearing this, Ning Yurong's body trembled. Even her usually aloof and otherworldly voice carried a hint of trembling.
"Aren't you afraid of dying?"
Xue Mingqing shook his head with a laugh.
"What is there to fear about death?"
"I, Xue Mingqing, would rather die in battle than flee in disgrace."
The casually spoken words struck the tip of Ning Yurong's heart like a heavy hammer.
She looked at the slender yet straight-backed youth standing before her with his sword in hand and bit her lip.
This disaster began because of me. How could I flee alone?
My pride will not allow me to cling to life and abandon honor.
With a turn of her wrist, the Seven-Story Glazed Pagoda appeared in Ning Yurong's delicate hand. Beneath her feet, a yellow soul ring emerged and lit up.
"Seven Treasures Famous, First—Defense!"
With a low shout, a yellow radiance sank into Xue Mingqing's body, increasing his defense by 15%.
She stepped forward and stood shoulder to shoulder with Xue Mingqing.
Sensing Ning Yurong's action, Xue Mingqing raised a brow.
"Not afraid of dying?"
Ning Yurong's delicate body trembled, but her face still retained its aloof calm.
"Rather die in battle than flee in disgrace."
She answered him with the words Xue Mingqing had spoken.
Hearing this, Xue Mingqing froze. Once he understood, he could not help laughing bitterly.
He looked at Ning Yurong in a new light.
If he had initially admired Ning Yurong because of her appearance, then now he admired her for her integrity.
After all, he knew his own circumstances best.
He knew Feng Qingyang would cover for him, which was why he was unafraid. But Ning Yurong did not know that.
In other words, she was standing shoulder to shoulder with Xue Mingqing through sheer courage.
With a soft laugh, Xue Mingqing tightened his grip on the sword and lifted his eyes toward the darkness surging along the main road.
That was the Four-Eyed Demon Fox's Hunting Domain...
His gaze sharpened, and the smile faded from Xue Mingqing's face.
"Then come!"
With a low roar, Soul Power surged wildly through Xue Mingqing's body and poured into every limb and bone. The Snow Sword in his hand was dyed in a dense, almost tangible blue-green radiance!
"One sword rides the wind—wind howls, disaster shakes the nine heavens!"
"Hurricane Sword Art, First Form—Wild Storm Sword Slash!"
In an instant!
Xue Mingqing's slender figure burst forth with hurricane-like speed. Carrying thousands of shrill wind howls, his sword shot toward the Four-Eyed Demon Fox in the darkness!
The moment the hurricane tore through the darkness, the Four-Eyed Demon Fox's four eyes suddenly narrowed.
It had never expected that this little child would not only fail to flee but would even dare to attack it first!
Its heart hardened. Feeling as though it had suffered immense humiliation, the Four-Eyed Demon Fox let out a shriek.
Its thirty-thousand-year cultivation surged as its fluffy fox tail swept toward Xue Mingqing, every hair harder than a steel needle!
It was determined to kill this ignorant little brat in a single strike!
Seeing this, Xue Mingqing's gaze turned fierce, and the purple first ring beneath him suddenly lit up!
First Soul Skill: Myriad Changes Absolute—Sword Form, increasing attack power by 90%!
Feeling the Snow Sword in his hand grow even sharper, Xue Mingqing poured all his Soul Power into it—
In an instant, the blue-green radiance around the sword surged again. He had thrown his entire reserve of Soul Power into this one strike!
"Wild Storm Sword Slash! For me..."
"Slash it!!!"
Outside, Ning Yurong had not even had time to stop Xue Mingqing before she saw him shoot into the dark Hunting Domain with a single sword. He was simply too fast.
Ning Yurong bit her lip, her crimson eyes filled with worry and fear.
Time passed second by second. Although less than half a minute had passed since Xue Mingqing charged into the darkness, still—
To Ning Yurong, who waited for him outside, those thirty seconds felt as agonizing as years passing one second at a time.
Her pink fists clenched tightly as Ning Yurong stared at the radiant Seven Treasures Glazed Pagoda in her hand. For the first time, she felt disgust toward it...
If only I were a Battle Soul Master as powerful as Father... I don't want to...
Before Ning Yurong could finish her thoughts, she suddenly heard a wet thud beside her—
After being stunned for a moment, Ning Yurong looked up and saw—
The darkness surged once more, and someone was sent flying out of it!
Steadying her gaze, Ning Yurong anxiously looked toward that figure.
It was none other than Xue Mingqing!
At that moment, Xue Mingqing was in an utterly miserable state!
He clutched the deep, bone-exposing gash across his chest, his face as pale as paper. The Snow Sword in his hand had been broken, with only half the blade remaining. He no longer looked anything like the spirited youth from before.
There was nothing left but utter disarray!
Before you continue