Silence Witnesses and Shift Blame

The group immediately tensed and turned in unison toward the mouth of the cave.

At this moment, the Ouyang Household's blades and swords all pointed toward the opening revealed by the collapse. An inexplicable, invisible danger suddenly spilled out from within.

As the collapsed opening was exposed, countless beasts surged out of it like fireworks.

So the beasts had all been growing underground!

That was what Lin Xiaotian thought when a force suddenly swirled around the opening. The beasts pouring forth seemed to be struck by waves of light, flung outward in arcs.

A small beast-free space appeared in the middle, and someone suddenly emerged from it.

His Blood Qi was dense, carrying a faint stench of blood and sweat.

External Force! He was absolutely an External Force expert.

After emerging, the man swept his gaze around and quickly fixed it on their side, a faint smile appearing at the corner of his lips.

"Little brat of the Ouyang Household!"

His voice was booming, laced with sinister malice.

The newcomer was a tall, powerfully built man, his flesh thick and his chest muscles bulging. One look was enough to tell he was not someone to be trifled with.

As he spoke, he moved his feet and shot toward them like an arrow released from the bowstring.

He was as fast as flight.

"Xiao Jingli, of the Xiao Household!"

There was surprise and shock in Ouyang Nianci's voice, along with a trace of unease and the resolve to perish together rather than yield.

The moment Lin Xiaotian heard it, he knew something was wrong, his mind spinning at high speed.

The Xiao Household had not come here merely to kill them. There was no need for that.

Buzz!

Xiao Jingli had already reached them, his hands suddenly reaching for Lin Xiaotian.

Lin Xiaotian understood at once. The Xiao Household had come for him.

If he fell into this man's hands, whether fortune or misfortune awaited him remained unknown. It was highly likely to be even more dangerous than staying with the Ouyang Household.

In that hair's-breadth moment, his body swayed slightly, barely evading the grasping hands.

Xiao Jingli froze, clearly taken aback. He glanced at Lin Xiaotian and was just about to say something.

Then Ouyang Nianci suddenly shouted:

"Kill him with everything you have! He dares cause trouble in my Ouyang Household—kill!"

The weapons of the five struck toward him without hesitation. The air seemed to burn at once, issuing miserable sizzling sounds.

Lin Xiaotian raised his brows slightly. If they can't defeat him, the Ouyang Household may very well kill me to silence me. Better be careful. I should retreat first.

At once, while they attacked the man, he slipped free and raced toward the cave opening.

Since this man had emerged from the opening, there had to be an exit down there.

And from the looks of it, the man had come for him. If these people were wiped out by him, the Ouyang Household would surely execute Lin Xiaotian.

The Xiao Household's intentions were uncertain, but as long as he had value, he would always have a chance to live. Besides, he had already reached Blood Tempering. Though he was one realm below External Force, it was not as if he had no strength to fight.

With the enhancement of his special Blood Qi, along with Blood-Qi Resonance's dual boost to armor-piercing and attack power, if Xiao Jingli was a weaker External Force cultivator, he might very well meet his end at Lin Xiaotian's hands.

Whoosh!

With a sudden dash, he reached the collapsed opening. Looking down, he found another world below.

An underground river ran straight across beneath it, while herds of beasts surged up from the riverbank through the opening.

"Not good! We can't let this boy escape! If he falls into the Xiao Household's hands, our Ouyang Household will be finished."

Ouyang Nianci roared as she was sent back with a single exchange against the External Force expert.

The others also launched attacks against Xiao Jingli.

Yet after several ringing clashes, they each retreated a step.

Lin Xiaotian's eyes narrowed, and he felt reassured.

Although External Force was stronger than Blood Tempering, it was not an overwhelming advantage. External Force merely possessed greater defense, agility, strength, and denser Blood Qi.

In a one-on-one fight, they might quickly lose, but with several people besieging him, the outcome was hard to say.

However, after that strike, the man seemed to have been angered. His voice rolled like thunder:

"You will all die!"

Ouyang Nianci was extremely decisive. After being forced back, she heard those words, bit her lip, and leaped up again, tossing out a command:

"Hold him back. I'll kill that boy. The secret absolutely cannot be leaked."

The four members of the Ouyang Household cooperated readily, facing death as though returning home. After taking a step back, they charged the man together again, putting forth every ounce of strength to attack the External Force expert.

"You want to wipe out disciples of my Ouyang Household? You, a mere External Force cultivator, think too little of us. In a one-on-one fight, we would certainly be slain by you, but with the four of us besieging you, it is still unknown whether the deer dies or the hunter."

One of the Ouyang Household members spoke, his voice filled with boldness.

Lin Xiaotian had truly underestimated these people of the Ouyang Household. Their sense of Lineage ran incredibly deep, he thought to himself as he listened from the side.

He did not hurry to jump down, instead waiting to see how the situation developed.

No matter who won or lost, he would decide what to do then.

With his current strength, even an External Force cultivator would likely expend Blood Qi and stamina after an intense battle. At that point, the initiative would be his.

Ouyang Nianci came quickly, her eyes blood-red. Her killing intent was clearly fierce and intense.

Lin Xiaotian met her gaze directly.

Beneath that peerlessly beautiful face, those crimson eyes radiated a deadly allure.

Lin Xiaotian sighed inwardly. This damned Blood Qi—why do you keep tempting me down the road to becoming a scumbag?

He retreated, moving directly beside the surging beasts. With a stir of Blood Qi, his short blade flashed several times, sending dozens of beasts flying toward Ouyang Nianci.

Ouyang Nianci had never expected the boy to respond this way. The sword in her hand twisted sharply, knocking away several beasts.

By then, concealed by the beasts attacking her and obstructing her vision, Lin Xiaotian's strength surged again. He blasted the beasts back and headed farther behind them.

When Ouyang Nianci saw clearly again, the boy had already slipped behind the beasts, completely blocked from view by the beast tide.

She was somewhat baffled. How had he gotten behind the beasts? How had he forced his way through such a siege?

But the arrow was already on the string and had to be released. If she did not kill him now, all her previous efforts would be wasted.

At that moment, an earth-shaking roar suddenly came from behind her.

Hah!

The sound was like heavenly thunder striking their hearts, bringing everyone's bodies and minds to a halt as though they had been struck.

Drawn by the sound, Ouyang Nianci turned her head. Her eyes split with fury, but she quickly forced herself to endure it, the red in her eyes deepening further.

She turned back and raced even faster toward the boy.

That man's Blood Qi was burning, and his combat power had soared. She did not have much time left.

Unfortunately, she was soon entangled by the tide of beasts. Their massive numbers crashed into her, making her body halt. Swaying and unable to hold on for more than a few breaths, she was severely injured by the beasts' impacts and fell to the ground.

She was on the verge of fading like a flower and perishing like jade.

Despair filled her eyes as she stared at the boy beyond the beast tide, unable to understand how he had crossed through so smoothly.

She, a dignified Blood Tempering cultivator, had actually been surrounded and beaten into a grievous injury by these beasts. It left her utterly unwilling to accept it.

Farther behind her, Xiao Jingli's Blood Qi surged wildly, making him seem like a giant.

Flashes of blood light appeared across his body from time to time.

Whenever blood light flickered over Xiao Jingli's body, the four members of the Ouyang Household became increasingly unable to support themselves.

Within just a few exchanges, they were all defeated. After another dozen breaths, several muffled pops rang out, and all of them died beneath his palms.

Whoosh!

After Xiao Jingli killed them with his palms, he did not pause. He spun around and charged toward Ouyang Nianci, seemingly intending to kill her in one stroke as well.

Boom!

His palm strike missed.

He was stunned. Raising his head again and sweeping his gaze around, he saw the boy holding Ouyang Nianci in one hand as though carrying a chick.

His pupils contracted.

Once could be an accident, but twice was absolutely no accident.

Without a second thought, he charged at the boy again, intending to strike him head-on. He did not need to kill him, but he at least needed to grievously injure him so he could not rise again.

Whoosh!

He was incredibly fast. In the blink of an eye, he reached the boy, his palm about to strike him.