Dead End

"It's an Advanced Stage Warrior Level demon beast! Watch out!"

Su Miu immediately shouted a warning, but the Ice Empress showed no fear. She raised her hand and unleashed intermediate magic. After all, as someone who had lived for hundreds of thousands of years, her spiritual power had long since reached the Spirit Domain Realm.

That was the Fourth Realm of spiritual power. In an instant, the intermediate spell Raging Waves surged out and drenched the demon beast.

"Freeze for this empress! Ice Emperor's Wrath!"

Her delicate scorpion tail aimed at the Three-Eyed Demon Wolf ahead and unleashed Ice Emperor's Wrath. The water soaking the wolf froze instantly, but it only managed to slow the creature down.

"Rime! Ice Lock: Bone Grinding!"

Bai Xiuxiu raised both hands, an ice-white Star Map appearing before her as she cast intermediate magic after the Ice Empress.

Countless chains of ice shot out and wrapped around the Three-Eyed Demon Wolf's joints, freezing its magic energy.

Although the Three-Eyed Demon Wolf struggled to move, it could still act. It immediately raised a claw and brought it down.

"Deep Blue Gaze!"

"Jade Ice, Ice Vine: Coverage!"

A phantom shark appeared behind Bai Xiuxiu, its extreme cold coating the Three-Eyed Demon Wolf in another layer of frost. The Ice Empress added yet another layer.

Only then did they barely manage to freeze the Advanced Stage Warrior Level demon wolf in place. The Ice Empress continuously poured out her level-one soul power and magic energy, fine beads of sweat forming at her temples before she warned him.

"Human, too much of this empress's strength has been sealed. I can't freeze this thing for long. Hurry!"

"I know! Lord's Flame! Fierce Fist: Heaven-Shattering!"

Su Miu blasted a path open, then skirted around the demon wolf and continued fleeing into the distance.

As they ran farther away, the demon wolf soon broke free. Its scarlet eyes fixed on the fleeing figures, and it gave chase again.

The Ice Empress clicked her tongue at the many demon wolves pursuing them relentlessly. Had she been at her peak, these little wolf pups would all have been on their knees!

Besides, she had spent far too little time cultivating this so-called magic-only two and a half months. Reaching the peak of Beginner Level Three was already impressive, and she owed it entirely to her existing cultivation.

Just as Su Miu headed toward the Safe Zone, another Advanced Stage Warrior Level demon beast appeared on the bridge ahead, blocking the only route there.

Su Miu's expression changed instantly. Their only way out had been cut off. As demon beasts surged in from every direction once more, they were trapped with no escape.

"I'll hold them off. You two run!"

The Ice Empress understood Su Miu's predicament. Even her scalp tingled as she looked at the two Advanced Stage Warrior Level demon beasts closing in from the front and rear, along with several hundred One-Eyed Demon Wolves and over fifty Warrior Level demon beasts surrounding them.

"Eternal Frozen Domain! Raging Waves: Expulsion!"

The Ice Empress raised her hand and cast the only intermediate spell she currently possessed. Raging Waves enclosed the space ahead of them, then froze into a thick wall of ice.

"Deep Blue! Raging Waves: Raging Tide!"

Bai Xiuxiu cast level-two Raging Waves. Although she was only at Intermediate Level One, her mutated ice-and-water Star Seeds allowed her to cast spells one level higher.

An immense surge of seawater rushed forward, temporarily blocking the demon wolves' attacks. The Ice Empress then froze it into an ice wall.

Su Miu and Bai Xiuxiu quickly withdrew. The Advanced Stage Three-Eyed Demon Wolf easily smashed through the ice wall, and the two overwhelmingly powerful demon beasts charged at the Ice Empress.

"Hmph! Ice Emperor's Protection! Ice Empress's Pincer!"

Ice crystals formed around the Ice Empress, while emerald light coated both her pincers. Her pincers clashed with the wolves' claws, and she fell into a disadvantage.

The Ice Jade Emperor Scorpion was a supreme soul beast. At ten thousand years of cultivation, she could fight soul beasts of seventy or even eighty thousand years. A Dark Gold Terrorclaw Bear could even fight anything below a hundred thousand years with only ten thousand years of cultivation.

But Three-Eyed Demon Wolves were no weak species either. On the Douluo Continent, they would rank among the strongest soul beasts.

What made it worse was that the Ice Empress was fighting two at once. It was utterly humiliating. If the Snow Empress were here, even with both of their cultivation levels restricted to sub-warrior level, their combined attack could definitely destroy these creatures!

After holding them off for nearly a minute, the Ice Empress was forced to return to the Douluo Continent.

Bi Ji was treating Di Qiu'er and Behemoth. When she saw the Ice Empress appear with injuries, she realized how serious the situation was.

Meanwhile, Su Miu and Bai Xiuxiu darted through the ruins, but the demon wolves seemed to have some kind of tracking system. They could still pinpoint their location.

"Mystic Lightning, Thunder Seal: Rage Strike!"

Bai Xiuxiu fired a Thunder Seal, paralyzing a Sub-Warrior Level Three-Eyed Demon Wolf. Su Miu raised his hand, gripped the Golden Dragon Spear, and thrust it forward, killing the wolf outright. After dispatching it quickly, he looked at the Advanced Stage Three-Eyed Demon Wolves catching up again, fatigue flickering in his eyes.

Still, he forced himself to focus. Gray-white light flashed in his eyes as he cast Basic Level One Necromancy Element magic.

"Sacred Art: Spirit Summoning!"

Su Miu selected a Sub-Warrior Level Three-Eyed Demon Wolf to reanimate, draining all his Necromancy Element magic energy in an instant.

"Stop them!"

Su Miu pointed at the two Advanced Stage Warrior Level demon beasts, then turned and fled with Bai Xiuxiu.

The Sub-Warrior Level demon beast, after being reanimated, possessed only roughly Advanced Stage Servant Level strength. But it had neither intelligence nor a sense of pain, and it charged straight at the two enormous demon beasts.

They rolled over it like a speed bump. Bai Xiuxiu noticed Su Miu's exhaustion and renewed Wind Track, taking over and pulling him along as they fled.

"Mystic Lightning, Thunder Seal: Thunderfield!"

Supported by Bai Xiuxiu, Su Miu was running dangerously low on magic energy. His Necromancy Element was depleted, his Summoning System had only a tenth remaining, and his first Sharing Element had roughly a quarter left. Although he had not used his second Sharing Element, it did not hold much magic energy either.

Another group of One-Eyed Demon Wolves fell, but the pair were surrounded again. Looking at the many Three-Eyed Demon Wolves blocking the way ahead and on both sides, Su Miu gave a quiet laugh.

"It looks like... heaven wants me dead..."

With no way out, he found himself accepting it. At least he had saved hundreds of thousands of people. With that much merit, he would probably go to heaven after he died.

"You'll be all right. I'm still here."

Bai Xiuxiu cut him off, then raised her hand and unleashed another intermediate Thunderbolt, severely wounding a lesser Warrior Level demon beast. She followed it with Wind Disk, forcing the many Warrior Level demon beasts back.

But the Advanced Stage demon beast arriving from behind smashed straight through the Wind Disk and mercilessly brought its claw down.

"Golden Armor!"

Su Miu stepped in front of Bai Xiuxiu and activated his armor magic equipment, blocking the blow. Even so, both of them were sent flying and crashed heavily into a nearby building.

"Xiu Xiu, are you okay?"

Su Miu coughed up a mouthful of blood. The armor magic equipment made from commander-level exotic bone was quite sturdy. Bai Xiuxiu was helped to her feet, and when she saw the Three-Eyed Demon Wolf pouncing again, she immediately wrapped her arms around Su Miu and cast the Shadow Element spell Shadow Escape: Traversal.

But it was far slower than Wind Track enhanced by a speed spirit seed. After they dodged another swipe, the Three-Eyed Demon Wolf caught their scent and began attacking the ground indiscriminately.

Squelch!

Blood splattered, warm droplets spraying across Su Miu's face. His pupils contracted, and he immediately followed up with Shadow Escape, shielding Bai Xiuxiu in his arms.

He kept dodging, but there were too many demon beasts to evade them all. Several trampling attacks struck him, making every bone in his body groan. His armor magic equipment also creaked under the unbearable strain.

"Su Miu!"

Bai Xiuxiu desperately wanted to go out and draw the demon beasts away herself, but Su Miu recalled her instead.

"Mind Shock!"

Su Miu emerged and fired a Mind Shock, briefly freezing the demon wolf poised to attack him. He immediately followed it with intermediate Fire Element magic.

"Lord's Flame! Fierce Fist: Heaven-Shattering!"

Golden flames erupted, forcibly staggering the Advanced Stage Three-Eyed Demon Wolf while its head throbbed with pain.

Now his Summoning System, first Sharing Element, Necromancy Element, and second Sharing Element were all drained of magic energy. Su Miu struggled to draw ragged breaths.

The golden armor magic equipment on his body vanished as well, its magic energy exhausted. Looking at the Three-Eyed Demon Wolf attacking him again, he smiled.

"So I really... wasn't the protagonist... But at least I saved hundreds of thousands of people. I'm no longer that useless fool from fifteen years ago who couldn't do anything."

He had rewritten the history of Bocheng's Blood Disaster, turned the tide by slaying the Winged Azure Wolf, and shattered the Black Vatican's plot to sacrifice Bocheng. He could die without regrets!

Su Miu slowly closed his eyes, ready to meet death. Just then, gray-white power spread around him, and a voice that filled him with a profound sense of safety rang out.

"You have quite an open-minded outlook, young friend. But with this old man here, nothing will happen to you. Leave the rest to me."

An aged voice, seemingly originating from the soul itself, rose from the depths of his Sea of Consciousness. Su Miu opened his eyes again, but they were no longer black. They were gray-white, and his gaze was terrifyingly calm.

P.S. First update for June 21, bringing the total to 2,500 characters.