Although he had driven back Shadow Butterfly Woman, the female Soul Emperor, Chen Xiaojun calmly faced the group of assassins and thought, This won't do. We can't keep this up. Their higher-level fighters are taking turns crushing us, and staying on the defensive is too difficult. We have to split them up. Looks like that's my only option.
His lips curled into a faint, provocative smile. "Hey, I'm your target, aren't I?"
"We're less than thirty li from Chang'an City. The warning fireworks are still blazing in the sky, and my clan's Titled Douluo are rushing here. Allowing for the time you'll need to retreat, you probably only have ten minutes or so. Three minutes have already passed."
"Besides, Chang'an Academy is less than twenty li away. Its experts will probably come to investigate, too. You're running out of time."
"So, if you want to kill me, come and get me!"
His words carried an unhurried confidence, as though everything lay within his grasp.
With that, he darted away like a gust of wind, bounding swiftly toward the mouth at the far end of the canyon ahead.
His movements were swift and decisive, every step firm and powerful, as though he meant to trample every danger beneath his feet.
The assassins looked startled and suspicious.
Blood Sickle, the Soul Saint, thought, The brat is right about everything. He's no ordinary boy. To think he could stay so calm in these circumstances and assess the situation so accurately. Fine, I'll kill him first.
Chen Xiaojun raced through the canyon. He could only flee forward or backward.
To be absolutely certain the assassins would follow, he chose the narrowing stretch toward the canyon mouth ahead, where they had previously lain in ambush.
Although Cheng Yun had detected them earlier, forcing them to