Rescue

Nangong Wan had nearly exhausted her true essence and magical power, so naturally she could not fly quickly. Even though she had deliberately concealed her trail, Tian Buque still caught up with her.

Sensing the pink glow behind her, Nangong Wan said coldly, "Junior, are you courting death, pursuing me so relentlessly?"

"Had you said that earlier, Senior Nangong, I would naturally have fled at the first sign of you. But now... you gravely injured Elder Li. I wonder how well you're holding up yourself?" Tian Buque's voice drifted unhurriedly from within the pink glow.

Nangong Wan's expression darkened. Without another word, she flew forward at full speed. Soon, a cloud of blood mist appeared behind her alongside the pink glow. It moved extremely quickly and soon caught up with Tian Buque.

It was the Core Formation elder surnamed Li, pursuing her with Wang Chan in tow.

Nangong Wan remained silent and simply flew onward with all her strength.

A moment later, Nangong Wan's expression suddenly changed. She noticed the celestial phenomena ahead and the tremendous fluctuations of spiritual energy. Naturally, she knew someone was forming their core there. Although she did not know whether that person was friend or foe, her pursuers would not relent. She could only gamble and fly toward it at full speed.

Behind her, the Core Formation elder surnamed Li immediately stopped with Wang Chan, staring in shock at the distant celestial phenomena.

"Someone is forming their core!" the elder surnamed Li said, his expression conflicted.

Behind them, Tian Buque stopped nearby with Dong Xuan'er, who had caught up. His expression was ugly as he said, "Anyone forming their core in a place like this probably isn't from our Six Sects."

The elder surnamed Li's expression changed. "Someone is forming their core on our territory, after all. I'll go take a look. You had best stay away."

With that, he rode his blood mist onward, pursuing Nangong Wan.

Wang Chan and the other two exchanged glances, then decided to follow anyway. With the means at their disposal, they could escape even if they encountered a battle between Core Formation cultivators.

By the time Nangong Wan and the elder surnamed Li arrived, one after the other, several dozen li from Lin Yun's Temporary Cave Dwelling, the core formation phenomena had already ended.

Lin Yun was experimenting with using his five elements origin pill to cast the Great Five-Element Extinction Divine Light.

Dismissing the divine light above his head, Lin Yun summoned the Clearvoid Invisible Sword, intending to test the power of sword flight with his Core Formation cultivation.

Suddenly, his brows furrowed. His spiritual sense vaguely detected two fluctuations of Core Formation-level magical power rapidly approaching from several dozen li away. The one in front seemed to belong to a Joyful Union Sect cultivator, yet it also gave him a strangely familiar feeling.

The fluctuation behind it belonged to a Ghost Spirit Sect cultivator, whose power he knew very well.

These two fluctuations matched the Ghost Spirit Sect and Joyful Union Sect cultivators stationed at the nearby Spirit Stone Mine.

Lin Yun could not help thinking, The nearby Demonic Path cultivators have come already? Perfect timing!

Just as he was preparing to test his sword on these two Demonic Path cultivators, Lin Yun extended his spiritual sense to probe their capabilities. His expression abruptly changed, however, and he exclaimed in astonishment, "Nangong Wan?!"

Through his spiritual sense, Lin Yun clearly saw Nangong Wan's deathly pale face behind her white veil.

With no time to wonder how he had encountered Nangong Wan here, Lin Yun immediately merged with his invisible sword light and shot out of the cave dwelling.

Only now, using the Zu Mountain Sword-Flight Art with his Core Formation cultivation, did Lin Yun truly feel like a sword immortal who could cross a thousand li in a single instant upon his sword.

The invisible sword light flickered, and Lin Yun appeared beside Nangong Wan.

Lin Yun's sudden appearance startled Nangong Wan. She nearly squeezed out her last trace of magical power to deliver a sword strike, but his familiar aura made her forcibly hold back. At the same time, the white radiance around her faded, and she halted her flight.

Once she saw Lin Yun's face clearly, Nangong Wan said in astonishment, "It's you!"

Then she immediately noticed the unconcealed fluctuations of Core Formation-level magical power emanating from him and exclaimed again, "You've formed your core?!"

Lin Yun smiled. "Indeed I have. Fellow Daoist Nangong, it's been a while. Why are you in such a sorry state every time I see you?"

It really was a coincidence. Both times Lin Yun had met Nangong Wan, his own cultivation and strength had advanced, while she had been pursued either by a beast or by people, finding herself in a miserable predicament each time.

At his words, Nangong Wan rolled her eyes prettily, speechless. She was about to speak when her legs buckled beneath her.

Lin Yun hurriedly caught her, took a bottle of pills from his Storage Bag, and handed it over. "Don't speak for now. Focus on recovering your true essence. If you don't replenish it quickly, your cultivation could suffer badly."

"As for that Ghost Spirit Sect fellow behind you, leave him to me." Lin Yun turned his gaze toward the blood mist following close behind.

Several dozen zhang away, the elder surnamed Li stopped and emerged from the blood mist. Looking at the two of them, he chuckled and said hoarsely, "Heh heh... so this pretty boy who just formed his core is your lover, Fairy Nangong. No wonder you were in such a hurry. Heh heh..."

The earlier core formation phenomena, combined with Lin Yun's unconcealed Core Formation magical power, immediately told him that Lin Yun had been the one forming his core.

The elder surnamed Li thought little of Lin Yun's presence. He was merely a newly advanced Core Formation cultivator and probably did not even possess a decent magical treasure. His magical artifacts and talismans should still be at Foundation Establishment level. All he had was magical power.

Despite these thoughts, the elder surnamed Li did not completely relax. He remained vigilant, fearing that Nangong Wan might suddenly unleash a vicious attack from beside Lin Yun.

Before Lin Yun could respond to the elder's mockery, a blush rose on Nangong Wan's pale face. Gritting her teeth, she moved to step forward. "You're courting death!"

Lin Yun pressed a hand against Nangong Wan's shoulder. "Enough. Focus on recovering your true essence."

With that, he raised his hand, formed a sword gesture with his fingers, and gave a sharp command. "Slash!"

Behind and to one side of the elder surnamed Li, an invisible sword light materialized out of empty space. Formless and intangible, swift as lightning, it abruptly slashed toward his neck.

A chill instantly gripped the elder's heart, but his earlier caution saved his life.

As the invisible sword light swept toward him, the blood mist beneath his feet surged up, blocking it for an instant and giving him time to react. He immediately formed a blood-red barrier around himself.

Almost at the very instant the blood-red barrier appeared, the invisible sword light struck and cut straight through it.

The Clearvoid Invisible Sword already possessed the power to refine and destroy demonic forces. How could a mere blood-colored barrier withstand its edge?

Yet that brief interval was enough for the elder surnamed Li to fly backward.

Although he retreated and evaded the strike aimed at his head, the rest of his body did not escape the invisible sword light. With a flash, it severed his arm.

Although he had failed to kill the elder surnamed Li with a single strike, Lin Yun was not disappointed. If one strike would not do, then two!

Several dozen

zhang away, the elder surnamed Li clutched his severed arm, his face deathly pale. A trace of terror flashed in his eyes as he looked at Lin Yun. He fully extended his spiritual sense, guarding against that sword strike that seemed to emerge from the void, and asked hoarsely, "Who exactly are you?"

At the same time, he did not forget to send an urgent voice transmission to Wang Chan and the others approaching. "Young Master, flee!"

Lin Yun glanced behind the elder surnamed Li and pointed with his sword fingers again. "Slash!"

For this strike, Lin Yun no longer concealed the Clearvoid Invisible Sword, instead revealing its blade.

White sword light shone from the Clearvoid Invisible Sword, transforming into a dazzling streak of sword energy like a length of white silk as it slashed toward the elder surnamed Li.

Naturally, the elder surnamed Li could not withstand this strike.

Thud.

The elder surnamed Li's corpse fell from midair.

After killing the elder surnamed Li, Lin Yun was about to pursue Wang Chan and the others, who were fleeing at full speed, and cut them down as well.

His expression suddenly changed, however, and he immediately turned to wrap an arm around Nangong Wan's waist. "Let's go!"

But before he could act, a somewhat effeminate voice sounded beside his and Nangong Wan's ears. "What a handsome junior. Why are you in such a hurry to leave?"