You... want me to kneel and beg for mercy?

"Stop him! Protect the young lady!" the black-robed man shouted at once.

Beside the girl in military attire, the guards picked up their weapons without hesitation and charged forward.

Just then, the black-robed man gritted his teeth. As though he had used some secret art, his speed suddenly soared, carrying him right to the middle-aged man's side.

He immediately unleashed the Dou Emperor power within the golden saber!

"Hmph!"

The middle-aged man snorted coldly, a sinister killing intent surfacing on his face. Then he raised a hand and took out a blood-colored jade talisman, crushing it with a look of reluctance.

Dense, eerie bloodlight surged out, forming a blood-colored barrier around the middle-aged man.

The golden Dou Emperor power slammed into it, unleashing terrifying energy in a frenzy. Where the two met, even space seemed to ripple faintly.

Finally, the golden Dou Emperor energy was exhausted, and the blood-colored barrier gradually dissipated as well.

"My life-saving trump card!"

A low, hoarse voice came from the middle-aged man's mouth.

"Very well. Since you seek death, I shall send you on your way!"

The middle-aged man was now utterly intent on killing.

Whoosh!

His figure shot forward, appearing before the black-robed middle-aged man in an instant. A single palm strike left him gravely wounded.

"Uncle Gong!"

The girl in military attire screamed in terror from afar.

Could it be... that I'll meet my end here this time?

An indescribable bitterness welled up in the middle-aged man's heart.

Who could have imagined that such a mysterious expert lay hidden on the rarely visited Poison Cloud Mountain!

After all, across the entire Jia Ma Empire, no one had even heard of a Dou Zong expert!

Who would have thought that, just halfway up Poison Cloud Mountain, they would encounter a mysterious Dou Zong whose cultivation had fallen to Nine-Star Dou Ling!

Rumble!

The sky was as dark as night.

Fierce winds and torrential rain raged.

By now, the pretty face of the girl in military attire had gone deathly pale, her features filled with panic and fear.

For years, she had lived in pampered luxury, dressed in fine silks and fed exquisite food. When had she ever witnessed such a bloody scene?

Moreover, the danger they faced today was bizarre in the extreme.

Their opponent had actually once been a Dou Zong expert!

None of them had anticipated this.

Watching the gravely wounded black-robed middle-aged man collapse, the girl in military attire went blank, not knowing what to do.

Is everyone going to die here this time...?

Her eyes were vacant, and indescribable regret welled up within her.

She had insisted on coming to Poison Cloud Mountain merely to seek a medicinal herb said to exist only on this mountain.

She had thought that with Uncle Gong there, their path would surely be clear of all obstacles.

She had never imagined they would face the danger of total annihilation!

If only I'd known...

Just then, out of the corner of her eye, the girl in military attire suddenly saw a figure walk past her.

"What are you going to do?"

The girl in military attire froze and asked instinctively.

"Kill him."

Xiao Chen answered casually.

"Are you crazy?! Can you stop making trouble? At a time like this, can't you stop adding to the mess?!"

The girl in military attire practically roared the words.

The anger she had accumulated toward Xiao Chen throughout their journey, along with the panic and helplessness she felt now, seemed to erupt completely at that moment.

The guards nearby, locked in fierce combat with the Ghost-Faced Insects, also wore grim, displeased expressions.

One of them shouted outright, "Young lady, ignore him! I've disliked him for ages. If he wants to throw his life away, let him!"

Only Yin Yuandong's eyes flickered, anticipation appearing on his face.

Xiao Chen ignored their words and walked toward the battle.

At this point, the black-robed man's situation had become extraordinarily perilous.

The middle-aged man had not killed him outright with a palm strike, clearly intending to toy with him like a cat with a mouse.

Feeling the pain coursing through his gravely wounded body, the black-robed man's face filled with despair.

My death is one thing, but the young lady...

Thinking of the miserable fate that would await the young lady after his death, the black-robed middle-aged man felt deeply guilty.

But just then, he suddenly noticed a figure approaching.

Wait!

Why has this brat come over?

The black-robed middle-aged man's impression of Xiao Chen was far from favorable.

The youth's words and conduct were far too arrogant, and he lacked gratitude.

Yet he had never expected that, even at a time like this, the youth would risk his life to save him.

Though it looked like a moth flying into a flame, the gesture moved the black-robed middle-aged man.

He has courage!

Unfortunately, under these circumstances, this is no different from throwing his life away...

By then, Xiao Chen had stopped walking.

Looking at the middle-aged man not far away, he said with an odd expression, "I never expected someone like you to exist in the Jia Ma Empire. There's something I'm rather curious about. How old are you this year?"

The middle-aged man gave Xiao Chen a disdainful glance, convinced that the youth must have been frightened out of his mind.

When the middle-aged man said nothing, Xiao Chen continued, "Ancient one, when did you acquire this body?"

At those words, the middle-aged man's entire body stiffened slightly. He abruptly rose and looked at Xiao Chen in surprise. "How did you tell?"

Xiao Chen shook his head. "I'm not inclined to explain any of that to someone who wants to kill me. I'll give you a chance. Kneel and beg for mercy now, and I'll grant you a swift death."

"You... want me to kneel and beg for mercy?"

The middle-aged man wore an odd expression.

He had never expected such words to come from a mere youth like this.

Xiao Chen shook his head and sighed softly.

He had not expected even someone so ancient to have eyes yet fail to see.

Without further hesitation, he raised his hand and took out an azure longsword.

The next instant, nine azure silhouettes manifested behind him, countless dazzling sword shadows gushing from them.

The sword shadows crisscrossed and converged in the air, finally condensing into a streak of blue-green swordlight.

As he looked at that swordlight, Xiao Chen's eyes shone.

He had finally unleashed the Azure Nether Freedom Sword Scripture through his own power!

He reached out and beckoned, and the azure swordlight hovered above his palm.

The girl in military attire and the others, who had already fallen into despair, felt a stabbing pain in their eyes. Then they saw Xiao Chen holding the azure swordlight.

Everyone's eyes widened in shock.

That azure swordlight shone like an azure sun, radiating an awe-inspiring aura.

"This..."

At this sight, the black-robed middle-aged man felt both delighted and bewildered.

He was truly shaken.

In his eyes, Xiao Chen seemed to have become another person.

His bearing was peerless, his presence like that of a god.

The middle-aged man's expression changed as well.

The swordlight in Xiao Chen's hand made him sense the breath of death.

"To think I'd run into such a tough opponent so soon after awakening!"

The middle-aged man's expression grew solemn. Muttering an incantation, he swept his blood-colored longsword horizontally.

Boom!

An immense blood-colored torrent of cold surged wildly from the blood-colored longsword, rushing to engulf Xiao Chen.

The blood-colored longsword rapidly dimmed, as though its energy had been exhausted.

"As expected of a former Dou Zong expert. This move is enough to kill a Dou Wang. Unfortunately... you encountered me."

Xiao Chen merely chuckled softly and stepped forward, his robes fluttering.

He lightly swept the azure swordlight in his hand through the air.

In an instant, a supremely domineering rainbow of sword intent pierced through the curtain of rain, surging forward without faltering!

Under the many shocked gazes, the swordlight easily broke through the blood-colored torrent of cold, tore through the curtain of rain, and struck the middle-aged man directly.