A forest road led toward South China Base City.
Before the Great Cataclysm, this had been an important transport route. Now, however, it was deserted, with many wrecked vehicles overturned on the highway.
Bloodstains could still be seen here and there along the road. Clearly, this place had once come under siege by large numbers of Demon Beasts.
Even now, a few Demon Beasts still prowled around here. Some had even claimed this place as their territory and refused to leave.
Just then, a black-clad figure darted silently through the forest beside the highway. He did not dare openly drive along the road. That was a cardinal taboo!
"If I follow this highway, I should reach South China Base City in a few more days." Chu Tiannan looked at the electronic detector on his wrist. The thing had many functions.
He was currently using its map function, which connected directly to satellite scans and was incredibly precise. However, he had no way to log into the Martial Artist System.
That was because the Martial Artist System had no record of anyone named Chu Tiannan.
Climbing carefully and nimbly into a tree, Chu Tiannan's chest rose and fell slightly. Ten consecutive days of intense flight had taken a considerable toll on him.
Whoosh!
Why is she so hard to shake off? Seeming to hear something, Chu Tiannan's expression changed. He gritted his teeth and sped away, his feet flying.
It was no wonder Chu Tiannan had been fleeing all this way. The one hunting him down was not some Demon Beast, but the girl he had once saved.
"My name is Luo'er. I hope you'll remember me after you die!"
Those were the words the sword-wielding girl had spoken while hunting Chu Tiannan.
Are you out of your mind?! All she received in return, however, was a roar inside Chu Tiannan's head.
For some reason, Luo'er, whom he had rescued, was single-mindedly determined to kill Chu Tiannan, and her reason was equally bizarre.
"Only after killing you can I devote myself completely to cultivation without thinking about you!"
For ten days, Chu Tiannan had been on high alert. Whenever he relaxed even slightly, Luo'er would silently appear like a phantom, and every time the two met-
It became a battle fought with everything they had!
Gradually, Chu Tiannan lost his patience and began striking to kill as well. In particular, the first time he used the Heaven-Deriving Sword to knock aside her greatsword, his heart softened again, and he did not follow through.
That was not all. Both had won and lost against the other, and Chu Tiannan also realized that Luo'er was extremely talented, so he stopped getting entangled with her.
The two embarked on ten days of chasing and fleeing!
The two figures moved one behind the other, the distance between them shrinking. Chu Tiannan was also startled that she was pursuing him faster than he had imagined.
They were about to meet again!
"Do you really think I don't dare kill you?" This time, Chu Tiannan truly had been pushed too far. Holding the Heaven-Deriving Sword, he stopped and waited for the graceful yellow-clad figure to catch up with her sword.
"Why did you stop running?" Looking at the furious Chu Tiannan before her, Luo'er asked softly, "I can catch up. Don't go easy on me!"
"I..." Chu Tiannan was already at a loss for words. He raised his hand and swung his sword. This was the first time he had taken the initiative to attack since meeting Luo'er!
Clang!
Facing a blade capable of instantly cutting down a Senior Beast Soldier, Luo'er showed no fear as she held her gigantic sword of light. She turned her sword to block, sending sparks flying, but the force drove her back!
A brilliant light shone in the girl's beautiful, gemlike eyes!
"Ten days, and you've grown stronger again!"
"All thanks to you!"
Chu Tiannan roared inwardly, speechless. These ten days of intense combat had brought him from an Advanced Martial Artist to the peak. Advancing to Martial Master was now only a matter of time.
Come to think of it, that was the only benefit he had gained from these ten miserable days.
"You're worthy of making me use this move!"
At that moment, Luo'er thrust her greatsword repeatedly through the air. Red light instantly enveloped their surroundings, and the air currents around them underwent a violent transformation, resembling sharp sword edges all pointing at Chu Tiannan.
"Hm?" Faced with this, Chu Tiannan was seeing Luo'er unleash such formidable power for the first time.
He tried to retreat, only to discover that he seemed to be enveloped by invisible sword edges. He could only keep using the Heaven-Deriving Sword in his hand to fend off her repeated thrusts in a desperate scramble.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Chu Tiannan kept desperately blocking the sword edges with the Heaven-Deriving Sword. He was now completely on the defensive. He had originally thought Luo'er's strength was about equal to his own.
In fact, she clearly had not been using her full strength!
Whoosh!
Chu Tiannan finally managed to block all the sharp blades of air. Just as he was about to steady himself, a figure wreathed in red light shot toward him at incredible speed, carrying a fierce gust of wind.
The blade came to an abrupt stop right in front of him!
Buzzz!
Having stopped at the very last instant, the gigantic sword of light in Luo'er's hand was still vibrating violently. With just a little force, she could easily cut off the head of the young man before her.
"Ah..." Although startled by Luo'er's sudden burst of power and her unknown sword technique, Chu Tiannan knew he had lost, and there had been no doubt about the outcome.
This had been a complete curb-stomping!
As someone who had once been a mighty expert, being curb-stomped by a girl now was rather embarrassing.
"You won. My life is yours!" Chu Tiannan said with mixed feelings, slowly placing the Heaven-Deriving Sword on his back.
Although he was deeply unwilling to accept it, how could he, Chu Tiannan, be someone who clung to life and feared death?
But if he fell this time, he feared he would be gone for good, with no hope of ever returning...
What a pity. I didn't die in the jaws of a profound beast, only to die at the hands of someone I saved! Chu Tiannan mocked himself inwardly, but he had no regrets. Even if he could do it all over again, he would still choose to save her.
The air was now suffocatingly still. Luo'er stared at him with her greatsword in hand, but did not strike.
Instead, her slender brows furrowed slightly, as though she were wrestling with something.
"Hmph!" A cold snort made Chu Tiannan, who had closed his eyes to await death, open them again in confusion.
Buzzz!
At the same time, Chu Tiannan saw a streak of red light slash fiercely toward him with a razor-sharp edge, and bitterness filled his heart.
It seemed the ending was already set...