Outside.
Dark clouds loomed over the city.
They shrouded everyone's hearts.
Only the general smiled and said, "By now, that Ye Qiubai should have been killed, shouldn't he?"
On the Hidden Dao Academy's side.
The Sword Hall elder's gaze sharpened at those words, and he immediately shouted, "What have you done?!"
The Confucian Academy elder also looked up from the book in his hands, turning an icy gaze upon the general!
Yet the general acted as though he saw nothing. Paying no heed to the oppressive presence of the two peak Water Overflow Realm experts, he unleashed his own cultivation to resist their imposing pressure.
Spreading his hands, he smiled. "Ye Qiubai was our purpose in coming here. Otherwise, why would our Sunset Dynasty send people all the way to this southern barbarian land just for a mere Blood Prison Secret Realm?"
Earlier.
They had also wondered why the Sunset Dynasty had sent people here.
After all, the Northern Region had plenty of trial grounds like the Blood Prison Secret Realm.
There was no need to come to the Southern Region specifically!
Now, the truth had been revealed.
The Sunset Dynasty's target was Ye Qiubai!
Sword Intent swirled around the Sword Hall elder, his eyes filled with murderous severity. A sword was already in his hand!
"If anything happens to Ye Qiubai, our Hidden Dao Academy will not let you off."
The Confucian Academy elder had always been calm, but this time, he did not stop the Sword Hall elder from speaking.
After all, he felt the same way!
The general sneered instead. "The martial path has always been filled with life and death. If Ye Qiubai is inferior to others and falls midway along that path, who can he blame?"
"Besides... does your Hidden Dao Academy dare wage war against our Sunset Dynasty? I'm afraid even your main academy wouldn't agree, would it?"
The Hidden Dao Academy's legacy extended throughout the four regions, and naturally, a main academy stood above them.
And the Hidden Dao Academy's purpose had always been to spread the Dao throughout the world, so it naturally would not agree to wage war against other powers.
The general continued mockingly, "If it were your main academy, our Sunset Dynasty might show some wariness. But the likes of you?"
The general said no more, but everyone understood what he meant.
Enraged, the Sword Hall elder stepped forward, only for the Confucian Academy elder to stop him.
"Don't attack. Let's watch how things unfold first."
Only then did the Sword Hall elder stop.
In his eyes, Ye Qiubai's talent in the sword Dao was extremely important to the Hidden Dao Academy.
If he did not fall along the way, Ye Qiubai would become a sword cultivator renowned throughout the four regions!
That was also why the Sword Hall elder was so furious.
"Let's hope Ye Qiubai can weather this crisis..."
Meanwhile.
Inside the Blood Prison Secret Realm.
Ye Qiubai was racing across the blood-colored wasteland.
His other hand held a medicinal pill, absorbing its medicinal potency to replenish his Spiritual Qi continuously.
Lu Changsheng had given him this pill.
Its effects were naturally outstanding.
Before long, half the Spiritual Qi depleted by repeatedly using the fourth sword of the Nine Swords of the Heavenly Demon had been restored!
With Ye Qiubai's current strength.
Although he could use the fourth sword.
Using it repeatedly would still leave him very weak!
That was also why Ye Qiubai had chosen to retreat first.
Ye Qiubai glanced behind him.
Behind him, those three black-clad figures were still hot on his heels, refusing to let go!
Behind the black-clad figures were the four armored men, with Qiu Libei bringing up the rear!
He wanted to watch Ye Qiubai die with his own eyes!
Only then would he be at ease.
"This won't do. He's recovering his Spiritual Qi."
Suddenly, one of the black-clad figures warned, "We need to act."
"What kind of pill lets him recover while fleeing, and so quickly at that?"
"Enough nonsense. Burn your blood essence, or things might change once he recovers!"
When these words were spoken, the other two remained calm and offered no objection.
As though this were the most ordinary thing in the world!
That was also why people called Shadow Kill a band of lunatics.
For the sake of a mission, they would stop at nothing!
Even mutual destruction, or burning their blood essence!
Even sacrificing their teammates...
As long as they could kill their target!
There was no extreme they would not resort to!
With that, a blood-colored aura swirled around all three at once!
Their blood essence began to burn.
Their auras surged instantly!
For a moment, their speed soared, and they shot toward Ye Qiubai!
At the sight, Ye Qiubai's eyes could not help narrowing.
They would burn their blood essence just to kill him.
Their determination was clear.
Ye Qiubai also came to a stop. He had completely absorbed the pill, and his strength had returned to its peak!
The three black-clad men surrounded Ye Qiubai.
They formed a triangle!
Of course, they too sensed that Ye Qiubai's strength had recovered.
But as assassins.
They would not waste words on meaningless talk.
So what if his strength had recovered?
Ye Qiubai was still their target.
Too many words would inevitably lead to a slip.
The more one spoke, the more mistakes one made.
This was an assassin's rule.
They would not let such a minor mistake cause their mission to fail!
Immediately.
All three formed an ancient-looking hand seal at once, and a killing formation instantly surrounded Ye Qiubai!
Within this killing formation, banks of mist began spreading ceaselessly, enveloping Ye Qiubai!
The killing formation took shape.
The three figures also vanished from Ye Qiubai's sight.
It was not merely their figures that disappeared.
The scenery beside him, the auras around him.
All vanished!
The four armored men and Qiu Libei also arrived.
Watching this scene, they could not help laughing. "Shadow Kill's Mist Concealment Killing Formation. With them casting this formation at the cost of burning their blood essence, Ye Qiubai has absolutely no chance of escape."
"Inside this Mist Concealment Killing Formation, Ye Qiubai's perception is cut off. He probably won't even know how he dies."
Clearly, the four of them were also extremely wary of this Mist Concealment Killing Formation.
At this moment, inside the killing formation, Ye Qiubai frowned slightly as well.
He could not sense where those three men's auras were.
But he knew they had to be hiding in this mist!
This was far stronger than the illusion formation at the academy competition back then...
Suddenly, a dark shadow launched a surprise attack from behind Ye Qiubai!
Startled, Ye Qiubai rolled, evading this fatal strike.
Yet a gash was still cut into his shoulder!
The wound was deep enough to expose bone!
Had Ye Qiubai not reacted in time, he would likely have died on the spot.
The black-clad figure in hiding also looked astonished.
He had not expected his sure-kill strike to be dodged.
Ye Qiubai's expression was grave as he looked around. The formation had no flaws whatsoever!
Everywhere he looked, there was nothing but mist!
Since his eyes were useless...
Ye Qiubai closed his eyes and stood tall within the mist.
Abandon sight!
Abandon sensation!
Abandon all perception!
Feel with the heart.
See with the heart!
See through all things in the world with the Mind's Eye!
"Empty theatrics!"
Before the words had even faded, a dagger thrust toward Ye Qiubai's heart!
Ye Qiubai still did not open his eyes.
Yet the longsword in his hand slashed toward the dagger!
Clang!
The sound of clashing metal rang out!
The dagger was sent flying, disappearing into the mist!
This was a special mental technique within the Primordial Sword Scripture!
The Mind's Eye!