A wager of lives

The onlookers on the South Peak were startled by the loud noise.

Someone murmured, their face pale:

"With two Vajra warriors and that even more powerful expert in the sky, Xu Yinluo is in grave danger in this battle."

Everyone immediately fell silent. Even these martial arts practitioners who blindly worshipped Xu Qi'an could see the current situation clearly.

"There will be other helpers, right?"

Another person offered a word of comfort.

Rongrong took a deep breath, clenched her fists, pursed her lips, and her face was full of tension.

Young Master Liu sighed inwardly, worried about Xu Yinluo while glancing at his master, thinking: See, this is why I don't pursue her.

Like him, Rongrong had someone she loved and was thinking about someone she shouldn't be thinking about.

The difference is that the person Rongrong longs for is even more unattainable.

But the middle-aged swordsman gripped his beloved sword tightly, staring intently at the distant battlefield, oblivious to his disciple's inner turmoil.

At this moment, Cao Qingyang and the others flew through the air and arrived at the top of the South Peak.

"Alliance Leader!"

A group of martial artists rushed forward to meet them.

"Leader, do you have any more help?"

"Can the old alliance leader emerge from seclusion? We can't let Xu Yinluo fight alone; he can't defeat so many experts."

Who is that celestial woman?

A series of questions were thrown out, and everyone chimed in with their own opinions.

Cao Qingyang frowned and sat cross-legged silently on the edge of the cliff.

Xiao Yuenu said in a deep voice:

"Quiet!

When has Xu Yinluo ever lost?

That simple sentence seemed to have a decisive effect, instantly silencing the surrounding noise.

They silently recalled the rumors and deeds of Xu Yinluo in their minds and found that he had indeed never lost.

Whether it's a battle of magic among Buddhist School, the rebellion in Yunzhou, the lone defense of Yuyang Pass, or the execution of a tyrannical emperor, etc.

He had never been defeated, as if he were favored by heaven and earth and blessed with good fortune.

Rongrong let out a breath and loosened her clenched fist.

The women of Wan Hua Lou surrounded their mistress, crowding around her as she watched the battle from the cliff edge.

"Splash!"

Amidst the swirling clods of earth and rubble, Xu Qi'an pulled himself out, his face more solemn than ever before.

Whether it's the Vajra of Salvation, the Vajra of Difficulty, or the Rain Master Nalan Tianlu, they are all stronger than him now. If his cultivation were to recover, he might be able to overpower one of them.

But asking him to take on three opponents at once is still too much of a stretch.

"They don't know my purpose in stalling for time, which is my biggest advantage. If I can hold them off for just fifteen minutes, the old leader will be able to cooperate with me to counterattack them after he comes out of seclusion."

"Well, I'm not fighting alone either; I also have the Zhenguo Sword and the Taiping Saber."

His thoughts stopped abruptly at that point, for dark clouds rolled in from above, and a lightning bolt as thick as a water vat once again appeared.

At the same time, Dongfang Wanrong reached out again and unleashed a curse attack on him.

"Boom!"

A blinding blue-white lightning bolt engulfed him.

Xu Qi'an appeared dozens of feet away, unharmed by the lightning bolt. He had just avoided the effects of the curse-killing technique thanks to his "luck".

This kind of curse technique, which is cast without any medium, not only has reduced power but is also easily blocked. However, Nalan Tianlu previously managed to make Xu Qi'an fall for it by suppressing him with his high rank.

This time, Xu Qi'an, thanks to his "lucky streak," forced Nalan Tianlu to score a "miss."

Then use the shadows to jump and escape.

He had barely steadied himself when Du Nan Jingang finished his sprint, leaped forward, and, propelled by the collapsing ground, pounced on Xu Qi'an, his palm blade aimed at his neck.

"Buddha's disciple, since you are unwilling to convert to Buddhist School, then go and reincarnate."

The palm blade gathers energy, resembling the sharpest peerless divine weapon.

In fact, given his indestructible physique, this strike was no different from the slash of a peerless divine weapon.

Even a third-rank martial artist would have his defenses breached if he were struck.

Du Nan Jingang's goal was clear: to take his head.

A third-rank martial artist is said to have an indestructible body, but when they first enter this realm, losing their head means death. Only when they reach the middle stage, when their life force has been refined and become more robust, can they make up for this weakness.

However, if his head is severed and sealed, the warrior will slowly exhaust his life force and perish completely as he tries to regenerate repeatedly without success.

Du Fan Jingang appeared silently behind Xu Qi'an, his palms like knives, aiming for Xu Qi'an's back, his target being his heart.

Nalan Tianlu, who was controlling Dongfang Wanrong, opened his palm again and cast the curse killing spell. This time, he succeeded.

Just as Xu Qi'an's body was about to be covered by the shadow, he was interrupted, and the shadow receded like the tide.

The three extraordinary individuals joined forces, aiming for a swift and decisive victory with a single blow.

At the critical moment, a figure stepped on a flying sword, whistling like the wind. Li Lingsu, who was lying in ambush nearby, seized the opportunity and pointed the Hun Tian Mirror in her hand at Xu Qi'an and the two Vajra.

Du Fan and Du Nan's bodies suddenly stiffened, their eyes momentarily blank, as half of their celestial souls were forcibly pulled out.

That force seemed to lack momentum and failed to succeed.

But this gave Xu Qi'an a chance to catch his breath. He calmly turned sideways, dodging between the two palm blades, and simultaneously spun around, transforming into a windmill.

The Zhenguo Sword and Taiping Saber swept across the battlefield.

Clang, clang, clang! The storm of blades slashed at the necks of the two Vajra warriors, sending blinding sparks flying. Finally, with a "poof," Du Nan and Du Fan's necks were severed, and dark golden blood gushed out.

Dark golden blood was sprinkled down, and any plants that touched the blood of Vajra withered quickly.

The effect of the Heavenly Soul leaving the body wore off in an instant. Seeing that they had lost the initiative, the two Vajras covered their necks and retreated.

By this time, Li Lingsu had already fled far away.

He cleverly escaped the area shrouded in dark clouds, avoiding being killed by Nalan Tianlu's thunderous strike.

"Don't recognize me, don't recognize me!"

Li Lingsu rode her flying sword, weaving through the dense forest and using the trees to conceal her figure.

"I didn't even have time to disguise myself. Damn Xu Qi'an, I shouldn't have saved you. Isn't it a sign of justice for scum to die in a heavenly tribulation?"

Li Lingsu muttered to herself as she fled into the distance.

"Xu Yinluo broke through the physical body of the Vajra."

To the spectators on South Peak, this scene was a complete turn of events, and their eyes lit up.

Cao Qingyang and the others no longer looked tense.

At least they knew that Xu Yinluo had a chance of winning, and wasn't just someone who could only take a beating.

Rongrong was overjoyed, but suddenly she noticed that her master beside her was stiff, staring blankly into the distance, his expression a mixture of joy, sorrow, and anger.

Rongrong followed her gaze and looked at the hilltop where the man who had flown on a sword had disappeared.

That person just now seemed somewhat familiar. Rongrong frowned slightly; the distance was too great for her to see the person's gaze clearly.

"Master?"

Rongrong asked in a low voice.

The beautiful woman, well past forty, suddenly realized what was happening, shook her head to indicate that she was alright, but seemed unwilling to speak.

"Qi Huan Dan Xiang, you control the nearby beasts and search for Li Ling Su's whereabouts. White Tiger, you can ride the wind and are the fastest. Once Qi Huan Dan Xiang finds that stinking Daoist priest's trail, immediately reveal your true form and lead us to hunt him down."

Seeing Li Lingsu descend like a divine warrior, nearly changing the course of the battle, Liu Hongmian quickly issued orders.

Baihu and the others had no objections; Liu Hongmian's suggestion was exactly what they wanted.

"Slurp."

Xu Qi'an licked the dark golden blood off the Zhenguo Sword, his eyes lit up, and he revealed a look of joy.

"Such potent Vajra power! If I could drink the blood of just one of you, my Vajra Divine Skill would be perfected."

When one cultivates the Vajra Divine Skill to its highest level, their skin and blood will turn dark gold, Essence Blood will contain Vajra Divine Power.

Cao Qingyang's absorption of his Essence Blood, thus acquiring the Vajra Divine Skill, is a case in point.

"Arrogant!"

The Vajra of Salvation shouted.

Vajra does not possess the ability of martial artists to regenerate flesh and blood, despite their extremely strong vitality. Xu Qi'an was about to press his advantage and seize this opportunity.

The "Dongfang Wanrong" in the sky opened her arms again, this time not towards Xu Qi'an, but towards the two Vajra.

Blood-red light surged from the bodies of Du Nan and Du Fan, and the flesh and blood writhed and healed rapidly on the terrifying wounds inflicted by the Taiping Blade and the Zhenguo Sword.

Blood Spirit Technique!

This is the ability of a ninth-grade Blood Spirit Master.

Unleashing the potential of a target or oneself is often used to create fearless, painless warriors.

Nalan Tianlu stimulated the life force of the two Vajra warriors, enhancing their self-healing abilities in a short period of time, making them comparable to third-rank martial artists.

"This is really troublesome; the wizard's methods are all flashy and complicated. Ten minutes left."

Xu Qi'an took a deep breath to calm himself down.

After helping Fan recover from his injuries, Nalan Tianlu was no longer just a support; he formed hand seals and summoned a phantom from the heavens and earth.

The figure was blurry, with a faint vertical eye on its forehead. It had a human upper body and a snake lower body, and was a Demon Race.

In terms of blood relations, this phantom is the grandfather of the great demon Zhu Jiu.

A snake demon with Gods and Devils blood.

Four hundred years ago, he was beheaded by the rain master Nalan Tianlu in the desolate northeastern wilderness.

After summoning the phantom, "Dongfang Wanrong" raised her hand, and bolts of lightning slashed down from the clouds, weaving a lightning spear in her palm.

"Xu Qi'an, Wei Yuan first destroyed my physical body, then killed my only son."

"Dongfang Wanrong" looked down at him and said slowly:

"His death in Jingshan City was the cycle of cause and effect. But my revenge is yet to come, and you are his most trusted junior. Today, I will kill you!"

She swooped down, wielding a thunder spear, carrying countless tiny arcs of electricity.

At the same time, Du Nan and Du Fan, in their Vajra incarnations, appeared as golden afterimages, attacking from both sides.

"One day, I will raze Jingshan City to the ground, slay the Witch God, and sever your lineage of witches through suppression!"

Xu Qi'an shouted loudly.

The pagoda trembled, emitting a dazzling golden light, and an aura of supreme power and majesty descended upon Dongfang Wanrong.

It interrupted her aggressive dive.

Ta-da!

During this brief respite, Xu Qi'an brandished his sword and engaged in hand-to-hand combat with the two Vajra warriors.

His extraordinary martial arts skills allowed him to easily multitask and defend against the attacks of two Vajra warriors.

His immortal body's extraordinary endurance and vitality allow him to recover instantly even after taking a heavy blow from Vajra, as long as he avoids having his head severed. His stamina is several times greater than that of Buddhist School Vajra.

In contrast, the two Vajra warriors quickly developed fine sword marks on their bodies, just like a normal person being cut by a knife. Although they were superficial wounds, they were bleeding profusely.

This is the best that the national treasure sword can achieve.

Vajra's physical defense is stronger than that of a third-rank martial artist of the same level.

Behind Dongfang Wanrong, the illusory figure's vertical eye between its brows trembled repeatedly. Suddenly, a beam of dark light shot out and struck the Floating Pagoda.

The majestic aura froze, and then Dongfang Wanrong reached out and cast a curse spell on the Floating Pagoda.

When!

A tremendous tremor emanated from inside the pagoda, accompanied by a sound like a striking bell.

Curse-killing spells can also be cast on artifact spirits.

After the curse took effect, Nalan Tianlu did not fight the Law Treasure to the death, but instead swung his thunder spear and lashed it hard against the tower.

With a deafening crash, the golden light dissipated into fragments, and the pagoda flipped and flew out, crashing into a distant mountain peak, sending millions of tons of rocks and soil flying in a tremendous display.

This is the extraordinary battle.

"The mountain collapsed."

The people on the South Peak were stunned, clearly realizing their own insignificance.

The Floating Pagoda could only hold them back, not fight a second-rank expert head-on. Xu Qi'an felt a chill run down his spine. Although he had never underestimated Nalan Tianlu, the Rain Master, the opponent's combat power was still terrifying.

This is a truly powerful individual capable of killing him.

At his peak, Nalan Tianlu was a second-rank peak Rain Master.

After losing their physical body, their cultivation level decreased slightly, but since a wizard's main power comes from their Primordial Spirit, the decline was not significant.

Xu Qi'an was actually glad that he was a wizard, not a martial artist or a sword cultivator like Luo Yuheng, because the latter two were known for their killing power.

Wizards, on the other hand, are known for their enigmatic nature and leadership skills; the battlefield is their home turf, and their combat abilities are somewhat weaker.

Sizzle

The lightning spear slashed down from above, Xu Qi'an's body quickly "melted" in the lightning, emerging from the shadows of trees dozens of feet away.

As soon as Xu Qi'an landed, Nalan Tianlu seemed to have foreseen his landing spot. The phantom above him suddenly turned its head and looked over, its vertical eye shooting out dark light.

It struck him squarely, melting away the flesh and blood in his chest, leaving his entire body stiff.

"Before the art of divination, your shadowy leaps are already under my control."

Nalan Tianlu said calmly.

At this moment, Du Nan Jingang opened his palm, where there was a trace of blood.

Xu Qi'an's blood.

This was something that Du Nan Jingang deliberately collected during their recent battle.

Nalan Tianlu lightly wiped his fingertips, staining them with blood, and then opened his palm, aiming it at Xu Qi'an.

This time, it was a curse-killing technique using blood as a medium, a curse-killing technique cast by a second-rank Rain Master.

With the rank of a second-grade rain master, using flesh and blood to cast a curse-killing technique on a third-grade martial artist, even if it doesn't kill him instantly, it can at least severely injure him on the spot.

Most importantly, with blood as a medium and the status of the Rain Master, it is possible to effectively prevent Xu Qi'an from being "blessed with good fortune," achieving a 100% success rate.

Thump thump thump. Amid the minor earthquake, the two Vajra warriors naturally wouldn't let such a good opportunity pass by. They rushed out, one punching Xu Qi'an's chest, which was corroded by the dark light, while the other held his palm like a knife, trying to cut off his neck.

Three extraordinary realm experts have once again joined forces to create a deadly trap.

This time, Li Lingsu was unable to appear.

Laugh!

The paper burned silently.

"Invalid!"

A beam of clear light rose from beneath Xu Qi'an's feet, imbuing him with Vast Righteous Qi, making him impervious to all evil.

The paper given by Zhao Shou contained the Law Power of a peak third-rank expert.

The curse technique failed to work, Xu Qi'an's body "melted" and reappeared in the distance.

He once again escaped certain death.

With his cultivation at the early stage of the third rank, he has been locked in combat with two Vajra warriors and a Rain Master until now.

The spectators on the South Peak were holding their breath for him.

Du Nan Jingang's eyes twitched, and an uncontrollable surge of anger welled up in his heart.

Despite the combined efforts of the three, he managed to break free time and again, and they were unable to capture him for a long time.

So troublesome.

Asura Vajra clasped his hands together and said, "Amitabha!"

He calmed his anger by chanting Buddhist mantras.

"There are still five minutes left, and the Confucian School Law Technique can last for another two minutes. During this time, I don't need to worry about Nalan Tianlu's curse killing technique, and I can engage in some close combat."

Xu Qi'an, carrying a brass sword and a Taiping knife, took the initiative to meet the three.

In this battle, there was originally no back-and-forth exchange, no fierce fighting.

Because of the presence of Nalan Tianlu, a second-rank rain master, Xu Qi'an would die on the spot if he were captured and controlled by him.

He was walking a tightrope over a cliff, facing certain death at any moment.

This is the price of fighting against three extraordinary beings single-handedly.

Now, with the Vast Righteous Qi Confucian School him, he can shield himself from the dark light and curses of the phantom. Therefore, Nalan Tianlu is now equivalent to a third-rank martial artist (heroic soul summoner).

He was facing only three third-rank martial artists.

It is well known that warriors are crude and vulgar.

Don't be afraid!

The four-way battle then began. Relying on the sharpness of his Taiping Saber and Zhenguo Sword, Xu Qi'an fought against three opponents single-handedly. Although he was in a very sorry state, he made all three enemies pay a bloody price.

Their battle caused a landslide that destroyed half of the main peak.

This was because Xu Qi'an would occasionally take to the air and shift the battlefield there.

Two minutes passed quickly, and the clear light surrounding Xu Qi'an dissipated.

Seeing this, Nalan Tianlu decisively withdrew from the battlefield, smeared the blood he had collected from Xu Qi'an on his palm, and cast a curse on him.

Laugh!

The paper burned, and the dissipated light rose again, rendering the curse ineffective.

Xu Qi'an pulled out a stack of papers, put them in his mouth, and laughed:

"You continue."

The two warriors were furious.

You underestimate me.

Nalan Tianlu said calmly, "Do you think the Rain Master can only summon wind and rain?"

"Isn't that right?"

Xu Qi'an countered with a question, clearly pleased to use conversation to buy time.

"That's because you don't know the true nature of the Rain Master. The next rank after the Rain Master is the Great Wizard, and the Great Wizard can use the Principle of heaven and earth to merge with heaven and earth and make the position of heaven and earth work for him."

"It can even drain the power of this entire region, turning fertile land into a desert. The Rain Master's ability to bring rain signifies that he has begun to control the power of heaven and earth."

Nalan Tianlu sighed, "I have lost my physical body, and I did not want to forcibly draw upon the power of this world, as this would cause me to suffer a backlash."

He opened his arms and said in a deep voice:

"The wind is coming!"

A hurricane swept through the area within a hundred miles of Quanrong Mountain, sending sand and stones flying.

"Rain is coming!"

Within the territory of Quanrong Mountain, dark clouds covered the sky, lightning flashed and thunder roared, and torrential rain poured down.

In this terrible storm, Xu Qi'an saw trees wither rapidly, fertile soil turn into sand, and rocks decay. The power of the five elements was stripped away and transformed into pure power, flowing into Nalan Tianlu's body.

He was like the master of this world.

The same tactic was used once before by the Grand Wizard when he dealt with Wei Yuan.

With such godlike skills, Cao Qingyang and the others stood trembling in the storm.

"Thump."

Some people couldn't hold on and knelt down in the wind and rain, heads bowed, as if in repentance or begging for mercy.

The lower-ranking martial artists all knelt down, not because they wanted to, but because they could no longer straighten their knees in the face of divine might.

Cao Qingyang and the other fourth-rank martial artists did not kneel, but their bodies trembled incessantly as they struggled to hold on.

It's impossible to win. This thought flashed through everyone's minds.

Xu Yinluo's undefeated myth has absolutely no credibility in the face of such power.

Despair!

A feeling of despair welled up in Xu Qi'an's heart.

The heavy rain poured down on his head, like endless cold water, extinguishing his fighting spirit.

The wind whipped against him, as if urging him to run away quickly.

The martial artist's premonition of danger was triggered; every cell in their body was screaming, "Run!"

Xu Qi'an felt as if he were facing not an enemy, but the entire world.

At this moment, he felt as if he had returned to Yuyang Pass, back to that night when he sat alone on the city wall.

Below the city stood 80,000 enemy troops, and behind them was Empress Joan of Arc.

There is no future in sight, no way out.

Those in dire straits have nowhere to retreat!

In that environment, he grasped the meaning of "jade shattering."

"Buzz!"

The sword that guarded the nation trembled violently.

The Taiping sword automatically detached from its owner's hand and floated quietly to one side.

"Vast Righteous Qi!" he said softly.

With a hiss, all the paper pages burned, transforming into Vast Righteous Qi that protected them layer by layer.

Amidst the wind and rain, and the darkening sky, Xu Qi'an stood in mid-air, looking down at the Rain Master, who resembled a deity.

"Nalan Tianlu, do you dare to gamble your life with me?!"

The deep, powerful roar, like thunder, echoed between heaven and earth.

PS: 5500 words.