An arrogant voice bellowed from behind.

“Long Di! Hand over the spiritual vein root! If you do, I will pause my pursuit and allow you to leave!”

****

Long Di and company looked back to see not just Jixie Wudongyuzhong, but the entirety of the experts within the Spiritual Bingqi realm biting at his heels.

An expert from the horde lowered his bow at the failed sneak attack.

“You’re just speaking up now? Is there a reason for that?” Long Di asked.

When Jixie Wudongyuzhong heard this, his face reddened with embarrassment before fury quickly took over. “Tch! Don’t blame me for being unreasonable, then!”

D-D-D-Dum!

Nine orange high-grade cauldrons materialised behind him in an instant and through the use of dizzying hand seals his puppets unleashed heavy auras that made it obvious at a glance that they had also entered battle mode!

“You’re sure you want to shake this tree?” Long Di asked. “You might not like the fruit that drops from it.”

Jixie Wudongyuzhong sneered. “Don’t try to act tough! The Noble Attendant might have helped you get some breathing room, but I know you’re nowhere near your full power!”

It was obvious to everyone else and not just Long Di that the reason Ci Heliu was so ambling in her actions was to give Long Di time to heal.

This was why Long Di thanked her a second time.

The Sacred Celestics were existences that didn’t take action lightly. Their strength was among the most powerful on the continent, and they were quite aloof. Though she also had motives of her own, Ci Heliu also remained so long beside Long Di to give him a bit of a breather.

She knew the experts present wouldn’t dare to attack her here since just her position in the Sacred Celestics race was something that they couldn’t compare to. However, she couldn’t do this for long. Based on her mission this time around, she couldn’t interfere too much, so she could only do this little.

In fact, Yaomu Shou’s position in the demon race was similar in standing, but the Sacred Celestics were even more so lofty as a race as a whole.

Boom! Boom!

Several earthen walls propped up in front of them, forcing Yaomu Shou to slice them apart with her sword.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

“Bastard!” Yaomu Shou cursed when she saw even more earthen walls blocking her way.

“I hate those Nitu demons! Long Di, I’m going to have to fight them. I’ll hold them back while you and the others escape!” Yaomu Shou was furious at the moment.

“By yourself?” he asked.

“We have no choice! They’ll keep hounding us like this and these earthen walls are going to eat away at our time.” As she said this, fifty percent of the cracks in the sky were healed.

In addition, she knew that Long Di wasn’t able to get fully healed. In fact, he was nowhere near close. He was maybe two parts out of ten healed. His spiritual qi and spiritual force levels were abysmally low. Only his somatic essence was at somewhat decent levels.

“Fine, let’s do it your way then,” Long Di agreed, prompting Yaomu Shou to release him.

He then released Zi Yu and Yaomu Baiyin. There was no sense in keeping them aloft as well, since Yaomu Shou’s superior speed was no longer in play at the moment.

She then rushed back towards the incoming horde and brandished her sword in an instant before unleashing a slash at Jixie Wudongyuzhong!

The puppet master immediately felt a strong sense of death envelop him as the slash raced towards him!

B-Boom!

Several earthen walls appeared before Jixie Wudongyuzhong, wearing down the power of the slash before it crashed into his puppets!

“Ack!”

He coughed up a mouthful of blood from the shock alone!

He stared in horror as Yaomu Shou’s killing intent soared and her sword trembled as flashes of violet light lit up the surrounding area.

Even more unbelievable was the fact that her cauldrons had yet to materialise. Meaning over 50% of her combat prowess was sealed.

There was no doubt about it. Had it not been for the earthen walls, he would have been killed just now!

Yaomu Shou looked coldly to the side where she saw Chen Jie beside an incensed Er Jinshu. “You truly think I won’t kill you don’t you?” she asked.

“I know you want to kill me, I can feel it, but do you dare to!? After all, I’m sure your family has some reservations about that!”

Er Jinshu’s voice was like the grinding of metal. Every word spoken was spat with venom!

‘Yaomu Shou I need to leave!’ Yaomu Shou heard Long Di’s voice in her head. There was a tinge of urgency there. This was recognisable by the volume level. She was slowly beginning to understand this friend of hers.

“Go!” Yaomu Shou yelled to Long Di and the others before she unleashed another slash.

This time it was much stronger and enveloped over half the experts chasing down Long Di, Er Jinshu and Jixie Wudongyuzhong included.

Er Jinshu was angry that she truly dared to take them all on, “You underestimate us too much!”

Vrreeee!!!

His cauldrons shrieked as their rotation speed increased. They began rumbling, causing the surrounding air to shudder!

Whoosh!

A copious amount of spiritual energy was sucked into his cauldrons as he activated his cultivation technique. He was going all out right now!

Pa!

He slapped his palms together. “Golden Aegis!”

Shing!

Glowing golden lines spread all over his body in an instant until they covered his entire body.

Ripples then appeared all over, making him appear like a statue composed of molten gold.

Yaomu Shou’s eyes narrowed when she saw this. She quickly weighed the pros and cons of killing Er Jinshu right here and now.

Obviously, she knew the terror of this technique as it what was allowed the Iron Body Forge Sect to quickly rise through the ranks to become a great sect. Of course, a great sect was still not enough to stand up to the Yaomu family, but there were too many restrictions that held her back.

The Iron Body Forge Sect was one of the great powers in the Demon Region and as a result, their standing and importance in the Demon Region couldn’t be understated.

However, no matter what she couldn’t allow Long Di to be killed here!

There was no if, buts, or maybe. He needed to leave here alive. She had invested far too much in him. A spiritual vein root, an earth flame, and her friendship.

The latter reason alone granted him immunity.

“Long Di go!”

Everyone had stopped a while ago, just a few seconds at most, but Long Di was running out of time and he couldn’t waste any more precious seconds.

Long Di hesitated about leaving her here to fend for herself.

“But I-”

“Just go! You’ll d-” she quickly shut herself up not wanting the mob eyeing Long Di like a fat piece of meat to grasp their time issue.

Jixie Wudongyuzhong and Er Jinshu were already aware of some things, but there was no need to confirm their guesses.

“Make sure you survive,” Long Di told her.

“If you die here, I will return to raze the Demon Region to the ground,” he then took off with everyone else to escape the Spiritual Bingqi realm.

“Shameless boasting!” Er Jinshu shot off like a cannonball towards Long Di!

“You dare to ignore me!?”

A roar of boundless chilling arrogance descended followed by a giant purple sword light that cut through the air!

Er Jinshu’s blood ran cold and his survival instincts screamed their warning, forcing him to twist his body in a strange manner!

Another collection of hardened earthen walls propped up before the sword light flew through them like butter landing on Er Jinshu!

Boom!

The purple sword light nearly cleaved Er Jinshu in half as it cut through his left clavicle all the way to his right thigh!

The erection of the earthen walls by Chen Jie allowed him a split-second ability to pull off a risky dodge that allowed him to achieve his goal!

When Yaomu Shou saw where she sent Er Jinshu flying her face paled.

“Long Di!”

Er Jinshu was sent careening towards the escaping Long Di. No blood flowed from Er Jinshu’s body due to the unique ability of Golden Aegis. In addition, the molten gold-like composition of his body allowed the parts that were split to meld back together like clay.

She shot off towards him to protect Long Di when a horde of puppets descended upon her like a mob!

“Jixie Wudongyuzhong!” Yaomu Shou was enraged to the point of near madness. She raised her sword, which glowed with an even more intense violet light.

“Break for me!”

Countless pieces of puppets exploded under Yaomu Shou’s power. However, this was enough, as the puppets slowed her down just enough for not only Er Jinshu but a great amount of the horde to pass her and continue their pursuit of Long Di.

Long Di turned his head to see Er Jinshu closing in on him with frightening alacrity!

The latter extended his palm outwards as it shone with a golden light.

“Die for me! Ten Thousand Golden Revolution Refinemen-”

Suddenly, a peaceful voice drifted over followed by a palm brimming with righteous benevolence to slay devils and grant salvation.

“Amitabha. Can we not all have a feast and live in peace?”