Arrogant

The fifth stage shattered at a touch.

The sixth stage died with a single slash.

After being poked a few times, the seventh stage also stopped moving...

Within one li of the formation, everything was pulverized beyond recognition. Dozens of men in black drifted off to sleep permanently.

They lay scattered across the ground in every direction. Broken weapons rolled alongside severed arms and legs, and emerald green fluid flowed everywhere...

In the air, the dust gradually settled, the chaotic winds died down, and the scent of blood grew increasingly thick.

Chi Ji's face was a mixture of green and white. She held her long spear horizontally behind her, the tip pointing downward as emerald droplets dripped steadily from it.

Her eyes were dim, her expression slightly contorted, and her stomach had long been churning.

Yet she forced herself to raise her gaze and look ahead, into the center of the field of corpses.

A white-haired youth was grabbing the long blue hair of the mangled seventh stage Little Marquis with one hand, hoisting him up. Amidst despair and fear, he used the heavy sword in his other hand to slit his throat.

The victim's hands hung limp, and his knees buckled.

When his neck was opened, his entire body twitched violently, his eyeballs bulging outward.

Within a few breaths, his pupils dilated and he went still.

Xu Xian let go.

The man collapsed into the pool of blood like a pile of mud.

The youth shook his blade, his white hair swaying without wind, revealing a somewhat sickly face.

The corners of his mouth tilted upward. He was smiling, yet it radiated an endless chill.

The light in his eyes was a gloomy gray.

He looked across at Chi Ji with an expression full of playfulness.

Despite having just fought a major battle, and despite being covered in blood, he acted as if nothing had happened—he even seemed a bit excited.

For reasons unknown, the moment their eyes met, Chi Ji unnaturally lowered her gaze, deliberately avoiding his sight.

She was a bit afraid.

Even though they were on the same side.

Xu Xian stepped out of the pool of blood. His heavy sword hit the ground, its tip sinking deep into the shattered earth. Leaning on the hilt with one hand, he produced a jar of wine from somewhere.

He gallantly bit out the wooden cork with his teeth and spat it onto the ground.

"Pui!"

Tilting his head back, he took several deep gulps.

"Gulp, gulp. Ah! Refreshing!"

With a look of satisfaction, he let out a long sigh, his red tongue licking his lips where emerald blood had splattered.

Slightly sweet!

He stared at Chi Ji and teased, "You're too weak. You'll need to practice more in the future."

Chi Ji swallowed hard. She raised a hand and pointed at him, asking weakly, "Are... you okay?"

Xu Xian glanced at his own body.

His black clothes were already soaked, stained a dark green. His hands were also covered in emerald blood. He shrugged and said, "I'm fine. This is their blood."

The blood of the demon race was emerald green, resembling plant sap.

It looked even more disgusting.

However, it had to be said that the blood volume in their bodies far exceeded that of humans or beasts.

He was covered in it.

Of course, it might have been because the space was too small, making it difficult to maneuver.

Chi Ji remained silent for a long while before inexplicably saying, "You're really incredible."

Xu Xian was speechless.

Do I need you to tell me how incredible I am?

He downed two more mouthfuls of wine and said casually, "Alright, there's one left. Kill her, and I'll have earned your money."

Chi Ji didn't speak, merely staring blankly at the youth.

It wasn't that she was stingy with the money.

It was just that she still found it hard to believe.

In less than the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, he had slaughtered everyone, leaving only an initial eighth rank greater demon king stage.

If it were anyone else, she certainly wouldn't have held any hope.

Thinking a sixth stage could beat an eighth stage?

Absurd.

But now, she didn't dare be so certain.

Xu Xian drained the wine jar in one breath, not forgetting to shake it to ensure not a single drop was wasted.

After the jar hit the ground, he beckoned to Chi Ji.

"Come here."

Without thinking much, Chi Ji retracted her spear and walked over.

Xu Xian narrowed his eyes and said, "You go out first."

"Huh?"

Before Chi Ji could react, Xu Xian grabbed her arm and flung her out.

Her body passed through the invisible formation wall that had blocked everyone else as if it weren't there.

Like falling into a mirror, everything before her eyes changed instantly.

Xu Xian put away Wait and wiped his lips. "Time to get serious."

Within the Heaven-Sealing Trapping Formation, he summoned the Sword Tower and drew the sword from the second floor.

Yellow Spring Burial.

The Heaven-Sealing Trapping Formation could be used for more than just trapping others or defending.

It also allowed Xu Xian to summon the Sword Tower quietly without being noticed by others.

Back when the second floor of the Sword Tower was completed and he saw that the third floor required Shadow Soul Stones, he knew he would have to make a trip to the Demon Abyss.

That Sword Tower was far too conspicuous. If he entered the Demon Abyss and encountered danger, he would need the swords within to respond, so he had to find a middle ground.

Thus, the little book spirit had taught him this Heaven-Sealing Trapping Formation.

Ancient formations were difficult to learn, but Xu Xian was exceptionally gifted and mastered it instantly.

Given his current realm, the range of this formation wasn't large, but it was enough to summon the Sword Tower.

Those below the eighth stage could not escape once inside, and even an eighth stage could not shatter the formation in a short time.

It was just a bit expensive.

It required the use of golden talismans from the Daoist sects to engrave the formation runes.

One golden talisman cost a hundred thousand spirit stones.

Using eight at once meant eight hundred thousand...

Provided it wasn't destroyed by external forces, it could be reused three times.

It was used once to temper Yao Xiaoxiao's body.

It was used once in the sand sea to kill evil cultivators.

And now it was used again.

The next time he used it, he would have to get new talismans and rewrite the runes.

Outside the Heaven-Sealing Trapping Formation, the red-clad woman had been trying to break the formation, unleashing all her lethal moves.

After an incense stick's worth of time, just as the formation wall seemed on the verge of collapsing, Chi Ji suddenly flew out from within.

The woman couldn't help but startle.

Chi Ji landed, using her spear to brace herself against the ground, kicking up a cloud of dust.

At this moment, she was still in a daze, not understanding what game Xu Xian was playing.

Before she could even steady herself to think, the red-clad woman had flashed to her side, followed by a surge of pressure and immense gravity crashing down.

Her spear sank instantly, and she was slammed toward the ground.

Kneeling on one knee, she struggled to hold herself up.

She was unable to move!

She strained to raise her eyes, meeting the gaze of the red-clad woman.

The other woman looked down from above, scrutinizing her with the absolute posture of a ruler, and asked coldly, "Just who is he?"

Although the intelligence had indeed mentioned the existence of a white-haired demon, he was clearly only a sixth stage demon sovereign.

Why did he possess such a sword, and why did he have such methods?

This was beyond expectations and defied reason.

For some unknown reason, Chi Ji felt a surge of confidence. Her gaze didn't waver, and her voice remained firm, even carrying a hint of mockery as she said,

"He is the one who will take your life."

The red-clad woman arched a brow beneath her mask and sneered, "A mere sixth stage? Is he even worthy?"

"Heh."

Chi Ji let out a laugh and said nothing more, though her eyes held a confidence they had never possessed before.

The red-clad woman assumed she was just being stubborn. Just as she was about to mock her, a voice rang out behind her.

"Hey!"

She abruptly turned around. Upon seeing the field of corpses, her brows furrowed deeply.

All dead?

Not a single survivor?

She looked up. Atop the pile of corpses, the youth stood straight, a sword wreathed in endless black mist resting on his shoulder.

The sword was no ordinary weapon.

The youth was no ordinary person.

Her instincts screamed at her.

Danger. Be careful.

The youth slowly raised his blade, the tip pointing toward the space between her eyebrows.

Xu Xian smiled and said, "Woman, interested in making a deal?"

Cold light flickered in the emerald eyes behind the red-clad woman's mask as she replied with interest,

"Let's hear it."

Xu Xian said arrogantly, "Kowtow to me and call me 'Grandpa,' and I'll leave you an intact corpse later."

The red-clad woman froze. Realizing she was being toyed with, her eyes filled with murderous intent. "Lowly thing, do you think you're worthy?"

Xu Xian struck out with his sword, enveloped in endless death qi as he charged forward, not forgetting to mock her.

"Then I'll chop you into pieces and feed you to the dogs."

The red-clad woman also charged, meeting him head-on with a low shout.

"Arrogant!"