26. Stalling for Time
With Li Miao providing supplies and support, she had no worries at all. Not afraid of exhaustion, she soon ran a mile, circled around a small slope, and disappeared from his sight.
Li Miao snapped back to attention, a strange feeling lingering in his heart, and continued to follow.
Just then, a sudden fluctuation of magical energy came from ahead, as if a cultivator was rapidly approaching!
What’s going on?
He was startled.
Immediately after, a little girl’s scream echoed from the front.
It was Guo’er!
“Not good!”
Li Miao was shocked. His primal energy erupted, and with a single stride, he crossed thirty feet, charging forward at full speed.
He vaulted over the small slope, and a dozen figures appeared before him.
“Guo’er!” he called out urgently.
He saw the little girl—who had just slipped from his view—now captured by a sinister-looking elder. Her petite body dangled like a kitten, held two feet off the ground, her desperate kicks and struggles futile.
“Uncle, save me~” Guo’er cried, her voice trembling with panic.
The group who suddenly appeared exuded strange auras. Guo’er, already shy around strangers, was terrified, her large eyes filled with fear.
“Hehehe…”
A nearby young man let out a chilling laugh and said to Li Miao, “Li, when you struck me that day, you never imagined today would come, did you?”
Li Miao focused his gaze, and the one blocking his path was none other than Sun Hong, whom he had disciplined recently at the Emerald Pavilion.
Alongside him were more than a dozen cultivators, all at the ninth layer of Qi Refining. Four among them had formidable auras, already at the Condensation Realm!
The Sun Family had only six Condensation Realm cultivators, and now four had been dispatched at once!
Li Miao was secretly shocked, but he forced a fierce tone, “Sun Hong, let her go now, or I won’t be merciful.”
“Not be merciful?” Sun Hong, relying on his backup, showed no fear at all and shrugged, “Come as you please. I also don’t intend to be merciful.”
With a wave of his hand, ten Qi Refining ninth-layer cultivators from the Sun Family stepped forward, activated their techniques, and launched an attack without hesitation.
Li Miao’s expression turned cold. His cold steel battle blade appeared out of thin air. He stomped heavily, sending a blade light soaring skyward.
Ten spells rushed toward him, but he didn’t glance at them. He activated the energy shield from his Rift Arm Bracers and, with full force, slashed at the mid-stage Condensation Realm cultivator standing before Sun Hong.
Boom, boom, boom!
Ten spells struck the shield, rainbow lights flashing, and both sides dissipated.
Li Miao’s momentum didn’t falter. His intimidating blade crashed straight down.
“This one is strong, young master. Return to the manor; we’ll capture him and bring his head to you afterward.”
The cultivator spoke, raising a bronze mirror to block Li Miao’s attack.
But Li Miao’s full-force strike was not so easily resisted.
With a clang, the blade struck, sending the bronze mirror flying. The cultivator grunted, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth.
The power of a transcendent warrior was fully displayed—a single exchange left the mid-stage Condensation Realm cultivator seriously wounded!
“I said, let her go!”
Li Miao’s face was grim, murderous intent enveloping everyone.
Sun Hong was intimidated by his ferocious strike; swallowing hard, he quickly said to the elder holding Guo’er, “Fourth Granduncle, let’s return to the manor and leave him to them.”
The elder grunted, grabbed Guo’er with one hand, Sun Hong with the other, and a black mist rose beneath his feet. He ascended and withdrew swiftly.
“Stop!” Li Miao shouted, striding forward with blade in hand.
The other three Condensation Realm cultivators would not let him leave, surrounding him with the ten Qi Refining ninth-layer cultivators.
Boom!
A giant handprint, condensed from magical energy, blocked Li Miao’s path.
Thirteen people sealed him from all directions—unless he sprouted wings and flew, he had no choice but to fight.
“Guo’er…”
The little girl, held aloft by the elderly man, tearfully pleaded for help as her figure receded swiftly.
Li Miao’s heart trembled, bitterly regretting that moment of distraction when he hadn’t followed her closely.
Guo’er was just a powerless child—falling into the hands of cultivators, the consequences were unimaginable!
Yet, there was no room for self-reproach now.
“Kill!”
Someone growled low, and ten Qi Refining ninth-layer cultivators, one Condensation Realm cultivator, and two mid-stage Condensation Realm cultivators attacked together!
In an instant, multicolored lights besieged him, a sense of gloom pervading his heart.
Li Miao withdrew his gaze, eyes burning red. The Rift Arm Bracers silently unfolded; primal energy surged into his battle blade, his rage channeled into a single strike. Ignoring other attacks, he dashed straight at the early-stage Condensation Realm cultivator before him.
“Die!”
Pop~
Bang, bang!
The Rift Arm Bracers blocked several attacks, but the shield shattered. The remaining spells struck Li Miao directly.
Scorching flames and sharp sword flashes left two deep wounds on his body.
He shrugged them off, relying on his formidable physique to withstand the spells, and brought his blade down with all his might across his foe’s chest!
The Sun Family cultivator never expected such madness, nor that Li Miao’s body could take spells without being severely injured.
The blade sliced diagonally, splitting the body in two.
Early-stage Condensation Realm—dead in a single exchange!
Li Miao, furious as a god of slaughter, terrified two Qi Refining cultivators who retreated in panic.
Then Sun Jun, the mid-stage Condensation Realm cultivator, shouted, “Don’t panic! He’s a physical cultivator—let’s skirmish from the sides; we can easily destroy him!”
With this reassurance, the Sun Family cultivators steadied themselves and responded calmly.
“Five Element Sword Arts, go!”
Another barrage of spells crashed down, with five differently colored sword energies standing out in force.
Li Miao swept his blade aside, deflecting four sword energies, but was struck by the last red one. His clothes burned away in patches, and his bronzed skin was scorched black.
His opponents were numerous, and had worked together for years; while none could match him alone, united they possessed formidable power.
Li Miao ignored the pain, darting forward to press the attack, aiming to finish quickly.
But the Sun Family cultivators were seasoned veterans; after suffering losses, they adapted instantly, retreating rapidly at his approach, others blocking him with spells.
“Form the array!” another Condensation Realm cultivator, Sun Miao, commanded.
Ten Qi Refining cultivators formed a circle, waving their sword treasures as ten yellow beams enclosed the area, vaguely forming a strange force field.
The aura from the hazy yellow light surpassed the Qi Refining realm; under the array’s effect, it was even more formidable than the Condensation Realm cultivators.
Li Miao felt his body grow heavy, his strength seemingly drained, anxiety rising.
This battle was not in his favor!
Facing the siege alone, he couldn’t exploit his agility, as spells rained upon him ceaselessly. The Rift Arm Bracers’ shields opened and broke repeatedly, and soon his body was riddled with wounds.
Spells and sword energies crisscrossed the battlefield; he was hard-pressed to cope.
Flames scorched his clothes, three sword wounds sliced his flesh, blood gurgled forth.
Since arriving in this world, it was his first time being injured!
Li Miao realized he couldn’t drag this out any longer. He focused his mind, and silver star patterns emerged from his chest. A wild, immense power erupted from deep within his bloodline!
Stellar Holy Body, activate!
“Get out of my way!”
He growled, power doubled, and the array’s force field effect diminished greatly.
He stomped hard, cracking the ground three feet deep. His figure flickered—taking a sword energy head-on, he finally burst through the encirclement, gaining a chance to strike back.
The battle blade rose and fell.
A Qi Refining cultivator cried out, “Help me!”
A dozen sword energies and spells rushed toward him.
Li Miao silently slashed across the Qi Refining cultivator’s neck, then advanced half a step, using the corpse to shield himself from incoming spells before dodging toward another foe.
Supported by the Stellar Holy Body secret art, his strength and speed soared. The second Qi Refining cultivator couldn’t react in time before being split open with a vertical slash.
Blood sprayed everywhere. Li Miao’s eyes blazed red, his murderous intent intense.
The two mid-stage Condensation Realm cultivators sensed danger and quickly channeled their true energy, summoning their treasures.
“He can’t sustain this state for long—delay him; I’ll kill him!” Sun Jun said coolly, summoning a small golden bell that rapidly expanded to the size of a bucket, radiating an overwhelming aura.
He struck the bell with a palm full of true energy.
“Dong~”
The bell rang, sending tangible golden ripples outward. Li Miao, having just slain his third foe, took the brunt of it—he felt as if a giant hammer smashed his chest, forcing him to spit blood.
Even with his tough physique, he couldn’t withstand this sonic attack!
The golden bell showed its might. Sun Jun was delighted and poured true energy into another strike.
“Dong~”
“Ugh…”
Li Miao’s chest tightened, but he forced himself to swallow the rising blood and pressed on.
“Hold him back!” Sun Jun commanded.
Sun Miao immediately flung a silver whip treasure toward Li Miao’s feet to entangle him.
If caught, escape would be difficult.
Li Miao understood, but dared not let Sun Jun continue ringing the bell; he had to take a risk!
He took a deep breath, channeling all his primal energy into the blade, and with a sweeping motion, hurled the entire battle blade with all his strength!
“What?!”
Sun Jun’s eyes widened; he never expected Li Miao to throw his weapon.
With Li Miao’s full force, the blade flew at blinding speed, smashing into the golden bell before Sun Jun could react.
Boom!
The blade, carrying the power of a mountain-and-river-class transcendent warrior, struck with terrifying force!
The golden bell shattered with a deafening crash.
The blade’s momentum didn’t stop—piercing straight through Sun Jun’s chest and out his back, it flew several yards before embedding in the earth.
Sun Jun froze, unable to handle the backlash from his destroyed life treasure, and was pierced through the lungs. A torrent of blood sprayed out.
Sun Miao was shaken to his core, horrified as he watched Sun Jun slain.
But he had no time for grief. Taking advantage of the moment, he wrapped Li Miao’s feet with the silver whip, pulling tight and anchoring Li Miao in place.
Li Miao lost his mobility, but his reddened eyes and fierce murderous aura showed no fear!
“You will all die!” His mind was on Guo’er’s safety; he had no desire to linger—he wanted a swift victory.
“Don’t be arrogant—kill him!” Sun Miao ordered.
Terrified by Li Miao’s relentless killing intent, his voice seemed to lack confidence.
The seven remaining Qi Refining cultivators were also deeply afraid, but dared not slack off, lest Li Miao break free and decapitate them. They each used their strongest techniques, trying to slay him.
Li Miao was furious, but not reckless.
He dared to throw his weapon because he had another trump card!
Crackle~
Suddenly, purple light flashed and thunder roared unexpectedly.
The spirit sword Purple Jun appeared in his hand. Activated by primal energy, it unleashed bolts of lightning.
Boom!
Electric serpents descended from the sky; two Qi Refining cultivators standing together convulsed violently, their magical energy disrupted, their treasures dimmed.
“It’s the aura of a spirit treasure!”
Sun Miao’s eyes widened, fear mixed with greed.
He poured true energy into the silver whip, tightening it to sever Li Miao’s legs. Meanwhile, his right hand summoned a black talisman, which erupted in dark light. A wave of black evil energy surged toward Li Miao.
Swords and spells struck, shattering the Rift Arm Bracers’ shield again.
The Stellar Holy Body rapidly consumed genetic primal energy; Li Miao gritted his teeth, weathered another assault, and swept the Purple Jun sword.
Crack!
A twisted purple bolt lashed out—spirit treasure power was beyond Qi Refining cultivators’ ability to withstand. The remaining six were struck by purple lightning and fell instantly.
Sun Miao was stunned.
Only he remained on the field.
Li Miao turned his gaze on him; Sun Miao cried out, intimidated by the murderous aura, and fled, abandoning his treasures.
No one wants to die—the higher the cultivation, the more one clings to life!
Li Miao snorted coldly, pointed Purple Jun skyward, and thunder crashed down!
Boom!
Lightning was incredibly fast. Sun Miao, not watching for attacks from behind, was struck on the crown, his body shuddering violently before collapsing in a heap.
The battle was over.
Li Miao relaxed, the tension draining from him. His expression grew haggard, his breath disordered.
His injuries were severe—his clothes were tattered, his body covered in wounds from spells and sword energies; scarcely an inch of skin was intact. Fortunately, the physique of a primal energy warrior far surpassed ordinary cultivators, so his life wasn’t in immediate danger.
He untangled the silver whip, quickly circled the battlefield, beheading any survivors to prevent future trouble, then hurriedly retracted the Stellar Holy Body.
With the secret art withdrawn, his strength was nearly emptied, and he staggered, collapsing to the ground.