’Damn it all, I’ve run into desperadoes!’

Amidst the RUMBLE of colliding explosions, Si Houqing struggled to block his enemy’s attacks, a bitter expression on his face.

When a caravan was on the road,

the thing they feared most was encountering these reckless hotheads who acted with no regard for consequences or retaliation from powerful backers!

And the men before him now...

...were undoubtedly just that!

To men like these, it didn’t matter how powerful your background was. As long as your current strength didn’t surpass theirs, you were nothing but prey in their eyes!

’Dammit! How did I get tangled up with lunatics like these? And of all times, it had to be now!’

Si Houqing could no longer be bothered with his usual composure,

and couldn’t help but curse furiously in his heart.

To strengthen the caravan’s security for the transport run from Qing City to Dawan Village, he had sent back his personal guards.

He’d originally thought that flying the banner of the Tian Nan Shen Clan

would be enough to prevent any mishaps.

But against all expectations, this was the result!

’Is this the underhanded work of a competitor? Or am I not the main target and just got caught in the crossfire?’

In a lull in the fierce battle, Si Houqing couldn’t help but ponder his enemies’ origins and motives.

But it was obvious that such thoughts were meaningless.

Judging by his opponents’ actions,

whether he was the target or just caught in the crossfire, there was a nine-out-of-ten chance they wouldn’t let him go!

’I have to find a way out of this!’

In the heat of battle, Si Houqing was contemplating his escape route. In a moment of distraction, the large Han across from him seized the opening. A powerful, heavy fist, gathering immense Magical Power, slammed viciously into his chest!

With a CRACK,

the Talisman shields Si Houqing had slapped onto himself shattered one after another. The immense force punched through his Magical Power Shield and struck his body, making him grunt in pain. His face paled, and he was sent flying.

But after flying back several dozen feet, he tapped his feet on the eaves of a roof, light as a dragonfly on water. He quickly changed direction and abruptly accelerated, soaring like a great bird toward the mountain forests outside the village!

He was using the momentum to try and escape!

But...

escape?

It wouldn’t be that easy!

Midway through his flight,

a tall, thin figure appeared like a black bolt of lightning, shadowing him closely. It cut into his path like a phantom, blocking Si Houqing’s escape route!

It stretched out a hand and swiped a claw through the air, striking at the fleeing Si Houqing!

The withered, wood-like claw hissed through the air, tearing it apart. Bathed in the fluorescent glow of blood-red Magical Power, it radiated an utterly terrifying, heart-stopping aura, looking as if it would slice Si Houqing in two at the waist!

’Not good!’

Si Houqing felt an intense danger; his Spiritual Sense was screaming warnings at him!

This person seemed to be the leader of the three, and also the strongest—at the Qi Introduction Seventh Layer Late Stage, vaguely touching the level of the Seventh Layer Peak!

With such terrifying strength,

if he were hit by this dreadful claw,

death would be certain!

With no other choice,

Si Houqing had to forcibly halt the flow of Magical Power he was using to accelerate his escape.

He had to block this attack first!

With a flip of his palm, a flash of light revealed a Shield in his hand, which looked as if it were carved from White Jade Profound Ice.

Si Houqing poured his Magical Power into it, and the Shield instantly bloomed with a milky-white light, simultaneously emitting a biting-cold aura.

The air temperature plummeted in an instant, and a faint white mist began to form.

Clearly, this Shield was no ordinary item!

In almost the same instant,

the blood-red claw arrived like lightning, slamming viciously against the Shield.

BANG!

A terrifying force exploded outward. The unimaginable impact created a sonic boom in the air.

It was as if a heavy bomb had detonated out of thin air above the street.

A powerful shockwave swept out in all directions, overturning and destroying the surrounding buildings.

It even tore open cracks in the ground below!

And at the same time,

although the Shield had blocked the terrifying claw attack,

Si Houqing felt an overwhelming force surge through the Shield, like a mountain crashing down on him!

He let out a muffled groan, his face deathly pale.

The immense impact sent him flying like a cannonball!

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

He smashed straight through three buildings in a row, leaving a huge hole in each.

Bricks, stones, and wood splinters flew everywhere.

A thick cloud of dust billowed up!

But Si Houqing ignored his injuries, forcibly stabilizing himself amidst the collapsing, flying debris.

He leaped up into the air,

intending to continue his escape. 𝒻𝘳ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝒷𝘯ℴ𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝑐ℴ𝑚

But just then,

a tall, burly figure swooped in.

A fist, wearing a Magic Fist Glove, erupted with brilliant golden light. It gathered a terrifying force capable of shaking mountains and came crashing down on Si Houqing’s head!

KABOOM!

The air was torn apart, the currents collapsing layer by layer, creating visible ripples!

Si Houqing looked up, his breath catching in his throat as he once again felt a mortal crisis!

Having no other option,

Si Houqing took out a Talisman that emanated a peculiar fluctuation. A pained look flashed across his face, but he slapped it onto his body without hesitation.

SWISH!

In an instant,

his figure vanished, teleporting several dozen feet away.

In his original spot,

only a fading afterimage remained.

RUMBLE!

The fist pulverized the afterimage and slammed into the ground, instantly creating a crater several meters wide.

The entire earth trembled violently.

He had consecutively dodged his enemies’ killing blows,

but Si Houqing showed no trace of happiness. Instead, his face was filled with misery.

’I can’t beat them,

and I can’t escape!’

’Is Dawan Village going to be the place where I die?!’

At that moment,

Si Houqing couldn’t help but feel a sense of despair welling up inside him.

He couldn’t help but despair,

because just then,

the tall, thin enemy at the Qi Introduction Seventh Layer Late Stage was coming for him again!

His withered hand flexed into a claw and swiped violently through the air in Si Houqing’s direction.

RIIIP!

As if tearing through cloth,

three crimson, crescent-shaped blood blades, each about ten feet long, ripped through the air. Wreathed in layers of pulverized air currents, they slashed toward him with unstoppable ferocity!

In mid-air,

they flashed by like bolts of blood-red lightning!

But at this moment,

Si Houqing felt his Magical Power drain away.

His consecutive life-saving maneuvers

had almost completely wrung his meridians dry of Magical Power in a short time, to the point that he couldn’t even dodge.

He could only watch helplessly as the three terrifying blood-red gleams slashed down at him!

In that instant,

Si Houqing’s heart plunged into the despair of the Dark Abyss.

But just as the blood-red gleams were about to strike,

just as death was upon him,

"Shopkeeper Si, don’t panic! I’m here to help you!"

A clear, familiar voice rang in his ear like music from the heavens!

Si Houqing heard a series of WHOOSHING sounds slicing through the air.

He then saw over a dozen sword lights erupt from behind him, like lightning tearing through the night sky.

The sword lights were launched in succession,

yet the last ones to be fired arrived first.

They precisely collided with the three blood blades!

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

Along with the massive explosions from the collision, the ground began to shake. A visible shockwave swept out violently in all directions.

Si Houqing’s body was thrown back by the almost tangible air current, and he tumbled wretchedly several dozen feet away.

But thankfully,

the three blood blades, each several meters long, under the assault of over a dozen Sword Light Technique attacks,

were finally shattered and dispersed!