Sikong Zun pursued them all the way, while Ling Xiao and the others fled desperately.
As they neared Northern Desert City, they did not encounter any Black Crow Army interception.
Yet Ling Xiao felt no joy at all. On the contrary, he was extremely tense.
There was only one reason the Black Crow Army would deliberately keep their distance: they were preparing to loose arrows.
“Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh…”
In the darkness, flaming arrows that lit up the night sky whistled through the air, then fell like a rain of fire over the troops returning to Northern Desert City and the tens of thousands of garrison soldiers from Northern Desert Pass chasing behind.
Even in the dead of night, Ling Xiao could still see the terrifying scene.
The arrows blotted out the sky, like the red sun shattering and plummeting in an apocalypse.
Fear enveloped the entire land.
Wails of death rose and fell without end.
One by one, soldiers around Ling Xiao collapsed, but he was powerless to stop it. He could only activate his Scarlet Sun Feather Robe and save whoever he could.
Arrows that touched the Scarlet Sun Feather Robe melted and vanished instantly.
To outsiders, it looked as if his body was burning after being struck by the flaming arrows, so naturally he would not become the main target. This was actually the perfect cover.
The fire rain lasted a full three minutes before it ceased.
Ling Xiao extinguished the Scarlet Sun Feather Robe and looked at the soldiers beside him, suddenly reduced by nearly half. His heart grew even colder.
“Sikong Zun! All this is that bastard’s doing. If I don’t kill him, I, Ling Xiao, swear I am no man!”
Most of these dead were fine men and women, full of burning passion to serve their country.
Yet they never imagined being betrayed by their own emperor on the battlefield, becoming sacrifices in political strife.
This was something Ling Xiao could not tolerate most.
In the past, he had still harboured some doubts about whether to help Phoenix Hidden Mountain.
But at this moment, he had made up his mind. The Ice Phoenix Clan’s emperor was a beast without a shred of humanity, conscience utterly extinguished.
If this man continued to sit on the throne, countless more innocents would surely perish.
He was not noble.
But he could not keep smiling after being toyed with like this.
This grudge was now set.
“Woo~~ Woo~~”
After one wave of fire rain, the Black Crow Empire’s assault horn sounded, echoing through the heavens and earth.
Then came the overwhelming tide of iron cavalry charging in.
Night was nothing to most martial artists. By condensing inner energy into their eyes, they could see clearly in pitch blackness.
Thus night battles were not unusual in the Profound World.
Wind blew past, carrying the stench of blood and charred flesh. Ling Xiao and Leng Mei fought while retreating, continuing to race toward Northern Desert City.
Once inside the city, they would be temporarily safe.
However, the Black Crow Beasts charged far too quickly, and their group was more or less wounded.
Thus another round of anguished cries rang out.
If arrows could not kill you!
They would finish you with blades!
This was the fearsome strength of the Black Crow Army. They would never give you a moment to breathe.
Ling Xiao drew his Golden Crow Sword, his icy gaze fixed on the foremost Black Crow knights. Suddenly he thrust out with one strike.
“Die!”
The charging Black Crow knights sensed Ling Xiao’s frigid killing intent, but they were in the heat of the charge. How could they care about one half-dead fellow wreathed in flames?
Their long spears shook and stabbed straight at Ling Xiao.
Scarlet Sun Cone!
Scarlet sun radiance flared in the night.
Scorching, boiling!
Filled with rage and battle intent!
The two knights at the very front collapsed almost simultaneously, their bodies igniting.
Shadow Cone!
Ling Xiao’s figure gradually vanished from everyone’s sight, and with his disappearance, the cold Shadow Cone became a lethal weapon.
Two more knights were pierced through, tumbling dead from their Black Crow Beasts on the spot.
The fight did not end there.
Ling Xiao and Leng Mei were both surrounded.
All because the two of them had stayed behind to cover the retreating soldiers.
Ling Xiao had no regrets.
Leng Mei would have none either.
They had no time for regrets at all. In their eyes there were only enemies and battle.
More knights charged Ling Xiao at once, over a dozen of them. Their spear tips aligned toward him, the combined power far greater than a single knight.
“Kill!”
The killing cries shook the heavens. Spear tips glinted coldly in the night, spitting spear light over a foot long.
If Ling Xiao were struck by these dozen spears, not only would he die, his corpse would be torn to pieces.
But he was no one who waited for death.
Light-Shadow Divine Cone!
An even stronger technique was unleashed.
Black and white became the knights’ nightmare.
Their hearts seized. They wanted to halt their charge, but it was too late.
Boom!
Black and white exploded among the dozen-plus knights. All were swept in, then blasted to fragments.
One sword, over a dozen dead, and every one a Mortal Realm or even Heaven-Human Realm knight.
Ling Xiao showed not the slightest tremor.
As if he were slaughtering mere livestock.
Because this was the battlefield. Here there was no right or wrong, no fairness or justice, only killing.
Life here was worth less than grass.
To live was victory.
To die was eternal defeat.
“Go!”
Seeing most had already retreated into Northern Desert City, Ling Xiao called to Leng Mei and leapt into the air.
At this moment, no mount could match movement speed.
Mounts excelled in endurance, not short sprints.
For experts, relying on their own movement arts was naturally faster.
Two people, two swords, unstoppable.
Every Black Crow soldier who tried to block them along the way died beneath their blades.
Not one could withstand a single strike.
Plum blossoms and scarlet sun danced together.
Yet became the Black Crow Army’s nightmare.
At this moment, Ling Xiao and Leng Mei were like gods of slaughter on the battlefield, slaying Buddhas if they blocked, killing gods if they stood in the way.
Northern Desert City’s defensive formations had activated, and counterattacks had begun.
Whenever Black Crow troops drew near, they suffered attacks they could not withstand.
At the city gate.
Li Ruguang stood on one side, Zhang Yufei on the other.
Any Black Crow soldier who tried to rush the gate would be shot dead by their sharp arrows.
They were now waiting for Ling Xiao and Leng Mei to arrive.
Though the Black Crow Army was fierce, the defensive formations upgraded by Ling Xiao were even more terrifying.
Within a hundred metres of Northern Desert City had virtually become a forbidden zone.
Almost no Black Crow soldier who entered could leave alive.
Taking this chance, Ling Xiao and Leng Mei finally reached the gate area.
“Close the city gate!”
With a tremendous boom, the gate slammed shut.
“Has Grand General Ji Ning returned?”
Ling Xiao asked.
“He has returned. Ladies Lan Yuer, Dai Yuling, and Dai Yaoling are helping him try to expel the poison.”
Someone came forward to report.
“Good. With those three, there will be no problem.”
Ling Xiao breathed a sigh of relief.
In pill refining and medicine, he was certainly stronger than those three, but in healing, the three were definitely better than Ling Xiao.
