Fight him myself?
Ye Xuan’s face was covered in dark lines.
Shen Huang’s strength had surged several times over, and in Ye Xuan’s current state, he had no chance of winning!
At that moment, Nan Shi said softly, “The power of the Demon God—a profoundly mysterious force. Devout believers may receive the Demon God’s blessing and gain its power. With the Demon God’s power now enhancing him, we absolutely can’t defeat him!”
Ye Xuan asked gravely, “Then what do we do?”
Nan Shi looked at him. “Run!”
Ye Xuan thought for a moment, then nodded. “Great minds think alike!”
With that, he prepared to flee.
But just then, Xuan Yin suddenly appeared before him, bowing respectfully. “Young Master, no need to flee. The Mysterious Realm’s powerhouses will arrive shortly!”
Mysterious Realm powerhouses!
Ye Xuan hesitated, then asked, “How strong are they?”
Xuan Yin smirked proudly. “Strong enough to sweep anyone in this arena!”
Ye Xuan was silent for a moment before saying, “Elder Xuan Yin, are you exaggerating?”
Xuan Yin laughed. “Rest assured, Young Master. Once our Mysterious Realm powerhouses arrive, the Demon Sect will be crushed with a snap of our fingers!”
“Crushed with a snap?”
At that moment, Shen Huang in the distance burst into laughter. “What a bold claim!”
With that, he hurled the Demon God Axe toward Xuan Yin with a mighty throw.
*Boom!*
The axe carried an overwhelmingly terrifying oppressive force, suffocating those in its path.
Xuan Yin’s face changed instantly. He quickly dodged behind Ye Xuan and said, “Young Master, this axe is immensely powerful. Be careful!”
Ye Xuan stood frozen, a stampede of ten thousand horses galloping through his mind.
Naturally, he didn’t attempt to block the axe. He swiftly stepped behind Nan Shi. “Miss Nan Shi, this axe is incredibly powerful. Be careful!”
Nan Shi suddenly reached out and pinched Ye Xuan’s cheek, saying earnestly, “Your skin… is quite thick!”
Ye Xuan: “…”
Nan Shi stepped forward, opening her palm. The jade flute floated out, transforming into a shimmering green shield. Countless ripples danced across its surface like water waves.
At that moment, the axe struck.
*Boom!*
The green shield trembled violently and cracked but didn’t shatter. The jade flute within remained unscathed. In contrast, the blade of Shen Huang’s Demon God Axe showed faint cracks.
Seeing this, surprise flashed in Nan Shi’s eyes. She looked at Shen Huang. “Hall Master Shen Huang, is your Demon God Axe a fake?”
Shen Huang’s face darkened. He hadn’t expected his Demon God Axe to fail to break that sword!
What kind of sword was it?
Nan Shi opened her palm, and the Qingxuan Sword appeared. She smiled, about to speak, when Ye Xuan interrupted, “Miss Nan Shi, don’t waste words in a fight. Strike while he’s weak—take his life!”
Nan Shi leaned closer to Ye Xuan, her expression calm. “We can’t beat them! This is Demon Sect territory, and above Shen Huang, there’s a Divine Demon watching us from the shadows.”
Ye Xuan frowned. “Divine Demon? The Demon Sect Leader?”
Nan Shi shook her head. “Not the Leader—a highly mysterious demon beast. It arrived here not long ago.”
Ye Xuan scanned his surroundings, then said, “Why can’t I sense it?”
He looked at Nan Shi.
She hesitated, then asked, “Mind if I speak the truth?”
Ye Xuan quickly said, “No need—I understand!”
Nan Shi: “…”
Inwardly, Ye Xuan asked, “Small Pagoda, can you sense it?”
The Small Pagoda was silent for a moment before saying, “Mind if I speak the truth?”
Ye Xuan: “…”
Beside him, Nan Shi added, “This is Demon Sect territory. Killing our way out is nearly impossible. Our only option is to stall for time until reinforcements arrive!”
She used a mystical transmission, so only Ye Xuan heard her.
Ye Xuan asked gravely, “Do we have reinforcements?”
Nan Shi turned to him, countering, “Don’t you?”
Ye Xuan looked at Xuan Yin nearby. “How much longer until they arrive?”
Xuan Yin hesitated, then said, “Soon, I suppose!”
Ye Xuan’s face darkened. “Soon… You’re not even sure?”
Xuan Yin gave an awkward smile. “It’s very far from here! It’ll take some time!”
Ye Xuan’s head ached.
This old man seemed utterly unreliable!
In the distance, Shen Huang refrained from attacking again, wary of the sword in Nan Shi’s hand. Though he now wielded the Demon God’s power, he wasn’t confident he could defeat her.
After a moment of silence, Shen Huang said, “Nan Shi, what do you think of that sword in your hand?”
Nan Shi blinked. “It’s excellent!”
Shen Huang looked at her. “You must know you can’t escape with him and the Immortal Treasure Pavilion’s forces. If I were you, I’d take that sword and leave!”
Sowing discord!
Nan Shi blinked, seeming somewhat tempted.
Seeing this, Shen Huang pressed on, “Miss Nan Shi, if you insist on protecting him, you’ll pay a heavy price. Unless the entire Immortal Treasure Pavilion’s forces come here, you can’t save him! As for him being a VIP, I think you’ve done enough. Even if you retreat now, no one will criticise you. Don’t you agree?”
Nan Shi thought for a moment, then said, “I must admit, you make some sense!”
Ye Xuan suddenly tugged at her sleeve. “Do you really like this sword?”
Nan Shi nodded enthusiastically.
Ye Xuan smiled. “Someday, I’ll have my sister craft one just for you!”
Nan Shi looked at Ye Xuan, slightly displeased. “Do you really think I’d abandon you because of his words? What kind of person do you take me for?”
Ye Xuan felt a mix of shame and guilt, about to speak, when Nan Shi added, “Introduce me to your sister someday. The sword’s not important—I just love making friends!”
Ye Xuan: “…”
In the distance, Shen Huang suddenly said, “Since Miss Nan Shi won’t leave, you can stay here forever!”
As his voice fell, the distant mountain range trembled violently. Moments later, two colossal demon beasts burst from the peaks, their massive forms blotting out the sky, utterly terrifying.
Sixth-Realm demon beasts!
Beside Ye Xuan, Nan Shi’s face darkened. “They’re opting for a group assault!”
At that moment, Shen Huang declared, “Leave none alive!”
None alive!
With his command, the ten great demon kings and their forces charged at the Immortal Treasure Pavilion’s powerhouses.
The other three hall masters closed in as well!
With the addition of the two massive demon beasts, Ye Xuan’s side was now at an absolute disadvantage!
Nan Shi was silent for a moment before turning to Xuan Yin. “Old man, how much longer until your people arrive?”
Xuan Yin opened his mouth but hesitated.
Nan Shi frowned. “You don’t know?”
Xuan Yin nodded.
Nan Shi asked, “What *do* you know?”
Xuan Yin hesitated, then said, “I only notified the Mysterious Realm, but whether they sent anyone, or who they sent… I don’t know!”
Ye Xuan quickly asked, “What about my mother?”
Xuan Yin looked at him and shook his head. “The Mistress… I don’t know!”
Ye Xuan nearly collapsed. “My heavens…”
Nan Shi’s head ached as well.
Ye Xuan suddenly asked, “What’s your rank in the Mysterious Realm?”
Xuan Yin hesitated, then said, “It’s… decent… decent…”
Ye Xuan: “…”
At that moment, the Small Pagoda said, “Young Master, maybe we should just run! This old man doesn’t seem reliable!”
Ye Xuan nodded in fervent agreement. He looked at Nan Shi. “Shall we run?”
Nan Shi was silent for a moment, then said, “We can’t escape!”
With that, she opened her palm, revealing a token.
Closing her eyes, Nan Shi said, “Help!”
Her voice fell, and the token shot into the sky, vanishing into the starry depths.
Moments later, a massive black vortex appeared in the distant starry sky.
Shen Huang looked up at it, his eyes narrowing. He was wary of the Immortal Treasure Pavilion, not just for its strength but for its immense wealth!
Wealth meant manpower!
Even the Demon Sect didn’t fully grasp the Pavilion’s true power!
Now, Nan Shi was clearly summoning more reinforcements!
At that moment, twelve figures burst from the black vortex!
All twelve wore white battle armour, wielding silver spears, exuding a terrifying aura of slaughter.
All twelve were Sixth-Realm powerhouses!
Seeing this, Shen Huang’s face darkened. “Immortal Soldiers!”
Immortal Soldiers!
These were the Pavilion’s elite troops, tasked with safeguarding its interests across the myriad realms. A legendary force, nearly all who encountered them perished!
They rarely appeared, but when they did, it was to kill!
Summoning these twelve meant the Immortal Treasure Pavilion was prepared to fight the Demon Sect to the death!
A true fight to the end!
At this moment, Shen Huang grew calmer.
He looked at Ye Xuan in the distance, a question rising in his mind: Why was the Immortal Treasure Pavilion so determined to protect this Ye Xuan?
At that moment, the leader of the Immortal Soldiers stepped forward, looking down at Nan Shi. In a hoarse voice, he asked, “Nan Shi, your orders?”
Nan Shi pointed at Ye Xuan. “Immortal Commander, Young Master Ye is our Pavilion’s highest-level VIP. Escort him out of here and to the main headquarters!”
The Immortal Commander glanced at Ye Xuan, bowing slightly. “Understood!”
Nan Shi added, “Immortal Commander, ensure his safety. You must protect him to the headquarters at all costs, even if it means all of you perish!”
The Immortal Commander nodded. “As you command!”
Ye Xuan suddenly looked at Nan Shi. “Why?”
Nan Shi turned to him, smiling faintly. “We’ve chosen you, and many have died for it. If we abandon you now, wouldn’t those deaths be in vain? Wouldn’t we have offended the Demon Sect for nothing? We have no way back—we can only bet everything!”
Ye Xuan fell silent.
Nan Shi leaned closer, looking into his eyes. “Young Master Ye, I may die here today. Can you tell me honestly—will I lose this bet? If I do, even if I survive, I’ll face dire consequences back at the Pavilion. I’ve used an immense amount of our resources and dragged the Pavilion into this quagmire of war…”
She paused, then added, “Am I disappointing you by being so pragmatic?”
Ye Xuan hesitated, then nodded. “A little… I thought you were helping me because you were charmed by my dashing looks, maybe even had a bit of a crush…”
Nan Shi immediately turned away. “Hall Master Shen Huang, your earlier proposal for a truce—I think we can discuss it. Let’s talk…”
Ye Xuan: “…”
