Gu Luo let out two cold laughs, then suddenly burst into motion, charging at Xiao Chen. At this point, words were useless. Zhao Lin'er followed suit. Flight had proven futile; only by enduring the corrosive corpse essence and slaughtering Xiao Chen could they find a way out.
Two long swords crossed as they slashed toward Xiao Chen's chest and abdomen. Simultaneously, the man wielding the flame blade charged forward, his blazing long knife chopping fiercely at Xiao Chen's neck.
Xiao Chen's sword erupted with a dazzling radiance. His strokes were broad and sweeping, parrying the combined assault of the three. At the same time, the three skeletons transformed into streaks of white light and surged forth, confronting the three experts before them.
It was evident that Zhao Lin'er and Gu Luo, afflicted by the corpse essence, had their combat strength greatly diminished. Even in a united front, they were at a disadvantage.
Sword aura filled the forest. Xiao Chen spun and delivered a reverse slash. His returning sword unleashed a blinding beam that grazed the back of Zhao Lin'er's neck. Strands of black hair scattered in the wind—the Royal Celestial Maiden's locks were severed at the neck. Had she been a fraction slower, her head would have fallen.
Zhao Lin'er broke out in cold sweat. Born into royalty, she had never experienced such a brush with death—the sword's edge nearly sent her through death's doorway.
Gu Luo's heart also trembled. In his eyes, Xiao Chen was utterly dangerous—a man with a heart as hard as iron. He showed no mercy even to such a stunning beauty, regarding her with cold indifference. What wouldn't he dare do? Gu Luo had originally considered negotiating with Xiao Chen at a critical moment, offering great benefits to sway him. Now he completely abandoned that notion.
As Gu Luo and Zhao Lin'er stood stunned, Xiao Chen's long sword shattered the flame blade. With an incomparably brilliant diagonal slash, he cleaved the flame-wielding man from shoulder to waist. Blood sprayed everywhere, and the two halves of the corpse tumbled onto the blood-soaked forest floor.
Seeing Xiao Chen approaching with his dripping iron sword and the three skeletons encircling their retreat from behind, Gu Luo's face shifted between shades of gloom. Zhao Lin'er furrowed her brows but could think of no countermeasure; her peerless beauty could no longer maintain its composure or calm.
"Enough. Everything ends here." Xiao Chen's voice was utterly calm, but it sent chills through both Gu Luo and Zhao Lin'er.
"Wuu…" "Roar…"
At that moment, a piercing ape cry echoed from afar. The terrain was elevated, and they could clearly see a dozen agile beast silhouettes leaping through the treetops, as if riding clouds and mist. With a mere touch on a branch, they would spring eight or nine meters, moving with incredible speed as they rushed toward the scene.
Zhao Lin'er's face changed drastically. She recognized them instantly—the dozen giant apes that had once protected Xiao Chen, one of which she had killed just days ago.
The battle had roused them from their nearby habitat.
In mere moments, the giant apes arrived. Each stood about three meters tall, covered in black fur, terrifying under the moonlight. They landed and quickly surrounded the area, standing like a forest of massive stone tablets, grim and imposing.
At the center was a four-armed aberrant ape standing four meters tall, its blood-colored fur gleaming with an eerie light under the moon. The cold beams from its eyes fixed on Zhao Lin'er like chilling lightning.
Xiao Chen summoned the three skeletons to his side. With the arrival of these vengeful giant apes, the outcome was sealed even without his intervention.
But suddenly, a blinding radiance erupted among the trees. A great net of interwoven lightning descended upon the giant apes. Caught off guard, all but the blood-colored aberrant ape were struck down, convulsing and unable to move. Even the blood-colored ape staggered.
The sudden change left everyone momentarily stunned. Then, a pure white celestial horse, smooth as jade and shimmering with a faint glow, transformed into a streak of silver light, dashed to Zhao Lin'er's side, swept her up, and vanished into the distance.
It happened too fast!
The blood-colored aberrant ape let out a furious roar, like a thunderclap in the moonlit night. Its body crackled, emitting sparks of electricity as it shook off its paralysis, then leaped wildly in pursuit of the little one-horned sacred beast.
After a quarter of an hour, the other giant apes recovered from their convulsions and followed without looking back.
All of this was so abrupt!
Now only Gu Luo remained, standing alone. Yet he showed no despair; instead, a faint smile curled at the corner of his mouth.
Xiao Chen sensed trouble. He left an afterimage at his spot and charged forward, but he was too late. Gu Luo unfurled a scroll that carried him aloft, floating high into the sky!
"I always thought this scroll was a useless trinket. I never thought I'd need it to escape today." Gu Luo's voice was filled with bitter frustration and rage as he glared venomously at Xiao Chen.
"Why didn't you flee earlier?" Xiao Chen asked coldly.
"Because it can only carry one person. I suspected that little one-horned sacred beast might appear. Using the scroll to escape alone too soon wouldn't have been ideal. Of course, if the beast hadn't come and I faced true mortal danger, I would have fled. Heh—hasn't everything that happened just proven my guess? Leaving now is only fitting." Gu Luo's gaze was sinister, fixed intently on Xiao Chen.
Xiao Chen showed no anger; he only said coldly, "You're playing with fire. From the start, and even now." As he spoke, he traced a few motions through the air. Brilliant light coalesced into a giant hand, sweeping up several swords from beside the corpses.
Then he leaped into the air, landing on the crown of a giant tree, rapidly closing the distance with Gu Luo.
Gu Luo cried out in alarm and urged his flying scroll to dart away like the wind. Xiao Chen left an afterimage on the high treetop, then sprang to the crown of an even taller tree. He skimmed across the canopy like a streak of light, closing another dozen meters before reaching the tallest tree in the area.
The distance to Gu Luo had narrowed considerably. Xiao Chen's body radiated a dazzling brilliance as if he were boiling with the speed of his movement. Flames of light danced around him like blazing fire. At that moment, he hurled the first long sword with all his might!
Xiao Chen had infused the sword with his purest primordial energy, turning ordinary iron into divine metal. The sword blazed like a rainbow, cutting through the tranquil night!
"Pfft!"
Blood burst in the air, scattering large drops of crimson. Gu Luo let out a miserable scream. The sword had pierced his right arm clean through—and severed it! The severed limb fell, and a rain of blood scattered through the sky.
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