"Die!"

As his fist struck Ling Chen, Xu Chao also shot forward, his metal claws bombarding Ling Chen violently.

Faced with the fists tearing through the air, Ling Chen steadied himself. A sharp glint flashed in his eyes as he swung his Cloud-hidden Sword.

Before Xu Chao's metal claws could touch Ling Chen, Ling Chen's Cloud-hidden Sword had already lashed out, piercing Xu Chao's body.

A large, bloody hole appeared on Xu Chao's chest; his heart had been pierced and shattered by the sword.

Eyes bulging, Xu Chao's body crashed to the ground, dead but his eyes remained wide open.

"What?"

Mei Ji's pretty face changed drastically. She clearly hadn't expected Ling Chen to kill Xu Chao, and she involuntarily retreated.

Seizing the opportunity, Ling Chen used the Heavenly Emperor Heavy Sword to shred the black silk binding him. He then thrust his sword violently behind him, aiming straight for Mei Ji's throat.

CLANG!

Just as the Heavy Sword was about to pierce Mei Ji's throat, a ray of light suddenly shot out, striking Ling Chen's sword and knocking its trajectory off course.

The Heavenly Mansion Sword was nearly sent flying. Ling Chen's body shot back, retreating to a distance of ten zhang.

A handsome young man appeared in his line of sight—it was none other than Chu Tiange, the Demon Young Master.

Elder Geng had actually been killed by Chu Tiange, reduced to a headless corpse.

"Chu Tiange, help me kill him quickly!"

Mei Ji's eyes were filled with terror as she looked at Ling Chen. It was simply inconceivable that she and Xu Chao had joined forces, yet Ling Chen had still managed to kill one of them.

"Boy, cripple your Dantian, and I might spare your dog's life," Chu Tiange said coldly, his gaze fixed on Ling Chen.

"If I really crippled my Dantian, that would be the height of foolishness." A non-committal expression appeared on Ling Chen's face, then a hint of seriousness flickered in his eyes. "Besides, who do you think you are, to make me cripple my own Dantian?"

"What did you say?"

A trace of killing intent suddenly surged in Chu Tiange's eyes, followed by a cold smile. "I'll show you right now if I'm qualified."

Trying to confront Chu Tiange head-on is simply seeking death, Mei Ji thought, a smile appearing on her face as she looked at Ling Chen as if he were already a dead man.

Without another word, Chu Tiange drew his sword and slashed at Ling Chen.

Ling Chen neither retreated nor dodged. His Cloud-hidden Sword rose to block, parrying Chu Tiange's sword.

CLANG!

Sparks flew in all directions. Ling Chen's body was knocked back more than ten steps, and cracks appeared beneath his feet.

The arm holding the sword throbbed with a slight numbness.

He is indeed a formidable opponent, Ling Chen thought, shocked. Chu Tiange's strength was undoubtedly a whole tier above Mei Ji's and Xu Chao's.

His Cultivation had reached the level of a Second Realm Grandmaster. Both his Cultivation Technique and Martial Arts were extremely powerful. He was no ordinary genius.

"Do you now realize how insignificant your strength is?"

The contempt in Chu Tiange's eyes intensified. His figure flashed, and he once again swooped towards Ling Chen like lightning.

Not intending to confront Chu Tiange directly, Ling Chen immediately channeled his True Qi to his legs. He stomped hard and leapt back, landing on a beacon tower more than ten zhang high, then used Wind Shadow Step to dart in the opposite direction.

"Where do you think you're going!"

Chu Tiange's Light Skill was also quite formidable. He too leaped onto the beacon tower, closely pursuing Ling Chen.

The two, one chasing and one fleeing, flashed quickly across the city wall.

Ling Chen glanced into the city. The fight between the warriors of the Righteous Path and the Demon Way was in full swing. Over a hundred bodies already littered the ground, most of them belonging to the Righteous Path.

The Demonic Sect was well-prepared, their trap already set. Thus, even though East Desolation City had superior numbers, they suffered heavy losses. What's more, a large number of Demonic Sect spies were mixed among them, their sudden attacks impossible to defend against.

Ling Chen's gaze swept across the battlefield, spotting Tian Dan in a perilous situation, besieged by three Demon Martial Artists.

The three Demon Martial Artists were roughly on par with Tian Dan in strength. Their joint attacks had already left three wounds on Tian Dan, his robes stained crimson with blood.

Ling Chen unleashed his top speed, swooping down like a mighty eagle to reach Tian Dan.

"Flowers in the Mist."

He swung his sword, unleashing countless sword images.

The sword images intertwined, forming a translucent Sword Flower.

CRACK!

The sound of bones breaking echoed.

The three Demon Martial Artists screamed, vomited blood, and were sent flying back more than ten meters, all fainting on impact.

"Thank you for saving my life!"

Having narrowly escaped death, Tian Dan quickly cupped his fists towards Ling Chen, his face full of gratitude.

"We are mere acquaintances; there's no need for thanks. Leave quickly. I fear East Desolation City won't hold much longer."

Ling Chen himself was struggling to survive; he could only save Tian Dan this once and couldn't guarantee his safety indefinitely.

"Ling Chen, stop running. Today, this Young Master will take your head."

Chu Tiange's True Qi was profound, containing immense Energy. He had slain more than ten Righteous Path warriors blocking his way and burst out from the crowd. Gripping his blood-covered Treasure Sword, he thrust towards Ling Chen's throat.

WHOOSH!

Ling Chen shifted his stance, his figure splitting into three illusory images.

"Demonic Heart Seeking Path!"

A black light flashed in Chu Tiange's eyes. With a wave of his arm, three sword images fanned out.

Each sword nearly grazed Ling Chen's body. If Ling Chen hadn't cultivated Wind Shadow Step to the Great Accomplishment stage, Chu Tiange would have already diced him into dozens of pieces.

Even so, Chu Tiange's third sword still managed to reach Ling Chen. However, Ling Chen precisely blocked it with his Cloud-hidden Sword, the tip of Chu Tiange's blade striking the body of Ling Chen's sword, sending sparks flying.

Ling Chen's body was once again forcefully knocked back.

"Little brother, I'll lend you a hand!"

"I'll help you too! Let's kill this demon!"

Two Great Master Level Powerhouses stepped forward. One was the Third Level Great Master who had previously guarded the west gate, and the other was a First Realm Grandmaster.

With a long cry, the Third Level Great Master raised his saber with both hands and slashed down at Chu Tiange.

"Overconfident fools, like mayflies trying to shake a tree!"

Chu Tiange's expression turned grim, and his Long Sword shot out.

The rapidly spinning Long Sword shrieked. Before the Third Level Great Master's saber qi could descend, SQUELCH! Chu Tiange's sword pierced his body.

The next moment, Chu Tiange withdrew his Long Sword and kicked the Great Master Level Powerhouse in the abdomen, sending him flying.

Then, with a turn of his blade, another vertical slash severed the other Great Master Level Powerhouse's arm.

Before Chu Tiange, the two Great Master Level Powerhouses couldn't even cause a ripple before being defeated one after another.

"Boy, you're dead today. There's no point in futile struggles!"

Chu Tiange poured his vast true Energy into his sword. He then leaped high, tilted his head back, and roared as a boundless demonic aura swept out madly in all directions.

"Many are the geniuses of the Demon Way, but only my Chu Family's song resounds to the heavens!"

As his shout faded, his expression turned solemn. A layer of black qi suddenly surged onto his sword. He looked like a true demon wielding a Demon Sword, his malevolent aura soaring to the heavens.