CHAPTER 48: CHAPTER 48: PROTECTIVE SHIELD!

"Young Master~ wait for your sister."

The soul-consuming murmur came from behind him.

Upon hearing this soft, warm, and fragrant voice, Qi Xiu felt as if he had been struck by lightning.

His mind was instantly filled with fanciful thoughts. Countless images of blushing faces and quickening heartbeats flashed before his eyes.

In a daze, it was as if he was embraced by a pair of warm arms, and his whole body softened.

The speed that had been significantly ahead was visibly slowing down.

Sorcery. This fellow is probably not going to escape...

At the city gate, Yuan Baiyi had a solemn expression.

In his sight, around Qi Xiu, there were four or five faint pink fox-shaped mists, flirting and teasing his mind.

This was the Fox Demon’s charm spell. Without the cultivation of the Initiate Realm or the True Gang Protective Body, an ordinary person, once captivated, would definitely not be able to break free.

Seeing the Mutated Beast Horde approaching closer and closer from behind, Qi Xiu, with his mind in chaos, strained to maintain the last bit of clarity.

He bit the tip of his tongue hard.

He spat out a mist of blood.

With a quick grab, he used the blood from the tip of his tongue as ink.

In an instant, Qi Xiu wrote a ’Suppression’ character between his eyebrows.

Guarding the mind!

Repelling all evil!

HUMMM—

The ’Suppression’ character between his eyebrows shone brightly!

This time, the Suppression Talisman was different from the usual dazzling golden light.

Instead, the light was subdued, seeping into Qi Xiu’s body.

After stepping into the third realm of calligraphy, the ’Suppression’ character’s Divine Marvel evolved.

From the externally ferocious Suppressing Golden Light, it gave birth to the internally gentle Guarding Golden Light.

All evil desires and whims vanished under the Guarding Golden Light.

The fox-shaped demonic mist still obstinately surrounded Qi Xiu, attempting to continue corrupting his mind.

But with the Suppression Talisman’s protection, a faint golden light flowed around Qi Xiu’s body, illuminating his entire being, flawless and complete.

No matter how hard the demonic mist tried, it could not infiltrate even the slightest bit.

His eyes regained clarity.

Qi Xiu executed his Qinggong, speeding up once more.

Finally, he narrowly dodged a gaping mouth that almost bit off his behind.

"Talisman Scripts? Is he from Divine Light Treasure Sect?"

Yuan Baiyi showed a surprised expression. Those maniacs are out suppressing demons again?

Among the Mutated Beast Horde, a small fox with soft fur and two pink, fleshy tails manifested a surprisingly human-like expression of astonishment.

A mere mortal, able to break free from my charm spell? That golden light... a Disciple of a major sect? Hehe, it’s been a long time since I’ve feasted on the flesh and blood of a sect Disciple. Those bodies, cultivated from a young age... tsk tsk, just the thought makes me unable to resist.

With thick saliva dripping at the corner of her mouth, the Fox Demon’s eyes sparkled, faintly reflecting Qi Xiu’s retreating figure.

He was saved.

Rushing to the foot of Baohe County Town, Qi Xiu heaved a long sigh of relief, turned his head, and glanced back at the Mutated Beast Horde that was still sweeping in furiously.

What happened next was up to the West Wind Army.

Wiping the sweat beads from his forehead, Qi Xiu took a step towards the town.

But after only two steps, he looked up. Straight ahead, in the very center of the city gate, stood a figure with a longsword and a strange expression.

It’s over! Could it be that my knocking out the city guards and escaping over the wall has been discovered?

Looking at Yuan Baiyi, Qi Xiu’s complexion changed slightly, and the foot he had just lifted hesitated before he set it down again.

"Divine Light Treasure Sect?" Yuan Baiyi tentatively asked, looking at Qi Xiu’s dazed (scared) face.

What? What did he just say? Was that a dialect?

Not quite catching what Yuan Baiyi had said and adhering to the principle of reacting to changes by staying consistent, Qi Xiu opened his mouth:

"Yeah."

"To venture down the mountain before even entering the Initiate Realm, your master must truly have great confidence in you," Yuan Baiyi remarked, somewhat speechless as he stepped aside upon Qi Xiu’s acknowledgment. "Come in. There’s an Initiate Realm Demon among that beast horde, something you can’t handle."

Although he didn’t know what had happened, it seemed his actions of knocking out the city guards and evading surveillance hadn’t been exposed.

After composing himself, Qi Xiu gave a cupped fist salute to Yuan Baiyi: "Thank you for the rescue, General. I’m sorry for the bother."

Having returned safely to the county town, Qi Xiu stood at the town gate, looking at the four guards still fast asleep, and shrugged helplessly.

Well, after all that, I’ve circled back to where I started.

Just as Qi Xiu felt that tonight’s escape plan was a complete failure, deafening and formidable running sounds came from a street corner.

The assembled West Wind Army rushed towards the gate at top speed. Their vanguard officer, Nie Xun, carried a large standard on his shoulder, his eyes blazing with fighting spirit. The standard itself was exceptionally bright in the night.

"Prepare for battle!"

With a low shout, Yuan Baiyi slowly drew his sword. The blade was pure white, wide, and heavy. With a light swing, the rumbling wind sounded as if he was wielding a weapon weighing a thousand catties!

"Yes!"

A hundred voices responded, their eyes blazing. As the surging Mutated Beast Horde approached, reeking of a foul, gamey stench, Yuan Baiyi’s eyes sharpened. A faint, protective aura of light emerged, cocooning him tightly.

THUMP!

With a heavy step, the ground sank suddenly.

Yuan Baiyi turned into a streak of light and charged directly into the Mutated Beast Horde.

The Magic Sword Xuanzhong in his hand swept across. Any Mutated Beast it merely grazed exploded as if struck by a hundred-ton boulder, instantly turning into a mist of blood and powder!

And the Mutated Beasts’ attacks on Yuan Baiyi were utterly ineffective.

That clear and serene protective aura was like an "invulnerability" mechanism in a game. No matter how the Mutated Beasts gnawed or tore, they could not even slightly affect the protective aura, nor could they harm Yuan Baiyi within. They could only watch in horror as Yuan Baiyi’s terrifyingly heavy longsword descended, smashing them to pieces.

After cleaving two mountain-sized wild boars with a single sword strike, Yuan Baiyi’s cold gaze swept around, sensing a petite figure hidden at the core of the Mutated Beast Horde.

"If you don’t come out now, Little Demon, I’ll slaughter all these minions of yours."

"Hehehe, is the Young Master so eager to see his sister? You look quite cute when you’re anxious like that."

The playful, teasing laughter echoed, its seductive tone attempting to sway Yuan Baiyi’s mind.

"A mere wild Little Demon, is that really all you’ve got, flaunting and posturing?"

His expression ice-cold, Yuan Baiyi’s tiger-like gaze burned. Suddenly, his pupils narrowed, and he ferociously struck out with his sword. The silver Sword Light became a torrent, instantly shattering a dozen Mutated Beasts in front of him.

CLANG—

The Sword Light halted before a murky, foul protective aura.

"The Young Master has some discernment, to have found me so quickly." The Fox Demon spoke human language. Its human-like eyes curved in amusement, and its every move radiated an intense, charming allure.

Gazing at the revealed Fox Demon, Yuan Baiyi said with a smile, "My niece has been clamoring for a fox fur since last year. Your coat gleams quite nicely; it will make a fine gift once I’ve skinned you."

"We’ll see if the Young Master has the ability to do so."

As soon as her words fell, the Fox Demon transformed into a scarlet whirlwind, kicking up soil and rocks and becoming an earthen tornado, suddenly charging towards Yuan Baiyi.

"Let’s try then."

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

The luminous figure that Yuan Baiyi became slammed furiously against the tornado conjured by the Fox Demon.

Shocking shockwaves swept through the surroundings. The nearby Mutated Beasts screeched and distanced themselves, as layers of soil were violently pulled up, scattering in all directions.

One clear, one muddy, the two protective auras clashed fiercely!

The sparks flying in all directions melted the ground, creating basin-sized hollows. The destructive power at the center of their clash was difficult to fathom, truly terrifying!

From a distance, below the town gate, Qi Xiu watched the battle between Yuan Baiyi and the Fox Demon, his eyes shining with amazement as he made appreciative noises.

Turning into a beam of light, equipped with an invincible protective barrier... Could this be the realm above True Intent, the one called the Ancient Gathering of Celestial Strength? Eh... this protective barrier... it’s somewhat similar to my third realm’s Suppression Talisman...