Chapter Fifty-Two: The Lowly Ren Xiu

Xuan Yuan Tunhan, now at the peak of the Golden Core stage, with nothing but a sword in hand, had taken on ten Demon Lords and a Demon King singlehandedly. What kind of comparison was this? What kind of realm? Was this even something a human could do?

Ning Xianyu shivered uncontrollably, feeling as if her life was hanging by a thread, swaying precariously in the storm. Those were the ten Demon Lords—each of their avatars could be cut down by a single stroke of his sword. She had directly seized his body and even consumed the nine-branched Ephemeral that he longed for. Wasn’t she truly doomed to be ground to dust by him?

Clutching the Blood Source Stone, Ning Xianyu fled in a hurry, desperate to live even a moment longer.

Yi Tianling hadn't expected that the elder Ning would be so powerful. Elder Xuan Yuan hadn't even needed to act—yet she alone was holding off the elite of the Demon Realm. If both of them acted together, would any of the Demon Realm's denizens survive?

They ran on, but the entrance they sought was still far off. Luckily, last time they had traveled at a leisurely pace, while now they were fleeing for their lives, so their speed was much greater.

After a while, Xuan Yuan Tunhan caught up, wordlessly joining their flight. He conjured a flying artifact and allowed Yi Tianling to carry Akali onto it, increasing their pace.

Seeing the artifact, Ning Xianyu hurried over with the Blood Source Stone, trying to get on as well, but she was chased away.

“The Blood Source Stone can’t be brought aboard.”

The stone was indeed enormous; if it were loaded, there would be no room to stand. Fearing she would fall behind, Ning Xianyu pleaded, “The Blood Source Stone is very light—let me come aboard.”

On hearing this, Xuan Yuan Tunhan frowned, but still refused her, urging her to keep up and sending her a voice transmission: “If you dare fall behind, the Demon Lords will grind your bones to dust and throw you into the magma.”

Terrified, Ning Xianyu raced onward, flying as if leaving a trail of flames behind her. Yet Xuan Yuan Tunhan’s frown deepened—her claim that the Blood Source Stone was light struck him as odd. The stone was supposed to be extremely heavy; even if she drew on all her spiritual power, she shouldn’t be able to say it was light. Besides, she seemed to carry it with ease.

What was going on?

They ran for half a day, pursued all the while by the Demon Lords. At last, they neared the entrance, but their pursuers were also closing in.

Yi Tianling, holding Akali tightly, grew ever more anxious at the sound of the pursuit behind them. “Elder, why hasn’t she woken up yet?”

Xuan Yuan Tunhan glanced over. “She’s exhausted.”

Yi Tianling said sorrowfully, “So the ritual leaves her this drained.”

He had thought the ceremony merely required Akali to channel the Blood Source Stone’s energy; he hadn’t expected it to be so taxing it could render a Nascent Soul cultivator unconscious.

Xuan Yuan Tunhan said no more, only rising to look back, his hand resting on the sword at his waist. The sword looked unremarkable, but its edge was peerless, its power boundless.

Yi Tianling asked nervously, “Are they here?”

“Mm.” Xuan Yuan Tunhan squinted at the distance. Even more had come this time—clearly, all the demon cultivators had awakened, joining the chase.

Ning Xianyu, standing higher up, was nearly spent from their relentless flight. Catching sight of the dense horde of demon cultivators behind them, she nearly fell from the sky.

Heavens! It was as if someone had stirred up a hornet’s nest of demon cultivators. They were fond of fighting to begin with—now, with someone invading their realm, seizing their Blood Source Stone and their saintess, it seemed they would not stop until one side was utterly destroyed.

[System, are we going to die here?]

The system was also feeling timid: [I don’t know, but host, I want you to know I’ll remember you.]

[Shut up!] she retorted. What nonsense—like last words.

If she could reach it, Ning Xianyu would have kicked the system twice for good measure.

But the system persisted: [Your fear is quite strong right now. I’ll take a little.]

What on earth?

[I’m on the verge of panic and you still have the mood to absorb my emotions?]

How utterly heartless.

But the system replied: [Opportunities must be seized. Besides, if you’re gone, I’ll never get another taste. Don’t worry, I’ll savor your fear to remember you by.]

[Go away, be silent!] Ning Xianyu decided to ignore it altogether, lest she hear more bad omens.

Though the system remained silent, it too believed its host was doomed. With so many demon cultivators, not even Xuan Yuan Tunhan could win. How could they escape?

Just then, something changed ahead. The group looked around, horrified to find the dense ranks of demon cultivators closing in from all directions. It was as if they had sprung from the earth itself, surging toward them, murderous intent blazing in their eyes—eager to skin and dismember them.

Ning Xianyu’s legs went weak. “What do we do now?”

At that moment, they finally reached the vicinity of the passageway. Xuan Yuan Tunhan instructed Yi Tianling to open the gate.

Yi Tianling hastily produced the horn and began chanting the spell. Ning Xianyu, sweating profusely, descended with the Blood Source Stone, glancing nervously around.

Xuan Yuan Tunhan had already drawn his sword. With a sudden leap, he turned upside down and used the sword’s edge to carve a massive circle five hundred meters wide around them.

The line became a deep chasm, isolating those within from those without. Some demon cultivators had already neared, but their cultivation was too low to leap across. Only those who could fly or jump attempted to cross.

But each time they tried, Xuan Yuan Tunhan swept his sword, sending waves of sword energy that knocked those who made it into the chasm, as though he were sweeping the floor.

The demon cultivators outside recoiled in shock, hesitating. This bought the group a few precious moments.

Yi Tianling had already opened the passage. Outside, the demon cultivators shouted, “They’re escaping! Despicable human cultivators!”

Enraged, the demons renewed their assault, throwing themselves across heedless of life or death.

Xuan Yuan Tunhan shouted, “Go first!”

Yi Tianling, holding Akali, stood at the threshold. “Elder, what about you?”

Xuan Yuan Tunhan replied coldly, “When I tell you to go, you go.”

The system inside Yi Tianling’s body cried out, “Go! Why are you worried about her? Even ten thousand of you tied together could not withstand him—what are you anxious about?”

“And the Blood Source Stone—let Xuan Yuan Tunhan give it to you. Let those two stay behind to hold the enemy. With their combined strength, the Demon Realm is nothing to fear.”

But no matter how the system clamored, Yi Tianling refused to leave. Since Elder Xuan Yuan hadn’t left, neither would he.

He had resolved since yesterday that, no matter what, he would not abandon the two elders to save himself. He had sworn once never to be bullied again, but he would also never act against his conscience.

The system, exasperated, continued to urge him.

But as for the “Xuan Yuan Tunhan” who still hadn’t left—she wasn’t unwilling, but afraid to go. For Xuan Yuan Tunhan had not permitted her to leave, and she dared not disobey. Compared to being hunted by demon cultivators, she feared the great devil even more.