Favor
Favor . . .
The battleground ignited with a flurry of chaos as the air quivered with frenzied law energies. One of the bandits cut through the tension with a cold declaration, "We warned you not to move. Don't even think of escaping."
His words were followed by a thunderous punch that instantly dispatched a group of fleeing experts.
Despite holding the upper hand, the bandits' numbers were far from plentiful, even fewer than the guards, let alone the excavators.
Witnessing the clash between the guards and the bandits, the excavators had no hesitation—they chose flight. It was a scene of desperation and survival instincts kicking in.
Observing the battle, Qin Wentian quickly grasped the one-sided nature of the fight. The guards were utterly outmatched by the bandits, and the two immortal emperors in the bandits' sights faced swift suppression.
"They want us to fight so they can escape. Damn them," someone vented their frustration. The two immortal emperors, realizing the hopelessness of the situation, were already attempting to flee. But the bandits were too powerful to let them escape.
Adding to the sense of hopelessness, the fearsome demonic lion and its rider had yet to make their move.
Upon witnessing the two immortal emperors' escape attempt, the figure on the lion's back finally ascended into the air. The colossal lion then bolted toward the fleeing immortal emperors, its jade-green aura suffusing the surroundings. It burrowed directly into their minds, causing the two immortal emperors under the Jialan Monarch to scream in agony, unable to change their grim fate.
"Is this the might of bandits?" Qin Wentian stared at the aerial massacre. These bandits had the audacity to slay immortal emperors under the Jialan Monarch's banner. They were not merely the Jialan Monarch's subordinates but also counted among the forces of the Lifire Empyrean.
This encounter marked Qin Wentian's first experience with bandits, and it was against such an imposing group. He couldn't help but silently curse Jialan Mingyue for sending him to this perilous mine.
"Let's go," Qin Wentian said softly to Yang Yun'er, leading her away in silence.
"Qin Wentian, you won't be able to escape if you take me with you. Just leave me behind," Yang Yun'er transmitted her message to him. Despite her despair, she refused to drag him down. In the mine, it was Qin Wentian who had shielded her from harm. Without his protection, she might not have survived.
"We won't know unless we try," Qin Wentian replied without hesitation, taking her along as he ascended into the air. A spatial gate materialized, and he stepped into it, vanishing into the void.
"Mhm?" An alert expert sensed the fluctuations and quickly identified Qin Wentian's cultivation level. Two peak-stage immortal kings shot through the air with astonishing speed, one of them proficient in spatial laws, able to trace Qin Wentian's movements directly.
In a tense moment of life and death, Qin Wentian's mind raced, desperately seeking an escape route. The relentless pursuit of two peak-stage immortal kings bore down on him and Yang Yun'er like a relentless storm. Their options were dwindling as fast as their hopes of survival.
With steely determination, Qin Wentian attempted to conjure another spatial gate, a slender lifeline of escape. But his efforts were swiftly thwarted as one of the immortal kings surged the area with his own spatial law energy, sending disorienting shockwaves through the space around them. To compound their woes, the other peak-stage immortal king had already closed in, his oppressive presence bearing down upon them with merciless force. In the chaos, Yang Yun'er's fragile form buckled, and she coughed up a harrowing mouthful of blood, her complexion drained of life.
Despite the dire circumstances, Qin Wentian refused to yield. His voice rang out, laced with a precarious blend of fear and determination. "Sirs, we are but humble excavators," he implored, extending his hand to offer his interspatial ring as a symbolic plea. "If you seek the meteor stones, they are yours for the taking." His words were tinged with a hint of exasperation. While he held little regard for these two peak-stage immortal kings, the surrounding presence of immortal emperors and the mysterious leader of the bandits had not yet entered the fray. Acting rashly would be tantamount to courting certain doom.
The first peak-stage immortal king responded with a cold snort, his indifference unwavering. With a contemptuous display of power, he unleashed a ruthless stomp, causing Yang Yun'er to groan in agony as another torrent of blood spilled from her trembling lips. Qin Wentian's protective law energy encircled her like a fragile barrier, offering what scant defense it could against the impending onslaught.
"I'm willing to part with my interspatial ring," Qin Wentian persisted, his voice firm and resolute, "but let us not push this any further." He held his hand aloft, offering the ring to his relentless pursuers. In the grand scheme of things, meteor stones could be replaced, but life was irreplaceable. Qin Wentian had no desire to court death again, nor did he forget the miraculous chain of events that had granted him a second chance at life.
His pleas fell on deaf ears, met with the unyielding resolve of the second peak-stage immortal king. With a calculated stomp, he unleashed a devastating gravitational force that bore down on Qin Wentian. The pressure was palpable, an invisible vice threatening to snuff out his existence. In a world where might dictated survival, this attack was more than enough to claim the life of an ordinary mid-stage immortal king.
"Why force my hand?" Qin Wentian's gaze turned chillingly demonic, his patience worn thin by the relentless aggression of his pursuers. An aura of icy killing intent enveloped him, and in the blink of an eye, the first peak-stage immortal king was ensnared in a nightmarish dimension crafted by an eye-technique, trapped in illusions beyond his control.
In the ensuing chaos, a pristine sword beam sliced through the air with deadly precision. Terror contorted the face of the trapped immortal king, his defenses shattering under the assault. Qin Wentian seized the moment, stepping forward to grip the immortal king's throat, hoisting him into the unforgiving abyss of the air. His voice, laced with cold finality, delivered the ultimate verdict. "Since you seek death with such fervor," he declared, "I shall grant your wish."
In a breathtaking display of unparalleled skill and unyielding determination, Qin Wentian's voice reverberated through the air like a clarion call of doom. His piercing gaze bore into the peak-stage immortal king, a look so sharp it could cut through the very fabric of reality itself. In an instant, the world seemed to freeze as his eyes emanated an aura of absolute dominance, shattering the immortal king into a million ethereal shards. The spectacle unfolded in the blink of an eye, leaving bystanders awestruck by the sheer speed of the encounter.
Indeed, everything had transpired with the swiftness of a single breath, a whirlwind of action that defied comprehension. Even the immortal king well-versed in spatial energy found himself utterly incapable of reacting in time. A futile attempt to retaliate ensued as the peak-stage immortal king summoned spatial energy to forge a formidable spear, hurling it menacingly toward Qin Wentian. Yet, Qin Wentian remained undaunted, his aura emanating a spatial shield that deflected the assault with ease. With unfaltering resolve, he subsequently ensnared the hapless immortal king within the intricate web of his eye technique's dimension, leaving the latter imprisoned and powerless.
With an unyielding command, Qin Wentian declared, "KILL!" His voice, brimming with determination, left no room for clemency. In the blink of an eye, the peak-stage immortal king met his demise, extinguished like a fleeting flame.
In the distance, spectators gazed upon this astounding display, their faces marred by shock and disbelief. The leader of the bandits, too, cast a surprised glance in Qin Wentian's direction. A group of experts, swayed by the leader's gaze, hastened their approach, closing in on Qin Wentian.
The situation took a dire turn for Qin Wentian as he sought refuge within a spatial gate once more. However, his attempt was swiftly thwarted, as a mere palm strike from one of the immortal emperors disrupted the very fabric of spatial law in the vicinity.
Before him, a formidable assembly of peak-stage immortal kings and immortal emperors stood as insurmountable barriers. Qin Wentian realized the gravity of the situation and knew that he could no longer protect Yang Yun'er.
With a heavy heart, he turned to her and whispered softly, "Yun'er, it seems that I can no longer shield you." Yang Yun'er's eyes welled with tears as she locked eyes with the leader, her voice quivering with a plea for understanding. "Senior, we were compelled to enter the mine to excavate for cultivation resources. Why must you condemn us to death?"
The leader, her voice unexpectedly melodious, responded with a hint of remorse in her tone. "I only ordered the guards to be eliminated, not the excavators. It was your choice to defy my orders and attempt to flee."
The revelation that the leader was a female immortal emperor took Qin Wentian by surprise. Her next words, however, sent a shiver down his spine. "You've also slain my men," she pointed out, her piercing gaze fixed on him.
Resolute and unyielding, Qin Wentian pushed Yang Yun'er aside and ascended into the air, confronting the impending battle with unwavering determination. Yang Yun'er, her eyes brimming with sorrow, could only watch as her protector faced an insurmountable challenge. Meanwhile, the female immortal emperor regarded Qin Wentian with keen interest. How could a mid-stage immortal king dare to challenge an immortal emperor? Was he overestimating his abilities?
The immortal emperor extended his palm, conjuring a colossal hand of unparalleled might, poised to strike Qin Wentian with cataclysmic force. In response, Qin Wentian raised his own palm, and a resounding clash reverberated through the heavens. The tremendous impact resulted in the annihilation of the colossal hand, a feat that defied all expectations. Onlookers were left dumbfounded as they bore witness to a mid-stage immortal king boldly confronting an immortal emperor. A deafening laugh echoed through the air as the immortal emperor conjured another gigantic palm, its colossal fingers resembling towering mountains that blotted out the sky, heralding a scene reminiscent of an impending apocalypse.
In this pivotal moment, an awe-inspiring divine radiance enveloped Qin Wentian, emanating a profound sense of buddhic serenity. He stood there, transformed into an ancient buddha, exuding an aura of divine power. What caught the eye most were the ten thousand arms that materialized behind him, each surging with unparalleled energy. These ethereal appendages thrust forward with tremendous force, directed at the colossal mountains looming before him. The clash of their energies unleashed a cataclysmic storm, a maelstrom of power capable of obliterating all in its path.
The female immortal emperor, her eyes glittering with curiosity, observed with great interest. She couldn't help but marvel at the spectacle before her—a mid-stage immortal king steadfastly blocking the relentless assault of an immortal emperor.
Undeterred by his opponent's might, the immortal emperor released an indignant snort, intensifying the astral resonance emanating from him. Yet, Qin Wentian remained undaunted, advancing with an air of unwavering determination. Behind him, a pair of ominous eyes materialized, exuding an eerie and demonic presence. In the span of an instant, a single, chilling glance ensnared the immortal emperor within a dimension crafted by Qin Wentian's eye technique.
The impending confrontation was halted abruptly by a gentle voice, freezing both Qin Wentian and his adversary in their tracks. Qin Wentian, on the verge of unleashing his attack, hastily withdrew his energy. The other immortal emperor, bewildered, turned his attention to the female immortal emperor, awaiting her command.
With a warm and inviting smile, the female immortal emperor addressed Qin Wentian. "From this day forward, you will accompany me." Her eyes sparkled with an inexplicable radiance, leaving Qin Wentian puzzled and intrigued by her offer.
Follow her? The prospect of joining a bandit group loomed before him, casting a shadow of uncertainty over his thoughts. Could he truly decline this offer? Such defiance would likely lead to his demise in this precarious situation.
Resigned to his fate, Qin Wentian nodded in agreement. He couldn't help but make one last plea on behalf of his friend. "Senior, may I request the safety of my companion?" He gestured towards Yang Yun'er, his concern palpable.
The female immortal emperor dismissed his concern with a casual wave of her hand. "Of course, she's but a young girl." Her indifference towards Yang Yun'er was evident as she turned to depart. The disgruntled immortal emperor who had clashed with Qin Wentian shot him a cold, resentful glare, his eyes harboring dissatisfaction. However, he refrained from voicing his discontent and followed the female immortal emperor. The remaining bandits cast envious glances at Qin Wentian. This audacious figure had somehow won the favor of their leader, leaving them in awe and wonderment.