Chapter 10: Salvation at the Brink

  The bck-robed man stood silently in the darkness, his cold gaze sweeping across the scattering bandits. The breeze stirred his cloak, and under the night sky, he seemed like the harbinger of death, radiating an overwhelming, indescribable pressure.

  He lifted his hand slightly, fingers twitching. The Longyuan Sword let out a piercing dragon’s cry before soaring into the air, cutting a brilliant arc of silver light as it hurtled toward the fleeing bandits.

  *Whoosh!*

  The sword’s shadow danced. Blood blossomed in the dark.

  "Argh!"

  Screams filled the night. The Longyuan Sword moved like the reaper’s scythe—every fsh of its bde cimed a life. The nearest bandits fell before they could even beg for mercy, their blood quickly staining the barren earth.

  In mere moments, the first group of fleeing bandits y decapitated. The survivors, witnessing this horror, panicked utterly, scrambling to flee into the woods. Some even dropped to their knees, wailing for mercy.

  But the sword showed no mercy.

  "Please—Argh!"

  Another shriek echoed as one after another the bandits were cut down. The night was thick with the stench of blood.

  The bandit leader’s pupils shrank, cold sweat beading on his forehead. He had seen sword cultivators before—but never one like this. Neither this sword nor its master was someone he could possibly hope to resist.

  As his men fell one after another, he gritted his teeth viciously. With a shout, he raised his hand, summoning the Soil Spirit Orb to his palm.

  "Damn it…!"

  He roared an incantation. The orb glowed a murky yellow, and the ground convulsed violently. Layer upon yer of thick earthen walls erupted from the earth, shielding him within an impenetrable fortress.

  "You even have a treasure," the bck-robed man remarked with a faint smirk. "Unfortunately for you, crossing paths with my Longyuan Sword… means you’re out of luck."

  His fingers moved again. The Longyuan Sword, hovering in midair, began to tremble, building up even greater power.

  "Break!"

  With a single command, the sword let out another deafening dragon’s roar and shot forward like a bzing comet.

  *Boom!*

  The earth walls shattered like brittle paper under the sword’s assault. Barrier after barrier was pierced in an unstoppable charge—until the bde drove straight into the bandit leader’s chest, pinning him firmly to the ground.

  The bandit leader's eyes bulged wide. His mouth opened as if to speak, but he no longer felt pain. His consciousness rapidly faded.

  The bck-robed man approached, looking down at him without the slightest trace of emotion. He casually plucked the Soil Spirit Orb from the dying man's hand and tucked it into his storage pouch.

  The bandit leader’s eyes filled with unwillingness. His lips quivered slightly, but ultimately, his gaze dimmed completely, and his body went still.

  He y quietly upon the yellow earth, his sinful life ending without dignity.

  The bck-robed man turned his attention away, casting his gaze toward Xu Sanbao, who y colpsed nearby.

  Her face was deathly pale, her chest soaked in blood. Her breathing was so faint it seemed she might stop at any moment.

  He strode over to her side, knelt slightly, and retrieved a faintly golden pill from his pouch.

  Without hesitation, he slipped it into her mouth.

  Moments ter, Sanbao’s eyeshes trembled faintly. A violent cough wracked her body, and her chest began to rise and fall once more.

  Slowly, she opened her eyes. Her vision was still blurred. In the darkness, the figure of the bck-robed man hovered vaguely before her.

  She tried to speak—but her throat was parched, and no sound came out.

  The bck-robed man lowered his head, gncing at her briefly. His voice was calm, detached:

  "You're awake?"