“What do you mean by that? I don’t understand a word you’re saying!” Even as I spoke, I moved to shield Mei’er behind me.
My heart was pounding in my chest. Mei’er had already unlocked the fourth tail’s seal—under normal circumstances, an ordinary cultivator wouldn’t be able to detect her true identity. Yet this person, standing over ten meters away, had seen through her at a glance.
Considering how he had suddenly appeared earlier, this guy was definitely no ordinary opponent.
“What do I mean? Stop playing dumb!” As he spoke, he began walking toward me, step by step.
His gait seemed unsteady, but each footfall left deep cracks in the stone-paved ground.
An expert! This guy is definitely an expert! Damn it! Why is someone like him targeting Mei’er?!
Forcing myself to stay calm, I glared at him and said, “Take one more step, and I won’t hold back!”
“Oh? Then show me what you’ve got!” He looked at me with utter disdain.
Gritting my teeth, I gripped the black dagger tightly and locked eyes with him. “Mei’er, run! I’ll hold him off!”
“No!” Mei’er stubbornly stepped forward, standing shoulder-to-shoulder with me.
“Both of you at once? Now this is getting interesting!” Seeing Mei’er join the fight, the man seemed amused. With a wave of his hand, a circular barrier enveloped us.
He crouched down, picked up a brick, and smirked at me. “Game… starts now!”
In a flash, he vanished—then reappeared right in front of me before I could even react.
By the time I registered his movement, the brick was already inches from my face.
“Watch out!” Mei’er’s hands transformed into fox claws as she blocked the brick for me.
Seizing the opportunity, I slashed the black dagger toward his throat. If Mei’er hadn’t blocked that hit just now, I’d either be dead or crippled. Since he showed no mercy, neither would I!
Just as the dagger was about to connect, another brick intercepted it.
His speed is insane! He had retracted his hand and defended in the blink of an eye—I hadn’t even seen him move.
Grabbing Mei’er, I quickly retreated, fully activating my spiritual sense. But even that might not be enough to keep up with him. With no choice, I gritted my teeth and activated my Purple-Gold Enchanting Eyes.
“Purple-Gold Enchanting Eyes?!” The man’s expression shifted slightly at the sight of my golden irises.
D*mn it! He even knows about the Purple-Gold Enchanting Eyes?! Who the hell is he?!
As I met his mocking gaze, a sudden, inexplicable headache surged through my skull.
“Become my first sacrifice…” A voice echoed in my mind, and everything around me plunged into darkness—except for a pair of blood-red eyes staring straight at me.
Fear instantly seized my body. Just that gaze alone made me tremble uncontrollably.
Luckily, the vision lasted only a split second, like an illusion. The same thing had happened the last time I activated my Charm Eyes. Both times, it felt terrifyingly real—as if I’d seen those crimson eyes somewhere before. But no matter how hard I searched my memories, I couldn’t recall where.
“Xia Tian, what’s wrong?” Mei’er asked, her voice laced with worry.
Wiping the cold sweat from my forehead, I forced a smile. “It’s nothing…”
The man seemed momentarily stunned by my reaction. His playful expression vanished, replaced by a frown—though the change lasted only an instant. If not for my Charm Eyes, I would’ve missed it entirely.
“Hand over the nine-tailed fox, and I’ll spare your life,” he said with a smirk.
Gripping the dagger tighter, I glared at him. “If you want Mei’er, you’ll have to step over my corpse first!”
“Since you’re begging for death, don’t blame me!” Crushing the brick in his hand, he reduced it to dust—then reshaped the particles into a razor-sharp stone sword, its edge sharper than any forged steel.
The moment he finished speaking, he vanished again. The next second, the stone sword was pressed against my neck.
Against him, I was powerless—like a child facing a seasoned warrior.
He was the second overwhelmingly powerful opponent I’d encountered since that young swordsman. Both times, I couldn’t even put up a fight.
“Last chance. Give me the nine-tailed fox, and I’ll let you live,” he said, grinning.
Without hesitation, I replied, “Then just kill me.”
“Wuu—” Mei’er suddenly let out a cry like a baby’s wail. Fox ears sprouted from her head, and nine tails materialized behind her—though five of them were faint, almost translucent.
“Let Xia Tian go!” she demanded, glaring at the man.
“So this is your battle form?” The man remained unfazed, still smiling.
He pointed a sword finger at her and chuckled. “You’re not needed here. Take a nap.”
Mei’er stiffened, her furious gaze locked on him—but she couldn’t move. He immobilized her!
“Since you—” The man suddenly paused, scratching his head. “Wait, what were we talking about?”
Are you freaking kidding me?! In the middle of a life-or-death situation, this guy forgot his lines?!
“Ah, right! You said you’d rather die, didn’t you?” The stone sword pressed harder against my neck.
Taking a deep breath, I closed my eyes.
I’ve barely started cultivating, haven’t even had a chance to show off, and already I’m running into monsters like this! Where’s my protagonist halo?!
“Actually… I’ve changed my mind!” He suddenly withdrew the sword and grinned. “How about this? If you can outrun me, I’ll let you live. Deal?”
What kind of sick joke is this?! His speed is insane, and he wants to race me?!
Wait… Maybe I can gamble on this!
I suddenly remembered an escape technique from Qimen Dunjia that could multiply my speed. There’d be side effects, but it was worth a shot!
“Fine! But if I win, you let Mei’er go!” I declared.
The man burst out laughing. “You don’t get to make the rules. Win first, then we’ll talk.”
I almost laughed at myself. Back when I was the one setting the terms, I never imagined I’d ever be in a situation where I couldn’t even negotiate.
“Alright, first one to touch the barrier wins. Ready?” he said, amused.
“Deal!” The barrier wasn’t large, so a short burst of speed from Qimen Dunjia might just work.
“On your marks…” He drew out the words, watching me with a smirk.
Meanwhile, I reversed my True Qi, circulating it along an alternate pathway. My body tensed like a drawn bowstring, ready to explode forward at any moment.
“Hm?” Noticing my stance, he raised an eyebrow—then suddenly shouted, “Go!”
I shot forward like an arrow, reaching the barrier in an instant. But my momentum was too strong—I couldn’t stop in time and slammed right into it.
The moment I touched the barrier, a tremendous force blasted me backward, sending me tumbling across the ground before I finally skidded to a stop.
“HAHAHA! Oh man… I can’t—I can’t breathe!” The man doubled over, clutching his stomach as he laughed uncontrollably. “You—you actually fell for it! Priceless!”
“You tricked me?!” Rage burned in my chest as I realized I’d been played.
“Alright, enough jokes. Time for business.” In a flash, he was beside me again, placing a hand on the crown of my head.
The moment his palm touched me, my vision turned pure white—everything disappeared.
I could only hear him mutter, “Holy hell… That old monster’s out? Well, not my problem…”
His voice faded, and I only caught fragments like “Shushan” and “erase.”
“Done!” He withdrew his hand, and my senses returned.
“What the hell do you want?!” I growled.
“Hey, hey, hey!” He pouted. “It was just a joke! Lighten up! I came to see you ‘cause I thought you were fun, but you’re just as boring as the rest!”
From his tone, it sounded like we’d met before—but I couldn’t recall his face at all.
“Have we… met?” I asked warily.
“You forgot me after just a few days?” He suddenly chuckled. “Oh right, my bad… Here, maybe this’ll jog your memory.”
With a wave of his hand over his face, his features shifted—revealing a familiar face.
My throat went dry.
“So… it’s you!”
This man was none other than the swordsman from the warehouse—the one who had terrified Zhao Gao into impotence with a single move!