The golden magic circle that had been hovering above the evil spirit spread outwards at a visible speed.

Wisps of black gas emanated from the formation, exuding an aura of death and evil.

Xie Shuci directly felt the chilling, evil aura emanating from the Emperor's Law. He leaned against Xie An, his body trembling slightly, whether from fear or the intense pain in his internal organs.

"Xie An, hurry..." Xie Shuci gripped Xie An's wrist tightly, trying with all his might to push him away. The Demon-Subduing Array could draw out the evil and murderous aura from cultivators. Once the array spread to Xie An's feet, his identity would probably be exposed! There was also Deng Xingsen watching from outside, and Xie Shuci dared not imagine what would happen once his identity was revealed.

Xie An simply lowered his head, his eyes fixed on Xie Shuci's pale face and the bloodstains spilling from his lips. His aura was extremely low, and an invisible layer of cold air seemed to surround him.

The golden array was gradually covered by black gas under the erosion of the evil energy. Everyone present held their breath and watched this scene in disbelief.

The array enveloped the evil spirit, eroding the spirit cage that had trapped it. The resentment on its body was constantly swallowed up by the array, and it murmured in a choked voice.

"Why...why are you doing this to me..."

"Master...is it because I didn't do well enough..."

Seeing that the formation had reached the two of them, Xie Shuci became even more anxious, which caused him to suffer a stroke and spit out another mouthful of blood.

At the same time, the formation engulfed Xie An.

Xie Shuci's heart jumped into his throat.

Unexpectedly, Xie An showed no other reaction; his eyes were dark and deep, like a deep pool under the dark night sky.

Surrounded by the demon-subduing formation, Xie An showed no sign of distress and picked Xie Shuci up from the ground in his arms.

Walking to Chu Guiyi's side, he placed Xie Shuci into his arms. Chu Guiyi didn't know what he wanted to do, but sensing the surging murderous aura around him, he didn't dare to delay and took Xie Shuci into his arms.

"Young Master Xie..."

Xie An looked at Xie Shuci's pale face, gently wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, and maintained a calm before the storm on his face. He took out a Soul-Returning Pill from the pouch on Xie Shuci's chest and fed it to him.

He then said to Chu Guiyi, "Take Xie Shuci away from Jiyue City."

Chu Guiyi was taken aback. "What are you going to do?"

Chu Wenfeng stepped forward to check Xie Shuci's condition and said in a deep voice, "It's the Xiaoyao Sect. Only they can turn an auspicious formation into an evil one."

Xie An's suppressed aura was about to explode. The Demon-Subduing Formation forcefully absorbed the evil energy around him. Without lingering any longer, he turned and walked out of the inn.

Xie Shuci was severely affected by the backlash from the formation, and his body had little strength left. Seeing Xie An about to leave, he struggled to grab a corner of Xie An's sleeve with his hand hanging in mid-air. He opened his mouth as if to say something, but more blood gushed from his mouth.

Xie An paused, the grip on Xie Shuci's clothes barely touching his clothes, as if he would disappear at the slightest movement. The pain in his heart and throughout his body caused by Xie Shuci made him momentarily dazed. He suppressed the rampant killing intent within him. If he were under the Demon Subduing Formation and revealed even a trace of killing intent, he would lose control of himself.

He gritted his teeth, forcefully suppressing the uncontrollable spiritual power within his body, and said to Chu Guiyi and the other person with a slight tremor in his voice, "Take him away!"

In the instant he turned his head, Chu Guiyi didn't miss the flash of crimson light in his eyes. He was shocked and realized the seriousness of the problem. He nodded to Xie An: "Take care."

After saying that, he took Xie Shuci and Chu Wenfeng, who were gradually losing consciousness, and leaped onto the roof, disappearing into the vast moonlight.

In the instant before leaving, Chu Guiyi couldn't help but glance back. Xie An stood frozen in place, his back almost blending into the surrounding darkness, like a solitary statue.

Before this, Chu Guiyi had guessed many times why Xie An was weak. Perhaps it was because of the separation of his soul and body, or perhaps it was because of the Jingyu Flower that bloomed that night in Tianzhu City. But he never expected that Xie An's Dao Heart had already been damaged.

He had already gone mad once, somehow causing his soul to separate from his body, but his soul was unaffected. This time, however, the crack was torn open from his soul.

Chu Guiyi lowered her eyes and looked at Xie Shuci, who was unconscious in her arms. Her heart sank. If the reason why Young Master Xie's Dao Heart was damaged was because of Shuci, then it was terrible!

"Wen Feng, go find Du Pingsheng and the other two. I'll take Xie Shuci away first. Remember, avoid Young Master Xie." Chu Guiyi's expression was very solemn.

Chu Wenfeng nodded in agreement, glancing at him with worry in his eyes.

Immediately, he leaped off the roof and hurriedly darted towards the building he had come from.

Sensing Xie Shuci's aura fading further and further away, Xie An's tense body suddenly knelt down, a mouthful of thick, dark blood gushing from his mouth. He seemed unable to suppress the killing intent within him any longer. Under the influence of the Demon-Subduing Formation, his body gradually emitted dark red gas, slowly merging into the Demon-Subduing Formation.

Upon seeing this, the onlookers' expressions changed drastically, and they pointed at Xie An, speechless with astonishment.

Xie An raised his head, his dark eyes reflecting a scarlet light, his voice hoarse as if torn apart by a hand, "Aren't you going to get lost?"

"Who are you? Why are you..."

"You've gone mad with demonic possession?"

Xie An closed his eyes tightly, even though he was fully aware that his murderous urges were about to break through the last barrier he had set for himself, and that he would immediately lose control of himself.

But he had promised Xie Shuci that he would not kill innocent people again.

Sikong Ye sat on a tree branch, as if watching a good show, with his hands behind his head, leisurely watching the scene below.

Seeing a cultivator on the verge of a breakdown, yet stubbornly suppressing the bloodlust in his bones, was truly fascinating.

However, this was going to disappoint the disciples of the Xiaoyao Sect, since their original plan was to descend from the sky when Xiao Xun went on a killing spree and kill him in a matter of course.

Xie An's forehead was covered in cold sweat. His dark eyes swept across the ground, and when they landed on the large, shocking bloodstains left by Xie Shuci, his eyes felt as if they had been pricked by needles.

He opened his lips, almost chewing the words into tiny pieces: "Deng, Xing, Sen!"

Sikong Ye raised an eyebrow. "You're really good at enduring things."

However, before he could finish speaking, Xie An had already stood up from the ground.

He clenched his fingers, stained with Xie Shuci's blood, in mid-air, and a crimson sword hilt appeared out of thin air. Then, he pulled a sword with a blade covered in crimson flames back from the void.

A collective gasp arose from the surrounding crowd upon seeing the sword appear.

"The Crimson Sky Sword?!"

"This is... the Crimson Sky Sword, the number one demonic sword in the world?!"

"The Crimson Sky Sword was sealed within the Floating Pagoda Realm thousands of years ago. Several years ago, the Heavenly Dao Saint Son Xiao Xun forcibly broke the seal and took it for himself..."

By the end, the monk's expression could almost be described as deathly pale.

"Is he Xiao Xun?"

"He is Xiao Xun!"

"He is Xiao Xun... a Heavenly Saint Son who has transformed into a demon and wreaks havoc on the human world. The person beside Xie Shuci is actually him!"

"Don't panic, everyone! He's gone mad from his cultivation and is no match for us!"

"Yes! The Hundred Gates and the Fate Pavilion still have a bounty on him. Killing him might allow us to directly enter the Floating Pagoda Realm!"

"Kill him!"

Entering the Floating Pagoda Realm is undoubtedly the highest honor for cultivators in the cultivation world.

Some cultivators who had been considering retreating suddenly became as if they had been injected with chicken blood, gripping their swords tightly and glaring fiercely at Xiao Xun, who stood in the middle, holding the Crimson Sky Sword and remaining silent.

Just kill him... just kill him...

"kill!!!"

"Xiao Xun, prepare to die!"

"A beast like you deserves to die!"

"You must have been deceiving Young Master Xie, you beast!"

Perhaps to embolden themselves, or perhaps to find a reasonable excuse for their actions, they roared and brandished their swords as they charged toward Xie An.

As they swarmed closer, the silent youth in the middle drew his Chixiao Sword horizontally in the air, and a streak of crimson light swept across the sky. The next moment, a huge red sword wave swept across the sky like the sea, and every cultivator who got close to the sword wave was instantly blasted away to a distance of two feet.

"puff!"

"ah!"

In the blink of an eye, all the originally imposing cultivators were blasted to the ground. They clutched their chests, spitting blood, utterly shocked, and stared at the young man in the middle of the crowd with almost terrified eyes.

Upon seeing this scene, even Sikong Ye, who was sitting quietly on the tree branch, was stunned for a moment. He then sat up abruptly and looked at Xie An with an incredulous expression.

“You have achieved great success…” A voice as faint as a mosquito’s buzz rang out in the silent space.

The ultimate path of slaughter...

Of all the myriad paths in the world, only the path of slaughter stands out. Once one cultivates it to the Great Completion stage, one has already reached the pinnacle!

Besides that, what awaits him is the eighty-one tribulations of lightning upon his ascension, until he is reduced to ashes!

This Xiao Xun, at such a young age, has already mastered the Dao of Slaughter?!

Sikong Ye realized this and frowned deeply.

"You monster! It's you!"

At the same time, Deng Xingsen, who had been guarding the inn's entrance, led a group of Xiaoyao Sect disciples and burst in through the door.

"You stole our sect's treasure and deliberately disguised yourself to follow Young Master Xie. May I ask what your intentions are?" Deng Xingsen held a long sword that was entirely black, pointing the tip at Xie An.

"Senior, he has already achieved great success!"

Deng Xingsen was taken aback, then his eyes widened as he looked at Xie An with disbelief.

At this moment, Xie An slowly raised his head. The instant his calm eyes saw Deng Xingsen, a tremendous killing intent burst forth! The Crimson Sky Sword seemed to sense his state of mind, its entire body radiating red gas as it coiled around Xie An's arm. He looked at Deng Xingsen not far away, his eyes as if he were looking at an inanimate object.

Upon meeting his extremely cold gaze and the crazed killing intent within, Deng Xingsen shuddered. A chill seeped from the soles of his feet into his bones, making him feel as if he were nailed to the spot, his face turning extremely pale.

He's achieved great success... He's truly achieved great success...

How is this possible? Four months ago, when he escaped from the Xiaoyao Sect, he clearly hadn't even reached the Great Perfection stage! He suffered severe injuries from a cultivation deviation, how could he have recovered in just four months? Not only was he unharmed, but he had already reached the Great Perfection stage? And he suffered a cultivation deviation again?

This is impossible...

If a master of the Great Completion stage of the Path of Slaughter were to suffer a qi deviation, he would be utterly unable to contend with him!

Before he could think it through, Xie An's body shot towards Deng Xingsen like an arrow released from a bow, his sword trailing a red flame, and filled with murderous intent.

His movements were so fast that they were impossible to discern with the naked eye, and Deng Xingsen's steps seemed to be nailed down, unable to move for a moment.

When Deng Xingsen finally reacted and tried to dodge, the Crimson Sky Sword was already in front of him. At this moment, if it were an ordinary cultivator, he would definitely have his throat pierced by the sword. However, Deng Xingsen was worthy of being a disciple of the main branch of the Free and Unfettered Sect. He immediately grabbed the nearest disciple and blocked the fierce sword for himself.

With a soft "plop," the blade pierced through flesh, and crimson blood splattered out like bright red flower petals, splashing onto Xie An's white robes. A large amount of blood even splattered onto his face, wetting his long eyelashes. Yet, he didn't even blink, quietly watching his disciple, whose throat he had pierced with his sword, now lifeless.

The others gasped in shock at the sight. They saw it clearly: at the critical moment, Deng Xingsen had actually ordered his disciple to die in his place!

Even Sikong Ye, who was used to doing things his own way, couldn't help but frown.

The blood splattered all over his body clearly deepened the crimson in Xie An's eyes. Once a trace of killing intent was released, the other long-suppressed desires could no longer be controlled.

Xie An felt as if a thin layer of fog had been shrouded in his vision, making it impossible to see anything clearly. The pale face of Xie Shuci vaguely appeared in his mind. His heart ached, but he could not find any way to vent or relieve the pain. He could only alleviate the pain by releasing his murderous desire.

Warm blood soaked through his clothes, and his eyes were almost blinded by the blood. He felt as if he had fallen into a hell of death and bloodshed. Sword after sword, he stabbed Deng Xingsen with precision and sharpness.

Deng Xingsen was the most powerful cultivator among them, but even though he managed to dodge Xiao Xun, who had already reached the Great Perfection stage and was suffering from a qi deviation, he still inevitably got hurt.

However, the other disciples of the Free and Unfettered Sect were not as lucky as him. They were killed by Xiao Xun with a single blow before they even had time to struggle.

At this moment, Xiao Xun's body seemed to have been soaked in blood. His dark eyes were unfocused, completely replaced by murderous intent. The crowd looked at him in horror. They had only heard about Xiao Xun's deeds before, but had never seen him in person. Now, looking at Xiao Xun, who was like a god of death, they all held their breath and dared not make a sound, for fear of being noticed by him and killed with a single blow.

What's strange is that Xiao Xun didn't attack them. He kept moving closer to Deng Xingsen, and anyone who tried to stop him from getting close to Deng Xingsen would die by his blade.

The Demon-Subduing Formation hovered in the sky, absorbing the evil aura emanating from Xiao Xun, but it was completely ineffective. Instead, the malevolent energy on Xiao Xun intensified, like an invisible mountain pressing heavily on everyone's hearts.

Except for Deng Xingsen, all of the dozen or so disciples of the Xiaoyao Sect died under Xiao Xun's sword. Deng Xingsen's body was covered with wounds of all sizes, and blood was flowing out, but he was still fleeing in all directions while being pursued by Xiao Xun.

Deng Xingsen's face was deathly pale, and his heart was in a state of extreme panic. He thought his plan was foolproof, but it was actually being carried out while Xiao Xun was completely powerless to fight back. In just four months, this person had actually reached the pinnacle of cultivation. It was unbelievable!

"Sikong Ye, have you had enough of the show?!"

Deng Xingsen dodged Xiao Xun's attack and glared angrily at Sikong Ye, who was watching from the sidelines.

Sikong Ye's expression was unusually solemn. He looked at the unconscious Xiao Xun, pursed his lips. Xiao Xun had completely gone mad. If he killed Deng Xingsen in front of him, he would definitely catch up with Xie Shuci next and kill Xie Shuci under the control of his bloodlust.

"Sikong Ye!" Deng Xingsen roared, "How dare you disobey the elder's orders?"

Sikong Ye merely glanced down at him and said, "Your affairs are none of my business."

"You!" Deng Xingsen was furious. The Crimson Sky Sword caught up to him and pierced his shoulder. Deng Xingsen groaned. The Crimson Sky Sword was like a branding iron, the scorching blade burning his wound. He could almost hear the sizzling sound and smell the flesh being roasted.

Sikong Ye's unconventional personality is even more so than Xiao Xun's; it's impossible to rely on him.

"Ah!" Deng Xingsen cried out in intense pain, large beads of cold sweat sliding down his forehead.

The burning pain at the wound site is something that ordinary people cannot endure.

“Xiao, Xiao Xun… if you dare to kill me here… the Xiaoyao Sect will not let you go… nor will it let Xie, Xie Shuci go…” Deng Xingsen gritted his teeth and said these words intermittently.

Upon hearing this, Sikong Ye's expression changed, and he thought to himself, "Oh no!"

Immediately, his figure vanished from the spot and flew in the direction Xie Shuci and the others had left.

Upon hearing Deng Xingsen's words, Xiao Xun paused in his actions.

He opened his pale lips and repeated, word by word, "Thank you, Shu, Ci..."

—Kill Xie Shuci.

—Xiao Xun, go and kill him.

Don't let him become a stumbling block for you.

—You must kill him.

Go kill him!

—You've killed so many people, what's wrong with killing Xie Shuci as well?

Xiao Xun abruptly pulled the Crimson Sky Sword from Deng Xingsen's wound. He looked thoughtfully in one direction, muttering, "Kill Xie Shuci, kill Xie Shuci..."

His mind and thoughts were blank, with only one sentence echoing in his ears: Kill Xie Shuci.

Who is Xie Shuci?

Regardless of who Xie Shuci is.

He wanted to kill Xie Shuci; his goal was to kill Xie Shuci.

The boy, covered in blood, raised his head. His pale face was stained with blood, but under the clear moonlight, his face was still incredibly handsome, possessing a breathtaking and dangerous beauty.

He seemed oblivious to the mess on the ground and the terrified gazes around him. He leaped into the air and flew to the rooftop, carefully sensing the breath carried on the wind.

"Thank you, letter, resignation..."

He didn't know who Xie Shuci was, nor did he know what Xie Shuci's aura was, but when a familiar scent blew in the wind, his feet moved involuntarily.

He moved swiftly between rooftops, his movements as fast as lightning. With each inch he got closer, the killing intent in his heart grew stronger.

—Kill Xie Shuci, you must kill Xie Shuci.

Deng Xingsen stared menacingly in the direction Xiao Xun had left. Xiao Xun's whereabouts had been exposed; he had to find a way to kill Xiao Xun here, otherwise…

"Everyone, please lend the Xiaoyao Sect a hand in capturing Xiao Xun. The Xiaoyao Sect will reward you handsomely and will definitely recommend you to the Hundred Sects and the Siming Pavilion."

Upon hearing this, the fear that had been creeping into the hearts of the cultivators dissipated considerably.

Sikong Ye used the snake to track Xie Shuci and the others' auras. He leaped onto the roof and approached Xie Shuci at top speed. At the same time, he could also feel Xiao Xun's aura following closely behind.

Xie Shuci is the latest secret realm he has discovered, and he absolutely will not allow it to disappear forever until he has a complete understanding of it.

Despite his best efforts, the person behind him moved with ghostly speed, impossible to detect with the naked eye.

Sikong Ye gritted his teeth and cursed under his breath. Ah Xin was so smart, he probably already knew that Xiao Xun had reached the Great Perfection, yet he concealed this news from the Siming Pavilion? If the Sikong Pavilion knew that he had reached the Great Perfection, they would never have sent Deng Xingsen alone to confront him!

Ah Xin...did he do it on purpose? Intentionally sending the disciples of the Free and Unfettered Sect to their deaths? Even at the cost of disobeying the orders of the Sikong Pavilion? Why would Ah Xin do such a thing?

But the situation was extremely critical, leaving him no time to think.

He has mastered the path of slaughter to the point of madness, and his heart is filled with nothing but the desire to kill. He is not afraid of pain or death. Even if Sikong Ye, Deng Xingsen, and Chu Guiyi were to join forces, they might not be able to fight him!

Just as he was rushing towards Xie Shuci at full speed, a crimson figure swept overhead. His body was filled with a destructive aura and killing intent, and his eyes were already bloodshot as he stared intently ahead. Apart from the boundless and awe-inspiring killing intent, he could not sense anything else.

"Oh no!" Sikong Ye was shocked. Xiao Xun's speed was so fast?

If this continues, Xie Shuci will be caught up with in no time.

Sikong Ye clenched his teeth, took out two seeds from his sleeve, and threw them in Xiao Xun's direction. The seeds landed on the roof and instantly grew wildly. The green vines seemed to have their own consciousness, binding Xiao Xun's steps and throwing him backward in an attempt to buy him some time.

Xiao Xun's mind was filled with Xie Shuci's name, and he didn't even notice the sudden vines. After being thrown several meters away, he reacted with lightning speed. Before his body even touched the ground, he stepped into the air and flew back. Seemingly oblivious to the vines blocking his way, he swung his Crimson Sky Sword, severing the vines in half. The sword energy ripped off roof tiles, like igniting a fire in the dead of night. The deafening explosion instantly awakened the people in the street, and screams erupted in waves.

Xiao Xun showed no interest in anything, his eyes fixed on what lay ahead. "Thank you, Shuci..."

Although the vines only delayed him for a few breaths, it was enough for Sikong Ye to catch up with Xie Shuci before he could.

When they saw Chu Guiyi carrying Xie Shuci, along with Chu Wenfeng, Du Pingsheng, and the others, they were standing under the city gate, about to leave Jiyue City.

"Close the city gates!!!"

Sikong Ye's voice rang out from several meters away on the open ground, as if striking the soul directly.

Chu Guiyi had a bad feeling. He carried Xie Shuci through the city gate and looked back at Chu Wenfeng.

Chu Wenfeng, carrying Du Pingsheng in one hand and his page in the other, ran quickly out of the city gate. He had no time to think and could only sense an extremely dangerous aura rapidly approaching them. He slammed his palm against the two heavy black iron gates, and the two gates scraped against the ground with a piercing sound.

Du Pingsheng and his page had never encountered such a scene before, and their legs were already trembling with fear.

The iron gate was too heavy, and it closed very slowly. Chu Guiyi glanced back and saw a blood-soaked figure approaching them like lightning under the silver moonlight.

"Let's go!" Chu Guiyi said.

"Hurry up!" Chu Wenfeng grabbed the other two and followed Chu Guiyi, running forward.

Xie Shuci felt the gust of wind blowing on his face, and his consciousness gradually returned. He slowly opened his eyes and saw Chu Guiyi's extremely solemn face. He couldn't help but frown, unable to remember what had happened.

Thanks to the effects of the Rejuvenation Pill, Xie Shuci's health has improved considerably.

He grabbed Chu Guiyi's shoulder and asked, bewildered, "What happened?"

Chu Guiyi was taken aback and said, "I don't have time to explain to you. Let's leave first."

Xie Shuci leaned on his shoulder and looked back. Chu Wenfeng and Du Pingsheng were following behind, but Xie An was nowhere to be seen.

"Xie An..."

"Bang--"

Before Xie Shuci could finish speaking, a deafening sound came from not far behind him, almost piercing Xie Shuci's eardrums. Du Pingsheng and the page were so shocked by the sound that they spat out a mouthful of blood, instantly lost consciousness, and collapsed in Chu Wenfeng's hands.

Xie Shuci looked behind him in confusion.

The city gate, forged from black iron, was cleaved in two from the inside by a single stroke. The red sword light almost illuminated the entire night sky, as if something had exploded. The roar, like a ferocious beast, rushed towards Xie Shuci and his companions.

The tranquil sky was tinged with brilliant colors by this crimson sword light.

The collapsed ruins piled up at the city gate, and a figure slowly walked over, cleaving open the path to Xie Shuci with sword strike after sword strike.

Amidst the swirling dust and blasts of air, Xie Shuci saw a familiar figure emerge.

His snow-white robes were stained with crimson liquid, making him look like a demon emerging from purgatory, stepping out of a pile of ruins. His slender figure almost blended into the lingering sword light in the sky.

Xie Shuci met those scarlet eyes.

Like a monstrous beast that has spotted its long-awaited prey, a thick, chilling killing intent instantly locked onto Xie Shuci.

Xie Shuci stared at him blankly, and could only stare at him.

In the boy's eyes, all he saw was an endless, surging killing intent filled with destructive power.

That look in his eyes when they first met was a thousand times, ten thousand times more terrifying to Xie Shuci than the look in his eyes.