For five consecutive days, they traveled with minimal rest along the way.
During these five days, the two of them rarely communicated.
Ji Ruobing was of a character cold as frost. Ever since she took the initiative to speak with Xu Zimei and was met with disdain, she never again initiated conversation.
And Xu Zimei was content with the silence.
Though they were traveling together, they were no different from strangers.
That afternoon, shortly after leaving a city known as Yue City, Xu Zimei, who had been lying on the back of the Dark Heaven Tiger, suddenly sat up.
"There’s a murderous aura," Ji Ruobing said with a grave expression.
"Who would be after us? Did you cause some trouble?" Xu Zimei asked.
"I don’t know. Maybe it was you who attracted trouble," Ji Ruobing retorted, not to be outdone.
As they were speaking, the monster beast they were riding came to a halt.
Looking ahead, they saw three figures sitting not too far away.
In the midst of these three figures, a bonfire was slowly burning.
The red flames sketched the outline of blood.
The three were silent, just sitting quietly by the fire.
One held a Jade Flute, another was drawing something with a pen, and the third was gently wiping a longsword in his hands.
The three of them formed an eerie scene.
At this moment, separated by no more than twenty meters, they stood facing each other from a distance.
"The fire is about to go out," the man with the pen said indifferently.
"Fuel has arrived," another man with a sword added, his voice hoarse.
The last man just sneered sinisterly, saying nothing.
"Do you gentlemen have any business with us?" Ji Ruobing stepped forward to ask.
"Just here to borrow something," the sword-wielding man slowly lifted his head.
His complexion was somewhat pale, or rather, ashen.
Dead fish eyes, covered ears, a lean face.
He looked at everyone as though he were looking at dead people.
"Borrow what?" Ji Ruobing inquired.
"Your head on your neck," the man replied calmly.
He continued to nonchalantly wipe the sword in his hands.
"Gentlemen, this seems to be a grudge between you and her. I am blind and haven’t seen anything."
Xu Zimei coughed a few times and said, "If this doesn’t concern me, shall I be on my way?"
Hearing Xu Zimei’s words, Ji Ruobing glared at him fiercely.
"Young fellow, don’t try to play the pig to eat the tiger," another man said, looking towards Xu Zimei with a smile.
"I know that in the calamity of the Heavenly Dao Academy, your contribution was significant, it’s not that simple."
"You’ve investigated quite thoroughly," Xu Zimei said, a bit embarrassed as he scratched his head.
"As the Saint Heir of the True Martial Holy Sect, how could we not pay attention?" the man with the Jade Flute said with a smile.
"So, you plan to kill me as well?" Xu Zimei inquired.
"No, we’re just here to take you to meet someone. But she," the man pointed at Ji Ruobing, "she must die," he told Xu Zimei.
"It must have been Lu Changhen who sent you," Ji Ruobing chuckled softly, seeming to have thought of something upon hearing their words.
"It’s hard on Brother Lu, having been out of the sect for so long and he still remembers me."
"Lu Changhen?" Xu Zimei asked, confused.
"You should know that in our Slaying Immortal Sect, there’s a Saint Heir and a Saintess," Ji Ruobing explained.
"I am the Saintess. That Lu Changhen is the Saint Heir.
Although we compete fairly, we cannot avoid overt confrontation and covert struggles.
My Brother Lu indeed very much wishes to see me dead."
"I should have known better than to look for you," Xu Zimei lamented, shaking his head in regret.
"Now I’m involved in this, too."
"Can’t you be a bit more responsible?" Ji Ruobing reproached upon hearing Xu Zimei’s words.
"What are you supposed to take responsibility for? We’re not even close," Xu Zimei replied.
"But given the current situation, I guess I can’t leave even if I want to."
Watching the three people opposite her, Ji Ruobing slowly drew her longsword from her waist.
The sword tip was enveloped in layers of frost.
"Young Master Xu might want to stay put for a while, our target is the Saintess Ji," said the man with the pen earlier.
He waved his pen through the air with a stroke.
The next moment, the entire firmament trembled.
Xu Zimei found a formation appearing beneath his feet.
To be precise, it wasn’t a normal formation, but a talisman array.
The formation, manifested from the intricate script of talismans, isolated Xu Zimei and Dark Heaven Tiger.
It was like an independent space, trapping Xu Zimei within.
Xu Zimei saw numerous talismans surrounding him.
They came in various colors and designs.
"A Talisman Array, this is my first time seeing one," Xu Zimei said with a light chuckle.
"I know Saint Heir Xu is strong, but I specifically designed this Talisman Array for you," the pen-holding man said.
"This formation contains forty-nine layers, created to harness the power of summoning unity.
I’m not afraid to tell you that the formation won’t keep you trapped forever, but it will hold you for a while."
Xu Zimei furrowed his brows slightly, understanding that in order to destroy this formation, he would need to study its variations.
He took out the Heaven Expanse Astrolabe, which he had prepared specifically for formations.
Using the astrolabe’s derivations, he began to calculate the variations of the formation; it would just take some time.
Meanwhile, the other three men stopped wasting words on Ji Ruobing.
One of them held a longsword, which instantly expanded hundreds of times in size.
He hurled the longsword toward her.
The longsword, splitting the quiet space, shattered all illusions and raced towards Ji Ruobing.
By sheer size, it was many times larger than Ji Ruobing.
Watching the longsword approach, Ji Ruobing’s eyebrows knitted together.
She used her own sword try to change the direction of the giant blade.
A muffled "boom" resonated from the collision of the two swords.
Ji Ruobing’s figure was sent flying backward, but the giant sword was also deflected.
The man’s figure flickered, leaving numerous afterimages in the void.
The next moment, he appeared behind the giant sword.
He lifted the sword and chopped down at Ji Ruobing again.
This sword strike was heavy and mighty, splitting the very void, a surging power descended.
Ji Ruobing’s expression turned grave. In her hands, she twirled a sword flourish, employing an Ancient Sword Technique, her figure likewise becoming elusive.
But when the sword struck, she was still knocked back.
"Overcome with strength," Xu Zimei remarked from the sidelines.
The man’s approach was clearly based on immense power, devoid of any fancy moves.
He must have transcended the Immortal Ascension Boundary.
Ji Ruobing steadied herself in the void, behind her the Myriad Tribulations Cone kept spinning.
She summoned her True Fate, as the pressure from her opponent was unparalleled.
"Thunderbolt," she uttered lightly.
Countless bolts of lightning descended upon the Myriad Tribulations Cone.
"As expected of the Saintess, quite interesting," the man chuckled softly.
And another man holding a Jade Flute slowly stood up next to him.
His lips parted slightly, and the moment the flute sounded, the world fell eerily silent.
It was as if all things had settled into calm.