Xu Mu practiced his blade, the Daoist drank, and Qiongqi slept.
Three hours later, the desolate ancient battlefield was finally reaching its closing time.
Buzz!
Space twisted, and a teleportation gate emitting a faint halo appeared out of nowhere.
"Time to go."
Xu Mu ended his breathing exercises, sheathed his hunting knife at his waist, exchanged glances with Qiongqi and the Wine Immortal Daoist beside him, and then, without the slightest hesitation, they stepped through the luminous gate, their figures instantly vanishing.
At the same time, the shining teleportation gates appeared in various locations across the desolate ancient battlefield, and other supernaturals, with varying emotions, stepped into them.
Some were overjoyed, even weeping with happiness, while others shook their heads in melancholy and regret, as if they wished they could stay a few more days to earn more points for treasure exchange.
But rules were rules; regardless of whether they wanted to leave or not, when the time came, they had to. Otherwise, they would be annihilated by the great Dao of heaven and earth here. Thus, more and more people were teleported out, arriving in a dark space.
Xu Mu was naturally also teleported here. He gazed at the darkness around him, his expression momentarily stunned. This was precisely the mysterious area where Gray-White Eye had been when he first entered the dark palace.
"Hurry, or there might be danger!"
The Wine Immortal Daoist's voice was heavy. He was worried that after they left, they would be ambushed, and at this point, they no longer had the protection of the Heavenly Tree, leaving them only with the options of fleeing or forming alliances.
However, regardless of the choice, the danger was immense!
Xu Mu said nothing, his gaze equally solemn. The three of them moved forward at the fastest possible speed. Before long, they simultaneously saw a dazzling white light, which was the exit of the dark palace.
"Don't forget to use your abilities to protect your eyes!"
Xu Mu reminded them, and then, in an instant, they rushed out of the dark palace.
Buzz!
The scenery before their eyes shifted continuously, flashing like a kaleidoscope, and then, instantly, the dark space was replaced by a blinding sun and a lush expanse of trees.
Xu Mu looked at the scene before him, feeling as if he had passed through another lifetime.
Before entering the dark palace, he was merely a second-stage supernatural, unable to kill Vilitan, with Gray-White Eye in control of his body. But now, with Gray-White Eye sealing himself in the Heavenly Palace, his strength had skyrocketed!
Not only had he learned the art of alchemy, but he had also received the inheritances from both Fu Xi and that blade-wielding powerhouse, and he had personally killed Vilitan, avenging Wu Kui!
Xu Mu took a deep breath of the air here, instantly feeling refreshed.
"Your strength isn't much, but you came out quite quickly."
Unlike his joy, the Wine Immortal Daoist narrowed his eyes and scanned the surroundings with a grave expression.
He noticed that many people had exited the dark palace before them.
For example, the King family's ancestor, who had lived for hundreds of years, the man in the purple python robe, and two domain lords from the rankings… They had already surrounded this area, and they were right in the center.
Seeing Xu Mu finally emerge, the King family's ancestor roared with a ferocious expression, "Now, you have no Heavenly Tree to protect you, you must die!"
The King of Linghai also shouted coldly, "Xu Mu, hand over the Heavenly Book, and we'll spare your life!"
"The Heavenly Book is mine, none of you can snatch it!"
Yanhua, at this moment, also walked out of the dark palace, followed by several trusted aides of other domain lords from the Demon Slaying Division.
He hadn't summoned his Dharma Aspect, but the oppressive aura he exuded was even stronger, clearly indicating that his strength had improved again.
Yanhua looked at Xu Mu and said calmly, "The condition is the same as before. If you are willing to join forces with me, I can guarantee your safety, and you will have a chance to view the Heavenly Book once every three years."
Upon hearing this, Xu Mu sneered and replied, "The Demon God never gave me the Heavenly Book, what can I give you?"
Yanhua frowned and said coldly, "Since you have nothing to hide, what's wrong with returning to the Demon Slaying Division for an investigation?"
Xu Mu shook his head, his expression icy, "Going back to the division with you is equivalent to handing over my life and property. You are the cleaver, and I am the fish. Do you think I'm an idiot!"
Upon hearing this, the anger in Yanhua's eyes was almost uncontrollable.
"Verbal sparring is meaningless," an elder from the Demon Slaying Division shook his head. "Strength is fundamental."
"Even if the Wine Immortal Daoist stands by your side and can hold off Lord Yanhua, what good will that do?"
"We have five peak-level domain lords on our side. You cannot escape!"
A woman in the crowd chuckled mockingly, "Five peak-level domain lords?"
"It seems the Demon Slaying Division is truly the number one power under heaven, but bullying a child with so many people, have you no shame?!"
The atmosphere in the arena became tense. At this moment, a rare voice spoke up for Xu Mu. Everyone turned to look, and then they saw a woman with a seductive figure and beautiful features.
She was the Great Chief of the northwestern region of the Hunter's Alliance, Yun Miaomiao.
Yanhua turned his head and asked coldly, "Yun Miaomiao, you intend to meddle in this?"
"The internal affairs of our Demon Slaying Division, it seems, are not for outsiders to interfere with!"
Yun Miaomiao faced Yanhua without fear, "What, are you ashamed?"
"Xu Mu owes me a debt of gratitude, and I am repaying it. What's wrong with that?"
Yanhua was taken aback, then he chuckled, "What debt of gratitude? Could it be that your charm poison was unraveled by him?"
The man's voice was not loud, but everyone in the space could hear it.
Thus, as soon as these words were spoken, everyone's gaze towards Xu Mu and Yun Miaomiao became strange.
Because it was widely known that the only way to cure charm poison was through Yin-Yang union.
Could it be that Xu Mu and Yun Miaomiao had already…
Upon thinking of that possibility, the expressions of several domain lords in the Hunter's Alliance team immediately turned ugly.
Without exception, they had all been pursuing Yun Miaomiao for a long time, and now a young brat had beaten them to it?!
"So what if it is!"
Yun Miaomiao glanced at Xu Mu's right hand, a blush instantly appearing on her face, but then she immediately shouted coldly, "In any case, today, I, Yun Miaomiao, will protect Xu Mu!"
"Although not many people from our Hunter's Alliance have come, and only one Daoist priest from the White Cloud Daoist Temple has traveled from afar, if anyone thinks that these two forces only have this much foundation, then dare to make a move!"
"However, whoever makes a move today, regardless of the final outcome, I, Yun Miaomiao, will remember it. There is a give and take. If we meet in the martial world again, do not blame us for being heartless!"
Yun Miaomiao's attitude was resolute, and her killing intent was palpable, causing the King of Linghai and a group of domain lords to break out in cold sweats.
The Hunter's Alliance and the White Cloud Daoist Temple, although not comparable to the Demon Slaying Division when taken individually, were still among the largest supernatural forces in the world, and not something ordinary family powers like them could contend with.
For a Heavenly Book whose existence was uncertain, was it worth risking offending the White Cloud Daoist Temple and the Hunter's Alliance, only to end up dead and their families destroyed when they met in the martial world later?
"Forget it, I withdraw from this conflict."
"I'm leaving too, Boss Jin, my apologies."
Some domain lords waved their hands and retreated from the King family's ancestor's team. Among the domain lords Jin Dafu had tried to recruit, some also retreated under the pressure.
After a moment, more and more people announced their withdrawal. In the end, the total number of domain lords still standing behind the King family's ancestor and Jin Dafu was less than thirty.
Thirty people, which would be difficult to even contend with the Wine Immortal Daoist alone, how could they kill Xu Mu?
The faces of the two were grim, and they were at a loss for what to do.
Yanhua saw this, his expression unchanged. The fact that so many people had given up was actually beneficial to him, because Xu Mu's only option for an alliance was him.
"You two, are you just going to watch?"
Yanhua turned his gaze to Annie and Mordekaiser. The latter's injuries had also healed, and he was glaring at Yanhua with dissatisfaction.
Annie giggled, "Not necessarily."
Yanhua snorted, "Whatever."
"I don't care whether you form an alliance or not."
"Hunter's Alliance and White Cloud Daoist Temple, although your forces are not weak, compared to our Demon Slaying Division, there is still a gap. Threatening us with martial world affairs is truly laughable."
"You are blind. Unless another Half-step Human King emerges from among you, you cannot protect Xu Mu today!"
Yanhua turned back to Xu Mu and continued, "Listen carefully, I'll give you another half an incense stick's time."
"After half an incense stick, I hope you can give me an answer I wish to hear."
After Yanhua finished speaking, with a roar, his thousand-zhang tall Dharma Aspect suddenly stood between heaven and earth. On its surface layer of flames flowed another layer of flames, superimposed upon each other, emitting a terrifying pressure that made all the domain lords present feel suffocated.
The Wine Immortal Daoist's expression remained unchanged. He silently shielded Xu Mu behind him. He also summoned his Dharma Aspect, which was utterly divine. The wooden sword and Daoist crown in his hands both emitted an ancient fragrance, and the primal Dao radiated forth, ready to face the battle at any moment.
Xu Mu, meanwhile, subtly gripped the "Xun" character in his hand.
He had already begun preparing to escape, because Yanhua was right; even if all of them joined forces, it would be difficult to save his life.
Not only was Yanhua powerful, but the domain lords within the Demon Slaying Division were also top-tier among domain lords. The people from the Hunter's Alliance should not be able to stop them, let alone the numerous other domain lords from other forces who were eyeing them covetously!
"Senior, I am very familiar with this western mountain. Coupled with Qiongqi, even an ordinary domain lord might not be able to catch me. Therefore, I implore you to temporarily restrain Yanhua, and then you and I will rendezvous in the middle reaches of the Black Water River."
"I have already communicated with Yun Miaomiao, and she is willing to help me escape. How many people can be held back at that time will depend on you all."
"However, no matter what, please take care of yourself, Senior. Otherwise, I will never be able to repay your kindness in this lifetime."
Xu Mu's expression was earnest. He already owed the Wine Immortal too much. If anything happened to the latter because of him, he would rather commit suicide!
The Wine Immortal Daoist heard this and nodded, "Don't worry, I know what I'm doing."
"If they want to keep me, they need to cultivate for a few more years. However, is the Black Water River you mentioned reliable?"
Xu Mu heard this and nodded, saying, "Don't worry, Senior. The Black Water River is the largest strange river in the Realm of Strange Night. Its danger is no less than that of the western mountain at night."
"Except for Yanhua, no one dares to chase me there. And I have the golden dragon's scales, along with Qiongqi by my side. Under the divine beast's pressure, I am not afraid of those great demons and strange ghosts!"
The Wine Immortal Daoist heard this and replied with three consecutive "Good"s.
Then, he sighed to himself, "Alas, Senior Brother, your disciple now has to find his own way to escape. I can't help much."
"You are so good at calculating, why don't you personally come out of the mountain to bring this brat back? If you were here, what business would Yanhua have!?"
"Or perhaps, you have already calculated that we will overcome this disaster?"