Chapter 160: A Fierce Struggle

Xu Xiaosheng hurried over, only to find the entire area shrouded in smoke and fire. Looking closer, he saw that the place was on the verge of collapse. The struggle between Bai Shengyun and the demigod flood dragon had just brought the surrounding rocks crashing down, and for a moment, Xu Xiaosheng was completely stunned.

He had originally come to find Xie Yingying. Earlier, Ning Qingqing had borrowed the power of Boundless Life to inflict grievous wounds upon him, nearly killing him. If not for Xie Yingying, he had no idea what might have become of him. His injuries had only just begun to improve when he came looking for her, yet now she was nowhere to be found.

Though each of them had wished they could simply stop hearing about the others and would hardly have minded news of their deaths, one thing was separate from another. Xu Xiaosheng still knew how to write the word “humanity.” He simply had not expected to find such a scene the moment he arrived.

At first, he had no idea where anyone was. But the power of Boundless Life was far too important to him; he wanted it desperately. Since Ning Qingqing happened to possess it, he could sense it even from a great distance.

Thus, he instantly used a spatial treasure to arrive beside Ning Qingqing. By then, her body had clearly reached its limit. She was practically dead already, and Xu Xiaosheng could not extract the power of Boundless Life from her right away. He had no choice but to find a place and seal her there.

He waited for some time, but Xie Yingying never appeared. She had probably gone somewhere else by then. Xu Xiaosheng rose and looked around.

Though the place had been reduced to shattered ruins, the spiritual power lingering there could not deceive him. Before long, Xu Xiaosheng sensed its traces and located Bai Shengyun and the others.

But after finding them, his mood immediately soured.

The instant he spotted Xie Yingying and the others, he saw the six-tailed spirit fox and the demigod flood dragon locked in combat high above. The rocks were covered in deep scars. Any trace of goodwill he had felt just moments ago vanished without a trace.

Xu Xiaosheng saw Xie Yingying and smiled. He knew she was of no help in the fight. If he did not act now, when would he? Bai Shengyun was currently entangled with the demigod flood dragon. If he killed Bai Shengyun now...

A chill flashed through his eyes.

Bai Shengyun, you are truly unlucky today.

Thinking this, he raised his sword and walked toward Bai Shengyun.

“Xu Xiaosheng, what are you doing?” Although Xie Yingying was hiding in the shadows, she had been paying close attention to every movement around her. She had sensed Xu Xiaosheng the moment he entered, and when she saw him raise his sword, panic seized her.

Xu Xiaosheng had no intention of answering her. He treated her as though she did not exist.

Bai Shengyun had also seen Xu Xiaosheng. However, he had returned to his original form, and his enormous body obstructed his vision. He was still locked in combat with the demigod flood dragon and had no attention to spare for Xu Xiaosheng.

Seeing Bai Shengyun held fast, Xu Xiaosheng ignored everything else and channeled his spiritual energy into his sword. A glimmer of white light appeared. The air around him began to churn, and stones collided in midair. The force of it was enough to make anyone watching tremble.

“Xu Xiaosheng!” Xie Yingying finally understood what he intended to do. She had never imagined that he would truly dare to act this way. After all, she had saved his life at the beginning. No matter what, he should have shown her some consideration for that favor.

“What?” Xu Xiaosheng sounded deeply impatient, and disgust had already appeared on his face.

Xie Yingying did not back down. “What do you mean, what? Why don’t you look at yourself? Earlier, even though you forced us to the limit, we did not kill you. And now you actually intend to kill Bai Shengyun?”

Xu Xiaosheng seemed to have heard the most ridiculous joke. He paid her no further attention.

His spiritual energy had gathered. Xu Xiaosheng immediately swung his sword.

Watching this, Xie Yingying gritted her teeth and suddenly charged forward.

A tremendous pain shot from her mind to her scalp, leaving her entire body weak. Xie Yingying frowned as blood soaked through the back of her clothes.

“Xie Yingying!” Bai Shengyun instantly tried to rush toward her. Seeing her deathly pale face, he felt as though his heart had been seized.

Bai Shengyun struggled desperately to break free from the demigod flood dragon’s coils, but he could not escape. All he could do was watch helplessly.

When Xu Xiaosheng saw Xie Yingying collapse, he knew she was no longer a threat.

Yet at that moment, Xie Yingying blocked his path.

Blood had splashed across the sword in her hand. Her delicate, handsome face was filled with an unmistakable resolve, which surprised Xu Xiaosheng.

She spread her arms and stood in his way.

“I’ll fight you.”

Xu Xiaosheng merely smiled. The contempt in his voice became even more pronounced. “A joke. With your strength, you think you are worthy of fighting me?”

With that, he flung Xie Yingying away.

She suffered another heavy blow and spat out a mouthful of blood. But she did not feel afraid. The scene before her shifted repeatedly, and her face was smeared completely with blood. She could feel the pulse throbbing violently at her temples.

Everything before her had turned crimson. Even Bai Shengyun seemed to have changed from a white fox into a red one.

“Xu Xiaosheng, if you have the courage, then kill me.”

Her voice was unnaturally calm. Clutching her sword, she slowly walked toward Xu Xiaosheng once more.

She was remarkably strong-willed—even Xu Xiaosheng could not help admiring her. Was this the power of love?

He raised an eyebrow, his lips pressed tightly together. The hand gripping his sword hilt was lean and bony, its veins bulging. He could not help feeling jealous of Bai Shengyun again, and the resentment in his heart surged even more fiercely. His teeth practically itched with hatred.

“I do not kill women.”

That was the greatest concession he could make, and the most sincere warning he could offer. If this woman still refused to take the hint, she could not blame him for showing her no mercy.

Unfortunately, Xie Yingying had no intention of taking the hint.

Xu Xiaosheng grew even more irritated. With a violent strike, he sent Xie Yingying crashing into the rocks once again.

The pain, combined with the wound on her back, was excruciating. For a moment, Xie Yingying was completely dazed.

Then, suddenly, she felt all the bones and limbs in her body become incomparably light, as though spring had returned to the earth.

The scenery around her seemed to shift several times. The situation was no longer dominated by Xu Xiaosheng. Xie Yingying’s long hair was tied up, and the blood-red hue in her eyes had faded away. Her gaze had returned to clarity.

She was on the verge of breaking through.

Xu Xiaosheng immediately sensed trouble. His brows drew tightly together. He did not want to become entangled in another prolonged battle. The demigod flood dragon ahead was about to be worn to death. If he did not act quickly, then—

At that thought, he made up his mind, only to find his path blocked once more.

Relying on the additional strength she had gained, Xie Yingying said, “Xu Xiaosheng, as long as I am not dead, you will not take even half a step closer to him.”

Her words were somewhat too arrogant. Xu Xiaosheng sighed. After thinking it over, he realized that he might not be able to kill Bai Shengyun anyway. Killing Xie Yingying instead was not impossible.

Just as he was about to strike, he suddenly saw the Nascent Soul tribulation descend in a thunderous bolt.