Chapter 163 Encirclement and Kill

"Mid Spirit Severing stage... It's indeed a bit troublesome, but using it to practice and familiarize myself with my Cultivation Technique is just right."

Mu Changge's thoughts raced. Facing the pale green sword light attacking again, there was not a trace of fear in his eyes; instead, a flicker of excitement flashed across them. He did not retreat but advanced, his long sword tracing profound trajectories. It looked slow, yet at the moment the sword light reached his body, he precisely struck the point of its exertion.

"Clang!"

With a crisp ring, that pale green sword light, which was enough to split mountains and cleave rocks, was deflected by that single point, slicing obliquely into the nearby stone forest and plowing a deep trench.

Mu Changge shifted his feet, his movement technique as elusive as a ghost. He instantly closed the distance and backhanded his sword toward the ribs of the remnant Soul phantom. This strike appeared ordinary, yet it contained an unstoppable Sword Intent. The tip of the sword vibrated, emitting a faint hum, and it even subtly resonated with the chaotic Sword Intent in the surroundings, forming an invisible binding force.

The pale flames in the remnant Soul's eyes jumped; it seemingly did not expect this Nascent Soul ant before it to not only receive the attack but also dare to counterattack. Its figure turned, attempting to dodge, but it was surprised to discover that the surrounding space seemed to have become viscous, causing its movements to pause slightly.

"Sshhh!"

Although Mu Changge's sword tip only grazed the edge of the remnant Soul phantom, bringing up a shower of light fragments, it caused the remnant Soul to emit a silent, shrill shriek, and its figure seemed to dim by another fraction.

"As expected, it possesses the power of the Mid Spirit Severing stage, but its intelligence is in Chaos, its combat techniques are rigid, and its power is unstable. It is quite different from a true Mid Spirit Severing stage cultivator." Mu Changge understood this in his heart, the corners of his mouth curling slightly. This remnant Soul might truly have been a Void Refining powerhouse during its lifetime, but now it only had combat instincts left, and with its Soul fragmented and power depleted, it was, for him, an excellent "sparring partner."

He immediately stopped holding back and began to display, one by one, the various miscellaneous Cultivation Techniques, strange arts, and movement techniques he had acquired from the Sect's Scripture Pavilion during this period. Sometimes his Sword Qi was like a rainbow, grand and open; sometimes it was flashy and deceptive, strange and unpredictable; sometimes his body was like a ghost, leaving behind trails of afterimages.

He did not use the Demonic Path Cultivation Techniques he had mastered before, nor did he use any trump cards that might expose his roots. He merely used these miscellaneous Cultivation Techniques, combined with the astonishing combat instincts and insight brought by "Super Comprehension," to maneuver around this Soul Transformation remnant Soul.

Although the remnant Soul was strong, its attack patterns were monotonous, relying entirely on instinct and tyrannical power. For a time, it was actually caught off guard by Mu Changge's endless, diverse "motley" moves, roaring repeatedly. The pale green sword light slashed horizontally and vertically, but it was always neutralized by Mu Changge's exquisite movement techniques and methods. Occasionally, when they clashed head-on, although Mu Changge was shaken, causing his Qi and blood to churn, he could always borrow the force to deflect it, remaining uninjured.

For a time, sword light crisscrossed and air waves rolled; the two were fighting to a standstill, evenly matched.

Behind a giant rock in the distance, Yun Qingyao, who was adjusting her breathing, watched with brilliance in her beautiful eyes. Although she had already witnessed Mu Changge's terrifying combat power that allowed him to fight above his level, seeing him with his Nascent Soul Middle Stage cultivation actually fight to a draw against an ancient remnant Soul of the Mid Spirit Severing stage (albeit a fragmented one) was still incredibly shocking. Especially those miscellaneous Cultivation Techniques Mu Changge displayed; many of them she had never even heard of or seen before. Presumably, these were the ones he had temporarily comprehended in the Scripture Pavilion a few days ago, yet at this moment, he used them with ease, integrating them perfectly and demonstrating astonishing proficiency.

"Just how much strength is Junior Brother... hiding?" Yun Qingyao pondered inwardly. Watching that tall, straight figure moving freely and gracefully amidst the terrifying sword light, her heartbeat, for some reason, quietly quickened a few beats. That domineering and unquestionable "Listen to me, Senior Sister" from just a moment ago seemed to still echo in her ears, making her cheeks flush warm again.

Just as Mu Changge was getting more and more comfortable with the fight, and even starting to try combining several Cultivation Techniques of different attributes, the soul-containing jade on his chest moved slightly. A cold, yet slightly urgent female voice transmission sounded directly in his mind:

"Master, something is wrong! A large number of remnant Souls are gathering in this direction! Their speed is extremely fast, as if they are being uniformly driven and controlled by some kind of power!"

—The one sending the transmission was none other than You Li!

Mu Changge's eyes narrowed. His sword momentum did not stop; he parried the remnant Soul's attack with one strike, his figure using the force to retreat several zhang, his gaze swiftly sweeping across the surroundings (perception restricted). Sure enough, although he still could not see any figures, by relying on his Soul that was far beyond his peers and his faint perception of the surroundings, he could already detect that from multiple directions, an unknown but definitely large number of fragmented Soul Power with varying strengths were closing in on the area where they were located at an extremely fast speed!

"Controlled?" Mu Changge's heart jolted, and he instantly associated it with Jian Wushuang. He must have some kind of Magic Treasure in his hands that could control Soul entities; perhaps it was that thing, the immortal kings small tower.

He felt from the moment he heard about it that the tower shouldn't be simple; it might just be the core Opportunity that allowed Jian Wushuang to step toward the Peak. However, since Jian Wushuang actually possessed a Magic Treasure to manipulate remnant Souls, using You Li to deal with him would require careful consideration! The Sword Burial Abyss had existed for who knows how many years, and the number of ancient remnant Souls remaining inside was likely a terrifying figure. Even if most of them had lost significant strength, once they were organized and driven to besiege him, the consequences would be unimaginable!

"Yes, Master. Judging from the Soul Power fluctuations and action patterns, they seem to be controlled by something. But fortunately, these remnant Souls have been worn down in this place for too long, and their cultivation has generally fallen below the Peak of Soul Transformation. The vast majority are only at the Nascent Soul or even Golden Core level, but the number... is likely no less than several hundred, and it is still increasing!" You Li's voice carried gravity. "Master, do you need me to take action and clear them out? Although they are just broken ants with fallen cultivation, I do not want them to disturb Master."

As a top-tier powerhouse, You Li was indeed more than capable of dealing with these equally fragmented and weakened ancient remnant Souls. However, after the last Secret Realm, Mu Changge (Xiao Ming) had also discovered that You Li's background was unusual, seemingly having intricate connections with the Upper Realm, so he dared not let her take action to help recklessly.

Mu Changge pondered slightly, and in a moment, he had made his decision. He had almost no hesitation and immediately rejected this proposal in his heart.

'Clear them all out? That would be so boring.' A glimmer of calculation and mischievousness flashed in his eyes, and his gaze glanced unobtrusively behind the giant rock in the distance, where Yun Qingyao was looking over here nervously. The beauty was like jade, her eyes containing worry, and against the backdrop of the crisis, she appeared even more breathtaking.

'If I solve all of them, how am I supposed to legitimately spend time alone with my Senior Sister, the Saintess Yun Qingyao... go through hardships together, and deepen our feelings?' A thought flashed by quickly. This sudden "crisis" was simply a god-sent Opportunity! Hero saving the beauty was good, but "fleeing hand in hand" and "depending on each other for survival"—wouldn't that be even better at closing the distance between the two of them?

"No need to fight head-on." Mu Changge quickly responded to You Li in his heart. "Later, you just need to possess my body and run away; it's perfect... for cultivating our relationship."

You Li was silent for a moment, seemingly understanding her Master's "hidden meaning," and her voice transmission carried a barely perceptible oddity: "...Understood, then Master, be careful."

At this moment, the remnant Soul entangled with Mu Changge seemed to have been provoked into a rage; its offensive suddenly became even more frantic, completely disregarding its own consumption. The pale green sword light poured down like a violent storm, attempting to pin Mu Changge down and wait for the encirclement of other remnant Souls.

"Heh, want to hold me back?" Mu Changge sneered, a purple light flashing and vanishing in his eyes. His speed suddenly skyrocketed, and like a ghost, he escaped the coverage of the sword light. He no longer tangled with this remnant Soul, turned around, and dashed toward the direction where Yun Qingyao was!

"Senior Sister! Let's go!"

With a low shout, he had already shot in front of Yun Qingyao like an arrow released from a bow.

Yun Qingyao saw him suddenly break free from the remnant Soul and rush back. She was stunned at first, then she also sensed the aura of many remnant Souls rapidly approaching from all directions. She couldn't help but lightly cover her lips with her jade hand, her pretty face changing instantly: "What's going on? So many... so many remnant Souls..."

Before she could finish speaking, Mu Changge had no time to explain, nor did he give her any chance to react or choose!

In Yun Qingyao's astonished gaze, Mu Changge took a step in front of her, reached out his arm, and directly wrapped it around her slender waist that could barely be grasped, lifting her up horizontally! The action was crisp and clean, incredibly domineering!

"Ah! Junior Brother, you..." Caught off guard, Yun Qingyao exclaimed. She only felt a strong masculine aura instantly envelop her, the solid and powerful touch of his arm against her waist, and she had already fallen into a warm and broad embrace. She subconsciously wanted to struggle and raised her hand to push against his chest, but what she felt was a well-defined chest, making her earlobes instantly burning hot.

"Don't move, hold on tight!" Mu Changge's low voice sounded in her ear, carrying unquestionable decisiveness, his exhaled hot breath brushing past her slightly sensitive earlobe.

At the same time, the purple light in his eyes flared, and strands of profound and obscure power augmented his body. He stomped his foot, and holding Yun Qingyao, his figure suddenly turned into a blurry purple afterimage, moving toward a relatively weak direction in the remnant Soul encirclement at a speed several times faster than before! The speed was so fast that it left trails of afterimages in place, and the wind whistled like thunder in her ears!

Held tightly in Mu Changge's arms, feeling the whistling gale in her ears and the roaring of the remnant Souls getting closer behind them, Yun Qingyao's initial astonishment and shyness were quickly replaced by an unprecedented and strange feeling.

His embrace was not as thin as it looked; on the contrary, it was broad and warm, carrying a sense of power that made one feel at ease. Through his clothes, she could clearly feel the steady and powerful heartbeat under his chest. The refreshing and unique scent on his body kept drilling into the tip of her nose; it was not unpleasant, but rather made her heartbeat race out of control.

Yun Qingyao tilted her face slightly up. From this angle, she could just see Mu Changge's clearly defined jawline and his slightly pursed lips. His profile appeared somewhat blurred in the rapidly retreating light and shadow, but those eyes, which were flashing with mysterious purple light at this moment, were exceptionally clear. That purple was not evil; instead, it exuded a sense of depth and nobility, adding a touch of bewitching handsomeness and an extraordinary aura to him.

A few strands of unruly black hair flew at his forehead and temples, swaying gently with the rapid movement, brushing across his smooth forehead and straight nose bridge, which actually had an indescribable... uninhibited and charming quality.

Yun Qingyao watched, somewhat dazed, forgetting even to struggle, just leaning obediently in his arms, one hand unconsciously clutching the lapels on his chest. Her cheek was pressed tightly against his chest, and she could hear that steady and powerful heartbeat, which seemed to gradually overlap with her own, becoming faster and faster.

'He...' Her mind was in Chaos, with only this thought remaining. The shame and anger from being domineeringly pulled into his arms and ordered to "hold on tight" just a moment ago had long since flown away, replaced by a strange and tingling panic. All around were the whistling winds and the roars of the remnant Souls; danger was everywhere, yet being held tightly by him like this, galloping in this warm embrace, she strangely could not feel much fear, but instead had a kind of... indescribable sense of security and heart-fluttering.

She could even feel the firmness and power coming from Mu Changge's arm. This kind of intimate contact was an experience she had rarely had. Her heart beat like a drum, her cheeks were burning hot, and she quietly buried her face deeper into Mu Changge's chest, seemingly wanting to hide those earlobes and neck that had already turned red.

Mu Changge was pushing his movement technique to the limit, purple light flickering in his eyes, his perception fully open. He was shuttle-speeding through the complex stone forest terrain, skillfully avoiding the sporadic remnant Souls pouncing from the front, or passing through their gaps at exquisite angles and speeds. The roars of the pursuers behind were gradually being pulled away, and those remnant Souls encircling from all directions seemed to be gradually shaken off because they had lost their clear target (the precise locking of the soul suppressing tower became difficult under Mu Changge's full-speed movement and the cover of You Li's aura).

Not knowing how long they had been running, it was not until he could no longer sense those eerie Soul Power fluctuations behind him, and only the inherent, chilling Sword Intent of the Secret Realm remained, that Mu Changge slowed down slightly, finally stopping in front of a relatively hidden natural stone cave where the Sword Qi fluctuations were also relatively gentle.

He gently set down Yun Qingyao from his arms, but his arm seemed to "inadvertently" linger on her waist for a moment longer before slowly letting go.

"Senior Sister, it's safe for now." Mu Changge looked down at the woman in his arms. The purple light in his eyes had already receded, returning to their usual depth, but his breathing was slightly rapid, and fine beads of sweat had seeped out on his forehead; clearly, the burst just now had consumed quite a bit of him.

Yun Qingyao's feet landed on the ground, but she felt her legs go a bit weak, nearly losing her footing, and subconsciously grabbed Mu Changge's arm again. She raised her head, meeting his gaze looking down at her; the distance between them was extremely close, and their breathing was audible.

Yun Qingyao saw the sweat beads on his forehead, saw herself clearly reflected in his eyes, and also saw his slightly curled, evil, and lazy smile.

"Ju-Junior Brother..." Yun Qingyao opened her mouth, her voice a bit dry. The rosy clouds on her face had not faded; instead, because of his focused gaze and breathing so close at hand, they became even redder. She hurriedly let go of the hand clutching his arm, took a small step back, and lowered her head, her heartbeat so fast it felt like it was about to jump out of her throat.

The image of being held in his arms and running wildly all the way, the purple light in his eyes, his powerful arms, his steady heartbeat, and his somewhat burning gaze so close at hand at this moment... all the images intertwined together, leaving her heart in a chaotic mess.