Ma Xiaohong hugged the broken sword tip, not daring to take a step.
She curled up in place, waiting for Chen Xia to come back, but couldn't stop being afraid. Her cultivation at the third layer of the Falling Sea Realm made her seem like only a Qi Cultivation practitioner.
But between the many practitioners at the Sky Patching Realm in the land of great death, her third layer Falling Sea Realm cultivation really was no different from a Qi Cultivation practitioner - in the end, they would both be killed by someone else in one strike.
Ma Xiaohong pursed her lips, lowering her head, not daring to look at the skull that had turned into white bones. Instead, she looked down at the broken sword tip in her arms, unable to help but mutter softly:
"Can you really protect me?"
The broken sword tip had its own consciousness, but it didn't want to speak. In fact, it didn't even want to bother with Chen Xia that much. It had only agreed to guard Ma Xiaohong because Chen Xia had promised it benefits.
Who would do things without benefits?
Ma Xiaohong brushed aside the short hair by her ear, trying her best to hide in the greyish white mist, although she didn't like the mist. But she disliked being discovered even more.
Of course, her way of hiding could only deceive herself.
Chen Xia had hidden here for two years without anything happening, so nothing should happen to her for a while, right?
Ma Xiaohong worried to herself, becoming even more nervous.
People say, what you fear most is most likely to happen.
Without any footsteps, spiritual energy, or any signs, the cultivators appeared abruptly - and not just one, but three cultivators walking together, discussing:
"This quasi-sage relic site is too confusing. We searched half the day without finding any opportunities. Instead, only the three of us remain alive."
"Alas, it can't be helped. Our foundations are lacking. There are too many powerful cultivators in this quasi-sage relic site. We originally wanted to find some opportunities, but now it looks like just surviving would be a success."
"You're right. Even the elders have died inside. We shouldn't think about any opportunities now. Let's go back the way we came and see how we can get out..."
His words suddenly stopped as he looked around warily and asked the greyish white mist: "Who's there?!"
When the cultivator said this, the other two also reacted, sending out their spiritual sense towards the mist. Shortly after, they discovered Ma Xiaohong's figure and immediately prepared their techniques, asking guardedly:
"Which fellow daoist is hiding sneakily over there? If you don't come out now, we'll attack first!"
In this quasi-sage relic site, there was basically no possibility of peaceful coexistence.
Most encounters resulted in a fight.
Because both sides felt that the other had obtained opportunities and wanted those opportunities for themselves.
Even if you didn't get any opportunities, I'll kill you and get your opportunities!
Ma Xiaohong hugged the broken sword tip and walked out tremblingly, speaking deferentially:
"Hello...you."
The three cultivators exchanged glances, sizing up Ma Xiaohong for a while. Then they laughed: "We don't recognize this fellow daoist. Could you have been lying in ambush, waiting to attack us?"
"No, no," Ma Xiaohong quickly shook her head, then revealed an uglier smile than crying to show that she definitely did not have any intention of ambushing them.
One of the cultivators looked at the broken sword tip in her arms, contemplated for a bit, then asked with a smile:
"We don't know which realm our fellow daoist is from. If you're alone, you can come with us for safety along the road."
His words could only trick an idiot.
Ma Xiaohong quickly shook her head. "No...I'm waiting for someone."
"Waiting for someone? Who?" The cultivator's mind tightened and he pressed on.
But Ma Xiaohong only shook her head without answering.
The three cultivators exchanged glances again, communicating mentally:
"Kill her?"
"Is she really waiting for someone?"
"What's her cultivation level? Her spiritual sense seems to only be at the Falling Sea Realm."
"If she's only at the Falling Sea Realm, there's no way she could have entered this quasi-sage relic site. There must be a Sky Patching Realm cultivator backing her up?"
"So, do we kill or leave?"
"Ask her a few more questions. If we can't get any information, kill her and grab the broken sword tip she's holding!"
After exchanging thoughts for a bit, the cultivators smiled and asked Ma Xiaohong again:
"Fellow daoist, which realm are you from? Tell us so we can help you if we recognize it."
"The Immortal Realm," Ma Xiaohong replied with her head lowered, her tone flat without much fluctuation, making it unclear whether she was telling the truth.
The three cultivators frowned, clearly disbelieving her words. As the leading realm, how could the Immortal Realm allow a Falling Sea Realm cultivator to enter the land of great death?
They deliberately asked:
"Excuse our bluntness, but which layer of the Sky Patching Realm is fellow daoist at?"
Ma Xiaohong hugged the broken immortal sword tightly, stuttering unable to get the words out. She imitated the cultivators of the realms, pretending to be confident:
"The Sky Patching Realm...seventh layer."
But her pretense was far too unconvincing, still exposing her apprehension deep down.
"You dare deceive me? Seeking death!" One of the cultivators suddenly roared and directly grabbed at Ma Xiaohong's head!
He intended to instantly kill Ma Xiaohong and seize the broken immortal sword she held.
Even a tiny mosquito was still meat. This Falling Sea Realm cultivator must have some spirit stones on her!
That was his thinking.
But his body suddenly froze as if a chill had frozen him in place.
He stared fixedly at the broken sword tip, realizing that the chill came from it.
The other two cultivators were puzzled and wanted to urge him on.
But just then, a voice spoke up behind them:
"What sect are you guys from?"
They quickly turned to look.
It was a blood-stained figure, seeming to be dragging something in his hand.
Ma Xiaohong's brows rose in pleasant surprise. She quickly said, "You're back!"
The three cultivators frowned at each other, probing Chen Xia's cultivation and finding that he too was only at the Falling Sea Realm.
They were rather confused now.
How could two Falling Sea Realm cultivators dare enter this quasi-sage relic site?
As they observed, Chen Xia revealed himself.
Covered in blood stains, his clothes tattered. His left arm drooped as if broken. His right hand dragged along some kind of skeleton, unclear what it was.
From this look, this Falling Sea Realm cultivator had clearly gone through a fierce battle. They wondered who was so unlucky to actually be killed by a Falling Sea Realm cultivator? Haha.
The three cultivators were somewhat amused. They shook their heads:
"The three of us are in a hurry so we won't bother teasing you two. Just take out all the treasures and opportunities you have. Consider it the price to spare your lives."
Ma Xiaohong looked at Chen Xia worriedly, not daring to speak.
Chen Xia casually tossed aside the skeleton he was holding. He tore open the bloody left side of his shirt, revealing an extremely deep wound underneath. He laughed:
"It's rare for me to make a move. But somehow everything happens at once - I just killed a small tiger..."
His crimson eyes shone as he grinned wildly and continued:
"How did three wild dogs show up for me to kill too?"
The three cultivators froze for a second, just about to retort, when blood sprayed out!
The head of the lead person was already pierced through by a bronze sword!
The cultivator behind him wanted to retreat to dodge, but somehow Chen Xia had already grabbed his head and heavily smashed it onto the ground, embedding the entire head in the dirt.
The last person was left trembling as he looked at the bloody figure before him.
Three 3rd Layer Sky Patching Realm cultivators.
None of them lived past thirty breaths.