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第五卷 天云十二州 第一千一百一十八章 夏侯兰的抉择

Lin Xuan reached out his hand and tapped on a storage pouch. A bright green light shone as he retrieved an ancient-looking belt, which he then wrapped around his waist.

His face was slightly pale. Although the battle had been brief, facing a Separation Period opponent required him to exert all his strength in every strike, thus consuming considerable amounts of mana. Especially with the Heaven-Breaking Sword from the Primordial Treasure, that seemingly simple stroke had drained away much of his spirit energy. However, after putting on the storage belt, his depleted mana was instantly replenished.

Lin Xuan looked up and gazed at the intersecting sword beams and Buddhist light before him. The blow from the Heaven-Breaking Sword was no small matter; though Hui Tong was a Separation Period cultivator, her remaining mana was also quite limited. This was precisely the perfect moment for Lin Xuan.

Taking a deep breath, Lin Xuan changed his hand seals rapidly. Behind him, countless arm-shaped shadows appeared, resembling the Thousand-Armed Guanyin from Buddhism. It was clear that Lin Xuan was using a secret technique he had learned from the Moon Clan. True Spirit Strike was unparalleled in power; even the Green Illusion Fiery Flame could not compare.

On the other side, Xiaohou Lan was not idle either. She clasped her index and thumb together, raised them high above her head, then swayed her waist as if dancing. However, an ancient incantation emerged from her mouth. As she moved, the petals gathered to form a large flower. With a sharp "斩" (cut), all the sword beams converged into a powerful wave, pressing forward.

Creaks and groans filled Lin Xuan's ears as golden Buddhist light flickered, almost collapsing. Hui Tong's face turned wild with hatred, and he pounded his chest, spewing out a stream of blood that dissolved into a blood mist in mid-air. The chanting grew louder, pushing back the wave.

Hui Tong was indeed an old monster of the Separation Period, surpassing even the peak-stage婴后期 cultivators. However, Lin Xuan still had True Spirit Strike to rely on.

His newly replenished mana rushed to his palms, forming a luminous sphere that began to crack. The white tiger roared and claws emerged from within. The figure rapidly grew larger as it broke through the sphere, lunging at the light barrier. "Lan'er, run!"

After using True Spirit Strike, Lin Xuan's mana was completely drained. Although his storage pouch could be used repeatedly, there wasn't time for him to recover.

A determined expression flashed across Lin Xuan's face as he tapped on his storage pouch again. An jade bottle flew out, and after removing the stopper, he downed all the pills inside in one go. This "Return to Origin Powder" was a technique from the Demon Sect, different from the mana replenishment provided by the storage belt. He used it to stimulate latent abilities to quickly restore his mana.

Though similar to the Demonic Disintegration Technique, its effects were impressive but left him severely weakened afterward. However, with True Spirit Strike, he could only buy some time for escape. The opponent was far stronger than expected.

If he had known this, after leaving Xuan Yuan City, he should have hidden somewhere and waited. But that... might not have been enough to evade the other's divine sense. Now, Lin Xuan couldn't think of a better plan, so he could only try his luck.

Hearing Lin Xuan's call, Xiaohou Lan sighed slightly. If she had advanced to the peak-stage婴后期 and refined some powerful talismans, she might not fear this old monk. But now, even with her brother's help, they still couldn't match their opponent.

Escape was equally hopeless, but there were no other options. Xiaohou Lan looked at Lin Xuan before transforming into a streak of light and flying toward the distant mountains. "Brother, have you thought of an escape plan?"

"No, our only hope is to hide somewhere. I know some methods to conceal my presence; perhaps it can fool his divine sense!" Lin Xuan sighed. "Little Sister, I didn't realize Separation Period cultivators were so formidable. However, we should be able to delay him for at least a quarter of an hour. Let's go. Since we can't defeat both of us together, let's try to escape separately. That bald monk is after me; he won't chase you."

"No way, I promised to help, and I won't abandon my promise. Besides, this life was saved by Brother, so if we die, we'll die together," Xiaohou Lan shook her head, her expression resolute.

"Rubbish, you're a scattered immortal's daughter; your life is precious. Come on, let's go. Together, it will be easier to be detected, and I've already faced many dangers. We might still escape," Lin Xuan, though cold toward his enemies, was sincere with his friends. Xiaohou Lan had done enough for him.

"Still..." Xiaohou Lan wanted to say more when she suddenly recalled Hui Tong's venomous look just now. She changed her mind and said, "Alright, Brother, take care of yourself." With that, she redirected her light and sped toward the horizon without waiting for Lin Xuan's reply.

The sudden 180-degree turn surprised Lin Xuan momentarily, but he knew escape was his priority. He felt relieved that Xiaohou Lan would run away; at least someone would avenge him if he died.

Spitting out saliva, Lin Xuan changed his mind. Why be so消极? The situation was dangerous, but he had faced higher cultivators before.

He couldn't die. If he did, someone would mourn for him.

Lin Xuan took a deep breath and transformed into a streak of light that plummeted into the dense forest.

After flying for a short while, Lin Xuan calculated it was about time to act. He condensed his mana, sank underground, and practiced concealment techniques. His mana and even his heartbeat slowed considerably, but he couldn't be sure if it would work against a Separation Period cultivator's divine sense and powerful secret arts.

To be honest, Lin Xuan didn't like relying on luck for his safety, but there was no choice; the opponent's power was too great. At most, he might have a chance with peak-stage cultivation, but now, it was impossible to think about such things.

Meanwhile, after Xiaohou Lan left, she flew in the opposite direction of Lin Xuan. In her pouch, she took out a sound transmission talisman and sank her divine sense into it.

Soon, she raised her head as the talisman transformed into a fiery light that flew toward where Hui Tong was fighting.

"From the situation, that bald monk should believe I'm from the Spirit Realm. If I threaten him, he'll likely chase me since compared to my brother, our enmity poses a greater threat," Xiaohou Lan muttered to herself.

Unlike Xin Yue, this woman had endured much hardship and valued gratitude deeply. Although the Combined Life Pills didn't work as expected, they did create some attachment in her towards Lin Xuan, leading to such self-sacrificing behavior.

On another mountain about ten million miles away, a black-robed cultivator with his hands behind his back sensed the fluctuations of the surrounding energy. His brows furrowed; this was Luo Family's patriarch.

A few hundred miles away, two cultivators were flying toward them—a man in his forties and a woman in her twenties, both peak-stage婴中期. Despite their similar cultivation levels, they exuded an odd aura that seemed to surpass even the same-stage cultivators...

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