“Let’s go.” Xiao Chen thought no more. With his present cultivation, he could not fight 15 early-staged Foundation Building Realm Cultivators. He pulled Luo Shangyan up and dashed away. If they could survive until dusk, these assassins would then be unable to release their Divine Sense. Then, it would be far easier for them to escape.

After running for nearly an hour, the sky finally darkened. A mountain chain appeared. Yet several men were still after them. Clenching his teeth, Xiao Chen dragged Luo Shangyan and dashed into the mountain forest. If he had executed the Immortal-override Steps, he would have shaken them off. But now he needed to evade the flying swords and had to take care of Luo Shangyan. They could only run at the same speed as the assassins.

Luckily, the sky had dimmed and there was a large mountain ahead. When night had completely fallen, they could escape. A strong wind assaulted him from behind. Xiao Chen condensed his Qi into a blade and cleaved backward with a Sword Radiance. The 3-meter long Sword Radiance lopped off a large tree trunk behind with a loud whoosh. One cultivator had not managed to dodge and was thrown several meters away by the force.

Xiao Chen focused his eyes and surveyed the scene. He realized that there were only four assassins left. The one leading them was Ling Yuxuan and he smirked coldly. “Ha! Even your elder brother had failed to beat me! You are useless and looking for death!” As he spoke, he guarded warily against the other three assailants’ flying swords, trying to quickly recover his True Energy.

Ling Yuxuan’s countenance rapidly darkened. Since he was usually indulging in women and wine, his cultivation was far inferior to his elder brother Ling Yingfeng’s. He could do what he liked only because his grandfather was an elder of the clan. He hated anyone who called him useless. He also harbored a deep grudge against Xiao Chen for ruining his adventure in the Human World.

He started to sneer from extreme anger. “Hey hey! My brother told me that you have at least six Spiritual Meridians in your body. I shall take them all today!” He mobilized his True Energy vigorously and hacked at him with a swift and fierce Sword Qi.

Slashed by the Sword Qi, huge branches fell. Xiao Chen was surprised. This man’s inner strength had soared since the last time they met in the Human World. He did not dare underestimate him. A white radiance streaked out from Xiao Chen’s fingertips as he condensed his energy, countering the surging Sword Qi from Ling Yuxuan.

Ling Yuxuan’s attack had been countered. He bellowed angrily, “Why are you all standing still?”

The other three cultivators obeyed his order and started to strike from three directions with their swords. Cold radiances shot out in all directions, lighting up the entire forest. Xiao Chen was afraid that the others would arrive soon. He did not dare delay and started to draw three talismans. He mobilized his inner True Energy to the extreme. Beside him, Luo Shangyan realized that he was about to collapse. She condensed a white radiance and injected True Energy into his back.

Boosted by Luo Shangyan’s healing arts, Xiao Chen immediately revived. He brandished out his Unsullied Sword quickly. Its Sword Qi was over three meters long and he swept it with a horizontal flourish. “Zheng zheng zheng!” went the sword, severing the three cultivators’ swords.

Although these three cultivators were on Lv 1 or 2 Foundation Building Realm, they had stayed in the Ling Family for too long. They lacked combat experience. After their Immortal’s Swords were destroyed, they panicked and forgot to use their Qi to erect a defense shield.

A murderous intent flashed across Xiao Chen’s eyes. He quickly mobilized his True Energy. The Unsullied Sword immediately turned into a 10-meter long white arc. With a whoosh, it lopped off two cultivators’ heads, one after the other. Blood spurted three meters high.

The remaining cultivator was stunned. He came to himself and threw off the broken sword in his hand, looking to run. Yet he lacked experience, exposing his back for Xiao Chen to strike.

Xiao Chen snickered coldly and the Unsullied Sword began to quiver through his will. It whizzed and penetrated the man’s back. Fresh blood splattered on the grass and trees all around.

By now, even Ling Yuxuan had reacted. Xiao Chen had slain three Foundation Building Realm Cultivators in a short period of time. His opponent’s foundation had surpassed his expectations. He began to regret his carelessness.

However, it was too late. The Unsullied Sword in his hand, a murderous smile spread across Xiao Chen’s lips. He strode step by step toward him. The Unsullied Sword had already slain three men in succession, yet its sword body was still sacred and spotlessly white, carrying a faint sheen without a trace of blood.

His silent, murderous intent permeated the entire forest. Ling Yuxuan knew he was ready to kill and his voice quavered in deep shock. “What do you want? I am the young master of the Ling Family! If you kill me, prepare to be pursued forever… ”

“Ha ha! If I let you off, would the Ling Family thank me with tears? Die!” His murderous desire surged and he slashed his sword at his body. Suddenly, a white belt-like item snaked forward extremely rapidly. Even Xiao Chen with his extraordinary Divine Sense could not evade it.

It zipped across and bound around Xiao Chen’s body. It seemed to be a rope glowing with a white sheen. The rope became tighter and tighter. Xiao Chen could not wrench himself free. Even his inner True Energy had been controlled by the rope. He could no longer mobilize it.

As he struggled desperately, an icy smile tugged at the corner of Ling Yuxuan’s mouth. “Even if a Nascent Soul Realm Cultivator is bound by this immortal rope, he can’t escape. Ha ha! Hand your Spiritual Meridians to me quietly… ”

Xiao Chen’s heart missed a beat. Was this the legendary Immortal-Binding Rope, which could bind an Immortal King or a Deity King? He was too careless. Powerful cultivating families like the Lings would certainly have one or two useful magic treasures.

Not far away, Luo Shangyan’s face paled with fright. “Junior Brother Xiao!” Her snowy-white arms started to wave as a white radiance streaked across to the Immortal-Binding Rope. Yet after reaching it, the white radiance was absorbed and did not do anything.

Ling Yuxuan smiled wickedly. He glanced over to her. At the inn, she had put on her clothes in a hurry and was looking a little disheveled. After their escape, Sword Qi had slashed through her attire, revealing her naked flesh in the gentle breeze. In the dim dusklight, she looked dreamy and alluring.

Seeing Ling Yuxuan’s wicked gaze, Luo Shangyan quickly pulled her clothing together. Ling Yuxuan gave a lusty smile. “Such a pretty little thing. Well, let your young master enjoy himself first… ” Then, he said to Xiao Chen coldly, “After 30 minutes, the Immortal-Binding Rope will use up all your True Energy. Then I will deal with you!”

Cold sweat kept trickling down Xiao Chen’s forehead. The man was not raising a false alarm. Not only could he not move now, his inner True Energy kept dissipating. He yelled, “Senior Sister Luo! Run!” He knew that Luo Shangyan was still at Lv 8 Qi Refining Realm and belonged to the healing branch like Li Muxue. She could not fight Ling Yuxuan at Lv 2 Foundation Building Realm. If she ended up in his hands, the consequences would be dire.

Ling Yuxuan smiled evilly. “Run then. It will be more interesting when an eagle pounces on a hare. I’ll shred the layers of your clothes one by one… ” With these words, his figure shifted and he pounced on Luo Shangyan.

Shocked, Luo Shangyan quickly ducked to one side. Yet how could she be faster than Ling Yuxuan? She had just gone a few paces before he grabbed her wrist. In her panic, she condensed out a white radiance, striking Ling Yuxuan with her other hand’s fingertips. However, her inner strength was too weak. She could not injure Ling Yuxuan. Instead, this itchless, painless sensation excited him even more.

Ling Yuxuan smiled evilly and quickly sealed her True Energy, making her an ordinary girl. Xiao Chen knew what would happen next and cried hoarsely, “You beast! Stop!”

Ling Yuxuan became more and more excited. He pulled Luo Shangyan nearly 10 meters close to where Xiao Chen was. “Hey hey, I heard that you betrayed the Zhou State because of this pretty thing… Hey hey… ” Then, he ripped off one of Luo Shangyan’s sleeves.

Her snowy-white shoulder with its faint arc was exposed to the air. Ling Yuxuan’s eyes took on a reddish cast. He ripped off the lower half of her skirt and left her jade-like legs naked in the breeze.

“Stop! Stop!” Xiao Chen’s eyes were bloodshot. He was like a bound-up, raging dragon. The parts of his body trussed tightly by the Immortal-Binding Rope was dripping with blood. The more he struggled, the tighter the boundage. A short while later, his whole body was already distorted.

Ling Yuxuan began to roar with laughter. Luo Shangyan’s entrancing face was already pale with terror. Tears kept streaming down but her inner strength had been sealed. She could not struggle. If she was ravished in front of Xiao Chen, she would rather die. She tried to bite her tongue off. Ling Yuxuan’s gaze flashed like lightning. He seized her lower jaw and sealed the acupoint on her throat. It would be impossible for her to bite off her tongue now.

“Ah! Ah! Ah!” Bellows reverberated throughout the entire forest. Xiao Chen struggled strenuously. But the Immortal-Binding Rope kept tightening its grip. One could faintly hear the sound of crushing bones.

Ling Yuxuan’s smile became more terrifying. He sealed Luo Shangyan’s acupoint. “Lad, you caused my training to fail and let someone disfigure my cousin. Today, I will make you suffer before you die… ” As he said this, he started to strip off Luo Shangyan’s clothes.

Xiao Chen’s eyes were splitting apart. A black Qi flashed across the area between his brows. He seemed to recall Ling Yin’s instructions again. “Chen’er, if you are ever bound by someone else’s magic treasure and your opponent’s cultivation isn’t much better than yours, try the meditation method of the Yaoguang School. Make your Soul come out of your body from its third layer. But your Soul cannot leave for too long, or it can never return and will linger around heaven and earth forever… ”

At this moment, Xiao Chen no longer struggled blindly. He shut his eyes, quietly mobilizing his energy, using the Mystic Cyan Sect’s Yaoguang meditative method. From the third layer, his Soul emerged.

Ling Yuxuan did not hear anything behind him. He turned his head and found Xiao Chen’s eyes shut. He grinned hideously. “Hey hey! Can’t bear to watch? Try plugging your ears as well!”

By now, Luo Shangyan’s skirt had almost been completely torn. She was left with two pieces of undergarments. Her arms and her legs, fair as lotus roots, were all exposed. She could no longer move. Neither did she struggle. She only closed her eyes weakly as tears coursed down her face.

Ling Yuxuan acted as if deranged. His hideous laughter reverberated throughout the entire forest. Suddenly, a black shadow streaked out from Xiao Chen’s body. Ling Yuxuan’s smile instantly froze. He shouted in grave shock, “What the… ” Before his voice had faded, this dark shadow had edged forward.

“The Soul out of the body! Who… who are you really?” Ling Yuxuan’s face paled. He no longer bothered with Luo Shangyan. He raised his Qi to erect a defense.

“Someone you can’t afford to offend!” The black shadow gradually materialized, becoming translucent, with the exact look of Xiao Chen. Before he had finished, he had converged Qi out from his palm into a blade and loped off Ling Yuxuan’s arm.

Blood splattered everywhere. Ling Yuxuan almost passed out from the pain. Luckily, he had a Foundation Building Realm cultivation. He turned and tried to run.

“Can you run?” Xiao Chen’s Soul gave a cold bellow. The force overwhelmed the heavens and the earth and converged. Huge crumbs of earth overturned. The force pressed Ling Yuxuan from every direction, almost shattering his bones and tendons. He spewed out a mouthful of mouth and fell limp to the ground, unable to move.

The power of a released Soul was only second to the Deliverance by Weapons. The price to pay was the exertion of the cultivator’s Soul. Its extraordinary power was horrendous.