Wasting my damn time, we killed her

Zilan Yin could hardly believe it. She was a second-stage Boundary Breaker, capable of fighting opponents several levels above her own.

Although she hadn’t used her full strength just now, there was no way someone in the Mortal Transcendence Realm should have been able to block that attack.

What was more, her opponent had stopped it with just two fingers. In Zilan Yin’s eyes, that was nothing short of an insult.

“This big sister really is ruthless. If I were an ordinary Mortal Transcendence cultivator, that move might have slit my throat.”

Xu Mu took a step back and released the silver crescent blade.

At first, the woman had reminded him somewhat of Ye Tong, but it turned out she was actually vicious.

“No wonder Hathaway is so interested in you. You’ve surprised me.”

The crescent blade in Zilan Yin’s hand vanished. “Your cultivation didn’t fluctuate just now. You really blocked my attack while remaining in the Mortal Transcendence Realm.”

Hathaway grabbed Xu Mu by the arm. “Let’s go. Don’t waste your breath on this woman!”

But Zilan Yin continued following them. “I’m very interested in this little brother. Hathaway, how about handing him over to me?”

Hathaway let go of Xu Mu and punched Zilan Yin.

Boom!

Golden light transformed into lightning and swallowed Zilan Yin whole.

Whoosh!

Purple flames flickered around Zilan Yin’s body, sending her flying backward out of the lightning.

“Go!”

Hathaway grabbed Xu Mu by the arm and flew into the distance. “How do we get out of here?”

“Wait for me!”

Xu Mu broke free of Hathaway’s grasp and landed on the yellow sand.

He began drawing a simple formation on the ground.

At the same time, Zilan Yin charged toward them again from behind.

Hathaway let out a cold snort. “I originally planned to conserve my strength until we found the treasure. But you’ve obstructed me again and again, so I’ll just kill you!”

“Hathaway, forget it!”

Xu Mu felt they couldn’t waste any more time. If this continued, Xiao Gui might find the treasure first.

Besides, there couldn’t be only one formation in a battlefield like this. It wouldn’t hurt to tell this woman.

“I know why you’re following us. You think I know how to leave the formation, don’t you?”

Xu Mu looked at Zilan Yin.

“No. I’m only interested in this little brother.”

Zilan Yin’s face was filled with gentle warmth.

“Then let me tell you this: I do know how to leave, and I’m willing to take you out. What are you prepared to pay?”

Xu Mu got straight to the point.

“Hehe! So you really do know.”

Zilan Yin understood Hathaway too well. When faced with her provocation, Hathaway had not fought her—instead, she had taken Xu Mu and left. That was completely out of character for her.

Clearly, Hathaway knew how to get out.

“I won’t waste time either. I can let you take me out, but you have to give Sister Hathaway a ninth-grade heavenly treasure.”

Xu Mu spoke calmly.

Hathaway cast a surprised glance at Xu Mu. This kid had some sense after all. He knew to ask for compensation, probably because he was afraid she might stop protecting him.

But there was one thing that made Hathaway view Xu Mu in a new light: he had immediately seen through Zilan Yin’s fake sweetness.

Hathaway had met plenty of men, but the moment they saw this woman smile, they would become completely bewitched.

[Affection +2]

“Give her a heavenly treasure? Are you two close? She was trying to kill you just now.”

Zilan Yin looked puzzled.

“I’m very close to her grandmother.”

Xu Mu looked at Zilan Yin. “Stop changing the subject. Are you giving it to me or not?”

“No. I can simply follow you two. Won’t I be able to leave that way?”

Zilan Yin smiled.

“Damn it! You’re wasting my time. Hathaway, let’s kill her together!”

Xu Mu drew his black longsword and shouted sternly.

“I’ve been waiting for this!”

Qi erupted from Hathaway’s body.

“I don’t have a ninth-grade heavenly treasure, but I can give you an eighth-grade one.”

Zilan Yin was still trying to bargain.

“I’ll make an exception because you’re pretty. Eighth grade it is.”

Xu Mu had no reason to waste time over this matter. The treasure wasn’t for him anyway.

All he needed was for Hathaway to know that he had tried to get her a ninth-grade treasure.

“Little brother, you really know how to talk.”

With a smile, Zilan Yin took out an eighth-grade poisonous flower and handed it to Hathaway.

Hathaway accepted it without hesitation. After all, an eighth-grade treasure was better than nothing. “Xu Mu, how do we leave?”

Xu Mu pointed ahead. “Carry me and fly in a straight line.”

Hathaway didn’t hesitate. She grabbed Xu Mu by the shoulder and flew into the distance.

Seeing this, Zilan Yin immediately followed behind Hathaway.

As they flew, Xu Mu sensed that there were still quite a few people nearby, wandering around like headless flies.

After only a few minutes, Hathaway returned to their previous location.

She had already spotted the formation Xu Mu had drawn in the sand.

“How is this possible? We’re back where we started.”

Hathaway lowered her head and looked at him.

Zilan Yin, who had caught up from behind, also noticed the formation Xu Mu had drawn in the sand.

It was exactly the same as before. She had already tried flying straight ahead, only to end up back at the starting point.

“Don’t worry about it. Keep flying.”

Xu Mu spoke to Hathaway.

Although Hathaway was somewhat confused, she still grabbed Xu Mu by the shoulder and continued flying forward.

This time, she flew even faster, yet she returned to the starting point once again.

“Keep going!” Xu Mu ordered.

Since Hathaway had chosen to trust Xu Mu, she took off with him once more.

She didn’t want to say anything yet and decided to give Xu Mu half an hour.

If they still couldn’t get out after half an hour, she would stop and demand an explanation.

In the blink of an eye, more than twenty minutes passed. Hathaway had already gone around five times.

Zilan Yin, who was following behind them, could no longer endure it. Her cultivation was inferior to Hathaway’s, and she had been using her full strength to keep up. The qi in her body had already been significantly depleted.

She accelerated, preparing to catch up with Xu Mu, but suddenly realized that Hathaway and Xu Mu had disappeared ahead.

“What?”

Zilan Yin immediately pursued them. After flying for roughly a thousand meters, she sensed what seemed to be another layer of obstruction in the space ahead.

Her body passed through the barrier.

The world before her was still a desert, but it was slightly different from the place they had just left.

Several buildings made of sand now stood on the sandy ground ahead.

Most of the buildings were cube-shaped, complete with doors and windows.

There were roughly a dozen of them clustered in the distance, resembling a small village.

“As expected, we made it out!”

Zilan Yin descended from the sky and landed beside Xu Mu and Hathaway. “Little brother, how did you know how to get out?”

“I know a thing or two about formations.”

After speaking, Xu Mu turned to the two women. “Ladies, I’ve helped you leave the first formation. We’ll part ways here.”

He immediately expanded his senses to search for Xiao Gui. Zilan Yin had delayed him for several minutes, and Xiao Gui had certainly gotten there first.

Xu Mu stepped across the sand and hurried toward the buildings ahead. His senses swept across them, but he couldn’t see inside.

Either no one was inside, or the buildings themselves were part of a formation.

He quickly arrived in front of one of them. The doors and windows were tightly shut.

“Hey, you two, why are you following me?”

Xu Mu turned around and asked, “Wouldn’t our chances of finding an exit be better if we split up?”

“Ahem!”

Hathaway cleared her throat a few times and folded her arms. “I’m protecting you, of course!”

“Me too. I hit it off with my little brother the moment we met, and I don’t want anything to happen to him either,” Zilan Yin added with a smile.

“You don’t want anything to happen to me? Then go in and take a look.”

Xu Mu pointed at the door.