I Won't Save

When Xu Mu saw that Ai Ping did not even stop to think before nodding, he could tell that she was desperate for Yue Menglong to die.

Her filial-piety value toward Yue Menglong was -3, while Sect Master Hua Ming’s filial-piety value toward Yue Menglong was 1.

That was why Xu Mu had deliberately sought out Ai Ping.

“We’ll fight for a while first. Just give it everything you’ve got. Don’t worry—you can’t kill me. If you hold back, Yue Menglong might notice.”

Xu Mu sent her another telepathic message.

Ai Ping’s estimation of Xu Mu’s strength rose considerably. She was a dignified eighth-stage expert, yet Xu Mu, who was only at the Perfection stage of the Transcendent Realm, had actually told her to use her full strength.

Ai Ping naturally had no intention of holding back. Yue Menglong knew her strength very well; if she discovered anything was amiss, Ai Ping would be the first one she killed.

Rumble!

Ai Ping unleashed her power to the limit. “You brat! Die!”

She sent every technique she possessed toward Xu Mu, including a Heaven-grade technique.

To make the act look more convincing, she even sent the Heaven-grade attack toward Yue Menglong’s side.

But Ai Ping soon discovered that Xu Mu was able to dodge almost every attack completely.

This man truly was extraordinary.

At that moment, three battles were unfolding.

Xu Mu was fighting Ai Ping. Fu Jinyu and Chen Xuan were fighting Hua Ming. And Xiao Gui was fighting Yue Menglong.

The first to change her tactics was Yue Menglong. She had attacked Xiao Gui directly because she thought she could easily suppress him.

She had not expected this fourth-stage World-Breaking expert to be far stronger than she imagined. It seemed she had been mistaken earlier. Xiao Gui really was Xu Mu’s good friend. Strong people were indeed drawn to one another—the three of them were each harder to kill than the last.

So Yue Menglong changed her strategy. After striking Xiao Gui away, she charged toward Zhong Ci and the others.

She intended to carve those marks into their minds once again.

She would not allow Xu Mu to get close. The moment he approached, she would detonate the marks.

Buzz!

When Xiao Gui saw this, he immediately used his teleportation ability. Transforming into a streak of golden light, he instantly appeared above the golden bell.

Seeing this, Xu Mu quickly moved closer to Ai Ping and continued sending her telepathic messages. “Where’s the exit?”

“You’re not going to trick me, are you?” Ai Ping asked quickly.

“I have no grudge against you. Yue Menglong is my only enemy.”

Xu Mu continued fighting as he sent the message.

Ai Ping immediately adjusted her stance and said, “It’s in the yellow smoke behind me. Keep going deeper, and you’ll find a row of earthen houses. The seventh house is the exit. If you enter any of the others, you’ll be transported back here.”

After saying this, she unleashed her power once more and sent Xu Mu flying.

As Xu Mu was knocked backward, he used his perception to inspect everyone around him. Fu Jinyu and Chen Xuan had already fallen completely behind. Facing a ninth-stage expert head-on was still too much for the two of them.

As for Xiao Gui, he was also in a sorry state. After all, he had several burdens with him.

Boom!

Suddenly, the bloody aura around Yue Menglong erupted, shattering the golden bell.

Everyone inside was sent flying.

“Wife!”

When Xiao Gui saw Zhong Ci fly away, he immediately rushed over and caught her in his arms.

On the other side, Xiao Qiao crashed into the desert, her face covered in blood.

“Little Qiao!”

Seeing this, Xiao Gui turned and flew toward her.

But Yue Menglong was even faster. Just as she was about to reach Xiao Qiao, she suddenly discovered that the little girl had transformed into Xu Mu.

Swish!

Xu Mu struck Yue Menglong with a Breakthrough Sword.

He did not follow up with another attack. He knew very well that, with his current strength, he could not injure Yue Menglong at all.

So he quickly scooped Xiao Qiao up from the desert and held her in his arms.

At once, he sent a telepathic message to Chen Xuan and Fu Jinyu, telling them to follow him toward the yellow smoke. The seventh house was the exit.

“Xu Mu! Where do you think you’re going?”

Ai Ping unleashed her power and charged toward Xu Mu.

“Little Qiao!”

Seeing this, Zhong Ci cried out with tears streaming down her face.

Xu Mu immediately turned around and used his own back to shield Xiao Qiao.

He activated the Spirit-Devouring Sacred Gu, covering his back in dark golden light. He then used Demon Guardian to further increase his defenses, followed by several formation shields.

Boom!

Even so, all those defenses still failed to withstand an eighth-stage expert’s attack. Xu Mu and Xiao Qiao were sent flying together into the distant yellow smoke.

Seeing this, Chen Xuan pretended not to know what had happened and quickly shouted, “Brother Mu!”

As he spoke, he rushed into the distant yellow sand as well.

Fu Jinyu, meanwhile, did not pay any attention to them. She continued fighting Hua Ming, buying Chen Xuan time.

After all, she had a teleportation token and could go directly to Xu Mu’s side.

Inside the yellow smoke, sandstorms raged everywhere. The entire world before them was yellow, making it impossible to see anything clearly.

Only when one came within five meters of the earthen buildings could they be seen with the naked eye.

But Xu Mu possessed perception, so the yellow smoke around him had no effect whatsoever.

Holding Xiao Qiao, he hurried toward the seventh building at top speed.

Along the way, Xiao Qiao kept her eyes closed as tears streamed down her face. “Xu Mu, for a man, is his wife more important than his child?”

“For an ordinary family, the wife is probably more important than the child in most cases,” Xu Mu replied calmly. “Children will eventually start families of their own and leave their parents. But your partner is the person who will accompany you until the end of your life.”

“What you said makes sense.”

Xiao Qiao recalled what had happened earlier. When she and her mother had been sent flying at the same time, Xiao Gui had chosen without hesitation to save her mother first.

“You said that’s how things are in ordinary families. What about extraordinary families?”

“For example, the imperial families of ancient times. What an emperor needs is an heir, so naturally his son would be more important than his mother.”

As Xu Mu spoke, he sent a telepathic message to Fu Jinyu, telling her to hurry over.

Swish!

Fu Jinyu activated her teleportation token, and in the blink of an eye, she appeared in front of Xu Mu.

“Old Chen! Hurry!”

Using his perception, Xu Mu spotted Chen Xuan in the distance and shouted toward him.

“I’m coming!”

Chen Xuan also appeared in front of Xu Mu.

Xu Mu then looked at Xiao Qiao. “I have great respect for saintly women. We’re preparing to escape. If you can’t bear to leave your parents behind, I can put you down here and you can go back to them.”

Xiao Qiao was instantly at a loss for words.

“If I were you, I’d leave,” Xu Mu continued when he saw that Xiao Qiao remained silent. “Staying here will only create more trouble for them.”

“Fine. I’ll go with you!”

Xiao Qiao hurriedly nodded.

Xu Mu and the others immediately entered the building. The world before their eyes changed.

They now found themselves in a mountain forest, with the ruins’ exit directly ahead.

Xu Mu and the others passed through the ruins and successfully emerged outside the cave they had entered earlier.

“Ah! We finally made it out.”

Chen Xuan shook his head slightly. “A ninth-stage expert was still too much for me. My hands are trembling even now.”

“Xu Mu, how did you know about this exit?”

Fu Jinyu took out a healing pill and swallowed it before asking.

“The Deputy Sect Master told me,” Xu Mu replied with a smile. “Someone as powerful as her would never give up after learning how to escape the control.”

“Xu Mu… Uncle! Please, save my parents! I know my father offended you before. I’m sorry!”

Xiao Qiao sobbed through her tears.

“I’m not saving her. Getting you out was already an enormous favor, so don’t push your luck.”

Xu Mu refused outright. “Besides, with your father’s strength, he can definitely get out. Your mother, on the other hand, may not be so lucky.”

“What? Uncle, please save my mother! I’ll do anything you ask—even marry you!”