When did I say you could leave

Nangong Xiyun was somewhat exhausted, but she would never allow herself to be trapped in a dire situation.

She continued swinging her sword.

Once again, she slaughtered a great number of the demon beast army. The Grand Priest, still biding his time, had already gathered a vast amount of demonic energy, contemplating which spell to use against Nangong Xiyun.

As long as he killed this human, he could at least return with something to show for his efforts.

The Grand Priest had already given up on pursuing Di Haoran and his group. At the very least, he had to slay this formidable human cultivator.

Nangong Xiyun suddenly spoke, "I should take my leave now."

With that, she cleaved a path through the enemy ranks with a single stroke of her sword.

The Grand Priest's expression darkened in alarm. "No! She must not escape!"

But by the time he realized it, it was already too late. He had assumed Nangong Xiyun would fight to the death.

Moreover, the demon beasts had long since surrounded her to prevent her escape. Yet, no one expected her strength to be sufficient to force her way out.

Damn it! All their efforts had been wasted.

The Grand Priest prepared to strike, but he sensed it was already futile.

Then, he noticed Nangong Xiyun had come to a halt.

What was going on? With her power, she should have been able to break through effortlessly.

The Grand Priest was puzzled, but this turn of events worked in his favor.

"Hah! Whatever the reason, you’ve missed your best chance to flee."

Ten Great Secret Arts—

Indestructible Cage!

The Grand Priest expended another massive amount of demonic energy to activate this forbidden technique.

Originally, he had intended to use it for an offensive spell, but Nangong Xiyun’s near-escape had shaken him. A barrier would have to suffice.

The barrier was sizable enough to allow free movement in battle.

A mere barrier might not seem like much, but what made this a secret art was its unique trait—

The more demon beasts present in the vicinity, the sturdier the barrier became.

However, it was crucial to understand that this was merely an amplification. Even without any demon beasts nearby, this barrier could temporarily imprison even a Mahayana-stage cultivator.

In the current situation, the barrier’s strength had been maximized, especially since Nangong Xiyun was no longer at her peak.

It could be said—escape was now impossible.

Yet, Nangong Xiyun smiled.

It was the first time she had smiled that day.

The Grand Priest instantly felt a chill of unease.

He didn’t believe people laughed without reason.

Could she still have a hidden card?

No, no—the barrier was already in place. Nothing could break it now.

Even if someone came to her rescue, she would be dead long before the barrier shattered.

There was no need to worry, Grand Priest. You’ve already won.

Regaining his confidence, the Grand Priest scoffed, "Just putting on a show."

"Have you ever considered why I stopped?" Nangong Xiyun asked.

"Who cares?" The Grand Priest continued gathering demonic energy, preparing his next spell.

"Because it’s no longer necessary."

"Nonsense."

The Grand Priest had no patience left. He launched another magical assault.

But just as he began, something felt… off.

His barrier shattered.

A crisp sound echoed as the entire structure fractured like glass.

Every demon beast in the army turned toward the point where the barrier had first cracked.

Yet, there was no one there.

Su Luo had already appeared beside Nangong Xiyun. "I’ve come to take you back."

"Then I’ll leave it to you. I’m exhausted."

Nangong Xiyun leaned against Su Luo, allowing herself to relax completely.

She had only stopped because she knew Su Luo was coming. In her current state, she could have easily escaped earlier.

A belated thought struck her. "Ah… I’m not getting in your way, am I?"

"Not at all."

"What a relief."

In the past, Nangong Xiyun would have stubbornly refused to rely on anyone.

But now? She was content to let Su Luo handle things.

The Grand Priest demanded, "How did you break my barrier?"

Su Luo replied indifferently, "Simple. Just used a little trick."

In truth, it was brute force combined with finesse.

Even without the trick, Su Luo could have shattered it with sheer strength—it just would have taken longer.

"Lies! My Indestructible Cage has no weaknesses!"

"Only because you didn’t know them."

One should never underestimate those who have lived for ages. Su Luo, after all, had experienced many lifetimes.

The Grand Priest had to admit that this newcomer was no ordinary foe. "Who are you?"

"Unimportant."

"True. Doesn’t matter. Killing two for the price of one—what a bargain."

Despite his words, the Grand Priest remained cautious. He couldn’t fathom how this man had dismantled his barrier so effortlessly.

The demon beasts surged toward Su Luo.

Su Luo showed no mercy. "Explode."

Killing a few beasts wouldn’t make a dent in their numbers anyway.

Boom!

Detonations erupted wildly among the demon beast army.

[All That is Seen Shall Explode]

As Su Luo’s cultivation advanced, so did the potency of his explosions—now accompanied by a secondary blast of equal magnitude.

This technique was perfect for clearing out weaklings.

The only downside? Su Luo didn’t have eyes in the back of his head, or it would have been a full 360-degree massacre.

Of course, not all demon beasts were pushovers. Some still found openings to strike.

Su Luo countered with his sword, though the explosions never ceased.

He could have relied solely on explosions, but spinning around like a madman would have looked ridiculous.

The Grand Priest’s face darkened. A single move from this man revealed his caliber.

Another Mahayana-stage cultivator.

Why did humans always have reinforcements at critical moments?

A sense of powerlessness crept over him. In his current state, he stood no chance against a Mahayana expert.

And this one seemed even stronger than he had been at his peak.

The Grand Priest couldn’t see through Su Luo.

Su Luo, meanwhile, paid him no mind, focusing solely on slaughtering the demon beasts.

Nangong Xiyun truly rested against him, undisturbed.

Meanwhile, at the outskirts of the demon beast army, Little Yu also joined the fray. These beasts were no match for her.

The tide of battle had shifted overwhelmingly in Su Luo’s favor.

Though reinforcements streamed in endlessly from afar, they couldn’t keep up with the rate of annihilation.

Many of these beasts weren’t even worth being called cannon fodder.

The Grand Priest hurled a couple of powerful spells, but Su Luo dispelled them effortlessly.

The frustration was even greater than when he had faced Nangong Xiyun.

This couldn’t continue.

After a moment of deliberation, the Grand Priest sighed, then snarled, "You win this round, human. We retreat."

The battle was already lost.

Even with endless reinforcements, they were only marching to their deaths.

At best, they might exhaust Su Luo, but the Grand Priest doubted he could finish him off.

Having overused the power of the Totem Altar, he was already overextended.

If they expended everything only for Su Luo to escape, the losses would be for nothing.

Better to wait for the Beast Lord to deal with him.

Or assemble a squad of elite demon beasts—at least three Mahayana-stage—to ensure Su Luo couldn’t flee.

The Grand Priest knew when to cut his losses. He wasn’t reckless.

The demon beasts obeyed without question. Whatever the Grand Priest commanded, they followed.

They began to withdraw.

But then, Su Luo spoke again.

"Did I ever say… you could leave?"