"Are you Fengyun Wujie?"
Fengyun Wujie had just crossed over a green mountain when a dozen figures in white robes appeared before him. Their faces were cold and stern.
"Who are you? Why are you blocking my path?" Fengyun Wujie asked sharply.
The twelve men automatically spread out, subtly surrounding him, cutting off any escape routes. "That's him, for sure. According to the rumors, the Xuanming Book must be in his possession," one of the white-robed men called out loudly.
"The Xuanming Book? You came for the Xuanming Book?" Fengyun Wujie questioned in surprise.
"Exactly, it's him!" The leader shouted decisively. Immediately, the twelve men sprang into action, surrounding Fengyun Wujie. With a roar, their robes billowed as they released a torrent of domineering energy. Twelve invisible blades of qi intertwined, completely sealing off Fengyun Wujie's every movement.
The pressure felt as though Mount Tai was crushing down on him, forcing him downward.
"Yah!" Fengyun Wujie shouted, unleashing a fierce sword intent that clashed with the twelve men's blade energy, forcing them back.
"Die!" The twelve men, embarrassed by their failure to subdue him, shouted in unison, releasing all their blade energy in an attempt to force him to the ground.
Boom! Like a meteor, the thirteen of them crashed into the earth, creating a large crater.
"Don't think you can escape. No one has ever opposed the people of the Blade Domain!" the leading man said coldly, glaring at Fengyun Wujie.
"What do you want from me?" Fengyun Wujie demanded. The twelve men were each more powerful than him individually, and together they were impossible for him to resist. His legs were trapped in the earth, unable to move due to the intertwining of blade qi and sword energy.
Clap! Clap!
Applause came from the side, and the twelve men looked up to see a handsome man slowly descending from the void.
"Blade Domain truly has great methods," the man said with a laugh. "You sent twelve of your top people to capture a rookie who has been training for less than three years. Ha, impressive, truly impressive."
"From the Demon Domain? What do you want?" One of the men with thick eyebrows and sharp eyes stepped forward, glaring at the newcomer.
"We do the same as you. We want him," the man from the Demon Domain replied calmly.
"Leave!" The powerful Blade Domain expert shouted, his hand already on the hilt of his sword. "Or you die."
As the word "die" left his mouth, the twelve men spread out, surrounding Fengyun Wujie once more. Twelve blades of cold light erupted from their sheaths, slicing toward the Demon Domain expert and the six men who appeared behind him.
The Demon Domain man's expression changed. "Retreat!" he shouted, stepping back swiftly while unleashing a punch. A tidal wave of black mist poured from his fist, charging at the twelve blades of qi.
Sizzling! The blades cut through the black mist like cloth, continuing on their path. However, the six men from the Demon Domain used the delay to escape the range of the blade energy.
Boom! Boom!
The sound of rocks shattering echoed, and deep gashes appeared on the rocky surface behind them, left by the twelve blades.
A terrifying aura descended quietly from the void, covering the space. The twelve men of the Blade Domain, sensing something, looked up toward the peak of a nearby mountain.
A long-haired man sat slanted on a rock at the peak, gazing down with a cold, piercing gaze. His wide robe fluttered like a butterfly in the wind.
"Wind Demon?!" The faces of the Blade Domain experts turned pale. "What are you doing here?"
The Wind Demon had mastered the Wind Demon Art, reaching an incredible level of mastery. His name was well-known in the Demon Domain. Upon his appearance, the twelve men of the Blade Domain knew they were no match for him and began to retreat mentally.
"Hehe... The Blade Domain, huh?" The Wind Demon said as he casually combed his long hair, a sinister smile curling on his lips. "Do you think you can compete with the Demon Domain for this man? You're not qualified."
With that, he leaped lightly from the air, and the twelve experts from the Blade Domain exchanged glances before striking together, sending twelve unmatched swords of light at the mountain peak.
The Wind Demon sneered and spun in the air, narrowly dodging a blade of qi. He swirled again, turning into a gust of wind that descended from the mountain peak.
No matter how the Blade Domain's experts wielded their blades, they couldn't land a hit on the Wind Demon, who had transformed into the wind itself.
A sharp gust of wind, like a silver snake, wound around the necks of the twelve men. Then, the Wind Demon appeared behind them.
"Mm, not bad, not bad at all!" The Wind Demon grinned as he placed his middle finger into his mouth, savoring it with satisfaction before letting out a cold laugh.
Whoosh! Whoosh!
The twelve men, frozen in place with their blades raised, trembled, and then blood spurted from their pores, instantly turning their white robes a deep red. Their eyes widened in disbelief as they collapsed to the ground, their bodies stiff and lifeless.
"The Wind Demon Art causes internal blood pressure to explode when used too recklessly. The more forceful the strike, the greater the damage to the user!" The Wind Demon turned to Fengyun Wujie, his smile now gentler. "The Xuanming Book. Give it to me."
Fengyun Wujie could hardly believe his eyes. The twelve men who had forced him to fall from the sky were now slain by a single strike from this so-called "Wind Demon." A chill ran down his spine as he looked at the Wind Demon's calm smile.
Weighing his options, Fengyun Wujie realized he was no match for this man. He quickly pulled the Xuanming Book from his chest, holding it between his fingers. "You want the Xuanming Book? I'll give it to you, but first, answer me one question."
As Fengyun Wujie held up the book, the Wind Demon's eyes gleamed with greed.
"Don't give it to him!" A voice suddenly came from behind Fengyun Wujie.
He was shocked. When had this person appeared behind him? He hadn't noticed until the voice spoke.
"The Great Freedom Wanderer? Are you trying to interfere in Demon Domain matters?" the Wind Demon hissed in anger.
A man wearing a worn-out white robe and bare feet stepped forward. His appearance was plain, with a bald head, and his aura didn't scream "master" in the slightest. But his eyes carried an intense, natural energy that was unlike anything Fengyun Wujie had ever felt before.
"The people of the Demon Domain are ruthless, acting solely on personal whims. You must not give them the Xuanming Book; it will only lead to more trouble," the Great Freedom Wanderer said gently, bowing to Fengyun Wujie.
"You're looking for death!" The Wind Demon roared, vanishing into the void.
The Great Freedom Wanderer clasped his hands together, bowing slightly as his worn-out robe straightened with a force like steel. A strange octagonal defense field formed around him as he released his unique "Unmoving Fundamental Seal."
As the Great Freedom Wanderer invoked his seal, Fengyun Wujie suddenly felt a strange sensation. The unremarkable middle-aged man before him seemed as if he were rooted in the earth, one with the ground beneath him. He was immovable, like the earth itself.
The wind howled, but no matter how the Wind Demon searched, he couldn't find a single weakness in the Great Freedom Wanderer.
"Fine. I can't break your Unmoving Fundamental Seal. Take the Xuanming Book; the people of the Demon Domain will come for it whenever they wish. Heh... Next time we meet, I hope you'll still be alive..." The Wind Demon's voice faded as he disappeared without a trace.