As it turned out, Han Yi's worries had been unfounded.
The incident at Heavenfall City had indeed been a rare occurrence.
The night passed uneventfully, punctuated only by the distant roars of beasts and the occasional faint sounds of unfamiliar battles far away.
Han Yi wasn't a saint and paid no heed to the distant slaughter.
If Chu Jinmo or any of the surviving members of their group of seven had been nearby, he might have intervened. But for strangers so far away, he could offer no assistance.
Just as dawn broke, Han Yi emerged from his tree hollow shelter, oriented himself, and sprinted toward the perimeter. He pushed his Light Body Technique to its limits, estimating that he could cover the hundred-plus kilometers to safety in less than half an hour at full speed.
However...
Barely two kilometers into his journey, he stumbled upon a mangled corpse, its eyes wide with unfinished terror. Han Yi stood silently beside it, recognizing the man.
It was Li Yi, the Formation Master from their group of seven.
Li Yi had left a strong impression on Han Yi. The Spirit Concealing Formation, and the offensive Formation Arts he had unleashed during their battle with the Tiger Demon, had both caught Han Yi's attention.
A skilled Formation Master could prove decisive in combat, excelling in support, enemy containment, defense, and devastating area-of-effect attacks.
Han Yi stood in silent mourning for a moment before turning to leave. The Myriad Demon Mountain Range had become a slaughterhouse, and lingering was unwise.
As he hurried out, he encountered two more corpses besides Li Yi's. One was a disciple of the Profound Pill Sect, his face devoured beyond recognition by low-level Demon Beasts. The other wore the crimson robes of the Blood God Sect. Han Yi didn't pause, fleeing at full speed.
Suddenly—
Boom!
A violent explosion erupted half a kilometer to his side. Though the dense forest obscured the sight, Han Yi sensed a surge of turbulent Spirit Qi. He paused briefly, considered it, then continued his escape.
Whoosh!
The clear, ringing cry of a sword rose sharply, then abruptly fell silent.
Han Yi whirled around, his expression darkening.
"That sword... it's Chu Jinmo's Spirit Sword!"
Without hesitation, he charged toward the sound. He covered the half-kilometer distance in less than ten breaths.
He arrived to find two cultivators locked in combat.
One was Chu Jinmo. Her face was grim, and blood stained her dark blue robes. A tear in her sleeve revealed a deep wound that might have reached the bone.
Opposite her stood a burly young cultivator clad in crimson Blood God Sect robes. Nearly two meters tall, with broad shoulders and a muscular build, his eyes burned with ferocity. He wielded an exceptionally unique Magic Artifact: a gilded halberd that radiated the imposing aura of an angry Vajra.
The moment Han Yi appeared, the gilded halberd slammed heavily forward. The empty space before the burly youth rippled like water, the disturbance sending shockwaves outward.
"Damn it!" Han Yi's expression changed drastically as he darted aside.
Boom!
A terrifying surge of spiritual energy erupted from the youth, crashing into the Silver Spirit Sword across the distance. The sword let out a mournful wail as a crack appeared on its blade before it was sent flying.
With her Spirit Sword damaged, Chu Jinmo's face paled. She coughed up a mouthful of blood.
Just then, a hand shot forward, palm splayed open. Mana surged from its center, forming a fiery shield. But before the shield could fully materialize, the overwhelming spiritual energy shattered it into flickering flames.
That fraction of a second was all Han Yi needed.
As he cast the Fire Shield Technique, he simultaneously slapped three Body Protection Talismans onto himself. His body shifted completely, positioning itself between Chu Jinmo and the incoming blast.
In that fleeting moment, this was the most direct and effective solution he could devise.
The time he had was as brief as a lightning strike.
If Han Yi only activated a Body Protection Talisman for Chu Jinmo, he wouldn't be able to defend himself, leaving them both in danger. Saving her while endangering himself would be foolish. Yet if he did nothing, he would have to watch her die before his eyes.
Though cautious and discreet, Han Yi wasn't heartless. To save someone he could save, yet choose not to, would betray his Dao heart.
Cultivation, if it led to detachment from all joy and sorrow, to cold indifference and ruthlessness, would be a fundamental perversion of its purpose. What would be the point of cultivating at all if it turned you into a cold-blooded monster?
Therefore, the most effective course of action was to reinforce his own defenses with multiple Spirit Talismans, blocking the attack completely and ensuring both their safety.
Bang! Bang!
Two sharp explosions rang out in quick succession. The two layers of light shielding Han Yi shattered, but the third flickered momentarily before stabilizing.
"So powerful," Han Yi muttered, his face grim.
This burly youth possessed formidable strength, undoubtedly rivaling a top-tier Ninth Layer Qi Refinement cultivator.
In his haste, Han Yi had activated three Body Protection Talismans for absolute certainty. These weren't ordinary talismans, but High-Grade Spirit Talismans. Under normal circumstances, a full-force strike from an average Ninth-Tier Qi Refinement cultivator could only shatter one such talisman.
The burly young man, wielding a gilded halberd, unleashed a devastating strike from afar. It shattered not only two Body Protection Talismans in mid-air, but also Han Yi's Fire Shield Technique before that.
His power was truly terrifying.
This was undoubtedly the strongest opponent Han Yi had ever faced, even more formidable than the cold youth who wielded the Top-Grade Magic Artifact, the Golden Light Shuttle.
As these thoughts raced through his mind, the protective barrier around his body gradually dissipated.
"Senior Sister Chu, how are you?" Han Yi asked without turning, his gaze fixed on the burly youth twenty meters away, his expression unusually grave.
Behind him, Chu Jinmo's eyes widened, her pupils constricting as she watched Han Yi block the attack. Her face registered shock, but knowing this wasn't the time for sentiment, she wiped the blood from the corner of her mouth. "Still alive, but my combat strength is less than ten percent of what it was."
Her concise words made it clear: their survival now depended entirely on Han Yi.
Han Yi wasn't surprised. By the time he had arrived, Chu Jinmo was already barely holding on. The burly youth's earlier strike had severely damaged her Spirit Sword, which now lay motionless, thrown aside, indicating the extent of its injuries.
"Leave this to me, Senior Sister Chu. You should retreat first," Han Yi said firmly.
Chu Jinmo opened her mouth to speak, hesitated, then swallowed whatever emotional words she might have said.
Chu Jinmo knew that Han Yi's effortless block of the earlier attack meant his true strength far surpassed his cultivation realm, a fact hinted at by subtle clues she had noticed before. Moreover, ever since she had met him, she understood that he was a dedicated ascetic, focused solely on the path of cultivation and harboring no romantic feelings for her.
Han Yi's decision to shield her and urge her to retreat wasn't a reckless act of self-sacrifice. He recognized her capability to hold her own against the enemy, realizing her presence would only hinder him, tying his hands and making it a futile risk.
"Understood, Junior Brother Han. Retreat immediately if you find yourself outmatched."
Without hesitation, Chu Jinmo abandoned sentimentality, recalled her Spirit Sword, which had been knocked aside, and swiftly withdrew.
The entire sequence—Han Yi's sudden intervention, his defensive maneuver, his order for Chu Jinmo to leave, her brief warning, and her departure with her sword—had unfolded in less than two breaths.
The burly cultivator across from them raised an eyebrow, watching Chu Jinmo's retreat with a predatory glint in his eyes. "Sword Immortal, you can't escape."
Turning his attention to Han Yi, who had blocked his strike, he noted, "Qi Refining Seventh Layer?"
Though puzzled, his expression held no trace of disdain.
"Die."
Despite his massive frame, the cultivator moved with astonishing speed, closing the ten-meter gap in an instant. His halberd crashed down with terrifying force.