Batian Martial Soul

Chapter 14401 Do you want to live?

The long black robe fluttered in the fierce wind high in the sky, and the dark gold cloud patterns embroidered on the hem shimmered faintly in the sunset, forming a sharp contrast with the surrounding sea of ​​clouds.

However, in the instant he turned around, a strange holy rune quietly condensed on the tip of his seemingly casually hanging right finger. This holy rune was light gold in color, with complex and exquisite patterns, and subtle spatial fluctuations flowing on its surface. It was the "tracking holy rune" that he created by combining spatial holy runes with his own soul power.

Once the sacred rune was fully formed, he flicked it with his fingertip, and the rune disappeared into the void as silently as dust.

This sacred rune resonates with his divine sense and is hidden within the folds of space. Once someone touches or approaches it, it will immediately trigger his perception, allowing him to pinpoint the location of the person no matter where they flee.

After doing all this, Ling Xiao truly accelerated, the sword-shaped platform beneath his feet bursting with dazzling light as he sped away into the distance, leaving a faint golden trail behind him.

Half an incense stick's time passed quickly. In the space where Ling Xiao had been standing, a tiny ripple suddenly appeared, like a calm lake surface rippled with a stone thrown in.

Immediately afterwards, a slender figure slowly emerged from the void; it was the black-clad woman who had just attempted to assassinate Ling Xiao!
She was dressed in a tight black outfit that perfectly accentuated her shapely figure, and her face was covered by a black veil, revealing only a pair of bright and wary eyes.

She cautiously looked around, her divine sense extending out like fine tentacles, carefully exploring every inch of the surrounding space. Only after confirming that there was no danger did she breathe a slight sigh of relief.

Then, she gently raised her hand, and her fingertips began to quickly trace complex spatial runes. The runes shimmered with a pale blue light, forming the prototype of a spatial gate in the air, clearly indicating that she was preparing to disappear into the void again and leave this dangerous area.

However, in that split second, a sword light carrying the terrifying power of the Azure Moon suddenly slashed out from the void behind her without warning!

The sword light was entirely silver-white, dotted with countless tiny points of light, like stars in the night sky. It contained a strange spatial trajectory, as if it compressed the entire void into this sword, instantly sealing off all her escape routes and leaving her with no way to avoid it.

The woman in black's expression changed drastically, a hint of surprise flashing in her eyes. She hadn't expected that Ling Xiao hadn't actually left and had set such a trap.

In that critical moment, she didn't have time to think. She drew the short blade from her waist. The blade was pitch black, with dense black runes on its surface. Under the stimulation of her true energy, the runes burst forth with a rich dark aura.

She held the short blade behind her, forcefully blocking the deadly sword light.

"clang--!"

The moment the short blade clashed with the sword light, dazzling sparks erupted. These sparks landed in the surrounding space, scorching tiny black holes that shimmered with a dark light, as if trying to devour everything around them.

"boom--!"

A deafening explosion rang out in the sky, and the enormous impact of the collision between the short blade and the sword light was like a huge wave, slamming hard into the woman in black.

She let out a muffled groan, her body flying hundreds of feet like a kite with a broken string, tracing a pathetic arc in the air.

But she did not panic. Taking advantage of the impact, she instantly circulated her internal energy to its limit, and began to condense runes of the Shadow Pavilion's unique escape technique at her fingertips—this was her last chance to escape. As long as she could disappear into the void again, she could get rid of Ling Xiao's pursuit.

Just as the escape runes were about to take shape, the space around her suddenly froze without warning!

The flowing sea of ​​clouds, the drifting mist, and even the hem of her clothes stopped fluttering; time seemed to have been paused at that moment.

Immediately afterwards, countless pale golden phantoms rapidly intertwined in the void. These phantoms coiled and converged like chains, quickly transforming into a bizarre and terrifying cage ten feet high.

Each "cage pillar" of the prison was formed from pure spatial energy, with dense holy runes flowing across its surface. Each energy emanated a powerful suppressive force, like an invisible giant hand, firmly imprisoning the woman in black in the center, making it extremely difficult for her to even move a finger. The true energy within her body was also suppressed by this force, unable to circulate normally.

Ling Xiao's figure slowly appeared amidst the starlight. He hovered outside the cage, calmly surveying the trapped woman with a slight smile on his lips: "The art of concealment is not something you alone possess."

"The Shadow Pavilion's methods are indeed sophisticated, but they are no match for the spatial holy runes."

He had anticipated that the woman would try to escape, so while setting up the tracking runes, he also laid down a spatial cage formation in advance, just waiting for her to walk into the trap.

A cold glint flashed in the black-clad woman's eyes; she was clearly unwilling to surrender so easily.

She suddenly bit her tongue hard, spitting out a mouthful of bright red blood.

The essence of blood split instantly in mid-air, transforming into nine blood-red clones identical to her. Each clone exuded an aura similar to the original, wielding a short blade, and simultaneously launched attacks on different parts of the cage.

However, as soon as these clones touched the energy barrier of the cage, the cage burst out with dazzling golden light. The blood-red clones were like ice and snow encountering raging fire, instantly disintegrating into wisps of blood mist and vanishing into the void, without even causing a ripple on the cage.

Seeing this, Ling Xiao slowly raised his right hand and pointed his fingers like a sword.

The God-Slaying Sword at his waist seemed to sense his will, automatically unsheathing itself and transforming into a black streak of light, landing on his fingertips.

The God-Slaying Sword emitted a low, soft hum, its tip tilting slightly as it pressed against the woman's brow.

A thin trail of blood appeared where the sword tip met the space between the eyebrows. A drop of bright red blood slowly slid down the blade, reflecting an eerie and dazzling luster under the starlight.

"Do you want to live?"

Ling Xiao's voice was calm and even, without the slightest emotional fluctuation, yet it carried an undeniable majesty, like an emperor interrogating a prisoner.

The woman bit her lip tightly, remaining silent, her eyes filled with stubbornness and resentment, as if she would rather die than submit.

But her slightly trembling fingertips and the fleeting panic in the depths of her eyes betrayed her inner fear—no one is truly unafraid of death, especially when so close to it.

Ling Xiao watched this unfold, his wrist slightly lowered, and the tip of the God-Slaying Sword pierced her brow a little further. Blood immediately flowed down her nose like a small stream, dripping onto the cage with a "sizzling" sound.

"Since you're a capable person, I'll ask you one more time: do you want to live?"

His tone remained calm, but it carried an undeniable air of pressure, clearly indicating that his patience was nearing its end.