Chapter 733: Finding Life in Desperate Circumstances

Gu Jiu Ling never expected that in the desolate, uninhabited Mang Shan forest, someone would have laid a net of heaven and earth to assassinate them.

Xiao Yin's eyes narrowed slightly as a strong smell of blood assailed him; although the people he brought were all top-notch experts, they could not withstand the complex terrain here.

What was most deadly was that the enemy seemed also familiar with Mang Shan's terrain, which was somewhat terrifying.

After all, to know this place one must necessarily have the map in Du Lao Yezi's hands, otherwise they could not have gotten here.

Moreover, they had advance knowledge that they would come here; this had long been prepared, so Gu Jiu Ling's guess was correct—the map was fine, but this also proved the problem was serious.

Escaping down the mountain was now impossible; the enemy seemed intent on driving them to their deaths, with an endless stream of people pouring up from the slope, their numbers clearly several times those of Xiao Yin and his group.

"Go up the mountain!" Xiao Yin stabbed two assassins who had pressed up to Gu Jiu Ling's face with a single sword, then grabbed her waist to shield her as they retreated up the mountain.

Going down the mountain meant death even faster; going up offered no hope either, after all a huge stone wall blocked their path.

Even before, when no one was pursuing them, they could not get past; now, even if she and Xiao Yin turned into geckos, they might not be able to climb up such a smooth stone wall.

This fierce battle made Xiao Yin once again recall the despair of Qi Sha Gu; his companions kept falling, and the sinister enemies around them kept tightening their encirclement.

The enemy also did not expect Xiao Yin to be such a tough nut to crack; they suppressed him with several times his numbers and had taken the initiative early, yet they were still broken out of the encirclement by the enemy, and of the several hundred they brought, half ended up dead.

However, Xiao Yin's side was no better off—corpses lay everywhere, and brownish-red blood flooded the entire slope.

Both sides knew this was a life-and-death battle; if they didn't win, they would die.

They were all martial-arts dead men, trained from childhood; this time, on the mission, they had brought almost everyone from the gang.

Today Xiao Yin must die!

Both sides fought with bloodshot eyes; Xiao Yin brought Gu Jiu Ling, fighting while retreating, but in the end they were forced to that smooth stone wall, with no way to retreat further.

The leader, wearing a mysterious iron mask, had his eyes turn blood‑red, and he pressed forward step by step with his men.

Xiao Yin tightly shielded Gu Jiu Ling behind him; his robes were soaked through with blood, and the hilt of his Dragon Spring Sword, slick with too much blood, was hard to grip.

However, the blood was all from others; Gu Jiu Ling was well protected by him, aside from a little blood on her cheeks, making her probably the cleanest among this group.

The Dragon Spring Sword, having drunk too much blood, faintly hummed, the blade trembling slightly, as if somewhat overexcited.

Xiao Yin had indeed been driven to a dead end, yet his face showed no panic; instead, his swordsmanship grew ever more refined, reaching a state of divine perfection.

The people surrounding them on the other side, however, began to panic: "Impossible, how could this be?"

He is merely a single person, yet he has killed so many of them?

They had fought from morning till evening; the bloody setting sun spread out, and aside from suppressed gasps and death‑rattles, it was silent as if they had fallen into hell.

Those people were actually intimidated by Xiao Yin alone; they dared not rush forward, merely tightening their encirclement around him and his companions.

The enemy feared Xiao Yin; for a moment they could not gauge his true strength, and what should have been an easy victory became evenly matched.

The assassors were clearly getting anxious; if they could not kill Xiao Yin tonight, the next thing awaiting them would be their own hell.

Only Gu Jiu Ling now understood how arduous it was for Xiao Yin to hold on.

He is the Invincible War God, but after all he is just an ordinary mortal; how could a flesh‑and‑body withstand the grinding of so many people?

Fortunately, Xiao Yin brought many trusted aides to Mang Shan this time; otherwise, how could he have held from dawn till dusk?

If he persisted further, he would likely be exhausted mentally and physically.

Now Xiao Yin probably has only one thought: to expend his last ounce of strength to break out of the encirclement and let Gu Jiu Ling go first.

He stepped in front of Gu Jiu Ling, turned his face aside, and said in a low voice: "In a moment I will fight to the death with these people to hold them off; Ling Feng, take you and rush out."

"Ling Feng's swordsmanship is no match for that bastard opposite; he can't delay them long, but I am different—I can buy you one to two hours."

"Once you break out and carve a bloody path, quickly leave Mang Shan; remember, you must not go directly to Shang Jing—when the time comes, contact Zhao Lang, he will arrange things, just… the child…"

When the child was mentioned, Xiao Yin could not go on; in fact, these days he had already guessed roughly what had happened.

The sandstorm weather of Mo Bei is lethal; let alone two little children, even an adult's hope of escaping such a sandstorm is very slim.

But this topic was too heavy; neither Xiao Yin nor Gu Jiu Ling had broached it. Now, at this point of life and death, Xiao Yin stared steadily at Gu Jiu Ling and said: "If you remember to avenge me, and avenge the children."

"You just take your high position; Zhao Lang will help you. I would rather have Zhao Lang arrange for you to retire among the common folk, roam the mountains, play in the waters, watch the sky, observe the earth."

"Xiao Yin, I will not go alone—give up that thought!"

Gu Jiu Ling let out a low growl, feeling angry in her chest.

Every time it's like this—he abandons her, letting her seek survival on her own; what gives him the right?

No matter what, she wants to stay by his side; even in death she wishes to die together with him.

"Listen!" Xiao Yin's expression showed some anxiety; this was no time for lovers' quarrels—how could this girl not understand?

The enemy assassins also sensed something off about Xiao Yin, and couldn't help but look up and laugh: "How is it? Are you about to collapse?"

"Forget it; if you surrender to me, I'll grant you a whole corpse—after all, you are also a true man."

"If you refuse to surrender to me and fight to the end, heh! I'd like to see how long you, a single person, can hold out."

Xiao Yin couldn't help but sneer: "No matter how ferocious a pack of wild dogs on the prairie, they cannot match a wolf king; sometimes numbers don't mean strength—your lives will stay here today!"

Having said that, Xiao Yin suddenly shoved Gu Jiu Ling toward Ling Feng's side and bellowed: "Take her away! Quick!"

In the flash of lightning, Xiao Yin's Dragon Spring Sword was like a azure dragon's roar tearing through the heavens, and he surged forward directly.

Xiao Yin's sword technique emphasizes large, open movements, a hard and forceful style.

This move, Azure Dragon Emerges from Sea, sent his internal energy bursting forth; the assassins were instantly wounded by the immense pressure, spitting out a mouthful of blood.

The leading assassins were instantly beheaded, thus opening a gap; Ling Feng's eyes turned red.

The assassin standing in front was instantly slain by Xiao Yin, finally opening a gap.

Gu Jiu Ling is his life—even more important than his own life.

Gu Jiu Ling never expected Xiao Yin to come at her with force like this; alas, her martial arts were too weak.

Meanwhile, Ling Feng moved too quickly, grabbing her arm and trying to take her down the mountain at the first opportunity.

In desperation, Gu Jiu Ling's palm burst with white light; she only wanted to forcibly stuff Xiao Yin into her own space.

This time, however, the space did not respond, as if it had fallen asleep.

Gu Jiu Ling's heart jolted—had she overused the space before, rendering it now ineffective?

Just as Gu Jiu Ling was panicking, she instinctively glanced at the cliff wall, then suddenly grabbed Ling Feng's arm.

"Go back! I know how to escape! Hurry back!"