Chapter 60: Leaving the Mountain

The days in the mountains were peaceful and good; in the blink of an eye, Aikesi had lived in the mountain village for several more days.

His injuries had long since healed; each day, apart from cultivation, he accompanied Monika walking in the mountains or sitting quietly by the stream. Their affection grew deeper day by day; even the village children noticed the signs and often teased, shouting, "Brother Aikesi is here to find Sister Monika again!"

Morning light filtered through the thin mist in the mountains, sprinkling the green stone-paved paths of the small village.

Aikesi stood before the courtyard gate of Desili and his wife, his injuries completely healed. Monika stood beside him in a plain skirt, her long hair lightly tied up, her eyes full of reluctance.

"Father, Mother, we must go," Monika said softly, her eyes slightly red.

Desili nodded, his gaze falling upon Aikesi, and said in a deep voice, "Boy, I am entrusting Monika to you. If you let her suffer even the slightest grievance, you know the consequences."

Aikesi solemnly clasped his fists: "Father-in-law, rest assured; I will guard Monika with my life."

Desili Furen took Monika's hand, whispered a few words of advice, then looked at Aikesi, her eyes carrying the scrutiny unique to a mother-in-law: "Although your strength is not bad, the Radiant Church will not give up easily. Be careful on the road."

Aikesi nodded in agreement. Just as he was preparing to depart, a thought suddenly occurred to him—Sign In.

【Ding! Sign In successful! Obtained: Fire Spirit Bead (Sealed) ×1】

【Detected that the Host possesses Fire Spirit Bead (Sealed) ×2. Do you wish to synthesize?】

Aikesi's heart trembled. Fire Spirit Bead? He remembered having obtained one Fire Spirit Bead (Sealed) during his time at the Ernst Institute, which he had kept in his spatial ring to nurture and had not yet used. Now he had obtained another one!

"Synthesize," he murmured in his mind.

The two Fire Spirit Beads in their sealed state merged on their own within the spatial ring, radiating dazzling crimson-gold light.

Moments later, a fist-sized, fiery red spirit bead floated quietly, its surface flowing with profound flame patterns, with divine power subtly overflowing.

【Synthesis successful! Obtained: Fire Spirit Bead (Fragment)】

【Fire Spirit Bead (Fragment): An ancient divine artifact from the Immortal Sword World, containing the power of the Fire God. One can command the divine power within to exert strength not inferior to a Lower God. Currently in a fragmented state; collecting five will restore it to completeness.】

The strength of a Lower God!

Aikesi took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing the shock in his heart.

"What's wrong?" Monika noticed Aikesi's unusual expression and asked softly.

Aikesi came to his senses and smiled: "Nothing; I just thought about taking you back, and my heart is happy."

Monika's cheeks turned slightly red, and she lowered her head.

Desili Furen saw this and felt slightly relieved. This young man truly had sincere feelings for her daughter.

After bidding farewell, Aikesi summoned a flying magical beast, took Monika, rose into the air, and flew northward.

In the air, Monika leaned against Aikesi's shoulder, looking at the continuous mountain ranges below, and asked softly, "Aikesi, what is Hunluan Zhi Ling like?"

"Much more lively than here," Aikesi said, wrapping an arm around her waist and smiling. "Linlei established a duchy there, and it is about to become a kingdom. Yelu, Qiaozhi, Leinuo, and the others should also come to attend the wedding."

Monika hummed in acknowledgment, her eyes filled with anticipation.

The flying magical beast was extremely fast; in half a day, they had flown out of the mountain range area. Aikesi identified the direction, preparing to sweep over Sheli Juncheng and head directly for Baruke Cheng.

However, when the outline of Sheli Juncheng appeared in his vision, Aikesi's expression suddenly changed.

On the plains outside the county city, firelight shot into the sky, and the sounds of shouting and killing shook the heavens. More than a dozen figures were engaged in fierce combat; among them, five people wearing Baruke Kingdom military uniforms were surrounded, namely Bake, Gaici, Black Shark, Anke, and Bu'en.

Surrounding and attacking them were ten powerful figures radiating Saint Domain auras.

The leader wore a white long robe, his face sinister; he was Wusennuo, the Inquisitor of the Radiant Church, a Sanctuary Peak powerhouse. Behind him, nine men had four wings sprouting from their backs, their bodies shrouded in holy white light—Four-Winged Angels, each equivalent to a Sanctuary Intermediate!

"Bake, surrender!" Wusennuo's voice was cold. "Linlei is in trouble himself; why do you insist on dying for him?"

Bake was covered in blood, his left arm severed, yet he still stood upright, shouting hoarsely, "Go to hell! Lord Linlei will arrive soon; by then, not a single one of you will escape!"

Gaici knelt half on the ground with a deep wound visible to the bone in his chest; Black Shark and Anke supported each other, while Bu'en lay in a pool of blood, his life or death unknown.

The nine Four-Winged Angels formed a battle formation, surrounding the five men in the center and continuously launching attacks. Although the power of a Sanctuary Intermediate was not top-tier, the nine working together with perfect coordination multiplied their might. Although Bake was a Level 9 Undying Warrior possessing Saint Domain combat power, he was in extreme peril under such a siege.

"Lord Linlei?" Wusennuo sneered. "He is still in the south right now; by the time he returns, you will already be corpses!"

He raised his hand, preparing to issue the final attack order.

Just then, a terrifying pressure descended from the sky.

Wusennuo suddenly looked up, his pupils shrinking sharply.

In the sky, a young man in black robes stood suspended in mid-air, holding a woman in white robes in his arms.

"Aikesi?!" Bake's eyes widened.

Gaici also recognized the newcomer and shouted in a hoarse voice, "Lord Aikesi, save Bu'en! He is about to die!"

Aikesi's gaze swept over the battlefield; seeing the fallen Bu'en and the severely injured group, his killing intent surged violently.

He gently set Monika down at the edge of the battlefield and said softly, "Wait for me a moment."

Monika held his hand and said in a low voice, "Be careful."

Aikesi nodded, turned to face Wusennuo and the others, and the crimson-gold flames around him instantly shot up into the sky.

The Fire Spirit Bead emerged from his chest, hovering in mid-air, radiating dazzling light.

"Wusennuo," Aikesi's voice was terrifyingly calm, "you seek death."

Wusennuo's face turned iron-green; he recognized Aikesi. This young man was Linlei's brother, and it was said his strength was not bad, but he never expected him to be this strong.

"I advise you not to meddle," Wusennuo said in a deep voice. "The Baruke Kingdom is on the verge of destruction; if you know what's good for you, leave now, and I will let bygones be bygones."

Aikesi did not answer; he simply raised his right hand.

The Fire Spirit Bead spun with his gesture, and a crimson-gold pillar of fire erupted from the spirit bead, charging straight at the nine Four-Winged Angels.

The speed of that flame was unimaginable; the nine angels could not even react before they were swallowed by the fire pillar.

"Ah—!"

Screams rose one after another.

The holy light shields on the Four-Winged Angels' bodies were like paper before the power of the Fire God, shattering instantly. The flames burned their bodies and souls; in just a few breaths, the nine Sanctuary Intermediate Four-Winged Angels turned to ash, leaving not even a trace behind.

The battlefield fell into a silence as dead as death.

Bake's eyes widened, Gaici's mouth hung open, and Black Shark and Anke trembled all over.

Nine Four-Winged Angels, powerful figures of Sanctuary Intermediate, just like that—died?

Wusennuo's face went deathly pale. As a peak Sanctuary expert, he was confident he could defeat nine four-winged angels, but it would absolutely not be so easy, let alone killing them in a single strike! Moreover, when he and Luoye had attacked him together earlier, he had clearly not been this strong. "You—how can you be this strong?" Wusennuo's voice trembled slightly.

Aikesi said nothing more. The Fire Spirit Bead spun once again, and a thicker pillar of fire blasted toward Wusennuo.

Wusennuo reacted with extreme speed. His figure flashed and vanished on the spot as he employed the Shadow Clone Technique, splitting into four and fleeing in four different directions.

At a thought from Aikesi, the fire pillar exploded midair, transforming into countless flame arrows that rained down in every direction. All four of Wusennuo's clones were struck simultaneously; three of them dissipated on the spot, while his true body was pierced through the chest by a flame arrow.

"No—!"

Wusennuo let out a wretched scream as his body plummeted from the sky. He struggled to escape, only to find that flames had already invaded his body and were burning his soul.

"The Radiant Church—will not let you get away with this—" Wusennuo bellowed with the last of his strength.

Aikesi's expression did not change as he raised his hand and clenched his fist.

The Fire Spirit Bead blazed brilliantly, and Wusennuo's body was completely consumed by the flames, reduced to ash that scattered on the wind.

The Chief Adjudicator of the Radiant Church, peak Sanctuary expert Wusennuo, was dead!

The battlefield fell utterly silent.

Bake, Gaici, Black Shark, and Anke stood rooted to the spot, unable to recover their wits for a long time. Bu'en was still unconscious, but his breathing had steadied, clearly out of life-threatening danger.

Aikesi recalled the Fire Spirit Bead, and the reddish-gold flames around him slowly dissipated. He turned and walked toward Monika, a gentle smile reappearing on his face.

"It's over," he said softly.

Monika gripped his hand, her fingertips trembling slightly, but she asked nothing.

Bake was the first to recover. He staggered up to Aikesi and dropped to one knee: "Thank you, Lord Aikesi, for saving our lives!"

Gaici, Black Shark, and Anke also knelt one after another, their eyes full of reverence.

Aikesi helped them to their feet and shook his head: "We're all on the same side, no need for such ceremony. How is Bu'en?"

"His injuries are severe, but his life is not in danger." Bake examined Bu'en's wounds and breathed a sigh of relief, then raised his head and looked at Aikesi with a complicated gaze. "My lord, your—your current strength?"

Aikesi smiled and did not answer directly: "I've just made a bit of progress, that's all."

Bake and the others exchanged glances, their hearts shaken beyond words.

But they did not press further. On the Panlong Dalu, everyone had their own secrets, and the fact that Aikesi was willing to step in and save them was already an immense kindness.

"Let's head back to Baruke Cheng first," Aikesi said, then looked at Monika. "Let's go."

Monika nodded and remounted her flying magical beast.

Bake summoned his magical beast, carried the heavily wounded Bu'en along with Gaici and the others, and followed close behind.

The group flew toward Baruke Cheng.

The walls of Baruke Cheng appeared in view.

Before the city gate, a large contingent of soldiers was assembling, clearly preparing to meet the enemy. Aikesi's arrival caused a stir, but someone quickly recognized him and hurried into the city to report.

A moment later, a tall figure strode out from the city—it was Linlei.

Linlei still bore the marks of battle on him, clearly having just rushed back from the south. Seeing Aikesi, he was momentarily stunned, then strode forward to meet him.

"Aikesi!" Linlei punched Aikesi's shoulder. "You got here so fast."

Linlei's gaze fell on Monika, and a flicker of understanding flashed through his eyes.

"Welcome to Baruke Cheng," Linlei said, bowing solemnly.

Monika gave a slight curtsy and smiled gracefully: "Hello, Big Brother Linlei."

Aikesi laughed heartily, then said seriously: "We ran into Wusennuo on the way."

Linlei's eyes sharpened: "Wusennuo?"

"Dead," Aikesi said matter-of-factly. "And nine four-winged angels—all dead."

Linlei's pupils contracted slightly. He gave Aikesi a long, deep look, then patted Aikesi's shoulder and said in a low voice: "Good."

O

Aikesi smiled and said: "Let's go, take me to see Diliya. Monika wants to get to know her too."

Linlei nodded and turned to walk into the city.