Chapter 562

Li Chang'an said expressionlessly, "You think I care about his life or death?"

Xu Mitian said, "Although you don't care about his life or death, Ji Feihua does. He is Ji Feihua's trusted aide. If Ji Feihua knows he died at your hands, do you think he'll let you off?"

Li Chang'an chuckled, "What about Ji Feihua? Even if he dies, it's your fault, what's it to me?" As he spoke, rats swarmed from behind, reaching Li Chang'an's side, they detoured around him and continued forward, forming a circle around his body. Xu Mitian had always feared rats; finding it disgusting, she gritted her teeth and whispered, "You go first, don't worry about me."

Hu Xiaotian felt her release his throat, his heart involuntarily stirred—just moments ago he had been about to abandon her, yet he hadn't expected her, at this life-and-death juncture, to let him go first. Hu Xiaotian couldn't help feeling a bit embarrassed, but embarrassment aside, escaping came first; at most he would wait until he reached safety, then summon reinforcements to rescue her. Hu Xiaotian said no more, lifted his leg to leave, but before he could step, he felt a palm strike his back.

No need to think—this palm must have come from Xu Mitian. That little bitch's words just now were nothing but false pretenses to confuse him. Hu Xiaotian forgot to guard; in fact, guarding would have done nothing anyway.

His whole body soared through the clouds toward Li Chang'an; Hu Xiaotian flailed his limbs in midair, shouting hoarsely, "You damned woman, I… I won't let this end…"

Rats surged toward Xu Mitian like a tide. Her gaze turned cold; without any visible motion, a green flame ignited around her, about five feet from her body, forming a ring that encircled her. The rats instantly reached the edge of the green flame; they seemed to have gone mad, recklessly throwing themselves at the fire. Once touched by the green flame, they burst into flames instantly, the fire growing fiercer, the rats' shrill squeals unceasing.

At the same moment, Hu Xiaotian had already flown before Li Chang'an. Li Chang'an frowned, flicked his long sleeve, wrapped it around Hu Xiaotian's body, and flung him downward—but just then, Hu Xiaotian's whole body glowed with golden light, and countless golden insects rose from behind him, dancing in the air.

Li Chang'an's face changed; he whispered, "Blood Shadow Golden Beetle!" It turned out Xu Mitian had sent Hu Xiaotian flying with a palm, but secretly left Blood Shadow Golden Beetles on his back. As soon as Li Chang'an touched Hu Xiaotian's body, those beetles would cling to him.

Li Chang'an snorted angrily, "Scum!" He spun, lightning-fast, shedding his robe. Then the robe wrapped the Blood Shadow Golden Beetles that hadn't had time to fly away, covering Hu Xiaotian head‑to‑toe. Hu Xiaotian screamed, his body landing on the eaves of the City God Temple's main hall, then rolling down the sloping eaves with a clatter. He hadn't even processed what happened before he hit the ground; the fall from such height made his bones feel like they were about to split.

Xu Mitian seized the moment, leaping up from the eaves, her lithe form flipping and soaring through the air as she fled toward the outside of the City God Temple, gazing at Hu Xiaotian already on the ground. A cold smile curled her lips; she flicked a red pellet at him, which ignited upon striking his body.

Hu Xiaotian had just torn off the robe covering him when a pellet from Xu Mitian struck his chest. With a "pop!" a red flame shot up over a foot high from his chest, terrifying him so much his soul fled. The Blood Shadow Golden Beetles swarming around him, seeing the flame, flung themselves into it without hesitation, their tiny golden lights vanishing in the fire.

Before Xu Mitian's toes even touched the ground, she saw a dark mass of birds on the trees to either side lunging at her. Keeping her composure, she waved both hands; hundreds of rays of cold light shot from her palms toward the birds. The birds struck by her steel needles fell like rain.

Barking rose from far to near as dozens of wild dogs, seemingly from nowhere, converged on her.

Feather Demon Li Chang'an had once been the top Beast Tamer of the Heavenly Mechanism Bureau; his ability to command birds and beasts was formidable. Even though these creatures could not harm Xu Mitian, they could still hinder her escape.

Xu Mitian raised her right hand, gripping a black iron tube. With a "bang!" a rocket shot upward, exploding at its peak in the night sky into a red‑and‑blue fireworks bloom.

Accompanied by a roar, a wild dog the size of a calf lunged at Xu Mitian. She twisted her body, clenched her fist, and a cold gleam flashed from the ring on her middle finger; the Poison Needle pierced the dog's head precisely, and her body sprang away.

The dog lunged at nothing, its eyes gradually turning blood‑red, then it recklessly threw itself at a fellow canine. The poison on Xu Mitian's needle could make wild dogs lose their nature; she darted about, stabbing several dogs, and in an instant the scene descended into chaos—dozens of wild dogs no longer obeyed commands, fighting each other in a melee.

Yet Xu Mitian's steps were slowed, the opportunity fleeting. At that moment, a black tide of rats surged from all sides, encircling her at the center. Countless birds flocked toward her, darkening the sky like clouds over her head.

Xu Mitian waved her arm, forming another ring of fire around herself to keep the frenzied rats at bay. Although she was accustomed to storms, she was now at her lowest ebb, and dealing with Li Chang'an clearly taxed her strength.

Li Chang'an stepped toward her, and the rats scattered wherever he passed.

Xu Mitian gritted her teeth, "Li Chang'an, what kind of hero takes advantage of someone in peril?"

Li Chang'an replied coldly, "Xu Mitian, today I will avenge Qing Ling."

Xu Mitian said, "She wasn't killed by me at all—why do you blame me?"

Li Chang'an snarled, "At death's door, you still dare to deny it."

Xu Mitian nodded. "Fine—then let's see if you have the skill!" The green flames ringing her body surged upward, spreading rapidly in all directions like a green tide; any rat that touched the green fire instantly went mad, tearing at each other.

The stench on the scene was overwhelming, making one want to vomit. Li Chang'an knew the air was poisonous; he held his breath, drew from his waist a blade resembling a crescent moon—his secret weapon, the Lone Moon Slash. Standing still, he thrust his right arm forward; the Lone Moon Slash gave a "whoosh!" tracing an arc of cold light in the air, spinning toward Xu Mitian. Her expression shifted, she twisted and dodged, but no matter how swift her movements, the Lone Moon Slash clung to her like a shadow.

Li Chang'an's throat emitted strange cries; birds in the air dove down madly, and rats on the ground surged toward Xu Mitian. She suddenly screamed—the cold light of the Lone Moon Slash had pierced her left shoulder. She staggered a few steps, nearly collapsing.

Li Chang'an spread his arms, his right palm snapping backward; an invisible suction pulled the Lone Moon Slash from her body. Xu Mitian let out a sharp cry, a spray of blood mist burst from her wound, the Lone Moon Slash flipped in midair then dove downward, this time aiming straight for her neck.

Xu Mitian lowered her head; the Lone Moon Slash whizzed past her crown, splitting her hair bun, her loose hair falling over her shoulders. Birds had already closed in, instantly enveloping her body.

A gleam of vengeful joy crossed Li Chang'an's lips; he reached out, re‑grasping the Lone Moon Slash, when suddenly a speck of golden light fell from the slash onto his right hand.

Li Chang'an stared intently and saw a golden insect the size of a thumb lodged in the web of his right hand; terror flashed in his eyes—Blood Shadow Beetle King! In an instant, the golden bug burrowed into his flesh.

A flash of cold light—Li Chang'an drew his waist‑worn short sword and, in a lightning motion, sliced off his entire right arm at the base.

Flying birds enveloped Xu Mitian's body forming a black sphere; from the cracks of the sphere leaked threads of green light; for a moment the green light flourished, a dull explosion blasted the flying birds scattering everywhere, the burnt smell grew stronger, Xu Mitian's figure reappeared before Li Chang'an's eyes, although her body was drenched in blood, the chilling killing aura she emitted surpassed before, around her body a layer of strange green smoke enveloped, the birds and beasts that originally attacked her became unable to avoid, surging forward like a tide, then retreating like a tide.

Xu Mitian had blood at the corner of her mouth, yet her eyes were full of mockery: "Li Chang'an, you think using just a few birds and beasts can kill me; you underestimate me and overestimate yourself."

Li Chang'an's face turned deathly pale; his left hand struck like wind, successively sealing several of his own acupoints to stop the bleeding; only then did he realize that Xu Mitian had merely feigned weakness—even being struck by the Lone Moon Slash was her deliberate act, for otherwise how could she have hidden the Blood Shadow Toad King within the Lone Moon Slash, and how could she have successfully carried out this ambush?

Li Chang'an suddenly retreated backward; Xu Mitian would not let him go, switching from defense to offense, determined to eliminate this great threat tonight.

While Li Chang'an and Xu Mitian battled wits and strength, fighting to the death, Hu Xiaotian was busy putting out flames, rolling several times to extinguish the green fire on his body; strangely, those Blood Shadow Golden Toads did not bite him, and Hu Xiaotian found this unsurprising, as it had been the same in the Bright Moon Palace—probably because he had taken seven Scarlet Yang Burning Yin Pills, making his flesh unappetizing to the Blood Shadow Golden Toads.

Hu Xiaotian originally thought he had turned misfortune into blessing; if Xu Mitian had not set this fire on him, even if the Blood Shadow Golden Toads did not bite him, those rats would have devoured him down to the bone. Just as he climbed up from the ground, a wild dog lunged at him from the side; Hu Xiaotian twisted his body skillfully—his Dog-Dodging Eighteen Steps were not practiced in vain. He was about to seize the opportunity to flee, but unexpectedly Li Chang'an lunged at him again.

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