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Gu Xiaoxi had no time to observe the surroundings, nor the inclination to closely examine the man before her.

She stepped forward, standing outside the windowsill, facing the Nascent Soul.

Although she was bound and at a disadvantage, there was not a hint of fear in her eyes.

"I’m here. Release my companions!" Gu Xiaoxi’s gaze met with that of the Nascent Soul. Her eyes were as cold as the depths of winter.

The Nascent Soul sat near the window, his gaze passing over the windowsill to survey Gu Xiaoxi, leisurely picking up the teacup from the desk beside him.

He took a light sip of tea, his slanted fox-like eyes filled with arrogance as he said, "What gives you the right to order me around?"

"It’s not an order, it’s a trade!" Gu Xiaoxi narrowed her eyes, her voice cold, "You release everyone here, and we can overlook past grievances. From now on, you can continue your cultivation. Be your demon! As long as you don’t harm people, we can coexist peacefully."

The Nascent Soul suddenly laughed out loud, the first human to ever say such absurdity to him.

He rose from his seat by the windowsill and slowly walked out of the pavilion, his black robe accentuating his tall figure, exuding an ultimate charm.

Based solely on appearance, this fox looked quite marketable.

He walked up to Gu Xiaoxi, looking at her pretty cheeks and couldn’t help laughing.

Laughter full of scorn!

"Do you know who I am? How many heinous deeds I’ve committed? Also, the secret technique that I cultivate, do you know how it’s cultivated?"

The Nascent Soul’s gaze slid from Gu Xiaoxi’s neck down to her chest, his tone arrogant, "Foxes love to steal hearts! Understand? Devouring a heart allows me to increase my cultivation strength."

Gu Xiaoxi instinctively took a step back. She didn’t know if the Nascent Soul was just trying to scare her or if he really became so powerful by eating hearts.

If so, how many had he eaten?

Why hadn’t he been struck by divine retribution?

"Tell me! If I eat your heart, will I become even stronger?" The Nascent Soul suddenly grinned, stretching out his hand to lift Gu Xiaoxi’s chin, forcing her to look up at him.

Gu Xiaoxi gritted her teeth, her face full of indignation, "It seems you are truly beyond reason, an abomination reviled by both gods and men."

"The people of this world have killed so many of my kin. What’s a few more hearts? It’s you who are courting death by charging at me. Don’t blame me for showing no mercy." The Nascent Soul scoffed coldly, grabbing Gu Xiaoxi’s throat in one hand.

Gu Xiaoxi felt her throat instantly blocked, her chest tight with suffocation, and her face quickly turning ashen.

"You can kill me, but you must release all my companions," Gu Xiaoxi said through the discomfort, her voice tinged with a plea.

The Nascent Soul sneered, glaring coldly at Gu Xiaoxi, "Once you are dead, what does it matter whether they live or die to you?"

"Do you agree or not!" Gu Xiaoxi just wanted to know how merciless his heart truly was!

The Nascent Soul curled his lips into a light laugh, "You are already my prisoner; what right do you have to negotiate with me? After you’re dead, they will accompany you on the Netherworld Road. Aren’t they your best companions?"

By this time, Gu Xiaoxi’s cheeks were purplish, and her neck already showed a bruise.

It seemed he had no intention of letting anyone here go.

Moreover, the Nascent Soul showed no signs of remorse.

This guy was indeed everyone’s common enemy!

Cold and merciless, bloodthirsty and ruthless!

Just then.

The Nascent Soul suddenly darkened his face, releasing Gu Xiaoxi.

At once, a longsword appeared in his palm. He pointed the sword tip at Gu Xiaoxi’s neck, his gaze coldly shifting to the sky not far away as he said, "Quan Shaoqing, she is now in my hands. If you dare to make a move! You will bear the consequences."

Gu Xiaoxi began to gasp heavily the moment her throat was released.

No sooner had she caught her breath than she saw Quan Shaoqing already close by.

Perhaps it was his sudden appearance that made the Nascent Soul give up on killing her and instead use her to threaten him!

"What exactly do you want?" Quan Shaoqing, seeing Gu Xiaoxi’s neck bruised, his eyes flickering with a blood-like coldness, asked.

"Being afraid is good!" The Nascent Soul scoffed, "Very simple, give me your heart!"

"With such a cliché plot, to resolve our grudge so casually would be far too casual," Quan Shaoqing clenched his fist, glaring at the Nascent Soul, his eyebrows in a fierce frown, his presence as icy as he said, "Let her go. I won’t use weapons, let’s have a fair duel.

I will absolutely not flee before defeating you. "

The Nascent Soul narrowed his eyes, thinking back to the battle six years ago when he lost to Quan Shaoqing. Indeed, he was reluctant to accept defeat!

If today he could have another fair fight, he would definitely not lose.

Even if he used Gu Xiaoxi to threaten Quan Shaoqing, he would personally feel regret if Quan Shaoqing died, because even without using Gu Xiaoxi, he could defeat Quan Shaoqing and avenge the past.

"I accept your proposal. Quan Shaoqing, what you took from me before, I will reclaim it all today," the Nascent Soul declared with a wave of his hand. He pushed Gu Xiaoxi far away.

The ropes binding Gu Xiaoxi vanished instantly, replaced by a glowing barrier that locked her inside.

She didn’t even have time to flee.

She instinctively extended her hands, pounding against the barrier, but realized it was airtight and impossible to escape.

She tried to cut it with her dagger and to break it with her Spiritual Energy and Inner Strength, but she couldn’t open it.

Meanwhile, Quan Shaoqing also drew a longsword in his hand.

The Nascent Soul had already started dueling with him.

With his high level of cultivation, the Nascent Soul could move freely between heaven and earth, and his speed was as swift as a fleeting white horse.

And Quan Shaoqing, with his ability to switch spaces freely, didn’t lose to the Nascent Soul in speed at all.

They suddenly became very in sync, no longer relying on external forces but using the abilities they had learned to fight.

Gu Xiaoxi stood inside the light barrier, watching with heart-stopping intensity.

The Nascent Soul’s longsword looked like it was about to stab Quan Shaoqing, and just as her heart leapt to her throat, Quan Shaoqing suddenly switched spaces and appeared behind the Nascent Soul.

Quan Shaoqing’s sword tip hadn’t touched the Nascent Soul’s neck yet, but he had already retreated ten meters.

Everything was happening too fast. If it weren’t for Gu Xiaoxi’s eyes being enhanced with spiritual energy, she wouldn’t have been able to see the details of their fight at all.

Because each second, they exchanged over a dozen moves.

Both were moving at the same speed without relying on external forces. So what followed would be about attrition.

Whoever had deeper reserves would gain an upper hand.

And the one with weaker strength would be defeated and retreat.

Gu Xiaoxi was very worried at this moment, it went without saying.

When comparing cultivation and special abilities.

Cultivation naturally had much deeper reserves.

And with prolonged use of special abilities, physical strength would naturally decline.

After all, Quan Shaoqing was only a normal person, and even if he had a special ability, in terms of physical strength he would naturally lose to someone with a powerful cultivation.

Gu Xiaoxi felt anxious. If this kept up, Quan Shaoqing would definitely be at a disadvantage.

Currently, she couldn’t get out and couldn’t help him.

What to do?

What to do?

Gu Xiaoxi was as anxious as an ant on a hot pan.

Suddenly, she remembered that day at Yaobi Mountain, Bai Tian had given her a Golden Whistle, which she always carried with her.

At that time, Bai Tian had said that if she encountered danger, she just needed to blow the whistle.

He would come to help.

Gu Xiaoxi quickly took the Golden Whistle from around her neck.

She put it to her lips without hesitation and blew it.

Moments later, the piercing sound of the whistle rang out.

However, the whistle’s echo resounded only within the small space she was in.

It was uncertain whether Bai Tian could hear it or not...

Elsewhere, Ya had already gone to rescue others.

The first ones to be rescued were Jing Rui and the like, and then in turn Yun Xiao, Jing Haoran, and others.

After rescuing everyone, he was held up by Jiu Xuan, Xiao Han, and Ah Li.

He had to first deal with the Nascent Soul’s subordinates before he could bring everyone to find Quan Shaoqing and Gu Xiaoxi.

At this moment, he too was worried about the safety of Gu Xiaoxi and Quan Shaoqing.

Jing Rui and the others, whose memory seals Ya had undone, followed and helped fight against the Nascent Soul’s relatives.

At that time, the entire Barrier was in a state of chaotic battle.

On Gu Xiaoxi’s side.

Indeed, just as she had feared, Quan Shaoqing’s speed soon slowed down.

The Nascent Soul, without mercy, stabbed his shoulder through with a sword.

Quan Shaoqing’s form halted for a moment, and blood immediately streamed from his shoulder.

As the Nascent Soul thrust the second sword, he swiftly shifted positions, moving some distance away.

But just as he had stopped, the Nascent Soul’s sword once again chopped towards his back, the tear in the back of his clothes revealing a bloodstain that was shocking to the eyes.

Quan Shaoqing gripped the sword in his hand tightly, this time he had no way to avoid any further.

Facing another sword from the Nascent Soul, as if wanting to perish together, he thrust directly at the Nascent Soul’s throat.

Unexpectedly, the Nascent Soul, as if knowing his intention, titled his head and dodged the attack.

However, the sword that was aimed at his heart was so precise it couldn’t be more accurate.

It is said that in the blink of an eye high-level duelists could determine the outcome.

And from the first time Quan Shaoqing was wounded to the moment the Nascent Soul’s sword pierced his heart, the process also took no more than two seconds.

Gu Xiaoxi stood at a distance watching, with no time to buffer the shock. All she felt in an instant was the sight of his blood.

"Shaoqing! Don’t!" Gu Xiaoxi cried out, beating her hands against the barrier in front of her. Unconsciously, tears blurred her eyes.

He was injured, and watching it made her feel even more pain than he did.