C9 In a Dangerous Situation!

"Damn it! You're all going to pay for this!" Lin Xi couldn't contain himself any longer and let the words fly. On Earth, such a phrase was reserved for moments of extreme anger, and the man in black with the sword was pushing him beyond his limits.

"Go to hell! How dare you speak to Young Master Lu like that? I swear, if I survive this, I'll tear you to pieces!" Lu Hao exploded in rage. His body seemed to swell with fury, exuding an overwhelming presence. He was about to charge at the man in black with the sword when Lin Xi grabbed him.

"Don't engage them directly; our cultivation level isn't high enough. Charging in would be suicide. We need to be strategic and find an opportunity to escape," Lin Xi whispered urgently to Lu Hao.

He assessed their adversaries: all four were formidable, particularly the man in black with the sword, who possessed Jade Purity cultivation. In the Celestial Enlightment Empire, he was considered a powerhouse. The other three men in black were also at the late stage of Great Purity Cultivation. Each was formidable, far surpassing Lin Xi and Lu Hao in strength. Even if they teamed up, it would be futile, akin to a futile attempt to shatter a rock with an egg.

"You've run out of chances!" The man in black with the sword slowly lifted his weapon, and a chilling gleam flashed in the sunlight, sending shivers down one's spine.

"Attack! Take these two down, and make sure you leave no trace," commanded the man in black with the sword, leading the charge.

"Run, just run!" Lin Xi shouted, pulling Lu Hao with him as they dashed into the forest. They stood no chance in a fight; retreat was the only viable option.

Meanwhile, Lin Xi made a silent vow: if he could advance his cultivation and grow stronger, he would ensure that those who plotted against him would regret it.

He realized that no matter where one found themselves, strength was crucial. Ultimately, Lin Xi was being hunted because he wasn't strong enough.

"I must become stronger!" A resolute belief to grow in strength took root in Lin Xi's heart.

"Third Young Master, the Purple Ripple Lion Cub!" Lu Hao exclaimed upon seeing the cub in the grasp of a black-clad swordsman, its expression one of agony.

"Which is more important, our lives or the Purple Ripple Lion Cub? Run, don't worry. They won't kill the cub just yet!" Lin Xi sprinted off. Despite his swift pace, his weakened state, coupled with Lu Hao's corpulence, meant that Lu Hao lagged behind. Though they were running as fast as they could, in comparison to the four masked pursuers, their speed was akin to that of a tortoise.

"Chase them! Don't let them get away!" The swordsman with the mask circulated the Clear Qi within him and sped after them. Yet, he maintained a certain distance from Lin Xi and Lu Hao. He harbored a more sinister scheme; they aimed not only to kill Lin Xi and Lu Hao but to erase their very existence.

The quartet of masked swordsmen intermittently unleashed fierce attacks, leaving Lin Xi and Lu Hao struggling to cope. Lin Xi was panting heavily, his body covered in wounds, none left untouched, blood flowing ceaselessly. A chilling glint grew ever deeper in his eyes.

Lu Hao was in no better shape, his body slick with blood and sweat.

After what felt like an eternity, Lin Xi and Lu Hao could no longer run. Still, they continued to stagger forward, their steps labored. Lin Xi was perplexed; although the four masked men pursued them relentlessly, they refrained from delivering a killing blow. It seemed as though they were toying with them or perhaps herding them toward a specific location.

"Dark Void Abyss!" Lin Xi's mind reeled, sensing an incredibly devious plot unfolding, his heart turning ice-cold.

"Third Young Master, look ahead... What is that?" Lu Hao pointed ahead, his voice faltering, terror evident in his eyes.

Lin Xi followed Lu Hao's gesture and saw nothing but darkness ahead. It was as if the path had been severed—no open space, no trees, just an abyss. Black smoke churned within it, and beyond that point, there was no road. Peering into the abyss was like looking at a sliver of sky; rocks hung suspended, swaying precariously in the breeze, threatening to plummet into the depths at any moment, instilling a profound sense of dread.

The path was treacherous, with sections varying in width. Some parts were as broad as a person, while others were as narrow as a goat's path, allowing only for sideways passage. There were even stretches akin to a chicken's intestine, where one had to tiptoe and squeeze through with great effort.

At first glance, the landscape resembled a gray ribbon shimmering through the mist, with massive boulders suspended in mid-air, seemingly grinning malevolently at Lin Xi.

"The Dark Abyss!" The thought struck Lin Xi with certainty. He now believed the rumors of the Dark Abyss's existence within the Ancient Vast Mountain to be true. Perhaps, the Dark Void Abyss was real as well. Witnessing it firsthand, Lin Xi was profoundly shaken. He realized the black-clad, masked man's intent: to cast them into the Dark Abyss, ensuring their disappearance without a trace. Even the Immortal Luo Tian might fail to locate them in such a place.

The Dark Void Abyss was said to be fraught with peril, concealing countless secrets unknown to man and harboring vicious Profound Beasts. It was also filled with mysterious entities that one could never fully anticipate.

"Damn it, Third Young Master, it's the Dark Abyss, the Dark Void Abyss!" Lu Hao exclaimed in terror, sensing his life hanging by a thread, overwhelmed by an intense feeling of impending doom.

"Your mother isn't here, so keep it down and stop yelling!" Lin Xi snapped at Lu Hao, who immediately quieted down, recognizing the gravity of their life-or-death predicament. He understood that following Lin Xi's lead might offer them a glimmer of hope for survival.

"Run, run! Why have you stopped running?" the masked man in black bellowed, his icy gaze fixed on Lin Xi and his companion at the cliff's edge. Each step he took pushed them closer to the brink of the abyss.

"Right, you've run out of road because the Dark Void Abyss lies ahead. You're trapped, haha..." The sword-wielding masked man let out a chilling laugh, his goal nearly within reach. Once Lin Xi and Lu Hao were pushed into the abyss, he could return and report to his master, he mused silently.

"Kill them!" barked the masked swordsman with a menacing tone.

In a heartbeat, four masked assailants in black closed in on Lin Xi and Lu Hao, moving with deliberate slowness.

Step by step, Lin Xi and Lu Hao retreated, each step bringing them perilously closer to the cliff's edge. They found themselves at the brink of the Dark Void Abyss, where one more step would send them plummeting into its depths.

Lu Hao, standing at the precipice, peered down into the abyss with sheer dread. The steepness was like that of a cliff carved by axe and knife, and the darkness below set his entire body quivering in fear.

Lin Xi was equally stunned; he hadn't anticipated being cornered at the Dark Void Abyss. Falling in would mean a slim chance of survival, a fact that shocked him to the core, though he managed to maintain a composed exterior.

"Third Young Master! What do we do?" Lu Hao's legs shook uncontrollably.

"Watch for my signals and act accordingly!" Lin Xi whispered urgently to Lu Hao, feeling an uncontrollable, mysterious change within himself.

"Third Young Master Lin, to think you'd remain so composed at death's door is quite unexpected. You're not like the usual worthless dandies, and that puzzles me," the masked swordsman with the sword remarked, genuinely surprised.

"Who says I'm the one facing death? It's you who are in danger!" Lin Xi shot back defiantly.

"Very well, today you'll see who truly faces death!" The masked swordsman gestured to his accomplice, who nodded in understanding.

In a flash, Lin Xi saw one of the masked men soar into the air, hurtling towards them with lightning speed.

"Die!" the masked man in black commanded icily.

"Lu Hao, move!" Lin Xi cried out, just as the attacker bore down on them.

Lu Hao snapped to attention and leapt aside. In that split second, a vast chasm opened up between Lin Xi and Lu Hao.

Simultaneously, a glint of determination flashed in Lin Xi's eyes as he unleashed a palm strike. His hand radiated with Chaos Aura, transforming his very presence.

"Ah... No!" The masked man in black felt a searing heat engulf him, a terrifying aura swirling around him, and the force of a mighty palm strike crashing into his body.

"Jade Purity? No, this is a powerful presence!" The masked swordsman's spirit quivered, a glint flashing in his eyes. He sensed something different about Lin Xi.

A scream echoed as the masked man plummeted into the Dark Void Abyss.

"I've underestimated you, Lin Xi. To think, you're a dark horse beneath your wastrel facade!" the masked swordsman said slowly, though his heart was on high alert.

"You two, together, must eliminate Lin Xi!"

Suddenly, two masked men in black soared into the air. Black whips materialized in their hands, whistling as they swung them through the air.

"Third Young Master..." Lu Hao watched Lin Xi, his eyes wide with alarm.

"Step aside. I'll handle these two!" Lin Xi was seething with rage. He couldn't believe he'd been relentlessly pursued and betrayed every step of the way. Ever since he arrived in this world, he felt ensnared by conspiracies. The more he dwelled on it, the angrier he got. He felt like he was about to burst. He noticed a Chaos Bead darting before his eyes, and at the same time, he saw the two masked men in black charging at him.

"Boom!" Suddenly, an earth-shattering noise erupted. Lin Xi felt as though something had detonated before him, sensing two masses of flesh disintegrating.

"Is he dead?!" Lin Xi wondered, his consciousness growing increasingly hazy, his mind drifting.

Lu Hao and the masked man in black inhaled sharply.

"Lin Xi!" they exclaimed in unison.

"I don't believe it. What other oddities do you possess?" The masked swordsman's eyes shone with icy fury. He was livid. With a burst of speed, he charged forward, his sword slicing through the air.

"Void Palace First Style, Sword Birth, Sword Destruction!

Void Palace Second Style, Swords Summon the Wind!

Void Palace Third Style, Boundless Sword Dance!

Void Palace Fourth Style, Traceless Sword Rising!"

The masked swordsman unleashed his most ferocious sword techniques. Darting forward, a dark silhouette charged straight for Lin Xi and his companion.

Lin Xi's heart skipped a beat as a profound sense of life-and-death peril welled up inside him.