Chapter 121.1: The Terrifying Tian Xin; The Fall of the Barbarian Slaying Squad Members! (I)

"Stop." Lu Changsheng suddenly came to a halt. "Tian Xin is too fast. We cannot escape him."

Lu Changsheng roughly estimated the distance to Beiling City. There was no way they could outrun Tian Xin. Although they were not slow, Tian Xin's speed was undeniably superior.

"Wait. How come Tian Xin has been chasing us like this? How does he know our whereabouts?" You Shifei asked.

Lu Changsheng shared that doubt as well.

"Tian Xin must have some way to lock onto our movements. The Northern Barbarian Kingdom wouldn't dispatch him without absolute confidence. We lay low for a full twenty days, and on the very first day we act, he is already on us," Lu Changsheng said. Thoughts raced through his mind as he searched for a solution. Yet at this moment, there seemed to be no better option.

"We'll split up and flee. Whoever can escape should escape. If we stay together, we will be wiped out," Lu Changsheng said calmly.

Right now, retreat was the only choice. Five against Tian Xin was utterly unrealistic. Tian Xin stood unchallenged at the top of the Divine Strength Rankings. Even if they were to join forces, they would still not be his match.

It was simply impossible for them to stop Tian Xing!

Only by splitting up could they create a chance of survival, as it would force Tian Xin to choose. Since he couldn't pursue multiple targets at once, he would most likely hunt down just one person. This way, the rest could survive.

"Wait! We absolutely cannot split up," You Shifei exclaimed. On the surface, this plan seemed sound. However, if they were to split up, there would be no need to guess who Tian Xin would pursue. He would undoubtedly chase Dao Shi'er.

"The northern barbarians sent Tian Xin because they want to wipe out our squad without the possibility of failure. We all know the true core of this squad. Tian Xin's target is Brother Dao. Once we split up, Brother Dao will be in grave danger.

"The Barbarian Slaying Squad can lose anyone, but it cannot lose Brother Dao. As long as Brother Dao lives, the Barbarian Slaying Squad lives!"

You Shifei paused and swept his gaze across the group before breaking into a smile. "We've been fighting on the Northern Region Battlefield for so long. Do we not want to pull off something big? The chance is here! Kill Tian Xin and shatter the northern barbarians' confidence!"

"

Hahaha

, exactly! Kill Tian Xin. I'm sick of seeing him at the highest rank. What right does he have to hog that spot forever?" replied Great Spear Tie Yuan. He had already taken out the two segments of his spear and assembled them into a single great spear.

"Count me in," Yang Zhen also said. As ever, his expression remained cold as he wiped his longsword again and again. "I also want to see just how good he truly is."

Tong Xuan clenched his fists as well. His bulging muscles seemed filled with boundless strength.

Lu Changsheng looked at the four of them and solemnly said, "You guys will die..."

If they were to split up, he could end up dying. If they stayed together and joined forces against Tian Xin, the four members of the squad would most likely die.

"Run now," You Shifei said. "There's still a chance that we can all make it back to Beiling City."

That was true, as Tian Xin had yet to catch up.

"Go!"

The five moved at full speed toward Beiling City. However, they were still slower than Tian Xin. At first, only Lu Changsheng could "see" Tian Xin with his Wind Sense Intent. As time went on, the distance between Tian Xin and the five shrank to the point that the others could finally see Tian Xin's figure.

"So it truly is Tian Xin." You Shifei narrowed his eyes slightly. At that moment, all lingering hope vanished from his heart. Tian Xin rarely made a move, but once he made a move, it'd always end in success. No one had ever been able to stop him.

Ten li, five li, three li, one li... Tian Xin drew closer and closer. Beiling City was already in sight. With their current speed, however, it was clear they would never reach it in time.

"Stop." You Shifei came to a halt. The instant he stopped, Yang Zhen, Tong Xuan, and Tie Yuan stopped as well, as though they had tacitly agreed on something long ago.

"You guys..." Lu Changsheng's eyes widened. He knew what was coming.

"Brother Dao, this is as far as we can escort you," You Shifei said calmly. "Go back to Beiling City. The four of us will stop Tian Xin here. As long as you live, the Barbarian Slaying Squad will also live. Fighting the highest ranker of the Divine Strength Rankings... is something worth looking forward to!"

All four of them showed smiles mixed with resolve. Lu Changsheng knew they had reached this decision long before this moment. He had to leave now, or he would forever lose his chance to escape.

"Please stay alive!"

Lu Changsheng no longer hesitated. He turned and sprinted toward Beiling City at full speed. An inexplicable fire burned in his chest. The restless fire seethed, as if it needed a release.

In truth, had he not formed this squad for this kind of situation? To ensure his absolute safety. When You Shifei and the others were against an overwhelmingly powerful expert, he would retreat to Beiling City. At worst, he could always gather new people and form another squad.

Back then, You Shifei and the others had all known about his way of thinking and had even agreed to it. When it truly came to this moment, however, Lu Changsheng's heart still trembled with emotions at the sight of You Shifei and the others sending themselves to their deaths.

However, he did not stop and continued sprinting toward Beiling City.

Tian Xin advanced step by step. He saw Lu Changsheng and saw the four figures standing between them.

"You Shifei... I know you," Tian Xin said calmly.

That was all. He recognized only You Shifei. As for the others, they were not worth acknowledging.

"Tian Xin, if you want to kill Brother Dao, you will have to kill us first."

Clang!

You Shifei drew his saber, and a dazzling saber light tore through the air. This strike was You Shifei's best strike. Even if Lu Changsheng were to draw his saber, he wouldn't surpass this attack.

The instant You Shifei drew his saber, the other three also attacked.

Yang Zhen thrust his sword forward, filling the sky with sword shadows. Tong Xuan sent a punch that shattered the air, resulting in formidable shockwaves. Tie Yuan's great spear trembled as it shot out like a dragon toward Tian Xin.

How earth-shaking was the might of four great experts moving together? Their combined assault would be more than enough to fight evenly against those within the top ten.

However, their opponent was Tian Xin, and he was the undisputed pinnacle of the Divine Strength Realm!

BOOM!

Tian Xin made his move. He projected just an Intent. Just

one

Intent, but the moment it manifested, the surroundings transformed into mountains of corpses and seas of blood. Terrifyingly dense crimson light flooded the area, and the four were instantly suppressed.

Yes, they were suppressed; they were suppressed by Tian Xin's intent alone. This was his Slaughter Intent, and it had almost reached its peak. He was just a step away from Perfection; he was ninety-nine percent, just one percent away from Perfection.

The mere manifestation of his Slaughter Intent suppressed four Thousand Cauldrons Stage experts at one.

Tian Xin did not spare them another glance and simply walked forward, passing straight through them. With every step he took, the pressure bearing down on the four grew heavier. It was like the weight of the world itself pressed on them.

Splurt.

Tong Xuan collapsed first as countless cracks appeared across him at once. He was riddled with holes. In the blink of an eye, he was covered in blood before finally falling into a pool of his own blood. He lost all signs of life, never to stand again.

Tie Yuan came next. His great spear trembled violently beneath the terrifying force suppressing him. However, Tie Yuan did not last long either. The moment Tian Xin took his second step, Tie Yuan literally exploded into pieces.

Crack

.

Yang Zhen was next, and his sword shattered inch by inch. In the end, blood sprayed everywhere as his blood vessels burst, resulting in his demise.

Meanwhile, You Shifei seemed to have resisted the pressure.

"DIE!!!"