Chapter 108: 108 - Escape The woman’s beautiful black eyes were filled with hope, but that hope disappeared the moment she felt the cultivation of the handsome young man in front of her. "Don’t come, run away! I can hold them off!" She shouted as she tried to get up, but her body weakened and she coughed up large gulps of blood, the little Qi in her dantian barely able to maintain her consciousness. Qingyi noticed the woman’s condition, his eyes glowing a deep purple as he used the first form of the Storm Monarch Sword Art. The Heaven-Defying Thunder Sword turned into a blur as it slammed into the shell of one of the scorpions. "What?" Qingyi’s eyes widened, a metallic clang echoing as he felt a painful tremor spread through his arms. All that power, and all it did was get a tiny crack, blue blood squirting out as the creature shuddered painfully. The second scorpion took advantage of Qingyi’s diverted focus to attack him, its tail covered in flaming Qi as it tore through the air. Qingyi realized the danger immediately, raising his sword and planting his feet on the ground. A loud crash echoed as he defended himself, the sand providing little support for his feet which sank almost to his knees before he was catapulted backwards for dozens of meters. "Ah... this is going to be more complicated than I expected..." he gritted his teeth. The first scorpion was only at the third stage of the golden core realm and it was a fight he could certainly win, but the second, on the other hand, was at the sixth stage of the golden core realm. He could hold his own against a human cultivator of that level, but against a spirit beast? It was very difficult. He looked towards the beauty, whose consciousness had almost faded, her opaque and trembling eyes focused on the sword in his hands. He had to find a way to get an opening and escape from there, but with the two scorpions focusing on him at the same time, it would be almost impossible to stand a chance. ’I just need to get rid of one of them...’ he thought, his sword glowing with lightning sword Qi as he took a step forward. The scorpion of the sixth stage of the golden core attacked, its huge pincers closing in, trying to break Qingyi in half. The handsome young man waited until the last moment to activate the lightning steps, the scorpion’s pincers just grazing his boots as he leapt over it. His feet landed on the tail whose sting narrowly missed him before he launched himself towards the scorpion at the third stage of the foundation realm. He felt his body burn as he put all his power into that attack, using the first form of the Storm Monarch’s Sword Art. The Heaven-Defying Thunder Sword shone more brightly than ever, its sharp steel hissing as it sliced through the air. The scorpion tried to raise its tail to protect the wound on its shell, but Qingyi’s sword passed right through it. Qingyi wasn’t aiming at the wound, he was aiming at the junction between the scorpion’s plates. With his draconic eyes activated, it wasn’t difficult for the tip of the sword to hit its target, sinking between the gaps in the scorpion’s shell, which closed, trying to stop the penetration. But it was too late. The lightning sword Qi tore through the flesh and organs inside the creature, its fire Qi unable to stop Qingyi. The moment the beast’s body lost its strength and collapsed heavily onto its abdomen, the other one was already on top of Qingyi. Its body was engulfed in a tornado of flames as it advanced. It was a dangerous attack, but Qingyi didn’t dodge, just raised his blade. His clothes burned and his arms almost gave way as his body was catapulted backwards, but he couldn’t stop himself from smiling. That was exactly what he wanted. Using the momentum of the scorpion’s attack, he threw himself towards the black-haired beauty, wrapping her in a gentle embrace as he took her in his arms. Her voluptuous body pressed against his, a soft sigh escaping her plump lips. Qingyi had no time, immediately activating the lightning steps, turning into a blur as he ran as fast as he could. Watching Qingyi flee, the scorpion shuddered, its huge body sinking and forming waves in the burning sand as it advanced towards him. ’Damn, that bastard is fast! Qingyi gritted his teeth, forcing his lightning steps to the point where his legs went numb. "Ah..." The lips of the beauty in his embrace opened subtly, a tremor taking over her body as she felt his powerful hands sinking into her curves. Her face flushed slightly and she turned her gaze, using what little strength she had to point towards a mountain of red rocks on the horizon. "T-there..." she said, her voice almost a whisper before her consciousness faded again. Qingyi looked in the direction she had pointed, turning his body quickly before starting to run towards it. But suddenly, he realized something. The beast had stopped following him, its body rising above the ground for a brief moment before it hid again, sinking deep down. Why? "It’s getting dark... the crystals go out in a 48-hour cycle, everything freezes when they go out," Ruxue spoke in her mind, prompting Qingyi to grit his teeth, hastening his pace even more. It wasn’t difficult for a cultivator of the Golden Core realm to maintain their temperature, but that woman was seriously injured, her Qi reserves already at an end. If she didn’t get shelter immediately, she would hardly be able to hold out for long. Hastening his steps even more, Qingyi reached the foot of the mountains. It was already dark when he saw a small hole covered by a piece of cloth. Without hesitation, he entered it, immediately placing the beauty on the ground and taking a recovery pill from the king’s space ring. He held the corners of her jaw, her full, pink lips parting and receiving the pill between them. "Shit, she’s not swallowing..." Qingyi thought for a brief moment before pulling out a bottle of wine, also from the king’s space ring. He popped the cork before pouring a big gulp into his mouth and bending down, his face hovering inches from hers for a brief moment before finally pressing his lips to hers, using the liquid to make the pill go down.