Chapter 616: The Second-Most Gracious Damsel Of Southbarren State, An Old Friend In Trouble

Gu Changge, Ah Qing, and Ah Da casually strolled on the battlefield, as if there was an invisible field around them. Not even the powerful cultivators could see them. All the attacks and aftershocks were neutralised by an invisible force before they dispersed like ripples when they were about to touch the trio.

Ah Qing understood that this was one of Gu Changge's mysterious and unpredictable techniques. She looked at the battle ahead as she explained in a low voice, "This is Southbarren State of the Thirteen States. The sky here was where the Otherworldly Sky Demons first appeared."

She knew that Gu Changge had no malicious intentions from how he only brought one subordinate with him instead of a whole army when he took her back to her world.

To her, Gu Changge was her benefactor. He was completely different from the rest of the cultivators from the Upper Realm.

Gu Changge nodded and asked, "Southbarren State of the Thirteen States? That city in the far distance, you mean?"

He had learnt from Ah Qing that there were Thirteen States in the Profound Sword World, and the territory each state covered was extremely vast. Even though the states paled in comparison to the Upper Realm, they were still way bigger than the territory of many other ancient worlds.

Moreover, he could clearly feel the World's Will from the moment he came here. To be exact, this world had a consciousness that could even manipulate its Principles to fight against the experts from the Upper Realm, and prevent them from coming. This was, by no means, comparable to ordinary World Wills.

The techniques that Gu Changge cultivated were completely different from others. He could go undetected when he restrained all of his energy. Among everything in this world, Gu Changge's existence was currently more like an endless unknown of nihility. He was not worried about going against this world, much less being detected. Furthermore, his main goal was to obtain the World Source from this place. It would be easier for him to deal with a world if it had consciousness.

"Yes, but it seems like it won't be long before Southbarren's city gets destroyed. Those experts are all sent by Southern Light Empire in Southbarren State. Southern Light Empire is attached to a Sect called Sword Cliff. It is a well-known superpower in the Southbarren State. They have been withstanding the Otherworldly Sky Demons' invasion for a long time," Ah Qing explained as she looked at the ancient city ahead.

Although experts were being sent over from all parts of the Thirteen States, they were too far away from here. They would still take a long time even if they travelled through a space altar halfway. Furthermore, there were too many Otherworldly Sky Demons to be completely wiped out while they were still in the Outer Territory territory. Not only that, they could fend off the first wave of the invasion, but there would be a second wave...

The dead land outside Southbarren City was the result of the war throughout this period. In the past, many Forces were located here, and the city only grew and flourished. But now, all that was left were ruins. There was nothing beautiful about this place. Calling it 'gory' would be an overstatement, but it wasn't far off.

While the two were talking, a loud noise suddenly came from the towering ancient city in the distance. The tall city walls and its barrier had completely collapsed. It was difficult for Profound Sword World to defend themselves from the attacker around them now.

...

A golden cauldron carrying the might of wind and thunder fell from the sky. Summoned by an experted, it completely shattered the defensive barrier.

The young sword cultivators, who tried to attack the Otherworldly Sky Demons before the attack struck, coughed up blood as they flew backwards with their bodies covered in blood.

Yells rang out. Some of which were filled with terror, some were filled with desperation, while some were furious, wanting to eliminate everyone from the Upper Realm Army at all cost.

"Kill them!"

The war cries from the Upper Realm Army shook the sky. They were now charging full speed ahead, determined to seize the ruined Southbarren City.

The army on the other side, on the other hand, was utterly defeated. With frightened and distressed looks on their faces, the defeated soldiers fled like water gushing out. However, the Upper Realm Army was busy surrounding those powerful sword cultivators, not caring about those with weaker cultivation.

"Protect the Fourth Princess and run!"

"Fend off the Otherworldly Sky Demons! We can't let them take our Princess!" someone in Southbarren City roared before terrifying Sword Qi rushed out. A few figures holding long swords charged and attacked the expert high up in the air.

Chaos immediately erupted as everyone killed their enemies. Swords clashed in all directions, leaving sparks and shadows everywhere.

"The Fourth Princess of the Southbarren Empire is here!?" Ah Qing raised her head and looked at the city gradually falling to ruins with a shocked expression on her face. Not only did she know who the princess was, but she was also even close to her back when they used to discuss the Sword Dao. They were somewhat like-minded.

However, she couldn't do anything even if she wanted to rescue the Fourth Princess at such a crucial time. The figure that used the golden cauldron in the sky was so strong that he exuded an invincible might, even when he remained in the same spot. He easily blew away many sword cultivators around him without any signs of faltering.

Gu Changge's group was now amidst this disarray. Everyone around them had turned a blind eye to them, but Ah Qing could see and feel up close how terrifying and tragic the situation was.

Upon hearing her words, Gu Changge let out a soft laugh. "Is this... Fourth Princess an acquaintance of yours?"

Ah Qing nodded and looked at Gu Changge. "Yes, she is. She is also The Most Gifted Prodigy and Second-Most Gracious Damsel of the Southern Light Empire."

"The Most Gifted Prodigy and Second-Most Gracious Damsel?" Gu Changge repeated, surprised.

"Xuan Dea is a really nice person. After she found out about the Otherworldly Sky Demon invasion, she immediately went with the army to fight against them at the border."

...

*Boom!* The fluctuations that erupted from the battle were increasingly terrifying. The towering walls began to crack, and they finally crumbled along with the endless brilliance that surrounded them.

The army couldn't resist the Upper Realm Army at all. Immeasurable bursts of Sword Qi, each as big as a mountain, soared to the sky and slashed over. However, they all broke apart like glass and turned into ashes in the face of the figure holding the golden cauldron.

Everyone coughed up blood and took a few steps back. Even though they were using as much strength as they could offer, they still struggled to stop the Upper Realm Army from closing in.

This was a devastating and chilling moment.

Soldiers riding ferocious beasts attacked aggressively as they roared, destroying all the defences along the way like a terrifying indestructible sword.

In the city that was about to collapse, a chariot was surrounded by many figures wanting to protect it. It seemed to want to make its escape as it ascended into the air.

Standing in the air beside the chariot was a breadless old man, who held a sword in his hand. He was trying to block the frightening figure holding the golden cauldron.

"Don't even think about coming here!" he boomed, and his sword shone brightly as it spurted out a terrifying light made of swords that shone in all directions.

"Puny ant, you dare stop me!?" The figure with the golden cauldron huffed indifferently. With a vertical eye with streaks of lightning appeared. It was between his brows. With three eyes, he didn't look like a human being. Still, there was no doubt that he was extremely powerful. After all, he was one of the Masters the Upper Realm sent to Profound Sword World.

As soon as the two of them began to fight, terrifying waves swept across the sky and the earth from here. The mountain range around trembled as grey cracks appeared on them, releasing endless murderous aura. Even if it was just the aftershock, this kind of battle was a devastating disaster for all below.

The Profound Sword World could barely put up a fight against the Upper Realm Army that came to eliminate them. They had to retreat as they were, one after another, defeated. Southbarren City which used to stand majestically, had now completely collapsed and fallen into ruins.

Seeing this, Ah Qing balled up her small fists and turned the other way. She couldn't bear watching this. Her Profound Sword World could not fight back at all in this gruesome war. Furthermore, she knew that the army in front of her was only a small number sent by the Upper Realm. There were larger and stronger armies stationed beyond the Outer Territory, with more experts among them.

"It seems that your acquaintance won't be able to get away." Gu Changge's faint smile remained plastered on his face.

He was leading Ah Qing across the ruins of the ancient city. He wasn't moving at a high speed, but the ground under his feet seemed to be changing nevertheless. He would be thousands of kilometres away from where he was the next moment.

Ah Qing noticed the change in the battle conditions, and she peered at Gu Changge with pleading eyes. "Master Gu, can you please help her?"

The old man with no beard was clearly no match for the man from the Upper Realm. He had coughed up enough blood to cover his whole body in it, and his Qi and vitality had been weakened. He was clearly at a disadvantage now.

The next moment, the sound of thunder roaring could be heard as the golden cauldron descended from the sky. As the aura of death appeared on the old man's face, he let out a gut-wrenching scream and was immediately blown apart into bloodmist, whereby his body and soul were destroyed.

Seeing this only made the army on the blood-stained battlefield fall deeper into despair. But after killing the old man, the powerful figure did not stay any longer. Instead, he took out his cauldron and continued to chase ahead. He could tell that there was an extremely important person in the chariot, or else the old man wouldn't have tried to hold him sacrificing his life.

...

*Dong!*

More soldiers rushed down from the sky. The big bells that chimed released sound waves like the god of death's sharp scythes, frantically harvesting lives. Not only were many sword cultivators in the air reduced to pieces, but even the army on the ground fell apart. The aura of despair filled the space between heaven and earth.

"Princess, the Elder has fallen... He was killed by an Otherworldly Sky Demon..." The people in the chariot couldn't help but grieve when they felt the fluctuation in the distance.

A maidservant with a pretty face turned pale as she shivered. To them, the Elder was a peerless Master, which was why he was sent by the Emperor of Southern Light Empire to protect the Princess. And yet, he was so easily killed by that terrifying Otherworldly Sky Demon. He couldn't even impede the enemy for long.

A calm voice sounded in the chariot. "The Otherworldly Sky Demons that descended this time are far more appalling than the previous ones. The Elder was a Master in the Seventh Realm, but he was still no match for that person. The opponent is probably already halfway in the Eighth Realm."

In Profound Sword World, the level of cultivation was divided into nine realms. Only when the nine realms were complete would one have the possibility of stepping into the Earth Sword Immortal Realm. Supposedly, Cultivators who had reached the Seventh Realm could already stand above everyone else. It was hard to find someone who could be a match for them.

The young lady who spoke had flowy black hair, clear features, and a smile that could captivate an entire city. She was as beautiful as a goddess. She was the Most Gifted Prodigy and Second-Most Gracious Damsel of Southbarren State—Princess Xuan Dea.

Even in such a desperate situation, she still remained calmer than anyone else. She turned to watch the scene behind her as she touched the sword pill hidden under her sleeve. There was no way she would let the other party catch her. She would rather end her life immediately if forced to a dead end. As a Princess, she wanted to take her dignity with her even if she were to die. She would never be humiliated!

"What should we do, Princess? That Otherworldly Sky Demon is going to reach us soon." The rest in the chariot were pale with fear. They were all frightened by the scene just now. Although the chariot could travel through the void, it was obvious that the Otherworldly Sky Demon was faster. It was only a matter of time before he caught up. Not only that, they couldn't possibly defend themselves when they only had a handful of guards around them.

The gallant soldiers who came here with Xuan Dea had all lost their lives during this period of time, and now, there weren't many people left by her side. The Elder was supposed to be her last trump card. It was a pity that he was already dead, and both his body and soul were wiped out.

There were only two paths they could choose: either to be captured or to be killed.

"Don't be afraid. At worst, we will die when the time comes. Why should we, citizens of Southern Light Empire, be afraid of death?" Instead of feeling despair, Princess Xuan Dea had a calm face. She showed no fear even at such a crucial moment.

However, her words obviously didn't work their magic as everyone only started trembling more. They could feel the terrifying pressure that swept through the land chasing after them. It was so fearsome they thought their skin would melt off.

"Let's see how you are going to run away!" The figure with the golden cauldron in his hand chased after them. With just a single palm, he sealed off the void and made it stagnant, making it impossible for them to move an inch.

"Protect the princess!"

"Don't let him take another step!"

The figures around the carriage roared in anger as their eyes turned red. They immediately charged at the figure to fend him off.

Princess Xuan Dea also automatically came out at this moment. With a calm look on her face, she decided to face her enemy head-on while she tightly wielded a delicate long sword with an emerald green sheen.

Women were not inferior to men. Even though she knew that she could never win against this Otherworldly Sky Demon, and she might even lose her life, she was calmer than ever.

"Ah, so it's a Princess. You're worth something," the figure with the golden cauldron sneered. As he stood in the air, a power so terrifying it made people tremble flowed from his body.

Princess Xuan Dea only looked at him with calm eyes. "Why did you invade our world? Just what is the reason?"

The figure scoffed, "Do we need a reason to trample on some ants?"

Not wanting to waste more time, he arrogantly reached out a big palm to catch Princess Xuan Dea.

The rest present felt like their eyes could burst when they saw this. They tried to stop him. However, given the differences in their strengths, they could only cough up blood before getting flung away. With this one move, they had been brought to critical condition, whereby their bodies were about to collapse and shatter.

Princess Xuan Dea's face fell. She wanted to fight back, but she soon realised she couldn't defend herself at all because of the mud-like surrounding space. Of course, she couldn't use her sword pill as well.

[I can't even die?] Helplessness washed over her. She felt so powerless.

However, the big palm came to an abrupt stop right in front of her right then. The figure with the golden cauldron also froze, his expression grew somewhat uncertain. The look on his face suddenly changed before he cupped his hands towards a certain direction, and he hastily turned into a divine rainbow and fled.

"What just happened?" Princess Xuan Dea had her puzzlement written all over her face. The rest of her people, too, were confused by the Otherworldly Sky Demon, who spared their lives and suddenly took off.

Princess Xuan Dea suddenly remembered something. [It was that direction, wasn't it?]

She recalled seeing the expert glance in a certain direction before he left with a pale face.

She curiously looked over, but soon, her beautiful eyes grew wide as her curiosity was replaced by disbelief. She sounded pleasantly surprised when she gasped, "Ah Qing!"