“A higher mountain peak… sounds tempting.”

Bai Xiaochi smiled.

Gu Lushi also smiled, because he caught a detail. Just now, a brief hesitation flashed in Bai Xiaochi’s eyes.

Bai Xiaochi reached out and pulled out the Clan Head’s Token that he wore around his neck on a cord.

The token swayed in the wind.

He slowly released his hand, the smile on his face disappearing at that moment.

“Sorry, I refuse.”

Only this cold voice echoed through the forest.

As this cold voice rang out, the power of Zhaoming instantly erupted, but not towards Gu Lushi, who was sitting in the wheelchair, but completely slammed into the small wooden token!

The Clan Head Tokens of the five great families seemed fragile, but were actually incredibly resilient.

Over the past six hundred years, Nagano had undergone layers of dramatic changes, and the extraordinary individuals who held the Clan Head Tokens had constantly changed. Time was like a knife, but it had not left a single trace on the surface of the tokens!

This level of impact could not damage it.

But… it was enough to knock it away!

With a "whoosh"!

The Bai Clan Head Token, which was falling in mid-air, was hit by Zhaoming, and instantly shot out hundreds of meters. Gu Lushi, who was sitting in the wheelchair, changed his expression drastically, and stood up in an instant to chase the Clan Head Token that had been shot out!

At the same time, Bai Xiaochi reached out and wrapped Li Qingsui in his arms, and began to run in the opposite direction!

He did hesitate for a moment.

But… it wasn't hesitating whether or not to form an alliance with Gu Lushi!

Colluding with the God of Wine had already violated the deepest iron rule of Nagano. Ambitious people like Gu Lushi, who had no bottom line, were to be诛之 by everyone in the five great families! If it really came to the last step, he, Bai Xiaochi, would rather fight Gu Lushi in a bloody battle than form an alliance!

He was hesitating how to escape!

Bai Xiaochi had a very clear understanding of himself… He was not a combat-type titled extraordinary.

The Bai Clan's bloodline had long shown signs of exhaustion. Being able to cultivate a "genius" like Bai Chen among the direct descendants was already a one-in-a-million stroke of luck. His Zhaoming was completely different from Bai Chen's "Adjudicator". Even if he cultivated to the peak, he would not be able to gain the upper hand in a head-on confrontation.

Gu Lushi was able to defeat Gu Qilin, Gong Qing, and Mu Yi one after another.

Then he was definitely not his opponent.

Instead of wasting his strength, it was better to look for an opportunity to escape!

Gu Lushi wanted to collect all five tokens… to open the Colossus Ruins. It didn't matter if he discarded his own, because Li Qingsui's token was still there!

A low roar sounded from behind.

That wasn't a sound that a human could make, but rather the angry roar of wind and snow under the manipulation of spiritual power.

When Gu Lushi got up to chase the token, he released all of his spiritual power to condense a domain!

A snow dragon, destroying everything in its path, shattered trees and swallowed towards Bai Xiaochi!

Zhaoming was activated again!

This time, Bai Xiaochi bit his finger.

He turned around abruptly, his five fingers spread open, and blood outlined complex ancient characters in the air… These were the clan纹 passed down by the Bai Clan, and every direct descendant was required to memorize them from a young age.

The content of these characters could not be taught, only understood.

The moment the blood刻画 clan 纹, some strange power was communicated… The huge snow dragon head, which had opened its bloody mouth to bite Bai Xiaochi and Li Qingsui, slammed its teeth shut!

"Rumble…"

Snow tides splashed everywhere!

After the snow dragon closed its mouth, it did not kill anyone!

It bit at empty air, not because Bai Xiaochi had suddenly sped up… but because a force descended from the void, pulling him back dozens of meters.

It seemed like he was pulled away, but this was not the power of "space".

It was the power of "time"!

The true power flowing in the Bai Clan's bloodline was related to time!

This snow dragon, mixed with spiritual power and divine power, touched the Bai Clan紋 generated in the void… and returned to its position one second ago!

Bai Xiaochi, who had刻下 clan 纹, looked a little pale. Although he had only made the other party "rewind" by one second, his consumption was still huge. A large amount of extraordinary source matter was consumed in the void. This kind of power was already enough to be classified as forbidden!

Unfortunately… he was not a true extraordinary person who advocated the power of killing.

Otherwise, this one second would be enough to determine the outcome.

"Run!"

Bai Xiaochi seized this one-second opportunity and fled out of the snow forest again with Li Qingsui, fleeing hundreds of meters away. The roaring sound of the snow dragon behind him was also pulled away.

Did he shake it off?

Bai Xiaochi ran at full speed, slightly moving his head to confirm the situation… This head movement revealed a horrifying scene.

Beside him, at some unknown time, there was a silent "companion".

Falling behind step by step, the snow dragon had long been left behind, dismembered, collapsed, and scattered into large clumps of withered snow.

However, Gu Lushi had already caught up like a quiet shooting star.

He was moving forward with Bai Xiaochi, who was trying his best to escape. His back was parallel to the ground, almost seamlessly sticking to the snow, and he was "gliding" at a rapid low altitude.

He looked calm, his attention seemingly focused entirely on his palm.

Bai Xiaochi was trying his best to escape for his life.

And Gu Lushi was playfully fiddling with the fourth token in his palm.

This scene was very ironic, and the reactions of the two formed a very distinct contrast!

Bai Xiaochi suddenly stopped.

Gu Lushi, who was gliding with his back to the ground, continued to glide for dozens of meters before barely stopping. He seemed to no longer be bound by gravity, floating upright incredibly smoothly. Wind and snow surrounded him, stained with purple divine brilliance, like crystals sprinkled with starlight.

"Brother Bai, you can continue to run."

Gu Lushi smiled slightly, "I have already obtained the Bai Clan's token. But she cannot leave unless… you hand over the token."

After saying that.

He cast a meaningful gaze towards Li Qingsui.

Of course, he had no feelings of sympathy, pity, or kindness in his heart.

This one glance contained an extremely vast amount of spiritual power!

Bai Xiaochi took a step forward, wanting to stop him.

But… it was useless!

Li Qingsui only felt as if her heart was being pinched by a large hand, making it hard to breathe. Even with Bai Xiaochi's spiritual protection, it was still suffocating… The difference in their extraordinary realms was too great.

And the thought in her heart told her that handing over the Clan Head Token was the only way to solve the problem.

Breathing gradually became difficult.

Li Qingsui's face turned red, and she clenched the token tightly. After a fierce ideological struggle, she艰难ly raised her head and said, word by word.

"You… don't even think about it!"

Seeing this, Gu Lushi smiled indifferently.

He instantly moved forward, circling Bai Xiaochi three times like a cat playing with a mouse, and then suddenly struck… With the blessing of the "God of Wine" divine power, this battle was already without suspense.

Bai Xiaochi's extraordinary source matter and physical skills were richer than Gong Qing and Mu Yi, but so what?

He was simply not an extraordinary person of the "combat" type!

Even if the Bai Clan had been known as "invincible in same-level duels" for the past hundred years under the blessing of their bloodline power, it would not be able to help Bai Xiaochi, this "智将", win the duel against Gu Lushi.

After circling three times.

Gu Lushi struck… He punched Li Qingsui.

His attitude towards this little girl was completely different from his attitude towards Gong Qing, Mu Yi, and the old master.

He did not kill the previous few.

Because Gu Lushi knew that after he refined the Fire Seed, the overall situation in Nagano still needed these people to control. As long as they could submit, then keeping them alive would definitely be better than killing them!

After all… what he wanted to do was not to destroy Nagano.

But to build Nagano even higher!

But Li Qingsui was different. She was just a child who still smelled of milk. He had promoted and funded a large part of the Li Clan Elders' reform… Killing this little girl would make it easier to control the Li family in the future!

With a "boom".

The air waves shattered.

Li Qingsui gritted her teeth, already closing her eyes, preparing to welcome her fate.

But this punch did not land on her face.

In the void, blood-colored ancient characters vibrated again. Zhaoming extracted Bai Xiaochi's blood and slammed into Gu Lushi's fist… causing his body's time to rewind by one second!

One second ago!

Gu Lushi's fist could not land on Li Qingsui's face… but it landed on Bai Xiaochi's chest.

At the critical moment, Bai Xiaochi, who could only use forbidden techniques to delay time, realized after sacrificing the blood-colored characters that the other party's seemingly "teasing" actions were actually very meaningful.

Gu Lushi had seen the scene of the snow dragon collapsing and rewinding.

And in order to prevent his own "rewind forbidden technique", he first circled himself three times before striking… Once he encountered "rewind", then this punch would become a突袭 in another sense!

Li Qingsui stared blankly at the fist that was originally about to pierce through her, but ultimately landed on the right side of Bai Xiaochi's chest, piercing through it.

A spray of blood splattered out, landing on her fair forehead.

Bai Xiaochi's blood was very hot.

The wind in the snow forest was very cold.

Gu Lushi looked sadly at Li Qingsui and said softly, "Look, he was injured because of you…"

Li Qingsui's expression was pale. There was one part of pain, two parts of guilt, and seven parts of regret in her eyes.

"It's not too late to compromise now."

Gu Lushi said leisurely, smiling, "Otherwise… you will definitely die, and he may die with you."

Li Qingsui was completely despondent.

She trembled, wanting to hand over the token.

“…Don’t give it to him.”

A hoarse voice sounded in her heart.

Li Qingsui paused.

She raised her head with teary eyes.

Bai Xiaochi stretched out his hands, 死死攥住 Gu Lushi's forearm that had pierced through his chest.

The Bai Clan Head asked, his voice trembling, with a smile, "If I don't die, and she doesn't die, then… will you die?"

Gu Lushi raised his eyebrows.

He was a little curious, a little surprised, and a little confused.

The next moment.

A bolt of lightning, roared down from the穹顶, slamming into the position where Gu Lushi was standing!

At the same time, thousands of brilliant golden array纹s surged out from the ground, accompanied by blazing flames, burning and forging into countless sharp swords, sweeping towards his chest.

Heavenly thunder, 地火!

…

…

(Update notice: There will be a chapter before 12 noon tomorrow)