*Thud*

Xia Fei tossed a pouch into the warehouse.

​​

"Don't panic. Hyacinth got me to save you all. There are twenty-one spatial compasses inside. Let the old and infirm, women and children, leave first. Those who aren't afraid to die can stand behind me and protect this warehouse. Reinforcement will be arriving soon," Xia Fei said as he turned around and glanced at these surviving Rockies.

No one recognized Xia Fei, but none went against his orders. They already saw Xia Fei as their savior, and his killing of the Shepherdians before was evidence that Xia Fei was here to help.

Xia Fei got these twenty-one spatial compasses from Hyacinth, and each of them could take along three people at once. Given that the base had around three hundred, it was only enough for the young to leave, and those who were left behind would have to wait here for some time.

Without panicking, several women led over thirty children to leave under the lead of two elders, leaving most of the old, as well as the teens, who had not yet reached adulthood behind. All of them were spread out in the various corners of the warehouse. Though they were all feeling quite uneasy, none complained.

"Hyacinth's people are even calmer than himself, looks like this impersonator organization is pretty well trained. They'll be useful." The old demon lord observed these people and was quite satisfied with what he saw.

Xia Fei shook his head. "I've just defeated Hyacinth just now, and he's still emotionally distraught. The sudden assault on his base was the catalyst that caused him to lose his cool, so I believe that he ought to have composed himself by now. If he's not someone above average, there would be no way for Hyacinth to have been so prestigious out here in Exiled Grounds."

Glancing at the time, Xia Fei spoke to the Rockies behind him, "Hyacinth will need at least ten minutes to prepare. All of you must hold out till then. With so many of you, I can't take care of everyone, so there will surely be casualties if the Shepherdians charge in."

The crowd nodded, determination shining in their eyes.

Actually, Xia Fei was not too much older than those teenage Rockies who had been charged with protecting the base. However, they saw him more as their senior, like a hero. They all felt much more relieved having him guarding the entrance. Without even realizing it, Xia Fei had already become a central figure to the crowd. His calmness, which detached him from their immediate circumstances, was not something anyone could easily imitate, and it was something a warrior would possess only after experiencing hundreds of battles and after beating countless opponents.

Furball let out a low growl. A cold gaze from afar made him very uncomfortable.

Perched on Xia Fei's shoulder, Furball stared icily at the forest in the distance, making eye contact with that terrorizing gaze. He was the Holy Beast Shatterstar; any other exotic beast, even a Beast King, would have already lowered themselves flat on the ground.

Xia Fei had also sensed the presence of a very powerful foe among the enemies. It was the same dreadful aura that the Great Law Emperor Yu Hua gave off when he went all out. This meant that the person should also be at the Great Law Emperor cultivation at least.

The hundred or so Sheperdians, who had remained in base, were the weakest out of all the enemies. Given that their goal was to slaughter the weak and the infirm, there was no need for them to be powerful. All they needed was the ability to be quick with their knives. The real elites were all hiding in the surroundings, inevitably turning it into a greater bloodbath after their cover was blown.

"Here they come!" the old demon lord warned.

Xia Fei raised his head and saw reinforcement leaving the forest, different from those Shepherdians whom he had murdered not too long ago. Those lackeys from before were not even wearing armor, all dressed in different colors, wielding weapons of varying quality. By comparison, this incoming horde was all armed, as if they were troops from an army! Though there were not as many of them, their competence trumping those from before

One, two, three, four...

Xia Fei mentally noted that there were a total of twenty-one individuals; a muscularly built warrior strapped in a full suit of armor took the lead. This suit of armor was black, so airtight that even his eyes were covered, which made it quite a wonder how he could even make out his way forward.

The troops behind him were split into two columns, each with ten aligned. Their armor was grey, each wielding the same crescent blade; there was a mechanism on each blade's handle, which could connect to a metal pole to be used as halberds.

"Do you still remember the Shepherdian whom you killed back in the Dragon Ascension Conclave?" Oro asked.

Xia Fei furrowed his brows. "I remember. That fellow was very powerful. I'll never forget his two black eyes devoid of anger."

Oro chuckled. "That one was a Shepherdian centurion, an expert in command of a hundred warriors. These troops who are bearing down on you are all about the same as him, and that warrior leading them is their chieftain.

"The Shepherdians lead fairly primitive lifestyles, with approximately twenty to thirty thousand members living in different villages. What you're seeing now is the strongest fighting force of a Shepherdian village, the chieftain and his honor guards."

Xia Fei clenched his fists. That centurion he fought with during the Dragon Ascension Conclave had already given Xia Fei plenty of trouble. Now, he would be facing twenty of them altogether! This was an immense pressure, not to mention that the village chieftain was here as well. That warrior in the lead was at least at the Great Law Emperor cultivation!

Turning his head behind him, Xia Fei said gravely, "If anything goes awry, escape toward the east. That's where the enemy's defense is the weakest."

"We understand. Where will you go, benefactor?"

Xia Fei stode off without looking back. "The Shepherdians didn't attack en masse but, instead, sent a squad of elites. It's fairly apparent they plan to take me on a bit, so I'll grant their wish. I'll do my best to buy time."

The squad of Shepherdians advanced very quickly. Xia Fei lit a cigarette as he exited the base, meeting them out in the wilds. This battlefield was far away from the base; Xia Fei was well aware that the further away they were from the base, the higher the chances of survival for those who still remained.

"You're really paying quite the price just to get Hyacinth to help you. I hope that you succeed." The old demon lord sighed.

Xia Fei shook his head lightly. "You've only got it half right. While it's true that I want Hyacinth, I also just want to try and find out if I have the ability to take on a Great Law Emperor."

A level 7 Law Sovereign looking to take on a Great Law Emperor? This was a challenge that transcended an entire tier!

Xia Fei had quite the guts to be attempting this!

The old demon lord was slightly taken aback by this. He would surely consider such a statement to be flagrant arrogance had anyone else said it, but the Xia Fei right now did indeed have the qualifications to battle someone who had a Great Law Emperor cultivation! With Peacock Blue, Furball, and Law of Primal Chaos, how could he not be considered an overwhelming existence in his own right?!

The Shepherdian chieftain sized up Xia Fei with a glance. The latter did not make any move. Aside from this being an attempt at challenging a Great Law Emperor, Xia Fei was also looking to buy more time so that Hyacinth could gather what manpower he could and unleash a counterattack.

"Capture him alive; I'm hungry!" the Shepherdian chieftain snarled.

Xia Fei was unamused. He had long heard of the Shepherdians' habit of consuming other sapient lifeforms, but he never would have thought that this person would actually see himself as food!

"I'm afraid you'll choke!"

Xia Fei's expression turned stern as he rapidly backed away several hundred meters, his back facing the Rockies' base.

"Peacock Blue!"

*Rumble*

Three huge blades of thorny leaves appeared from out of nowhere! They grew over five hundred meters long in the blink of an eye!

It was like three very nimble arms that spread themselves out laterally in front of Xia Fei, forming a barbed and blue long wall!

Peacock Blue's sudden appearance was very shocking. Those Shepherdian centurions were all stunned for a brief moment before they held the weapon in their hands and began charging right toward it.

No matter how ferocious Peacock Blue was, it was nothing compared to the steely cold gaze from the chieftain standing behind them. All of them knew very well what the outcome of going against the orders of their chieftain would be, which was why they could only rush headlong ahead, putting their lives on the line!

*Whoosh*

Xia Fei's figure shrank, entering right into Peacock Blue's encirclement. The old demon lord had once said that the ultimate goal of a Law Adept was not in learning the various laws but rather in becoming one with them!

Ever since then, Xia Fei had this added understanding in his mind and began pursuing finer control of his law forces.

Peacock Blue had formed a circular shape, while Xia Fei stood right in the center of it. With the immemorial mystical armament as protection, anyone who entered this formation would thus enter his territory and would subsequently be subjected to Xia Fei, Peacock Blue, and Furball's concerted attacks!

"Attack and defend as one, Unified Array!"

The Shepherdian centurions thought that they would face a grievous assault from Peacock Blue when the reality was nothing like what they had expected. Peacock Blue easily gave way with the slightest resistance, and they instantly found themselves just fifty meters away from Xia Fei.

The side of his lips crooked into a smirk as Xia Fei softly muttered, "You won't have any problems entering, but leaving will be another question altogether."

*Zoom*

At the same time, Xia Fei and Furball disappeared from within the array. Both possessed supersonic speed, so all they left was the vaguest hint of an afterimage when they moved!

*Shluk*

A Shepherdian centurion had not even had the time to digest what had just happened when he felt a shock impact his chest. He lowered his head to see a large wound the size of a plate right where his heart ought to be!

*Squelch*

At the moment he lowered his head, Xia Fei's Blood Crystal had already been driven right into his neck!

There was no blood split, since all his Blood Essence was being devoured by Blood Crystal!

These centurions were all high-level Law Sovereigns, and such people were regarded as wealthy individuals in Xia Fei's eyes. Blood Crystal needed plenty of blood to grow, and its ability to draw away energy from its victims could help him promote it!

That was why Peacock Blue did not attack at all but trapped all his enemies within the enclosed space, instead, leaving it to Furball to massacre and for Xia Fei to absorb.

*Pew pew pew pew*

Furball was displaying his prowess in his nearly flawless coordination with Xia Fei; one took lives while the other absorbed them.

Honestly speaking, Xia Fei's tactic here was nothing complex. It was all about speed!

Speed remained king in the face of all martial techniques; when Furball gained over 20,000 meters per second of speed, the Holy Beast's attack power not only increased by one fold but by several, too!

The small size that Xia Fei had originally been complaining about became Furball's advantage; his miniature size made it impossible for others to defend against him!

Consecutively taking down the eight centurions, the confidence of the Shepherdians were utterly shattered. They did not care about their chieftain's command as they got ready to flee, but this was when they realized that Peacock Blue was blocking all their paths of escape!

The leaves of Peacock Blue were nimble and deadly, and they were incomparably robust to boot!

Hoping to escape from Peacock Blue's grasp would be nothing short of a pipe dream, and these Shepherdians were soon subjected to despair. However, this despair did not last long, as Xia Fei and Furball used their speed to very quickly dispatch all twenty of these centurions!

Blood Crystal was dripping crimson red. This was when Xia Fei realized that he was many times more powerful than before. Not only did he promote his own strength, Peacock Blue and Furball were also nothing like what they had once been. The three, including the weapon, had all improved alongside Xia Fei's cultivation, and the resulting effect of this was astounding. The Shepherdian centurion, who had once given Xia Fei plenty of trouble, was now unable to mount even the slightest resistance against him, and they had all been reaped like wheat came harvest time!

The difference between Xia Fei and his opponents was as wide as chasm. Even the Great Law Emperor expert would have to take Xia Fei seriously. These centurions were hardly able to even handle him now.

This was not because the centurions were weak but because Xia Fei had become much stronger!

That heart, which was hanging in suspense, finally eased, as the old demon lord said with a smile, "Xia Fei, you've already got the capability to challenge a Great Law Emperor."

The Shepherdian chieftain standing across watched as his men got massacred and devoured. He did not make a single movement as he watched, and only his right had trembled slightly, seemingly due to the gleeful excitement that he was feeling inside.

"Do you know why he hasn't made his move yet?" Oro asked.

Xia Fei shook his head to express his puzzlement. "Watching his subordinates get killed without doing a thing about it, that's indeed not something a leader should be doing."

Oro's eyes turned cold. "He's waiting for you to show all your trump cards. This person is very devious!"