When Qi Jue Demon Immortal saw the Gu Immortal before her, a headband wrapped around his brow, dressed in a green robe, his posture upright and his features handsome, a thought stirred in her mind: "Could it be that the qi path Immortal Gu I divined is bound to this very person?"
The moment that thought arose, Qi Jue Demon Immortal struck without hesitation.
With a deafening boom, a colossal white qi hand surged outward, reaching to seize Crimson Heart Wanderer.
Almost simultaneously with Qi Jue Demon Immortal spotting Crimson Heart Wanderer, he too had caught sight of her.
Qi Jue Demon Immortal did not recognize Crimson Heart Wanderer, but he, in turn, had long possessed the finest intelligence from Heavenly Court on her.
Seeing the giant white qi hand hurtling toward him, Crimson Heart Wanderer's heart lurched, and he hastily dodged and retreated.
Crimson Heart Wanderer was a Heavenly Court Gu Immortal, the former champion of the Demon Slaying Ranking, and a fighter of formidable strength. During the great war of Fate, he had traveled to the Western Desert disguised as a Blood Path demon Immortal, drawing the attention of numerous righteous superpowers in the region and pinning down a massive contingent of hostile forces for the sake of the Central Continent.
Surveying the entire Western Desert Gu Immortal community, Crimson Heart Wanderer was confident he could hold his own against nearly any opponent there. But his current adversary was Qi Jue Demon Immortal — one of the most powerful Gu Immortals in the world today.
Crimson Heart Wanderer knew with absolute clarity that he was no match for Qi Jue Demon Immortal. The gap between them was immense. He would unquestionably be the loser of this fight.
And so his retreat was swift and decisive.
In the next instant, a crimson halo of light bloomed behind Qi Jue Demon Immortal's head, and his speed surged dramatically, allowing him to slip past her qi hand with ease.
Qi Jue Demon Immortal let out a soft hum of surprise, muttering inwardly, "Blood Path again? It seems the Blood Path is all the rage these days."
She had no intention of letting Crimson Heart Wanderer escape so easily and gave chase.
The two immortals — one fleeing, one pursuing — crossed ten thousand li in the blink of an eye.
Qi Jue Demon Immortal was astonished to discover that her primary movement method could not close the distance on Crimson Heart Wanderer, though neither did he manage to pull ahead.
"I've already refined and improved my traversal techniques, yet I still can't catch this man. Who exactly is he? An Eighth Transformation Blood Path Gu Immortal..."
She searched her memories and gradually the pieces came together.
She had previously soul-searched Qing Hui Zi and obtained a great deal of intelligence. Crimson Heart Wanderer's true identity had never been exposed, but given the trouble he caused in the Western Desert — combined with the highly sensitive nature of being an Eighth Transformation Blood Path practitioner — information about him had long since spread throughout the Treasure Yellow Heaven, reaching the ears of Gu Immortals across the world.
After pursuing for a while longer, Qi Jue Demon Immortal suddenly let out a low cry: "Where do you think you're running?"
Her preparation complete, she unleashed a lethal technique.
Crimson Heart Wanderer felt the surrounding qi currents surge and roil, severely disrupting his speed.
With an inward sigh, he had no choice but to turn and engage Qi Jue Demon Immortal in combat.
Her attacks were majestic and overwhelming. Pure white qi churned and frothed like tidal waves and mountain floods, unstoppable in their might.
The moment they actually clashed, Crimson Heart Wanderer predictably fell to the back foot. Yet his own methods were far from weak — crimson light spread in all directions, blood blossoms bloomed in the air, devoid of any sinister aura, instead carrying a warm, righteous glow as he held his ground.
Crimson Heart Wanderer fought desperately. After several exchanges, sweat drenched his entire body, and he lamented inwardly: "Qi Jue Demon Immortal truly lives up to her reputation as a legendary old monster! Her strength is simply too overwhelming!"
He felt like a tiny skiff tossed about in a maelstrom of attacks, forced to throw everything into dodging and stalling for time.
Several more rounds passed, and Crimson Heart Wanderer's situation had become perilous, danger closing in from every direction.
Then, suddenly, a bestial roar rang out. A primordial desolate beast erupted from beneath the desert sands, lunging to ambush Qi Jue Demon Immortal from behind.
Caught off guard, Qi Jue Demon Immortal remained composed in the face of danger. She extended her palm and slapped downward — a qi hand as massive as a mountain descended to crush the beast.
But just before the hand struck, the primordial desolate beast erupted in a blaze of radiant light, transforming into an ancient flying swallow. Like a black arrow, it shot straight at Qi Jue Demon Immortal.
"So it's a Transformation Path Gu Immortal! Ha ha — now this is interesting." Qi Jue Demon Immortal was briefly taken aback, but she could not help but offer a word of praise even as she retracted her hand to parry the attack.
The one who had come to their aid was none other than Nine Spirits Fairy.
She had traveled to the Western Desert alongside Crimson Heart Wanderer, each serving as the other's support.
With her reinforcement, Crimson Heart Wanderer's situation improved dramatically at once, pulling him back from the brink of death.
"We can't drag this out! This old demon is far too powerful — we are no match for him. The only reason we've managed to hold out so far is that he hasn't yet grown familiar with our techniques," Crimson Heart Wanderer sent urgently via soul transmission.
After exchanging blows with Qi Jue Demon Immortal, he had felt the full terror of a peak-stage powerhouse of this era. The only reason she hadn't already finished them off was that she had been recently reborn and had not yet fully adapted. Given enough time, it was only a matter of time before Heavenly Court's two immortals fell to her hands.
"I have a plan — follow me!" Nine Spirits Fairy transmitted back, fighting and retreating at the same time.
Qi Jue Demon Immortal pursued the two Heavenly Court immortals, chasing them across the shifting sands until they arrived at a stretch of desert.