Xu Ming watched as the blood-formed crimson dragon in front of him closed the distance.
To be honest, Xu Ming didn't think he could stop it.
Under the impact of this crimson dragon, he would almost certainly face death.
But Xu Ming knew he could not retreat.
Because behind him stood Qingwan.
He only "might not" be able to withstand this crimson dragon, but Qin Qingwan definitely couldn't.
If he faced the crimson dragon head-on, he might survive with a slim chance. But if he took one step back, Qin Qingwan would surely die.
Xu Ming threw a punch, his strongest strike at his current level and state.
The warrior's true energy clashed with the blood energy surrounding the crimson dragon like two storms colliding.
Xu Ming managed to hold off the crimson dragon for barely a second.
But only for a second.
Xu Ming was swallowed by the crimson dragon.
He felt every inch of his skin being destroyed, as though magma was engulfing his entire body. Even the body-tempering training he'd undergone had never been this painful.
It wasn't just his body—his soul felt like it was being assaulted by two booming voices shouting "hum" and "ha" in his ears, shaking it to the verge of disintegration.
Xu Ming's vision began to blur, as if his life was flashing before his eyes.
Just as he was on the brink of death, about to be torn apart completely, something happened.
A pendant, shaped like a water droplet, suddenly broke through the blood-red dragon aura.
Xu Ming instinctively reached out to catch it.
But the water droplet pendant sank directly into the palm of his hand, disappearing without a trace.
Xu Ming even wondered if he was hallucinating.
Yet, the sensations in his body told him it was real.
When the water droplet pendant merged into his body, Xu Ming's gaze turned vacant. He appeared to be looking at the crimson dragon in front of him, but his eyes seemed to see beyond it.
The overwhelming pressure from the crimson dragon transformed into an inexplicable sense of familiarity.
The hostility and rejection vanished entirely, replaced by something akin to meeting an old friend.
The blood energy, which had felt like magma, now flowed like a gentle spring breeze.
Xu Ming's soul felt as if it were being nourished by the waters of the celestial Jade Pool.
His injuries and condition began to heal rapidly.
As if guided by instinct, Xu Ming reached out his hand toward the crimson dragon.
In the eyes of everyone present, the blood energy surrounding Xu Ming started converging into a blood-red orb.
Eventually, all the blood energy condensed into the orb.
Like a toad spitting out its treasure, the orb floated in front of Xu Ming, resembling a blood-red moon in the sky.
Then, the crimson orb descended into Xu Ming's palm on its own accord.
The formation atop the mountain began to dim, and the chains binding Qin Qingwan vanished.
As Xu Ming accepted this inexplicable crimson orb, hundreds of human and demon cultivators flew in, surrounding him.
Xu Ming looked at them calmly.
In their eyes, Xu Ming saw greed.
These people were not here with good intentions.
"May I ask what brings you all here?" Xu Ming said, his voice calm and unafraid despite being encircled by so many cultivators.
After all, Xu Ming had joined the Blood Asura Battalion at the age of eight and experienced life-and-death trials before turning ten.
For someone with a history like Xu Ming's, such a scene was nothing out of the ordinary.
Faced with Xu Ming's composure and unwavering calmness in the midst of danger, many of the cultivators found themselves momentarily at a loss for words.
Especially with the righteous aura emanating from him, it made them feel like petty schemers in comparison.
"What is Brother Xu doing here, if I may ask?" Xia Donghua stepped forward, his gaze briefly sweeping over Qin Qingwan and the others lying on the ground.
"What I'm doing here has nothing to do with any of you, does it?" Xu Ming replied. "And more importantly, you still haven't answered my question. Why have you surrounded me in such an aggressive manner?"
With a snap, She Yu opened his folding fan and began fanning himself leisurely. "Earlier tonight, I went to the Toad Temple and discovered a rare treasure—the orb in Brother Xu's hand. I'd appreciate it if you could hand it over to me."
Xu Ming weighed the orb in his hand and smiled. "Why should I give it to you? Does this thing belong to you?"
Xia Donghua quickly interjected, "Xu Ming, we risked our lives to acquire that treasure. You didn't contribute anything. It has nothing to do with you, so isn't it wrong for you to just take it for yourself?"
Xu Ming looked at Xia Donghua as if he were a fool. "I almost died because of this orb just now. And now that it's in my hands, you're telling me it has nothing to do with me?"
Xia Donghua's tone immediately soured, even carrying a hint of threat. "Young Master Xu, holding onto that item might not bring you any good fortune."
"Well, I'd like to see what misfortune it could possibly bring," Xu Ming replied, his lips curling into a faint smile, his expression as calm as ever.
Xu Ming didn't know what this blood-red orb was, but judging by how everyone was fighting over it, it certainly wasn't something ordinary.
"Why waste time talking to him?" A one-eyed cultivator stepped forward. "This man is definitely suspicious!"
"Exactly!" Another cultivator joined in. "The orb suddenly flew toward him and ended up in his hands—he must have used some kind of trick!"
"This man definitely knows some secret about Baiwa City!"
"Look at the formation on the mountaintop! Its aura is strikingly similar to the blood energy of the orb!"
"Perhaps this man is the mastermind behind everything!"
"The missing cultivators—he might be the one who killed them!"
"Kill him!"
More and more people began pointing fingers at Xu Ming, their voices filled with accusation and hostility.
In truth, Xia Donghua also knew Xu Ming would never hand over the orb. The others understood as well that the formation alone wasn't enough to prove Xu Ming was the mastermind behind the events in Baiwa City, let alone that he was responsible for the missing cultivators.
At most, Xu Ming had stumbled upon some clues about Baiwa City, constructed the formation, and accidentally caused it to resonate with the orb.
After all, everyone had witnessed Xu Ming's fearless expression when facing the blood-red dragon.
And who could have predicted that the toad would spit out a treasure? If Xu Ming had planned all of this, he wouldn't have exposed himself like this, inviting everyone's wrath.
Still, certain words had to be spoken, even if they were meaningless.
First, to see if Xu Ming would back down; second, to justify their intent to seize the treasure.
Xia Donghua frowned. "Brother Xu, shouldn't you provide a proper explanation?"
"You're all here to steal the treasure, aren't you? Everyone knows it, so why bother dressing it up with pretenses?"
Xu Ming chuckled, standing tall and unwavering.
"If you want it, come and take it."