Chapter 45: Last time you protected me, this time I protect you

This was precisely Yun Yi. By this moment, he had already finished copying the cultivation technique, yet he chose not to abandon the ground-rat demon and flee for his life alone; instead, he chose to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the demon in battle.

Of course, Yun Yi had considered this carefully, rather than making such a near-suicidal decision on a sudden impulse.

This resolve stemmed from the ground-rat demon's prior selfless assistance, which made Yun Yi deeply understand the weight of gratitude and unwillingness to become an ungrateful wretch.

At the same time, he was soberly aware that once the ground-rat demon fell, even with his innate flying ability, he would find it hard to escape the human cultivator's sword-riding pursuit. After all, that cultivator's realm far surpassed his own, and his speed was sufficient to rival any naturally flying beast.

Just as Yun Yi landed beside the ground-rat demon, the creature seemed to sense the change beside it. It turned its head with difficulty, and upon meeting Yun Yi's resolute gaze, a flicker of astonishment and gratitude crossed its eyes.

Although they could not communicate through voice, the determination to fight side-by-side was conveyed vividly through the fluctuations of their eyes.

Immediately after, the two of them—one mosquito and one rat, differing in form yet firm in will—gazed forward together. There, a human cultivator was slowly approaching, riding his sword and killing with an aggressive aura.

The human cultivator, who was hurtling toward Yun Yi and the ground-rat demon, had eyes as sharp as a hawk's and naturally noticed this unusual scene before him.

His gaze shifted back and forth between Yun Yi's rabbit-sized mosquito form and the battle-scarred ground-rat demon, a look of disbelief gradually surfacing on his face: "Truly a rare sight in this world—a mosquito and a ground-rat, actually crossing the boundaries of their species to join hands. But do you really think the two of you can block my path? That is nothing short of delusional."

His tone was filled with disdain. Clearly, even though Yun Yi's form had undergone a drastic transformation due to a special technique, making him as robust as a rabbit, in the cultivator's eyes, he was still nothing more than an insignificant mosquito.

As for the ground-rat demon, it was thoroughly ignored by him, especially since the creature was now covered in wounds and breathing its last.

The human cultivator calculated inwardly, believing that subduing Yun Yi and the ground-rat demon was a matter of absolute certainty.

Yet, just as victory seemed within his grasp, he suddenly noticed that Yun Yi's rabbit-like mosquito form had retrieved a medicinal pill exuding a faint herbal fragrance from some mysterious spatial pouch or storage ring, and without hesitation, handed it to the ground-rat demon.

The ground-rat demon opened its mouth without hesitation and swallowed the pill offered by Yun Yi in one gulp. In its eyes, which had been somewhat dim from exhaustion and pain, a ray of hope instantly burst forth.

The medicinal pill entered its stomach, and a warm, potent medicinal energy rapidly spread through its body. Those horrifying wounds began to heal at a speed visible to the naked eye, and its exhausted body was revitalized.

"A medicinal pill? You are merely a mosquito, so why do you possess precious pills that only human cultivators can refine?" The human cultivator's voice was filled with shock and suspicion. He widened his eyes and stared fixedly at Yun Yi, as if trying to discern some clue from this rabbit-sized mosquito beast.

This unexpected turn of events indeed shook his previous absolute certainty slightly. Even so, his odds of victory remained as high as ninety-nine percent, for in his view, there was still a considerable gap between the strength of Yun Yi and the ground-rat demon compared to his own.

However, the human cultivator was no ordinary person; he quickly snapped out of his shock, and his gaze grew increasingly sharp.

He knew very well that once the ground-rat demon recovered from its injuries and the two beasts joined forces, the situation would become much more complicated.

Therefore, he had to take action before the medicinal efficacy took full effect and the ground-rat demon completely healed.

Having formed a thorough plan in his mind, the human cultivator flashed downward, landing steadily from mid-air. The flying sword that had been hovering beneath his feet seemed to sense its master's will, zooming forward with a whoosh to hover before him. Its tip trembled slightly, radiating a biting chill.

The moment he landed, his feet rooted to the ground as if merging with the earth. The spiritual energy within his body began to surge covertly, and his hands moved in a rapid blur, forming complex and profound hand seals. His internal spiritual energy surged like a breached river, and a powerful, dangerous aura spread rapidly in all directions with him at the center.

"Go!"

Accompanied by a low shout, he drove the flying sword before him with all his might. The flying sword shot forth like an arrow leaving a bow, carrying the sound of whistling wind and the momentum of a thunderbolt as it attacked the ground-rat demon, which was still immersed in healing.

The human cultivator's intention was obvious: he wanted to take advantage of the ground-rat demon's distracted mind and defenseless state to kill it in one blow, thereby reducing the pressure of dealing with Yun Yi afterward.

However, right at this moment of life and death, the ground-rat demon's eyes snapped open. Two flashes of brilliant light cut through them as it prepared to block this sudden, fatal strike.

At that very instant, four blood-red sword projections materialized out of thin air, blocking its path like phantoms. It was Yun Yi, who had acted just in time, condensing four bloody swords with his demonic power and vital blood.

"If you want to harm it, you must get past me first." Though Yun Yi did not utter a sound, that steadfast will was clearly conveyed to the ground-rat demon through his eyes.

Yun Yi understood that buying time for the ground-rat demon to complete its healing was their primary task at the moment.

Only once the ground-rat demon's injuries had partially recovered could the two of them join forces to deal with the human cultivator with a greater assurance of victory.

Following that, Yun Yi withdrew his gaze from the ground-rat demon. With agile movements, he manipulated the four blood swords to engage in a fierce clash with the human cultivator's flying sword, forcefully driving that flying sword back into the human cultivator's hand.

This scene caused the human cultivator's expression to shift slightly, a flash of displeasure and astonishment crossing his eyes.

"Very well, little mosquito, I would like to see how much stronger you are than that stinking rat." The human cultivator snorted coldly, his tone dripping with disdain and provocation, before charging at Yun Yi once more with his flying sword in hand.

Yun Yi merely glanced indifferently at the ground-rat demon, which was still healing, and then concentrated entirely on manipulating the four blood swords to meet the human cultivator's fierce assault.

Surrounding Yun Yi were four blood-red longswords that seemed to be extensions of his will. They danced to his bidding, continuously colliding with the chilling flying sword of the human cultivator in mid-air, producing a succession of crisp metallic clangs.

However, as time passed, Yun Yi gradually realized that even with four swords against one, he was faintly falling into a disadvantageous position.

A thought flashed through his mind, and he realized instantly that his opponent's cultivation realm was clearly superior to his own, making a head-on collision a thoroughly unwise choice.

With this realization, countless countermeasures flashed through Yun Yi's mind, and finally, a bold plan took shape within him.

Since a head-on clash wouldn't work, he would use the flexibility of the four swords to launch attacks from multiple angles, rendering the opponent unable to guard against them all.