The legend begins with becoming a white deer.

"Thump!"

The blood-stained blade slammed into the murky floodwaters, the icy cold water instantly filling his mouth and nose, choking him.

However, that was nothing compared to the shock in Blood Blade's heart.

He felt his right hand, which had been shattered, and his entire right arm, from his fingertips to his shoulder, was trembling. A needle-like pain spread from his bones, and his chest felt tight, as if he had been hit by a heavy hammer. There was also a metallic taste in his throat.

Blood Blade barely suppressed the urge to vomit blood.

"Damn it, what was that that attacked me just now? A white deer? But how could a deer have such terrifying strength, inflicting internal injuries on me with a single blow?!"

Blood Blade was incredulous. Even though he had to parry hastily, he was confident that even a tiger or a brown bear couldn't knock him away with a single blow, let alone injure him with the force of the follow-up attack.

Blood Blade couldn't understand where such a white deer came from.

Are they companions of Lin Qin's side?

Or was it simply bad luck, or was it just a strange beast that accidentally wandered in?

Before Blood Blade could figure it out, the water above suddenly exploded, and a snow-white figure, carrying immense force, plunged headfirst into the water.

"Damn it, this beast has its eye on me!"

Blood Blade's pupils contracted, and shock and anger instantly gripped his heart.

His broadsword had already flown out of his hand, and he was in the buoyant floodwaters, making it impossible for him to control his body freely. Facing this strange beast, the white deer, whose strength was clearly abnormal, he had no confidence at all in fighting it in the water.

At the critical moment, Xue Dao used all the remaining strength in his body to twist his body with difficulty and narrowly moved half a foot to the side.

"boom!"

The deer's hooves pounded heavily on the spot where he had just been standing.

Even with the buoyancy of the floodwaters acting as a buffer, the terrifying force still managed to crush the underwater muddy ground. Countless bubbles and turbid silt surged and spread instantly, turning the surrounding water several meters into a chaotic mess where you couldn't see your hand in front of your face.

Feeling the pressure of the water flow beside him, Blood Knife felt a chill run down his spine.

If that foot were to be stepped on, he would almost certainly die.

Although human martial artists can unleash tremendous power and speed through their internal energy, most of them are not particularly strong physically. Simply put, they are more like assassins than tanks.

"Must get out of the water"

Blood Blade acted decisively, kicking Qi Ji hard in the side. Using the force of the impact, he used both hands and feet to swim desperately into the distance.

The floodwaters weren't too deep, and Blood Blade darted out of the water in a few strokes, staggering as he landed on a broken wall that was protruding above the water.

"Tsk"

Qi Ji watched Xue Dao's disheveled retreating figure, feeling somewhat frustrated.

Just now, in the water, the buoyancy greatly slowed down his speed and power; otherwise, this human would have had no chance to dodge that kick.

With a push of his four hooves, he leaped out of the water and continued his pursuit of Blood Blade.

The [Agile Burst] skill was still active. This time, he consumed 3 Spirit Points, but in return, he gained speed and explosive power far exceeding his usual level. Moreover, the duration was quite long, and Qi Ji felt that this power could last for several more seconds.

"I don't believe you can escape."

Qi Ji's four hooves darted across the floating debris and broken walls, and with just two leaps, he caught up with Blood Blade once more.

Blood Blade caught a glimpse of the white figure following him out of the corner of his eye, and was terrified. Then he saw the blood-red broadsword stuck in the ground not far away.

If he can get his weapons back, he might still have a chance to survive.

Blood Blade didn't have time to think. He suddenly accelerated and reached out to grab the familiar hilt of the sword.

But just then, a piercing sound of air being torn apart came from behind him, and a chilling aura of death instantly enveloped him.

Blood Blade's hair stood on end. The instinct he had developed from countless brushes with death made him channel the last bit of his true energy into his legs, and he lunged to the side with all his might.

But this time, there was no buoyancy from the flood to slow Qi Ji's movements.

He was ultimately a step too late.

"Sizzle!"

The sharp, knife-like antlers swept across his left arm, accompanied by a tooth-grinding sound of muscle tearing. His entire left arm, from shoulder to wrist, was ripped open with a deep, bone-revealing gash.

"Well--!"

A sharp pain shot through him, and blood instantly covered his forehead in cold sweat.

He clenched his teeth so hard that his gums bled, but he managed not to let out a scream. He just cursed Qi Ji, that damned beast, in his heart.

Blood Blade knew he was doomed. He hadn't gotten his sword back, and his left arm was severely injured, drastically reducing his combat effectiveness. If he continued to linger, he would truly die here.

"We must escape. As long as we're alive, we can always fight another day. Let's get out of here first."

Despite the excruciating pain, Blood Blade gathered his strength, turned around, and prepared to continue his escape.

"Pfft!"

A long sword, gleaming with cold light, pierced his chest in an instant.

"!"

Blood Blade's body stiffened abruptly, and the true energy he had just gathered within his body instantly dissipated.

He looked at Lin Qin, who had ambushed him, his eyes filled with shock, anger, and resentment.

"You beast... despicable... if it weren't for... if it weren't for this damned deer interfering... I would never have been able to sneak up on you."

Blood dripped from the corner of Blood Blade's mouth, his voice hoarse and broken, filled with resentment and bitterness.

He never expected that someone he was supposed to kill would end up blocking his path to survival and delivering the most crucial blow.

Lin Qin was pale and panting heavily. Her voice was weak but unusually firm: "Luck is sometimes a part of strength. Perhaps even God can't stand you, a villain."

Blood Blade stared intently at Lin Qin, the resentment in his eyes almost tangible.

He opened his mouth, as if to say something, but could only let out a series of hoarse gasps. Finally, his eyes lost all light, and he slowly collapsed.

"Pfft"

Lin Qin forcefully pulled out his longsword, a strike that exhausted the last bit of true energy in his body, causing his legs to buckle and he to kneel on the ground.

Before he could catch his breath, Lin Qin's body suddenly stiffened as he felt a gaze fall upon him.

White deer hooves appeared before my eyes.

Lin Qin's heart tightened slightly. He looked up and saw Qi Ji standing less than three steps away from him.

A few bright red bloodstains stained the white fur, and drops of blood dripped from the sharp antlers of the deer.

Lin Qin subconsciously tried to grip his longsword and stand up, but his arm felt as heavy as if it were filled with lead. Not to mention that he was now exhausted of his true energy, even in his prime, he had little confidence in winning against this terrifying beast that had driven Blood Blade to the brink of defeat.

That's enough.

Lin Qin let go of the sword helplessly, letting it fall to the ground, and then looked at the white deer in front of her with resignation.

Qi Ji tilted his head, curiously examining the man in front of him.

Last time, the other party took Yuan Yao away in such a hurry that he didn't notice. Now, upon closer inspection, he realized that although this guy was a man with an Adam's apple, his appearance had a delicate and pretty quality that resembled that of a woman.

"Does the boy have feminine features?"

Qi Ji silently complained in his heart, thinking that if this were the era of internet celebrities in his previous life, with just this face, with a little packaging, he would definitely become a household name and a top star.

Qi Ji called out softly to Lin Qin as a greeting.

Since the Blood Blade was already dead, he didn't linger any longer.

Just as he was about to turn around, Qi Ji's keen senses suddenly detected something.

Turning his head to look at the battlefield on the other side of the distance, where Xue Dao and Lin Qin's subordinates were fighting, Qi Ji noticed that several unfamiliar auras had suddenly appeared there.

Qi Ji looked up and saw a group of Taoist priests dressed in blue robes and holding long swords, flying and leaping among the broken walls like ghosts. Wherever the sword light flashed, Blood Blade's subordinates fell down with screams.

"Qingyang Dao Sect!"

Lin Qin then saw the Taoist priests and exclaimed in surprise.

"Qingyang Dao Sect?"

Qi Ji twitched his ears, and the image of Yuan Yao immediately flashed through his mind.

Qi Ji remembered that the girl had told him this name before.

She said her mother often went to the Qingyang Taoist Temple on the mountain to pray for blessings, and that there were many very powerful Taoist priests on the mountain.

Looking at the Taoist priests with their graceful figures and swift swordplay, Qi Ji nodded.

"Hmm, it seems that girl was telling the truth."