At the very moment when those silver needles were about to touch Zhi Yao, they abruptly stopped mid-air, accompanied by a series of "ding-ling" sounds as the needles fell one after another to the ground.
This scene completely stunned the woman in the black robe. This dagger was something she had taken from her Ji Family's ancestral grave when she was kicked out of the family. It was the Ji Family's heirloom, and when she was abroad, she had used this dagger to slaughter countless minor demons. It was incredibly effective.
Those silver needles were coated with countless kinds of deadly poisons. Just a tiny scratch would mean certain death!
In her fifty-plus years of life, she had never seen such a monstrous creature as this giant white wolf before!
No matter how large or old a demon was, it would eventually fall under the power of her divine weapon. So why... why did it not work on this little demon?
As if refusing to accept defeat, she fiercely swung the golden dagger again and triggered a mechanism on the hilt.
The blade unleashed a fierce wave of energy, interspersed with countless small needles, headed straight for Zhi Yao.
But... that strange phenomenon occurred once more!
Just like before, the moment those needles were about to reach Zhi Yao, they lost all momentum and fell limply to the ground.
What was... going on?!
Evidently, Zhi Yao had noticed this occurrence as well.
That thing could harm her father, but it could not harm her!
Upon this realization, the woman in the black robe abruptly changed her target.
Zhi Yao was so tiny that in Ling Jue's presence, she was practically insignificant. She redirected her attacks towards Ling Jue instead.
In her eyes, Zhi Yao was merely a minor nuisance. As long as she killed that snow wolf, skinned its pelt, and gouged out its crystalline gem-like eyes to bring back to the Ji Family, those old fogeys would surely look upon her with new respect! She refused to believe that they would still expel her from the family then!
The obsession in her heart grew like rampant vines, nourished by her malicious thoughts.
She swung the golden dagger like a madwoman, launching one relentless attack after another at Ling Jue, barely leaving him any room to breathe.
Zhi Yao seemed to have a telepathic sense, as she would run towards wherever the woman in the black robe was attacking. Bizarrely, the needles seemed to have eyes of their own, instantly losing momentum the moment they sensed they were about to touch Zhi Yao, clattering lifelessly to the ground.
This was no longer a battle between the woman in the black robe and Ling Jue, but a battle between her and Zhi Yao, a contest of speed and ferocity!
The little girl ran breathlessly, as if expending every last ounce of her life's energy.
Yet, amid the tension, Zhi Yao did not feel tired at all. Her sole belief now was - she must not let her father be hurt again!
Watching the tiny Zhi Yao repeatedly running back and forth before him, Ling Jue found his eyes growing moist without realizing it.
"Yao Yao..." His hoarse voice seemed to carry a sob. "Father is so touched..."
At that moment, Ling Jue felt as if those searing wounds had disappeared, no longer feeling any pain at all. This was his daughter, his good Yao Yao, working so hard to protect him. He was simply... simply...
But evidently, the current Zhi Yao had no time to pay attention to the emotional crybaby wolf.
Her actions had thoroughly enraged the woman in the black robe.
"Vile vixen! Get out of my way!"
She finally abandoned her attacks on Ling Jue and the silver needles on Zhi Yao, instead swinging her large dagger directly at Zhi Yao.
Alarmed, Zhi Yao immediately turned and fled.
Unarmed, she had no choice but to evade.
Moreover, the little girl had always been useless, and even now she was inept at escaping.
Ling Jue, seeing this, was frantic and rushed over to protect his daughter. But as soon as he approached, the woman in the black robe seemed to have eyes on the back of her head, instantly switching her attacks back to Ling Jue.
Zhi Yao had no choice but to scramble towards Ling Jue's direction to protect him.
It was complete chaos, with them only able to passively endure the woman in the black robe's attacks.
Meanwhile, Shen Xiong and his bodyguards had been utterly stunned by the scene before them, which was overturning all their prior understanding.
Demons... so demons truly existed in this world.
And ancient demons over a thousand years old, no less.
He stared fixatedly at Ling Jue, his mind subconsciously recalling that rumor - that drinking even a single drop of blood from such a demon could prolong one's life and enhance one's physical abilities.
Unconsciously, he picked up the dagger from the ground. Watching the busy Zhi Yao and Ling Jue, he prepared to seize this opportunity to stab Ling Jue!
Even just a drop of blood would do...
The father and daughter were completely oblivious to the lurking Shen Xiong behind them.
But the woman in the black robe noticed.
She narrowed her eyes, her movements growing even swifter, not giving Zhi Yao and Ling Jue a single moment of distraction.
As Shen Xiong drew nearer and nearer to Ling Jue, and at the very instant he raised the dagger with all his might, about to plunge it into Ling Jue's back...
"Bang!" A bullet suddenly pierced through Shen Xiong's heart from behind.
He remained frozen in that raised dagger stance, eyes wide with disbelief, mouth agape but unable to utter a single sound.
He died with eyes unshut.
Just a little more...
His dying posture was nearly identical to that of his daughter Shen Yilian's death.
The bodyguards were instantly alarmed, pulling out their guns and warily scanning their surroundings.
This sudden turn of events also caused the entangled Ling Jue, Zhi Yao, and the woman in the black robe to halt their movements.
What happened?!
The three simultaneously turned towards the direction from which the bullet had been fired.
In what had previously been an empty space, a man now stood.
That man wore a bloodstained white shirt, his body seemingly injured, and his once fair, handsome face was now covered in dense, intricate scars, appearing utterly ghastly.
The most captivating aspect, however, was his eyes.
Those eyes were as deep as ink, with a maelstrom raging in their depths.
The surrounding wind howled, whipping his robes.
He strode toward Zhi Yao, step by deliberate step.
"Bang."
"Bang."
"Bang."
With each step, a bullet flew from his cocked gun, piercing the foreheads of the bodyguards.
His strides were swift, his movements lightning-fast, leaving afterimages as he changed positions. Before those men could even react to how Pei Chiyao, whom they had lured out, had appeared there, they were already dead.
The woman in the black robe trembled uncontrollably, disbelieving. Why... why... why was this man still alive?!
