Chapter 1817: Lost and Found The Female Assassin Who Turned Back

"What are you waiting for? Hurry up and follow!" Xu Yang's voice quickly echoed in the minds of the female assassin and Long Kun. All three were startled, their eyes wide, recovering a moment of clarity from their initial disbelief. Then, they quickly followed Xu Yang's retreating figure, rushing forward into the path that had split the crowd in two.

Behind them were the hundreds of unfortunate female captives, also rescued by Xu Yang, along with their children who were supposed to have been sacrificed.

Xu Yang's appearance seemed to change everything. The destiny of every individual was altered by the radiance he emitted.

Closest behind Xu Yang was the female assassin from the Heavenly Sect. She was also the one most capable of sensing Xu Yang's unique aura. It was a light she had never felt before. In the deepest recesses of her memory, perhaps only when facing the sacred light of the Heavenly Sect had she ever experienced a similar emotion.

Now, whenever she followed in Xu Yang's footsteps, that comfortable sensation of her soul being bathed in countless golden rays reappeared. The female assassin even felt that Xu Yang was like a supreme deity, guiding every figure behind him toward the path of light.

Of course, the female assassin was not the only lost soul. Every figure behind them, whose spirits were once timid, also seemed to grow immensely strong and fearless under Xu Yang's protective light. They now had an irreplaceable and vital mission: to protect the children in their arms. Even if there was no longer an inch of sanctuary for them in the entire world, Xu Yang was still willing to use his light to illuminate a path to the future for these people.

Golden light emanated with every step Xu Yang took forward. Those redeemed and following behind him felt Xu Yang's magnificent aura and his powerful will, which refused to yield to darkness. Perhaps this was the true strength Xu Yang imparted to his followers: only by making their hearts incredibly strong could he truly lead them out of the abyss of darkness.

The path seemed incredibly long, but with Xu Yang leading the way, everyone's fear vanished. The hundreds of thousands of previously frenzied residents of Sacred Soul City, awed by Xu Yang's presence, dared not make a move. Now, they resembled more those who had surrendered to and were bathed in light, as if redeemed.

After an unknown period, Xu Yang finally led the hundreds of female captives with their children and his three teammates to the towering North Gate of Sacred Soul City, where various powerful martial artist guards had gathered. What truly made Long Kun and the female assassin wary were the constantly appearing cloaked figures.

"More than half of these people are temporary reinforcements summoned from surrounding castles. They all share a name: Sacrifice Spirits." These two brief sentences transferred from the female assassin's mind into Xu Yang's spiritual world, nearby.

This was the first time the female assassin had provided Xu Yang with special intelligence about the entire Ancient Martial Divine Path that he hadn't known. Perhaps from this moment on, the female assassin was no longer merely the Heavenly Sect's killing machine. She had become the first lost soul within the Ancient Martial Divine Path whom Xu Yang had guided back to the right path. This was precisely what Xu Yang had hoped to see in her.

Xu Yang showed a satisfied smile. Although he didn't turn to look at the female assassin's true expression at that moment, he could feel that her soul had made the correct choice under his guidance and was no longer an executioner willing to be complicit in the Heavenly Sect's schemes.

"For me, the motive behind you conveying this message is far more valuable than the message itself." This statement sounded more like teasing, yet it was a perfect description of Xu Yang's true feelings at that moment. Upon hearing his response, the female assassin seemed to feel even more certain that her actions were correct. For only by aligning herself with Xu Yang could the female assassin genuinely experience an unprecedented sense of happiness from within.

Once, as the most powerful killing machine of the Heavenly Sect in her generation, the female assassin had struggled to find the true meaning of her existence, merely treating the Heavenly Sect's orders as the entirety of her life. However, since meeting Xu Yang and experiencing the unique events he brought into her life, the female assassin finally realized that killing was not the sole theme of her existence.

So, what was the meaning of life? The female assassin knew she couldn't see the answer yet, but she understood that as long as she followed Xu Yang, that answer would eventually reveal itself to her.

"I know you are powerful, but please don't underestimate these Sacrifice Spirits. The cultivation methods they possess are very unique, far from as simple as you might imagine."

Xu Yang chuckled. With a gentle wave of his palm, the familiar ice-blue light reappeared. This time, however, it was different. Xu Yang's other main divine artifact, 'Remnant Emotion,' also transformed into two distinct sword-like energies, settling around the female assassin's body. One red and one blue sword edge quickly bound themselves to the female assassin's essence. Xu Yang did this to significantly enhance her combat capability at that moment. The female assassin, who already possessed a powerful cultivation realm at the Mid-Dao Harmonization level, instantly became the most formidable battlefield threat besides Xu Yang. This was due to the overall combat power she exuded and the intense aura of destructive desire that burst forth after receiving the protection of Xu Yang's dual 'Remnant Emotion' blades.

"I understand the true meaning of your recent warning to me. Although these individuals' combat abilities are frankly unimpressive on their own, they possess an extremely unique combat principle that allows them to merge each person's strength, similar to how I was sealed by that peculiar dark green light around the stele earlier. While that power couldn't harm me at all, it could greatly restrict my attack rhythm. If my space for action is significantly limited, then those other defenseless individuals will become the most vulnerable targets. If these deranged individuals suddenly attack the defenseless female captives, then everything we've done will be meaningless."