"When did I ever agree to go with you?" After a pause, Edward White added, "I'm heading to the altar. If you follow me, you'll only get in the way. I'm coming from the east—most of the Skullsplitters over there have already been killed. Be careful, hide for a while, and once I rush the altar and shatter the Immortality Crystal, just head straight back to Daolun City."

"You make it sound like you're definitely going to shatter the Immortality Crystal. Don't end up getting your head chopped off by a Skullsplitter instead." Hearing Edward White say this, Sophie Lee felt a bit pleased inside, but she still retorted sharply.

"Wouldn't that be perfect revenge for you? You should be thanking the Skullsplitters." With that, Edward White slipped into the jungle, stealthily heading toward the altar.

"You still haven't told me your name!" Sophie Lee called out anxiously from behind, but after waiting a long time, there was no reply.

"Don't let me run into you again. If I see you next time, I'll make you pay." Sophie Lee vowed to herself.

Suddenly, from the direction Edward White had left, the roars of Skullsplitters rang out. Judging by the sound, there were quite a few of them. For some reason, Sophie Lee's heart tightened, and without thinking, she ran toward the noise.

She hadn't gone far before she saw more than a dozen Skullsplitters surrounding Edward White, their massive axes whistling through the air as they struck down relentlessly.

Sophie Lee was about to rush over, but when she saw the situation clearly, she froze in place.

Edward White moved gracefully, and with each step, the Lingluo Sword pierced a Skullsplitter at an incredible, uncanny angle. The creature's body would suddenly twist, and before it could react, a second thrust would pierce its heart, turning it into light and vanishing.

Edward White weaved through the dozen or so Skullsplitters like a butterfly among flowers, never looking back as he continued toward the altar. All the Skullsplitters dissolved into points of light—none survived.

"He really mastered 'Blade Step' in just one hour!" Sophie Lee's expression was complicated, her feelings a mix she couldn't quite name.

After this small test, both Blade Step and the Lingluo Sword's effects left Edward White very satisfied. With Blade Step, he had a sliver of hope even against a horde of Skullsplitters, and the Lingluo Sword's lightness and sharpness made it even better for prolonged battles and quickly dispatching Skullsplitters.

"I will definitely make it out of here alive." The closer he got to the Undying Altar, the more cautious Edward White became. Along the way, he saw no corpses of humans or other creatures slain by Skullsplitters, but the nauseating stench of blood in the air reminded him of life's fragility.

"Stop." As Edward White reached a stream, several people suddenly jumped out from the side and surrounded him.

"Who are you?" Edward White hadn't expected to encounter any living people here—this place was at most seven or eight li from the Undying Altar.

"Cut the crap. If you want to live, come with us." One of them waved impatiently.

Edward White was curious about their intentions, so he didn't resist and followed them upstream. Before long, they reached a mountain ravine, where, to his surprise, nearly a hundred people were hiding.

"We're back with water, and we found another survivor by the stream." The group handed out water bags, and one of them pointed at Edward White.

"Take off your mask." A man with a baron's mark on his forehead addressed Edward White.

"My face was burned in a fire when I was a child. It's terrifying, and ever since I put on this mask, I've never taken it off." Edward White replied calmly.

"Insolent!" The baron was annoyed, lunged forward, and threw a punch at Edward White's face.

Edward White deftly sidestepped, watching as the baron's fist brushed past his cheek. In a flash, he tapped the baron's throat with a finger, making him clutch his neck in pain and cough as he staggered back.

"Try that again, and next time it won't be a finger at your throat." Edward White said coldly.

The baron's expression changed. He wanted to get angry but was also a bit afraid, so he just glared fiercely at Edward White without saying anything.

"Enough. We're gathered here to discuss how to rush the altar and shatter the Immortality Crystal so we can all survive. Let's not fight among ourselves. I am Charles Duke, titled the Iron Sword Baron. May I ask your name?" Another baron stepped between them and addressed Edward White.

Edward White recognized this man as one of those who had been with Sophie Lee earlier.

Chapter 7: The Masked Baron

"Masked Baron." Edward White dared not reveal that he was an ordinary person without a title. Even if his combat ability was no less than any baron's, the barons could use their three privileges to threaten Edward White, forcing him to submit.

Everyone with a title had three major privileges: Immunity, Judgment, and Sanction. These privileges could only be used on those with a lower title, and only once every twelve hours. Even so, no one dared to ignore them.

Immunity: Exempts oneself from all harm caused by those of lower rank.

Judgment: Immobilizes those of lower rank, preventing them from moving or using any martial skills or longevity arts.