The beasts plainly had an unwritten rule: within the ruins, no one might raise a hand. But once outside the ruins, the herd too would likely turn unspeakably vicious. On the other side, Senior Brother Chu threw a glance at Senior Sister Liu, and the two of them likewise mingled with the herd, drawing steadily closer to Shen Mu.

The herd continued its orderly march outward.

Suddenly a streak of sword light came silently, arriving behind Shen Mu. Shen Mu twisted aside, and the precious sword nearly stabbed into one of the strange beasts. The beast gave an irritable roar.

"Junior Sister, do not wield your sword by thought!

If you wound a beast and the herd goes berserk, we will all die here! " Senior Brother Chu's voice came.

Junior Sister Qing hastily recalled her sword, vaulted onto the back of one strange beast, then onto another, swiftly closing on Shen Mu.

Shen Mu watched with envy: to gather qi into threads and wield a sword to kill a foe scores of yards away—such skill, though not so fearsome as the Butcher's divine power, was remarkable enough.

Senior Sister Liu's steps were light; her skirt swirled like a pink lotus, and beneath the lotus her toes kicked at Shen Mu like sharp blades! Her legwork was keen and deadly; every kick she threw was like a great hammer set with sharp spikes, setting the air humming. Such legwork could easily shatter a boulder to powder and pierce through walls of bronze and iron! But Shen Mu's eyes lit up, and he met Senior Sister Liu's whirlwind legwork head-on!

The Lame Old Man had once told him that the Heaven-Stealing Leg Technique he had taught him had never feared any legwork of any other person!