Chapter 124: The Wolf Cavalry of the Great Liang

The earth was churned up into countless rolling waves of soil; mud splattered, and trees collapsed.

It was an aberration from the Path of the Yellow Springs.

Wu Tugu possessed none of the pain or perception expected of a living creature. Within those sickly green serpentine eyes lay only endless cruelty and slaughter. It pursued Qi Xiu and Zhu Mo with relentless fixation, disregarding everything else. Everywhere it passed, only a scene of devastating ruin remained.

"It’s no use. Once we pass that mountain ahead, let’s run in separate directions. We’ll leave our fates to heaven," panted Zhu Mo, already drenched in sweat. His True Qi was nearly exhausted. To keep struggling together would only result in both of them dying. By splitting up, at least one might survive.

However, Qi Xiu did not respond. Instead, he calmly examined a jade seal in his hand.

"Brother, what time do you think it is? Can you stop spacing out?"

Thinking Qi Xiu was ignoring him, Zhu Mo was about to repeat himself when he saw Qi Xiu flick his finger, launching the jade seal directly at the pursuing Wu Tugu!

*Swoosh—*

Carrying a sharp, piercing whistle, the jade seal shot straight toward the monstrous serpent.

"What are you—"

Confused, Zhu Mo started to ask, but he watched as the jade seal erupted with a dark purple bolt of lightning the moment it touched Wu Tugu.

*Crack!* A thunderous boom shook the very void around them!

"Hiss!"

Startled by the sudden eruption of thunder, the creature straightened its body, instantly abandoning its pursuit of Qi Xiu and Zhu Mo. It scrambled in a panic, diving headlong into the ground, leaving behind a bottomless hole in the blink of an eye.

"Phew... damn, finally survived."

With the crisis averted, Zhu Mo collapsed onto the ground, using his sleeve as a fan to wave frantically. "Hey, brother, how did you know that seal could scare off the Wu Tugu?"

"I just figured the Shenxiao Sect wouldn't design an assessment with no way out. These jade seals are scattered all over this testing ground. Given the sheer quantity, they shouldn't just be tokens for passing the trial. So, I thought I'd give it a try. It seems I was right. This Wu Tugu isn't meant to hunt down the examinees; it’s meant to force them to use their jade seals."

Looking down at the seal in his hand, Qi Xiu shook his head with a wry smile. It seemed the eighty percent mortality rate of the Shenxiao Sect's entrance exam was no exaggeration. Between the infighting of candidates and the random pursuit of unstoppable monsters like the Wu Tugu, the difficulty of passing the first trial was unimaginable. Anyone who dared to come without the strength of a peak Dao-Entry realm practitioner was truly courting death.

"Brother, what should I call you? You’re a good man, care to be friends?" Zhu Mo stood up, brushed the grass and dust from his backside, and cupped his hands toward Qi Xiu with a grin.

"Qi as in 'unity of heart,' Xiu as in 'cultivation.' Just call me Qi Xiu."

Qi Xiu felt quite favorably toward this chubby cultivator. The man was strong and knew how to set up formations, yet he didn't use his power to bully or plunder others. When the Wu Tugu attacked, his first instinct was to pull Qi Xiu along to escape; his character was not bad.

"Brother Qi, this Shenxiao Sect assessment is fraught with danger. How about we team up?" Zhu Mo proposed. "This year’s entrance exam is different from the past. I heard a squad of Wolf Riders from the Great Liang in the northwest has arrived. They are a fierce bunch—heavy armor, heavy cavalry, and experts in military formations. Running into them alone is even more dangerous than meeting a Wu Tugu. If we team up, we’ll have more room to maneuver if we encounter them. What do you say?"

Qi Xiu had originally intended to refuse. He was used to being on his own, and he had too many secrets that were inconvenient to display in front of others. However, Zhu Mo’s subsequent words made him change his mind. The difficulty of this Shenxiao Sect exam seemed greater than ever. He had stumbled into this exam by accident, unlike other candidates who had prepared in advance. Li Lingzi was merely a mortal; the information he had regarding the exam was superficial and never touched the core. A peak Dao-Entry cultivator like Zhu Mo was different. Furthermore, knowing lost techniques like the 'Stepping the Dipper' formation suggested a remarkable background. Teaming up might allow them to learn more about the nature of this assessment.

"Then, happy to be partners."

"Happy to be partners!"

After joining forces, the two continued to search the mountain forests for the 'Earth Seal.' Three days passed in the blink of an eye. Having scoured hundreds of miles of forest, there was still no sign of the Earth Seal. By now, not only Qi Xiu but even Zhu Mo began to doubt whether the Shenxiao Sect had placed the Earth Seal at all. Otherwise, how could there be no trace of it?

Late at night in the old forest, starlight flickered. Over a crackling, dancing campfire, a succulent, aromatic roast deer leg sizzled with oil, making one's mouth water.

"Old Qi, do you think the Shenxiao Sect is just playing with us? It’s been so long, and I haven't even seen a hair of an Earth Seal. At this rate, I don't think we'll find it by the New Year."

Holding a small silver knife, Zhu Mo worked with incredible speed. With a flurry of blade work, he handed a bowl of fragrant, crispy-skinned deer meat to Qi Xiu.

Looking at the meat in his hand, then at Zhu Mo, who was already gorging himself on a deer leg, Qi Xiu shook his head and chuckled. He picked up his chopsticks and took a small piece of meat. "The Shenxiao Sect is a major sect; they wouldn't play such a joke. I suspect the Earth Seal is kept in a very specific location, unlike the Heaven Seals that are scattered everywhere. We just haven't figured out the key yet, which is why we can't find it."

"I don't get why a sect that lives for battle is so obsessed with puzzles and strategy for their entrance exams." After devouring the deer leg in a few bites, Zhu Mo turned, grabbed another, and placed it over the fire.

Putting down his chopsticks and wiping his mouth, Qi Xiu looked at Zhu Mo, who was already focused on roasting the next leg. "You aren't planning on eating all night again, are you?"

"Nothing better to do, right?" Zhu Mo replied, picking up his seasonings and sauces to begin his culinary work.

Watching Zhu Mo—who had an inexplicable obsession with cooking—Qi Xiu rubbed his temples. His temporary partner had a massive appetite and superb culinary skills. For a normal Dao-Entry practitioner, apart from consuming ingredients rich in spiritual energy, they rarely ate. But Zhu Mo was different. He had a profound interest in gourmet food, carrying not only a vast array of cooking tools, seasonings, and sauces but even stockpiles of various vegetables. He was a powerhouse who could eat ten oxen a day and spend the entire night eating in silence.

Closing his eyes and listening to the sizzling sound of the roast, Qi Xiu calmed his mind, sorting through his insights into various techniques. Cultivation is like rowing a boat against the current; one must advance or be swept back. Even with the miraculous 'Star-Sucking Technique' to rapidly boost his cultivation, he never neglected his daily practice.

The night breeze picked up, and the branches swayed. At the campsite, Qi Xiu, who was meditating with his eyes closed, suddenly twitched his ears. Zhu Mo, who was slicing meat, also paused his movements. The two locked eyes.

"Someone’s coming."

"And they don't look like friends."

Around their location, there was not only the formation Zhu Mo had set up but also the talisman boundary Qi Xiu had laid down. Yet, just moments ago, both lines of defense had been breached in an instant.

*Whoosh—*

Almost the moment they sensed the anomaly, a streak of starlight flashed past in front of them, moving with such speed that it had already vanished into the distance in a heartbeat.

And in the very instant that streak of starlight swept by, the deer leg Zhu Mo had just finished roasting disappeared.

"What the hell just went past?"

Zhu Mo looked blankly, not even realizing his deer leg was gone yet.

"That was some fast movement technique." Qi Xiu narrowed his eyes, staring in the direction the starlight had disappeared. The speed of that movement was far beyond his or Zhu Mo's earth and water escape arts. The newcomer was a master of evasion!

"Hey, where’s my deer leg?" Realizing his meal was gone, Zhu Mo jumped to his feet, furious, turning to chase the thief.

"Don't be rash." Qi Xiu grabbed him, signaling with his eyes as he suddenly raised his protective True Qi. "The real guests have arrived."

No sooner had Qi Xiu spoken than a group of massive, heavily armored Wolf Riders emerged from the dense forest, pushing aside the branches. They were tall and formidable, clad in thick, sturdy armor inlaid with intricate metallic patterns. Every piece of metal exuded a cold, sharp aura. Their helmets featured twin wolf motifs, and their eyes shone with a sharp, irresistible power. They held massive, heavy silver spears that glinted coldly in the starlight. The giant wolves they rode were over two meters tall, their thick black fur shimmering with silvery light, radiating a mysterious and majestic presence.

As the riders approached, the ground shook, and the surrounding trees trembled. Their faces were expressionless, showing only cold indifference.

The Great Liang Wolf Riders!

Standing before Qi Xiu and Zhu Mo, the lead rider’s helmet emitted a piercing gaze. "Tell me, did you see a streak of starlight pass through here?"

The voice was hoarse and thick, like a steel blade ground by sand.

"Yes, it went in that direction," Qi Xiu said calmly, meeting the rider's gaze and pointing in the direction of the fleeing light.

"Thank you."

The leader nodded, gave a slight wave, and in an instant, the squad of riders transformed into terrifying, blurry shadows, charging off into the distance. In the vast night, the chilling, terrifying howls of the wolves sounded like a war horn, making one's soul tremble.

"So that’s the legendary Great Liang Wolf Riders. They live up to their reputation." Qi Xiu watched the direction they vanished, noticing the hair on the back of his hand standing up.

"You said it. Anyone who can survive in that hellscape in the northwest is no small fry. That thief is a dead man." Mentioning the thief, Zhu Mo was full of resentment. If he hadn't been wary of the Wolf Riders, he would have chased after him himself to give the thief a few hard slaps, just to teach him that not everyone's food could be stolen.