Chapter 127: Qi the Great Benefactor

"There are three Earth Seals inside Wu Tu Gu. You saved my brother, so all three belong to you."

Approaching Qi Xiu, the leader of the Daliang Wolf Riders opened his palm. Resting there were three Earth Seals—items that would make any other examinee's eyes turn red with greed.

Looking at the Earth Seals that he and Zhu Mo had failed to find despite digging three feet into the ground, Qi Xiu first sighed at the shamelessness of the Shenxiao Sect, then replied:

"Keep these Earth Seals for me for now. I have some matters to attend to."

Giving Qi Xiu a thoughtful look, the lead Wolf Rider removed his helmet, revealing a mature, resolute face covered in small scars.

"My name is Yan Baizhe. If you are going to teach those two a lesson, I can help."

"Hey, hey, wait for me, count me in too!"

Zhu Mo trotted over, rolling up his sleeves: "I’m good at brawling. Let’s go together."

Facing the generous offers from Zhu Mo and Yan Baizhe, Qi Xiu waved his hand with a smile:

"I’m just going to handle a small matter, not a brawl. Old Zhu, wait for me here, I’ll be back in a flash."

With that, Qi Xiu transformed into a streak of misty water-遁 light and vanished in an instant. His speed was so great that the mountain forest ahead was sliced open by the terrifying force of his passage.

"Full-speed escape technique. Old Qi is truly furious. I reckon those two are done for."

Practicing the same Five Elements escape arts, Zhu Mo saw at a glance that Qi Xiu had pushed his technique to its absolute limit. He had even abandoned the stealth usually inherent in the Water-Patrol Escape to prioritize pure velocity. That was practically painting the words "I am going to kill" on his face.

...

"Husband, those Daliang Wolf Riders from earlier weren't much, were they?"

Held by the waist by Cheng Hua, Lin Man'er leaned her body against him, her slender, boneless hands wandering restlessly under his clothes.

"The Daliang Wolf Riders are cavalry. Without their mounts, half their combat prowess is wasted. Those two had giant wolves that were severely wounded and unable to move, so they were left there for us to pick off. If those wolves hadn't been injured, the Wolf Riders could have used their coordination techniques; we would have paid a heavy price to take them down. But that doesn't matter. I'm more concerned about that ordinary-looking man who stepped in to protect them. He is so young, yet his internal energy is terrifyingly thick. He took our combined spell head-on, and his protective aura didn't even break. What kind of monster is he to be participating in the Shenxiao Sect assessment?"

Recalling the image of Qi Xiu bracing his protective aura to block their combined spell, Cheng Hua’s gaze darkened. This guy was definitely a formidable rival in the assessment! If there was a chance, they needed to get rid of him as soon as possible.

Just as Cheng Hua was lost in thought, Lin Man'er suddenly gasped. Her eyes, full of voluptuous charm, turned a milky white as she pointed into the distance.

"It’s him!"

"Who?" Cheng Hua asked, his heart tightening.

"The man who fought us earlier."

Pressing her cheek against Cheng Hua’s chest, Lin Man'er exhaled a mystical breath. Her visual field instantly linked with Cheng Hua’s.

A hundred miles away, atop a towering ancient tree, the ordinary-looking man stood with his hands tucked into his sleeves, waiting calmly as if expecting someone.

"Bold. He actually chased us."

Realizing Qi Xiu had caught up and was waiting ahead to intercept them, Cheng Hua showed a flash of excitement.

"Perfect, I didn't get to finish the fight earlier. Man'er, get ready."

"As you wish, husband."

Two magical artifacts flared with dazzling five-colored light. Cheng Hua and Lin Man'er held hands, their internal energy flowing between them in perfect resonance, doubling their combined strength. This was the secret technique of the Cheng family from Xizhao: "The Heart-Link Mutual Law Scripture."

Cultivating this required a boy and a girl, childhood sweethearts, to practice together—the male the first volume, the female the second. Once they reached the three mundane realms, they would marry. During their wedding night, the blending of Yin and Yang would allow them to enter the Dao-Entry Realm without any obstacles. By practicing this, a couple’s energy becomes perfectly synchronized, their internal auras flow into one another, and even their comprehension, talent, and luck are shared. This is why the Cheng family always selects partners with exceptional aptitude for their descendants—it makes the practice of the scripture twice as effective.

"Kid, prepare to witness the power of the Cheng family's arts."

Having been in the assessment for over half a month without a truly satisfying fight, Cheng Hua’s eyes shone with divine light. He poured his surging energy into his artifact, brewing a terrifying Five Elements spell.

"You could have lived. If you want to blame someone, blame yourself for being too clever. Did you feel proud exposing my identity?"

A calm, indifferent voice suddenly rang in their ears.

Water-Patrol Escape, a hundred miles in a single thought!

In an instant, Qi Xiu crossed the distance and appeared right before them. He brought his hand down, his palm housing a vortex like a black hole, surging with infinite power.

"Star-Sucking Great Technique!"

Driven by a murderous intent, Qi Xiu didn't waste a single word; he opened with his most ruthless killing move.

"Five Elements Protection!"

Unaware of the horror of that pitch-black hand, Cheng Hua waved his feathered fan, placing several rotating Five Elements lights in front of Qi Xiu.

*Snap—*

The moment the lights touched the Star-Sucking Great Technique, all their power was instantly drained. The lights dimmed and shattered, revealing Cheng Hua’s face, frozen in shock.

"How..."

Nine Primordial Beads operated simultaneously! The nine-fold suction was unimaginably terrifying! Five hundred years of cultivation was not something an ordinary person could resist!

Cheng Hua’s protective aura dimmed and thinned at a speed visible to the naked eye.

*Snap, snap, snap—*

Before Cheng Hua could react, all three layers of his protective aura shattered, leaving only the final layer, which flickered like a candle in the wind.

"What kind of spell is this?!"

Having never seen such a horrific technique that could drain a person's power in a blink, Cheng Hua’s excitement turned to terror. He truly felt the threat of death.

"Husband!"

Seeing her husband on the edge of the abyss, Lin Man'er rushed to help, raising her feathered fan high. Five-colored light surged as she prepared to strike at Qi Xiu.

"Since you two are so united, you can head on your way together."

Qi Xiu’s expression remained blank. His other hand landed directly on Lin Man'er’s protective aura, his tone as cold as ice. He was a man of caution, low-profile and rational, honest and hardworking. But once he decided to kill, he would never hesitate. If you don't pull out the weeds by the roots, they grow again in the spring breeze. He would kill them cleanly, leaving no future trouble.

"Wait, I am a direct descendant of the Xizhao Cheng family. If you spare me, I can..."

*Snap!*

Curving his fingers, Qi Xiu shattered Cheng Hua’s final layer of aura and gripped his face: "Shh, take a deep breath."

"Urgh!"

With a scream, under the effect of the Star-Sucking Great Technique, Cheng Hua instantly withered into a dry husk of skin. A flick of Qi Xiu’s finger ignited a Pure Yang Purple Fire, burning him to ash. It was clean and efficient. Unlike killing demons, it was better to be thorough with the scions of these powerful families to avoid endless trouble.

"Husband! I’ll kill you, you devil!"

Witnessing Cheng Hua reduced to ash, Lin Man'er wailed in despair. Filled with hatred, she raised her feathered fan and recklessly poured her power into it. Cracks radiating a terrifying aura appeared on the fan.

She was self-destructing her artifact!

"Devil? I don't like that title. I’m letting you two be together in the afterlife; how could I be a devil? You should call me a great philanthropist."

Qi Xiu grabbed the artifact before it could explode. The unstable, terrifying energy felt like a flood being diverted; the chaotic aura suddenly smoothed out.

*Boom!*

Shattering Lin Man'er’s protective aura, Qi Xiu drained the beautiful, voluptuous woman with a calm expression. Purple fire rose, and her body turned to ash.

Collecting the two feathered fans left behind, Qi Xiu turned to scan the surroundings, then, as if nothing had happened, took flight and departed.

...

The trip there and back took less than an hour.

"Sorry to keep everyone waiting."

With a gentle smile, Qi Xiu returned to the valley and bowed in apology. Seeing him return, the group, who were gathered around a campfire roasting half a dozen large wild boars, all stood up.

Zhu Mo, having found a chef's hat to wear, held seasoning in one hand and a kitchen knife in the other: "Just in time, dinner will be ready in a quarter of an hour."

"Is it done?"

Amidst the clanking of armor, Yan Baizhe walked to Qi Xiu’s side and handed him a wineskin.

"It’s done. That couple was quite easy to talk to. We chatted for a bit, and I sent them home."

Taking the wineskin, Qi Xiu took a long gulp. The wine, hot as magma yet fragrant, spread through his limbs, filling his body with a lingering warmth.

"Sent them home?"

A flash of doubt crossed Yan Baizhe’s eyes, but when he noticed the faint gray ash on the hem of Qi Xiu’s sleeve, he understood.

"Going home is good. Once you're home, you can be at peace."

Sensing the hidden meaning in Yan Baizhe’s words, Qi Xiu looked at him. They smiled at each other. Everything was understood without being said.

Thousands of pounds of boar meat were eaten clean by the nine of them in one night. During the bonfire feast, Yan Baizhe approached Qi Xiu to suggest continued cooperation in hunting Wu Tu Gu to obtain Earth Seals. Qi Xiu agreed without much consideration. These Daliang Wolf Riders were straightforward and loyal, not the bloodthirsty monsters the rumors painted them to be. Having one more friend was better than having one more enemy. Even if they didn't pass the Shenxiao Sect assessment, getting to know these people was worth it.

For the rest of the assessment, Qi Xiu, Zhu Mo, and the Wolf Riders rampaged through the area, hunting the anomalies. With Qi Xiu and Zhu Mo setting up arrays—the Fu Feng Ding Ding Array combined with the Suppression Seal—no anomaly could escape. Coupled with the Wolf Riders' terrifying offensive power, these monsters, which other examinees feared like tigers, became nothing more than easy prey for their group.

Soon, all nine had gathered the required Earth Seals. They set off for the island in the center of the lake, ready to begin the second trial of the Shenxiao Sect assessment!

...