Chapter 412 - 15 in 1

"President Lan! I have no other choice!" Xu Gong's eyes flickered nervously at Fang Xiaoqiang.

People who knew the Jiangju elites would look up to them in reverence, and would not even consider offending them.

Fang Xiaoqiang was a pronounced Jianghu elite who's background was a venerable family.

"Hehe!" Fang Xiaoqiang laughed delightedly. "It's pretty simple. If you want to keep him around, you'll have to watch the show with me. I wouldn't allow him to leave even if he wants to!"

"You…"

Lan Mengcheng was stuck at a crossroad.

The production was still in its early stages where Xu Gong had played a very important role. If he left,production would surely come to a standstill!

More importantly was the fact that there was no one else as talented as Xu Gong!

Lan Mengcheng and her business partner Madam Diana had invested a lot of energy and money and made multiple trips to France over the course of two months before they finally got hold of Xu Gong!

If Xu Gong leaves, Lan Mengcheng would never be able to find a replacement. Production would have to stop.

Worse still, Fang Xiaoqiang could force the other core members of the company to leave like what he did to Xu Gong. Should it come to that, the whole factory would be forced to close down.

"That's strange! Since when does my employee's dismissal or employment get decided by a feral dog?"

A young man in his twenties strode in.

"Xiao… Er, Chaiman! You're here! You finally came back!"

Lan Mengcheng excitedly made her way to him.

Chairman Chen arrives!

"Who is this kid?" Fang Xiaoqiang studied Chen Xiaobei, his eyes shooting daggers.

"Chairman? Is this President Lan's boyfriend?" Xu Gong recalled his conversation with Lan Mengcheng earlier.

"That's right!" Lan Mengcheng wrapped her arm around Chen Xiaobei's arm and proudly announced, "I would like to formally introduce our company's Chairman, who also happens to be my boyfriend, Chen Xiaobei!"

Everyone in the room was stunned.

"So, it's really true! President Lan's boyfriend really is young!"

Xu Gong stared incredulously at Chen Xiaobei.

He still found it hard to believe that it was Chen Xiaobei himself who had concocted the World's number one cosmetic formula!

All of the cosmetic research teams in the world could not compete with a youngster in his twenties! How could he possibly take that as truth?!

"What the f*ck! How dare you try to take my woman from me?" shouted Fang Xiaoqiang at the top of his voice while glaring menacingly at at Chen Xiaobei. "Hey kid! Are you really Lan Mengcheng's boyfriend?"

"Do you want me to spell it out for you?" Chen Xiaobei retorted.

"I don't believe it! I've been wooing Lan Mencheng for some time now. But you've never shown up before! Not even once! Lan Mengcheng must have hired you to pose as her boyfriend!"

Chen Xiaobei smiled. "I didn't show up because I've been away overseas. Otherwise, I wouldn't even let a feral dog like you anywhere near my territory!"

"F*ck you! Who the hell are you calling a feral dog?!" exploded Fang Xiaoqiang.

This was the second time that Chen Xiaobei had called him that.

Fang Xiaoqiang was the young master of Flying Axe Faction with a fine reputation among the Jianghu elites in Dragon City. He was also the son of the 38th Elite of China's God of War Leaderboard. Definitely not the kind of the people you could cross without first suffering dire consequences.

Being called a feral dog by a nobody in his twenties was not something he had ever been subjected to! To make matters worse, Chen Xiaobei did that in the presence of Lan Mengcheng! That was humiliation beyond repair!

Both Lan Mengcheng and Xu Gong began to sweat bullets, dreading the moment Fang Xiaoqiang would pounce on Chen Xiaobei and beat him up.

Amongst all of his female friends, Lan Mengcheng was probably the one who understood Jianghu the least, and the one who understood Chen Xiobei's cultivation the least. So, she was naturally worried.

It was alright if they were just flesh wounds, but if Chen Xiaobei was disabled in any way, what would his life be like…

Instead of backing off, Chen Xiaobei saw that he had provoked Fang Xiaoqiang and laughed, "Fed, but not trained. Running around, barking and biting deliriously. If that's not a feral dog then what is?"

"Screw you! Just because I haven't made a move yet that you think I'm a feeble little cat." Fang Xiaoqiang roared. "If I don't teach you a lesson today, I won't have any face left to woo Lan Mengcheng in the future!"

Swoosh!

Fang Xiaoqiang stepped forward and swung a tightly wrapped fist at Chen Xiaobei's face.

"No! Master Qiang!" Lan Mengcheng screamed.

"Shit… Master Qiang is pissed… Our chairman is f*cked…" Xu Gong was already mourning for Chen Xiaobei in his heart.

"Hmph! This dimwit is dead meat! He actually insulted our young master! He really has no idea who he's dealing with!" snickered One of Fang Xiaoqiang's companions.

The other one replied, "Our young master is an elite at the pinnacle phase of Qi refining stage! He could kill this kid with just one finger! He could kill him a hundred times over! One! Hundred! Times!"

Everyone's eyes were fixed on Chen Xiaobei.

And what they saw next had them completely speechless.

Smack!

A loud crisp sound rang throughout the room. The so-called 'Flying Axe Faction young master' Fang Xiaoqiang, had just been slapped across the face.

He was thrown into the air, while his two companions stood gawping, watching their falling young master land right on their faces.

"Argh… Urghh…"

They screamed. All three men were lying on the ground.

Fang Xiaoqiang's companions screamed in pain, covering their swollen faces with their hands.

Their boss had it even worse. One half of his face had ballooned like a steamed bun. When he opened his mouth to speak, fragments of teeth fell out followed by streams of sticky blood.

"How…"

Lan Mencheng and Xu Gong looked as if they were in a trance. This was not what they had expected would happen.

Now, their minds were swimming with doubt about Fang Xiaoqiang's identity as a Jianghu. He must have been a fake because he was so damn weak!

"Dogs bite. But I will never bite back. I will only give them a good old slap!" Chen Xiaobei shrugged, a smile prying from his lips.

"Bas… Bastard! How dare you hit me?!" croaked Fang Xiaoqiang, blood still pouring from his lips. "You are dead! My father is Fang Jianqian! The 38th strongest elite in China's God of War Leaderboard! I'm going to call him now so can come and beat you to death! I guarantee you will die an ugly death!"

"Go ahead then. I'm going to make a call myself!" shrugged Chen Xiaobei, as he dug out his phone from his pocket. "Is this Old Liu? I have something I'd like to ask you…"

"Mr. Chen, what would you like to know? Just ask away! I'll answer you as best I can!" An elderly yet commanding voice came from the other end. He was obviously not your run-off-the-mill old man.

He also seemed to hold Chen Xiaobei in high esteem, treating the young man as his superior.

"Do you know the Flying Axe Faction?" asked Chen Xiaobei.

"Yes! That's a mid-level faction here in Dragon City. Nothing special. Why do you ask, Mr. Chen?"

"I have just slapped the young master of the faction's face. He threatened to call his father here to kill me. You are also a part of Wulin's Chief Alliance. How do you think I should go about this?"

When the others heard this title, they could not help but gasp.

Lan Mengcheng and Xu Gong did not know much about Jianghu but they heard of Wulin's Chief Alliance in martial arts films before. Until now, they did not know that there were actual Wulin's Chief Alliance members in real life!

How was it that Chen Xiaobei was acquainted with someone so badass?! And it also appeared that he was the boss of that Wulin's Chief Alliance! How unbelievable!

"Chief alliance? Elder Liu? Is that kid talking to the Faction leader of Xuanjian Faction, Liu Xiyuan? How is that possible…"

Fang Xiaoqiang and his men were very familiar with matters that concerned Jianghu.

Xuangjian Faction was the most powerful faction in China, and Liu Xiyuan had been the longstanding champion on China's God of War leaderboard, also known as the Wulin's Chief Alliance!

In the eyes of Fan Xiaoqiang and his men, Liu Xiuyuan was like a demigod. How could Chen Xiaobei have possibly known him personally?

Liu Xiuyuan shouted into the phone, "How dare the idiots of Flying Axe Faction trouble Mr. Chen! I will act now and destroy all of them myself!"

The reason why Liu Xiuyuan had secured his position as the chief alliance was not because he was a kind old man, but because apart from his cultivation, he was also uncompromising. He had plenty of experience killing his enemies!

To him, destroying a mid-level faction was like eating rice.

"There's no need for that." Chen Xiaobei shook his head. "In three days time, kick them out of Dragon City and forbid them from ever setting foot there again!"

"That is very kind of you, Mr. Chen!" said Liu Xiuyan. "I will go now so that they will be gone by today!"

"I was not being kind. I just didn't want to dampen the holiday spirit. If they still refuse to leave, then go ahead and destroy them!"

"Yea! I understand!"

"Oh, right. How is Xuanxin? Has she returned from her travels?"

"No, she's not back yet. This girl's health has been poor since the beginning. She had stayed at home for quite a number of years now. I think she will not be back until she is satisfied with her trip. I did talk to her over the phone the day before yesterday. She said that she was travelling in the South China Sea. She had interacted and exchanged notes with people who had special abilities, and her cultivation has improved since then!"

"South China Sea? Mm, as long as she's safe. Alright. Go ahead and do what you need to do!"

Chen Xiaobei always had a good feeling about Liu Xuanxin.

That girl was Chen Xiaobei's lucky goddess. Every time she showed up, something good would happen to him, or he would be indubitably saved from danger. It really was quite miraculous!

Chen Xiaobei did not wish for anything bad to happen to her. He was very relieved to hear that she was safe.

As he hung up the phone, Fang Xiaoqiang took the opportunity to speak out, "What the hell are you trying to pull here? Elder Liu? Xuanxin? Hah, you really are quite the actor! You might as well just say that you are friends with Buddha and The Jade Emperor! You want Flying Axe Faction to get kicked out of Dragon City? At least try to get your script right before you put on a show!"

"I do, in fact, know Buddha and The Jade Emperor," Chen Xiaobei replied with a smile.

"You fraud! Do I look like I'm stupid? Do you think that you can scare us off like that? We're not that easily fooled!" Xiao Fangquan's cretins sniggered, seemingly forgetting the pain on their faces.

"You guys are a bunch of dumbasses!" laughed Chen Xiaobei.

"Go f*ck yourself! I'm going to call my dad now so that he can bring all his men to come and chop you up!" Fang Xiaoqiang roared.

"Xiaobei… Do you really know that Wulin's Chief Alliance?" asked Lan Mengcheng in a panic.

She clearly did not believe that Chen Xiaobei knew the high and mighty Wulin's Chief Alliance. It was even more difficult to believe that Chen Xiaobei could order him around.

Even more unconvinced was Xu Gong. "President Lan… Please allow me to resign… Just do me a favor…"

Ding Ring Ring

It was Fang Xiaoqiang's phone.

"Haha! My father's calling! Just you wait, you twat!" Fang Xiaoqiang picked up the phone excitedly. "Dad! Someone hit me! Come over here now to avenge me! Bring more men with you! I really want to chop this kid up!"

"Chop your ass!" The voice at the other end sounded pissed. "Get your ass back here now! Pack your bags because we have to take the earliest flight out of Dragon City. If we don't leave here by today, we're goners!"

"What? Leave Dragon City today? Dad, what happened? We were just talking about buying a house downtown in Dragon City. Why the sudden rush to leave?"

Fang Xiaoqiang had completely no idea on what was happening.

"Are they really leaving Dragon City?"

Xu Gong's eyes grew wide.

"That means… Chen Xiaobei really does know Wulin's Chief Alliance?"

Lan Mengcheng's jaw was left hanging.

"You idiot! Stop asking stupid questions!" shouted the voice on the other end of the line. "Xuanjian Faction leader Liu Xiyuan himself came and surrounded our faction! If we don't leave by today, my Flying Axe Faction will be completely destroyed!"

"What? Destroyed…"

Fang Xiaoqiang fled the room without even bothering to hang up. His two goons, who had been laughing at Chen Xiaobei a second ago, scrambled out of the room like scared dogs.

"The devil Fang Xiaoqiang… just… left… just like that? Am I dreaming?"

Xu Gong gawped at the opened door, daring not to trust his own eyes.

Lan Mengcheng was even more increduled saying, "Xiaobei! You really did know the Wulin's Chief Alliance and you even gave him orders… How did you manage to do that?"

"No, it's not ordering. Liu Xiuyuan and I were enemies but he was completely subdued by my charm. That is why he's so willing to do me favors!"

"Tell us in detail! What charm?"

Lan Mengcheng wanted to know.

"Let's not talk about that. Come over here and let me touch you so that I can see if you gained or lost weight. Hehe…"

Chen Xiaobei winked, grinning slyly at her.

"Watch what you say! Xu Gong is here!"

Lan Mengcheng looked embarrassed.

"Don't worry, President Lan! I'll leave now! I won't get in your way! I will make sure to tell the others not to come in and disturb the both of you so that you can enjoy your own time…"

Before he left, Xu Gong gave Chen Xiaobei a thumbs up and said, "Chairman, you're incredible!"

"Xu Gong! Don't go! It's not what you think!" blurted Lan Mengcheng, blushed.

The fact was that she and Chen Xiaobei had merely been holding hands, and only shared the occasional peck. They had yet to graduate to that deeper level of intimacy!

"You idiot! Where am I supposed to hide my face if you say things like that?" Lan Mengcheng was normally very calm and collected but when it came to things like that, she was as shy as a mouse.

"I did it on purpose!" shrugged Chen Xiaobei while smiling playfully at her. "So that it will pass from ears to ears and lips to lips until everyone will know that you've been taken! Then no one will come and bother you anymore!"

"You're… right…" Lan Mengcheng quickly changed the topic. "You haven't told me yet! Why would the Wulin Chief Alliance listen to you?"

"If you really want to know, I'll just tell you then. As I have told you, Liu Xiuyuan and I were enemies. He was involved in the attack of Bei Xuan faction. A few of the powerful factions were on a mission to destroy my faction. But in the end, I had not only spared Liu Xiuyuan and Liu Chunyi's lives but I also helped them resolve some issues so that they could reunite as a family! Because of that, Liu Xiuyuan was very thankful to me. Even though it was not publicly announced, Liu Xiuyuan has already submitted to my command, and he's loyal to a fault!"

Chen Xiaobei explained everything in detail, keeping nothing from Lan Mengcheng. There was no need to keep secrets in this relationship.

Telling her would help her realize that Chen Xiaobei was not weak, which in turn, would help lessen her anxiety.

"If this is all true…" It was going to take a while for Lan Mengcheng to digest the shock. "If this is true then how strong are you now?"

"100,000 combat power!" revealed Chen Xiaobei without even trying to be modest. "Other than the ancient faction, no enemy can beat me! If anyone bullies you next time, you don't have to swallow it! Just tell them to f*ck off and die!"

"Er…"

Lan Mengcheng looked at Chen Xiaobei, feeling a little estranged.

She knew Chen Xiaobei the longest. They went all the way back to when Chen Xiaobei was just a weak and poor little peasant boy.

She knew how hard Chen Xiaobei had been working to continue improving himself.

But he was only human to her eyes, not a demi-god. No matter how hard he worked or whatever progress he made, it could not have escalated so quickly.

That was exactly why Lan Mengcheng always thought that Chen Xiaobei was not strong enough. Every time Chen Xiaobei had to fight, she would always start panicking like a headless chicken!

Now that Chen Xiaobei had shone light on his actual strength, Lan Mengcheng was blown away!

"Why? You don't believe it?" Chen Xiaobei asked.

"I do… I know that you won't lie to me…" Lan Mengcheng nodded as if to convince herself; a hint of uncertainty in her voice. She had obviously yet to recover from the shock.

Chen Xiaobei said nothing, He just smiled, believing that it was only a matter of time before she would eventually swallow that truth.

True enough, after a while, Lan Mengcheng was no longer hanging on that question. "You mentioned Xuanxin. Is she the Liu Xuanxin, one of the two Dragon City's legendary beauties?"

"Er… Yes…"

Chen Xiaobei started to feel a little queasy. When Lan Mengcheng mentioned Liu Xuanxin, Chen Xiaobei had this sudden feeling of guilt like a child caught with hands in the cookie jar.

Unlike Song Qincheng and Linxiang, Lan Mengcheng had never expressed her approval of Chen Xiaobei having other women.

"Why are you suddenly so nervous?"

Lan Mengcheng was very observant, immediately noticing Chen Xiaobei's discomfort.

"No… I'm not."

"Humph!" Lan Mengcheng raised an eyebrow. "The other Dragon City beauty is Luo Puti, right? I heard that the two of you share quite a special relationship!"

"Er… You know about that?" Chen Xiaobei suddenly felt unnerved.

"You really are quite something!" The expression on Lan Mengcheng's face was difficult to read. "Back in University, you dated three of the most beautiful girls. Now in Dragon City, you've pocketed both Legendary beauties into your harem! You really are quite the expert in women-hood!"

"Only three? I thought I dated all four of the most beautiful woman in school."

"I didn't agree to join your harem!"

"I…" Chen Xiaobei found himself speechless.

He had a lot of girl-friends but he had only bedded Song Qincheng and a mysterious Lady Goddess.

How did that even qualify for a harem? Chen Xiaobei felt that it was undue.

Ding Ring Ring

Chen Xiaobei's phone suddenly rang.

"Yue Changkong?" Cheng Xiaobei read the name on the screen and said, "Mengcheng, I have to take this call! Something terrible must have happened or this idiot wouldn't be calling me!"

"Go ahead. You're the chairman, you don't need my permission!" shrugged Lan Mengcheng.

"Hello?" Chen Xiaobei picked up the call.

"Bro Bei! Your're back! That's great! That's really good! I called Old Jiang earlier and he told me that you're back… I called you immediately…"

Yue Changkong sounded distraught and even a little incoherent.

"Get to the point! What happened? What is it that's making the leader of Mount Hua Faction lose his cool?" furrowed Chen Xiaobei's brows in concern.

Mount Hua may not have been a top-tier ancient faction, but they had a very solid foundation and powerful influence. Yue Changkong only needed to stomp his feet for the cities around Mount Hua to tremble in fear!

Chen Xiaobei could not place his finger on whatever it was that would cause Yu Changkong to get all worked up.

"It's Ms. Luo! She went away to Western Liang Black Desert on her own!"

"Puti? Western Liang Black desert? Why is that? Tell me everything in detail!" Chen Xiaobei could feel his body tense up.

"Ms. Luo has been investigating her missing parents' case here in Mount Hua. She came across a lead connecting the Western Liang Black Desert! I tried to stop her, telling her to wait for you and then come up with a plan! She stayed for a few days but today, the girl serving her found a note that said she had already taken off!"

"What kind of place is Western Liang Black Desert? Is it because it's very dangerous? Is that why you don't dare go?" asked Chen Xiaobei as his grip around his phone tightened.

"Western Liang is a region West of Xijiang!" Yue Changkong said, "and the Black Desert is Taklamakan desert, which in Xijiang-tongue means 'the place of no return'. It's China's largest shifting sand dune."

"Shifting sand dunes? Is that the kind of desert that shifts according to the wind direction? What about it is so scary that even you don't dare to set foot there?"

"No! Bro Bei! You really have no idea how scary the Black Desert is!" Yue Changkong's tone was grave. "A strong wind could stir up a sandstorm, large enough to form a mountain! If a person is buried under the sand, it would be like falling into a muddy swamp. The harder you struggle, the deeper you'll sink! In the early years, many people wanted to enter the desert to search for legendary ancient factions. A gale would stir up a sandstorm and form a mountain! The many people who went never came back! There was even one demigod who was buried alive in there! Ever since then, no one has ever dared set foot in the Black Desert!"

Chen Xiaobei nearly shouted, "What? A demigod was buried alive? How is that even possible?"

"It's true! Mother nature is a very powerful, scary force! Deserts, oceans, thunders, volcanoes… When nature is angry, even a demigod would have to surrender his life! After all, human strength can never defy nature!"

"Human strength cannot defy nature?!"

Chen Xiaobei himself had experienced the formidable strength of nature the last time he was in the ocean. Solely for the sake of upgrading the Chaos Blood Sword, Chen Xiaobei nearly died at the bottom of the sea.

If it was not for Little White Dragon's Hydrophobe Pearl, Chen Xiaobei would already have ended up in hell chewing on spicy sticks with Yuanwang.

When he thought of that, Chen Xiaobei felt his heart stop beating for a good second. If a demigod's life could be endangered there, then how much more danger would Luo Puti, who was still in the early stage of True Nirvana be in?

Chen Xiaobei's face darkened as he instructed them, "I want you to mobilize every single man you have. Contact the airport and the train station. Find out which platform Luo Puti left from. I will go stop her!"

"Alright! I'm on it! Bro Bei, why don't you just call her?"

"She won't pick up my call!" Chen Xiaobei said. "She always said that she doesn't want to trouble me. If she was going to tell me where she was, then she would've waited for me to come back first!"

"Oh! I get it now! I'll go check now!"

After he hung up, Chen Xiaobei turned around and said, "Mengcheng, there's an emergency and I need to leave now. I hope you can understand!"

"Go ahead. I'm not your girlfriend anyway. There's no need for explanation!"

Lan Mengcheng frowned, a tinge of bitterness in her voice.

Chen Xiaobei had no time for this so he left without saying another word.

"Lan Mengcheng! What the hell is wrong with you?" Lan Mengcheng murmured to herself, her teeth sinking into her lips. "You are not a petty woman… Why did you have to act like a grumbling wife? You were so obviously jealous. Xiaobei might not like us anymore for that…"

She was obviously green with envy. As a proud peerless beauty and Lan Family's noble descendent, her state of mind was a world away from the minds of Lin Xiang and Songqincheng, who were both of lower origins.

She knew that she was deeply in love with Chen Xiaobei. But there seemed to be a mysterious obstruction, just something that she could not seem to move past.

When she thought about how much Chen Xiaobei cared about Luo Puti, a surge of envy flooded her heart.

Lan Mengcheng took out her phone and dialed a number. "Elder Qin, please prepare a few of the best zongzi for me! Also, help me look up Bei Xuan Faction's address! I want to see the two elders! Don't ask any questions! Just hurry up and do it!"

She hung up the phone, brows furrowed.

"Luo Puti again. Bei Xuan Faction again. If I don't show up, I don't know how far I will fall behind!"

…

The deep blue sky was clear, not a single cloud in sight, not unlike a calm ocean. It was very beautiful, tranquil and the air very breathable.

Luo Puti stared into nothingness as she sat by her bed, on board a train bound for Golmund.

She had donned on a baseball cap, oversized sunglasses, leather jacket and jeans, taking on the looks of a tough chick. Her ravishing face and alluring body were disguised under all that clothing.

The one thing that could not be concealed however was her exceptional temperament.

Just by sitting there idle was enough to attract the attention of lustful men.

Luckily, the people on the same car were guileless Golmund villagers. Stealing glances at Luo Puti were enough to make their faces burn and their hearts skip beats. None of them were brave enough to approach her.

Of course, there were always exception!

"Excuse me, my gorgeous lady, can we be friends?"

A good-looking young man in a full suit walked over to her, looking very much like a perfect gentleman.

He was very attractive, fresh and clean. The price of his custom suit and leather shoes were not something a regular person could afford! He was not a man a girl would say no to.

But Luo Puti was different. She kept her eyes glued to the window, and said with an iciness that could freeze hell over, "Go away!"

Luo Puti had always been frosty like that.

Chen Xiaobei even nicknamed her 'the ice queen'.

She only began to warm up a little to Chen Xiaobei after they experienced a brush with death together.

With other men however, would have Luo Puti would always treating them with a frosty attitude, rejecting them and keeping them at arm's length!

Of course, apart from nature of her character, Luo Puti's icy attitude towards the young man was also because of her intuition that he did not belong there.

Nearly everyone on board the train was from Golund.

This young man looked like he was about to get onto the runway; out of place enough he might as well have attached the words 'suspicious' on his forehead.

There was no way Luo Puti would give him a rat's ass!

But the young man did not give up. He deepened his smile and said, "I have no ill intention. The journey will be long. I just want to find someone to talk to pass time."

"Go away!"

Luo Puti did not tear her gaze from the window. Her tone was three times frostier than before.

The villagers around them shuddered, shocked by this woman's frightfully hostile demeanor.

"Miss, am I Zhuo Qunfeng, so unbearable? Why are you avoiding me like I'm a thief?" The young man's smile drooped into a frown.

"Zhuo Qunfeng?"

Luo Puti peeled her gaze away from the window and turned to look at the young man.

"Oh, are you also from Jianghu?" Zhuo Qunfeng smiled, and said with an unmistakable confidence, "The fact that you know my name tells me that your standing in Jianghu must be pretty high, am I right?"

Luo Puti took off her glasses to get a better look at the man talking to her. "You really are Kun Lun Faction's Zhuo Qunfeng!"

"Ah? Mm…"

Zhuo Qunfeng nodded. When Luo Puti took off her glasses, her beauty knocked the breath out of him and he almost forgot his own name.

Before Luo Puti took her glasses off, Zhuo Qunfeng had intended to only make friends with her. But after she took her shades off, the idiot stood there gawping at her, and only god knew what kind of thoughts were running through his mind.

Luo Puti was thoroughly disgusted by him but was forced to hide it.

The train's final stop was Golmund, which was the entrance of Mount Kunlun – not the direction to Black Desert! Luo Puti had chosen to take a detour to Kunlun so that she could get her hands on the map of the roads into Black Desert!

Legend has it that once, a person went very close to the desert and came out alive. It was one of Kunlun Faction's four elders, Zhuo Yaolong. That also happened to be Zhuo Qunfeng's grandfather!

If she offended Zhuo Qunfeng now, she would be then sabotaging her own plan. She would then never be able to get the map from him.

The very reason for Luo Puti's hatred of men and frosty character were rooted in her parents bizarre disappearance. She worked hard training making her way into Six Doors Organization and eventually becoming the Chief Inspector all just so that she could one day find her beloved parents.

Right now, a lead had finally surfaced! No matter how difficult it was to be in the prescence of disgusting Zhuo Qunfeng, Luo Puti was more than willing to endure it!

"Er… That… What… I'm sorry. That was rude of me!" Zhuo Qunfeng smiled awkwardly, but he was thick-faced enough to seat himself right across her. "May I know your name, miss? Knowing my name could only mean that you're no ordinary person!"

"I'm Luo Puti!"

"Luo Puti? Huh? That name sounds very familiar… Don't tell me… Let me think…" Zhuo Qunfeng squinted as he rummaged his mind. After a while, he gave up. "Sigh… I can't recall. May I know what faction are you in? Who is your Sifu?"

"I am the newly appointed chief inspector of Six Doors Organization! I don't belong to any faction!"

"Six Doors? Isn't that the organization that works for the government?" Zhuo Quunfeng chuckled. "Ms. Luo Puti seems like a very gifted and talented person. Why would you willingly devote yourself to such an insignificant organization and work yourself to the ground for a group of nobodies? That's such a waste!"

Six Door… insignificant? The government… just a bunch of nobodies?

Lu Puti cringed at those words. She knew that if it were to be someone else who had said them, they must have been merely gloating! It was, however, not unexpected for them to have fallen from the lips of Zhuo Qunfeng!

Kunlun Faction was the supreme ancient faction in China. They had a very long history, even longer than that of Mount Shu Faction!

Kunlun's history went as far back as the time of the Primordial Lord of Heaven!

Before the Great War of Gods, the Primordial Lord of Heaven's dojo was in Mount Kunlun! It was christened the Yu Xu Palace!

But after the war, a great flood ravished the land and Mount Kunlun collapsed.

Even today, the Primordial Lord of Heaven's dojo still stood in the Kunlun Jade Void.

The Kunlun Faction inherited the orthodoxy of the Primordial Lord of Heaven. That was how deep their history went! Due to that, the Kunlun faction was recognized as the supreme ancient faction.

Overseen by demigods and served by countless of elites, it was no wonder Zhuo Qunfeng who was from Kunlun Faction would look down on Six Doors Organization and on the government!

"Are you, Ms. Luo, by any chance interested in joining our Kunlun Faction?"

Zhuo Qunfeng looked so certain, as if he could make Luo Puti agree to it like magic.

"I don't…" Luo Puti shook her head.

"Then why has Ms. Luo decided to go to Kunlun? Don't tell you're here just to do some sightseeing."

"The truth is that I have some personal matters I need to settle. I need to ask for the map into Black Desert from your faction," confessed Luo Puti.

"What a coincidence! My grandfather was the one who drew the map! He was the first man who had managed to get the closest to the Black Desert!"

"Did he reach Black Desert?" Luo Puti asked with a sudden rush of excitement.

"No!" Zhuo Qunfeng shook his head. "You probably already knew that those who entered the desert would never leave the place alive! My grandfather had only seen the edge of the Black Desert. They were forced to evacuate because they spotted a sandstorm forming."

"Has he ever tried to enter?"

"No… My grandfather said that place was too dreadful. That place is not for humans to enter! In the pople of Xijiang's own words – it is a god-forsaken place, conquered by the devil!"

"Oh…" Luo Puti's brows furrowed at that. "How is your grandfather's cultivation?"

"My grandfather was already in the late phase of Celestial Cultivation when he attempted to explore the Black Desert. That was more than a decade ago!"

Zhuo Qunfeng then added proudly, "My grandfather has now reached Ethereal Cultivation, he's 10 times stronger than he was back then!"

Luo Puti's frowned deepened.

Even a Celestial Cultivation Elite could not enter the Black Desert! Although he had already reached Ethereal Cultivation, he dared not go back and attempt to explore it again!

How horrifying is that place? Could it really have been occupied by the devil?

Luo Puti's mind was spinning.

She was just in the early phase of True Nirvana cultivation. Even if she had managed to get her hands on the map, there was no way she could come out of the desert alive.

A feeling of powerlessness filled her. Why was her cultivation so weak?

In this world, where being weak was practically a sin, things were immensely difficult for those who were weak!

"Is Ms. Luo planning to explore the Black Desert?"

"Yes, I cannot not go!"

Even though she knew for sure that she would die, her decision was as firm as a rock.

"Oh, what a coincidence!" Zhuo Qunfeng smiled. "A few of us who had reached Celestial Cultivation were planning to go too. I came back from America just to discuss this plan with them!"

"Rea… Really?" Luo Puti nearly jumped out of her seat in excitement. It would be much safer to travel with a group of Celestial Cultivation Elites.

"Of course! A few of my friends grandfathers were part of the expedition back then! Back in the years when our fathers had to fight in the wars, their cultivation increased very slowly and they did not have a chance to explore the desert! Now that we have abundant resources in our generation, we could cultivate at a much faster rate. We can now give the desert a try!"

Luo Puti was overwhelmed. "Can you bring me with you?"

Back then, this was not a question she would have asked.

There was no such thing as free lunch in this world. Even if Zhuo Qunfeng agreed to take her with them, there was surely a price she had to pay!

Right now, Luo Puti could only think of her parents and nothing else. As long as it did not cross the line, she was willing to do anything!

"We can, but…" Zhuo Qunfeng was about to lay out a condition when he was cut off.

"But your husband wouldn't allow you!" Chen Xiaobei said as he walked towards them.

Luo Puti's jaw fell open at the sight of him.

"Ms. Luo, do you know this man?" Zhuo Qunfeng's eyes narrowed at Chen Xiaobei, studying him.

"Yes… He's my… best friend!" nodded Luo Puti.

The best of friends, the one and only!

Clearly, Chen Xiaobei had a special place in her heart that was irreplaceable by anyone else!

"Please do introduce us! I would like to get to know Ms. Luo's friend!" Zhuo Qunfeng smiled cheerfully but his eyes were filled with disdain. To him, Chen Xiaobei was a desperate wannabe. He was merely a regular friend of Luo Puti but he called himself her husband. How flagrant!

What Zhuo Qunfeng did not know was that Chen Xiaobei had been calling Luo Puti his wife for nearly half a year already. Even though Luo Puti denied it verbally, she was secretly pleased, and had never actually tried to stop him from calling her that.

"Mm, let me introduce you. This is Chen Xiaobei. He's the new champion on China's Hero of War Leaderboard! Surely, you have heard of him before?"

As soon as she said it, Luo Puti regretted her last line. Zhuo Qunfeng was the grandson of the elder of the Supreme Ancient Faction of Kunlun. If he made light of Six Doors and the government, why would he care for the champion of a Martial Arts Leaderboard?

"No, I've never heard of it." Zhuo Qunfeng shrugged. "What is Hero of War Leaderboard? Does the champion have 50,000 combat power?"

"Er…" Luo Puti was lost for words.

This was embarrassing. Luo Puti was selected to be a seed fighter even though her combat power at that time was only 30,000.

She recalled that at that time, Chen Xiaobei only had a little over 30,000 and less than 40,000.

Back then, Luo Puti was very impressed by Chen Xiaobei but right now, in front of Zhuo Qunfeng, 30,000 felt like nothing!

Of course, Zhuo Qunfeng was not trying to act in an arrogant manner. He was after all powerful enough to make such a claim.

Ding!

Cultivation: Middle phase of Celestial Cultivation.

Lifespan: 232.

Health: 100,000.

Combat power: 100,000.

Chen Xiaobei was using his Netherspirit Battlescouter to spy on Zhuo Qunfeng's strength.

With combat power as monumental as his, Zhuo Qunfeng had every right to hold the Hero of War Leaderboard in low regard.

However, what he did not know was that in the short two months after the competition, Chen Xiaobei's combat power shot up to 80,100!

When combined with the the Divine Skill 'Primordial Witch King Combat Enhancement Training Manual' that the Prime of Tongtian had given to him, Chen Xiaobei could wield 100,500 combat power, limited only by the range of his health.

This put him one step above Zhuo Qunfeng!

But because Luo Puti did not know anything about Chen Xiaobei's current strength, she avoided embarrassing herself by changing the topic, "Xiaobei, what are you doing here?"

"All I did was wave my finger and I immediately knew where you were , so I stepped on my rainbow cloud to come after you." chuckled Chen Xiaobei.

Showoff! Zhuo Zhufeng did not say it aloud but his eyes were filled with contempt.

"Ms. Luo! You haven't introduced me yet!"

Zhuo Qunfeng smoothened out his suit, a victorious look over his face. He was waiting for the moment that Luo Puti announced his identity so that he could savor Chen Xiaobei's shocked look.

"There's no need for that. Even if you did, I wouldn't remember."

Chen Xiaobei shrugged.

"You…" Zhuo Qunfeng was shuddering with rage.

There were so many people in Jianghu who were dying to know him! But this guy Chen Xiaobei said that he would not even remember him! He was basically dismissing Qunfeng's status as the core disciple of Kunlun Faction!

This was the first time in his entire life that Zhuo Qunfeng was shunned away like that. If it was not for saving his face in front of Luo Puti, he would have already attacked Chen Xiaobei.

"Ms. Luo! Why are you friends with such disreputable people? I'm so disappointed!" Zhuo Qunfeng got up from his seat, his expression dark. "If you still want to go on an expedition to the Black Desert, then come to my special-class car! Come alone! Vermin and dogs are not allowed to enter!"

Zhuo Qunfeng clicked his heels and walked away.

He had obviously seen through Luo Puti. He understood that she was determined to get to Black Desert so he used it as bait for the beautiful mermaid Luo Puti! Only back in his special-class coach where Chen Xiaobei would be separated from them, could he make romantic advances towards her.

"Xiaobei! What do you think you're doing? Do you know who that person is?" Luo Puti started to panic.

"I do. He's the pervert who was trying to hit on my wife!" Chen Xiaobei said, pursing his lips.

"Yes, he's a pervert but he is the key to finding my parents! Offending him would mean that it will be a hell lot more difficult for me later in the search!"

"With me here, everything will go smoothly!"

"When are you actually going to stop causing me trouble? This is a dangerous expedition. The chances for survival are very low! I won't let you come with me! You should go back now! I will go talk to Zhuo Qunfeng myself!"

"I won't let the two of you be alone together! You're in over your head. You let your heart get the best of you! Let me be curt with you. Your IQ right now is zero! If you try to negotiate with that guy, you will be at the losing end!"

"That's my own problem! It has nothing to do with you!" Luo Puti said stubbornly. "Let me remind you, even if you can't think for yourself, at least think about your parents! If you die, what will happen to them?"

"Silly girl! Do you think that I'm still the same guy I was at the martial arts competition?" Chen Xiaobei laughed. "I'm not bragging but that guy just now could not even handle one of my strikes! The places that he could bring you, I could bring you there too!"

"What? Zhuo Qunfeng won't be able to… what?" Luo Puti frowned. "Do you really think that I would believe that lie?"

"I…" Chen Xiaobei was about to explain when his phone rang.

Ding!

[Xiao Tianquan sent you a message!]

Chen Xiaobei's train of thoughts were cut off.

"Don't follow me! I can handle my own business! I don't need you!" Luo Puti said, with a splash of acid in her tone, and left.

She actually felt a stab of pain when she said this. She did not want to treat Chen Xiaobei like this but she could not bear the thought of bringing Chen Xiaobei with her to such a dangerous place.

She did not even know if she herself could ever return.

As long as Chen Xiaobei was safe, she could then leave the world peacefully.

"I'll check the message first…"

Chen Xiaobei looked at his phone. They were reaching their stop soon anyway, so Zhuo Qunfeng could not possibly do anything stupid.

Xiao Tianquan, on the other hand, had texted him privately. It must be something urgent!

Xiao Tianquan: Bro Bei! A One-Star Heavenly General and a Heavenly Military Hound just took off! They are headed your way!

Chen Xiaobei: One-Star Heavenly General? Wasn't it supposed to be a Heavenly Guard?! 

Xiao Tianquan: No! Shen Gongpao realized that strength was better than numbers. So instead of sending a whole bunch of guards, sending one powerful Heavenly General was more efficient! You know the saying, 'capture the ringleader to catch the bandits'? After he catches you, Jiang Ziya and Six-Ear Macaque will have nowhere to run to!

Chen Xiaobei: How strong is the Heavenly General? 

Xiao Tianquan: Because of strength restrictions, he's left with 90,000 combat power!

Chen Xiaobei: Only 90,000? Hah! I thought he was going to be much stronger! Don't worry, it's going to be easy!

Xiao Tianquan: Bro Bei! You must not be careless! He brought a Seven-Star Spiritual Item with him. It could level him up to 110,000 combat power!

Chen Xiaobei: 110,000? Oh, that's much stronger than I am!

Xiao Tianquan: Yeah! That's why you have to be careful! If you can't fight him, you better hide! The Heavenly General is unfamiliar with earth. Let him get lost for a while so that you can have more time to be ready!

Chen Xiaobei: No way! Isn't hiding equal to surrender? I cannot embarrass myself and Sifu! Don't worry! I'm confident that I can handle 110,000 combat power!

Xiao Tianquan: Alright! Please be careful! Wang Ca, the Heavenly Hound could only deliver the Returning Bracelet to you! He cannot fight for you or his cover would be blown and he'll be in deep trouble!

Chen Xiaobei: I understand! Thank you for the heads-up! Are you coming to the Duanwu Festival dinner party tomorrow?

Xiao Tianquan: Of course! I have to come! Yuan Wang already informed all of us in the brotherhood group! We are all coming!

Chen Xiaobei: Alright! I'll prepare a ham sausage zhongzi for you!

Xiao Tianquan: Haha! That sounds great! 

Chen Xiaobei: I have to go or my wife will be taken away by a pervert!

Xiao Tianquan: What the hell? What pervert? The audacity! Who gave him the permission to touch Bro Bei's wife?!

Chen Xiaobei: No, it's not because he's brave but because my wife is too dazzling. I gotta go! Talk to you tomorrow! 

…

Screeeeeeeeech~~~~~"

The old-fashioned 'green train' finally came to screeching halt at the station in the village nearest to Kunlun. The infrastructure was lacking, the roads left in a state of disrepair and there was not a single car in sight.

Even the high and mighty Zhuo Qunfeng had to ride a horse into the mountains.

"The terrain is too rough for cars to drive on. And because the grand Sifu has an aversion to noise, helicopters are not allowed! The only way to get there is to ride to the first supply station, then walk for a little bit, and then we will need to hike all the way up!"

Zhuo Qunfeng, who had mounted a big reddish-brown stallion, smiled.

Luo Puti had chosen a beautiful white filly for the journey.

"I was actually thinking that we should go by foot now! Our legs are much stronger than the horses'!"

"Why are you in such a rush? Our expedition team is not leaving today. Even if we rush, it will take us a few days to get back! Isn't it better to just enjoy the ride and talk? We can chat while enjoying the view!"" Zhuo Qunfeng looked at Luo Puti, an unmistakable look of treachery lurking in his eyes. "The Kunlun Mountains are monumental and majestic! There are a lot of hidden, uncanny sceneries that not many people know about! I can show you around, bring you to see each of them!"

Zhuo Qunfeng was obviously trying to buttress Luo Puti's bad impression of him.

What he did not know was that Luo Puti's urgency was like a raging fire and the longer he dragged it, the more she would dislike him.

A while into their ride through the uninhabited mountains, Zhuo Qunfeng suddenly shouted, "Who is it?," his eyes cautiously scanning their surroundings.

A burly shadow emerged from the thick of the forest ahead, asking, "Do you happen to know Chen Xiaobei? I'm looking for Chen Xiaobei!"

Both Luo Puti and Zhuo Qunfeng were disturbed. Why would a person who had randomly appeared in the middle of this ancient forest look for Chen Xiaobei?

When the owner of the mysterious shadow came into view, he was a 2-meters tall, broad-shouldered beefcake in jeans and a t-shirt so tight it looked as if his muscles were going to explode!

"Who are you? Why are you looking for Chen Xiaobei?" Luo Puti asked.

She obviously cared very much for Chen Xiaobei.

"Oh? So, the two of you know Chen Xiaobei! Tell me where he is!" asked the strapping man, his tone commanding.

"You haven't answered my question yet!" asked Luo Puti, sensing danger.

"Who are you to ask me that question?" The burly man asked. "If you don't wish to suffer, tell me the whereabouts of this Chen Xiaobei now!"

"…"

Luo Puti's heart was racing. She had this queasy feeling that Chen Xiaobei was no match for this big, muscular man!

"Ahem!"

Zhuo Qunfeng cleared his throat. This was his chance to perform. Saving the damsel in distress was a better way to win her heart than showing her the beautiful view of the mountainous!

"Master Zhuo! Can I ask you for a favor?" Luo Puti's brows furrowed. "Can you help me find out that person's identity and purpose? I will repay you for your kindness!"

"Puti! You're too polite! Just call me Qunfeng! Let me take care of this for you!" Zhuo Qunfen grinned, he had taken the opportunity to call her by her name. Those unaware would have thought that they both shared a pretty intimate relationship.

"Stupid cow! Do you know who I, Zhuo Qunfeng, am?!" Zhuo Qunfeng pulled his reins and steered his horse next to the burly man.

"Who are you calling a stupid cow?" The man scowled.

"You can't even get your hands on that rubbish Chen Xiaobei! Stupid cow would be considered a very generous word for you! If you want the cold hard truth, then you are just like Chen Xiaobei, a piece of trash! Useless!" Zhuo Qunfeng said haughtily, "If you're tactful enough, you better answer Puti's question! Or I won't be so polite with you!"

"Are you very strong?" The man asked.

"Not very strong. I just reached 100,000 combat power this year." Zhuo Qunfeng smugly said.

100,000 combat power was not very strong?

Luo Puti wanted to smash his face in!

The man shrugged and said, "It's really not that strong. I give you three seconds to get out of my sight. Or I'll break all your limbs and destroy your cultivation!"

"What?! You piece of trash! How dare you speak to me like that?"

Zhuo Qunfengwas outraged!

He was the Kunlun Faction forth elder's grandson and a Celestial Cultivation core disciple! Everywhere Zhuo Qunfeng went, he was treated like he was a more superior than the people around him.

Even ancient faction leaders like Yue Changkong would not dare insult the likes of Zhuo Qunfeng!

Break all his limbs and destroy his cultivation?!

This was the first time anyone had ever spoken to Zhuo Qunfeng like that!

This man had gone way out of line!

"Oh, so you think you can bully me, eh?"

Zhuo Qunfeng sat on his horse, lifted his leg and kicked the man in the head!

Zhuo Qunfeng's kick was swift and powerful with the force of 100,000 combat power!

He held nothing back! He was not merely trying to teach the brawny man a lesson! This kick was fashioned to kill him!

"Master Zhuo! Don't kill him!" Luo Puti shrieked.

If the kick had landed on the head of a person with 80,000 combat power or lesser, his head would explode and he would have fallen to his death! But the brawny man did not so much as flinch. Instead, he turned around to shout, "Humph! You brainless fool! How dare you try to kill me! I won't spare your life either!"

Zing! Crack crack crack…

Metal armor suddenly materialized on his body!

"What… the hell."

Zhuo Qunfeng looked horrified, gripped with a sudden rush of fear.

The muscular man grabbed Qunfeng's feet by the ankle which was still in mid-air so he could not move it! No matter how hard he tried, his leg would just not budge!

"How the hell?!" Luo Puti gawped.

This display of strength attested that this muscular man was much stronger than Zhuo Qunfeng!

How did Chen Xiaobei manage to provoke such a formidable force?

Chen Xiaobei was as good as dead if he had found him.

Luo Puti was worried about was Chen Xiaobei even though it was Zhuo Qunfeng's leg that the muscular man's hand had wrapped around.

"Hey man! I think this is a misunderstanding. Let me go and we can talk…" Zhuo Qunfeng became submissive when he realized that his opponent could easily overpower him.

"Talk my ass!" barked the man relentlessly. He tugged at Zhuo Qunfeng's ankle and dragged him off his horse!

Bam! Bam! Bam…

Zhuo Qunfeng was suddenly a human ragdoll!

The brawny man still had his iron grip on Qunfeng's leg, and in a few swift moves, he slammed Qunfeng onto the ground so hard the ground shook and rocks crumbled. There were clouds of dust and sand everywhere as if the whole place was going to collapse!

The horses went berserk in fear, eager to get away.

Luo Puti was just as shocked by the scene before her but she had to dismount her horse anyway.

She did not expect to see the 100,000 combat powered Zhuo Qunfeng being swung around so helplessly. He looked so feeble!

Luckily, Zhuo Qunfeng had his True Kang Armor. Without it, every bone in his body would have been pound to dust!

But True Kang Armors were not invincible.

Each he hit the ground, Zhuo Qunfeng's True Qi would be reduced immensely. It would not be long before his True Qi was completely drained, dispersing his True Kang. Eventually, he would be smashed to death!

"Argh! It hurts! My leg is broken… Oh… Arghhh! My waist! God… Have mercy… I was wrong… I won't do it again…"

Zhuo Qunfeng's True Kang had finally shattered! All the poundings he received from now on brought him tremendous pain! His heart-wrenching scream pierced the still desert air!

"He's too strong… That's definitely 110,000 combat power, more or less… How in the world did Chen Xiaobei manage to provoke someone like that…"

Witnessing the man's behemoth strength unsettled Luo Puti. She uttered a silent prayer in the hopes this man would not be able to find Chen Xiaobei!

But what Luo Puti dreaded appeared before her!

"Oh, you guys are such a naughty pair! Did I come at the wrong time?" Chen Xiaobei gloated as he approached them from behind.

"Xiaobei! Don't come here! Run…" warned Luo Puti.

Chen Xiaobei smiled back at her instead. "My darling wife, I know that you worry, but don't treat me like I'm a weakling! I guarantee your husband really is strong!"

"Stop fooling around! Run away, fast! I'm not joking with you!"

Luo Puti strongly dismissed him. All she cared about was Chen Xiaobei being as far away from danger as possible.

"Don't even think about running away!"

The muscular man locked his gaze on Chen Xiaobei, tossed the battered Zhuo Qunfeng aside, and charged towards Chen Xiaobei.

"Shit!"

Luo Puti's heart nearly jumped out of her mouth as she watched the muscular man making his way towards them like a tank!

This was a super elite who had just smashed Zhuo Qunfeng! Even if Chen Xiaobei had wings, he would not be able to fly away!

"Puti! Let's run away now… Forget about that piece of trash… Or we'll both be buried with him…" Zhuo Qunfeng managed to croak with much difficulty.

With only one leg and a few other broken bones, the one and only Zhuo Qunfeng was only going to get away with Luo Puti's help.

"I won't go! Even if I die, I want to die with Chen Xiaobei!" Luo Puti was resolute. She had no plans to live alone, she was ready to draw her last breath with Chen Xiaobei!

This was not the first time Luo Puti and Chen Xiaobei stood by each other in the face of death! They have never abandoned each other and this time was no different!

"Silly wife. I won't die, and you won't either! Open your beautiful eyes and see that I will only need three seconds to beat this dimwit!" Chen Xiaobei's tone was calm but he was moving at lightning speed.

When Chen Xiaobei moved past Luo Puti, his entire demeanor drastically changed.

Chen Xiaobei, who was still as water on a windless day, suddenly exploded into a wild, turbulent wave! The calm before the storm had been broken! Those who went up against him would only result in their deaths!

"My god… What happened to Chen Xiaobei…"

Luo Puti's heart was thumping wildly inside her chest, and dumbstruck she had gotten.

"What a scary force… Even scarier than when grandfather got angry…"

Zhuo Qunfeng who was a pretty strong elite trembled when he felt Chen Xiaobei's intense vehemence.

This guy's grandfather was the Kunlun Faction's fourth elder – an Ethereal Cultivation Super Elite!

But Chen Xiaobei's force was much stronger than his grandfather's!

One could only imagine how frightening that was!

"What… in the world?!" Even that formidable muscleman slowed his pace down, feeling a little uneasy.

Ziing!

As he advanced toward his opponent, Chen Xiaobei swung his arm and a glowing black saber shot out from the center of his palm. This was the quintessence of the skill, Strip the King! Considering that Chen Xiaobei had already mastered this skill purposefully, the Qi Sword filled the air instantly even before he unleashed any attack on his enemy.

Before the saber even made contact with the enemy, the enemy was already quivering.

Ziing!

Finally, at the precise distance, Chen Xiaobei unleashed the blade.

Swish!

A black cyclone shot out like a raging dragon and spiralled around the blade!

Chen Xiaobei raised an eyebrow, a smirk on his face.

"The three second countdown – starts now!"

"What the hell?"

As the brawny man watched Chen Xiaobei rush towards him, he suddenly remembered what Shen Gongpao had told him earlier.

"Chen Xiaobei has a lot of Spiritual Items in his possession! He would have hundreds of ways to attack you! You must not underestimate him! When in doubt, focus on defending yourself. Don't advance and don't fall into that kid's snare!"

The burly man made a split-second decision – his will first have to focus on defending!

Only when he managed to decipher Chen Xiaobei's intentions would he then attack!

The muscular man stopped his advance and put up a defensive stance.

Little did he know, it was no ruse at all! Chen Xiaobei was just going to swing his saber at him, straight from the shoulder!

Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh…

Black saber in hand, Chen Xiaobei came striking down like lightning.

"Helm, breastplate, shoulder armor, knee plates, and boots!"

Chen Xiaobei growled. The blade fell, swift and thunderous, like flashes of light slicing through clouds!

Then in the next second, Chen Xiaobei withdrew his saber and pulled back.

"What… What just happened? That happened too fast… I didn't see anything… Is this Chen Xiaobei's strength?"

Luo Puti was floored.

Even though she did not see what exactly it was that Chen Xiaobei did, Luo Puti was certain that Chen Xiaobei was definitely stronger than he was during the Martial Arts Competition!

No! It was a lot stronger! So much more that there was no comparison!

"What the heck… That kid's combat power is also 100,000… But he looks like he's about five or six years younger than I am… How is that possible? Even the other top ancient factions don't have such brilliant prodigies…"

When Zhuo Qunfeng realized how strong Chen Xiaobei was, he was no less shaken than Luo Puti.

Zhuo Qunfeng was born and bred in Kunlun Faction. Since he was little, he had been trained by the best elites, received the best training methods, and enjoyed the most lavish of resources. All of the elites whose cultivation were higher than Chen Xiaobei were all older than him! Those who were the same age as Chen Xiaobei all had lower cultivation than his!

That was also saying that Chen Xiaoebei, an obscure, down-to-earth young man, had automatically prevailed over all of the top ancient factions in terms of cultivation!

That was mind-blowing!

"But 100,000 combat power is not enough to beat this guy!" Although he was in shock, Zhuo Qunfeng still knew better than anyone that the burly man's combat power was as high as 110,000! His combat power was already 100,000 and he barely survived that attack!

Chen Xiaobei's combat power was also 100,000 and although he was a prodigy, there was still no way he could defeat that crazy muscular man!

"Three seconds have already passed! Chen Xiaobei! You really are quite the loud-mouth! I'm perfectly fine! Are you surprised? Are you embarrassed? Hahaha…" The brawny man laughed.

He remained where he was, full of energy. Chen Xiaobei's attack had looked really fierce but it did not seem to have done any damage at all!

It was quite unnerving!

Luo Puti's split-second of relief vanished superseded by nerves of tension. There was no way Chen Xiaobei could vanquish such a powerful enemy! He would never be able to get out this alive!

All the color had drained from Zhuo Qunfeng's face. Just as he had predicted, Chen Xiaobei was going to be demolished!

There was no doubt in his mind that if the muscular man wins, he would certainly break all four Zhuo Qunfeng's limbs and then destroy his cultivation!

Just thinking about it devastated Zhuo Qunfeng greatly!

"Hehe, three seconds have indeed passed, but I've already won!" Chen Xiaobei said without so much as a batting an eyelid. His Black Saber already tucked away, as if he had no plans to fight again.

"Pfft! Here we are looking at the truth and there you are still lying away! You really don't know when to stop do you?" The muscular man barked. "I will incapacitate you, right now! We'll see what you have to say then!"

He took a step forward.

"This is it…" Luo Puti and Zhuo Qunfeng sighed hopelessly.

Crack! Crack crack crack…

Just then, a loud, crackling sound came from the muscular man's armor.

A thin fracture began to run down his helm, breastplate, shoulder armor, knee plates, and boots! The gap began to expand until suddenly, they fell apart almost all at once.

Cling! Clang!

The broken armor fell to the ground in pieces. Chen Xiaobei had cut through all of them!

"What… What in the world? My Abyssal War Armor… How… My god… How could this be…"

The burly man was too stunned to move, feeling like he had just been struck by lightning.

Bam!

Chen Xiaobei was already standing right in front of him, his arm curved around towards his opponent's face

"Oh… My god… How could this be…"

Luo Puti and Zhuo Qunfeng watched on, flabbergasted.

A second ago, they were more than certain that Chen Xiaobei was going to die. In the next second, they were witnessing Chen Xiaobei swing a palm at the muscular man?!

Were they only dreaming?

Luo Puti slapped her cheeks, still looking on in disbelief.

Zhuo Qunfeng pinched his arm, hard. It hurt! He was definitely not dreaming!

Smack smack smack…

Chen Xiaobei raised both his arms and struck the burly man with quick, consecutive slaps.

As he was hitting him, he shouted, "Just because you have a spiritual item that increases your combat power, you think you're indestructible? You think you can look down on me?"

"I just used three seconds to shatter your armor! I dare you show off in front of me again! I dare you to act in an arrogant manner again! I thought you are supposed to be super powerful?! How dare you say that you're going to incapacitate me? You really believe that you're so invulnerable?"

As he talked, Chen Xiaobei delivered over a hundred brutal slaps.

Luo Puti and Zhuo Qunfeng could almost feel the pain on their own faces.

The burly man's face had swollen so much, he looked like the suckling of a swine. Blood and teeth were flying everywhere. Whenever he parted his lips to beg, not a word seemed to get out!

"You should feel grateful that you said that you were only going to incapacitate me instead of killing me! If you had, I won't have spared you you!" The expression on Chen Xiaobei's face was grave. "I am a very reasonable person! You said that you were going to incapacitate me, so that's what I am going to do to you!"

"Sob… Sob…" The burly man let out a cry. He knew very well that Chen Xiaobei was not joking.

If Chen Xiaobei had been in the burly man's shoes and if he was the one who had gotten down on his knees and begged for mercy, the burly man would not have given in. So, there was no way he could, in turn, expect Chen Xiaobei to do otherwise for him.

Crack! Crack! Crack!

Chen Xiaobei used an old technique to mess up the muscular man's bones.

Luo Puti and Zhuo Qunfeng watched in both horror and fascination. They did not know that human bones could be crushed like that!

"That… That's a…." Luo Puti stammered, "Zhongzi?!"

"That's right! This is a zhongzi! I'll give it to my enemy as a present later so that he can enjoy this delicious pig-head zhongzi!" Chen Xiaobei grinned. "So, my dear wife, do you know how strong I am now?"

"Mm…" Luo Puti nodded her head robotically, still trying to digest what she had just witnessed.

The glacial, sagacious ice queen had turned into a startled little girl. She knew that Chen Xiaobei had worked very hard to heighten his strength as quickly as possible but she did not expect him to become so strong so quickly. It was mindlessly incredible!

"So, now you believe that that idiot won't be able survive one of my blows?" Chen Xiaobei glanced at Zhuo Qunfeng.

"I believe it now…" Luo Puti nodded; her opinion of Chen Xiaobei now completely reformed.

Her lack of confidence and worries had gradually turned into admiration to the point of reverence!

Her eyes sparkled like a dizzy fangirl as she looked adoringly at Chen Xiaobei.

Luo Puti used to agonize over Chen Xiaobei's safety because she thought his cultivation was hopelessly low. In fact, she wanted more than anything and anyone for Chen Xiaobei to become stronger. Today, after witnessing the results of Chen Xiaobei's hard work, she could not help but feel exhilarated.

Zhuo Qunfeng was beaten by the burly man, but the burly man was then beaten by Chen Xiaobei. This parallel comparison showed that Zhuo Qunfeng was no match for Chen Xiaobei!

"I have a question…" Zhuo Qunfeng asked. "How did you beat an 110,000 combat power elite when your speed and strength is only 100,000 combat power?"

"What makes you think you are in the position to ask me?"

Chen Xiaobei glared at Zhuo Qunfeng.

"No… No…" Zhuo Qunfeng clammed his mouth shut, and looked like he was going to faint with fear.

Even though he had escaped the grasp of the burly man, he still had to face Chen Xiaobei, whom he had been hostile to on the train earlier! Chen Xiaobei had not squared things off with him yet!

"Xiaobei! You can't kill him! I have to get the map, if I want to find the Black Desert!" Luo Puti pleaded.

When Zhuo Qunfeng heard this, he was so frightened he began to tear up. "Please don't kill me… I know now that I was wrong…. I won't do it again… I beg you please… Don't kill me… Ms. Luo… You have to help me… fine, fine… I'll give you the map!"

With his bones broken and Dantian all exhausted, it would not need a strong person to kill him.

His best and only bet was to beg Chen Xiaobei to spare his life.

He was lucky that he had the Black Desert map that Luo Puti needed. She would definitely speak on his behalf.

"XIaobei! You have to stay calm!" advised Luo Puti.

"Wifey, why are you so violent? Since when did I say I want to kill this idiot?" Chen Xiaobei asked.

"Ah…" Luo Puti stuttered, "Have I misunderstood…?"

"I am a very reasonable person! This asshole was just talking out of his ass. I won't want to kill him for that! In fact, he's already suffered enough, there's no need for me to kill him."

"Phew…" Zhuo Qunfeng exhaled. He got away by the skin of his teeth. "Thank you, Mr. Chen for sparing my life! Thank you, Mr. Chen for sparing my life! Thank you…"

"Don't thank me just yet! Not only will spare you, but I will also give you a treat!" Chen Xiaobei said as he approached him.

"Really? Mr. Chen! You really are such a kind person! I can't thank you enough…"

Zhuo Qunfeng's face lit up, looking both relieved and ecstatic.

Luo Puti's brows, however, were furrowed. This was not the Chen Xiaobei she knew!

He must have some motives hidden up his sleeve!

Luo Puti knew Chen Xiaobei all too well.

Crack crack crack…

Chen Xiaobei flung Zhuo Qunfeng around, making loud popping and pattering sounds like beans frying.

"Oh… Argh… Ahhh… Pain pain pain… It hurts…" Zhuo Qunfeng squealed like a pig for slaughter. He was sticky with sweat and the pain was much worse than when the burly man slammed him to the ground.

"Done!"

After about two minutes, Chen Xiaobei clapped his hands and said, "Your broken bones are reconnected, you can now move as normal."

"Ah? Oh… You're done… Thank you, Mr. Chen…" Pain throbbed all over his body so much so that Zhuo Qunfeng was sweating bullets. He reached out his hands to bow to Chen Xiaobei when he realized something was amiss!

"My hands! Where are my hands? Where have they gone to?" Zhuo Qunfeng shouted in a panic.

"What… How is that possible…" Luo Puti gawped at the frantic man like she was looking at a ghost.

"Don't panic! Look behind you!" Chen Xiaobei smirked.

"Be… hind?" Zhuo Qunfeng turned around to look behind him and what he saw made him want to bash his head against a rock.

Both of his arms were on his ass! They looked like two tails, flailing around behind him.

He was an attractive young man with hands growing out of his butt! He would rather die than live like this.

"Mr. Chen… Please don't mess with me… Are you helping me or setting me up? Please put my hands back… I beg you…"

Zhuo Qunfeng's eyes were wet with tears. He was on his knees, begging desperately.

"Don't worry! This is a long lost technique, Bone and Sinew Shifting Technique! If I can break you, I can also fix you." Chen Xiaobei said. "You have one hour to put the Black Desert map in my hands. Only then will I fix you. If you try to pull anything funny, you will live with these two tails for the rest of your life. Because apart from me, no one else can help you!"

Zhuo Qunfeng jumped to his feet, and said, "No problem! I'll be back in one hour!"

Within minutes, he had already disappeared into the forest ahead. Even though his True Qi had been exhausted, he still had 110,000 health. One hour was enough time for him to make a round trip!

"Xiaobei… You're incredible…" Luo Puti exclaimed, chewing on her lip.

She felt like her entire outlook of the world had been completely revamped. It was as if she had just met Chen Xiaobei.

But both Chen Xiaobei and Luo Puti were not sure about Zhuo Qunfeng. Only god knew whether he really grateful to Chen Xiaobei.

Right now, Chen Xiaobei had given him a pair of 'tails'. He would be only sabotaging himself if he tried to set them up now!

"Now, you know how good I am?" Chen Xiaobei grinned. "There's something even better – watch this!"

"Wang Cai! Come out! I know you're hiding nearby!" Chen Xiaobei called out.

"Who is Wang Cai?"

Taken aback, Luo Puti noticed there was something moving in the woods. Seconds later, a giant wolf walked out from the woods in an apprehensive manner and stared at Chen Xiaobei. It did not dare to move a single muscle with Chen Xiaobei standing there.

"Wang Cai… Save… Save me…" said the zhongzi man in distress.

"There's no way that it will save you! Wang Cai is not stupid!"

"Wang Cai! Come to me if you want to spare yourself a good beating!" said Chen Xiaobei while moving his finger.

Upon hearing the order, Wang Cai walked to Chen Xiaobei in an obedient manner. The truth was that Chen Xiaobei had already talked to Xiao Tianquan earlier. That was why he knew Wang Cai was here to give him the Returning Bracelet. In order to make sure that Wang Cai's cover was not blown, Chen Xiaobei had no choice but to threaten it.

"I managed to pick up the bracelet that you dropped last time! This item made my life so much easier! I think you should wear it this time!"

Chen Xiaobei then squinted and looked at Wang Cai's front paw. Just as expected, there was a new Returning Bracelet on it.

"Aowoo…"

Wang Cai wailed to show that it was forced into a bad circumstance. Its sad gaze managed to show everyone that it was unwilling to give the Returning Bracelet to its enemy and its emotions clearly spelled that it was extremely afraid of getting a beating. If there was an Oscar Awards for animals, Wang Cai would definitely be crowned at the best actor of the century. It was no wonder that Xiao Tianquan would assign Wang Cai as spy.

"Give me the Retuning Bracelet right now! If you don't, I will kill you on the spot! Of course! I will kill that shitty piece of zhongzi as well!"

Well, Chen Xiaobei's acting skills were not too bad as well. Seeing that Wang Cai was trying its best put on a good act, Chen Xiaobei would definitely cooperate with it to come up with a good show. Judging by Chen Xiaobei's emotion and tone, he was definitely qualified to be crowned best actor as well.

"No… Don't kill me… No!!!"

"Wang Cai! Give him the Returning Bracelet now! I will bear all the consequences… Wang Cai! Give it to him now! Why are you still standing there? Are you trying to kill me?"

Upon hearing that, Chen Xiaobei and Wang Cai were laughing out loud inside their hearts. After the zhongzi man dropped the order, Wang Cai could finally hand the Returning Bracelet over to Chen Xiaobei without any worries. And since Chen Xiaobei claimed that he would bear all responsibilities, Wang Cai did not need to worry that it would get investigated by the authorities.

Klak!

Wang Cai opened the Returning Bracelet with its will, gently picked it up with its mouth and brought it to Chen Xiaobei.

"Good doggie!"

Right after Chen Xiaobei received the Returning Bracelet, he opened the portal.

"Now you guys can go back to wherever the hell you come from!"

Chen Xiaobei then landed a hard kick on the zhongzi man, sending him flying into the portal.

Around ten seconds later, the portal closed.

At the same time, Luo Puti just stood there, motioness and stunned by what she had just witnessed. It was like a sci-fi movie to her. She even thought she was just dreaming. Subconsciously, she landed a light slap on her face and quickly realized that she was indeed not dreaming.

"Wifey! I know that you must have a lot of questions that you want to ask me, right? There are no outsiders here right now. Just ask my anything. I will tell out all the secrets that I have with me! I want to let you know that you don't have to worry about me anymore!" said Chen Xiaobei with a smile.

He then waited for Luo Puti to ask her questions. Clearly, the reason why Luo Puti was always so worried about Chen Xiaobei was because she did not know of his true strength. If she did know about Chen Xiaobei's secret, she would have not needed to worry that much over him.

"You are right… I do have a lot of questions that I want to ask you…"

Luo Puti then organized her thoughts and asked her first question.

"What's with that muscular guy and that dog?"

"Erm… They are actually from other planets… They could be considered allies of my enemy!"

Chen Xiaobei then lifted his hand and continued, "This thing around my wrist is called a Returning Bracelet. It can send me back to the location of my enemies ."

"Erm…"

Luo Puti had never expected that there were aliens from other planets. The muscular guy was actually a One-Star Heavenly General and that hound was a Heavenly Military Hound. Technically speaking, the two of them could be considered deities that came from the heavens. The reason why Chen Xiaobei did not tell Luo Puti the whole truth was because he was afraid that she would not believe his outrageous words.

For now, Luo Puti might have found it hard to believe in the alien theory. However, the existence of the Returning Bracelet had made her mind slowly take in the things that Chen Xiaobei had told her earlier. And the heavenly realm was in fact, located amongst the universe. Calling those deities as aliens would actually be truth as well.

"It's actually a long story… I was given this golden opportunity to further improve myself in other planets! And you should know my temperement better than anyone else. I respect those who respect me! And I slap those who look down on me! That's how I make them my enemies!"

"Then how did you defeat that enemy of yours with 110,000 combat power while you have only 100,000 combat power? That just makes no sense to me!"

"You are right. I'm weaker than him! But, the weapon that I'm holding is really powerful! I can basically defeat all those who are below Ethereal Cultivation! And I can destroy any Seven-Star Spiritual Item with it!"

"This…"

"Actually, the muscular guy that you saw just now was only a 90,000 combat power elite! The Spiritual Armor that he wore increased his combat power by another 20,000! The moment I shattered his armor, he could no longer defeat me anymore! That's why I could defeat him with ease! If he really possessed all 110,000 combat power on his own, I would have needed some more time to defeat him unless he's willing to stand there and let me attack him point blank!"

While talking, Chen Xiaobei picked up the shattered armor on the floor.

"What are you doing?"

"This is a Five-Star Spiritual Item. Though it's broken, I think I can melt it and craft into a brand new Spiritual Item!"

"What?! You know how to craft weapons and armor?"

Luo Puti was shocked by Chen Xiaobei again. Seemingly, she would need to get to know Chen Xiaobei a lot more.

"I know a bit of it! It's still early! Do you want to take a stroll on other planets?"

"Is… Is that okay? What if we cross path with your enemies?"

"Don't worry about it. I still have another Returning Bracelet! The place we are about to go is absolutely safe!"

Chen Xiaobei then smiled and took out another Returning Bracelet.

Buzz…

Another grey portal appeared.

"Don't worry! Hold on tight!" Chen Xiaobei took Luo Puti's hand and led her into the black projection.

In a blink of an eye, they were in an entirely different place.

The rhombus-shaped sun and purple sky had Luo Puti gaping.

That's right!

This was that secret place that Chen Xiaobei discovered!

Right in the center of that space, there was a portal that led into the cave behind a giant waterfall in Silver Plume Forest.

In a manner of speaking, this space could be said to be located within Silver Plume Planet itself.

Of course, Chen Xiaobei was not really going bring Luo Puti to Silver Plume Planet. He merely wanted to get her used to the space.

Only after Chen Xiaobei had finally settled down only would he think about really bringing his friends and family over.

"Wow! This is amazing! The grass and the trees are completely different from those on earth! The sky… and the dense Spiritual Qi's… My god…"

Luo Puti soon found herself completely immersed in this alternative world, where everything seemed to pique her interest.

She was especially excited about the dense Spiritual Qi that filled the air.

Spiritual Qi were an important resource to every cultivator!

Back on earth, due to the scarcity of Spiritual Qi, many of the Jianghu people would fight each other just to get their hands on them. A destructive war could break out among factions in a bid to possess an underground Spiritual Path!

For all Luo Puti knew, there were more Spiritual Qi here in this world than there were in any of the factions on earth!

Only a supreme ancient faction like Kunlun could possibly own an underground Spiritual Path with more Spiritual Qi than this!

Of course, her excitement quickly cooled down.

"I believe you! But how are we going to go back? I need to get that map! I have to!" Luo Puti asked in a grave tone.

Clearly, right now, all Luo Puti had in her mind was finding her parents.

Before this though, there was no space in her heart for anything else!

Chen Xiaobei smiled, "I brought you here. Of course, I could bring you back!"

"How? Don't you lie to me!" Luo Puti's forehead crinkled.

"After I've marked a place using the Returning Bracelet, I can return to that place no matter where I go! Take this place for example, I've already marked this place. So, say we came here from Bei Xuan faction, we can definitely return to Bei Xuan Faction from here! Now, since we came here from Mount Kunlun, we can also return to Kunlun in the same way."

"Would it be as fast as how we came?"

"Yes!" Chen Xiaobei nodded and said. "So, you can hang around here, absorb some Spiritual Qi until we have to leave. We don't have to wait in the mountains."

"Alright. Then I can relax now…" Luo Puti sighed, the tension on her face began to slowly disappear.

…

In the main hall of Erlang's Divine Being Temple of Guanjiang in the Heavenly Relam, sat two special deities.

One of them was draped in a black priest's frock, having a strong aura emanating from his presence. Like a spreading ripple of water, everyone around him could feel his Dao slowly filling up the air. Clearly, he was someone extremely powerful!

The other one was clad in metal armor, his posture firm and steady. You could tell, at first glance, that he was an unmatched, seasoned soldier! A feature that stood out on his face was the third eye in the middle of his forehead, located slightly above his brows!

"Shishu Shen! It's getting pretty late. Will that person you've sent succeed?" The three-eyed warrior was the master of this temple, Erlang Shen, Yang Jian!

Because Yang Jian's Sifu was Yunding Zhenren, one of the Twelve Golden Deities of Chanism and the Chanism's third generation disciple, he was one rank lower than the man in the black frock. This was why he addressed this guest as Shishu!

The person surnamed Shen was, obviously, none other than Shen Gongpao himself!

"Do you even have to ask? I have already taken everything into consideration!" Shen Gongpao wore a profound look on his face. "Chen Xiaobei's cultivation is about 100,000 combat power. Because of the earthly realm's law, the person I sent had to limit his cultivation to 90,000. So I gave him a Spiritual Item that could increase his combat power by 20,000! In total, that should be more than enough to overpower Chen Xiaobei!"

"Shishu Shen! By doing this, won't it destroy the balance of the earthly realm?" Yang Jian asked, his tone filled with concern.

Because items in the heavenly realm were so powerful, they could not be simply brought down to the earthly realm. What Shen Gongpao did had violated the law of the human realm, laid down by the Ancestral Lord, Hong Diao!

"That, you don't have to worry about!" Shen Gongpao said confidently, "With the Chanism in charge and the Primordial Lord of Heaven present, I am very sure the three realms won't fall into chaos!"

"Yes… I understand…" nodded Yang Jian.

The moment the Primordial Lord of Heaven was mentioned, Yang Jian dared not raise any doubtsg.

After all, Sheng Gongpao had replaced Jiang Ziya and was now the Primordial Lord of Heaven's spokesperson put in charge of the Divine Whip.

This meant that all these clandestine, cloak-and-dagger acts of Shen Gongpao were most likely from the direct orders of Primordial Lord of Heaven's himself. How was this any of Yang Jian's business?

"I think it's almost time." Shen Gongpao said. "I have Chen Xiaobei's location accurately mapped out. The Heavenly General will now be able to find Chen Xiaobei right away! With such a huge differential in strength, he should be able to win without a problem, but why hasn't he returned yet?…"

Zzzzzoooom!

Suddenly, a loud sound came from the center of the main hall and a black projection appeared.

"They're back!" Yang Jian sat up straight, all three of his eyes stared fixated on the projection.

"I knew it! This is all as I have conjectured! This time, it will succeed! Chen Xiaobei can only be killed! Haha… Ah! Hack hack hack…"

Sheng Gongpao's laughter turned into a violently choking fit as something suddenly rolled out of the projection. He was nearly asphyxiated by his own saliva.

Wang Cai was the first to come though. Nothing unusual there.

It was what came in next that looked very unusual.

From afar, it looked like a piece of meat, but upon closer inspection, it was a pig's head!

Even Yang Jian was so shocked, he screamed at the top of his voice, "God! Where did this monster of a pig came from?!"

"Erlang Zhenjun… That's not a monster or a pig… That's Heavenly General Wang…" Wang Cai said meekly. "Chen Xiaobei beat him up…"

"What?! How is that possible?!" Erlang Shen's eyes widened in disbelief.

"What…" Shen Gongpao felt a stinging sensation on his face. He had sent his best man to get rid of Chen Xiaobei but in the end, it was Chen Xiaobei who had the last laugh!

This was a very painful slap in the face! Excruciating!

Ding

Shen Gongpao's item made a sound.

When he took out the piece of smooth jasper token, a message appeared on the surface.

Chen Xiaobei: Shixiong Shen! Duan Wu Festival is near. I've sent you a pig head zhongzhi! Wishing you a Happy Duanwu Festival! 

Happy Duanwu Festival!

Blarrggh…

When Shen Gongpao read Chen Xiaobei's message to him, he he almost puked blood all over the main hall's ceiling.

He was so confident that he had everything estimated to perfection, so sure that the person that he had sent to kill Chen Xiaobei would be able to finish the job in one go without so much as a hiccup. He did not think that there was even a chance Chen Xiaobei would be able to fight back! But the fact was that, Chen Xiaobei had countered his attack so lethally!

Heavenly General Wang was beaten so badly he resembled a pig's head. Was that not a tight, heavy slap to Shen Gongpao? The emoticon '' Chen Xiaobei attached in the message was a blatant, in-your-face mockery.

"How did this happen… This is atrocious… Too atrocious… I even swore to the Lord of Primordial Heaven that this plan would succeed… Why did this happen…" Shen Gongpao's face had turned a shade greener, losing much of its color.

It was a small matter to lose face, but a major one to disappoint the Lord of Primordial Heaven.

His meticulously planned operation resulted in a double loss. He was left morose.

"Shishu Shen… What do you think we should do?" Yang Jian asked.

Sheng Gongpao ignored him, turning his piercing gaze to Heavenly General Wang. "Tell me! What the hell happened?! Tell me everything! I want to know exactly where it was that I miscalculated!"

"Black… Black saber…" The Heavenly General managed to mutter with much difficultly. "Chen Xiaobei has a very sharp black saber… It cut right through my armor… So my cultivation was reduced to its original state…"

"Black saber? What black saber? Why don't I know anything about it?!" shouted Shen Gongpao.

"I don't know much about it… but all I know is that there is a Dragon Qi on the saber… It was scornful and arrogant! Powerful! Its Sword's Qi was enough to make me tremble in fear!"

Heavenly General Wang shuddered uneasily recollecting the black saber's frightful characteristics.

"Dragon Qi? There is no such thing in the human realm!" Sheng Gongpao was pissed.

"There is!" Yang Jun spoked up. "During one of the Red Envelope Snatching Sessions, NeZha stole the Demonic Black Dragon Bone from his father! Chen Xiaobei has the Red Envelope!"

"Demonic Black Dragon Bone?" The wrinkles on Shen Gongpao's forehead deepened. "Li Jing, that stupid fool! How could he let a little brat rob him of such a valuable gem! How mindless of him!"

Yang Jun kept quiet. Not bad-mouthing Le Jing behind his back was what a true gentleman would do.

"But even if he had the Demonic Black Dragon Bone, there was no way it could have strayed so far from my calculations! I have even looked into the future to set Chen Xiaobei up! How could there have been any cracks?!"

"That's actually possible!" Yang Jun said, "With Chen Xiaobei's limited abilities, it would be impossible that he forged the Demonic Black Dragon Bone! The black saber must have been made by the Prime of Tongtian himself! Other than the Ancestral Lord, no one else could look into the future of the Prime of Tongtian!"

Shen Gongpao gasped at the stunning revelation, "Are you saying that the black saber had taken on the Prime of Tongtian's fate. Is that why I failed to see this outcome?!"

"That's right!" Yang Jiann nodded. "The operation failed because of this black saber!"

"Black saber…" Sheng Gongpao computed for a moment and then exclaimed, "You really are exceptionally intelligent! I will just pin the failure of this operation on Tongtian! Then only will I be able to report my mission to the Lord of Primordial Heaven!"

Shen Gongpao had given his word to the Prime of Tongtian that this time the operation would be a confirmed success. Without a rational reason to justify the failure of his mission, Sheng Gongpao would be severely punished, if not, eternally remembered for his incompetence to complete a given task.

But thanks to Yang Jian, Shen Gongpao found the perfect excuse to get himself off the hook. He suddenly felt as if all the weight on his shoulders had fallen off.

"Shishu will be meeting the Lord of Primordial Heaven, right? Then I won't keep you…" Yang Jian said.

"That's right! I'll go see him now and explain the issue of the black saber! We'll need to come up with a better plan to take Chen Xiaobei down!"

Shen Gongpao immediately got up from his seat, bid Yang Jian farewell, and left the temple.

Shortly after, Yang Jian also left his seat and walked to Heavenly General Wang. "Let me take a look at your injuries…

"Thank you, Zhenjun… You are always so good to your subordinates…" Heavenly Guard Wang's eyes were filled with emotion. "Before the mission… Shen Gongpao treated me very well… He promised me so many good things… But now when I am in trouble… He doesn't care for me at all… A friend in need is a friend indeed… Zhenjun, you are a million times better than him!"

"You are only to speak these words to me! Once you step out these doors, you have to keep them only to yourself! Not a single word can be said!" warned Yang Jian.

"Yes… I know…" Heavenly General had been warned. "Are my injuries… treatable?"

"This 'technique' is very unusual! I've never seen anything like this before…"

Yang Jun proceeded to examine every skeletal joint of the Heavenly General. After a long and thoughtful silence, he announced, "If I'm right, this attack is the combination of Skeletal Queen's Enneadic Skeletal Yin Claw and a traditional Chinese doctor's healing technique to fix someone's bone…"

Heavenly General Wang's voice trembled, "Does that mean there's no cure…"

"I wouldn't dare attempt to fix you…. A small mistake could cripple you for the rest of your life…" Yang Jun sighed. "This Chen Xiaobei really made it difficult! I'll bring in the Skeletal Queen and some Traditional Chinese Medicine doctors from the underworld… we'll see if they have a way… I can only tell you to not despair but to also not to get your hopes up…"

Heavenly Guard Wang felt as if the world had stopped spinning.

Even with the help of Skeletal Queen and Traditional Chinese Medicine doctors, he was not allowed to be hopeful?!

It seemed that the only person who could solve this strange displacement of bones was Chen Xiaobei!

Other than him, even a god would find it difficult to fix this problem!

…

Mount Kunlun

At the temple on top of the mountain.

Zhao Qunfeng had already been standing in the hall for half an hour.

About seven or eight white-haired Daoists encircled him, inspecting his body for a good half hour.

"Forth Elder… This injury…" the oldest elder said, as he eyed the tails on Zhuo Qunfeng's backside, and shook his head in frustration. "There is nothing we can do… Even if we ask Sifu to help us, it would be useless… You will have to decide what to do yourself…"

The Forth Elder that he addressed earlier was Zhuo Qunfeng's grandfather, Zhuo Yaolong.

"Thank you, grand elder and all the other elders for coming. Since there is no cure, I won't keep you then…"

Zhuo Yaolong then thanked them and bid them farewell.

All of them then proceeded to retreat from the temple.

"Grandfather… Grandfather you have to save me… I'm your only grandson… With my hands sticking out from my butt… I don't have any dignity left to live… You will lose face too…"

Tears were rolling down Zhuo Qunfeng's cheeks as he frantically begged the old man.

"You think I don't want to help you?" Zhuo Yaolong said, "You know the core elders! Their Traditional Chinese Medicine skills are the best! If people like them cannot do anything, then there's no use consulting your Grand Sifu!

"Then what should we do?…"

Zhuo Qunfeng felt like banging his head against the wall.

"You have offended someone really powerful this time!" Zhuo Qunfeng said. "Take the Black Desert manuscript map that I charted and go beg that elite… We can only hope that he will show you some mercy… That is the only option left…"