"How did you get out?"
Li Wen was extremely puzzled at this moment. He had previously used the Beast Trapping Array to ensnare Qin Shu. Even a cultivator at Level 10 Qi Refinement would be helpless within its confines. This was one of his trump cards.
"Oh? Brother Li, do you want to know? It's a secret," Qin Shu replied cryptically, shaking his left index finger and tilting his head slightly.
"However, Brother Li, you're quite treacherous. One moment ago, you were planning to ambush me, and the next, you took advantage of others' vulnerability to snatch the beast cores. Not only that, but you also wanted to annihilate them. Isn't that the behavior of a ruthless bandit?"
Qin Shu's gaze shifts between the weakened Xuanyuan Quanlong, Zi Yue, and Qing Yuan behind him and Li Wen.
"This world doesn't have much use for the weak. Brother Shi, perhaps you could assist in dealing with him."
Li Wen's eyes turned cold. One of the Golden Armor Soldiers by his side suddenly lunged forward, attacking Qin Shu with a long saber. Li Wu and Shi Qian Feng also moved to flank Qin Shu from the left and right.
"Let's see how you'll escape this one."
Li Wen's mouth curled up in a smug expression. In his imagination, he could already see Qin Shu's impending defeat. According to his perception, Qin Shu was at most Level 5 Qi Refinement, while on their side, they had two at Level 5 Qi Refinement and one at Level 6. No matter how he calculated it, there was no way they could be at a disadvantage.
Xuanyuan Quanlong quickly warned Qin Shu, "Brother Qin, be careful. Shi Qianfeng is at Level 6 Qi Refinement!"
"Level 6 Qi Refinement? So am I!"
Qin Shu's eyes changed when he saw Shi Qianfeng closing in. He activated the Great Strength Art within him and unleashed the Space-Breaking Fist to deliver a powerful punch.
Upon seeing Qin Shu charging toward him, Shi Qianfeng's expression slightly changed. He could feel that Qin Shu's aura was now on par with his, and even slightly surpassed his. If he didn't defend himself, both of them might end up leaving the scene.
Shi Qianfeng altered his attack to defend against Qin Shu's strike.
Qin Shu's blow, however, missed Shi Qianfeng and landed squarely on Li Wu. Li Wu spat out a mouthful of blood and staggered backward, crashing to the ground.
Li Wen's eyes reddened with fury. Upon seeing the Golden Armor Soldier was already in front of Qin Shu, he cursed fiercely. "Let's see how you dodge!"
Bang!
The anticipated sight of Qin Shu tumbling to the ground never materialized. Instead, a massive boulder smashed into the Golden Armor Soldier, sending his knife off course. Upon seizing the moment, Qin Shu struck out, shattering the Golden Armor Soldier's soul.
The Golden Armor Soldier staggered back, fading into nothingness within moments. In a mere instant, the situation had taken a dramatic turn.
A towering figure advanced from the direction of the stone's origin. It was Zhao He, the competitor who had previously faced off against Qin Shu.
"Zhao He, Brother Zhao!" Xuanyuan Quanlong's heart sank at the sight, fearing that Qin Shu might have rushed in recklessly. However, it turned out Qin Shu had a backup plan.
"That was too close," Qin Shu muttered to himself. Had the Golden Armor Soldiers struck him just then, he might not have been able to evade their attack. Even if he had narrowly dodged, he would have sustained injuries.
"Thankfully, I encountered Zhao He on the way. Otherwise, my chances of winning would have been slim."
Qin Shu glanced at the other outer sect disciples who brandished their weapons but hesitated to approach, secretly mocking their indecisiveness.
"I underestimated you."
Li Wen looked at Shi Qianfeng and the other outer sect disciples who had withdrawn. He regretted not eliminating Qin Shu earlier when he had the chance, instead leaving such a troublesome situation for himself.
"You're too kind, Brother Li," Qin Shu replied with a hint of disdain in his tone.
"Brother Qin, Brother Zhao, how about we make amends? We can go together to seize others' Beast Cores, and the two of you can take the lion's share. What do you say?"
"Even if you intend to assist them, they won't bring you any benefits and might even drag both of you down. However, if the two of you cooperate with me and work together, we can certainly secure those inner sect disciple spots!"
Li Wen attempted to negotiate, aware that a continued confrontation would be detrimental to both sides. They might not even be able to defeat Qin Shu, given that Zhao He was also at Level 6 Qi Refinement.
In essence, besides Shi Qianfeng at Level 6 Qi Refinement, Li Wen, the Golden Armor Soldier, and Li Wu on the ground were all at Level 5 Qi Refinement. The others were mostly at Level 3 or Level 4 Qi Refinement.
While they could engage in battle, it would come at great cost, and the outcome remained uncertain. This was the last thing Li Wen desired.
Although initially wanting to eliminate Qin Shu due to the previous grievances, Li Wen now realized that Qin Shu's rate of growth was beyond his comprehension.
Instead of continuing the fight, it made more sense to bring them into the fold. After all, it was unwise to make unnecessary enemies.
"Alright, but you need to hand over your Golden Armor Soldiers and compensate us with 100 Beast Cores," Qin Shu interrupted Zhao He, who was about to curse. Given the situation, he wanted to make the most of it and extract concessions from Li Wen. As for cooperation, it was out of the question unless he lost his mind.
"Okay!" Li Wen clenched his teeth and stowed away the Golden Armor Soldiers. Li Wu, who had risen from the ground, hesitated for a moment but surrendered the bag from his waist upon seeing Li Wen's gaze.
"Yes, indeed, there are a hundred Beast Cores." Qin Shu used his spiritual energy to confirm the contents of the storage bag.
"How about it? Is my sincerity sufficient, Brother Qin?" Li Wen apologized to Qin Shu, bowing at a 90-degree angle.
"Yes, yes, your sincerity is greatly appreciated. Brother Zhao, I'll go first. You should join us soon." Qin Shu signaled Zhao He with a look and walked towards Li Wen. Xuanyuan Quanlong, Ziyue, and Qingyuan wore disappointed expressions as they followed behind him.
"Sigh, a wise man gets what he can."
Xuanyuan Quanlong recognized the vast difference between their situations. He hadn't helped Qin Shu before, so he didn't expect any assistance in return. Qin Shu's decision not to take advantage of their plight already demonstrated his integrity. In hindsight, he might as well have let Li Wen kill him.
Li Wen maintained a smile but secretly wished to eliminate Qin Shu immediately. Although he had provoked the situation, he never thought he was in the wrong.
"Brother Li, it's been a pleasure working with you." Qin Shu walked to a spot not far from Li Wen and extended his hand as a sign of goodwill.
Li Wen also walked closer, about to reach out his hand, when he suddenly witnessed Qin Shu's surge in power, reaching Level 6 Qi Refinement. Qin Shu's clenched fist struck toward his chest at lightning speed.
Li Wen was shocked. He knew that Qin Shu certainly wasn't genuinely interested in cooperating with him, but he hadn't expected Qin Shu to backpedal so quickly.
Shi Qianfeng, who intended to intervene, was halted by Zhao He and could do nothing for now.
The other outer sect disciples were left bewildered, unsure of how to react.
"You win!" Li Wen knew he wouldn't have time to retrieve his talisman paper. He could only defend as best as he could against Qin Shu's attack, but he had overestimated his capabilities, just as he had taunted earlier.
"Don't hurt my brother!" Just as the two fists were about to collide, a fiery red figure appeared behind Li Wen. This figure also clenched their fist, exuding an even stronger aura.
Qin Shu frowned, realizing that he was too late to defend. He could only forcibly adjust his direction and target the newcomer.
With a loud crash, both figures were sent flying simultaneously. Qin Shu landed hard on a large rock, while Li Wu was quickly caught by Li Wen, suffering less than Qin Shu.
"Brother, you can do it." Li Wu was at his limit, and with the axe from his waist, he handed it to Li Wen before his body gradually faded, withdrawing from the assessment.
"No, don't!" Li Wen's heart sank. He and his younger brother, Li Wu, had invested everything into this assessment, and there was no turning back. Losing now would mean losing everything.
After struggling to get up, Qin Shu was supported by Xuanyuan Quanlong and Ziyue as he watched Li Wen kneel on the ground in a daze.