Chapter 94 - 72-81

Chapter 72 ~ Moss (4)

When the half pill landed in Liu Xing's mouth, the moss-fox's eye widened, fury and worry radiating from its green eye. In desperation, it tried to extend its moss-fingers to catch half of the pill, making it look like long green poles, but Liu Xing's right hand lashed out with a thin lightning needle. The lightning needle glowed with yellow hue, and sliced through the extended finger.

As the half pill landed on the ground, the moss-fox roared and kicked the ground, launching itself like a rocket, creating a huge cloud of dust behind it. All this effort was for a half pill only a few meters away from it.

Liu Xing whipped his lightning needle again. It bent like a kite string as Liu Xing felt a surge of qi explode from his mouth. It felt like molten rock surging through his entire body.

This feeling of qi tearing through his muscles, tendons, and bones was agonizing. His skin suddenly turned red, as if he had just emerged from boiling water, and the world seemed to slow down. Liu Xing could see the moss-fox's hand trace a path in the ground, trying to scoop up the pill that was now only about half a meter away. As the world slowed down, Liu Xing realized that his body was transforming.

Additional information 4: It's recorded that these pills are considered high-quality, although their effect is not as great for cultivators with high realms. Each pill can greatly enhance a cultivator's muscles, bones, tendons, and all organs, making the body stronger and more resilient. Thus, they were named Diamond Pills by the alchemist, Zhang Ye, who concocted them.

Additional information 5: Diamond Pills also strengthen the qi meridian.

A meridian is a path where qi flows. When someone tries to activate a technique using a cycling pattern, they alter the flow of qi in the meridian. Thus, the meridian is one of the vital parts of a cultivator, and strengthening it directly strengthens a cultivator.

As Liu Xing felt his body transforming, he tried to activate the Exploding Technique. But this time, Liu Xing poured much more qi into the technique, double or even triple the normal amount he usually used. Usually, pouring too much qi into a technique is dangerous, as the meridian could rupture. But after feeling his whole body transforming, Liu Xing decided to go ahead and activate the Exploding Technique with triple the amount of qi he used. When the technique was activated and the gun absorbed it, Liu Xing smiled ferociously.

"Eat this!"

Liu Xing fired, and six bullets with brilliant blue light shot rapidly at the moss-fox. As the fox successfully scooped up the half pill, six bullets hit the moss-fox.

Six explosions bloomed and then merged into one giant explosion, creating a sound so loud it felt like a bomb had gone off in his ears. The ground trembled like an earthquake, and the brilliant light was so bright it bathed the gray spires, while the shockwave it created blew away the green mist that filled the entire area.

Seeing the big explosion, Liu Xing's heart felt elated. He had only eaten half of the pill, and yet, the effect of the bullets infused with Exploding Fist was so strong, Liu Xing doubted anyone in the Lock Opening realm could withstand it. What would happen if he ate a whole pill? Or even two?

Despite his elation, Liu Xing remained cautious. While the explosion was powerful, it could not be compared to his first attack on the fox using Thunderstrike Gauntlets.

After a few moments, the dust cloud surrounding the moss-fox dispersed, and Liu Xing could clearly see the moss-fox. Its head was truly gone, exploded into smithereens. What remained was a blackened and charred stump of a neck, with a little green blood seeping from the destroyed neck, like magma seeping through charred ground. Its two green wings were also gone, as well as its left hand. Its right hand, the one that had tried to scoop up the pill, was still intact, but instead of green, it was black, like a branch that had been inserted into a roaring fire and then pulled out when it looked like charcoal. There were two fingers still intact, positioned as if someone were pinching a marble, and yet, there was nothing between those fingers.

Seeing this, Liu Xing smiled. It seemed like the half pill had turned to dust as well.

"Seems like I win," Liu Xing muttered. He glanced at his gun, expecting the strips on the side of the gun to glow slightly, but there were no green strips, and no glow. Seeing this, Liu Xing's eyes widened.

The moss-fox was still alive!

As if on cue, the charred neck suddenly bubbled, like boiling water, then green moss erupted and slowly formed a new head. Seeing this, Liu Xing realized that the fox was really dead, but its cultivation as well as its body now belonged to the moss. As he had this thought, he saw the remaining charred flesh oozing with green moss, as if its whole body was bleeding with green blood. Then, the moss began to sizzle, as if it were an acid eating away at the flesh. The green mist that had already been blown away suddenly swirled crazily around the moss-fox.

Seeing this, Liu Xing realized that the moss was probably giving up the fox body. The moss had been so insistent on consuming the Diamond Pills, and Liu Xing suspected the reason was because the pills would strengthen the fox's body to the maximum. If the moss's main goal was to possess the fox, then it made sense to strengthen the fox body before finally possessing it. There was a question of why the fox hadn't consumed the pills and instead guarded them, but unless that fox revived, he likely wouldn't get an answer.

The point was, the moss was giving up the fox body, which meant it didn't need to consume Diamond Pills anymore. This meant it was either very angry at Liu Xing and wanted to kill him with all the power it had, or it wanted to jump to a new host.

Liu Xing tried to sense the qi of the moss and realized that while it was stronger than before, it wasn't too overwhelming. But he needed to be cautious, after all, some spirit beasts had unique and troublesome abilities. He hoped the moss didn't have anything involving mind attacks.

While the moss was still transforming, Liu Xing decided to turn his body and kick the ground. He scanned the surroundings, trying to remember where the other pill was, and soon found it. The pill that had often been flung into the sky was sitting in a small hole with a spider web crack.

Liu Xing scooped up the pill with his right hand and, without further ado, consumed it. Liu Xing then turned his head and saw that the fox body had already stopped transforming. Instead of a fox, its body now resembled a green human, with a muscular torso and lean arms and legs. Compared to the fox body, its new body was like comparing a bodybuilder's body to that of a runner.

Atop its neck, instead of a normal human head or even a fox, there was now a giant green ball of moss. The size was about half a meter, and compared to its body, it was largely comical. There were no eyes or mouth or ears on it, but Liu Xing felt that the moss was watching him.

As he observed the moss, Liu Xing's body was further transformed. Before, when he ate half of a Diamond Pill, his body felt like it was boiling, but now, when he ate a whole pill, it felt like thousands of magma needles were piercing his skin. White smoke began to billow from his entire body, and he had to clench his teeth to keep from screaming. The next few seconds were filled with agony, and Liu Xing knew that this process wouldn't be over soon. The half pill was still wreaking havoc in his body, and combined with the full pill, Liu Xing felt like his body was dissolving into magma.

Still, Liu Xing knew that with each second of pain, his body became stronger. And with his adrenaline pumping through his body, Liu Xing felt like he could still handle the pain.

The swirling green mist around it became faster and faster, creating a small tornado, and Liu Xing realized the mist around him was becoming more dense. Even the light from the sun began dimming, unable to fully pierce the green mist. Even though it didn't have a mouth or eyes, Liu Xing felt that the moss was smiling, like a lion that had successfully trapped a rabbit.

Seeing this, Liu Xing took a deep breath. He had successfully consumed one and a half Diamond Pills, and while his body was still undergoing transformation, his body already felt stronger, and his meridian was wider and harder, as if his body had evolved. He was now stronger than he was an hour ago, and now he had a real chance to win this battle.

Chapter 73 ~ Moss (5)

Liu Xing aimed his gun at the moss, and as if on cue, the creature crouched, like a running athlete ready to win a hundred-meter sprint, and bolted. It moved so quickly that for a split second, it appeared as a blur, and then suddenly, it was in front of Liu Xing, its green fist aimed at his neck, trying to crush his throat. Liu Xing rolled to the side, the green fist missed, and the air exploded as if the fist had hit a wall.

Aiming his gun at the moss, Liu Xing activated Exploding Fist, letting the gun absorb the technique, and pulled the trigger rapidly. Six brilliant bullets shot through the green mist, hitting it right in the moss head. When it exploded, the moss was flung toward a gray spire.

Realizing he had time, Liu Xing deactivated Lightning Cloak, and then reactivated it with so much qi his meridians felt like they would burst. He allowed the qi to be absorbed by the gun, and then reabsorbed it into his body, creating a more powerful Lightning Cloak than usual.

Suddenly, all the pain in his body was gone, as if the pain that had been eating away at his body was just a dream. For a moment, Liu Xing thought that his stronger Lightning Cloak could alleviate the pain, but he soon realized that the reason was because his transformation was complete.

Liu Xing smiled ferociously. He didn't know the limit, but he suspected his meridians could hold at least five times the qi from before, which meant his techniques were now at least five times more powerful!

The moss head emerged from the cloud of dust. It walked slowly, as if assured of its victory. Its giant moss head now looked bigger than before, about the size of a barrel, and it seemed like it would topple at any moment.

Seeing his opponent, Liu Xing kicked the ground as hard as he could. When he did that, the ground surged, and he suddenly arrived right beside the moss head. Liu Xing rotated his body and kicked the side of the spirit beast. When Liu Xing's foot hit the side of the green torso, the moss head's body was folded in half, and then it flew so fast that its giant moss head dragged on the ground, creating a big trail.

Seeing this, Liu Xing kicked the ground again and successfully caught up with the moss head, appearing right behind it. Liu Xing kicked it again, causing it to fly in the opposite direction. Liu Xing repeated his move several more times, causing the moss to bounce around like a ball played by two children.

After a few moments, Liu Xing appeared in front of the spirit beast, his stance firm and his fist clenched. As the creature flew towards him, Liu Xing planned to end the fight by throwing it into the air and blasting it with powerful bullets infused with Exploding Fist. When the spirit beast reached him, Liu Xing punched it in the stomach, causing it to fold in half again. To his surprise, the creature's body then snapped in two, like a chopstick breaking into pieces.

Liu Xing realized that the break had happened in its neck, as if the neck couldn't hold the weight of the head. The humanoid body of the moss flew into the sky, launched so fast it looked like a green reverse meteor, but its green moss head ball did not. It fell to the ground right in front of Liu Xing. Its size and shape looked like a giant chicken egg.

Liu Xing's eyes were as wide as saucers. He hadn't expected the moss neck to snap like that. But before Liu Xing could process what had just happened, the giant moss ball suddenly split open, like a vertical mouth opening its mouth. And indeed, it was a mouth!

A hundred green tongues shot from the opening of the giant moss ball, trying to strangle him like tentacles. Seeing this, Liu Xing jumped backward, aimed his gun, and shot repeatedly. When the six bullets hit the giant egg, it exploded brilliantly, spreading a bit of green moss everywhere. Much of the moss showered his body and face, and he wiped the green moss from his face.

He then looked up and saw that the green body was falling. Soon, it landed not too far from him, and when it hit the ground, it splattered like a water balloon popping.

Seeing this, Liu Xing glanced at the remains of the giant head, which was merely a green splatter on the ground, and the remains of the humanoid body, which was also splattered on the ground.

Seeing this, Liu Xing's suspicion rose. This moss was strong, and with its higher cultivation, it should have been more durable than this.

Liu Xing glanced at his gun, and when there were no glowing strips, he pursed his lips. Of course, the moss wasn't dead. It was probably hiding and waiting to attack. Unfortunately for it, as long as his last attack was with his gun, Liu Xing could check whether the enemy was truly dead or not. Still, a question remained. Where the hell was the moss?

As he searched for his enemy, a sharp pain shot through his back, as if someone was piercing him with a hundred needles.

Liu Xing turned his head and tried to see his back, and when he realized there was a green moss covering his whole back, his eyes widened. Amidst the pain, Liu Xing realized that the moss was weightless and seemed to be trying to penetrate his skin like an octopus squeezing into a crack. The thought of the moss entering his body and trying to possess him was terrifying.

The first thing that came to mind was to use Lightning Blade to scrape the moss from his back. He extended the Lightning Blade, but before he could scrape the moss, the moss bit his back more energetically, and the pain suddenly shot up. Before, he had felt like he was pierced rapidly by normal needles, but now, each time a needle bit into his skin, he felt like fire and poison and acid were entering his back and spreading to his whole body. His head started to spin, a large bead of sweat started to form on his forehead, as if Liu Xing suddenly had a fever. Then, a tremendous feeling of loss suddenly filled his heart.

He felt as if he had witnessed the world, all the people he loved and cared about were suddenly gone, leaving him in the infinite void. He suddenly wanted to cry, and his body felt sluggish.

Amidst this weird feeling invading his heart, his logic still prevailed. While he couldn't get rid of the loneliness in his heart, the sadness, and the grief he suddenly felt, he realized that it was probably an attack from the moss. It was a parasite, and while it tried to enter his body, it flooded his emotions so he was distracted and couldn't counter the enemy. It reminded him of the spirit beast in Dragon Skull Forest, trying to make him see it as its mother. But the difference was that the spirit beast used mental attacks, while this moss was not. It had injected something into his body, and if that substance was out, he probably could think straight again.

Liu Xing tried to crush the distracting feeling in his heart and cycle the qi around his body, when he suddenly stopped. Before he did that, he needed to get rid of the moss in his back. Otherwise, the moss would try to inject more of that substance into his body.

The moss wriggled in his back, it felt disgusting, like there were a thousand maggots on his back. Liu Xing gritted his teeth, determined to overcome the unfamiliar feeling that had taken hold of him. He formed a Lightning Blade and began to scrape the moss from his back, as if he were removing a stubborn infestation from a wall. The moss hardened, making the blade feel like it was trying to scrape a rock. He could feel the needles the moss had used to pierce his skin forming hooks in his muscles, threatening to rip his entire back apart if he tried to pull them out.

As he desperately tries to get the moss off his back, Liu Xing wonders how it could have pierced his back in the first place. Wasn't his skin and muscle as strong as a diamond? But then Liu Xing remembered that this seemingly not-too-tough moss had a higher realm than him, and before he could think any further, the moss injected something that felt hot and acidic into his body, and his back began to sizzle.

Suddenly, Liu Xing's heart filled with despair, as if the world had suddenly become desolate, and he didn't have anything valuable in this world, and he just wanted to sleep and die.

Chapter 74 ~ Moss (6)

Liu Xing realized this strange feeling didn't belong to him and fought against it. He'd experienced something similar in his first month after being transported into Liu Xing's body. Now, he had goals, aspirations, and a desire to move forward, to advance, and to become a legendary figure.

Liu Xing sat and tried to scrape the moss off his back with his lightning blade again. The position was awkward, and it was difficult to do, so Liu Xing decided to use the normal version of the Lightning Palm Technique, where his palm was coated with lightning. He grabbed a handful of moss and pulled it from his back.

When he pulled, the moss latched onto his body like there was an anchor inside his skin. It wriggled harder, injecting many things that made Liu Xing feel despair, anxiety, even joy, trying to distract him. But Liu Xing pulled as hard as he could, pulling his skin and muscle, and then tearing it apart. Blood gushed from his back, and the remaining green moss bathed in his blood, wriggling like a happy maggot finding fresh blood. Then, it surged into his wound.

Liu Xing was horrified to realize that he had made a mistake. He should have used the Lightning Blade. Why the hell did he think that forcibly pulling the moss off his back was a good idea? Now the moss has a way to invade his body.

In a desperate attempt to remove it, he grabbed at the moss, but it had turned into a liquid, making it feel like he was trying to hold onto water from a leaky bucket.

After a moment, the liquid finally inserted itself into Liu Xing's body, and a strange feeling filled his body. It felt like his heart suddenly stopped beating and his lungs stopped pumping air, but he was still alive and knew something was wrong with his body.

Liu Xing's mind worked hard to understand this situation. The moss was now trying to take over his body, and when he realized there wasn't much he could do, anxiety spread throughout his body.

What if the moss successfully took over his body? Would he die here while his body was used by a spirit beast? He gritted his teeth and refused to die, but this fight was beyond his expectations, and he needed to find a solution to this moss possession, and fast.

When a sharp pain suddenly felt around his back, Liu Xing grimaced. The pain was strange and unusual, as if his soul, rather than his body, was being attacked. Liu Xing tried to rationalize that his soul was alright. There weren't many beings that could directly touch a soul, and while the moss was formidable, Liu Xing doubted it could touch his soul.

After trying to feel it for a moment, Liu Xing realized he was right. The moss wasn't touching his soul, even his consciousness was untouched. It was just touching the qi in his body, trying to inject itself into his meridians, turning itself into qi and taking control of his whole qi.

Realizing this, Liu Xing panicked for a moment. Without qi, he couldn't perform many superhuman feats, and losing control over his qi was the sure way to lose. But Liu Xing suddenly had an idea that could win this strange fight in one move, and what he needed to do was wait a moment.

The strange pain from the moss trying to inject itself into his qi was becoming greater, and Liu Xing felt his body becoming heavier each moment, as if his blood had turned into mercury and was taking a long time to circulate throughout his body.

His heart pounded with anxiety, his face was pale, his lips turning white, and Liu Xing looked sickly. But he endured. He needed to wait until the moss truly turned its whole being into qi before he could deal with it.

Liu Xing inhaled deeply and waited. The green liquid settled in his spine, slowly changing itself into qi while it incessantly tried to flood his heart with a wide range of emotions, making him see the world spinning around, distracting him. But he endured, and after several more minutes passed, Liu Xing finally felt that the qi in his whole body felt so foreign, as if his whole body was replaced by prosthetics, and Liu Xing felt numb all over his body.

Liu Xing knew this feeling wouldn't last long.

"Alright, moss, the fight is over when you try to seep into my qi."

Inhaling deeply, Liu Xing tried to cycle this foreign qi. His qi was now diluted by the green qi inside his body. It moved so sluggish, as if the qi that could move like water was now dirty mud. Still, there was a movement, and Liu Xing tried to use the most basic cycling method to activate the most basic lightning technique he had ever learned before he could do a Lightning Palm, a little lightning technique that shot a thread of lightning weakly. It was an exercise technique, but nonetheless, it still served its purpose and could be a bit dangerous to use.

When the little cycling method was complete, he willed the gun to absorb his qi, and the gun did so gladly. The qi inside his body suddenly moved so fast, like water sucked into a hole. Liu Xing realized some of it was actually trying to cling inside his body, but like a cloth that was blown away by the wind, it couldn't resist the absorption of the gun. When this qi was sucked out of his meridians, it felt so disgusting, as if his blood was made of slime, but he resisted.

Not long after, after almost half of his qi was absorbed by the gun, the gun decided it was enough and created six bullets inside it. Liu Xing could feel the bullets in his perception, and there was no difference from the usual. The only difference was the amount of qi he needed to create six bullets. Usually, the qi needed was very little. As a fifth-stage Lock Opening realm cultivator, he could create around a hundred bullets, but now, almost half of his qi, diluted with the moss, could only make six bullets.

Liu Xing could feel the foreign movement of his qi, as if it had a mind of its own and wanted to hide. Liu Xing shot the six bullets and absorbed all the remaining qi in his body.

As the gun did its job wonderfully, Liu Xing wondered if this was the main way for the moss to possess other beings. Wasn't this method too easy to counter? After all, all he needed to do was drain this diluted qi from his body, and he would be free from its possession.

As Liu Xing felt the moss trying to cling inside his body and his gun absorbing it like a hungry black hole, Liu Xing realized that perhaps it wasn't that easy to counter. Most people wouldn't have a method to forcefully suck out the qi inside their body. Instead, most people would probably try to expel the qi by cycling it or channeling it into a technique. But since the moss diluted the qi and could move it around freely, it could resist being expelled or channeled. Moreover, even if someone could expel the qi, the moss was still alive, and a cultivator who had no qi couldn't win against this moss. It's a different story if the moss is transformed into bullets.

As all of his qi was absorbed by the gun, Liu Xing felt weak, as if he were a mortal who hadn't eaten for a month straight. His body trembled, his lips cracked, and his skin looked pale like a sickly man. Even holding a gun was so straining for him and made his hand tremble. 

Feeling his empty meridians, Liu Xing smiled weakly. His body and his qi now belonged to him again. There was no foreign thing that had seeped into his body and tried to control him.

Liu Xing glanced at the side of the gun, and he could see six green strips that glowed slightly. Seeing this, Liu Xing realized he had won the fight.

The climax of this fight was out of his expectation, and he won because he was lucky, but still, a win's a win, and he got a prize for it. So, he was still glad.

The world suddenly blurred, blackness trying to invade his eyes and engulf him.

This blackness felt so comfortable, so welcoming, and Liu Xing couldn't resist it. He closed his eyelids and let his body fall, and promptly fainted.

Chapter 75 ~ Emerald Fang (1)

Not too far from the forest of the gray spires, there was a little river below a valley. On this river, thousands of snakes were moving with the river. There were snakes that swam on the surface of the lake, snakes that dived and swam like dolphins, and some snakes who didn't want to touch water decided to move along the river.

In the center of these marching snakes, there was a black snake as big as a cow. Its body was so long, its scales were black, and its eyes were yellow. On top of this big snake, there was a bird nest with colorful eggs on it, and a red snake was trying to choose which egg it would eat first.

This snake was Emerald Fang, the snake that had let Liu Xing pass the suspension bridge before he fought the fox and the moss.

Emerald Fang considered the eggs carefully, finally choosing the smallest one. It was pure white and resembled a chicken egg, but the snake knew it was different. With his tail, he grabbed the egg and tossed it into the air, catching it gracefully in his mouth. He savored the taste of the shell before crushing it with his jaw. A burst of yellow, transparent, and red liquid filled his mouth, and a pleasant flavor spread throughout. Though the taste was somewhat bland, it had a unique combination of flavors, like a fetus of two months mixed with tender beef. He enjoyed it.

Emerald Fang noticed there were no other eggs like it, and he was a bit disappointed. However, with so many other eggs to try, his disappointment quickly faded.

He was deciding between a blue egg that looked like a compressed sky and a brown one that resembled mud when a small snake, barely larger than a worm, slithered towards him.

Seeing the little brown snake, Emerald Fang smiled. "It's been a long time, master."

The little worm climbed onto his forehead, its tail sinking into his flesh, then a familiar sound echoed in his skull. "How are you? What should I call you this time?"

Emerald Fang chuckled. "I'm fine, thank you for asking, master. My name is now Emerald Fang. It's a pretty good name, and I think it will stick with me for a long time."

Though the fox who gave him the name was unpleasant and dead, the name itself was so good it resonated in his soul.

"That's good. It's a fitting name."

"Thank you, master. Now, since you contacted me, does that mean there's a change of plan?"

About ten years ago, his master ordered him to roam the world, gather information, kill any cultivator he met, and take as many names as he could. In the past ten years, he had done just that. He offered his services to everyone, from demonic cultivators to righteous ones, from spirit beasts to mortals. Though the ten years were fun, he never forgot his true loyalty.

"No. I just want confirmation about the news of the Purple Moon Sect."

"What do you want to confirm, master?" Emerald Fang asked.

"Is the Purple Moon Sect truly unleashing all their outer disciples to gather treasures? Is this information true?"

"Yes," Emerald Fang replied without hesitation.

This sect was organizing a big event that had attracted the attention of many factions. Although the mission ordered by his master was the most important thing he had to do, his abilities allowed him to gather information more easily than his two brothers, and one of his kin had already sent him details about the event.

"This event is recent, and some of my kin have already met disciples from the Purple Moon Sect who are on the mission to gather treasures. From what I heard, the Purple Moon Sect is now holding a race. Each of the outer disciples needs to get at least one treasure. Failure to do so will result in expulsion from the sect and three disciples who get the most treasure can become inner disciples. It's a big event, and many people are already talking about it."

One of his kin was actually following a male disciple who was on a mission to get a pill that would speed up the cultivation process but would change the gender of people who consumed it. It was a peculiar pill, as he knew that many humans didn't feel comfortable changing their gender, and that particular disciple was so conflicted about whether to eat it and speed up his cultivation or take it to the sect.

"Is that so? This is troublesome."

Upon hearing that, Emerald Fang's curiosity was piqued. From what he knew, his master's plan was not actually affected by this race. In fact, it was a great opportunity to kill some of the disciples and reduce the Purple Moon Sect's power in the future.

"May I know why this is troublesome?"

"Sure, it's not too hard to understand." His master said lightly. " The Purple Moon Sect is a cautious sect. They would observe things long and hard before making a decision. But, I think this event is not something they considered for long. It's kind of sudden."

"How so?" Emerald Fang asked. While he was in charge of gathering information, the one who needed to digest and conclude information was his master. His master always said that he wasn't a smart man, just a man who could see from different perspectives. But compared to Emerald Fang, a spirit beast who had gained sentience and intelligence, his master was better.

"Do you know the reason for this race?" His master asked.

"Sure. The third son of the patriarch of the Purple Moon sect will soon turn ten and get engaged. For the party that will be held, the outer disciples need to collect all these treasures to become gifts for the big party."

"Indeed, and do you know when this party will be held?"

Emerald Fang thought for a moment but didn't actually know. When he said so, his master said: "I also don't know the exact date, or who this Hao Yun kid will be engaged to. I predict that when this mysterious girl is announced, the world will be in uproar too, and that's another troublesome matter entirely. But let's get back to the date when Hao Yun will hold a birthday and engagement party. While we don't know the exact date, we know that it's less than a year."

"Ah," Emerald Fang nodded. It all made sense. A year wasn't a long time. If the Purple Moon Sect was as cautious as his master said, then this big event would be prepared for a really long time. At least five years, possibly ten years. After all, the Purple Moon Sect was a great sect, and if their big event was shabby, they would lose face.

"Now, the implication. Since they abandoned their cautious approach, that means they are in a hurry. Why are they in a hurry? There are many reasons. They could feel threatened by something, they could see some movements from the other great sects, or they predict that something big will happen. Anything goes."

"Do you have a guess, master?"

"I honestly don't, but I know that the Purple Moon Sect's actions will raise some eyebrows and make the other great sects jittery. They will wonder the same thing as us, and they could do drastic things. I predict that this move from the Purple Moon Sect could lead to more fierce skirmishes between the five great sects, or even a war."

Emerald Fang nodded. He could see where his master's thoughts were pointing. More fierce skirmishes would make the sects more alert, and more alert sects would know about their presence.

"Anyway, there's also a chance that this event doesn't have a deeper meaning, so don't think too much about it. Just roam around the world, kill as many cultivators as you can, and have as many names as you can possibly have. Although, I want to adjust your mission a little. Instead of killing as many cultivators as you can, I want you to start targeting the young and talented disciples like your brothers."

Hearing this, Emerald Fang smiled. He had a new order, and new orders were always fun. "I'll do as you command, master."

"Good, it's nice that all of you are so easy to order around. Sometimes, I feel bad about it."

"You don't need to feel bad about us. Doing your commands is a pleasure for us. You're, after all, our one and only master."

"Thank you." His master said softly, and Emerald Fang could imagine his soft smile. "Anyway, since I got your confirmation, I'll cut this call short. Unless you have anything interesting to say?"

Emerald Fang thought for a moment and indeed, there was something interesting that had happened to him recently.

"Master, recently, I found a cultivator who didn't try to kill me."

"Oh? Really?"

"Yes. It's an interesting experience."

Chapter 76 ~ Emerald Fang (2)

One of his master's wisdoms about how to kill cultivators was simple. Most cultivators didn't like being insulted, underestimated, or offended. For a snake, you only needed to bare your fangs at a cultivator to do all of that. It was hard to believe how short-tempered cultivators were, considering their long lifespans and the patience required for cultivation.

In the last ten years, only a handful of cultivators could endure being followed by snakes constantly trying to provoke them. Even then, when some of his kin tried to block their path, the cultivators would kill them without hesitation. This action guaranteed their own death.

"He is so polite even when I stand proud in front of him," Emerald Fang added.

"A cultivator like that is hard to come by. Is he an old cultivator?"

"No, he's young. I think he's a disciple of the Purple Moon Sect. My last service was to a fox named Emerald Fox, who was guarding five pills that it'll consume later. It seems that this disciple wants to get his hands on those pills."

Emerald Fox was unpleasant, and that pesky moss was also a threat, even for him. When he sensed both of their deaths, he couldn't help but chuckle happily. After all, while Emerald Fang was obedient, he too could feel resentment.

"A young, polite, and strong cultivator, I assume," his master chuckled. "He's rare. Did you catch his name?"

"I didn't, but I can find out if you want."

"No need. If he's as polite as you say, I'll know when I meet him. And I will meet him if he's a talented genius. When that happens, he'll probably die." His master chuckled, and Emerald Fang nodded.

Emerald Fang had killed hundreds of cultivators in ten years, but his master was in a different league. His actions had wiped out two clans and a medium-sized sect, resulting in thousands of casualties, all without a single drop of blood on his hands. It was unfathomable to Emerald Fang, and he wondered how this man didn't think he was smarter than everyone else.

"All right, Emerald Fang. Our conversation has gone on too long. I need to work again. Verdant Mountains Sect is a slave driver, and I'll be punished if I don't meet my quota."

"Master, for how advanced this cultivator society is, why do they still need manual labor? Surely they can create a formation that automatically harvests rice?"

His master chuckled. "Well, I think it boils down to the simple fact that mortals are considered inferior to cultivators, and manual labor is much cheaper than array formation. All right, I'll cut the connection now. Take care, Emerald Fang, and I hope we can meet again soon. I miss you and your brothers."

Hearing his master's words, Emerald Fang smiled happily. "Yes, master."

His master cut the connection, and Emerald Fang's snake heart started pumping excitement through his body. For him and his brothers, their master's wish was a command, but instead of using them like tools, his master treated them like family. Emerald Fang didn't dare think he was more than a servant, but the heart is a fickle thing, and it always wants something.

"All right, I think we need to be more diligent," Emerald Fang said, and his kin expressed their agreement.

They needed to kill as many young and talented cultivators as possible, and he would do that even if the whole world was against him. His master's wish was absolute, and since he wanted this world for himself, Emerald Fang and his brothers would make sure no one could stand in his way. Everyone in this world needed to kneel before his master, be polite to him, love him, and serve him like an obedient slave.

"Are you guys hungry?"

His kin expressed their approval. While Emerald Fang was a spirit beast and could fast for years, his kin were ordinary snakes and needed to eat occasionally. Still, the joy of eating was something he would never miss, and even later, when he was an immortal and didn't need sustenance, he would like to eat every day.

"I heard there's a little village nearby. Let's visit and make them our food."

As he said that, he also sent a mental command to make sure his kin didn't eat his favorite food. While some expressed disappointment, Emerald Fang couldn't compromise on this. After all, babies and tender meat from children under five were his favorite food.

***

"And this is the last one!" Liu Xing shouted as he picked the third Diamond Pill from a little river crab's pincer. The crab was tiny, mud-colored, and moved aggressively toward Liu Xing with its pincers, as if he had just taken candy from a child seeking revenge.

Liu Xing ignored the crab trying to pinch his calf and smiled while caressing the third pill.

With this, he had finally succeeded in taking all the valuable treasures from Second Grey Cloud City. He didn't get the Red Wings of Stability and had nearly died fighting two abnormally strong spirit beasts, but in the end, he harvested three beast cores and two treasures that would help him win this race and finally become an inner disciple.

Putting the last pill into his spatial bag, Liu Xing checked his surroundings. He stood beside a small, shallow river. It was so narrow he could cross it in one step, and the water was so cool and refreshing that Liu Xing couldn't help but wash his face and body.

"I miss my robe," Liu Xing muttered after washing his body.

After the fight with that inverted triangle, he was half-naked. Since there were no more treasures worth his time in this city, he needed to leave, but he could at least visit a clothes shop so he wouldn't have to travel with his upper body exposed.

Liu Xing decided to walk slowly beside the small river. The crab that had tried to attack him gave up and retreated into the clear water.

As he walked, he rotated his arms like windmills, trying to stretch his arms. The fights with the fox and the moss had been draining. Even though he had absorbed the beast cores from the moss and his qi was full again, his body still felt stiff, as if he had woken up from an awkward sleeping position. Liu Xing felt this stiffness would soon disappear, but he decided to take it slow for a moment.

He took his token from the spatial bag and checked his next destination. The next city he needed to visit was still in the Twelve Sun Empire. Liu Xing tried to memorize the four most interesting treasures that could make him even stronger, and after memorizing the information of these four treasures, Liu Xing intended to put the token back in his spatial bag but decided against it.

Besides the list of treasures, there was a leaderboard that ranked disciples by how many treasures they'd gathered. He was curious whether the leaderboard was still empty or not.

Switching the interface, Liu Xing found himself looking at a simple list. Numbers ran down the side from one to one hundred, with names filling the slots next to the top ten. The rest of the list, from eleven to one hundred, remained blank.

Seeing this, Liu Xing scanned the names on the list, and when he didn't find his name, he stopped walking. His heart suddenly beat faster, and anxiety spread from his stomach throughout his body. There was no way he wasn't in the top ten. He already had the Flute of Serenity, Thunderstrike Gauntlets, Red Lotus Staff, Ethereal Pearl, and Diamond Pills. Not to mention, the Diamond Pills were guarded by a Core Splitting cultivator, which was probably impossible for most outer disciples in the Lock Opening realm to obtain. There was no way Liu Xing wasn't in the top three, let alone not in the top ten.

Liu Xing scanned the names one by one and soon felt stupid for jumping to conclusions. Beside each disciple's name was the number of treasures they had obtained. The number one spot only had two treasures, while the rest had only one.

It seemed this leaderboard wasn't counting treasures that hadn't been given to the sect yet, which was fair since disciples could lose their treasures. Still, this leaderboard felt rather cheap now, as these ten disciples had probably returned to the sect as soon as they got one or two treasures.

As Liu Xing resumed walking, he thought it would be better if there was another leaderboard. One that showed which disciples had the most treasures but hadn't returned to the sect yet. He knew there was a hidden wiki in this interface, so perhaps the leaderboard had other interesting features too.

Liu Xing sent his qi toward the interface, willing it to show its hidden features. But even after a minute of trying, he didn't get the leaderboard he wanted. However, he could now access information about the treasures those ten disciples had returned to the sect, and he realized that they were all herbs.

Chapter 77 ~ Xia Yongzhi (1)

Closing the interface and putting it in the spatial bag, Liu Xing walked a little faster than before. He was in a hurry but still wanted to take it slow to digest the last three battles and enjoy the green scenery around him.

Liu Xing decided to summon his gun and observe it. This gun had turned his life around. Without it, he would still be a nobody among the outer sect disciples. Still, the gun also brought responsibility. He would never forget the day Nui's fragment visited him. The image of Mamat, Joni, and Nui fighting something that looked like an overwhelmingly strong spirit beast was still fresh in his mind.

Liu Xing filled the gun with qi, and it converted his qi into normal variant bullets. He threw the gun into the air for no reason. The gun spun in the sky, light gleaming from it, and he wondered if he would die if he did this race without his gun.

Catching the gun with his left hand, Liu Xing checked the grin strips beside it. There was no glow since he had already absorbed the beast core from the moss, but even these normal variants would be useful in most circumstances. Once again, he wondered what this gun truly was. Was it really made from the darkness he was supposed to defeat?

Absorbing the bullets, Liu Xing felt pure qi coursing through his hand and settling in his chest. Usually, he would channel this pure qi into his necklace or gauntlets, but since there were no enemies, there was no reason to do it.

As he jumped from a small waterfall and landed in a creek below, Liu Xing played with this qi. He sent it to his feet, hands, ears, and all over his body. He smiled a little when he felt that this qi was like an excited puppy moving around.

As he played with this qi, he also wondered about it. What was this qi? Unconsciously, Liu Xing had called it pure qi, but that wasn't quite right. Pure qi was just a type of qi not tempered by other sources, and some people cultivated using this type of qi.

"I think it's better to call it potent qi instead of pure qi," Liu Xing thought.

He nodded to himself. The qi from converted bullets was potent; it could activate his treasures with less qi and strengthen his techniques, making them easier to control.

"What if I use this potent qi to cultivate?" Liu Xing wondered, pinching his chin.

People couldn't fill their locks with self-produced qi; it was like trying to fill a well with water from the same well. But in this case, it was a little different since he had converted the qi and made it more potent.

As he contemplated it, Liu Xing's heart suddenly beat faster. What if he could do this? What if he could cultivate using the potent qi? Would this mean he could advance infinitely without doing a single thing? What an oversight! He should have realized this from the start!

Taking a deep breath, Liu Xing tried to restrain his excitement. It sounded too good to be true, but this gun was overpowered, so he couldn't know if he didn't try.

Sitting on top of a rock in the center of the creek, Liu Xing absorbed this potent qi settled in his chest into his consciousness. In his mind, this qi poured in like a small waterfall. Then, he directed this waterfall toward the last lock with excitement filling his heart.

Liu Xing pushed the qi inside his lock, trying to make it settle and fill the lock. But as he tried, he felt strong resistance from the lock, as if he were trying to push a blunt nail into the strongest wall in the world.

When he realized that he could not cultivate his converted qi, disappointment surged in his heart, and Liu Xing pulled the qi out of the lock. It seemed that he couldn't have this shortcut to immortality.

As he opened his eyes in the real world, he sighed. While the result was disappointing, it helped him understand more about his gun and this potent qi. This reaction, like pushing a blunt nail against a wall, was the same as when someone pushed their own qi into the lock. It proved that this converted qi, while potent and extraordinary, was still his qi. Otherwise, he could have cultivated infinitely using this converted qi.

This conclusion made him wonder how strong the real Nui was. While the gun did not give him a free ticket to immortality, the weapon is still overpowered, and to send a fragment of himself to other worlds and give him this overpowered gun, Nui must be unfathomably strong, perhaps even as powerful as a god.

Thinking about this made Liu Xing wonder who the strongest person in this world was. Then, he wondered if whoever was the strongest in this world could replicate what Nui did.

As he thought deeply about what the strongest people in this world could do, he was actually trying to recall information about higher realms. After all, the world of xianxia is always layered, there are mountains beyond mountains, skies beyond skies, and higher realms beyond normal realms. He believed that there was also a higher world beyond this world, but surprisingly, there wasn't even a single mention of ascension. As far as he knew, the peak of power was only reaching the highest realm and becoming an immortal, not ascending to higher realms.

After pondering for a moment, Liu Xing shook his head and began to walk again. While thinking about higher realms was exciting, Liu Xing suspected it was still too far away for him. He was just a bird trying to soar higher into the sky, while higher realms were like a faraway sun in deep space.

As he walked, Liu Xing also thought about the frog and the moss and fox duo, and how abnormally strong they were. He wondered about the mummy in the deep lake and why that inverted pyramid could bend space around it and conceal its qi completely.

As Liu Xing jumped over a fallen tree blocking the way, he finally arrived right at the front of the giant river. The water was brown, as if someone had dug up the river bottom and made it muddy. He knew he was further downstream from where he had destroyed the pyramid. After all, this brown color must be because the water was carrying earth and mud from where he had created a big hole in the ground.

Turning his head to the left, he considered going to Second Gray Cloud City to get clothes for himself. After all, he was now bare-chested and only wearing pants. While the cold air didn't bother him, he wanted to be presentable if he met someone. But the people there must still be in an uproar about him, and he didn't want to deal with another uproar.

Liu Xing aimed his gun toward the direction of the city and willed himself to be invisible, thinking it would be better if no one saw him. But the invisibility didn't spread, and he dismissed his gun with a sigh. He didn't feel threatened by the city, so he couldn't turn invisible.

"Let's just buy clothes in the next city," he decided.

As he tried to remember where Whirling Cloud City was, Liu Xing heard heavy footsteps and the sound of a galloping horse. He checked his surroundings and saw a group emerge from the foliage across the river. The group consisted of ten people. Leading them was a giant black horse with a tan man wearing ornate silver armor on top. His face was stern, his eyes focused, and strapped to his back was a silver spear, its tip gleaming in the light. Around him were nine men, also wearing silver armor, albeit plainer and less shiny. Each wore a helmet and carried a spear, eyeing Liu Xing with a hint of nervousness and determination, as if they wanted to subdue a tiger successfully.

But Liu Xing knew their leader wasn't the man on top of the horse. While that man was at the sixth stage of the Lock Opening realm, Liu Xing could feel another qi approaching. He looked upward and soon saw a man riding atop a giant silver sword. He stood like an emperor overseeing his nation, with his hands behind his back.

His skin was white, he had long black hair, and a relatively handsome face with sharp eyebrows. Yet his face was contorted into an ugly, angry expression, veins popping up around his eyes, which were red as if he was angry and sad at the same time.

That man soon leaped from the sword and landed in front of the group. As he landed, the man on top of the horse got off and stood behind him.

Chapter 78 ~ Xia Yongzhi (2)

Liu Xing looked at the man. He seemed young, but Liu Xing knew looks could be deceiving. The man was a cultivator at the Lock Opening realm seventh stage, making him the strongest among the others. His yellow robe and the memory of the people in the Second Gray Cloud City shouting about the Xia Clan riding swords made Liu Xing suspect that he was from the Xia Clan.

As Liu Xing felt the man's qi, he realized that while he was at the seventh stage, his qi wasn't very powerful. He was still undoubtedly of a higher stage than Liu Xing, but Liu Xing felt like he was a man with a shaky foundation. In the Purple Moon Sect, there were a few people like him. They had enough talent to be accepted as outer disciples but lacked the talent to advance further. To compensate, they spent a lot of money on pills. They could progress, but their cultivation was weaker than others at their level.

"My name is Xia Yongzhi, the leader of the Xia Clan, as well as the father and brother you unjustly killed. Despicable Junior, prepare to die!"

Liu Xing's eyebrows shot up when he heard this. Many questions swirled in his mind. When had he killed people from the Xia clan? Were the ones the leader was referring to Xia Shizi and Xia Hongyi?

Xia Yongzhi kicked the ground, sending a wave of earth beneath him. He jumped over the river, his fists clenched, and golden light emerged from his entire body, surrounding him and making him look like a human on fire. In a split second, he was in front of Liu Xing, his fists flying towards his face like giant bullets. The faint roar of a tiger could be heard.

Seeing this, adrenaline surged through him as he summoned his gun. As the fists came within centimeters of his nose, Liu Xing activated his Lightning Cloak and tilted his head to the left. The fist only grazing his earlobe. Wind rushing through his cheek, but in the end, the attack did not harm him.

For a split second, Xia Yongzhi's eyes widened before his face contorted in anger. He spun his body in the air and tried to kick Liu Xing's side. Seeing this, Liu Xing converted some of his qi into bullets and sent them to his necklace. Yellow lines swirled around his left hand as he caught Xia Yongzhi's ankle in mid-air, his grip as firm as steel.

As he held Xia Yongzhi's ankle, Liu Xing smiled ferociously. After eating one and a half Diamond Pills, his body was now stronger. Combined with the stable qi from the necklace, he was as tough as a Core Splitting cultivator.

Xia Yongzhi's face was flushed red, his eyes blazing with an intensity that could melt steel. Hatred, raw and unfiltered, poured from his gaze, as if he wanted to incinerate Liu Xing with the sheer force of his will.

"Die!"

Even though Liu Xing was still holding his ankle, the man jumped and rotated his body. The rotation caused Liu Xing to lose his grip on his ankle, and Xia Yongzhi tried to kick the right side of his head.

Seeing the attack, Liu Xing defended his head with his right hand. The feet hit his gauntlet, and Liu Xing was pushed to the side toward the river. His feet left trails on the ground.

The kick was heavy. Liu Xing felt like his hand was trembling like a bar of iron hit by a hammer, but aside from that, the damage was minimal.

If Liu Xing had fought with him at full strength, there's no doubt that he would have killed Xia Yongzhi easily. The circumstances would have justified him killing them all, since they wanted to kill him first. But while Xia Yongzhi's eyes were red with anger and hatred, Liu Xing knew that part of the reason was because Xia Yongzhi was grieving. Liu Xing knew that this was all a misunderstanding. There was no real reason for him to kill them all as long as they were willing to listen.

"Sect leader of the Xia clan, my name is Liu Xing, and I think we have a misunderstanding. I've never killed one of your clansmen, let alone two."

"I have a witness who claim you were the last person to see my son and my brother. If you're not the killer, then who?"

"Is your son Xia Hongyi and your brother Xia Shizi?"

Liu Xing has only ever met these Xia clansmen. He remembers that they fled when he fought the inverted pyramid.

When Liu Xing asked this question, Xia Yongzhi's eyes narrowed. "So you admit that you killed them! I know it. Everyone from the major sects is a bunch of arrogant people. Just because you're from a big sect doesn't mean you can do whatever you want! Guards, help me subdue this man and bring justice to this world!"

A unanimous "Yes!" echoed, and Liu Xing turned to the ten men on the other side of the river. Beads of sweat rolled down their foreheads, and as Liu Xing looked at them, some of their eyes faltered, as if they were facing a deadly beast.

He glanced back at Xia Yongzhi, who was still looking at him as if Liu Xing was evil and needed to be vanquished for the world.

"It seems like all of you are misjudging me. Sure, my hands aren't clean. I've killed people before, but I'm honest when I say I didn't kill your clansmen. While I met Xia Hongyi and Xia Shizi, I didn't kill them."

"Attack!" Xia Yongzhi shouted.

As he shouted, Xia Yongzhi jumped towards him, a golden aura surrounding his entire body forming a silhouette of a roaring tiger. The ten men on the other side of the river also jumped. Some of their spears glowed, and some of them pulled out yellow talismans and pointed them at him.

Seeing this, Liu Xing inhaled deeply. The electricity encasing his body danced brightly.

"But the most important misunderstanding you have is thinking you can all subdue me."

After he said that, Liu Xing moved. The world blurred, adrenaline and qi coursing through his body, making the world seem to move in slow motion. But Liu Xing knew it wasn't the case. The world wasn't moving slower. These people were moving so slowly that the world seemed unmoving.

Liu Xing jumped towards a guard who was halfway across the river. When he arrived, Liu Xing punched him in the stomach. There was silver armor there, but his punch shattered the armor, and the man was almost folded in half. Using the shield, Liu Xing moved to the next target and kicked him in the neck, causing him to fall into the river. He punched the next target right in the face, the next target in the back, the next target he threw into the river, and so on and so forth until he landed near a black horse that looked agitated, as if it knew something was wrong but couldn't comprehend what had happened.

From an outsider's perspective, when those men jumped, Liu Xing turned into a bolt of lightning. This bolt of lightning circled around these jumping men in less than a second, and then Liu Xing suddenly appeared on the other side of the river.

Liu Xing turned his body to face the river. Ten spots were splashing water, some of the men falling headfirst, some backfirst, some feet first. All of them spat out blood from their mouths and submerged in the water.

On the other side of the river, Xia Yongzhi punched the ground where he stood with a golden fist, and the golden aura around him formed a leaping tiger. This aura caused the ground where Liu Xing stood to be destroyed. Then, Xia Yongzhi turned his head towards Liu Xing with his eyes wide open, beads of sweat forming around his face. This punch was meant to crush Liu Xing, but it only hit the ground.

Liu Xing wondered what was going through his mind right now. Surely, he knew that Liu Xing was strong, after all, he was able to dodge and block his first two attacks, yet anger had blinded him and made him attack, and now Liu Xing suspected that his eyes were open.

Liu Xing kicked the ground again, crossed the river, and appeared right on top of Xia Yongzhi. Liu Xing spun in the air and aimed his feet, which were decorated with yellow swirling lines, directly at Xia Yongzhi's neck. Xia Yongzhi had time to turn his head, but he didn't have time to dodge.

When his feet hit Xia Yongzhi's face, Xia Yongzhi fell to the ground. A cloud of dust erupted as his body hit the ground, leaving a spider web crack and a small depression where his face had hit the ground. When Liu Xing kicked him again, Liu Xing could see that Xia Yongzhi spat out a mouthful of blood, bounced once on the ground, and when he landed again, his eyes rolled up and he fainted.

Liu Xing deactivated his Lightning Cloak and dismissed the gun.

"You guys have eyes, but you can't see Mount Tai."

A small smile crept over his lips. He'd always wanted to say that, and he'd thought he'd only be able to say it in the future, when his realm was higher, but to think that he could say the words so soon.

Liu Xing's smirk quickly faded.

"Who killed them?"

The last time Liu Xing saw them was when they fled during his battle with the inverted pyramid. Was it a coincidence? Or was someone trying to set him up?

Chapter 79 ~ Xia Yongzhi (3)

Liu Xing's smirk quickly faded, and he sighed. Xia Yongzhi lay on the ground, face turned to the side, eyes closed. Even though Xia Yongzhi had accused him wrongly, Liu Xing understood where the accusation came from. He was grieving for his son and brother. Liu Xing had suspected that Xia Yongzhi often focused too much on Xia Weiyuan and neglected his own son, but it seems that he does care about his son.

Thinking about the boy, Liu Xing pressed his lips together. The kid had been a bully, and Liu Xing wouldn't mind if there were fewer bullies in the world. But that didn't mean he had wanted Xia Hongyi to die. He had hoped the boy would change.

"Who killed them?"

The last time Liu Xing saw them was when they fled during his battle with the inverted pyramid. Was it a coincidence? Or was someone trying to set him up?

Liu Xing remembered Xia Hongyi's fist technique and had concluded that either Xia Hongyi possessed a bloodline or a technique above Base Grade. As these thoughts crossed his mind, Liu Xing recalled Bai Lin's murdered grandson and the others with bloodlines who had died, leaving behind only their severed arms. It is a bit far-fetched, but what if the deaths of Xia Hongyi and Xia Shizi are related to Wei Yi?

Liu Xing glanced at Xia Yongzhi who lay on the ground, then at the men floating in the water, carried by the current. He had the option to flee right now, but his curiosity was piqued.

Though he was in a hurry, he could at least wait long enough to get confirmation from Xia Yongzhi.

***

Liu Xing sat cross-legged beneath a swaying tree. Sunlight touched part of his body, but his face remained in the shadow of the leaves. Holding the Flute of Serenity in both hands, he blew into it, producing a terrible, off-key melody that sounded almost like a duck choking. He was thoroughly embarrassed by the sound, but it turned out that even an amateur could activate the flute. Though his efficiency was laughable compared to Qian Biaou's mother, he still absorbed qi much faster than with normal methods.

As he played the horrible, discordant melody, ten drenched men lay unconscious on the ground, while Xia Yongzhi, though still dry, was also fainted nearby. Liu Xing couldn't help but wonder how the Flute of Serenity actually worked.

After about thirty minutes, Xia Yongzhi, the closest one to him, began to stir. He rubbed his neck as he tried to stand. Seeing Xia Yongzhi awake, Liu Xing stopped playing and tucked the flute into his spatial bag. He remained seated, waiting for Xia Yongzhi to notice him.

It didn't take long. Xia Yongzhi looked around, confused, but when his eyes landed on Liu Xing, they widened. Then, as if remembering what had happened, his face twisted with hatred. Still, Liu Xing noticed a flicker of fear in his eyes.

Liu Xing studied him. Xia Yongzhi looked young, but in the cultivation world, appearances could be deceiving. Some people with youthful faces could be older than wrinkled elders, and vice versa.

"Clan leader of the Xia clan, let's talk this through like civilized people," Liu Xing said. He couldn't help but wonder how someone so weak had become a clan leader. Either the Xia clan was incredibly weak, or Xia Yongzhi had strong backers.

Xia Yongzhi's gaze tried to pierce through him, but since he didn't seem ready to attack, Liu Xing felt his attempt at conversation might work.

"As I said, I didn't kill Xia Hongyi or Xia Shizi. I have no idea what you're accusing me of. Yes, I met them, but that doesn't mean I killed them. I had no reason to."

"Liar!" Xia Yongzhi shouted. "People like you don't need a reason to kill."

"Bold of you to assume you know me. But the fact is, I didn't kill them. If I were the type to kill without reason, I could have easily killed you and your guards when I had the chance. Doesn't that prove I don't kill without cause? If you're accusing me, there must be some strong evidence behind it."

Xia Yongzhi gritted his teeth, seemingly ready to fight again.

"Look, accusing someone of murder isn't a small thing. You know who I am. I'm a disciple of the Purple Moon Sect. I don't like to throw that around, but you should know that messing with my sect is dangerous."

"Are you threatening me?" Xia Yongzhi asked through clenched teeth.

"I'm just stating facts. But here's the truth. I'm just an outer disciple. I don't have powerful backing in my sect. If I die here, there's only a small chance anyone will investigate. And if they do, you might have a problem. But honestly, you probably won't. We're in the middle of an event right now, and accidents happen."

Liu Xing knew that many disciples left the sect to go treasure hunting, but not all of them would return.

Xia Yongzhi continued to glare at him, but confusion began to creep into his expression. Liu Xing had first warned him about the power of the sect, then reassured him that the sect likely wouldn't do anything if he was killed.

"If you're confused by what I'm saying, the important thing is this: I'm trying to be honest with you. I want you to believe that I didn't kill your son or your brother. Now, I know you can't trust me completely, but at the very least, tell me why you're so convinced that I'm the killer."

Xia Yongzhi's hostile stare softened slightly.

"A boy named Xia Weiyuan told me that you were the last person to see my son and the reason he died. This boy is honest. He has never told a lie in his life and never will."

Liu Xing raised an eyebrow. "And you didn't try to confirm it? You just trusted him blindly?"

"I can vouch for his honesty!" Xia Yongzhi's eyes hardened again. "You don't know him or his circumstances."

Liu Xing's first thought was that Xia Yongzhi was being foolish. Even if the boy was honest, basing a murder on a child's word seemed ridiculous. But maybe Xia Weiyuan had some unique trait that guaranteed truthfulness. If so, Liu Xing could see why Xia Yongzhi trusted him completely. Still, it wasn't enough reason to kill someone.

"No offense, but you are pretty dumb, clan leader Xia."

Xia Yongzhi's eyes flared with anger, like a bull ready to charge.

"Even if the boy can't lie, that doesn't mean he knows the whole truth. Let me tell you my side, so we can clear up any misunderstandings."

Liu Xing then told him about his brief encounter with Xia Hongyi, how Xia Hongyi had bullied Xia Weiyuan, and how he had returned with Xia Shizi before fleeing during his fight with the inverted pyramid.

"I think Xia Weiyuan assumed that the hit to the chin killed Xia Hongyi. But the truth is, he was still alive. He even had time to call his uncle."

After listening to the story, Xia Yongzhi's anger faded. He stroked his chin, deep in thought. Meanwhile, the guards who had been unconscious began to wake up, quietly sitting behind Xia Yongzhi and casting wary glances at Liu Xing.

"How old are you, clan leader Xia?" Liu Xing asked suddenly.

"I'm twenty-eight," Xia Yongzhi replied after a pause. "Why do you ask?"

His tone had become more neutral, and Liu Xing could tell that Xia Yongzhi now believed he hadn't killed his son or brother. It was a good outcome.

"No, just curious," Liu Xing said.

If Xia Yongzhi was twenty-eight, that meant Xia Hongyi was born when he was around twenty, making Xia Yongzhi a father at the same age Liu Xing was now. For a mortal, that wouldn't raise any questions, but cultivators had long lifespans. Even if someone remained stuck in the Lock Opening realm, they could live up to a hundred and fifty years. Having a son at twenty was considered unusually early for a cultivator.

Xia Yongzhi's young age also hinted that either the Xia clan was incredibly weak, allowing someone so inexperienced to lead, or there was a powerful elder backing him. Perhaps both.

"Do you believe what I've told you?" Liu Xing asked.

"I admit I jumped to conclusions after hearing Xia Weiyuan's story," Xia Yongzhi said, "but you're still not off the hook."

"That's progress," Liu Xing replied with a nod.

Now seemed like the right time for Liu Xing to ask the question weighing on his mind. Depending on the answer, he might decide to flee and head straight to Whirling Cloud City to hunt for treasures. But if the answer was what he suspected, things were about to get much more complicated.

"Tell me, clan leader, were your son and brother's bodies missing, with only their arms left behind?"

Xia Yongzhi's eyes widened at the question. His reaction told Liu Xing everything he needed to know.

"How do you know that?"

"Well, let me tell you what happened in Mystic Moon City," Liu Xing said.

He didn't go into every detail, but he told Xia Yongzhi about the deaths of Qian Biaou, Duan Hai, and Bai Lin's grandson. Though he left out specifics, like the source of his information and the growing suspicion that Wei Yi might be behind the murders, he explained that all the victims had one thing in common: they carried bloodlines.

"Does your clan have a bloodline?"

Xia Yongzhi hesitated for a moment before answering. "Yes, we do. Although not many in the clan can awaken it. My younger brother was one of the few geniuses who did, and my son showed signs of the talent as well."

Liu Xing pursed his lips. It seems like things are getting complicated.

Chapter 80 ~ Xia Juetian (1)

Xia Yongzhi's eyes clouded for a moment as if remembering fond memories of his brother and son. Then he regained focus.

"Our bloodline is called the Golden Tiger bloodline. I can't tell you the full extent of our powers, but if fully awakened, our clan could soar. We might even become one of the most formidable clans on the continent." Xia Yongzhi turned toward his guards. "Do we have contacts in Mystic Moon City?"

"Yes, clan leader. We have trading partners there."

"Good. Contact them. Ask if what Liu Xing said is true. I want the answer before sunset!"

"Yes, sir!"

One of the guards got up and ran hurriedly. He leaped across the river, landed on top of a horse, then kicked it into motion. The horse ran so fast it created a cloud of dust.

Xia Yongzhi faced Liu Xing again. "If we get confirmation about your information, then I, Xia Yongzhi, will formally apologize to you and compensate you."

"All right," Liu Xing nodded. He honestly didn't need compensation or a formal apology from Xia Yongzhi, but there was no reason to refuse outright.

As Xia Yongzhi began to get up, his guards, sensing the conversation had finished, started to swarm around him to ensure he was all right.

Liu Xing contemplated his next move under the tree. He had gotten the confirmation he wanted, but the situation was now more complicated. After all, whatever had killed Bai Lin's grandson was apparently nearby.

While there was time between now and when he'd meet Xia Shizi and Xia Hongyi, there was a high chance that the thing killing people with bloodlines was close by. If he could catch a glimpse of this entity, he might get information to help his investigation about Wei Yi later. If he could catch or kill whatever was murdering people, he might even be able to stop Wei Yi's plans, assuming Wei Yi was truly behind it all.

After thinking for a moment, Liu Xing decided to at least investigate the crime scene.

"Clan leader Xia," Liu Xing called out. "Would you show me where Xia Hongyi and Xia Shizi were murdered?"

"Why? While you're still under suspicion, I believe at least half of what you said. If you think you need to find more evidence to clear your name, you don't. My underling is on his way to confirm your information."

Liu Xing answered truthfully. "One of the victims is my friend's grandson, and I promised to help investigate this matter. It's pure coincidence that the murders of your brother and son happened when I'm here, but this is an opportunity to finally shed some light on who or what this murderer is."

Xia Yongzhi raised his eyebrows. "Are you telling the truth?"

"Yes."

Xia Yongzhi pinched his chin, then nodded. "All right, but on one condition. I know you're hiding something, so I want you to share everything that could remotely help me and my clan find who's responsible for the deaths of my son and brother."

Liu Xing thought for a moment. Telling him about Wei Yi was risky. From their brief interaction, Liu Xing knew that Xia Yongzhi could be reasoned with, but his immediate response to hearing dubious information from a child was to trust the child blindly and try to kill people. This painted Xia Yongzhi as reckless and impulsive. What if he told him about Wei Yi and he went after him?

"I can't promise to tell you everything I know, as there are still many speculations. But I can tell you who my friend suspects is behind all these murders."

Liu Xing decided to tell Xia Yongzhi about Wei Yi later, but only if he found some clues or interesting things at the crime scene.

Xia Yongzhi nodded. He opened his mouth as if to say something but was interrupted by the sound of a galloping horse and a shout.

Liu Xing, Xia Yongzhi, and the guards turned toward the sound. Liu Xing saw a man riding a horse with a panicked face. This wasn't the guard Xia Yongzhi had sent to contact their trading partners in Mystic Moon City. This man came from a different direction. He rode a brown horse, kicking it frantically.

"Clan leader, I have an important message!" As he shouted, he finally arrived nearby. He dismounted, clasped his hands, and knelt. "The Grand Elder has finally come out of seclusion!"

"What?" Xia Yongzhi's eyes widened. "Wasn't he predicted to come out of seclusion next year? Are you serious?"

"Yes. I've seen him with my own eyes. But he didn't go to our clan compound. Instead, he flew quickly in another direction."

"Where did he go?"

"If I'm not mistaken, the Grand Elder probably went toward where we found the young master's and your brother's arms."

As Liu Xing heard this, he understood a few things. First, this Grand Elder had probably ended his seclusion because he knew Xia Hongyi and Xia Shizi were killed, and now he was at the crime scene.

Xia Yongzhi's eyes looked panicked, but he inhaled deeply and regained his focus. Then, Xia Yongzhi threw his wide silver sword, which had been attached to his back, into the sky. As the silver sword hovered, Xia Yongzhi jumped on top of it. "I'll go meet him. You guys continue the investigation, especially about the information Liu Xing provided. Also, bring Xia Weiyuan to meet the Grand Elder."

"Clan leader Xia," Liu Xing called. "You promised to show me the crime scene."

Xia Yongzhi gritted his teeth for a moment, his face contorting in anger, but it soon vanished. "All right, but I need to warn you, our Grand Elder is not someone you can mess with."

Liu Xing nodded. A Grand Elder usually had high cultivation, and Liu Xing didn't intend to do anything stupid that could potentially get him killed. This was probably one occasion where Liu Xing would meet another cultivator in the Core Splitting realm. He predicted that the Grand Elder wasn't newly advanced to the Core Splitting realm either, but someone who had cultivated for hundreds of years.

Xia Yongzhi's sword moved, whistling in the air. Liu Xing summoned his gun, activated Lightning Cloak, and kicked the ground. While he couldn't fly in the traditional sense, with his shield, he had no problem catching up to Xia Yongzhi.

Soon, they arrived at their destination. Surprisingly, this place was really close to where the newly created lake was located, and Liu Xing suspected the murder had happened when he fought that inverted pyramid.

After flying for several moments, Xia Yongzhi leapt from his sword to the ground, then reattached it to his back.

Liu Xing landed behind him and looked around. The area in front of him had nothing special. There were trees, bushes, and a dirt path. The interesting things in this place were a two-meter hole in the dirt path and several spots with remaining blood.

An old man stood in front of one bloody spot. He wore a pure black robe with golden embroidery. His back was bent as if carrying a heavy weight, and the hair on top of his head was white as snow.

"Xia Yongzhi greets Grand Elder. Congratulations on your breakthrough!"

Xia Yongzhi clasped his hands and knelt. As he knelt, the Grand Elder turned his head.

When he saw Xia Yongzhi, his face suddenly contorted in anger. His eyes sharpened, and he regarded Xia Yongzhi as if he were a beggar trying to court his daughter. But instead of shouting and cursing at Xia Yongzhi, he nodded and turned to Liu Xing.

As their eyes met, Liu Xing clasped his hands and bowed his head.

"Who are you?" the Grand Elder asked.

"My name is Liu Xing from Purple Moon Sect."

"A disciple from a great sect. What are you doing in my territory?"

Liu Xing inhaled deeply to calm his heart. While this old man looked frail, his presence was heavy. Liu Xing could feel the huge amount of qi he carried, and it felt like seeing an ancient ocean. This old man was practically filled with power.

Liu Xing had no doubt that this old man was at the pinnacle of the Core Splitting realm. If he flicked his hand, a strong gust of wind would blow away everything in its path. With the fox, Liu Xing still had confidence to defeat it, but the thought of fighting this old man was unfathomable. Liu Xing felt like an ant in front of an elephant.

After calming down, Liu Xing answered the questions. "I came here with Xia Yongzhi to investigate the place where his son and brother were killed. I think the same thing that killed them also killed my friend's grandson."

The grand elder stared at Liu Xing. His wrinkled skin looked like a dead tree, but Liu Xing had no doubt he could still live for many years.

"Tell me everything you know," the grand elder said, his eyes locked on Liu Xing. His black eyes looked peaceful, like a still pond. Yet Liu Xing sensed a hint of madness there, as if that dark water could swallow him whole. The air around Liu Xing felt heavy, cold, and suffocating. Sweat began to form on his back.

"Speak," the grand elder commanded.

"Y-yes."

Chapter 81 ~ Xia Juetian (2)

Liu Xing began to speak. He recounted everything from his arrival in Mystic Moon City up to his conversation with Bai Lin. However, he decided to hide the name Bloodwing Sect, referring to it only as an ancient sect he knew nothing about.

After hearing his explanation, the grand elder nodded. "A demonic cultivator killing people for their bloodline. In my long life, I've encountered a demonic cultivator with a similar method. This Wei Yi kid is probably trying to advance his cultivation or awaken his dormant bloodline. Whatever he's doing, he made a mistake. He messed with the wrong clan!"

"G-grand elder, do you intend to confront him?" Xia Yongzhi asked.

The grand elder snorted. "Yes, I will confront him, but later. Now I want to retrieve Xia Shizi's and your son's bodies." He then faced Liu Xing. "Purple Moon Sect disciple, follow me. Your arrival here is timely. I want you to witness what happens here. Tell your sect that what I do to Wei Yi and his despicable clan later is justified."

The old man's black eyes pierced Liu Xing, as if challenging him to defy him so he could kill Liu Xing. Liu Xing desperately wanted to nod, but he couldn't do it yet.

"Grand elder Xia, what I said about Wei Yi is still speculation. There's no concrete evidence that points to him orchestrating all these murders."

The grand elder snorted. "I will get that evidence. So follow me, or die. Your choice."

This time, Liu Xing decided to nod.

"Xia Yongzhi," the grand elder said. "I'm disappointed with you. When I entered seclusion, you were merely at the Lock Opening seventh stage, and now, you're still in the same realm. If only Xia Shizi had shown interest in becoming the clan leader, then I wouldn't need to deal with your weakness. Still, you're a clan leader, and while I despise your weakness, I respect your position, so I'll tell you bluntly about our clan's future. It's bleak. Not only are there no clansmen with great talent, but our bloodline is also becoming thinner with each generation. If you don't do something, this Xia clan will die in your generation."

Xia Yongzhi clenched his fist. "You know I have a plan, grand elder."

The grand elder narrowed his eyes. "What you're doing is gambling."

"Indeed, but as you said, our clan is on the brink of destruction. A gamble that can catapult our status is worth taking."

After he said that, Liu Xing heard several footsteps. Turning around, he saw a guard carrying a child on his back. The child had a familiar face, with a bruised jaw and several blue marks on his face.

Xia Weiyuan peeked from behind the guard, and when the guard put him on the ground, Xia Weiyuan looked down, as if he were a shy boy who had recently made a mistake and was waiting to be punished.

"Xia Weiyuan, come here," Xia Yongzhi said. Xia Weiyuan walked toward him. "Greet the grand elder."

Xia Weiyuan knelt before the grand elder and clasped his hands. "Xia Weiyuan greets the honored grand elder!"

"Come here," the grand elder said, and Xia Weiyuan began to walk toward him. When he was close, the grand elder suddenly grabbed the collar of Xia Weiyuan's clothes and lifted him up, so they were face to face. Then, the grand elder sent a large amount of qi through his hand into Xia Weiyuan.

Xia Weiyuan screamed. Every inch of his body glowed white, his eyes shining like flashlights, and the white light illuminated everything around, as if he were a sun about to go supernova.

Seeing this, Liu Xing's eyes widened. What was this grand elder trying to do? Was he trying to kill Xia Weiyuan? Xia Weiyuan was a mortal child. Sending that amount of qi into a mortal was like pouring magma through normal veins. But the kid's body reacted strangely too. He shouldn't be glowing, he should be dead.

Instantly, Liu Xing knew that this Xia Weiyuan kid was special.

"The killer of Xia Shizi is there," the grand elder said while pointing to the east.

"No," Xia Weiyuan said simply, his body still glowing and his eyes white as paper.

The grand elder repeated his question but pointed in other directions. Finally, when the elder pointed north, Xia Weiyuan said, "Yes."

After that, the elder released Xia Weiyuan and dropped him to the ground. As he lay there, eyes closed, he stopped glowing, his breathing harsh as if he had lung problems.

"Grand elder, you sent him too much qi. What if he's crippled?" Xia Yongzhi said as he walked toward Xia Weiyuan, checked his pulse, and sighed in relief.

Instead of answering, the grand elder only snorted. "Disciple of Purple Moon Sect. Let's go."

As he said that, he flicked his right hand, and a wide silver sword suddenly appeared in front of him. The silver sword hovered in the air, and the grand elder jumped on top of it. Then the silver sword flew him to the north.

Liu Xing glanced at Xia Yongzhi and Xia Weiyuan. Xia Yongzhi now carried Xia Weiyuan on his back, and he sighed as if his day was full of misfortune.

He eyed Liu Xing and said in a quiet voice, "Take care."

Liu Xing nodded, trying to digest what had happened. But soon, he realized that the grand elder was already far away, so Liu Xing summoned his gun, activated his Lightning Cloak, and tried to chase him. In the air, Liu Xing used his shield to maneuver and accelerate. After several moments, Liu Xing was steadily following the grand elder several meters behind. He could see the bent back of the grand elder clearly.

As he followed him, Liu Xing's brain worked hard. The first question was: what had happened to Xia Weiyuan? Why was he glowing? The answer was actually simple. Xia Weiyuan had a bloodline.

A bloodline that could glimpse the truth.

It made sense. The old man pointed and stated that the killer of Xia Shizi was there, in the direction he pointed, and Xia Weiyuan answered as if he knew where the killer was.

This explanation made Xia Yongzhi's actions more reasonable. If Xia Weiyuan had a bloodline that could pierce truth, maybe the effect also made Xia Weiyuan unable to tell lies.

Still, Liu Xing couldn't know for sure, and while Xia Weiyuan became more interesting, he needed to think about the implications.

First, the fact that this grand elder used Xia Weiyuan's ability in front of him, a stranger, was a weird move. Even if he was a Purple Moon Sect disciple, there should be no reason to do it in front of Liu Xing. After all, Xia Weiyuan was probably the Xia clan's secret.

The only explanation for this was that the grand elder didn't care whether Liu Xing saw it or not, which was suspicious. This grand elder cared about the Xia clan, as evidenced when he berated Xia Yongzhi, and he too should know that keeping Xia Weiyuan's secret was the best course of action. After all, he couldn't see into Liu Xing's heart. What if Liu Xing became interested in Xia Weiyuan and tried to snatch him away?

Thinking this, Liu Xing came to a conclusion. The grand elder would probably kill him in the future. After all, if the elder could ensure Liu Xing's death later, then there was no problem letting Liu Xing see the true value of Xia Weiyuan. When Liu Xing reached this conclusion, the grand elder suddenly turned his head. His black eyes gazed at him, and Liu Xing felt the air around him suddenly grow cold and heavy. Seeing those eyes, Liu Xing's heart beat faster and faster. He wondered whether the old man could read his mind.

"Faster," the grand elder said.

Liu Xing swallowed hard, then used the shield to accelerate until he was right behind the old man's back.

As Liu Xing wracked his brain to predict what the old man would do to him later, as well as thinking about how he could escape, the old man suddenly slowed down. After a moment, the flying sword he rode stopped, and Liu Xing killed his momentum and stood atop his shield diagonally behind the old man, observing the place in front of them.

The area in front of them was strange. Instead of green trees, lush grass, and colorful flowers of a normal forest, this place was filled with trees made of bones. Their branches curved like ribcages, their limbs resembled tigh bones, and their leaves were shaped like wide, slim shark teeth. Some of their roots stuck out from the red ground, looking like bony fingers. The base of each white tree was red and muddy, as if someone had dumped a bucket of blood at its foot.

"You said your name is Liu Xing, right?" the old man asked as his flying sword slowly descended.

Liu Xing willed his shield to follow the grand elder. "Yes, what's your name, grand elder?"

The old man was silent for a moment. When the flying sword touched the ground and he stepped off it, he answered, "My name is Xia Juetian. You need to remember this name carefully, as you'll have to report about me to your clan."

Liu Xing nodded. "All right."

"Do you have a method to communicate directly with your sect?"

"Directly, no, but there is a method to contact my sect indirectly."