There was a way… If Beihe's mother truly was her System Helper, then Liang Wu could use the feature he had added at the God Realm to bring her back. He couldn't resurrect his own mother, but he could at least help this little girl.
In the early stages of the System's development—before it was made available to the world—the Helpers refused to cooperate. They had been rudely pulled from the afterlife, forced to serve the System. To entice them into assisting, Liang Wu had created a feature that allowed God Realm beings to give their Helpers new bodies.
But now came the real challenge: how could he help Beihe reach the God Realm? It had taken him hundreds of years the first time, and although the journey would be faster now—with the world changed and this being his second time—it would still require a significant amount of time.
Why not take her as your disciple? His System Helper suggested, privy to his thoughts.
He glanced at the crowd of onlookers, many of whom stared back at him in growing confusion. His silence stretched too long, and they began to murmur, their anticipation fading into doubt. They expected him to refuse the little girl's request.
Liang Wu broke the silence. "Okay, I can't give you your mother as a reward. However, I can help you achieve your wish." His voice rang out clear and steady. "You will join my sect, becoming my first personal disciple. And I will help you reach the God Realm, where you will gain the power to give your mother a physical body."
His declaration drew bizarre gazes from the crowd.
Did his brain get scrambled in his clash with Shun Hanpo? Qian Pang thought as he heard the insane things this mysterious young man was spouting. His hand twitched slightly—Should I order an attack? He hesitated, glancing toward his father.
The older man's narrowed eyes told Qian Pang they were thinking the same thing: if this mysterious figure really was injured in the soul clash, then this might be their best chance to eliminate him. A swift strike here could solve all their problems.
Liang Wu caught their glances and smirked. Perfect. He was waiting for this—give the enemy despair, sprinkle in a little hope, and then crush them thoroughly. His tried and true method.
Xu Beihe tugged at his robe, her small face scrunched in confusion. "Big brother, why can't you bring my mother back? What do you mean I can?" Her voice was uncertain, wavering between curiosity and fear. Though she was smarter than other children, she was still only six years old, unable to grasp the full weight of Liang Wu's words.
Liang Wu knelt down to meet her gaze. "I'll explain that later." His voice softened, a rare tenderness slipping through his usual calm demeanor. "Right now, you have two choices. One, become my disciple, reach the God Realm, and resurrect your mother. Or, ask for a different reward." His eyes were serious, though he could have sugar-coated his words more for the little girl.
Xu Beihe bit her lip, her mind racing. She glanced at the ground, then back up at Liang Wu. The promise dangled in front of her like a fragile hope. Could she really do this? Could she really bring her mother back?
"I—" As she was responding, a sharp whistling noise cut through the air.
An arrow shot through an open window, aimed at Liang Wu's heart.
Before anyone could react, the arrow struck true. Piercing Liang Wu through the heart, ending his life in an instant… At least, that was what the Qian family imagined.
In reality, Liang Wu moved faster than a blink, pushing the little girl into Li Li's arms as his hand shot up to catch the arrow mid-flight.
As if drawn to him by some unseen force, the arrow was caught between his fingers effortlessly.
The entire scene unfolded in seconds, leaving everyone still processing. Shock rippled through the pavilion, while tons of guards piled in, weapons drawn, pointed at Liang Wu.
Dropping the arrow, Liang Wu stepped forward. His earlier arrogant demeanor returned.
"Come, bring your strongest men, besiege me, do whatever you can to struggle." Liang Wu said, spreading his arms wide as though welcoming the fight. "I do so enjoy watching as my prey squirms." A devilish laugh followed, low and menacing.
If Tian Feng were here, she would have recognized this moment. It was moments like these that earned him the "Demon" in his nickname. His true demonic nature revealed itself only when he was about to crush his foes.
Xu Beihe glanced up from Li Li's arms, her small voice trembling. "Big sister, is big brother Wu going to be okay?" Her tiny fingers clutched at Li Li's sleeve, her eyes darting between the guards and Liang Wu. Her mind was racing, too young to fully comprehend the danger, but old enough to sense something was terribly wrong. What she was truly worried about was whether she would get her reward or not.
Patting Xu Beihe on the head, Li Li forced a smile. "Big brother will be fine." But her trembling hands betrayed her own doubts.
"You should never have come here, interfering with matters that didn't concern you!" Qian Pang yelled from behind the wall of guards surrounding Liang Wu. He tried to sound confident, but nervous sweat dripped down his brow, as his body trembled, causing jiggling waves to course through his fat.
Liang Wu remained silent, waiting. It had been so long since he felt this rush of adrenaline, the raw excitement of the fight boiled in his veins, making his body tremble—not with fear, but with anticipation. Let them think they have a chance, just for a moment. Let them hope…
Seeing Liang Wu's body shake, the Qian family misread the signs. They took it as fear, and their confidence swelled.
"Attack!" Qian Pang ordered.
The guards surged forward like a tidal wave, weapons raised, eager to cut Liang Wu down.
Liang Wu stood still, excitement cresting, his heart beating loudly in his ears. The first sword slashed across his chest, bouncing harmlessly off his Immortal-Grade robes with a dull thud.
A second guard sliced at his stomach, the blade skidding across the fabric like a stone skipping water.
Two more guards pierced either side, but the weapons couldn't even leave a scratch.
Liang Wu smirked. Let them have their fun. It's been a long time since I've enjoyed a good fight.
The Qian father-son duo saw him freeze under the onslaught, their confidence reaching its peak. "Kill!" they both shouted.
But no matter how many strikes landed, Liang Wu stood tall, untouched. A few days ago, this would have been suicide. But now, with the Immortal-Grade robes Chen Li Li had gifted him, his defense was beyond anything these lowly guards could comprehend.
If they had their damage indicators on, all they'd see would be a string of -1's.
Though they couldn't harm him, each strike carried a small sting, a minor ache. It didn't matter. He could stand here all day, letting them throw themselves at him if he so chose.
But where was the fun in that?
It was time to crush his enemies.
Eight guards in total. Four attacked from the front while the rest circled behind.
Liang Wu struck the nearest guard's wrist with a lightning-fast palm.
Crack!
The guard's wrist snapped, his sword dropping to the ground. Liang Wu caught it mid-air, the movement fluid.
The other three guards froze, eyes wide, fear creeping in as they realized their strikes did nothing. Before they could react, one found Liang Wu's newly acquired sword buried in his chest. Hot blood splashed on the remaining two, snapping them out of their daze.
The four guards behind pounced, their swords aimed at his exposed back.
Two swords bounced harmlessly off his shoulders, two more glanced off his sides. Still nothing but insignificant pinpricks of damage.
Pulling the sword from the guard's chest, he swung at the last two in front, blood splashing from the blade in a beautiful cascade of red. However, the end result was anything but beautiful.
The two clutched their necks, where a thin line of red was slowly widening.
Now three guards lay dead, and a fourth held tightly to his broken wrist.
Without turning around, Liang Wu plunged the sword behind himself, striking a guard's stomach.
The last three turned and ran.
One went toward the three girls, he didn't even make it two steps before a sword pierced through the back of his neck.
As the man fell, Liang Wu was revealed behind him with a bloody grin.
Li Li and Daiyu shuddered at the sickening display, Xu Beihe's eyes widened in horror, her small hands clenched tightly as she fought to stay conscious. But the sight was too much for her young mind to bear. Her eyes rolled to the back of her head, her body going limp in Li Li's arms, she had passed out.
The final two guards had just reached the doorway when Liang Wu kicked two swords from the ground, they pierced their backs, pinning them to the doorframe.
Though it takes time to describe, before anyone could react the battle was already over in an instant.
Liang Wu turned and slowly walked towards the Qian family members, on the way he delivered a kick to the head of the guard with a broken wrist, instantly snapping his neck.
Most of the Qian family elders were terrified, including Qian Pang. However Qian Xì had remained calm throughout the ordeal.
Clap! Clap! Clap!
"That was an impressive performance," Qian Xì's calm voice sliced through the room as he slowly clapped, stepping forward. "But that's all it was—a performance." His eyes narrowed, scrutinizing Liang Wu. "You're not as strong as you've let on."
Liang Wu's eyebrow twitched, but his amused expression remained. "Oh? Do tell."
"While I don't know how you killed Shun Hanpo, some trick I'm sure." Qian Xì smiled faintly. "You haven't used a single ounce of Qi from beginning to end. You relied entirely on your physical strength. If you were truly at the Core Building Realm or higher, you would have used your Qi to defend against the guards' attacks." His words hung in the air like a trap closing around Liang Wu. "That means you're hiding something—your real cultivation level, perhaps?"
The crowd's murmurs rose in volume. Suspicion filled their gazes as they studied Liang Wu more closely. Could this mysterious figure truly be weaker than they thought?
Liang Wu chuckled, shaking his head. "Not bad." He gave Qian Xì a mocking nod. "You're smarter than you look. I'll give you that."
Without warning, Liang Wu released his Qi, flooding the room with a wave of pressure. It hit like a storm, suffocating the space and leaving everyone reeling.
No, that was just the Qian members' imagination again.
Liang Wu's Qi was so weak that it could barely be felt, he was only in the 3rd stage of the Qi Forming Realm after all.
"He's only at the Qi Forming Realm?" someone muttered in disbelief.