The girl in the white battle armor gently soothed the golden deer and respectfully said,"The girl named Dian Cicao nodded in agreement."
Wen Qingya glanced at the two stunning beauties, her voice sharp and cold:"Pleasure to meet you both. I'm here to find my servant—he sneaked out to slack off while practicing!"
She pointed to Xin Xiaoqi, who was still pressed to the ground.Xin Xiaoqi's face burned with shame, feeling utterly embarrassed, as if humiliated all the way to his ancestors' graves.
But facing Wen Qingya's martial strength, and seeing the radiant armor of Miyayue and Dian Huihui, he thought cautiously,"These two are not ordinary either, better be careful."
With a pitiful nod, he looked up at the big blue-eyed Dian Huihui, who gazed at him with a mix of disbelief and pity:"Oh, poor sir, you look so gentle, yet you are a servant! Oh, thank you for the robe, you're truly kind."
Wen Qingya didn't waste words, waving her hand to escort Xin Xiaoqi back.Xin Xiaoqi hurriedly wrapped the robe around himself and scampered after her, flattering,"Master, you arrived just in time! Otherwise, those two girls would have gotten me!"
Wen Qingya paused, then in a strange tone said mockingly,"Oh, you're more radiant than the flowers on earth, brighter than the stars in the sky, and more dazzling than the sun above."
"And your perfect curves, like endless green mountains, beautiful, noble, light and enchanting, deeply touching and unforgettable, mesmerizing me completely!"
Xin Xiaoqi blushed heavily at the awkward compliment. Wen Qingya's cold voice cut in again,"From now on, you will train with the mountain beasts. You are not to return until you've slain a thousand."
No sooner had the words left her lips than Wen Qingya's graceful figure vanished without a trace.Xin Xiaoqi stared wide-eyed at the spot where she disappeared, then glanced at the gray sword floating mid-air."Hmm… Gray Sword brother, you'll help me, right?"
Suddenly, the tip of the sword jabbed Xin Xiaoqi's waist hard, making him stagger.The Hundred-Thousand-Mile Demon Mountain was teeming with beasts—some guarded entire mountain ranges, others just single peaks.
Xin Xiaoqi now faced one of the lesser demons—a wolf.Wolves usually traveled in packs, so most cultivators avoided them, but Xin Xiaoqi had the luck (or misfortune) to encounter only one.
The wolf crouched, towering several heads above him, drooling saliva that dripped rhythmically onto the ground.Fear clenched Xin Xiaoqi's heart. Memories of Earth's dogs flashed by.
Determined, he squatted down to pick up a stone.But before he could react, the wolf lunged.
Fortunately, his recent training paid off—he rolled aside just in time.Though he avoided the fatal strike, his left arm was slashed by the wolf's claws, leaving three deep wounds."Do I need a rabies shot now?" Xin Xiaoqi muttered.
The wolf pressed its attack, ignoring his injury.Xin Xiaoqi turned to flee but slipped, falling flat on his back.The wolf pounced onto him, puzzled by his sudden collapse.
After a brief pause, it bit down fiercely.
Desperate, Xin Xiaoqi thrust the gray sword forward as he had practiced."Phew!" A gush of blood splattered his face—the wolf's throat had been pierced cleanly.A gray crystal stone fell from the wound.
Panting, Xin Xiaoqi stared at the dead wolf in awe."Did I just kill a demon beast? Is this the first step on the path of cultivation?"
He laughed triumphantly, holding the gray sword."Such demon beast wolves are nothing but chickens and dogs."
But no sooner had he spoken, another wolf slowly emerged from behind a tree.Wen Qingya's cold voice echoed,"Forgot to tell you—I broke the barrier."
Xin Xiaoqi silently stared as the new wolf charged at him, claws raised for a brutal strike.Instinctively, he raised the gray sword, blocking the attack and spinning to deflect the force.
Though he narrowly dodged the blow, the right arm holding the sword received three fresh wounds.Yet in that moment, his body slipped beneath the wolf's belly, and he plunged the sword upward again.
The gray sword pierced effortlessly, slicing through the wolf's soft abdomen.The beast convulsed in pain, then froze as its intestines and organs spilled out.Xin Xiaoqi was drenched in gore but barely had time to react—terror, tension, and shock flickered across his face.
He looked at the gray sword in disbelief, then joyfully whispered,"Impressive. With you, I'm not afraid of any demon beast."
Suddenly, the sword struck Xin Xiaoqi's chest hard with a loud clang.Confused, Xin Xiaoqi shouted,"What the—how come you hit me now after all that praise?"
Wen Qingya's lazy voice came through:"Oh, you've entered the Qi Refining stage!"
Xin Xiaoqi was about to ask more when...
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