"I'm going to search for a spirit herb, deeper into the Southern Border," Murong Mo said.
This was customary after completing a mission.
Most Shu Mountain disciples chose to split up and search for whatever they sought on their own.
But the depths of the Southern Border were perilous. Likely only someone of Murong Mo's cultivation dared venture that far in.
Jiang Luoshui had originally wanted to follow Senior Brother Murong every step of the way, but when she heard Murong Mo intended to go deeper into the Southern Border, she gave up on the idea.
"Junior Disciple Xuanxiao, what medicinal herbs are you looking for? How about we travel together?"
Though Mount Wu Wang lay on the edge of the Southern Border, it was still dangerous.
If they were unlucky enough to run into a vicious plant Spirit Monster, one slip-up could spell trouble.
"Thank you, Senior Sister, but I still want to gain some experience on my own."
Ling Xuanxiao rejected Su Wan's kindness once again.
His repeated refusals left Su Wan somewhat puzzled.
No matter how shy he was, he could not be shy to this extent, could he?
So much time had already passed. Could he still be holding a grudge over what happened before?
She had clearly already forgiven him.
"Junior Disciple Xuanxiao, there's no need to stand on ceremony with me."
Ling Xuanxiao wore a smile, but inwardly he was going mad.
If possible, he truly wished to stay farther away from this Fourth Senior Sister.
Someone beside them urged, "Xuanxiao, you should still go with Fourth Senior Sister. With Senior Sister's help, you'll be able to gather all the medicinal herbs you need."
"Finding medicinal herbs is secondary. The most important thing is to temper myself. Senior Brothers and Senior Sisters, there is no need to worry. Please be careful yourselves."
After saying that, Ling Xuanxiao did not wait for them to say anything more.
He had already flown off alone on his sword toward the east.
It was inconvenient to fly high in the Southern Border, so he skimmed close to the ground. In the blink of an eye, he vanished without a trace.
Su Wan was left standing there, frowning deeply.
"What is wrong with this Ling Xuanxiao?"
Fan Zhiyu was rather envious and jealous. Traveling with Senior Sister Su Wan, and he was unwilling?
"Exactly."
"Fourth Senior Sister, don't be angry. Perhaps Senior Brother Ling has some unspeakable difficulty~"
Jiang Luoshui said deliberately.
The implication was as though Su Wan had pressed her warm face against a cold backside, and was now lashing out in embarrassment.
Su Wan cast Jiang Luoshui a cold glance and ignored her.
Murong Mo said, "Junior Sister Su, how about you and I head deeper into the Southern Border together?"
Su Wan pretended not to hear him. Seeing that Ling Xuanxiao truly did not wish to travel with her, she gave up the thought of chasing after him.
After hesitating for a moment, she set off alone in another direction.
Murong Mo gazed deeply in Su Wan's direction and murmured, "This was the last chance I gave you."
Then he left as well.
Jiang Luoshui formed a team with the remaining two and continued onward.
"..."
Ling Xuanxiao moved swiftly, weaving through the forest.
After covering over thirty li in one breath, Ling Xuanxiao let out an almost inaudible sigh.
Was it really necessary to go this far?
He truly hoped he was overthinking it, but judging from things now...
Ling Xuanxiao rested briefly before continuing onward.
After a full day like this, Ling Xuanxiao set up a simple spell formation where he was.
He drew a circle on the ground with his sword, then sat within it and closed his eyes to regulate his breathing.
A bright moon hung overhead, like a silver platter scattering cold, clear radiance over the silent, shadowy forest.
Within that darkness, Ling Xuanxiao, whose eyes had remained tightly shut as if asleep, suddenly opened them without warning.
A sharp light gleamed in those eyes, as if they could pierce through every secret hidden in the night.
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In an instant, a cold gleam shot toward him from behind like lightning.
It was so fast that there was almost no time to react.
That cold gleam was an incomparably sharp flying sword, piercing straight through Li Xuanxiao's body at an extremely tricky angle.
Astonishingly, although the sword's power was immense, the Sword Qi it emitted was exceptionally sharp and precise.
It neither stirred the surrounding air into violent turbulence nor caused a great commotion by destroying the environment around it.
The flying sword easily pierced through the fallen leaves on the ground, as effortlessly as passing through a sheet of thin paper.
Then, like a ghost, it silently sank into the thick trunk of a tree not far ahead, leaving behind only a tiny, barely noticeable hole.
From beginning to end, not a trace of aura leaked from this heart-stopping attack. Not even the faintest sound was made.
It was as though the attacker had acted with extreme caution, afraid that the slightest disturbance would alert others to the anomaly here.
The attacker slowly revealed himself.
Murong Mo looked at Li Xuanxiao's corpse with an utterly cold expression.
But the next second, the corpse erupted in a cloud of poisonous mist.
Murong Mo's brow lifted slightly. With his hands clasped behind his back, he showed not the least bit of tension.
"A decent illusion, but what a pity. Your cultivation is too weak..."
The poisonous mist did not affect Murong Mo in the slightest, lingering outside his Body Protection Qi.
Li Xuanxiao reappeared. "Senior Brother, was there really a need to kill me?"
"You disgusting piece of filth. There are matters you should not meddle in, yet you insisted on meddling in them. Stealing my woman—aren't you courting death?
"Besides, you have the Marrow Cleansing Pill left behind by the Sect Master. Hand it over to me."
Murong Mo had completely shed the kindness he had shown at Shu Mountain.
In the eyes of his fellow disciples, Senior Brother Murong was a refined young gentleman.
Humble and courteous, polite and kind—even toward disciples from Servant Peak.
But the Murong Mo before him now was like a completely different person.
"My things may be things I no longer want, but you cannot pick them up! Much less steal them!"
What kind of tyrannical CEO line was that?
Li Xuanxiao mocked inwardly.
"I had intended to let you die quickly, but unfortunately, you are very tactless."
Murong Mo knew Li Xuanxiao's strength clearly.
Not long ago, he had even seen Li Xuanxiao fight. It could only be described in four words: utterly unremarkable.
Even if they had been at the same cultivation level, Murong Mo was one hundred percent certain he could finish him off.
Not to mention that he was a whole realm above him.
"Your fate is to die here. From the moment you accepted the mission at the Sword Exchange Pavilion, you had already stepped into my trap. If I don't explain it clearly, I fear you'll die without ever knowing the truth."
Murong Mo spoke calmly.
"You are courting death too. If you had traveled with Junior Sister Su Wan, I truly would have found it difficult to act. Who would have thought you would choose to travel alone? I gave you more than one chance, but heaven refuses to spare you."
Li Xuanxiao smiled faintly and offered no further explanation.
He reached back and removed the Sword Box from behind him.
"Spring!"
With a clang of sword song.
A streak of cold light shot out from the Sword Box.
"Senior Brother, perhaps you have misunderstood something. I am not weaker than you in the slightest."
Li Xuanxiao no longer suppressed his cultivation.
Murong Mo's expression shifted slightly. "Foundation Establishment!"
Judging by his aura, he had even reached Foundation Establishment Late Stage. How was that possible!?
Murong Mo raised a hand, intending to call back his treasured sword.
Too late!?
The other man's sword came swiftly. Murong Mo lifted his hand, about to unleash his own magic artifact.
But Li Xuanxiao seemed to have anticipated this long ago.
Within the bushes behind Murong Mo was a trap Li Xuanxiao had carefully arranged.
Two Scorpion Puppets fired poisonous needles.
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