Qin Fengming watched the young man in black finally calm down. Although he was extremely curious about what the man had done earlier, he knew that this was not something he could take the initiative to ask about.
"Elder Brother, I am not a monk. I am actually a disciple of Luoxia Valley. I happened to pass by just now and saw you fighting this beast. When I saw that this little thing was about to hurt someone, I stepped in. You don't need to thank me. For a martial artist to draw his sword and help when he sees injustice is only what should be done."
Hearing Qin Fengming's words, the young man in black was immediately stunned. After studying him carefully, he saw that Qin Fengming was dressed in purple and recognized it as the attire of an elite disciple of Luoxia Valley. His thoughts racing, he spoke again:
"So you are a disciple of Luoxia Valley, Little Brother. I have been discourteous, most discourteous." Though he said this aloud, he was inwardly astonished. The youth before him possessed spiritual power, yet he himself seemed to have sensed nothing at all.
From the other man's words, it seemed that he was very familiar with Luoxia Valley. Qin Fengming was slightly surprised as well.
Seeing Qin Fengming's astonished expression, the man in black paused for a moment before continuing:
"I am acquainted with your sect master, Sima Qingshan. I was originally on my way to Luoxia Valley to meet him, but unexpectedly encountered this beast here, which led to the fight. If Little Brother had not lent me a hand, the consequences would have been unthinkable."
After finishing, the man waved his hand. A jade bottle appeared in it, and he poured out a snow-white pill and swallowed it. Then he tore off a strip of cloth from his robe and wrapped his injured arm. The entire movement was smooth and practiced.
Qin Fengming watched from the side, utterly astonished. The injuries he had suffered were clearly extremely severe, yet judging by the way he handled them, the man seemed thoroughly accustomed to such wounds and did not take them to heart at all.
A short while later, the young man in black had finished treating his injuries. Seeing this, Qin Fengming could not help admiring him.
"Oh, since you are acquainted with Sect Master Sima, then you are no outsider. I imagine you have nothing else to attend to now, so I shall take my leave." Qin Fengming was filled with awe toward the young man before him and did not want to remain with him for long.
"Little Brother, wait. There is something I would like to ask you about. I wonder if you could tell me the truth?" Seeing that Qin Fengming was about to leave, the man in black stopped him.
"What would you like to ask, Elder Brother? As long as I know, I will certainly tell you honestly." Qin Fengming stopped when he heard this. He knew what the other man's abilities were. Although he had been unable to do anything to the purple beast, dealing with Qin Fengming would not take much effort.
"Who did you learn your Ice Bullet Technique from? Are you willing to tell me honestly?" Seeing Qin Fengming answer so readily, the young man in black stopped beating around the bush and asked directly.
At these words, Qin Fengming was instantly stunned. Ice Bullet Technique? Wasn't that merely the method described in the little booklet for releasing his inner power?
He had followed the booklet's instructions, and no one had taught him. How, then, did the young man before him know about it? Yet Qin Fengming did not dare deceive him with a lie. The man opposite him possessed immortal techniques and posed a considerable threat.
After thinking this through, he answered honestly, "Are you talking about the little ice ball I released just now? That was merely my own inner power. No one taught it to me."
When he first heard Qin Fengming's answer, the man in black looked utterly bewildered. He stared at Qin Fengming for a long while. Seeing the calm expression on his face, which did not resemble that of someone lying, he changed the subject. "Ah, so that's how it is. In that case, thank you again for saving me, Little Brother."
"There's no need to be polite. A martial artist should do such a thing. Elder Brother, when you fought that purple beast just now, were you using an immortal technique? It was truly astonishingly powerful." Qin Fengming's face was filled with longing.
"Little Brother, you know about immortal techniques?" The man in black was stunned. Qin Fengming did not know what the Ice Bullet Technique was, yet he knew about immortal techniques. This clearly meant that he must have seen cultivators before.
"I have only heard people mention them. I have never seen one with my own eyes. This was my first time. It was truly mysterious beyond compare and breathtaking to behold." Qin Fengming did not want to reveal that he had encountered someone capable of using immortal techniques, so he answered this way.
"That was merely the most ordinary spell. It was nothing worth mentioning." Seeing that Qin Fengming was unwilling to say more, the man in black spoke indifferently as well.
"It is getting late. Since you have nothing else to attend to, I should return to Luoxia Valley. Elder Brother, let us part here. Until we meet again." As he spoke, Qin Fengming turned around and prepared to leave.
Seeing Qin Fengming about to go, yet showing no reluctance toward the purple beast, the man in black was secretly startled.
The purple beast was a first-rank demon beast. Its teeth and claws were excellent materials for refining artifacts, and they could be exchanged for quite a few spirit stones at the Marketplace. To an ordinary disciple like him, that would be a handsome sum.
Seeing Qin Fengming act this way, he realized that Qin Fengming knew nothing at all about the Cultivation World. Otherwise, he would never have behaved like this.
With that thought, he called out, "Little Brother, may I ask your honorable name?"
"My name is Qin Fengming. If fate allows, we will meet again." After speaking, Qin Fengming cupped his hands toward the other man and disappeared into the dense forest.
"I will remember your kindness, Brother Qin. Until we meet again."
Watching Qin Fengming turn and vanish into the woods, the young man stood stunned for quite some time before muttering to himself:
"This little fellow named Qin Fengming clearly has the cultivation of Qi Gathering Stage Three, yet he actually does not know what an immortal technique is. It is truly baffling."
As he spoke, he shook his head repeatedly. After a long while, he walked over and picked up the purple beast's corpse. With a flick of his hand, the corpse vanished without a trace. Then he sat cross-legged on the ground, grasped a spirit stone in each hand, and began recovering his magic power.
Five days later, in the rear mountains of Rosy Cloud Peak, Qin Fengming was practicing swordplay among the mountain forests. Suddenly, an object flew through the air toward him at incredible speed, reaching him in the blink of an eye.
The object looked like a round shield enlarged countless times. When the round shield landed on the ground, three people stepped down from it. In an instant, the round-shield-shaped object shrank and disappeared. Seeing this, Qin Fengming's heart filled with uncertainty and alarm.
Fortunately, he recognized two of the three people who had stepped down.
The person in the middle wore a long blue robe and held a horsetail whisk. His face was fair and ruddy. He was none other than Sect Master Sima Qingshan. The person at the front appeared to be around forty years old, with a slightly flushed face and bright, piercing eyes. He wore a yellow robe. The last person was the young man in black whom Qin Fengming had encountered several days earlier deep within Luoxia Valley.
Though Qin Fengming was startled, he hurried forward and bowed. "I did not know Sect Master Sima was coming and failed to welcome you from afar. Please forgive me, Sect Master."
Afterward, he glanced at the young man in black and said with a smile, "Elder Brother, how have you been? So you really are acquainted with Sect Master Sima."
Seeing Qin Fengming speak this way, Sect Master Sima was not surprised in the least. He laughed heartily. "Qin Fengming, this is Immortal Master Feng. He came here today because Brother Wang encountered you several days ago, and therefore made this special trip for your sake."
As he spoke, his face was full of smiles, while his eyes brimmed with undisguised envy.
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