A little girl who couldn't even truss a chicken? Are you sure?
She actually had reached the peak of the ninth level of the Sea Opening Realm!
System, do you have some kind of misunderstanding about what "couldn't even truss a chicken" means?
[Beep! Host, just tell me whether you're doing this mission or not!]
I am!
Of course I am!
A reward even better than advancing one minor realm—only a fool would turn that down!
Whoosh!
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!
A series of sounds rang out.
Xiao Yao immediately came back to his senses and looked toward the spot where the sounds had finally vanished.
There he saw Dai Tianwei, petite yet beautifully curvaceous.
A moment later, sixteen cultivators arrived and surrounded Dai Tianwei.
It would have been fine to fight below, but Dai Tianwei was clearly kindhearted and didn't want to drag any innocent cultivators into the battle.
"Brother Yu, that girl looks like the Divine Maiden of the Shocking Heaven Tower."
Hearing this, Yu Bu's expression didn't change at all. "So the Divine Maiden of the Shocking Heaven Tower can kill people at will? Besides, the Xuanyuan Family we serve isn't afraid of the Shocking Heaven Tower."
The other fifteen cultivators understood this just as well.
But if they killed the Shocking Heaven Tower's Divine Maiden and the tower held them responsible, these servants would almost certainly be unable to escape death.
On the other hand, if they didn't avenge the Second Young Master, they would definitely die.
So, weighing the two evils, they naturally chose to avenge the Second Young Master.
As for the Divine Maiden of the Shocking Heaven Tower, Yu Bu had already made up his mind: they would capture her alive. That way, there was little chance they would be killed!
In the past, Dai Tianwei would surely have chosen to meekly reason with them.
But after Xiao Yao's words and example, she'd realized that explaining was useless. Only by displaying overwhelming strength could she intimidate these people.
Only then would they listen to a calm, gentle explanation.
Whoosh!
A Saint Artifact sword appeared in Dai Tianwei's hand.
Without the slightest hesitation, she gathered mana into the sword and unleashed the Saint-tier spell, First Form of Shocking Heaven.
In an instant, the clouds in the sky scattered. An astonishing aura burst from Dai Tianwei, and the sharpness of her second-level Sword Intent made Yu Bu and the other fifteen cultivators shudder.
The cultivators below all twitched at the corners of their mouths. They truly hadn't expected such terrifying, peerless power to be hidden within the timid little girl from before.
"Big Brother, we can only use that move!"
Yu Bu nodded and produced a golden needle that blazed with dazzling light.
Dai Tianwei looked puzzled, clearly not understanding what the golden needle was for.
[Beep! This is the Venerable Tier treasure, the Nine Yin Golden Needle. It can pierce the defenses of cultivators in the Venerable Realm. If it hits you, you'll be unable to use mana.]
They were actually using something like this against a Sea Opening Realm cultivator.
The Xuanyuan Family's servants really had no shame!
But it was only natural. Yu Bu and the others didn't want to lose any men, and they wanted to capture Dai Tianwei alive. Their only option was to use this underhanded trick.
Zing!
Yu Bu flicked his finger, and the Nine Yin Golden Needle shot out like a cannonball.
It sped up and up, until even the increasingly wary Dai Tianwei could no longer see it.
So Dai Tianwei swung her sword straight ahead, and the vast swordlight swallowed the Nine Yin Golden Needle in an instant.
But no matter how powerful a Sea Opening Realm cultivator might be, her strength couldn't match the hardness of a Venerable Tier treasure.
Taking advantage of the swordlight blocking her view, the Nine Yin Golden Needle had already reached a meter from Dai Tianwei.
At that speed, there was no way Dai Tianwei could stop it. Still, she swung her sword, hoping to block the needle with its blade.
But the odds of that happening were simply too slim!
Just as expected, the Nine Yin Golden Needle pierced through. Now it was only 0.01 centimeters from Dai Tianwei.
Just as it was about to pierce her tender skin, a Taiji Bagua diagram appeared around Dai Tianwei, and above her, a glowing mirror began to turn.
Boom!
The Nine Yin Golden Needle couldn't advance even an inch. Worse still, the power of the Tai Chi Bagua Mirror was forcing it back out.
Yu Bu froze, muttering, "That's the Saint-tier treasure of the Tai Chi Pavilion, the Tai Chi Bagua Mirror. How could the Divine Maiden of the Shocking Heaven Tower have one?"
"Of course she doesn't. This mirror belongs to me!"
A thunderous boom rang out in the sky as Xiao Yao made his dazzling entrance.
The cultivators below were all dumbfounded. Their hearts filled with lingering fear, they thought, Damn! That god of slaughter hasn't left yet!
Dai Tianwei smiled, her eyes curving like crescent moons. Her smile made her look all the more sweet and adorable.
"Who are you?" Yu Bu shouted.
Xiao Yao looked at Dai Tianwei and asked curiously, "Tsk! Are the Xuanyuan Family's servants all a bunch of big idiots?"
"They must be!" Dai Tianwei replied with a dazed, innocent nod.
Insulted, Yu Bu and the other fifteen Sea Opening Realm cultivators gritted their teeth.
Just like Yu Bu, they said nothing more and immediately unleashed their strongest attacks with all their might.
But before they could strike, a faint silvery-white light covered Xiao Yao from head to toe. Then he swung his sword.
The swordlight contained sixth-level Sword Intent, filling every cultivator present with dread. Its sharpness and terror were beyond anything they could imagine for now.
Seeing this, Yu Bu and the others stopped gathering power and immediately unleashed their techniques.
Swordlight! Saber light! Sonic waves! Firelight! Sixteen dazzling spells in all surged toward Xiao Yao.
Every one of those spells was astonishingly powerful. Anywhere else, each one would have been a force to be reckoned with.
But when they collided with Xiao Yao's swordlight, they vanished in an instant!
"What? That's impossible!"
Yu Bu and the other fifteen Sea Opening Realm cultivators stared in shock!
The boy was only at the peak of the third level of the Sea Opening Realm!
The weakest among them had reached the peak of the eighth level. How could they possibly be no match for him when they attacked together?
The most outrageous part wasn't even that. The swordlight didn't seem to have lost any power at all—instead, it was growing stronger!
"Brother Yu! Run!"
The instant the words left his mouth, that cultivator was swept up by the swordlight, which surged like wildfire, and was reduced to nothing.
Yu Bu watched in utter shock. Just as he was about to flee, Xiao Yao appeared right in front of him and, without playing fair, kicked him into the swordlight.
In the blink of an eye, Yu Bu and the other fifteen Sea Opening Realm cultivators had vanished without a trace, as if they'd never existed.
The cultivators below felt as if a bone were stuck in their throats. Their bodies trembled faintly, and they feared Xiao Yao, that god of slaughter, would turn on them next.
[Beep! Congratulations, host! Mission complete: Kill all the Xuanyuan Family cultivators present. You have gained two minor realms of cultivation!]
"Big brother, don't worry. I'll have my master protect you." Dai Tianwei spoke in a clear, childish voice.
Xiao Yao smiled faintly and asked curiously, "Who is your master?"
"The master of the Shocking Heaven Tower!" Dai Tianwei replied.
So her master was Sun Weihao!
The Xuanyuan Family ranked second among the families of the Southern Wilderness Domain.
The Shocking Heaven Tower really could protect him!
Still, his master was the Lotus Sword Emperor. If the Xuanyuan Family dared to come after him, it would probably be erased from the Southern Wilderness Domain for good.
"I appreciate the thought!"
Hearing Xiao Yao's gentle refusal, Dai Tianwei lowered her head. She thought that since the Xuanyuan Family's servants had dared to attack her, the Shocking Heaven Tower's Divine Maiden, big brother didn't believe the tower could protect him.
"Besides, you don't need to call me big brother. We're about the same age. Just call me brother."
At Xiao Yao's words, Dai Tianwei blinked, and so did the cultivators below. None of them could believe what they'd just heard.
The terrifying thing about Dai Tianwei was that she had reached the peak of the ninth level of the Sea Opening Realm at just twelve years old.
Xiao Yao was different. The terrifying thing about him was that at just twelve, he could casually slay cultivators at the peak of the ninth level of the Sea Opening Realm.
As for which of them was more impressive, Xiao Yao was definitely the one!
After all, the strength one could bring to bear was always more important than one's cultivation realm.
Remembering that he still hadn't claimed his reward of two minor realms, and that he would need time to stabilize his foundation and absorb the power, Xiao Yao decided to stay on Sword Mark Peak and cultivate for now. He said, "Dai Tianwei, go observe the sword marks. I'll cultivate here for a while."
Brother was planning to protect my cultivation!
Dai Tianwei was deeply moved. She nodded several times, then remembered something and immediately asked, "Brother, you said that if we met again, you'd tell me your name."
"Xiao Yao!"
After speaking, Xiao Yao stored the Nine Yin Golden Needle in his system space, then casually found a spot and sat down to cultivate.
The Nine-tailed Celestial Fox was no longer propped up by his left hand. Instead, it lay across his crossed legs.
One thing worth noting was that the Nine-tailed Celestial Fox had been fast asleep the entire time, showing no sign of waking.
Xiao Yao didn't know whether all divine beasts loved sleeping so much, or if his Nine-tailed Celestial Fox was just like that.
In any case, he'd have to wait until they went out before asking his master about divine beasts.
Two and a half days later.
Dai Tianwei's Sword Intent advanced to the peak of the fourth level. Satisfied, she opened her eyes, left her spot, and flew toward Xiao Yao.
At a glance, she saw that Xiao Yao's cultivation had advanced to the peak of the fifth level of the Sea Opening Realm. His aura was also incredibly solid, showing that his foundation was very stable.
What incredible cultivation speed!
"You're here," Xiao Yao said.
Dai Tianwei nodded obediently. "Mm! I'm here!"
"I plan to go to the mountain with the Immortal Palace. What about you?" Xiao Yao told her his destination.
Dai Tianwei's eyes lit up with delight. "I'm going there too!"
"There's no time to waste. Let's set off right away."
With that, Xiao Yao stood up, picked up the Nine-tailed Celestial Fox with his left arm, and flew toward the Immortal Palace.
Whoosh!
Whoosh!
Watching the two streaks of light disappear, the cultivators, who hadn't dared breathe freely for the past two and a half days, finally began to catch their breath.
"Phew! That vicious man finally left!"
"Finally, I can breathe easy! How come I never noticed how fresh the air around here is?"
Before you continue