Seven-Colored Immortal Orchid

"Brat, I want you dead."

The tall man commanded his remaining underlings to launch an attack on Li Xingluo.

Song Xue had intended to help, but her injuries were too severe; the moment she took a step, she could not keep her balance.

"Be careful." She could only cheer him on from the sidelines.

Li Xingluo drew the Wind Spirit Split-Form Sword and unleashed a single strike, a giant sword formed from Dou Qi slashing toward the dozen men charging at him.

One could only hear the sound of rocks splitting and sand scattering as the rising dust instantly filled the entire canyon.

The neighing of horses and the screams of men permeated the length of the canyon.

When the dust settled, the dozen men who had been full of vigor just moments ago were lying on the ground, men and horses alike, devoid of life.

If the first instance could be attributed to Li Xingluo catching them off guard due to their ignorance of his strength, how could one explain this?

The tall man had never seen such a scene; his legs turned to jelly from fear, and he nearly tumbled from his horse.

He yanked the reins, raised his whip, and shouted "Giddy-up!" in an attempt to flee the scene.

Before he had run even a few meters, a figure blocked his path in mid-air. When he looked closely, he saw a pair of wings hovering behind the figure—it was none other than the youth he had just tried to kill, Li Xingluo.

"A, a Dou King? A teenage Dou King?" The tall man stammered, his earlier arrogance completely vanished.

Li Xingluo remained expressionless, sweeping past him. Before the tall man could even draw his blade, he felt a chill at his neck. When he looked down, a thick scent of blood began to rise slowly from his throat.

Slowly turning his head, the tall man, unable to believe this was real, fell from his horse; he struggled for a few moments before his breath faded away.

Li Xingluo did not even glance at the corpses on the ground, his cold, stern appearance highlighting his extraordinary nature.

Song Xue walked cautiously toward Li Xingluo, swallowing hard as she looked at the bodies strewn about in disarray.

She had just been thinking about holding these people off so the youth could run away and deliver the item, but she never expected...

"You, are you a Dou King?"

Li Xingluo did not speak; he simply returned the item Song Xue had entrusted to him earlier and turned to leave.

At that very moment, Song Xue's body, which had long since reached its limit, collapsed with a thud.

Li Xingluo, who had already begun to walk away, heard the sound of her falling. He looked back to see Song Xue's frail body lying on the ground. After a long internal struggle, he helplessly walked back toward her.

Night fell, and Li Xingluo sat cross-legged by the campfire lit in the mountains, practicing his cultivation.

Across from the fire, Song Xue lay flat, her wounds bandaged with strips of white cloth.

It was unclear how much time had passed when Song Xue groggily opened her eyes. A campfire came into view, and she slowly sat up.

Seeing Li Xingluo sitting cross-legged opposite her, his handsome face and perfectly balanced features were truly mesmerizing.

"You're awake!"

As Li Xingluo spoke, he opened his eyes. Because Song Xue had been staring in fascination, their gazes met, and she instinctively lowered her head.

A soft, cool voice came from Song Xue: "Thank you for saving me. My name is Song Xue. May I ask the young master's name? If you would be so kind as to tell me, I... the Song Clan will repay you in the future."

"No need for formalities." Li Xingluo did not intend to reveal his real name and casually made one up. "Just call me Luo Xing."

"Are you also heading to Ink Cloud City?" Song Xue checked the bandages on her wounds, which were much better now, and a blush appeared on her face.

Regarding the naive and adorable Song Xue, Li Xingluo did not hide anything from her.

"Yes."

The atmosphere became incredibly awkward with this exchange of questions and answers, especially for Song Xue, who felt that Li Xingluo always gave off an air of keeping others at a distance.

"I am still very grateful to you. If you hadn't intervened, I fear the Seven-Colored Immortal Orchid would have been snatched away."

Song Xue picked up the box. Upon hearing her mention that the box contained the Seven-Colored Immortal Orchid, Li Xingluo's calm heart rippled for a split second.

"You say this box contains the Seven-Colored Immortal Orchid?"

Song Xue had no guard against Li Xingluo; she nodded with clear, certain eyes.

The Seven-Colored Immortal Orchid was a precious treasure; not only could it be used to refine medicinal pills, but it could also be consumed directly. If paired with the cultivation of the Seven-Colored Poison Scripture, it would yield twice the result with half the effort. He had not expected such a supreme treasure to appear in such a remote place.

Li Xingluo thought of Xiao Yi Xian and her Seven-Colored Poison Scripture, and for a moment, he could not suppress the joy in his heart.

"Young Master, you..."

"Miss Song Xue, may I ask what you intend to do with this Seven-Colored Immortal Orchid?"

Li Xingluo could naturally see the importance Song Xue placed on the orchid; she was willing to risk her life to protect it.

If he could resolve her predicament, perhaps she would be willing to part with it if he offered to purchase it.

Li Xingluo noticed that the previously lively Song Xue was now filled with sorrow.

She seemed to be plunged into deep grief, clutching her knees tightly with her eyes looking vacant.

"Did I say something wrong?"

"No, no, it has nothing to do with you. I was just thinking of my grandfather's illness."

"Do you mean your grandfather's illness requires the Seven-Colored Immortal Orchid for treatment?"

Song Xue wiped the tears that had already spilled from the corners of her eyes; the sight was truly heart-wrenching.

Song Xue slowly raised her head, her face still full of sorrow and her spirits low.

"Yes, the physician said that only the Seven-Colored Immortal Orchid could heal Grandfather's injuries, so we set out to find it. Fortunately, our efforts were not in vain, and we found one in a mountain range. It's just..."

As Song Xue recalled that of the twenty-plus people who had set out with her, she was likely the only one left, she could no longer hold back her tears.

Li Xingluo wanted to offer comfort but did not know what to say, so he could only mirror her somber expression in empathy.

"It's just that everyone who came out with me is dead; they held off the Sand Bandits so that I could escape."

Li Xingluo handed a handkerchief to Song Xue; he truly could not bear to see a girl cry, especially one who would risk her life for her family.

"Thank you!" Song Xue took the handkerchief and looked up at Li Xingluo, who felt like a savior to her, feeling a warmth spread through her heart.

"Do you know the people who robbed you today?"

Song Xue nodded fiercely, sitting not far from Li Xingluo.

"I do. They have long been entrenched on Tiger Mountain outside Ink Cloud City. For years, they have been raiding passing merchants, causing them no end of trouble."

"Your Song Clan in Ink Cloud City..."

Li Xingluo deliberately left his sentence unfinished; he felt that what happened today was not simple.

Song Xue seemed to have no defenses against Li Xingluo, perhaps because he had saved her.

"Our Song Clan is one of the two great families in Ink Cloud City; the other is the Su Clan."

As she said this, Song Xue turned her head to look at Li Xingluo with curiosity, blinking her eyes in a way that was quite adorable.

"Does the Su Clan also know the news of your grandfather's critical illness?"

"Yes, for these past few years, the Su Clan has been constantly suppressing us while Grandfather has been ill. Could it be..."

Song Xue looked at Li Xingluo curiously, as if trying to find the answer from him.

Li Xingluo shook his head; from what Song Xue had described, this ambush was certainly not simple.

It seemed that these Sand Bandits were likely in league with the Su Clan in the shadows; truly, wherever there are people, the fighting never ceases.

Seeing Li Xingluo lost in thought, Song Xue tilted her head to peek at him.

"Alright, tell me about Ink Cloud City."

"Okay." Knowing that Li Xingluo was also heading to Ink Cloud City, Song Xue began to talk incessantly about everything within the city, seemingly forgetting her earlier sorrow. Watching Song Xue happily tell him about Ink Cloud City, Li Xingluo let out a long sigh of relief.