This Brotherhood Is Over

Jiang Changkong carried his backpack, checked his direction, and returned to the pile of boulders.

Those corpses were free essence, energy, and spirit. He couldn't let them go to waste.

When he reached the boulder pile, Jiang Changkong saw a familiar figure.

Dressed in green, with black hair draped over her shoulders, she was crouching on a piece of rubble, holding her phone, her expression somewhat vexed.

Beside her lay one Star Demon corpse after another.

Those Star Demons really hadn't been taken away!

Even the one at the peak of the Nebula Level was still there!

"Brother Ji."

Jiang Changkong looked around. Seeing she was the only one there, he quickly walked out.

Half an hour had already passed, so Ji Ziling's arrival was within his expectations.

"You brat. I know you're loyal, but you still can't run out here and risk your life."

Ji Ziling's almond eyes glared, and she scolded him right to his face. "If something happened to you, wouldn't I lose a good brother?"

"Didn't I have confidence?"

Jiang Changkong knew she was concerned about him, and said, "It's just that something unexpected happened."

"I just got here. What happened?"

Ji Ziling frowned, then noticed his battered state and the bloodstains on him, and hurriedly said, "Are you hurt? Where are they?"

After the battle just now, Jiang Changkong looked wretched. Though he had no visible injuries, he was stained with plenty of Star Demon blood.

"I don't know. Earlier..."

Jiang Changkong shook his head and told her what had happened.

"What? That damned Wu Jun, was he trying to get all of you killed?"

Ji Ziling said furiously, "People lying in ambush, a hero saving the beauty? He's trying to steal my woman!"

Jiang Changkong: "..."

He really didn't know what to say about this nonsense.

"From what you said, there was something fishy about that barrier breaking too."

Ji Ziling calmed down, her gaze turning slightly cold. "The energy shield Yanxue brought should have been top-tier second rank. It could absolutely have lasted three days without breaking."

Jiang Changkong sat down beside her and said nothing.

"Changkong, don't worry. Your brother will definitely get justice for you."

Ji Ziling thumped her chest until it shook and gave her guarantee.

"Can you contact them now?" Jiang Changkong asked.

Ji Ziling was somewhat discouraged. "I can't get through. There's no reply."

Jiang Changkong sighed softly and said, "Then what do you plan to do now?"

"Search nearby. Yanxue and I have a special contact mark between us. She should have left one behind."

Ji Ziling stood up and said.

"I'll rest for a bit first. I suffered some internal injuries, but they aren't serious."

Jiang Changkong said, then paused before adding, "If you're in a hurry, and you find something, you can go ahead first. I can protect myself."

"What nonsense are you saying? You're this loyal, so how could I leave you here alone?"

Ji Ziling glared at him in dissatisfaction and said, "Not only am I taking you with me, I'm also bringing you back safely."

With that, she went to search nearby.

Jiang Changkong looked at the Star Demon corpses. There were about a dozen of them.

Seven Nebula Level, eight Star Qi Level.

The blood from the peak Star Qi ones was relatively scarce, and there wasn't much blood on the ground.

Someone must have collected it.

The one at the peak of the Nebula Level gave 300 essence, energy, and spirit.

The two at the late stage gave 280 each, the two at the middle stage gave 230 each, and the two at the early stage gave 170 each.

The remaining Star Qi Level Star Demons gave relatively little. The peak ones only had 80, and the late-stage ones only had 50.

Quite a lot of essence, energy, and spirit had already dispersed from these corpses.

Even so, this still brought him more than three thousand essence, energy, and spirit.

"Changkong, over here."

Before long, Ji Ziling's shout came over.

Jiang Changkong quickly ran over and arrived beside Ji Ziling.

Beneath her feet was a snowflake pattern.

"Yanxue left this behind. If we follow it, we should be able to catch up with them."

Ji Ziling said, then asked with concern, "How are your injuries?"

"I'm fine. Just a minor injury. I'll recover soon."

Jiang Changkong said it casually. Though his internal organs had been shaken, the Taiji Fist Classic was extremely effective for nurturing the body.

His Taiji Fist Classic had reached perfection. An injury like this would heal in just a few days.

Ji Ziling nodded and walked ahead. "If you get tired, say so. I'll carry you."

Jiang Changkong: "..."

Don't mess around. You carry me?

What if your comrade thoughts suddenly acted up and you kicked me away?

Although Ji Ziling didn't look down on him out of loyalty, who the hell knew what a female comrade was thinking?

The two of them moved quickly through the weeds. Before long, Ji Ziling stopped and looked ahead.

Jiang Changkong's expression did not change. Three Star Demons—one at the early Nebula Level, two at the peak of Star Qi.

After seeing a Nebula Level Star Demon before, he could sense a Star Demon's strength from its aura.

Of course, if it was too strong, he still would not be able to tell.

If he had been alone, he might have been worried, but with Ji Ziling here, he did not care at all.

Ji Ziling reached into her pocket and took out a palm-sized token.

Under Jiang Changkong's stunned gaze, a streak of cold light sprang from the token and transformed into a longsword.

What the hell, a lightsaber?

No, not a lightsaber. It was a real sword.

The blade was three feet long, engraved with mysterious patterns, with faint starlight flowing across it.

Ji Ziling swung the longsword, and three streams of sword qi flew out, tearing through the air.

Roar.

The three Star Demons growled, gathering Star Power to meet the sword qi.

Pfft.

The sword qi easily ripped through the Star Demons' Star Power and sank into the bodies of all three Star Demons.

Without a sound, the three Star Demons collapsed straight to the ground, all life gone from them.

Ji Ziling quickly stepped forward, dug out three Star Stones, and tossed them to Jiang Changkong. "They're yours."

"You should keep the Nebula Level one," Jiang Changkong said.

"I earned some at school during this period. I don't need low-grade second-rank ones right now. If I really needed them, I wouldn't give them to you."

Ji Ziling said, "Besides, I didn't bring a backpack. I can't take many Star Stones with me. We're brothers, so don't be polite."

She had come in a hurry and had not brought anything. Jiang Changkong had risked himself to come out too. Since she could not take away these Star Stones, she might as well give them to him.

Jiang Changkong no longer stood on ceremony. The two of them continued on their way, and at the same time, he extracted the essence, energy, and spirit from the three Star Demon corpses.

A fresh Nebula Level corpse gave 200 essence, energy, and spirit. The peak Star Qi ones gave 100 each.

As for the Star Stones, the peak Star Qi ones were worth 400, and the early Nebula Level one, 1000!

"Your sword?" Jiang Changkong asked curiously again.

A palm-sized token was actually a sword?

"A reward from the school. I really should thank Kexiang School. The weapons they make are pretty good."

Ji Ziling touched the blade and said with slight pride, "Top-grade second-rank."

Jiang Changkong was somewhat envious, but only somewhat.

Once he joined a martial arts school, he should be able to receive weapon rewards too.

A top student who soloed every mock exam—would the school not reward him?

"Oh, right. Our matter got exposed." Only then did Ji Ziling remember she had something to tell him.

"Got exposed?"

Jiang Changkong's heart jumped, and he was a little worried. "What did the school say? Will it affect my admission?"

"Relax. The school could never bear to give up a top student like you."

Ji Ziling curled her lip, sounding somewhat unhappy.

"Uh, why do you look a little unhappy?" Jiang Changkong froze slightly.

Ji Ziling was silent for a moment, then said, "How about you join Kexiang? Then we can dominate the junior and senior girls of both schools."

Jiang Changkong: "..."

I think we can no longer play happily together.

"I'll dominate all the senior and junior girls at the martial arts school, and then you'll show your brilliance at Kexiang, and I'll go to Kexiang to find more senior and junior girls..."

Ji Ziling spoke excitedly, her tone thrilled, spittle flying everywhere.

"For now, let's find Wen and the others first."

Jiang Changkong wiped away his sweat. There was nothing wrong with being into women, but wanting to monopolize every beautiful girl was a problem.

"Right, right." Ji Ziling hurriedly pulled her thoughts back onto the proper track.

Jiang Changkong suddenly stirred and said, "Senior, how many years of the college entrance exam have you completed?"

Ji Ziling looked at him oddly. "Four years. Why are you asking that?"

"Senior will soon finish the fifth year of the college entrance exam and be assigned a job."

Jiang Changkong said faintly, "Don't overthink it. I'll take care of the senior and junior girls."

Ji Ziling: "..."

This brotherhood was over.