Reunion with Qin Lie, Invitation and Test

One breath, two breaths, three breaths...

"So powerful. He must be a senior brother exploring the third-tier karst caverns. They say that place is where this upheaval began. A Water-Patrol Yaksha appeared right at the start, yet he actually survived?"

Someone muttered in disbelief where they stood.

Just as they were marveling, a blur suddenly swept past them. Within three to five breaths, it had vanished into the passage ahead.

"Run!"

In an instant, everyone else came to their senses. No longer sparing another thought for amazement, they scrambled toward the passage in a mad rush.

In midair, Lu He rubbed the storage pouch glowing faintly blue with one hand, while his consciousness involuntarily probed inside.

What entered his perception was a vast space several zhang wide and long. The corpses of the three demon soldiers he had just slain filled it to the brim.

"Hao Wu's storage pouch is probably worth a fortune. I'll have to be careful when using it in the future."

He pondered this silently.

A distance of a hundred zhang was crossed in the blink of an eye.

On the winding stone path near the cave entrance.

Lu He quietly halted, condensing a wisp of mist at his fingertips to conceal his aura.

Before long, Zheng Jingren arrived beside him.

The two then carefully avoided the corpses and bloodstains strewn across the ground, inching their way up the stone path toward the cave entrance.

The farther upward they went, the more violent the spiritual currents became, and the sounds of battle grew ever more terrifying.

They could not afford to be careless.

Half an incense stick later.

Lu He and Zheng Jingren quietly emerged from the karst cavern. They swiftly ducked behind a nearby jagged stone mountain before daring to poke their heads out and look toward the center of the battlefield.

On the open ground outside the cave.

A figure in snow-white robes stood proudly in the air, her dark hair cascading like a waterfall. A will-light condensed to its utmost limit lingered between her brows; with every flicker, it stirred the spiritual currents between heaven and earth into resonance.

Opposite her, a Water-Patrol Yaksha several zhang tall howled madly. Waves churned around its body, while rolling black demon qi surged forth, staining half the sky black.

Its body was already covered in wounds, a miserable sight to behold.

At the sight of this.

The enchanting beauty's face remained utterly calm.

She raised her delicate hand, and a long sword, lustrous throughout and engraved with cloud patterns, abruptly appeared.

"I'll send you on your way. Break!"

The woman gave a sharp cry. The light between her brows flared brilliantly, instantly draining the surrounding spiritual currents and condensing them all into the edge of the sword in her hand.

In that instant, a gleaming white sword light spanning a hundred zhang erupted.

For a moment, it seemed as though rivers and seas were pouring down from the nine heavens, its momentum terrifying beyond measure.

Wherever the sword light passed, the air was torn apart by sheer force.

Even the demon qi domain erected by the Water-Patrol Yaksha lasted only several breaths before it was forcibly cleaved open.

Boom! Another thunderous crash rang out.

The woman swung her sword again, and the gleaming white Sword Qi surged as it slashed directly into the Water-Patrol Yaksha's body.

Its shrill howl came to an abrupt end.

A Water-Patrol Yaksha comparable to a Crimson Palace Sea Secret Realm cultivator instantly became a massive corpse, falling from the sky and smashing heavily into the ground.

Lu He's gaze narrowed slightly.

He recognized the woman in the sky.

She was Senior Sister Gu, the leader of the seven people from the Azurehold Herb Garden Inner Garden back then.

"It's Senior Sister Gu! Qin Lie is over there too."

Beside him, Zheng Jingren pointed toward a group of people gradually appearing not far away, his expression somewhat excited.

Before long.

"Brother Qin, Senior Sister Gu and the others are...?"

Zheng Jingren stared blankly at the several figures gradually vanishing into the depths of the earth-vein karst caverns, asking in confusion.

"Well, we were originally on an island in White-Scale Lake when we were suddenly summoned back by a senior brother from the Dao Merit Tower. He said there had been an upheaval in the earth-vein karst caverns, so Senior Sister Gu and the others had been assigned the task of clearing out the Demon Race in the water manor inside."

"It's not just our team. All the other teams that went out to clear out the Demon Race will be returning over the next couple of days as well."

Qin Lie explained with a genial smile.

After speaking, he unconsciously glanced at Lu He and Zheng Jingren before him, a hint of surprise creeping into his voice.

"I also never expected that Brother Lu and Brother Zheng would be inside the caverns—and that you both survived."

"It was all thanks to Brother Lu's protection. But... Deng Huo and the others are all dead."

Zheng Jingren answered, his tone faintly subdued.

"Deng Huo is dead?"

A flicker of disbelief passed through Qin Lie's eyes.

His lips moved several times, but he did not know what to say.

In the end—

"Alas, the Great Wilderness buries the bones of countless cultivators. Perhaps this is fate."

Qin Lie sighed wistfully. He had clearly lost all interest in reminiscing, and instead turned to Lu He, stating his purpose.

"I actually came this time to tell Brother Lu some good news."

"Good news?"

"Of course."

Qin Lie patted Lu He on the shoulder. Seemingly recalling something, a trace of amazement and admiration rose on his face.

"To be honest, the moment I returned to my cave dwelling yesterday, I discovered that Brother Lu had actually surpassed a host of geniuses and silently climbed to one hundred and seventeenth place on the Gold Rankings. That is truly remarkable."

"I told Senior Sister Gu about it."

"Congratulations, Brother Lu. Senior Sister Gu has already agreed that once she returns from the earth-vein karst caverns this time, she will take you into our team!"

As his words fell.

Huff, huff—

Zheng Jingren's breathing instantly became heavy.

Leaving aside the extraordinary backgrounds of Senior Sister Gu and the others, joining them would mean entering the future core circle of the Azurehold Herb Garden, soaring into the sky in a single bound.

The strength they had just displayed alone was enough to make anyone's heart stir.

In the danger-ridden Great Wilderness, with such a powerful figure to rely on, they certainly would never encounter a desperate situation like the one in the caverns before.

"Brother Lu, with such a stroke of fortune before you, what are you still considering?"

Seeing that Lu He had not reacted at all, Zheng Jingren could not help tugging hard at his sleeve, his voice anxious.

"Brother Zheng, I know what I'm doing."

Lu He smiled and cupped his hands toward Qin Lie. "Thank you, Brother Qin, for going to such lengths. However, I still have a few doubts. I hope Brother Qin can answer them."

"Haha, what Brother Lu wishes to ask is nothing more than what benefits there are to joining Senior Sister Gu's team, right?"

Qin Lie grinned, as if he had long anticipated Lu He's response, and spoke bluntly.

"After joining the team, Brother Lu can move directly into the cave dwellings on Rosy Perch Mountain. At the same time, you can select a mid-grade Qi-Consuming cultivation method from the Dao Canon Tower. In addition, Senior Sister Gu and the others will provide a large quantity of cultivation pills, all the way until you reach the fourth level of Qi-Consuming."

After saying this.

Qin Lie paused, looking at Lu He with a half-smile as an intense wave of mana suddenly erupted from his body.

"Does Brother Lu know my current cultivation—"

"The second level of Qi-Consuming?" Lu He's gaze sharpened.

"Correct."

He nodded, then patted the storage pouch at his waist. Two magical artifacts immediately appeared in his hands.

"One of these magical artifacts is for attack, and the other for defense. They are also among the benefits of joining the team."

"Furthermore, once we reach the ninth level of Qi-Consuming in the future, the family behind Senior Sister Gu and the others will provide us with a high-grade Qi-Consuming cultivation method free of charge."

Beside Lu He.

Every time Qin Lie spoke another sentence, Zheng Jingren could not help drawing in a sharp breath. The flames of envy in his eyes nearly burst forth.

Yet in stark contrast.

Lu He's expression grew increasingly grave.

"Then may I ask, what must one give after the fourth level of Qi-Consuming?"

He asked quietly.

Such terms sounded chilling.