Acting to Save Someone

Then, a man in a Disciple Robe embroidered with the Chaoyang Peak emblem appeared in his line of sight.

The man was in his thirties, with an aquiline nose and triangular eyes, his face exuding a dangerous air. A slight curl at the corners of his mouth only added to his sinister expression.

His cultivation was not low either—Qi Refining Stage Five.

At that moment, he held a dark green longbow in hand, pursuing several people fleeing ahead.

His gaze locked onto the remaining five, and true essence surged within him, pouring into the longbow in his grasp.

"Swish, swish, swish..."

The bow flashed with light, and five more arrows, condensed from true essence energy, shot from the string.

Sensing the danger closing in from behind, Zhu Hanwei reacted the fastest. He kicked off hard against a large tree beside him and lunged forward in a dive.

"Swish"—one light arrow grazed his calf and embedded itself into the tree trunk.

Zhu Hanwei winced in pain, landing not far from Su Shi'er.

The others were not so fortunate. Before they could react, the light arrows pierced through their bodies, and they fell dead one by one.

Seeing only one man left, the aquiline-nosed man held off on firing another arrow. Instead, he grinned savagely and slowly walked up to Zhu Hanwei.

"You're quick on your feet, kid. But prey needs to know its place!"

"How should I finish you off, I wonder?"

The aquiline-nosed man raised a hand to his chin, his expression one of mock deliberation.

Zhu Hanwei's calf was injured, leaving him powerless to flee. He turned his head and saw the aquiline-nosed man approaching, trembling all over with terror.

"Senior... Senior Disciple Brother, I've already handed over my Storage Pouch! We're both disciples of the Yun Ge Sect. Please... please spare me."

Mustering his courage, Zhu Hanwei hurriedly begged.

"Oh? Spare you, you say... You're a clever little fatty, and cooperative too. But with no talent to speak of, why bother chasing immortality? Isn't that just asking to die?"

"Right, right, Senior Disciple Brother is right. I'll go back down the mountain as soon as I return and never cultivate again!" Zhu Hanwei knelt on the ground, pleading repeatedly.

The cruelty of the trial far exceeded his imagination, leaving a deep shadow over him.

Now, he had only one thought—to survive.

"Go back? Heh, too bad... I can't find a reason to let you go!"

Just as hope flickered in Zhu Hanwei's eyes, the aquiline-nosed man sneered coldly. The longbow glowed, its arrow tip aimed straight at Zhu Hanwei, shattering that hope utterly.

Before joining the Yun Ge Sect, he had been a murderous bandit. During one robbery, he encountered a severely injured cultivator and became a Rogue Cultivator. Later, by a twist of fate, he entered the Yun Ge Sect and was assigned to Chaoyang Peak.

Over the years within the peak, he had worn a friendly mask on the surface, but in secret, he had killed many fellow disciples and amassed quite a few treasures.

To him, the joy of killing lay in torture—watching his victims die in despair brought him pleasure.

"You... you devil!"

"Sooner or later, you'll get what's coming to you!"

"What kind of bullshit immortality, bullshit trial is this? Killing your own people—is this an immortal or a demon?!"

Zhu Hanwei's heart plummeted into an abyss. He collapsed to the ground, screaming hoarsely at the top of his lungs.

"Shout, shout! That's more like prey! Too bad, even if you scream your throat raw today, no one's coming to save you."

The aquiline-nosed man grinned, his smile growing ever brighter.

With that, he pulled the bowstring taut.

True essence condensed into a light arrow, shooting straight for Zhu Hanwei's forehead.

Zhu Hanwei sat slumped on the ground, his voice cut off abruptly. His mouth hung open, his face etched with terror and despair.

"Bang!"

At the critical moment, a sword light flashed, blocking the arrow.

"Stop right there!"

With a loud shout, Su Shi'er burst out from the bushes.

The others had died too quickly for Su Shi'er to save, nor had he intended to try.

But Zhu Hanwei was different. He came from the same place, a fellow townsman and fellow disciple. Moreover, back then, if not for trading two martial arts manuals from Zhu Hanwei, he might not have been able to beat that menial disciple and the Sword-Bearing Youth.

By both reason and sentiment, he had grounds to intervene.

The sudden turn of events startled both Zhu Hanwei and the aquiline-nosed man.

Hearing someone come to his aid, Zhu Hanwei was overjoyed and quickly turned to look at the newcomer.

"Twelfth Senior Disciple Brother?!"

But when he saw it was Su Shi'er, his face instantly fell. His expression turned mournful, his eyes filled with undisguised disappointment.

In his eyes, Su Shi'er was merely at Qi Refining Stage Three. He couldn't imagine how he could possibly stand a chance against the aquiline-nosed man.

The hope that had just risen was instantly shattered once more. Zhu Hanwei was utterly despairing.

No, I... I definitely can't escape. But Shi'er came to save me out of kindness—I can't drag him down with me!

Gritting his teeth, he hurriedly shouted, "Twelfth Senior Disciple Brother, run! You're no match for him, get out of here! When you get back to our hometown, go see my father for me—he's the town chief!"

"Heh, a mere Qi Refining Stage Three brat dares to stick his neck out for someone else? Now you want to leave—don't you think it's a little too late?"

"Since you're here, you might as well be my new prey!"

Seeing Su Shi'er's cultivation level, the hook-nosed man let out a scornful laugh, as if he had found a new plaything, a more fervent gleam igniting in his eyes.

"Prey, is it?" Su Shi'er sneered coldly.

The moment the words fell, his form flickered and vanished from where he stood.

Treading with phantom steps, he reappeared behind the hook-nosed man.

The White Mist Sword was drawn, and with a flash of sword light, he slashed at his opponent without mercy.

The Minor Heavenly Breath Concealment Technique he had activated was so profound that even Shen Miaoyin, the Peak Master of Tianyin Peak, couldn't see through it, let alone this fool before him.

The reason he had revealed himself as only Qi Refining Stage Three was to make the other let down his guard—all for this very strike.

"No, you're not just Qi Refining Stage Three—what a cunning brat!"

The crisis looming behind him sent a jolt through the hook-nosed man, making him shiver involuntarily.

At the critical moment, he raised his hand and tossed out a black pearl.

The pearl spun with a whir, and a sinister black wind howled forth, shrouding him in its embrace.

Zhu Hanwei, still sitting on the ground, was stunned by Su Shi'er's speed and the decisiveness of his strike. When he saw the hook-nosed man throw out the black pearl, he quickly shouted a warning.

"Shi'er, be careful! That treasure of his can corrode and damage magical instruments."

"An hour ago, he used it to ambush and kill a Qi Refining Stage Six senior disciple brother."

Corrode magical instruments?

Ambush and kill a Qi Refining Stage Six?!

Su Shi'er's heart jolted. Before he could figure it out, he felt the White Mist Sword in his hand grow heavy, as if it had struck into a quagmire.

With his attack blocked, he knew that catching the other off guard to kill him was no longer possible.

Without a moment's hesitation, he flung out a Fireball with a flick of his wrist. He yanked the White Mist Sword free and, swift as a rabbit and sharp as a hawk, distanced himself from the hook-nosed man.

His gaze fell on the White Mist Sword, and only then did he understand what Zhu Hanwei meant by corroding magical instruments.

After being blown by that Yin wind, the sword had become covered in rust, pitted and scarred. The blade's light was dim and murky—two more hits like that, and it would definitely be ruined.