"Let's look around. He should be nearby."
Xiu Yuan set his other thoughts aside, deciding to find Xiao before considering anything else.
Judging by his previous lives, either some instinct would guide him, or monsters would appear and draw someone out. In any case, Xiao should be somewhere close.
As for the Demon Qilin Garment, Xiu Yuan was already wearing it.
Because of the system, however, it had fused directly with his body. Its actual appearance remained invisible, but he could feel its effects.
Xiu Yuan moved through the Nightfall Forest, and soon, unusual sounds reached his ears.
Blades, clashes, attacks, desperate fighting...
It had to be Xiao!
Without hesitation, Xiu Yuan ran toward the sounds.
A handsome, delicate-featured man wielding a spear came into view, locked in battle with several evil spirits.
"If you don't want trouble, stay away from me."
As an Adeptus, Xiao had naturally sensed Xiu Yuan's arrival at once.
Xiu Yuan smiled calmly. Rather than leaving, he charged straight in with his spear in hand.
Just then, an evil spirit blocked Xiu Yuan's path and attacked him.
Xiao's brows knitted tightly. He was about to move when a boom! rang out, and the evil spirit blocking Xiu Yuan was sent flying by a single sweep of his spear.
"Relax. I'm strong. You don't have to worry about me getting caught in the crossfire," Xiu Yuan said with a confident smile.
Seeing that Xiu Yuan had not been hurt by the evil spirit, Xiao turned his attention back to those before him.
Under the two spearmen's alternating attacks, the evil spirits were soon wiped out with ease.
Only then did Xiao turn his gaze to Xiu Yuan.
"Who are you?"
He stared straight at Xiu Yuan with an icy gaze, as though trying to see through everything about him.
"My name is Xiu Yuan. My fate is lone calamity, and those around me are easily harmed. I wonder if I could join you in slaying demons from now on."
"Killing evil spirits makes it easy to become tainted by malevolent energy. Even an Adeptus can fall into corruption, body and mind. This isn't something you should be doing."
"They're only evil spirits. Don't you deal with them every day yourself?"
"I'm an Adeptus. I'm different from you mortals."
"How are you different? You just live a little longer."
Xiu Yuan spread his hands, showing none of the respect one was supposed to show an Adeptus.
In his eyes, an Adeptus seemed no different from an ordinary person.
That was only natural, though. He was friends with Rex Lapis, and Qiqi, an Adeptus herself, was deeply dependent on him.
He really didn't put Adepti on much of a pedestal.
"I just live a little longer...?"
Xiao narrowed his eyes, clearly finding Xiu Yuan's statement highly questionable.
"What else is there?" Xiu Yuan asked in return.
"Are you saying your strength rivals an Adeptus's?"
Xiao had spent his life fighting and killing since childhood. During his enslavement by a god, he had been that god's foremost general.
After he began following Rex Lapis, Zhongli, he still fought countless battles every day, bearing the burden of karmic debt.
His strength was naturally terrifying. Even mortals who possessed Visions were nowhere near his match.
"Of course," Xiu Yuan said with a faint smile.
"You certainly have some nerve, daring to say that."
"What's there to be afraid of saying?"
"Then let me test your abilities. How many of my attacks can that body of yours withstand?"
"Maybe I'm even stronger than you?" Xiu Yuan raised a brow, teasing him.
"We'll find out!"
As he spoke, both of them instantly unleashed an overwhelming presence.
Their eyes turned cold, murderous intent surging until even the air seemed to thicken.
Xiu Yuan was provoking him mainly because he needed to stand on equal footing with Xiao. If he could rise above him, all the better.
Status determined how much weight your words carried.
Take a simple example.
If a kindergarten child earnestly tried to reason with you, you would only find him adorable, not take him seriously.
If a low-level employee raised an issue with his boss in complete earnest, the boss wouldn't give it much thought either.
Conversely.
If an old professor with immense prestige spoke to you, you would certainly prick up your ears, listen carefully to every word, and commit it to memory.
When your status was too low, people rarely noticed your efforts, and they couldn't take your words to heart.
Therefore.
Xiu Yuan's main purpose in this battle was to elevate his standing, so Xiao would at least stop viewing him as an "ordinary mortal."
At the very least, they had to stand as equals!
BOOM!!!!!
A thunderous crash suddenly erupted.
In an instant, fierce winds rose and gales howled, bending trees throughout the forest.
Huge sparks burst through the darkness as the two spears strained fiercely against each other.
Their weapons rebounded, and both swung their spears, attacking each other with viciously sharp technique. Yet they seemed evenly matched, neither gaining the upper hand.
Still, this was only a warm-up. Neither had shown his true abilities yet.
After more than several dozen minutes of fighting, Xiao could clearly tell that this man's strength was indeed not to be underestimated.
BOOM!!!
As their attacks rebounded once more, Xiao's gaze grew especially serious.
"I acknowledge your strength." He seemed ready to get serious.
"You're not bad yourself," Xiu Yuan replied.
"But you'd better be careful now!" A dangerous gleam flashed in Xiao's eyes.
"Come at me. I've only just finished warming up myself."
Xiu Yuan felt no fear at Xiao's words. His eyes were likewise filled with the urge to fight.
In an instant, both unleashed their true strength.
Xiao was undoubtedly powerful, but Xiu Yuan was no slouch either.
Both Blackflame and Flame Flash Body Flicker were tremendously powerful skills, capable of turning the tide in an instant.
They fought all night, and even when the morning sun rose, neither had emerged victorious.
But both were tired.
Fighting with everything they had took an enormous toll.
"You're seriously strong!" Xiu Yuan exclaimed first.
"I should be the one saying that."
Clearly, Xiao had now fully acknowledged Xiu Yuan's strength.
Even after fighting at full power all night, he still hadn't defeated Xiu Yuan. It was an outcome he had never imagined.
It had been a long time since he had fought someone like this, and the battle had been thoroughly exhilarating.
"Let's end today's fight here. Are you certain you want to slay evil spirits with me?" Xiao asked doubtfully.
"We're stopping already? I've only just loosened up."
"Don't tell me you can't keep going? No way, right? You're not worn out already, are you?"
"You've got to pull yourself together!"
"That's all an Adeptus has? You're not much good, are you?"
At Xiu Yuan's words, Xiao's expression darkened, and the corner of his mouth twitched.
"None of that sounds remotely convincing when you're panting as you say it." Xiao hadn't let Xiu Yuan rile him up.
"Panting? Who's panting? I'm just getting ready to show my real strength. Don't tell me you can't keep going?"
"A man can never say he can't! Are you a man or not? Do you dare fight me for another three thousand rounds!?"
Now, Xiao's face darkened completely.
"You little..."
Seeing Xiao's angry expression, Xiu Yuan secretly rejoiced.
Sure enough, this was the trick to use on men.
Before you continue