A Battle Between Two Sides, Hong She Injured

Inside a hidden cave, Qin Yi was refining the Clear Heart Lotus. A cool medicinal power flowed through his Dantian. As time passed, the lotus's effects gradually weakened, and Qin Yi's cultivation realm steadily stabilized.

Whew~

Qin Yi let out a long breath. He had taken just one short year to advance from breaking through to Foundation Establishment to the Foundation Establishment Middle Stage. Though his cultivation had advanced quickly, it had been somewhat unstable. Now that he had fully refined the Clear Heart Lotus, he had finally made a true breakthrough to the Foundation Establishment Middle Stage.

After briefly loosening his muscles, Qin Yi rose to his feet. A small red snake slithered in from outside. Qin Yi was not so foolish: before entering secluded cultivation, he had laid formations around the area and stationed Hong She outside to stand guard, in case anyone disrupted him.

"Oh? Is that so?"

While roaming outside the cave, Hong She had discovered two groups fighting over a treasure ten li away. Judging by the way they were acting, they had apparently discovered a small medicinal herb field. If it had been a weapon, Qin Yi might not have been so interested. After all, he already had Cangyuan. But since it was spirit medicine, he had to make the trip.

Liu Xiaoxiao's pretty face was slightly flushed as she pointed her sword at Zhao Wuya and shouted, "Zhao Wuya, if you keep pushing me, don't blame me for showing no mercy. We were the ones who found this medicinal herb field, and we were the ones who killed the Giant-Toothed Demonic Python. It has nothing to do with you."

Zhao Wuya glanced at the many cultivators behind him and laughed disdainfully, a hint of lechery in his eyes. "Liu Xiaoxiao, look at all those female cultivators behind you. None of us have dao companions, so why don't we pair up? Once we become dao companions, what's yours and what's ours will be one and the same."

"That's right."

"Just agree already. You can't beat us anyway."

Hearing their boss say that, several people behind Zhao Wuya began to join in the jeering. Only the two standing at the very back frowned, though in the end they said nothing.

"Pah!"

"You really are a shameless scoundrel."

With an angry shout from Liu Xiaoxiao, the many female cultivators behind her all attacked at once, and the scene immediately descended into chaos. Zhao Wuya's side had more people, so they gained the upper hand as soon as the fighting began.

Zhao Wuya forced Liu Xiaoxiao back with a strike of his sword, his face now dark. If dealing with Liu Xiaoxiao would not cause such a commotion, the people behind her would never have been able to stop him. "Liu Xiaoxiao, don't refuse a face I'm offering you. Do you want both sides to suffer?"

As though she had not heard him, Liu Xiaoxiao charged at Zhao Wuya again, a fierce chill rising from her longsword. Seeing that Liu Xiaoxiao refused to know what was good for her, Zhao Wuya snorted. "Do you really think you're still in the Black Tortoise Secret Realm? Lan Xuan can't protect you today."

While the two groups were fighting fiercely, Qin Yi quietly arrived. Seeing the lively battle, he waved a hand, and a small snake flew out of his sleeve. The moment Hong She appeared, the Spiritual Qi around the battlefield slowly grew denser.

"Liu Xiaoxiao, since you're so bent on dying, I'll grant your wish." A trickle of blood ran from the corner of Zhao Wuya's mouth. Liu Xiaoxiao was just as battered, with several cuts in her clothes. It could be said that both of them were fighting in earnest now.

Just as the two groups were about to deliver killing blows, a dazzling white light suddenly appeared, and the battlefield fell silent. Qin Yi still wore Xiao Tianyou's face. The moment everyone was dragged into the illusion, Qin Yi rushed toward the medicinal herb field.

After putting the entire patch of spirit medicine they had been fighting over into his Storage Bag, he looked at the two groups trapped in the illusion. With Hong She's current strength, she could trap even a Foundation Establishment Late Stage cultivator for a short while, as long as that person was not like Qin Yi, whose Cultivation Method defied the heavens and whose Spirit Root naturally suppressed her.

"Tsk, tsk." If he did not still need to leave some people for the Eight Gods Pavilion, he really would have liked Hong She to devour them all. After all, if their souls were all given to Hong She, her strength would surely advance by leaps and bounds, and Qin Yi would then have a powerful helper.

In the end, Qin Yi shook his head and abandoned the idea. Who could blame him for being the pavilion master's personal disciple? Still, he had to collect some payment. Hong She could not have acted for nothing.

Qin Yi pointed a finger at Zhao Wuya. Hong She did not transform into a giant python; she merely opened her mouth and pulled out a soul identical in appearance to Zhao Wuya. His body twitched, and just as Hong She was about to swallow his soul, a golden light suddenly appeared.

"This is bad!"

Qin Yi cried out in alarm. The moment the golden light struck Hong She, she let out a pained hiss, turned into red smoke, and flew back onto Qin Yi's arm. As soon as the light appeared, Qin Yi had summoned Cangyuan and thrust the spear at Zhao Wuya.

Boom!

The instant Zhao Wuya opened his eyes, the spear tip was already touching him. But he was indeed an experienced Foundation Establishment cultivator. Reacting with great speed, he turned slightly and dodged to the side. Cangyuan carved a long, bloody gash across his chest, but he managed to keep his life.

Having failed to land the blow, Qin Yi did not linger in battle and fled into the distance. Just as Zhao Wuya wanted to pursue him, Qin Yi woke Liu Xiaoxiao and the others. As soon as Liu Xiaoxiao awoke, she saw Zhao Wuya staring into the distance with murderous intent. Before she could think any further, she instinctively raised her sword and charged at him.

"Damn it!"

"Xiao Tianyou, even your father can't save you today. Just you wait!"

Zhao Wuya had seen Xiao Tianyou's face and assumed that Xiao Tianyou wanted to kill them and seize the treasure. As for when Xiao Tianyou had begun using a spear, Zhao Wuya was too furious to care. The burning wound on his body told him that Xiao Tianyou's spear was definitely a treasure. That spoiled young master might well be relying on that spear.

Now that he was injured, his wound had begun to bleed under Liu Xiaoxiao's fierce assault. After forcing her back with a sword strike, he could only retreat, no matter how unwilling he was. If he kept fighting, he would be gravely injured even if he did not die.

"Retreat!"

At Zhao Wuya's command, the two sides quickly pulled apart. A fierce light shone in his eyes, and killing intent radiated from his entire body. Forcing down his anger, he shouted at Liu Xiaoxiao, "Liu Xiaoxiao, you crazy woman, remember this: this isn't over."

With that, Zhao Wuya led his people away without looking back. They had come to fight over spirit medicine, but now look: he had failed to get any and ended up covered in wounds instead. If he had not once obtained a Buddhist art at an auction and successfully cultivated it, he would probably have died here.

After Zhao Wuya and his people left, a pretty female cultivator stepped forward and said to Liu Xiaoxiao, "Sister Xiaoxiao, our spirit medicine is gone."

Liu Xiaoxiao looked over the battlefield, which was in complete disarray. She sighed softly, a trace of dejection on her face. "Ling'er, ever since the Black Tortoise Secret Realm, I always thought our strength was no weaker than Zhao Wuya and his people's. But now it seems I was imagining too much. Back then, they didn't respect us for our strength at all. They were afraid of Senior Sister Lan Xuan."

"In this world, strength reigns supreme in the end. No matter how powerful your background is, if your strength falls short, you don't even have the right to speak."