The three of them slept soundly.
The next morning, their injuries had mostly healed. Following the hints from the young man the day before, Xu Mu and the others set out with the map, searching for the spiritual gathering ground.
Their search lasted for five days.
Five days later.
The Spiritual Gathering Ground.
Before a high cliff, two teams were locked in chaotic combat. They appeared evenly matched, but in reality, the group of ability users on the right was cornered.
“Sister Fengchu, we can’t retreat any further. Hurry and think of a way! If this continues, our brothers won’t last!” Amidst the swirling sand and clashing abilities, a dirt-covered young man rushed to a woman’s side, his face anxious.
They could not retreat any further, for beyond them lay a cliff ten thousand meters high.
“A way… a way… You and Yu Le were foolish, dragging the whole team down. What can I do now!” Xu Fengchu retorted, then, seeing someone about to collapse, she instantly surged to the front of the crowd.
Xu Fengchu, clad in a white robe, wielded a slender sword as soft and flowing as water. Yet, as she swung it, the sword unleashed an immensely powerful and continuous sword intent that filled the space like a sudden flood. All the ability users pursuing them were forced to retreat.
Clang, clang, clang!
A series of weapon clashes echoed, and the two sides rapidly created distance.
Xu Jingchu landed back in place, standing at the forefront of her group. Her face was pale as she quietly gazed at the swirling dust in front of them.
The ability users behind her stood scattered in various postures. Those with severe injuries could only sit on the ground, unable to fight further.
“Tell the brothers to rest and conserve their energy. I’ll find an opportunity for us to break out later,” Xu Jingchu said, picking up a pill and popping it into her rosy lips. Her complexion immediately improved.
“Heh heh, still trying to escape at this point? Sister Jingchu, you think too little of my abilities, Wen Mouren.”
At that moment, from the other side of the slowly dissipating dust, a lazy and hoarse male voice emerged.
The dust from the fierce battle was blown away by the mountain breeze, and clarity quickly returned. Xu Jingchu stood before her group, facing the man who had spoken.
He was tall and slender, wielding an octagonal iron hammer. Clad in black cloth, he sported a stubbled chin and exuded a powerful aura.
Most importantly, he had over thirty ability users behind him, while Xu Jingchu’s group, including herself, numbered only twenty-four.
“Wen Boye, this was purely a misunderstanding. Is there a need to fight at such a great cost? We can simply talk things over,” Xu Jingchu said, her eyes filled with caution as she looked at the man.
“Talk things over?” Wen Boye sneered, then raised his octagonal hammer, pointing it at Xu Jingchu. “When you stole our alliance’s spirit herbs, spirit medicines, and points, why didn’t you suggest talking things over?”
“I said it was a misunderstanding. All the stolen items will be returned in full,” Xu Jingchu replied.
“Returning them now? Too late!” Wen Boye grinned cruelly. “To capture you all, I paid a considerable price, and I also abandoned resource points at two spiritual gathering grounds. Can you compensate for these losses!”
“Those two resource points were abandoned by yourselves, what does it have to do with us!” A burly man behind Xu Jingchu shouted indignantly.
“Be quiet!” Xu Jingchu shot him a glare, then turned back to Wen Boye. “Wen Boye, we will compensate for what is rightfully ours at the market price, but we will not acknowledge fabricated accusations.”
“I’ve calculated. Your losses this time are about thirty thousand points. I, Xu Jingchu, will compensate you forty thousand, and this matter will be settled. From now on, we’ll mind our own business,” Xu Jingchu said after a moment of thought.
Upon hearing forty thousand points, a flash of greed appeared in Wen Boye’s eyes, but he quickly suppressed it.
Because he knew he could be greedier.
“Forty thousand is not enough. It must be at least this much.” He held up three fingers, forming the number “seven.”
Xu Jingchu and her group’s expressions turned extremely grim.
Wen Boye was demanding seventy thousand points in compensation. However, the forty thousand she had offered was already near the limit their entire team could afford. Seventy thousand points would mean all their previous efforts were in vain, and it would even affect their chances of advancing!
After all, those participating in the preliminary selection for the Ten Thousand Races Assembly were no ordinary individuals. Currently, occupying a small piece of the spiritual gathering ground, their team’s average ranking was only around three to four thousand!
“Seventy thousand is impossible. At most, fifty thousand,” Xu Jingchu said sternly after much deliberation.
“Oh, then there’s nothing to discuss,” Wen Boye yawned lazily, then pointed disdainfully at Xu Jingchu. “Xu Jingchu, you’d better understand your current predicament. You have no way back. The fact that I’m willing to let you go is already a great kindness. Stop haggling with me!”
“Hand over the points, and you still have a chance to turn things around and advance. If not, hmph, be careful I eliminate you all right now!”
As Wen Boye spoke, the people behind him menacingly surrounded them, advancing step by step.
“Since that’s the case, then there’s nothing more to say,” Xu Jingchu declared, gripping her slender sword, her eyes cold. “Wen Boye, listen well. Even if we are eliminated, we will fight to heavily injure your team.”
“At that time, not only will you not gain points, but you will all be severely wounded!”
“After returning, you know how other factions will treat you. Are you truly willing to do something so thankless and costly!”
Wen Boye’s side clearly showed a change in expression upon hearing this. They exchanged glances, seemingly weighing the pros and cons.
Soon after, a smile reappeared on his face.
Wen Boye said, “You’re right, this truly benefits neither of us. Then I can accept your forty thousand points compensation, but there’s one condition.”
Xu Jingchu frowned, a bad premonition arising in her heart. She asked, “What condition?”
“You, you have to spend a night with me.” Wen Boye stared at Xu Jingchu’s slender yet voluptuous figure, his eyes unconsciously revealing a trace of greed.
Xu Jingchu was a renowned beautiful sword cultivator in their Thousand Sect Domain. She possessed great talent, exquisite beauty, and a stunning figure. Countless geniuses had come with their sect elders to propose marriage, but all were rejected.
If he could have a taste of her, let alone the difference of thirty thousand points, he would gladly pay thirty thousand points himself!
“One night, thirty thousand points, and in the future, your team will receive help from our team. Then we can jointly occupy this area, and even have a fighting chance against the major alliances!”
Wen Boye began to laugh involuntarily. The people on Xu Jingchu’s side were already furious. Before she could even speak, countless voices erupted:
“Go to hell! Look at yourself, you damn dog! You want to sleep with our captain? Dream on!”
“He’s not even worthy of dreaming about it. In short, it’s impossible. We’d rather be eliminated than let Sister Jingchu suffer any grievance!”
They roared indignantly. Xu Jingchu also gave a cold smile and then said indifferently, “Wen Boye, you’d better give up on that idea.”
“Back then, even if your master brought your senior brothers to propose, I wouldn’t have paid attention. Let alone you.”
“But the problem is, you’ve fallen into my hands now.” Wen Boye grinned sinisterly and slowly advanced with his men. “There are only three paths before you. Either be eliminated by me, or jump off the cliff and be crushed to pieces.”
“Or, hehe, spend tonight with this young master, and then everything can be discussed!”
Wen Boye’s smile was particularly lewd. He rubbed his hands like a fly and said,
“Even for the sake of your subordinates and brothers, you must carefully calculate the gains and losses. Being eliminated at this stage will lead to severe punishment for them, you know that yourself.”
“Are you so confident, that you have us cornered?” Xu Jingchu’s expression remained unchanged, ignoring Wen Boye’s attempts at provocation. She continued, “Don’t forget, I am the daughter of the sect leader of Flower Valley Sword Sect. I have many protective measures.”
“If you force me, even if it means breaking the rules, I, Xu Jingchu, will kill you on the spot!”
As the young woman spoke, the sword intent of her slender sword seemed to intensify. She gazed at Wen Boye with a serene expression, as if she truly possessed astonishing protective means.
“If you truly had such a method, why would you wait until now?” Wen Boye panicked for a moment, then calmed down, and slowly walked forward. “Surrender. Resistance is futile!”
“Wen Boye, I’ll count to three. Take your men and disappear from my sight immediately, or I will take your life.” Xu Jingchu’s beautiful face was filled with murderous intent.
“One,” she began to count softly, truly counting down.
“Heh heh, don’t think I don’t know. The moment we entered the Pure Void Secret Realm from the outside, this space and the supreme experts of the four great families are strictly guarding it. Any forbidden talismans and magic treasures will be confiscated. You couldn’t have brought them here!” Wen Boye swallowed hard and then shouted loudly to bolster his courage.
“Two,” Xu Jingchu ignored him and continued counting down, her gaze firm and murderous, as if Wen Boye would die the next second.
“I really don’t believe it. If you had such means, you would have used them long ago, why wait until now!” Wen Boye seemed to have gone mad. He gathered all his ability and charged furiously towards Xu Jingchu.
“Three!” As Xu Jingchu’s voice fell, her sword suddenly slashed forward. Instantly, countless sword intents transformed into a tide, surging towards Wen Boye.
Wen Boye himself, the moment Xu Jingchu counted to three, had already used his ability to quickly flee behind a large rock on the other side of the cliff.
Everyone’s eyes narrowed. It turned out his frenzied act was a pretense. He had planned this escape all along, his goal being to provoke Xu Jingchu into revealing her true strength. And he had succeeded!
“Hahaha, I knew it. You don’t have those methods at all. It’s impossible to smuggle magic treasures and talismans in,” Wen Boye stood up from behind the rock and walked out, laughing.
The sword energy Xu Jingchu released at that moment was strong, but it was still within his capacity to resist. It wasn’t some ultimate killing move.
This proved that her previous words were all lies!
“Brothers, she has no other tricks! All of you, attack together!” Wen Boye roared ferociously, then suddenly led his men in an assault.
Xu Jingchu felt a pang of nervousness, but outwardly maintained her composure. “Zhang Yuan, Chen Hu, stay by my side. I’ll be the main force and lead the brothers to break out!”
“But…” Zhang Yuan’s face stiffened, about to say something, when he saw Xu Jingchu already charging forward.
“There’s no time! Follow me!”
As Xu Jingchu spoke, her slender sword was about to unleash its most powerful ability.
But at that very instant, from the cloud-shrouded cliff, an immensely powerful aura suddenly erupted.
Boom!
The aura, like a rainbow piercing the sun, shot straight into the sky, then descended like a meteor, landing in the arena with a thunderous roar. The ground instantly split open to form a huge crater.
And so, those who were on the verge of battle immediately stopped.