"That's it? I thought it would be much higher," Xu Mu said, holding Jiang Sheng's arm before letting go. He frowned, waving away the dust stirred up by his arm, and looked around curiously. "Where is this? Have we reached the Gathering Spirit Holy Land yet?"
"Not yet, it seems. After we cross this mountain, we should be close," Qi Lan said from Xu Mu's other side, his face pale, legs unsteady, as if he might vomit at any moment.
Too fierce, too fierce.
Qi Lan couldn't think of any other adjective to describe Xu Mu, because he was simply a monster!
Jiang Sheng's mind was also a blur, feeling a bit nauseous. For days, they had been traveling almost non-stop, and they had taken the most direct route, because Xu Mu refused to go even a little out of the way.
And direct routes were not easy. They had passed through countless perilous places, killed countless demonic beasts, crossed countless mountains and rivers, step by step, approaching the Gathering Spirit Holy Land.
And just now, they had arrived here, at the foot of the cliff. Xu Mu was still unwilling to take a detour, as it would waste at least half a day. So Xu Mu had brought the two of them and climbed up the sheer cliff.
The word 'climb' might not be entirely accurate, because halfway up, Xu Mu, perhaps thinking it was too slow, unleashed his special ability. He supported Jiang Sheng with one hand and carried Qi Lan with the other, as if walking on level ground on the steep cliff.
And then, they arrived here.
"I never want to travel with you again. I'd rather take a longer route!" Qi Lan said weakly after taking a pill.
By this time, the dust had settled, and the three of them gradually got a clear view of their surroundings. There were actually many people there.
But not just around them, there was also someone beneath their feet.
Xu Mu squatted down, looking at Wen Boye, whom he had inadvertently stepped into a pit. He patted his face nervously.
"Hey, brother, are you dead?"
Wen Boye's backbones were almost crushed by Xu Mu. The excruciating pain rendered him speechless, so he couldn't answer Xu Mu's question. All he could do was open and close his mouth in pain.
"Jianchu Jie, this..." Behind Xu Jianchu, someone pointed at the three of Xu Mu in surprise, utterly confused. They wondered if this was the protective measure Xu Jianchu had mentioned.
Meanwhile, Wen Boye's subordinates, after exchanging glances, all retreated nervously several steps, as if facing a great enemy.
Because these three unexpected arrivals had instantly dealt with their leader, pinning him down unable to move. Their strength was beyond everyone's comprehension.
Perhaps even Ye Gong of the Ye family was no match for them!
"Although it's a bit late, it's good that you've arrived in time." Xu Jianchu, with an unperturbed expression, walked forward and patted Xu Mu's shoulder. Then she called to the brothers behind her, "Don't just stand there. We're all family. Come here, I'll introduce you."
As Xu Jianchu spoke, a smile bloomed on her breathtakingly beautiful face. In an instant, almost everyone present was captivated by her smile.
Xu Mu looked at Xu Jianchu strangely, as he didn't remember knowing such a person, yet the girl seemed very familiar with him.
Could it be some lingering karma from before, from his gray and white eyes?
Xu Mu was unsure, so he remained silent for a moment, as the other party seemed to have no ill intentions.
Meanwhile, Wen Boye, at the bottom of the pit, was already feeling extremely dejected. He had never expected such a turn of events. If he had known Xu Jianchu had such powerful allies, he wouldn't have dared to pursue them even with a thousand more lives!
"I won't hold you accountable this time. Take your leader and go, but I hope there won't be a next time."
As Xu Jianchu spoke, she picked up Wen Boye with one hand and casually tossed him into the crowd. He was caught by several young cultivators.
Those people looked at Xu Jianchu, then at their own leader, whose face was contorted and bleeding. They didn't know what to do.
"Hurry up and go! These people are not someone we can deal with..." Wen Boye said, enduring the intense pain, before suddenly losing consciousness.
And so, the more than thirty ability users who had been looking menacing a moment before, immediately fled in a swarm.
"Xu Jianchu, you wait! I will definitely not let you off!"
Wen Boye's voice gradually faded away.
Clearly, he had really left.
But Xu Jianchu's hand remained on Xu Mu's shoulder. She had to prevent anyone from observing them and discovering anything unusual.
By being in such close proximity, she could pretend to be very familiar with Xu Mu and allay the enemy's suspicions.
"Miss, can you please take your hand off now? They've already gone far away," Xu Mu said with a smile, now having a general understanding of what had happened.
Xu Jianchu paused for a moment, then took three steps back, cupped her fists, and bowed. "Thank you, benefactors."
"If it weren't for your timely appearance, the best outcome for us today might have been elimination."
"Great kindness needs no thanks. Please do us the honor of returning to our territory, so we can show our hospitality."
"You should thank us, after all, we offended someone as soon as we arrived," Qi Lan said. The three of them walked out of the pit and onto the ground, speaking coldly.
The situation was now clear: they, who had just arrived, had been used as pawns, offending a group of unidentified ability users. This might affect their plan to hunt Ye Gong!
"No need to trouble yourselves. We still have things to do," Xu Mu said with a smile, then cupped his fists and asked, "May I ask, miss, how far is it from here to the Gathering Spirit Holy Land?"
"The Gathering Spirit Holy Land is vast, it takes three days to travel from north to south and east to west, depending on which area you're going to," Xu Jianchu said, looking at Xu Mu. Then she smiled. "But if you don't know where to go, you should come back with us."
"Our territory is in a corner of the Gathering Spirit Holy Land, and it's not far from here."
"At most... two hours of travel."
Xu Jianchu said, extending two fair, slender fingers, her smile charming.
"A corner of the Gathering Spirit Holy Land? Is it that big?" Jiang Sheng scratched his head and asked.
"It's big enough to accommodate five great mountains, countless peaks, and rivers. If you say it's small, it's also small, only able to hold four factions," Xu Jianchu said.
"Which four?" Xu Mu asked curiously.
"That's a long story. If you want to know, why don't we talk as we walk?" Xu Jianchu said, sheathing her sword and pointing in one direction at Xu Mu. "Our territory is that way, it's really very close."
The girl's expression was sincere and adorable. Xu Mu paused for a moment, then smiled and nodded. "Alright."