C38 The Rescue of His Life

Liu Xingchang's reflexes kicked in instantly, and he swiftly sidestepped, shifting his focus to a nearby tree.

Perched on the tree was a young man, bow in hand, eyeing him narrowly.

Liu Xingchang recognized him; he had been hard to miss at the tavern, seated with a wild-looking woman and a scar-faced man right by the door.

Liu Xingchang had previously taken note of the man's bow but hadn't anticipated its ferocity and speed. His extensive combat experience had barely allowed him to evade the shot!

"Run!"

With a commanding shout, Liu Xingchang and his companions bolted from the mountain at breakneck speed.

Now, it wasn't just Leng Baiyu and his group watching them; all eyes were on them. If they didn't make a move, they'd be trapped once the others closed in.

But escaping was no simple feat for Liu Xingchang at this juncture, as the crowd was not about to let them slip away.

A girl wielding a Nine-section Whip charged at him with a fierce cry, sending a powerful gust of wind his way that made Liu Xingchang's hair stand on end.

This was no ordinary whip but a spiritual weapon, unleashing a wave of light that packed an even mightier punch than the whip itself.

To dodge the whip meant facing the light wave, and vice versa. Clearly, she had developed this relentless technique through meticulous study.

"Go!"

Faced with an impossible choice, Liu Xingchang opted for the lesser threat.

He evaded the light wave and launched himself at the girl with the Nine-section Whip with unparalleled speed.

Boom!

A long sword now in hand, Liu Xingchang deftly parried the whip's tail and, using his Water Shadow Body technique, reappeared behind the girl.

With a grin, Liu Xingchang gave the girl a reassuring pat on the shoulder and advised, "Miss, even with a spiritual weapon, your Sixth Grade level suggests you shouldn't take point in these situations."

The girl's expression shifted dramatically, yet before she could even process what was happening, Liu Xingchang had already pushed her by the waist.

She found herself slammed against a tree by an overwhelming force, letting out a startled cry as she nearly tumbled to the ground. Despite the force, Liu Xingchang's controlled strength left her unharmed.

Narrowing her eyes at Liu Xingchang, the girl's frustration was evident as she angrily stamped her foot, but she refrained from striking back.

Realizing she was no match for Liu Xingchang was one thing, but it was his restraint from harming her that truly made her hold back.

At that moment, however, Liu Xingchang was abruptly distracted by Hong Tengqing's distressed cries.

Turning his head, Liu Xingchang's pupils constricted in shock.

Leng Baiyu had, without warning, lunged at Hu Gewan with his sword.

Hu Gewan was competent, but she was clearly outclassed by Leng Baiyu. After a brief exchange, she was on the losing end, and Leng Baiyu's third thrust aimed straight for her heart. Hong Tengqing, yelling, charged at Leng Baiyu, but his speed was far too slow to intercept the blow.

In a split second, Liu Xingchang converted all ninety Spirit Mark Runes into speed-boosting ones, channeling all the energy of the Holy Water Rune into them.

Though Liu Xingchang was merely a first-layer Spirit Mastery Cultivator, he suddenly exhibited a velocity that surpassed even those at the Spirit Mastery Ninth Layer. In the blink of an eye, he positioned himself before Hu Gewan.

Unable to help Hu Gewan evade the sword, he had no choice but to block it with his own body.

Without the protection of a defensive Spirit Mark Rune, the blade pierced straight through his left shoulder.

Liu Xingchang let out a wrenching cry of pain, while Hu Gewan's eyes widened in a mix of agony, outrage, and disbelief as she gazed at Liu Xingchang.

Her face had already betrayed her terror, knowing death was imminent, but she could never have imagined Liu Xingchang would shield her with his own body.

The moment Liu Xingchang appeared before her, it was as though lightning had struck directly into her heart.

Hu Gewan had never experienced such discomfort before.

She came to a startling realization: she could face her own death, but the thought of Liu Xingchang dying was unbearable.

What would she do if Liu Xingchang were gone? It was a thought that Hu Gewan never expected to cross her mind.

She was a woman who prided herself on her independence, yet in this moment, she felt an overwhelming sense of dependency.

Without Liu Xingchang, how could she go on?

Meanwhile, Leng Baiyu had drawn his sword with a mocking laugh. "Killing you is inevitable, but I never anticipated you'd deliver yourself to death. This so-called loyalty? It's outdated. What in this world is more important than one's own life?"

Liu Xingchang ignored him, focusing instead on channeling the spiritual energy from his entire Spirit Sea to his wound, staunching the blood flow. His sword thrust towards Leng Baiyu with the speed of lightning.

Leng Baiyu's sword was poised in front of him. Engaging in idle chatter could give Leng Baiyu the opportunity to strike.

In the face of an adversary solely motivated by self-interest, Liu Xingchang remained on high alert.

With a grunt, Leng Baiyu parried the blow, swords clashing and sending sparks flying.

Leng Baiyu staggered backwards, stunned. "How can your sword be so powerful?"

Liu Xingchang replied with a smirk, "So, do you still think our team is easy prey?"

Leng Baiyu had underestimated Liu Xingchang, believing his victory over Zhu Ziyu was a fluke due to Zhu's carelessness. Now, he was witnessing Liu Xingchang's true might.

Even with injuries, Liu Xingchang's effortless strike was more than Leng Baiyu could handle.

Retreating a couple of steps, Leng Baiyu had a realization.

He knew that Liu Xingchang was bound to succeed in the Hidden Dragon Sect's trials and could even become an official disciple. Such a person should be an ally, not an adversary.

Leng Baiyu, ever the opportunist, understood that forming bonds was more critical than making enemies, especially when faced with Liu Xingchang's formidable strength.

Upon seeing Leng Baiyu's retreat, Liu Xingchang's eyebrows lifted ever so slightly, and his eyes narrowed with intrigue.

Had Leng Baiyu thrown caution to the wind in an attempt to kill him, Liu Xingchang would have been indifferent. Yet, Leng Baiyu had unexpectedly backed down.

By retreating, he would not only face the reproach of his teammates but also the guilt gnawing at his conscience, especially since Liu Xingchang had slain Zhu Ziyu. Nonetheless, Leng Baiyu chose to retreat.

It's the wise who are the true conquerors.

Heroes are not to be feared; it's the conquerors who are truly terrifying.

Liu Xingchang fixed a piercing gaze on Leng Baiyu but didn't linger too long. With a swift motion, he pulled several Heavenly Stones and Spirit Stones from his Qiankun Pouch and flung them skyward, bellowing, "Here's your Demon Core, fight for it!"

Both the Heavenly Stone and the Spirit Stone pulsed with Spiritual Energy, serving as decoys for the Demon Core to mislead the onlookers.

As the crowd surged forward, Liu Xingchang swiftly wrapped his arm around Hu Gewan's waist and fled the scene.

​