C20 Shameless Expert

Suddenly, Hu Nao halted at the edge of a valley, his face etched with caution. "There's a skirmish about a mile ahead. It looks like six or seven people are up against dozens of spirit animals."

"I've sensed it too. It's actually seven people and over eighty spirit animals," Nan Xi chimed in, her higher cultivation level granting her more precise senses.

Master Silversword had suffered greatly at the hands of Nan Xi, with many of his ribs crushed. Yet, his proficiency in Spirit Speak enabled him to connect with the divine force through every pore, drawing in the essence of the sun and moon, which greatly aided his recovery. Now, he moved with ease.

Over the past few days, Master Silversword had observed that Hu Nao possessed extraordinary stamina and a robust breath. Even compared to himself, a practitioner of Spirit Speak, Hu Nao was not far behind. Impressed by Hu Nao's keen senses, he couldn't help but mutter under his breath about Hu Nao being an oddity. He then gestured to the treacherous terrain and said, "Young Master Hu, the mountains here are steep and slick with ice and snow. Climbing them would be perilous, and a fall could be fatal. This valley is our only viable path. With a pack of spirit animals ahead, should we hold back or go forward to investigate?"

Without a moment's hesitation, Hu Nao replied, "Let's go have a look!"

Master Silversword laughed softly. "It seems Young Master Hu is itching for a fight, having not sparred with a spirit animal in some time."

"Don't be so quick to judge," Hu Nao said sternly. "Life in the Northlands is harsh. The people must battle the elements and formidable spirit animals. If we've come across our own kind under attack by a pack of spirit animals, it's only right that we lend a hand."

"Eh," Master Silversword blinked in surprise, then quickly nodded in agreement. "Absolutely, absolutely. The saying goes, 'Draw your sword to help at the sight of injustice.' Young Master Hu, your heart is truly noble and just, filled with compassion. You see it as your duty to protect the common folk..."

"Oh, I've had enough of you two!" Nan Xi rolled her eyes in exasperation.

Young Master Hu's hands were clearly itching for action, yet he spoke with such lofty pretense. Meanwhile, Master Silversword had suffered greatly at his hands. How could he not harbor resentment? Despite this, he shamelessly lavished praise upon the young master, his flattery growing more disgraceful by the moment.

"Awoo..."

Shortly after entering the valley, the trio was met with the deep roar of a tiger. The sound reverberated through the valley, sending shivers down their spines.

"Is that a smilodon?"

From a distance, Hu Nao spotted a group of enormous tigers, each one three to four times the size of a normal tiger. Their fur was as white as snow, and their whiskers fluttered in the wind. Their teeth resembled longswords, casting an eerie, cold gleam.

Indeed, these were smilodons, a type of spirit animal and descendants of the holy beast, the White Tiger. They were known for their formidable lineage and ferocious nature.

"I've lived in Twilvons Peaks for nearly a decade and never once encountered so many smilodons. What could be happening here..." Master Silversword exclaimed, his eyes wide with astonishment.

Hu Nao had reviewed the information Hu Bugui had stored in the storage bracelet, which made no mention of such an abundance of smilodons in the area. He sensed something was amiss and had no intention of getting involved. However, upon noticing the emblem on the chest of the person encircled by the smilodons, he blinked in recognition.

The emblem was a stark black, featuring a cauldron with two crossed swords above it—an unusual and distinctive symbol.

This was the mark of the Eternal Treasures Guild, a major force along the Dragon's Breath River!

Hu Bugui's notes had spoken highly of this guild, suggesting that they were reputable and worth befriending if the opportunity arose.

With this in mind, Hu Nao turned to his companions and instructed, "Nan Xi, Master Silversword, hold back for now." Without another word, he dashed forward.

In the midst of the smilodon-encircled group, a burly middle-aged man was cursing loudly. "Damn it, these smilodons came out of nowhere. We must've been set up..." His sentence was cut short as he landed a punch on an oncoming smilodon, exploding its head and sending blood spraying in every direction.

A youth, around fifteen or sixteen, wielded a three-foot longsword with masterful skill. As he fought, streams of sword qi burst forth, striking at the encroaching smilodons. Amidst the battle, he called out, "Uncle Kui, we'll discuss this later. For now, let's fight our way out!"

The middle-aged man urged with concern, "With your Body Tempering Ninth Heaven, Return to Origin level of cultivation, escaping won't be difficult. You go first!"

In truth, the middle-aged man himself had achieved the Body Tempering Ninth Heaven. The smilodons besieging them were mostly at the Seventh or Eighth Heaven, not surpassing their own levels. However, their sheer numbers were overwhelming; for every smilodon slain, several more surged forward. Coupled with the beasts' formidable strength, which typically overpowered humans, they found themselves at a disadvantage.

As the youth continued to fight, he said, "If I leave, you're all doomed. If I don't... Wait, who's that?"

At that moment, Hu Nao had engaged the outer smilodons in combat. Unleashing the power of the Three Dragons and Three Elephants, he felled a smilodon with a single palm strike. In an instant, several more lay defeated. His arrival significantly eased the pressure on the seven people within.

"Good heavens, he's only at the Seventh Heaven of Body Tempering. How can he be so formidable?" the middle-aged man exclaimed in awe.

Besides him and the youth, there were five other young men, about twenty years old, equally astonished. They cried out, "Oh my god, I'm also at the Seventh Heaven of Body Tempering, but next to him, I might as well be an ant!"

The youth, with exceptional composure, quickly said, "Stop gawking and keep fighting... No way! Did he just repel an Eighth Heaven Body Tempering smilodon with a single palm strike? This is unbelievable..." He too was astounded.

Typically, beasts could outfight humans of a higher level, but now the tables had turned. Hu Nao's ability to defeat a smilodon with a single palm strike was nothing short of astonishing.

Hu Nao hadn't anticipated his own strength. Filled with a renewed zeal for battle, he repelled the Eighth Heaven Body Tempering smilodon with a palm strike and pressed his advantage with another attack. This time, he executed the "Dawnbreaker" from the Phoenixfire Palm, releasing a dark gold wave of energy that cleaved towards the smilodon's head.

The smilodon, repelled by Hu Nao, was seething with rage. It bared its teeth, glinting with a frosty gleam, and lunged at the dark gold surge of Qi, clearly intent on shattering it. To its surprise, a series of sharp cracks followed, and its teeth shattered. Then, with a resounding snap, its massive body was cleaved in two from its mouth by Hu Nao!

Its eyes were wide with disbelief, a clear sign it had died with a grievance, unable to accept being slain in an instant by a mere human youth.

The other smilodons let out mournful howls and swarmed towards Hu Nao.

With a robust and unending flow of breath, Hu Nao wielded the Dawnbreaker technique, slaying smilodon after smilodon. The bodies quickly piled into a small mound. Seeing an expert in action, the young man seized the chance to counterattack, and the tide turned. In less than fifteen minutes, all the smilodons lay defeated.

The seven survivors wore expressions of joy, relieved to have escaped death. After a brief celebration, the young man approached Hu Nao, cupped his fists in a traditional salute, and said, "Thank you for your righteous aid, Brother Ren. I am Wan Gengxin, and the Eternal Treasures Guild will forever be grateful for your kindness and will repay you in due course."

The six others bowed deeply, their thanks unceasing.

It was Wan Gengxin!

Hu Nao was taken aback, realizing the young man he had rescued was of significant stature.

His father, Hu Bugui, had mentioned Wan Gengxin in the information he had collected over the years—the Young Lord of the Eternal Treasures Guild!

He needed to foster a good relationship with him!

With this in mind, Hu Nao maintained a nonchalant demeanor, offering a faint smile and exuding the proud and solitary air of a martial arts wanderer: "No need for such formalities. Our meeting in this frozen wilderness is fate itself. Assisting you in your time of need was simply good karma; it's not something to dwell on."

Wan Gengxin paused, slightly taken aback, while the other six exchanged glances, their faces reflecting a mix of shock and admiration.

In their eyes, Hu Nao's combat prowess was so formidable that they were convinced he was a young master from a prominent family who had traveled the world. Surely, he must have heard of the Eternal Treasures Guild. Yet, after rescuing members of the Guild, he sought no reward, remaining as composed as the drifting clouds and gentle breeze—an expert indeed!

Hu Nao glanced over at Nan Xi and Master Silversword nearby. "Let's go," he said.

It was then that Wan Gengxin and the others took the opportunity to observe the pair. Nan Xi appeared to be in her mid-teens, with a sweet countenance and a cultivation level that was impressively high, exuding an unparalleled aura that made them feel genuinely inferior. Clearly, she had attained Spirit Speak, her life essence far surpassing theirs.

The one-armed elder had a grim face and a somewhat fierce look about him, yet he too was a master of Spirit Speak.

Both experts heeded Hu Nao's command; as soon as he suggested they depart, they promptly followed suit.

Wan Gengxin was astounded—he never enjoyed such deference on his own outings. This man was undoubtedly a Young Lord from a mighty faction, a master certainly worth befriending!

"Wait!" Wan Gengxin called out, rushing to keep pace with Hu Nao. "Brother, you've shown great kindness without seeking anything in return, a true mark of your noble character. However, I cannot accept your generosity without offering something in return; it would dishonor our principles." He then produced a Spirit Card from his storage space. The card was dark gold, with an ancient design and encircled by a golden glow, clearly of significant value. He pressed it into Hu Nao's hand, saying, "Please accept this modest token of my esteem."

The Spirit Card, embedded with a magic circle, could record and facilitate the direct transfer of Spirit Coins—a very handy tool.

Hu Nao possessed a Spirit Card as well, but it was quite ordinary. He was taken aback when Wan Gengxin handed him the Eternal Treasures Guild's Black Gold Card. Hu Bugui's briefing had mentioned this type of card; not only was it loaded with millions of Spirit Coins, but it also granted access to purchase various rare treasures that the Eternal Treasures Guild typically reserved for its inner circle.

"So it's the Eternal Treasures Guild's Dark Gold card. I'll accept it," Hu Nao remarked nonchalantly, though he was so thrilled that his hands were nearly shaking. He casually tossed the card to Nan Xi, instructing, "Keep this safe for me."

Wan Gengxin observed Hu Nao's apparent familiarity with the Dark Gold Card and his lack of concern for it, which only deepened his respect for Hu Nao's disposition.

Suddenly, Hu Nao turned to Master Silversword and snapped, "What are you staring at? How much do you think these smilodon carcasses are worth? You're showing your lack of ambition!"

Wan Gengxin quickly interjected with a reassuring smile, "My friend, please calm down. You were the one who slew these creatures; rightfully, they belong to you." He promptly had his men clean up the carcasses, gather the materials, and store them in a storage ring, which he then handed over to Hu Nao.

Master Silversword was left in shock. Why lash out at me over profiting from these carcasses?

Hu Nao was truly a master of deception, utterly shameless, and asking for trouble.