C10 Escape

Lu Chen looked up to find Ling Xiangxue standing quietly to the side, her simple attire making her resemble a snow lotus perched atop a mountain. Her mere presence was captivating, drawing the gaze of anyone who laid eyes on her.

Biting his tongue to snap out of his trance, Lu Chen shook his head and said, "I'm sorry, but as beautiful as you are, I earned this through my own skill. I'm willing to part with it, but only for something of equal value in return."

Ling Xiangxue's delicate brows furrowed as she retorted, "Shameless! Without my help, you—a mere sixth-grade nobody—would never have gotten the Water Flame Fruit from Wu Meixin. You're just a lucky opportunist!"

The word 'nobody' ignited a spark of anger in Lu Chen's eyes. He considered that Ling Xiangxue, though seemingly younger, was already a Grade Nine Spirit Disciple and probably saw him as nothing more than a scheming lowlife.

With a sigh, Lu Chen lamented, "It's just my luck, meeting a beauty like you when I'm down on my luck. In the old days, I would've traded a thousand, maybe even eight hundred Water Flame Fruits, just for one of your smiles."

"You're not just a nobody; you're a rogue!" Ling Xiangxue's eyebrows shot up, and without another word, she drew her sword from her waist.

"You've been poisoned by the Three Water Centipedes; the more you exert your Spirit Force, the faster it will deplete. Even if you defeat me, you'll be drained of your Spirit Force and trapped here in the Roaring Forest!" Lu Chen warned as he saw her unsheathe her weapon.

His previous defiance was born from knowing she was afflicted with the Three Water Centipede poison. He believed she wouldn't strike and that perhaps aiding in her detoxification could yield some reward.

But Ling Xiangxue wasn't listening, answering him instead with a blinding flash of her sword... "You madwoman! Gold Chanting Spell!"

Lu Chen's fists, enveloped in golden light, hurtled toward Ling Xiangxue.

With a resounding "Bam!" the sword light vanished. The girl was now half-kneeling on the ground, a sword in hand, blood trickling from the corner of her mouth. Her Spirit Force Fluctuation had plummeted to that of a Grade Seven Spirit Disciple, and she appeared exceedingly frail.

On the other side, Lu Chen's clothes were mostly shredded by the sword qi. Despite his disheveled appearance, the spirit force fluctuations of a near Grade Six Spirit Disciple were remarkably stable, hinting at an imminent breakthrough.

Yet, Lu Chen's gaze upon Ling Xiangxue was grave, her recent strike having alerted him to the danger she posed.

"I have to consider whether she's holding back any more surprises. If so, even a victory could cost me dearly," he pondered before proposing, "Let's make a deal. I won't hand over the Water Flame Fruit, but I'll help you detoxify. That way, we're even. Agree? Otherwise, I'm prepared to make my escape, even at a cost."

Ling Xiangxue's frosty eyes flickered before she gave a slight nod of assent.

Just then, a sultry and tempting voice cut through the air:

"Well, look at you two, a pair of adulterers! Here I thought Ling Xiangxue was the epitome of virtue, yet you've already got a secret lover. Now you've conspired to deceive me out of the Water Flame Fruit!"

Lu Chen turned to the voice with a smirk; it was Wu Meixin, whom he had recently outwitted.

"Adulterers is such an ugly term. We're more like the Cowherd and the Weaver Girl," he retorted, pleased that Wu Meixin saw him and the icy beauty as a pair, his eyes reflecting his admiration.

"Enough talk, time to go!" Ling Xiangxue interjected with a frown, ignoring Wu Meixin's accusations and reaching to pull Lu Chen away.

"Trying to flee? After deceiving me, neither of you will escape today. I'll cripple you, Ling Xiangxue, and throw you to the Spirit Beasts to watch you be torn to shreds!"

Wu Meixin's lips curled into a sneer as the spirit force of a Grade Nine Spirit Disciple radiated from her, and in an instant, she was upon Lu Chen.

"Before I deal with you, I'll dispose of your little lover. It's surprising, Ling Xiangxue, that someone as proud as you would settle for such a weakling!"

"Trash?"

Lu Chen's eyes narrowed at Wu Meixin's taunt. He'd heard that insult far too often, to the point where his ears felt calloused from it.

"How many times do I have to tell you? I am not trash!"

"Divine King Slaying the Dragon, bind!"

With swift motions, Lu Chen's hands traced a large, faintly visible seal in front of his chest, confronting Wu Meixin.

"Bang!"

A massive surge of Spirit Force erupted. In the blink of an eye, Lu Chen was sent flying toward Ling Xiangxue like a ragdoll, hastily cramming all five Water Flame Fruits into his mouth mid-flight.

Wu Meixin, meanwhile, remained eerily suspended in midair, her gaze vacant.

Ling Xiangxue's brow furrowed as she caught the airborne Lu Chen. Without a moment's hesitation, she steadied him in her arms.

"Run. I can hold her for as long as it takes to brew a cup of tea, but using this technique will knock me out for three days!"

Held by the beautiful Ling Xiangxue, Lu Chen felt no thrill or urge to take advantage. His meridians were drained of Spirit Force, some even showing signs of atrophy.

"Mmm."

Ling Xiangxue gave Lu Chen a puzzled look, nodded, and with a light tap of her toes, began to carry him away.

"Oh, by the way, I'm not trash, am I?"

"No, you're not..."

"Then I..."

"When will you pass out?"

"..."

As Lu Chen's eyes closed, the Immortal Indicating Monkey Xiaohei suddenly made an appearance. Just awakening, it saw Lu Chen's closed eyes, yawned, and curled up on his chest, its black fur starting to glow with a soft light...

The Roaring Forest was neither particularly large nor small, but it had a way of presenting you with the very thing you least wanted to encounter.

A day's journey into the forest with Lu Chen in tow, Ling Xiangxue stumbled upon a merchant caravan. Among them was a face Lu Chen would certainly recognize—Chung Tieh.

Chung Tieh was in a foul mood. Since being knocked out by Lu Chen the day before and stripped of all his extra earnings, he was anything but pleased. Escort Agency caravans passing through the Roaring Forest always skirted its edges, allowing their masters to hunt Spirit Beasts and sell them for a tidy profit.

Yesterday, the Immortal Indicating Monkey Xiaohei was falsely accused of stealing their spiritual medicine. It was merely a coincidence that Chung Tieh, along with two others while hunting, stumbled upon it. Chung Tieh, recognizing the item's spiritual nature, suspected it was no mere trinket and succumbed to greed.

Little did he know, the monkey had an incredibly powerful owner, and Chung Tieh's attempt to gain an easy prize backfired spectacularly.

"Wow, what a stunning beauty!" someone exclaimed.

"Indeed, but she's carrying a man on her back. He must be her lover," another added.

Amidst Chung Tieh's frustration, the caravan's members noticed Ling Xiangxue, who was shouldering Lu Chen.

Despite her worn clothes and a hint of pallor on her face, Ling Xiangxue's unparalleled beauty immediately drew Chung Tieh's gaze.

"What a knockout!" he muttered, his eyes betraying a flicker of lechery. The woman's spirit force indicated she was at the peak of Grade Five, a vulnerable state in the wilds...

"Hold on, the one she's carrying!" he paused.

"It's him!"

Chung Tieh was startled upon recognizing the man on Ling Xiangxue's back. A closer inspection revealed no spirit force fluctuations from Lu Chen, whose presence was faint, as if he were in a deep coma.

Could he be injured?

A moment of doubt crossed Chung Tieh's eyes, but it was quickly replaced by resolve as he firmly grasped his saber, his decision made.