Chapter 3: Qi Refiners
"Old Master Guan, no matter how foolish he is, he is still a member of the family, and he even sacrificed a large number of resources from the clan to secure a spot, specifically for someone to be delivered to his door. Now, suddenly passing away halfway, how are we supposed to face the family head when we return! I fear we cannot escape a severe punishment." Old Master Gu sighed, and a hint of fear was faintly visible on his face.
What should we do? The young master has unexpectedly died so easily. How are the two of us supposed to return and explain this to the family head?" The speaker was a slender man with a sword on his back. His face was gaunt, and he had a pair of triangular eyes that gave off a very fierce impression at first glance. However, at this moment, he wore a troubled expression as he asked his companion.
Young man, let's see where you can run to
The man murmured softly, lowering his head to glance at the bone sword in his hand
"Hmph, if a single blow from a heavenly stick could resolve this matter, you and I would have to burn incense in gratitude." After a slight tremor in the muscles of his face, Boss Guan uttered a statement that left Gu Lao San momentarily stunned
As for the old injury on his shoulder, it has now completely flared up, rendering almost half of his body stiff and unresponsive
The man in the blue robe was still several zhang away from catching up to the young man. Witnessing this scene, he was naturally unwilling to accept it and suddenly mobilized all the vital energy within him, pouring it frantically into the bone sword.
With a low shout, the man swung his sword towards the distance, and a sword shadow, almost imperceptible, shot out from the blade. In a flash, it appeared strangely behind the young boy and pierced him.
Seeing this, Liu Ming felt a surge of joy in his heart, but suddenly he experienced a slight darkness in his vision, causing him to stumble and nearly fall to the ground.
In addition to the two corpses in front of them, there were also seven or eight other bodies in the grass a short distance away, all clad in gray tight-fitting attire. Each of these bodies bore a tragically gruesome appearance, either having been cleaved in two from the middle of the torso or having their large heads violently shattered.
However, he is not skilled in swimming, and given the swift current of this river, even if he were to go in, the body would have long been swept away to an unknown location.
It is evident that the previous attack, which far exceeded common reasoning, is not something he can execute at will
In an instant, the bone sword emitted a faint glow, and an invisible wave of energy surged forth, sweeping away all the nearby dust.
... ...
With a loud "bang," that fluffy white mass was struck by an invisible piercing light, unexpectedly bursting apart.
The man quickly bent down, dipped his finger into a bit of powder from the nearby ground, and sniffed it slightly under his nose, instantly becoming furious.
Forget it, there is no need to hide it from you now. You know that I have a good relationship with the lady's personal maid, Ling'er, right? Once, when she spoke out for her mistress, she let it slip, and there is no way that could be false, is there?" sighed Old Master Guan
What? The "young master" is actually the biological child of the family head? Boss Guan, how did you come to know of such an important matter?
Do you really think that this young man's identity is as simple as being the son of the family head? Although this 'young master' possesses a spiritual vein, his temperament is violent and utterly unlikable. His background is also quite distant from the family head's lineage, so how could he be suddenly favored and adopted as a son by the family head? Let me tell you the truth: this 'young master' is actually the illegitimate son that the family head left outside, and the title of adopted son is merely a pretext to bring him back under his wing.
Liu Ming turned his head to take a glance, and a chill ran through his heart. He suddenly hurled the silver blade in his hand forcefully behind him and once again sprinted towards the riverbank with all his might.
The speed of the action was remarkably different from before, almost as if it were ghostly.
Liu Ming was pierced through the abdomen by the shadow of the sword, and his body immediately fell heavily into the river, disappearing without a trace beneath the white waves.
The man was initially taken aback, followed by a surge of anger. However, he could not simply ignore the ugly woman on the ground to pursue the young man. With no other choice, he swayed his body and positioned himself in front, simultaneously moving his wrist to thrust the bone sword into the air to intercept the incoming object.
At the end of the open space, there lies a vast river several dozen zhang wide, with its waters surging fiercely, occasionally raising waves of white foam that rush downstream.
In an instant, the bone sword emitted a dazzling white light
"You little brat, you dare to harm my wife! This time, you are doomed to die." The man's face appeared slightly distorted under the glint of the short sword in his hand, while his other hand discarded the giant crossbow and swiftly retrieved a blood-red pill from his bosom, tossing it into his mouth
After the man in the blue robe shouted a few curses, he looked again at the condition of the ugly woman
But just at that moment, a voice filled with extreme resentment suddenly emerged from the dense forest behind him, belonging to a man in a blue robe
Liu Ming, however, showed no intention of stopping to bandage; he was determined to sprint in a certain direction without hesitation
It seems that the head of the family has placed great hopes on this young master. However, the more this is the case, the less hope we have for survival once we return. It would be better to escape from the Great Xuan Kingdom and never return to the Bai family. With our status as mid-level Qi Refiners, we could easily live freely anywhere. After a few quick glances, Gu Laosan gritted his teeth and said. With our status as mid-level Qi Refiners, we could easily live freely anywhere. After a few quick glances, Gu Laosan gritted his teeth and said.
"Old Master Guan, what does this mean? You and I are indeed genuine mid-level Qi Refiners. Even if the family head is very fond of this adopted son, could it be that he would truly endanger our lives over this matter?" Gu Laosan looked at the fat man, his eyes wide open.
Suddenly, everything became clear; the young boy dashed out of the dense forest and appeared in an open area
A sound of "puff"!
... ...
After several leaps, Liu Ming finally reached the riverbank. He immediately leaped into the air, ready to plunge into the rushing river.
I see. Although the Man Gui Sect ranks lower among the various sects in the Great Xuan Kingdom, the quota for the Spirit Awakening Ceremony is extremely precious. How could the Bai family allow an outsider to take it away for no reason? One must understand that once the Spirit Awakening is successful, one becomes a true disciple of the sect, which is akin to ascending to the heavens in one step. If by chance one further advances to become a Spirit Master, even the current emperor would likely treat them with utmost respect.
As a result, the woman clutched her neck tightly with both hands, her breath already faint and barely perceptible, and it was evident that she could not be saved and had returned.
Liu Ming was desperately jumping and running through the forest, feeling his legs becoming heavier bit by bit, while a burning sensation in his chest intensified. Several wounds were bleeding continuously due to the intense exertion.
He was taken aback, quickly biting down hard on the tip of his tongue, and a trace of blood filled his mouth, allowing him to regain his composure and steady himself once more
It turns out to be just ordinary flour. You little brat, I will definitely tear you to pieces.
The man in the blue robe merely waved the bone sword in his hand, effortlessly deflecting the incoming silver blade, and his body continued to glide towards the young man without the slightest pause
"Becoming a spirit apprentice is not as easy as it seems! Not only must one be a Qi refiner with a spiritual vein, but they must also be no older than fifteen years to qualify for the spirit awakening ceremony. In previous years, how many young heirs from noble families who participated in the ceremony truly succeeded? And how many died on the spot during the ritual? Even if one is fortunate enough to survive, if they fail to awaken their spirit, they must remain as an ordinary Qi refiner and serve a grueling twenty years of labor. The head of the family sending his illegitimate son this time likely harbors a gamble's hope. Although the Bai family has many descendants with spiritual veins, most of those sent to other families for the spirit awakening ceremony have failed, with only a few managing to survive and serve their time. Only Miss Yan truly succeeded in awakening her spirit and became a spirit apprentice of the Tianyue Sect. However, as a daughter, she will eventually have to marry, and the head of the family naturally hopes that his biological son can also become a spirit apprentice. This way, the Bai family's status as a Qi refining family will be secure for decades to come." Old Guan said with considerable skepticism.
The man in the blue robe finally reached the riverbank after two ups and downs, gazing at the rushing river before him, his brows furrowed.
Three days later, by an inconspicuous small river at the border of Fengyun County and Chuzhou, two men in yellow robes, one tall and one short, stood silently gazing at a brocade-clad corpse on the ground, which had been dead for an unknown period, exchanging no words with each other
Seeing this situation, Liu Ming shouted, "Look at the hidden weapon!" With a single hand raised, a ball of white substance immediately shot towards the still convulsing ugly woman on the ground. At the same time, he stomped one foot on the ground and propelled himself into the dense forest like a crossbow bolt.
Although he does not possess much internal energy, with the aid of the "Qi Blood Pill" he just consumed, he can at least perform a few more techniques of a Qi Practitioner within the span of a meal, which is more than sufficient for pursuing and eliminating an ordinary person.
Gu Laosan, you ask me, whom should I ask? Who knows that this 'young master' is so foolish, as a low-level Qi Refining practitioner, he was easily approached by a highway robber and had his throat cut with a single stroke. Even though you and I have the spiritual medicine bestowed by the family head, it is utterly impossible to save him.
A cloud of grayish-white powder burst forth, covering an area within several meters nearby
Madam, rest assured, I will go after that scoundrel immediately. I will not let you travel alone.
The man in the blue robe gritted his teeth and uttered a phrase, then stood up again, gripping the bone sword tightly in his hand. He shouted "Light Body" and soared away like a gentle breeze in pursuit of the direction the young man had fled.
As soon as the words fell, a gust of wind followed, and a man in a blue robe suddenly emerged from behind a giant tree, leaping forward towards the young boy with a distance of about ten feet.
The man in the blue robe lingered in place for a moment, and after not seeing the boy's body surface from the nearby water, he could only leave helplessly.
At this moment, the artifact emitted no light at all, completely returning to its original plain appearance
The man in the blue robe felt a chill at this sight, and dared not let the powder touch him. He suddenly crossed his bone sword in front of him, while with his other hand he pressed forward into the air, uttering the words "Yuan Bi".
In the blink of an eye, the two individuals had chased out more than ten zhang.
Although he believed that under the full force of the talisman's strike, there was no chance for the opponent to survive after falling into the rushing river, he still felt somewhat uneasy not having seen a body.