Zhang Zongnian’s clenched fists made “crack crack” sounds as his knuckles ground together.
His heart was filled with rage to the extreme.
He truly wished he could smash the laughing Demons before him into pulp with a single punch.
But the overwhelming gap in cultivation left him feeling deeply powerless.
Hong Huzhi, along with his eight Sui Cong, were all at the Body Tempering Stage’s later phase.
Let alone defeating them all—even the lowest-ranking Sui Cong among them could easily crush him to death.
Zhang Zongnian despised his own weakness.
He hated even more the tricks of fate.
Clearly, he already possessed a treasure like the Beast Refinement Codex.
As long as he had more time to find a wild beast with a Spiritual Vein to possess, and then obtained a suitable Serpent Core, he could gradually improve his strength, kill Demons, and quickly become a Grand Demon.
Yet the heavens seemed unwilling to give him any opportunity to rise.
Today, this Storeroom in the mountain cave might very well become his grave.
Even more painful was the fact that Lin Xue, who stood behind him, was about to be humiliated by these beasts before his very eyes, and he was powerless to stop it.
Zhang Zongnian’s fists tightened, his teeth almost shattering from how hard he bit down.
Since death was certain, he might as well give it his all and unleash one final strike.
That was all he could do.
Then, he would probably die under a storm of blows, in despair, anger, and sorrow, and be eaten.
In his despair, he fixed his eyes on the wildly grinning Hong Huzhi before him, preparing to drive his fist into that loathsome, pudgy face.
A slightly cold, soft hand caught his arm and stopped his outburst.
Lin Xue tugged at his arm, pulling him back.
She took several deep breaths, steadying herself, a plan already formed in her mind.
She dragged the about-to-explode Zhang Zongnian behind her.
She stepped forward, faced Hong Huzhi, and spoke:
“Shao Ye, I came for Miss to fetch her Calming Qi Brew. If Miss finds I’ve been gone for so long, she’ll surely send people searching. If Shao Ye intends to do anything to me, are you not afraid of facing Miss’s wrath yourself?”
Hong Huzhi sneered, looking askance at her and curling his lips:
“This Shao Ye is just having a little fun with you, it’s not as if you’ll lose any part of your body. Once I’ve had my fill, I’ll return you to my elder sister. You’ll go back to being her Servant Girl as usual. What can my sister do to me, her own brother, for a little Servant Girl like you?”
Lin Xue’s face was cold as she replied, “It’s only four or five li from here to the Demon Princess’s chamber. If anyone goes to report to her, she’ll arrive in a flash. Are you sure you want to lay a hand on me here, Shao Ye?”
Hearing the warning in her tone, Hong Huzhi slapped his own forehead and said, “Oh, you little snake spirit actually reminded me. If I do it here and my sister comes, she’ll ruin my fun.”
“In that case, this Shao Ye will find a place where my sister can’t find us!”
He pointed at Lin Xue and ordered his Sui Cong behind him, “Take this little Demoness, come with me outside the cave, and find a quiet spot where no one will disturb us. We’ll have a good time.”
“This Shao Ye never eats alone—everyone gets a share!”
“And take that human cultivator too. We’ll eat him later to nourish ourselves!”
The burly Sui Cong grinned with delight, shouting, “At your command!”
Each stretched out their filthy hands toward Lin Xue.
Lin Xue’s face turned pale with terror, her delicate features full of shock.
Though she wore a look of fear, her heart settled, letting out a quiet breath.
She had achieved her aim.
She deliberately mentioned how close this place was to Hong Yanzhi’s chamber, to trick Hong Huzhi into bringing her to a more secluded spot where she could kill him.
She really couldn’t act with so many eyes around.
Hong Huzhi’s idea to bring her and Zhang Zongnian outside the cave was just what she wanted.
Out there, after dealing with this perverted cat and his Sui Cong, she could take Zhang Zongnian away.
Absolutely perfect.
She sensed Zhang Zongnian behind her was again itching to throw himself into a desperate fight.
If this foolish boy tangled with these Sui Cong, he’d have no hope of survival.
Helpless, she acted frightened, spinning and ducking into Zhang Zongnian’s arms, clinging to him and grabbing his arm to hold him back.
With her back to Hong Huzhi and his men, she winked at Zhang Zongnian and whispered, “Don’t be rash. Let me handle this.”
Then, several dirty claws pulled her from Zhang Zongnian’s embrace.
Lin Xue fiercely shook off the Demon hands, coldly saying, “Don’t touch me! I can walk by myself!”
She pulled Zhang Zongnian’s hand and led him outside.
Zhang Zongnian suppressed his urge for a desperate struggle, confusion in his heart: What could Miss Lin possibly do?
These were nine Body Tempering Late Stage Demons!
Back in Hengqiao Town, he’d seen Lin Xue deal with seven Yang Family cultivators at Qi Refining Middle to Late Stage, instantly killing one, injuring two, and intimidating the rest.
But at that time, she was unwounded and had first announced Yang Yuting’s death, which shocked them into submission.
Now she was injured and her cultivation had dropped drastically. Facing nine Demons at Body Tempering Late Stage—could she handle it?
But since Lin Xue said so, he chose to believe her.
The two of them, hand in hand, surrounded by a ring of Demons, left the Storeroom.
Zhang Zongnian’s heart raced with anxiety.
He had no idea what plan Lin Xue had.
All he could do was take it one step at a time.
Hong Huzhi strutted arrogantly in front, leading the group out of the Storeroom and toward the cave exit.
Shu Da and his group still knelt outside, watching as they passed.
Shu Da’s face was expressionless; Shu Er lifted his head, looking at Lin Xue’s back, then at Hong Huzhi, his face twisted with jealousy and hatred.
Shu Da pushed his head back down, glaring at him.
Shu Er bowed his head and did not move again.
Hong Huzhi and his Sui Cong escorted Lin Xue and Zhang Zongnian out of the cave.
On the platform outside, several small Demons were sunning themselves and playing.
When they saw Hong Huzhi appear, the little Demons all fell to their knees, calling out in unison, “Greetings, Shao Ye.”
Hong Huzhi ignored them, hurrying his group toward the back mountain.
Once he was gone, the little Demons stood up, watching Lin Xue’s retreating figure, sighing, “Alas, in just a few days, this snake spirit has fallen into Shao Ye Huzhi’s hands.”
“Who knows if she’ll survive this.”
“Such a shame, such a beautiful she-Demon.”
“To be honest, if she survives, even if she’s sullied by Shao Ye, I’d still marry her.”
“Dream on, you pig-head, you wish!”
On the sheer cliff above the cave, a pine tree jutted out. A crow perched on the branch, preening its feathers.
Seeing Hong Huzhi’s group emerge, and Lin Xue surrounded by a circle of Demons, the crow stopped grooming and stared at her intently.
Then, it stuck out its rear, flapped its wings, and followed after them.
Hong Huzhi led the group for some distance, arriving at a quiet, sheltered spot behind the mountain.
This place was remote, rarely visited.
The ground was flat, the soft grass thick with wildflowers.
Hong Huzhi clapped his hands and said, “Here will do!”
He turned to look at Lin Xue, licked his lips, and leered, “Well, beauty, are you taking your own clothes off, or should this Shao Ye do it for you?”
The eight Sui Cong eyed Lin Xue, their faces burning with desire.
They could hardly wait to line up for their turn after Shao Ye had finished.
Lin Xue said nothing.
She let go of Zhang Zongnian’s hand, silently took two steps to the side, then pulled Zhanfeng from her ring and activated Wind Shield.
With a flick, she thrust Zhanfeng “whoosh” into the ground in front of Zhang Zongnian.
Zhanfeng quivered quickly at Zhang Zongnian’s feet.
A thick Wind Shield instantly enveloped Zhang Zongnian.
Hong Huzhi, his Sui Cong, and Zhang Zongnian all froze, unable to guess her intentions.
With a thought, Lin Xue produced a handful of flying needles.
Back in the Storeroom, she’d secretly moved the Serpent Core from her dantian, as taught in the Beast Transformation Art.
On the way, she constantly absorbed spiritual energy from her surroundings.
Luoyun Cave, built by a former Grand Demon, was full of spiritual energy and the essence of heaven and earth, so she replenished her strength quickly.
Now, her dantian was full, her whole body brimming with spiritual power.
She was now at Qi Refining fourth layer.
Now she could finally use the Qian Ji Zhi Meng.
The flying needles she’d gotten from Yang Yuting had been kept in her ring’s storage space, and now appeared in her hand as she willed.
Seeing the flying needles materialize, Hong Huzhi instantly felt something was wrong.
A sense of crisis rose in his heart.
Then, he saw Lin Xue give him a cold smile and lightly lift her hand.
Dozens of silver needles shot from her palm with a “whoosh whoosh whoosh,” flying at him and his eight Sui Cong.
The silver needles blotted out the sky, covering every inch of the area.
Hong Huzhi felt wave after wave of excruciating pain, as if a thousand arrows pierced his heart.
“Awroo!” he howled in agony.
His eight Sui Cong also screamed in misery.
Though their hides were thick and tough at Body Tempering Late Stage, these silver needles, charged with spiritual power, pierced their defenses with ease, drilling through flesh and out the other side, only to return again.
They tried to dodge, but the sheer number of needles left no gap. They could only watch helplessly as their bodies were riddled with tiny holes.
Blood mist hung in the air, thick with the stench of iron.
One Tiger Demon, unwilling to die passively, braved the agony and lunged at Lin Xue, a claw swiping at her.
The blow was powerful indeed—Lin Xue thought to herself: As expected of a formidable Demon at Body Tempering Late Stage.
She didn’t move, letting the claw slap her down.
Her body flattened, then turned into a burning sheet of paper.
Her true self appeared ten steps away, still controlling the flying needles in relentless assault.
Hong Huzhi, gritting his teeth through the agony, begged for mercy, “Spare me, spare me, great lady, have mercy! I know I was wrong. I’ll let you go…”
Lin Xue only sneered, sending yet more needles at him.
Hong Huzhi collapsed in despair, his fat body transforming into a massive orange tabby cat.
The other Sui Cong also dropped to the ground, reverting to their true forms one after another.
Lin Xue could feel her spiritual power rapidly draining.
She dared not stop, commanding the flying needles to keep weaving through Hong Huzhi and his Sui Cong until every Demon was riddled with holes and silent, not moving in the least.
Only then did she put away the needles.
A system prompt appeared:
“Killed Body Tempering Ninth Layer Demon, gained 200 experience points.”
“Killed Body Tempering Ninth Layer Demon, gained 200 experience points.”
“Killed Body Tempering Ninth Layer Demon, gained 200 experience points.”
“Killed Body Tempering Peak Demon, gained 300 experience points.”
Lin Xue glanced at her panel: she now had 1900 experience points.
To gain so much at once filled her with a rush of joy.
Finally, this troublemaking devil was dead.
That damn cat had pressured her for so long, even appearing in her nightmares.
Now, she could finally breathe easy.
Zhang Zongnian was utterly stunned.
He never imagined Lin Xue could have such a deadly skill.
She’d dispatched nine Body Tempering Late Stage Demons with ease.
He’d thought death was certain, but thanks to Lin Xue’s clever maneuver, he’d survived yet again.
He pulled Zhanfeng from the ground and looked at Lin Xue.
She was also looking at him.
Their eyes met, both faces breaking into smiles of joy and relief at surviving the ordeal.
Lin Xue pointed at the many Demon corpses on the ground and said, “Brother Zhang, quickly collect the Serpent Cores! Once I recover a bit of spiritual power, we’ll leave.”
Zhang Zongnian nodded, joy surging in his heart.
So many Serpent Cores—if he found a suitable spiritual beast with a Spiritual Vein to possess, with Lin Xue’s help, he could absorb the Serpent Core and rapidly become a Grand Demon!
He gripped Zhanfeng and headed for the nearest Demon corpse.
Lin Xue put away the flying needles and immediately sat in meditation to restore her energy.
On a nearby tree, the crow that had followed them squatted on a branch, having witnessed Lin Xue massacre the nine Demons with her needles.
It clicked its beak, spread its wings, and fluttered down to the ground.
Its form rapidly morphed and swelled, turning into a Demon with a bird’s head, a human body, and taloned feet.
Lin Xue and Zhang Zongnian were both startled by the appearance.
Zhang Zongnian had just pressed a hand to a Tiger Demon corpse, Zhanfeng poised to cut it open for its core.
He jumped up instantly, gripping the blade warily, eyes fixed on the bird Demon.
Lin Xue, though not fully restored, also stood up, flying needle appearing in her hand, glaring at him.
The bird Demon gave a dry laugh and said, “Demoness, using my Yang Family’s item—does it suit your hand?”
Lin Xue’s pupils shrank.
This bird Demon was with the Yang Family?
At the mention of “Yang Family,” Zhang Zongnian’s face flushed with anger and hatred. He gripped his blade tightly, ready to charge.
Lin Xue too began to channel Qian Ji Zhi Meng, ready to attack with the flying needles.
But the bird Demon just laughed, stretched out his hand, and said, “Since it’s Yang Family property, return it now.”
Suddenly, Lin Xue found her flying needles unresponsive.
The restriction was lifted, and they flew from her hand into the bird Demon’s grasp.
Zhang Zongnian’s Zhanfeng, and the Jade Pendant at Lin Xue’s waist, suffered the same fate, as if some great force had plucked them away and delivered them to the bird Demon.
Without her powerful flying needles, Lin Xue’s heart sank deep with dread.
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