Chapter 124: The Gloomy Youth and the Elderly Man in Black

Cultivation knows no passage of time. In the blink of an eye, more than two months had passed since the cave dwelling was sealed behind its heavy stone door.

During this period, Chu Xin'er had adjusted her state to its peak, having already consumed two or three Foundation Establishment pills. Suddenly, spiritual energy began to gather above the long-tranquil valley. As time passed, the energy formed a vortex, nearly invisible to the naked eye, which poured downward into the valley.

At the same time, a hundred miles away, two streaks of light were streaking across the sky. They were an old man and a young man, both dressed in identical black robes with gold-threaded patterns on their cuffs. Any experienced cultivator would recognize this as the hallmark of the disciples of the Extreme Demon Sect.

"Hmm? There is a spiritual anomaly in the southwest. Could it be that some treasure has appeared in this humble Fuqing Mountain?"

The grim-faced young man and the old man were both in the early stage of Foundation Establishment. They were indeed disciples of the Extreme Demon Sect, though their status was low, relegated to chores like delivering messages or gathering intelligence. The grim-faced youth suddenly halted his flight, looking toward the side with a hint of surprise.

"What treasure? Junior Brother Yi, I suspect this is merely the celestial phenomenon caused by a cultivator breaking through to a higher realm. We are on a sect mission; it is best not to invite unnecessary trouble."

The old man’s divine sense could not cover such a distance, but he was clearly more cautious. Given the current uncertain situation, he spoke his mind.

"Bah! Senior Brother Qiao, you are far too timid. What harm is there in taking a look? If it truly is a treasure, wouldn't we be set for life? Even if it is just a cultivator breaking through as you say, they will surely be extremely weak. We could at least seize some of their wealth, couldn't we?"

Cultivation is all about seizing opportunities. The Extreme Demon Sect was a sect of ruthless evil cultivators, and the grim-faced youth had committed his fair share of murder and robbery along his path. Thus, he showed nothing but disdain for the old man’s caution. As for the sect mission, it was merely to gather news on rival factions; it was not an urgent matter.

"This... very well, let us go and take a look."

The fact that the old man had joined the Extreme Demon Sect proved he was no saint. Swayed by his junior’s goading, he nodded. The two changed their trajectory and flew toward the valley where Chu Xin'er was hidden.

Foundation Establishment cultivators moved with great speed, covering the hundred miles in short order. Looking at the valley ahead, the grim-faced youth felt nothing but disappointment. Though blocked by a formation, he could not see Chu Xin'er inside the cave; however, based on the fluctuations of spiritual power, he was certain this was merely a cultivator attempting to break through the Foundation Establishment bottleneck.

How much wealth could a Qi Refining cultivator possibly have? The only thing of value, the Foundation Establishment pill, had likely already been consumed. If he had known, he would have listened to his senior brother and avoided this mess.

While feeling disappointed, the youth was also filled with resentment toward the occupant. Without waiting for the old man to speak, he unleashed his magical tool, striking down with a fierce blow.

*Boom!*

The Heavenly Origin Thunder-Fire Array was struck, sending arcs of lightning flashing and deafening roars echoing through the air. This instantly awakened Xiao Wenzhi, who had been deep in meditation.

"Damn it! Who is attacking the cave at a time like this?"

After two months of cultivation and with sufficient System Credits, Xiao Wenzhi had reached the peak of the eleventh level. He had been on the verge of breaking through to the twelfth level, missing only a sliver of progress. That was why he hadn't noticed the phenomenon caused by Chu Xin'er’s breakthrough. Now, hearing the formation roar outside, he spread his demon sense and quickly grasped the situation.

Discovering that the formation was under attack by men in black and realizing Chu Xin'er was at a critical moment of her breakthrough, Xiao Wenzhi flew out of his stone room. He sent a telepathic message to her—telling her not to be distracted and that he would handle everything—before rushing out of the cave.

Seeing that his junior brother’s all-out strike had failed to shatter the formation and had instead triggered lightning and fire in retaliation, the old man in black felt he could no longer stand by. He too unleashed his magical tool, slashing down with all his might.

*Boom! Boom! Boom!*

Although the Heavenly Origin Thunder-Fire Array could barely withstand attacks from an early-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator, the old man’s cultivation was already nearing the peak of the early stage, bordering on the mid-stage. Under their combined assault, the formation began to teeter, cracks spreading rapidly across its surface. It was clear it would not hold much longer.

Xiao Wenzhi opened a small gap in the cave’s defenses. Using a concealment talisman and an invisibility talisman, he slipped out. After gauging the cultivation levels of the old man and the grim-faced youth, he felt a wave of helplessness. Both were in the Foundation Establishment stage, and their cultivation and magical tools were formidable. How was he to stop them?

Yet, if he failed to block them, Chu Xin'er’s fate would be tragic. It seemed that if a sneak attack failed, he would have to stake everything on the power of the Demonic Body Berserk Art.

*Eh?*

As Xiao Wenzhi pondered how to respond, the Heavenly Origin Thunder-Fire Array was shattered by their combined force. The grim-faced youth probed the cave with his divine sense and immediately spotted the young girl sitting cross-legged in the cultivation room.

Because she had been in long-term seclusion, Chu Xin'er wore no mask. Her figure was slender and graceful, and her fair, flawless doll-like face was breathtakingly beautiful.

"I didn't expect the owner of this place to be such a great beauty." The grim-faced youth let out a surprised, malicious chuckle. He practiced a secret art of extraction and replenishment; obtaining a cauldron of the same realm was worth more than countless spirit stones and pills.

However, just as he excitedly stepped toward the cave entrance, an inexplicable sense of crisis washed over him. Years of life-and-death tempering made him pull back without hesitation, attempting to raise a protective spiritual shield.

A gray shadow flashed. A mosquito the size of a chicken egg appeared out of thin air, streaking toward him from an oblique angle.

Xiao Wenzhi, who had been hiding in the grass outside the cave while using his concealment and invisibility talismans, sighed inwardly. Sneak-attacking a Foundation Establishment cultivator was not as easy as he had hoped. Fortunately, they were only a few feet apart. He unleashed his Swift Demon Art at full power, reaching the grim-faced youth in the blink of an eye.

"Hmph! A mere low-level demon mosquito dares to attack me? You're courting death!"

The unknown is often the most terrifying. When the grim-faced youth saw that the source of the threat was nothing more than a large mosquito—and one whose aura had not even reached the peak of the first rank—he sneered in disdain and flicked his finger, launching a blade of sword energy to shred it.

In his mind, his sword energy was enough to kill a Qi Refining master instantly; a mere mosquito would be child's play.

However, facing the sharp sword energy, the mosquito did not dodge or weave. Instead, its body began to rapidly swell and expand.

Xiao Wenzhi knew that even if he used the Demonic Body Berserk Art combined with his other secret techniques, he was no match for this man, let alone when there were two of them. The situation was dire beyond measure. Even if Chu Xin'er finished her breakthrough now, they might not win.

His only chance was to severely wound this arrogant fellow, then find a way to stall until Chu Xin'er emerged to help him take down the other.

Thus, without a moment’s hesitation, Xiao Wenzhi pushed the Demonic Body Berserk Art to its absolute limit and detonated himself right in front of the grim-faced youth.