Translator: CinderTL
"Oh, what a coincidence," Mengdie said with a smile, her gaze sweeping over the defeated remnants.
"Hmph," Tu Wanshan snorted coldly, his face grim. "What are you doing here?"
"Well, that's odd," Mengdie retorted. "This isn't your home, so why shouldn't I be here?"
Mengdie mused, "It's quite a coincidence, actually. I just ran into Ma Changjie not long ago, and now I've encountered you. I wonder who ended up with that Holy Son Token?"
From Mengdie's perspective, she could rule out Qi Liang, Jiang Qinqin, Ma Changjie, Fang Xiang, and Gong Niang. Now that she'd eliminated Tu Wanshan, only Luo Yu, Zhou Longsheng, and You Jianfeng remained.
She didn't consider any of them a threat, so she was determined to claim the Holy Son Token.
She didn't know that Luo Yu and Zhou Longsheng were already dead.
Tu Wanshan's eyes burned with hatred. "You saw Ma Changjie?"
"Yes," Mengdie replied, tilting her head, puzzled by his sudden outburst of anger.
"Where is he?" Tu Wanshan demanded, rising to his feet.
Mengdie's mind raced. She pointed in the distance. "Over there."
Tu Wanshan waved his hand. "Let's go!"
The Bald Woman and her group followed Tu Wanshan as he stormed off.
Mengdie covered her mouth with a hand, stifling a laugh, and continued chasing the rainbow light.
The Bald Woman asked softly, "Senior Brother, shouldn't we go for the Holy Son Token first? We can avenge Ma Changjie later."
Tu Wanshan sighed inwardly. How could he not know this?
But their strength had been severely depleted, leaving them no match for Mengdie's faction. They had no choice but to retreat for now and regroup later.
Tu Wanshan watched two streaks of rainbow light in the distance. One moved slowly, gradually closing in on them, while the other sped toward the Mountain Gate. If nothing went wrong, the first Holy Son would soon be born.
He guessed the one heading for the Mountain Gate was Qi Liang's faction. They were the strongest, so it was no surprise they would obtain the Holy Son Token first.
One day later.
Xu Sanyan looked at the six people behind him. Originally, there had been nine, but after the previous battle, one had died and another was injured. The injured one's condition was severe, so they had been abandoned.
Days of relentless travel had left everyone exhausted. Xiang Tan and Junior Sister Chu gasped for breath, supporting each other as they shuffled forward.
"Let's rest for a while," Xu Sanyan said softly.
At his words, everyone collapsed to the ground. Xiang Tan smiled, though her body was weary, her inner excitement couldn't be concealed. The closer they got to the Mountain Gate, the more thrilled she became.
Once Xu Sanyan became the Holy Son, her status would soar. Even some Dao Seeking Realm elders would have to show her respect.
Junior Sister Chu clung to Xiang Tan's arm, leaning close to whisper in her ear, "Senior Sister, after we leave, please put in a good word for me. I want to serve Senior Brother Xu..."
Xiang Tan patted her hand gently, consoling her softly, "Don't worry. Given our sisterly bond, who else would I help if not you?"
"Mm, Senior Sister is the best," Junior Sister Chu said, beaming with delight.
Xu Sanyan took out his Holy Son Token and began toying with it. He noticed that the closer they got to the Mountain Gate, the brighter the rainbow light on the token became.
They were only two days away from returning to the Mountain Gate. He hoped nothing would go wrong.
Although the Holy Son Competition had been brief, lasting less than a month, the competition had been fierce. Originally, two hundred people had entered the competition, but half of them had already been eliminated.
Only Qi Liang and Mengdie's factions had suffered no losses so far.
Behind Xu Sanyan, the atmosphere among the four men was tense. Only five spots were available for followers. Xiang Tan and Junior Sister Chu, having made significant contributions, were guaranteed two spots. That left only three spots for the remaining four men, meaning one of them would inevitably be left behind.
Suddenly, another rainbow light flashed across the horizon, marking the appearance of the fourth Holy Son Token.
Xu Sanyan looked up, glanced at the map, and saw that the direction was Hundred Beasts Peak. However, it no longer concerned him.
"Let's go," Xu Sanyan said, taking the lead.
The others followed in order.
Qi Liang gazed at the rainbow light illuminating Hundred Beasts Peak, a hint of amusement in his eyes. "Let's go greet our meritorious subject."
Jiang Qinqin whispered, "Senior Brother Qi, what do you plan to do about Sima Xin?"
"What do you think?" Qi Liang countered, turning his head.
Jiang Qinqin pondered for a moment, then ventured, "Perhaps... we could spare his life. If Sima Xin lives, Qi Yuanzhu will believe everything remains under his control. Our strength is still weak; it's best to endure for now."
Qi Yuanzhu was Qi Liang's elder brother and the sole survivor of the previous generation's Holy Sons.
"Hmm."
Qi Liang grunted noncommittally, his gaze fixed on the rainbow light closest to the Mountain Gate, wondering who it could be.
Just then, a commotion erupted beside him. Turning, Qi Liang saw a group of people emerge from the forest.
Leading the group was a bald man with a bruised and swollen face. A patch of scalp on his head oozed blood, as if someone had forcibly ripped out his hair. He was wrapped in bandages, blood seeping through the gauze, a truly pitiful sight.
Qi Liang asked in surprise, "Who is this bald monk?"
"Giggle..." Jiang Qinqin couldn't help but giggle, covering her mouth to hide her amusement. She naturally recognized the man.
Fang Xiang flew into a rage. "Bald your First Master! I'm Fang Xiang!"
"Hahaha..." Qi Liang burst into uncontrollable laughter, pointing at him and roaring, "What happened to you in just two days to make you look like this?"
They had parted ways in the Phoenix Tree Forest just two days ago.
Fang Xiang looked utterly dejected. "Damn it, don't remind me."
Qi Liang raised an eyebrow, glancing at the blood-streaked patch of scalp on Fang Xiang's head. The tuft of upright hair Fang Xiang had cherished so much was now gone, making Qi Liang even more curious. "What happened exactly?"
Fang Xiang sighed. "I ran into a freak. Couldn't beat him."
The mere thought of Xu Sanyan filled Fang Xiang with deep frustration, and a profound sense of awe lingered in the depths of his heart, though he refused to admit it.
"Did you run into Tu Wanshan?" Qi Liang asked with a chuckle.
Fang Xiang shook his head. "No."
"Oh? Besides Tu Wanshan, someone else managed to beat you up like this?"
Qi Liang's expression was one of surprise. In his opinion, Fang Xiang's strength was far from weak. Although ranked fifth among the Ten Great Talents, Qi Liang believed Fang Xiang deserved a spot among the top three in terms of individual combat prowess.
Fang Xiang briefly recounted the events, while Qi Liang listened intently, his eyes unconsciously narrowing. When had the Holy Sect produced such a formidable figure?
Unwilling to linger, Fang Xiang waved his hand and said, "I'm leaving."
Qi Liang stopped him. "Where are you going?"
"There," Fang Xiang replied matter-of-factly, pointing towards Hundred Beasts Peak and glancing at the rainbow light in Qi Liang's arms. "Or do you think I'm going to steal your Holy Son Token?"
Fang Xiang had originally planned to try his luck at Hundred Beasts Peak, but someone had beaten him to it. Now, he was determined to see who dared to steal what he considered his.
That's right, Fang Xiang had already mentally claimed the Holy Son Token on Hundred Beasts Peak as his own.
Qi Liang pursed his lips, then suddenly grinned. Fang Xiang was from Blood Refinement Mountain. Perhaps this was an opportunity to plant a spy within the Blood Refinement Branch.
(End of the Chapter)
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