Translator: CinderTL
Zuoqiu Yi breathed a sigh of relief and hurriedly retrieved a porcelain bottle from her storage pouch. She poured out a brown medicinal pill. "This is a Qi Replenishing Pill. Take it quickly."
Lin Fan lay in her arms, gazing up at her face and inhaling her delicate fragrance. He suddenly felt that everything had been worth it. If he could, he wanted to stay like this forever.
"Little Brother Lin?" Zuoqiu Yi called softly when he didn't respond.
"Ah? What is it?"
"What... are you looking at?"
Zuoqiu Yi, rarely flustered, blushed slightly, her fair cheeks tinged with pink. This was the first time she had ever held a man in her arms.
"Nothing, just... you're so beautiful."
"...Just take the pill."
"Mm..."
In the center of the room, a stone table materialized, displaying a treasure. But neither of them paid it any attention, completely absorbed in the ambiguous atmosphere.
Xu Sanyan and his group effortlessly cleared the fourth trial. The reward remained a medicinal pill, slightly more valuable than before but still of little practical use.
"Hopefully, the next trial will offer something worthwhile," Xu Sanyan muttered, his disappointment evident. The previous trials hadn't even required him to lift a finger; the elders had handled everything.
As soon as they stepped onto the fifth trial platform, four figures materialized opposite them—three men and one woman. Xu Sanyan blinked, intrigued.
"Huh, people?"
The opposing group wore solemn expressions. One of them clasped his hands in a formal greeting. "This humble one is Jiang from the Jiang Family of Southern Heaven Valley. Greetings, fellow cultivators."
"Southern Heaven Valley..." Xu Sanyan recalled the sect's description from his studies:
[One valley under heaven's southern skies, Jiang and Yan, both clear.]
This phrase referred to the Jiang Family of Southern Heaven Valley, a powerful force ranking among the strongest beneath the five Great Sects, comparable to the Zuoqiu Clan of Huai Lake. Moreover, their territory was renowned for its breathtaking natural beauty.
"I've heard your young master, Jiang Yan, possesses exceptional talent. Which of you is Jiang-xiong?"
"Fellow cultivator, you'll be disappointed. The young master is not present."
Xu Sanyan nodded. "Then please turn back. Consider it a favor to your young master, and I won't make things difficult for you."
"Hmph, such arrogance! Who do you think you are to disregard the Jiang Family?" The woman among the four glared at him, her face flushed with anger.
The other three also wore displeased expressions, feeling insulted. The Jiang Family of Southern Heaven Valley was renowned throughout the World of Immortal Cultivation. How could they retreat at the mere words of some stranger? If word got out, it would tarnish their family's reputation.
"You fools! We offer you a path to survival, yet you refuse? Then this elder will send you on your way!"
An elder beside Xu Sanyan sneered, abandoning further words as he struck first.
Xu Sanyan shook his head slightly. He had no desire for bloodshed, but some people seemed determined to court death. Very well, he would grant them their wish.
The cultivation levels of the four were clear to him: two at the Initial Stage of Dao Seeking and two at Foundation Establishment Perfection. None required his intervention; the two elders could handle them easily.
Within a quarter of an hour, the three men lay lifeless on the ground. Only the woman still clung to life, her hand clutching her throat. With a gentle twist of her neck, she breathed her last, her face contorted with resentment.
A stone table materialized. Xu Sanyan glanced at it—a transparent stone, likely a material for refining artifacts. Finding it useless to him, he passed it to the elder beside him.
As they ascended to higher floors, the rewards improved. The four of them stepped onto the sixth floor.
Xiang Tan followed closely beside Xu Sanyan, feeling utterly secure. She stole glances at his profile, her eyes brimming with adoration.
This admiration differed from the purest love between a man and a woman; it was merely the weak's instinctive admiration for the strong. Should Xu Sanyan lose his cultivation level or authority, this admiration would vanish.
In the demonic sect, there was little room for romantic sentimentality. This wasn't some melodramatic soap opera; what one saw here was mostly scheming and backstabbing.
Reaching the sixth floor, Xu Sanyan blinked and looked across the room, a mixture of amusement and exasperation on his face. "When did you get here?"
"J-just arrived," Fang Xiang stammered, his face etched with dismay. He couldn't believe his bad luck—encountering the very person he least wanted to see.
Even against Fang Qingge or Jingyi, Fang Xiang would have mustered the courage to fight. But against Xu Sanyan, he didn't even dare to raise a hand.
To this day, the memory of Xu Sanyan grabbing him by the hair and beating him mercilessly still flashed through his mind.
"Do I need to make a move?" Xu Sanyan asked with a smile.
"No, no, I'm leaving right now," Fang Xiang replied, waving his hands frantically. He turned and led his two companions back the way they had come.
As Fang Xiang retreated, the staircase on the other side vanished, and a stone table emerged, this time bearing a sheet of paper.
"Hmm?"
Xu Sanyan beckoned, and the paper floated into his palm. The two elders wisely averted their gazes.
Having lived to their age, they knew better than anyone what to look at and what to ignore. Those who didn't understand this principle wouldn't have survived this long.
Xu Sanyan frowned as he examined the paper. It depicted a crooked, distorted map, likely a rough draft, though the location remained unclear.
"Take a look. Do either of you recognize this map?"
The two elders finally glanced over and silently shook their heads. "We don't recognize it."
Xu Sanyan pocketed the map and stepped toward the staircase. "Let's move on to the next trial."
Fang Qingge ultimately couldn't dissuade Junior Sister Yu and brought her along.
Junior Sister Yu and Wei Xunzhi stood behind him, their animosity palpable, while Fang Qingge fought fiercely against the corpse demons ahead.
"Hmph," Junior Sister Yu scoffed. Having observed their interactions over the past few days, she knew Senior Brother Fang didn't care for Wei Xunzhi. Deliberately provoking her, she said, "Some people are so shameless! Even when they're clearly unwanted, they cling on like leeches. It's truly shameless."
Wei Xunzhi smiled faintly. "Indeed. Senior Brother Fang even told Junior Sister to wait outside. Why did you insist on following?"
"You!" Junior Sister Yu snapped, her anger flaring. "I'm not talking about that! Can't you see Senior Brother Fang doesn't like you?"
"Oh? Is that so?" Wei Xunzhi feigned confusion. "But Senior Brother Fang and I have already..."
She paused deliberately, leaving the implication hanging in the air, before adding, "I even know about the birthmark on Senior Brother Fang's chest."
This was something she had "accidentally" glimpsed while tending to his wounds.
Junior Sister Yu grew even angrier, but she refused to back down. "That's nothing! I even know how many moles Senior Brother Fang has on his butt!"
"How many?"
"Three!" Junior Sister Yu blurted out without hesitation.
Wei Xunzhi nodded silently, making a mental note.
Fang Qingge had just finished dealing with the corpse demon when he overheard the two women's conversation. His face darkened instantly. Had his private matters become fodder for their gossip?
Standing between the two women, Fang Qingge awkwardly changed the subject. "Let's go to the next level."
He resolved once again to keep that lump in his pants under control from now on.
Absolutely!
As the trio stepped onto the fifth level, Fang Qingge's eyes lit up. He flipped open his folding fan with a flourish, gently waved it, and smiled with impeccable grace at the women opposite them.
"Fang Qingge at your service. It's an honor to meet you three Immortal Maidens."
Zuoqiu Hui, Zuoqiu Xin, and Qin Manyang all looked up simultaneously.
(End of the Chapter)
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