Chapter Forty-Four: The Situation Takes a Turn

The three confidants happened to catch these words. For a fleeting instant, their expressions stalled imperceptibly, cold sweat beading down their backs as if they could already envision Jiang Shuangyan’s furious outburst.

They dared not linger a moment longer; all three quickened their pace almost simultaneously.

They moved even faster than when they had been chasing the scrawny thief before, as if revealing their final cards in desperation.

Before Jiang Shuangyan could even begin to curse, the trio had whisked her away from the hall with them.

“Chief, the cultivation technique is what matters most!”

Xia Changhan’s gaze shifted slightly, not missing the sight of Jiang Shuangyan and her three companions fleeing. He laughed and said, “Fellow Daoist Ming, you’ve truly offended Junior Sister Jiang now!”

Ming Haohua sneered, his protective shield rising again. “I was considering snatching her as a concubine, but with this celestial maiden’s appearance, I’ve lost all interest in Jiang Shuangyan. She’s not worth my attention!”

Qu Yiqiu, locked in combat with a demonic cultivator, managed to spare a thread of focus to observe her surroundings and caught this strange exchange.

Who were they talking about?

There were male and female disciples from the Fifth Squad in the hall, and even among the black-robed demonic cultivators, there were women.

Qu Yiqiu, caught up in the chaos of battle, never imagined she would be noticed at a glance.

Upon hearing this, Xia Changhan’s eyes hardened; the bell in his left hand rang even more loudly. “Fellow Daoist Ming, if you wish to select a Dao companion at will within our Tianyan Sect, you should first see if you have the ability!”

As his words fell, the melodious bell’s sound invaded the consciousness of every demonic cultivator present.

A fierce gleam flashed across Ming Haohua’s face; he slashed his left arm with his blade, drawing a line of blood. “Don’t be afraid! His Soul Bell can’t suppress the noble bloodline of our Supreme Sect!”

Hearing this, the demonic cultivators stabbed themselves, opening bloody wounds.

“No one can defeat the Supreme Sect!”

“The Supreme Sect is chosen by the heavens—I will die for it!”

“You righteous cultivators are only fit to be the Supreme Sect’s lapdogs!”

Qu Yiqiu watched their self-mutilation with speechless disbelief. The icy silk ribbon in her hand snaked out silently, as deft as a serpent and swift as lightning, instantly ensnaring the self-harming demonic cultivators into a tangled mass.

This sudden turn shifted the balance that had been so evenly matched.

The Fifth Squad disciples were stunned, but quickly acted. Azure light and crimson radiance flared, spells flying in all directions as the demonic cultivators’ screams echoed.

Xia Changhan seized the opportunity, his sword wreathed in rippling waterlight, striking deftly at Ming Haohua.

Ming Haohua’s shield had already been broken; the cold sword energy immediately wounded his left flank.

With a vicious snarl, Ming Haohua raised his broadsword, black mist surging like a furious dragon, coiling and roaring as he abruptly chopped Xia Changhan’s sword in two.

A metallic clang rang out.

The sword broke, half of it clattering to the floor.

Xia Changhan showed not the slightest distress; he swiftly drew a pristine new sword from his storage pouch and struck hard at Ming Haohua.

“Senior Brother, help me!”

“Save me, Senior Brother Ming!”

“Don’t kill me, please, don’t kill me!”

The black-robed demonic cultivators in the hall were now all entangled in the iridescent silk ribbon. Qu Yiqiu struggled to maintain its spiritual power, while the Fifth Squad’s disciples quickly eliminated the immobilized demonic cultivators within a few breaths.

Retrieving her silk ribbon, Qu Yiqiu found her spiritual energy nearly depleted.

A dozen or so Fifth Squad disciples rapidly formed the Celestial Dipper Sword Formation, surrounding Qu Yiqiu and trapping the last surviving demonic cultivator, Ming Haohua.

Sweeping his gaze over them, Ming Haohua fixed his eyes on Qu Yiqiu and grinned broadly. “Such a ruthless woman—now I’m in love with you all over again!”

Qu Yiqiu’s skin prickled with goosebumps.

When Ming Haohua smiled, the scars on his face became even more terrifying.

Faced with this new advantage, Xia Changhan was briefly startled but quickly regained his composure, raising his sword.

But Ming Haohua, knowing the battle was lost, let the black mist surge around him and vanished in an instant after his declaration.

“Coward! If you’ve got guts, stop running!” a disciple shouted in frustration.

“Ming Haohua sure runs fast!”

“We really have to thank this junior sister—her intervention was perfectly timed!”

“Yes, yes! Is she one of our Fifth Squad disciples? She’s so beautiful, yet I don’t recall seeing her before.”

“Junior sister, which squad are you from? Can I have your communication talisman?”

“Me too, me too! Fairy Sister, let’s exchange talismans! If you encounter more demonic cultivators in Qunan City, you can call us and we’ll protect you!”

The moment Ming Haohua fled, Qu Yiqiu was surrounded by the male disciples at the center of the hall.

Watching his subordinates falling over themselves to curry favor, Xia Changhan cleared his throat.

“The matter of demonic cultivators rampaging through the city isn’t resolved yet. There are still many of them outside waiting for us to slay them. We can’t afford to waste time here!”

“He’s right! You bunch of lechers, don’t lose your souls here just because junior sister is pretty!” the neglected female disciples interjected acidly.

“Captain Xia is reliable. Where should we go next to assist our fellow disciples?” one of the women asked solemnly.

Xia Changhan slapped his storage pouch and took out a water mirror.

He glanced at Qu Yiqiu in surprise, then looked down at the water mirror.

“Our next stop is the Heart-Refining Spring in Qunan City!”

The crowd of male disciples scattered, giving Qu Yiqiu a breath of fresh air.

She noticed Xia Changhan’s subtle actions and wondered about the mirror in his hand.

Could that mirror show the number of demonic cultivators in every part of Qunan City?

“Let’s go! Junior Sister Qu, come with us to the Heart-Refining Spring!” A female disciple pulled her aside, creating some space between her and the men.

“We don’t care how the men behave normally, but during a battle, harassing junior sister isn’t right.”

Arm in arm with the female cultivator, Qu Yiqiu racked her brains for a way to politely refuse.

All she wanted was to find Yao Zhimei; she had no desire to go to the Heart-Refining Spring!

“With such battle merits, Junior Sister Qu might just take first place at the Heart-Refining Spring,” Xia Changhan said cheerfully.

Qu Yiqiu paused. “What battle merits?”

Xia Changhan tossed the water mirror to her, his gaze meaningful. “You hide your talents well, junior sister. Is that iridescent silk ribbon a top-grade artifact?”

Qu Yiqiu had no time to bother with his words; she saw several names displayed clearly on the water mirror, each followed by a number that changed constantly.

Her own name was among the top ten, with the number 1,200 beside it.

Her expression shifted. “Does this mean I’m ranked tenth in battle merits?”

Mistaking her reaction for dissatisfaction, Xia Changhan’s pupils narrowed slightly as he tried to remain composed. “Yes. You can come with us to the Heart-Refining Spring—there are even more demonic cultivators there.”

“This junior sister is amazing!”

Every disciple of the Fifth Squad, male and female alike, drew a sharp breath.

Qu Yiqiu looked ethereal and otherworldly, her cultivation seemingly ordinary; everyone had taken her for a mere showpiece.

They thought she’d just gotten lucky with a top-grade artifact—who would have expected her to actually be so capable?

Some secretly admitted they were no match for her, gazing at her with newfound admiration.

At the same time, however, there were those who privately suspected her battle merits were falsified.