Chapter 26: A Surprise Attack to Revitalize the Cultivation World (26% Progress)

"Are you crazy!" The exhausted sword cultivator reacted a beat too late, striking Shen Qirui in the chest with a palm imbued with spiritual power.

His spiritual energy was on the verge of depletion, and this palm strike was weak and powerless.

Shen Qirui noticed his movement trajectory as soon as he raised his hand, and remained motionless, letting the spiritual energy strike his high-grade armor.

His spiritual energy was neutralized by the armor, and he scoffed, "You really think she's your partner just because you killed a ghost? It's just a dog-eat-dog world. I advise you to mind your own business. Wouldn't it be better if two fewer people shared the treasures of the Ghost Immortal's Mansion?"

The swordsman noticed his disdain and his expression turned quite unpleasant.

Not all the people who came to the secret realm knew each other. He didn't know Shen Qirui's identity. At this moment, the other party was showing off his high-grade armor to demonstrate his status and position. He naturally understood that this was not a person to be trifled with. The other party was warning him not to interfere in personal grudges.

Xiao Tingyuan had just recovered from exhaustion when he heard the commotion and got up, only to see the standoff between them.

He hurriedly searched for the missing figure by the dry well, and after looking around and not finding anyone, his heart sank.

Combining Shen Qirui's vicious words, he instantly understood what the other party had done.

"Shen Qirui!" Overwhelmed with rage, he forced out the name that he hated so much he wanted to scream.

Shen Qirui laughed heartily, then turned to meet his gaze with malicious instigation: "Isn't your Young Master Xiao the most loyal and sworn to go to great lengths for your friends? Why are you here jumping up and down like this? Did you cut out your gallbladder while repairing your meridians?"

Unaware of the true situation, he assumed that Xiao Tingyuan had repaired his meridians.

Xiao Tingyuan stared at him with icy eyes, as if he were looking at a dead body.

Shen Suqi was right when they made the deal. Shen Qirui may say they'd part ways, but he'll actually seize any opportunity to try and get rid of him, the person who once dominated him.

In order to survive the all-night battle with the white-faced man, he disregarded his disguise and fought with all his might. He was discovered by Shen Qirui, who had also entered the secret realm. Shen Qirui had humiliated him time and time again before, and he would not give him a chance to retaliate.

He dragged down his newly made friends.

Xiao Tingyuan clenched his fists under his long sleeves, wishing he could immediately go up and tear that sneak attacker to pieces.

He turned the hilt of his sword, the reflected, chilling light illuminating his enemy's eyes: "Every wrong has its perpetrator, every debt its debtor. If you have a problem, come at me. What kind of hero drags innocent people down with you!"

Shen Qirui cautiously pinched a talisman, constantly on guard against Xiao Tingyuan's sudden attack.

He did want to take action against Xiao Tingyuan. He had treated Xiao Tingyuan the way he had when Xiao Tingyuan's talent was extinguished, and he never expected that the other party would rise again. The best course of action would be to eliminate the threat immediately.

However, the other party's past glory was too great. He could even repair the meridians eroded by demonic energy and recover to the strength of the Great Perfection of Qi Refining in just a few days. He felt a strange fear of the person who used to be superior to him and was worried that the other party still had some trump cards up his sleeve. Therefore, he thought of starting with his personality.

Su Xiaoyao, who witnessed everything, choked on blood. She had been working with Xiao Tingyuan and knew that her companion was almost at his limit due to the depletion of his spiritual power. She didn't want to see her friend forcibly circulate his spiritual power for revenge and damage his foundation, so she shouted loudly at a certain all-powerful potion pot who was both literate and martial: "Brother Pot!"

The medicine pot immediately started cursing and swearing as he picked it up and went to work.

Shen Qirui had already seen their methods. He smiled slyly and activated a talisman to create a defensive barrier in front of him.

Just as he was feeling smug, a sharp pain in his neck made his eyes widen instantly.

His neck stiffened, his bloodshot eyes rolled to the far left, fearfully pushing away the longsword pressed against his neck, with almost only the whites of his eyes remaining in their sockets.

He gritted his teeth and dared not move. If it weren't for the protective layer of spiritual energy that passively rose from the high-grade armor, he would already be decapitated.

This feeling, this feeling...

"You were the one who attacked me that night!" he gritted his teeth.

High-quality armor is no ordinary item. Under the powerful impact, the attacker's longsword shattered into pieces, leaving only the lonely hilt.

Having failed in his sneak attack and losing his weapon, Jiang Yun's frail body slowly retreated from behind Shen Qirui.

He was young, short, and thinner than his peers. He silently crept up behind Shen Qirui, and apart from his two companions who were helping to divert the target's attention, no one noticed.

The onlookers then realized that the situation was different from what they had imagined.

Having escaped, Shen Qirui looked back with a ghost-like expression, preferring to leave his back to Xiao Tingyuan, with whom he had an irreconcilable feud.

Before entering the secret realm, he was ambushed once. Although he was drunk at the time, he was still a Foundation Establishment cultivator, not someone who had leveled up by taking drugs. However, when he was locked onto by the terrifying evil aura, his mind panicked, and he moved extremely slowly in that state.

Once again freed from the malevolent aura, his back was soaked with sweat as if he had just been pulled out of the water.

It was him!

Before Shen Qirui could recover, Su Xiaoyao and Xiao Tingyuan pressed forward, giving him no chance to catch his breath.

Jiang Yun stood still, his face expressionless, only his slightly furrowed brows revealing a sharp coldness, his long eyelashes sweeping down with his lowered eyes, concealing his icy gaze.

"Clang."

He opened his palm, and the empty sword hilt slipped from his hand, falling to the ground with a loud thud.

Those who were nearby instinctively took two steps back. It was clearly just a Qi Refining stage cultivator, clearly just a child of a little over ten years old, yet they felt a chilling aura emanating from him.

Jiang Yun lowered his gaze to his empty palm, his tone devoid of emotion: "Failed."

He recalled his helplessness on the day the Jiang family was massacred.

The 444 in my mind's sea is jumping around and almost going crazy.

Good heavens, this guy surnamed Shen is really something! He stimulated his host's fragile nerves twice in a short period of time!

Well, that's really bad; it's caused his poor host to have a stress reaction!

【Host……】

444's mind works incredibly fast.

Jiang Yun's shattered sword was the best weapon they had won in the lottery. Currently, they had nothing that could penetrate high-grade armor. In the current situation, even the three mission takers combined could not kill Shen Qirui.

However, the thorn in Jiang Yun's heart would never die from Shen Qirui's death. His host had only suffered a severe injury less than a month ago and was in his most vulnerable period, unable to withstand repeated stimulation! He urgently needed psychological counseling! He had to be relieved of his stress!

It's the most versatile of the top ten systems, it's bound to find a solution!

Let it think... That's it!

[Host, according to the system's calculations, your current strength and accumulated points are insufficient to penetrate high-grade armor.]

Jiang Yun's fingertips twitched.

【but! 】

444 loudly.

[Your friends are still alive! Although they fell into the dry well, they are not dead! Host Jiang Yun! Listen! They are not dead! They are waiting for you to rescue them! As for when this guy will take their lives, it doesn't matter!]

The system cannot detect the illusion, but the worst-case scenario is facing the crisis at the bottom of the dry well. At worst, one can use all points and loans to exchange for a random teleportation talisman. His 444 hand speed is famous in the system world, and he can definitely use the talisman before disaster strikes!

Its host is too special. More than physical danger and harm, he needs spiritual healing. He needs to get out of the shadow of the Jiang family's massacre.

Let's give it our all!

Upon hearing 444's words, Jiang Yun paused briefly, then immediately retrieved a new sword from his storage space. His cold gaze lingered on Shen Qirui for only a moment before he leaped into the dry well.

"Young brother!" The swordsman swayed as he propped himself up, but even after reaching halfway in, he couldn't stop the resolute Jiang Yun.

The ghostly aura emanating from the dry well wall assaulted his face, causing the sword cultivator to hastily retreat. He glanced at the people heading into the Ghost Immortal's Mansion to search for treasures, then at the two sides locked in combat. He wanted to help, but feared that if he was a step too late, all the good stuff would be looted.

Torn between inner turmoil and his own will, he shouted, "Your friend jumped into the well!"

Shen Qirui reacted first, before Xiao Tingyuan and Su Xiaoyao. He used the opportunity to retreat, glanced at the dry well, laughed loudly, and then spat, "What an idiot! He's lucky he didn't die by my hand. Hey, Xiao Tingyuan, are you going to save your friend? If you are, then jump! That kid jumped, why don't you jump when you claim to be a friend who would give your life for him?"

Xiao Tingyuan knew that continuing the argument would be pointless, and his immediate priority was to confirm his partner's safety.

While keeping an eye on the ill-intentioned Shen Qirui, he walked towards the dry well.

"Are you crazy? You can't even go into that well!" Su Xiaoyao quickly stopped him. "Use your brain, brother!"

“But is there any other way?” Xiao Tingyuan pursed his lips. “They have been implicated because of me. I can’t just stand by and watch them fall into danger. I don’t know what’s down in the dry well. I have to go down and find them.”

"Of course we have to find them, but not in a way that risks our lives!" Having faced death several times, Su Xiaoyao valued her life more than anyone else. She glared angrily at Shen Qirui, "Don't listen to that idiot's provocation!"

Shen Qirui stood with his arms crossed, looking on with an air of detached amusement.

Just then, the potion pot that had been rolling to the side and waiting seized the opportunity and bumped into his waist!

Shen Qirui's face contorted in pain, turning a deep, liverish color. In a flash, he saw Xiao Tingyuan's sword thrusting straight at him, forcing him to use a life-saving teleportation talisman.

Once his figure disappeared, Su Xiaoyao breathed a sigh of relief: "It's all thanks to our perfect teamwork."

They wouldn't pack up and jump into the well before the fight was over; it was all just a way to distract Shen Qirui.

"Hmm." Xiao Tingyuan sheathed his sword and continued walking towards the dry well.

Su Xiaoyao was dumbfounded: "Tingyuan, we were just working together!"

“It’s not just about cooperating.” Xiao Tingyuan looked her in the eye seriously. “I really do need to go down and find them.”

"No, no, no! There's another big ghost down there! You'll die if you go down! I couldn't stop Jiang Yun, I can't just watch you go down there to die!" Su Xiaoyao hurriedly said.

She inadvertently revealed information discovered after the 996 independent operation.

Xiao Tingyuan was so focused on his fallen companion that he didn't notice anything amiss.

He shook his head, brushed Su Xiaoyao's hand away, and said with a resolute expression, "Xiaoyao, I don't want to implicate others anymore. It all started because of me, and I have to go."

Su Xiaoyao's face turned pale, and she couldn't say anything. She could only mutter, "Xiao Tingyuan will die. He really will die."

"I know." Xiao Tingyuan smiled and resolutely turned around.

Su Xiaoyao closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

When she opened her eyes again, she took out a copper coin from her sleeve.

She ran out of points buying spirit talismans during her battle with the white-faced man, so she urgently took out a loan to see if she could draw something good.

The philosophy of the European Emperor: When in doubt, take a shot.

However, this time the lucky one only drew one copper coin.

She clasped her hands together, placed the copper coin against her heart, and muttered to herself, "It's really just a chance encounter. I value my life the most. They're just temporary teammates, haha. I've been in the mortal realm for two years and I can just leave whenever I want. There's no need to risk my life for someone I've only known for a few days. Even 996 advised me not to go down there, right..."

She spoke softer and softer, staring at the copper coin in her hand and sighing.

"How about this, let's keep the letter face up to save our lives."

She was even unwilling to mention the possibility of taking the risk.

The copper coins were tossed into the sky.

Su Xiaoyao blinked, her eyes stinging with tears.

996 issued a reminder.

[Xiao Yao, the full name of this copper coin is "It Will Surely Fall When It Lands..."]

"Alright, no need to say anything more."

Su Xiaoyao stopped 996 from speaking.

"Heh, a mere little secret realm, just a small training ground for this protagonist to hone his skills!"

She lifted her skirt and strode towards the dry well, her heavy footsteps carrying a resolute determination not to turn back, like a fearless warrior!

If you ignore the tears welling up in her eyes.

In the last few steps, she sprinted with her eyes closed.

"Xiao Tingyuan, wait for me! I'll give you a mid-grade armor piece; put it on before you save people! I'm so afraid of death! This lady is about to swear! (￥%#!)"

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Author's Note: The copper coin appeared in Chapter 3; its full name is: The Copper Coin That Always Lands Head Up.