Qingyun Sect, back mountain.

Lin Zhou reclined on a bamboo chair, a plate of spiritual fruit at his feet, toying with a jade slip with his fingertips, but his gaze was fixed on the water mirror in front of him.

The scene in the water mirror depicts Xiao Chen and Shi Tou being besieged in the Black Wind Mountains.

"Tsk, that old devil of fate is really ruthless."

Lin Zhou picked up a bright red fruit, took a big bite, and juice dripped down his chin. "Little Stone's body is getting stronger and stronger. It can still howl after taking seven or eight hits. Not bad, not bad."

He watched as Xiao Chen was beaten to the point of vomiting blood in the water mirror, without even frowning. Instead, he commented, "He has the spear intent, but his realm is too far behind, and his spiritual power can't keep up. It's a pity about that counterattack. If he had been a little faster, he could have hit the old ghost's weakness."

He looked completely relaxed, like he was watching his younger relatives fight, as if the dangers in the water had nothing to do with him.

He would occasionally keep an eye on his disciples' movements, but he never thought of interfering. The path of cultivation should be forged by oneself. A towering tree cannot be grown in a greenhouse. If they can't even endure this little bit of hardship, do they deserve to be his, Lin Zhou's, disciples?

"Oh, is he about to turn the tables?" Lin Zhou's eyes lit up when he saw Xiao Chen take out the pills. "This kid has a trick up his sleeve."

A fierce battle is raging in the Black Wind Mountains.

Xiao Chen leaned against the rock wall and slowly stood up. The bloodstains on his chest were shocking, but his eyes were sharper than before. He took out a pill from his storage bag and swallowed it. This was also a pill given by his master, but he didn't know its name. His master hadn't named it, so he didn't know either.

As the pill entered his throat, the warm spiritual energy instantly spread to his limbs and bones. The damaged meridians were repaired at a speed visible to the naked eye, and the spiritual energy that had been depleted was also rapidly replenished. Even the excruciating pain was greatly reduced.

"There's more?!" The black-robed elder, who was already preparing to kill, saw that Xiao Chen still had a Rejuvenation Pill hidden away, and his eyes instantly flashed with burning greed. "You little beast! Hand over the pill!"

He no longer cared about recruiting, and with a flash, he pounced on Xiao Chen again. This time, he was determined to snatch the last Rejuvenation Pill!

Xiao Chen did not retreat further, but coldly watched him approach. Suddenly, he spoke, his voice not loud, but clearly carried throughout the mountains and forests: "Senior has been watching the show for so long, are you still planning to continue hiding?"

The old man in black robes was taken aback, his attack abruptly halting as he warily looked around: "Who?!"

Before the words were finished, a powerful aura descended from the sky like a thunderclap. Immediately afterward, a figure moved with lightning speed and kicked the black-robed old man in the back!

"Bang!"

Caught completely off guard, the old man in black robes was kicked away like a tattered sack, crashing heavily into a tree trunk in the distance. He spat out a mouthful of blood, and his life force instantly waned.

Amidst the smoke and dust, a middle-aged man in a gray robe slowly emerged. His face was ordinary, but his eyes were as deep as an abyss. His aura was faintly visible, indicating that he was also at the Creation Realm, and much stronger than the old man in black robes!

The middle-aged man ignored the fallen old man in black robes and instead looked at Xiao Chen with a hint of appreciation in his eyes: "You knew I was here?"

Xiao Chen rolled his eyes, his tone tinged with helplessness: "I don't know, do you think I'd call out that?"

From the moment he deliberately led these people into the deep mountains, he vaguely sensed an even stronger aura in the shadows. At first, he thought it was the other party's backup plan, but later he found that the aura remained still and instead seemed to be watching the show. Considering the way the Sanyuan Chamber of Commerce operated, he guessed that it might be someone from the Chamber of Commerce.

The middle-aged man chuckled upon hearing this, cupped his hands, and said, "I am Qin Yue, a retainer of the Sanyuan Chamber of Commerce. This matter is the fault of my Sanyuan Chamber of Commerce. The news was leaked, causing you, young friend, to be alarmed."

He spoke sincerely, without the slightest airs: "I have dealt with those moles who leaked the information. Here are their heads as an apology to you, young friend."

As he spoke, he threw out several bloody heads from his storage bag; they were the heads of the cultivators who had been responsible for registration and guidance at the Sanyuan Pavilion.

Xiao Chen glanced at it, nodded, and didn't say anything more. He hadn't expected the Sanyuan Chamber of Commerce to keep it completely secret anyway, and the fact that they had done this much already showed them responsibility.

"It's you! Qin Yue!" The old man in black robes who had fallen to the ground was terrified when he saw the middle-aged man's face. He even forgot about his injuries. "You... how did you get here?"

Qin Yue is a top retainer of the Sanyuan Chamber of Commerce. His strength has long reached the mid-stage of the Creation Realm. He is notorious in the Huancai City area for being difficult to deal with.

His kick just now, seemingly casual, contained exquisite force-dissipating techniques. It severely injured him without killing him outright, clearly leaving room for maneuver.

Qin Yue gave him a cold glance: "You dare to mess with a guest of my Sanyuan Chamber of Commerce? Are you tired of living?"

The old man in black robes turned pale and struggled to his feet. He bowed repeatedly to Qin Yue, his posture extremely humble: "Lord Qin, spare my life! I was blind and deceived by a villain, and only in a moment of confusion did I offend this young friend!"

He glanced at Xiao Chen, who was watching coldly from the side, and then said to Qin Yue, "I am willing to join the Sanyuan Chamber of Commerce, to serve you like a slave, and to be at your beck and call! I only ask that you, Qin Yue, give me a way to survive!"

At this point, how could he dare to even think about stealing the pills? He'd be grateful to be alive. Joining the Sanyuan Chamber of Commerce, though it meant losing his freedom, at least gave him powerful backing, which was better than being easily crushed by Qin Yue.

Qin Yue didn't agree immediately, but looked at Xiao Chen, clearly seeking his opinion.

Xiao Chen had no interest in this; the lives of these people were none of his concern. He glanced at the eight peak-stage Dao Proving cultivators lying on the ground, then looked at the sky: "Kill them. Can we leave now?"

He had no interest in getting entangled here.

Qin Yue understood and swiftly unleashed several attacks, striking the men between the eyebrows. Their breaths gradually faded, and they collapsed stiffly to the ground.

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