Chapter 53
"Teacher Qin, you go first, or Teacher Bodo, you go first. Never mind, I'll just take the loss and you two can go together."
Inside a dark and cramped rented room, a young man with fairly handsome features had a lewd smile on his face and was even drooling. Yes, he was drooling.
While he was asleep, he was completely unaware of what was happening around him.
"Master, are you sure this is the chosen one?"
The woman who spoke had long black hair that fluttered in the wind, beautiful eyebrows, a graceful figure, and an air of purity and elegance. But at this moment, her face was full of black lines, and she looked like she had no will to live.
You can't blame her. When she first arrived and saw Wu Xiao like this, she wondered what was wrong with him. But when she entered his mind, she found a group of naked women.
The one referred to as the master was a long-bearded old man with a sage-like demeanor, but at this moment, he was hardly a sage-like figure at all; he was just short of puffing out his beard and glaring at people.
"What can I do? He really is the chosen one. I wonder if I misjudged and chose the wrong person," the old man shook his head helplessly. "Never mind, let's send him there first and see how he reacts."
Having said that, he casually waved his hand.
Wu Xiao was secretly pleased. "Teacher Qin, your movements aren't quite right. Teacher Bodo, take her downstairs to practice. Xidao, come here, let your brother teach you a few moves."
No sooner had he finished speaking than he found himself naked in a snowy field.
"Wow, this feels so real! I must still be dreaming." He couldn't help but pinch himself. "Ah, could this not be a dream...?"
Just as he was lost in thought, a mechanical voice suddenly appeared in his mind: "Welcome to the World Salvation System."
"Main mission: Perfect all the worlds in the book, maintain the balance of the universe, and save all living beings."
"Main quest of Douluo World: Help Long Xue'er become the Empress of Douluo World. Quest reward: Become the master of the Douluo World plane, with free access. You will receive 15 skill points in the real world and one spin of the Lucky Wheel (explore the details of skill point usage yourself)."
"Current mission: Rescue Long Xue'er, the protagonist of Douluo World, from the far north snowfield and help her get back on the right track. Mission reward: 1000 experience points."
"Friendly reminder: When the protagonist in the book dies, your real-world self dies; when you die in the book's world, your real-world self dies."
"What's going on here? I just had a few dreams, is it really that big of a deal? Besides, at least show some respect, okay? Let me put my clothes on. What a crappy system."
Suddenly, the old man came to Wu Xiao's side, and the woman came along with him.
"ah!"
"ah!"
"What's your name? You've seen me naked. How are you going to take responsibility for me?" Wu Xiao said lewdly, covering his genitals.
"You..." The woman was so angry that she couldn't speak. She turned around and remained silent.
"Alright, alright." The old man was clearly also very troubled. He waved his hand, and Wu Xiao put his clothes back on.
"I am now your NPC. You can also call me the Lord of the Universe. You can ask me anything directly. Of course, I will not save you if you die," the old man said with a roguish air.
"I don't care what kind of 'Lord of the Universe' you are! Just let me go back! Yunxi even asked me to go shopping with her today!" Wu Xiao said angrily. "Anyway, I don't care. I'm not doing this. Go find someone else."
...
After a while, the old man also got anxious: "Do you think I wanted you to come? You are a web novelist, and you can't even remember how many books you've written. It's one thing to write a lot, but the key is that every single one of them ends up being abandoned, making my universe chaotic. I wanted to find someone to help me balance things out, but heaven chose someone like you."
He was seething with hatred, but there was nothing he could do. Although he was the master of the universe, Heaven had chosen Wu Xiao, so he could only accept his fate.
"What do you mean I'm 'trash'? What's wrong with me? I'm at least a promising young man of the 21st century. I haven't stolen or robbed anything. How did I become 'trash' in your eyes?" Wu Xiao also lost his temper.
"Aren't you two annoying?" Yiyun, the woman next to the Lord of the Universe, said, "Is this really interesting for two grown men?"
Well, the two of them immediately wilted.
"Alright, your trial has begun. I forgot to remind you, each task has a time limit. Be careful, exceeding the time limit could endanger your life." After saying that, the two disappeared.
"Damn it, you guys are so irresponsible! You just abandoned me and ran away like that, that's too much!"
He remembered; this was his first book, and this passage was the chapter about Long Xue'er getting lost in the far northern snowfield.
Thinking of this, his expression darkened even more, because the far north snowfield is home to a magical beast called the Snowfield Wolf.
Although these magical beasts are only second-tier magical beasts, they are united and cooperative, and can often defeat magical beasts of higher tiers than themselves. They are also particularly troublesome, relentlessly pursuing their enemies and willing to die to tear a piece of flesh from you.
Perhaps the snowfield is haunted; whatever he says comes true. Wu Xiao looked up and suddenly spotted a snow wolf on the ridge.
Wu Xiao forced himself to calm down. He looked at the snow wolf, and the wolf looked back at him, creating a stalemate. Wu Xiao felt like a mouse in a cat's eyes. The wolf wasn't in a hurry, slowly pacing back and forth, its gaze fixed on him.
After a while, Wu Xiao wanted to stretch his stiff neck. Just as he turned his head, the wolf finally moved, like a white lightning bolt, tearing through space and time as it pounced on him.
He stared at the icicle on his right and ran frantically toward it, but the wolf seemed to know what he was thinking and came running from the right.
Wu Xiao knew he couldn't escape and had no choice but to fight, but that was easier said than done. He was still just an ordinary person, while the Snow Wolf, a second-tier magical beast, was nearly as strong as rock, even though its hide wasn't as tough. He couldn't even break through its defenses, so how could he possibly fight it?
Running away was not an option, and fighting was also not an option. Wu Xiao cursed, "You damned Lord of the Universe, if you're going to leave, at least leave me a way to live! You might as well just let me die!"
Even a clay figure has its temper, and Wu Xiao, in a fit of desperation, turned and charged at the snow wolf. He grabbed a large rock, but he still underestimated the snow wolf.
It was too fast. Before Wu Xiao could even wave his hand, the snow wolf flashed behind him and pounced on him, knocking him to the ground.
Just as the snow wolf's mouth was about to bite his neck, he closed his eyes helplessly. He was utterly powerless; he had no ability to resist whatsoever.
His hands were pinned to the ground by a pair of wolf claws, and the massive body pressed down on him, making it hard for him to breathe.
"You wretch!" A loud shout suddenly rang out, and the immense pressure on his body abruptly lessened. Wu Xiao gasped for breath, not even glancing at the two Universe Lords who had rushed over.
He looked around, found the rock that had just been knocked away, picked it up and smashed it at the dying snow wolf on the ground, not stopping until the monster was covered in blood and gore.
"Ding, first kill, experience points increased by 100."
"Wu Xiao, I'm sorry. You start with 1000 experience points and a martial arts manual called 'Absolute Breath Slash.' I'm also giving you a spirit-grade Heavenly Thunder Blade. I'm sorry."
"Alright, you can go now." Wu Xiao knew he had to walk his own path, so he didn't linger and set off on his journey to find Long Xue'er, heading deeper into the snowfield.
"Use 1100 experience points to level up to Great Soul Master (Level 21)?", "Yes"
"Do you want to learn the beginner-level martial art 'Final Breath Slash'?" "Yes".
...
"Ding, 50 kills completed, reward 500 experience points." He killed the last Yeti and lay on the ground.
Like the Snow Wolf, the Yeti is a second-tier magical beast, but its individual combat ability is slightly stronger than that of the Snow Wolf. However, given his level as a Great Soul Master, this is not a problem.
Looking at the attribute panel: Wu Xiao, Realm (Level 23), Martial Skill ("Absolute Breath Slash" 30% Proficiency), None, None, None.
He had been walking in this snowfield for two days, killing many magical beasts, and had basically adapted to this kind of life.
He was immediately intrigued by the sight of another snow wolf. Perhaps the first one had left a deep scar on him, as he had developed a particular fondness for killing snow wolves.
Oh no! He had just killed the snow wolf when he suddenly sensed a lot of unknown presences around him.
"It's a pack of snowfield wolves," Wu Xiao's heart sank. If it were just a pack of second-tier snowfield wolves, it wouldn't be so bad, but what's more terrifying is that a pack of snowfield wolves of this size usually has an alpha wolf, the Snowfield Wolf King. The Snowfield Wolf King is a third-tier magical beast, and with the cooperation of a pack of second-tier snowfield wolves, even a peak Great Soul Master could perish if they are not careful.
But Wu Xiao wasn't afraid; he charged towards the wolf pack in the snowfield, knife in hand. Wolves are creatures you only teach a lesson of fear when you beat them severely and inflict real pain.
He didn't get entangled with the second-tier snow wolves because he knew that without dealing with the wolf king, everything was just empty talk, and the wolf king might also take the opportunity to launch a sneak attack while he was fighting the snow wolves.
Wu Xiao hated the Snow Wolf to the core. He wielded the "Heavenly Thunder Blade" and every move he made was aimed directly at the Snow Wolf King's vital points. Almost all of them were desperate moves.
Because Wu Xiao had already reached the Great Soul Master realm, the second-tier Snowfield Wolves couldn't keep up with his speed, and their "bite" skill couldn't touch him either. Furthermore, Wu Xiao was wielding the Heavenly Thunder Blade and was focused solely on attacking, ignoring defense.
In an instant, the wolf claws swung out, and countless powerful claw shadows roared out, tearing through the void and rushing directly towards Wu Xiao.
"What a fierce 'Demon Wolf Claw'! But I, Wu Xiao, am not afraid!"
"Heavenly Thunder Piercing Technique!"
With a furious roar, Wu Xiao swiftly swung the "Heavenly Thunder Blade" in his hand, channeling the immense power within him directly into it.
Suddenly, the "Heavenly Thunder Blade" shone brightly, containing an infinite power.
In an instant, Wu Xiao unleashed the "Heavenly Thunder Breaking the Sky Technique".
Man moves with the blade, becoming one with it, like a blade wheel containing boundless power, instantly heading towards the "Snowfield Wolf King's" "Demon Wolf Claw".
"boom!"
Suddenly, a loud explosion rang out as Wu Xiao's "Heavenly Thunder Piercing Technique" clashed head-on with the Snowfield Wolf King's "Demon Wolf Claw".
The Snowfield Wolf King immediately felt an intense pain in its claws, and an immense power instantly surged into its body, sending it flying hundreds of steps back.
Ye Han, who was fighting against the Snowfield Wolf King's 'Demon Wolf Claw', was also blasted back hundreds of steps and felt a huge tremor on his arm.
The strength of a third-tier magical beast is indeed formidable, but I, Wu Xiao, am not afraid. Compared to me, it is still slightly weaker.
"It's a pity that I'm only at the initial stage of Great Soul Master now. If I were to reach the late stage of Great Soul Master, I would probably be able to easily defeat a third-tier magical beast, or even kill it, with the power within my body," Wu Xiao thought to himself.
Wu Xiao was knocked back dozens of meters. Just as he regained his footing, he swung his 'Heavenly Thunder Blade' once more, unleashing another 'Heavenly Thunder Draw Blade Slash'. It was all thanks to his constant practice over the past two days; otherwise, it would have been quite difficult.
"Heavenly Thunder Draw Sword Slash!"
"Snowfield Wolf King, I, Wu Xiao, will surely slay you today."
Wu Xiao unleashed the "Heavenly Thunder Blade Slash," and an immensely powerful blade of light roared forth from the Heavenly Thunder Blade.
Chapter Three
The blade's edge contained boundless power, and it slashed directly towards the 'Snowfield Wolf King's' waist.
People say wolves have "iron heads and tofu waists," and indeed, their waists are much more vulnerable than other parts of their bodies. The Snowfield Wolf King...
As it lunged forward, it exposed its vulnerable waist, and Wu Xiao seized the opportunity to unleash a 'Heavenly Thunder Draw Sword Slash'.
Sure enough, it was a fatal blow.
"Ding! First kill of the Tier 3 magical beast Snowfield Wolf King, experience points +500."
After killing the Snowfield Wolf King, Wu Xiao watched the wolf pack recede like a receding tide and let out a long sigh of relief. He was thankful for his decisive action; as the old saying goes, "To catch a thief, first catch the king," he thought. He had killed the wolf king before the pack could surround them, otherwise, things would have been really troublesome today.
Even so, I felt completely drained and lay on the ground for a while to recover.
"Hey, this even has a lottery feature!" Wu Xiao opened the system panel and discovered an experience point treasure hunt function, which immediately piqued his interest.
It costs 1000 experience points per draw, and the amount increases exponentially with level. "Why don't you just rob someone? It costs 1000 experience points per draw. I've only accumulated 1060 experience points after killing monsters for so long."
Wu Xiao managed to suppress his urge to seize the treasure and continued deeper into the snowfield.
...
In the middle of the night, Wu Xiao suddenly sat up. "No way, I have to take a gamble and turn a bicycle into a motorcycle." Wu Xiao still couldn't suppress his impulse.
There was no way around it; the rewards for the treasure hunt were just too tempting: two spells—Fire Aura and Wood Blessing—and one martial skill—Mysterious Feather Hand—all at the early Spirit Rank. And what made him most restless was that he had actually discovered something else: a Job Change Scroll. That was quite powerful.
The cultivation system in this world is as follows: Level 1-10 Soul Warriors, Level 11-20 Soul Masters, Level 20-30 Great Soul Masters. However, when you are about to reach Level 30, you will be divided into professions, namely Battle Soul Masters and Magic Soul Masters. This is based on your own talent.
However, there are always some things in the world that defy the heavens, and that is the job change book.
The Job Change Scroll allows you to cultivate two professions simultaneously. Legend has it that it was forged by a powerful being using immense force from the reverse scale of a true dragon.
However, since the great war between gods and demons two thousand years ago, there has been no trace of dragons on the continent for a long time, let alone real dragons.
Is this considered social welfare? Wu Xiao couldn't hold back any longer. Fine, let's go for it. Let's take a gamble; a villa by the sea awaits.
"Do you want to spend 1000 experience points to participate in the experience point treasure hunt?" the system prompted.
Wu Xiao gritted his teeth and said, "Yes."
There's a famous saying that goes like this: God gives you gifts with a price tag attached.
Clearly, God was not satisfied with the price Wu Xiao paid.
"Thank you for participating." You will receive 5000 experience points in the next lucky draw.
Wu Xiao didn't want to say anything right now; this was too much of a bullying tactic. Hesitation meant giving away free experience points, but I didn't hesitate at all. This was just too unfair. 5000 experience points, why didn't they take them from me?
Alright, I'll stop thinking about it. I should hurry and set off to find Long Xue'er. Her life is at stake.
Wu Xiao wandered alone in the snowfield for three days without seeing a single person.
He wanted to slap himself. Why was he so stupid? He had to write about the snowfield being so vast when he wrote it. Now he couldn't even find someone to ask for directions.
He knew where Long Xue'er was, but he didn't know where he was.
"..."
There seems to be a fight going on up ahead, I'll go check it out. Wu Xiao cautiously approached and found that a man and a woman were arguing.
"Rowan, stop bothering me, okay? There's no way we can be together," the woman said angrily.
Upon closer inspection, the woman was dressed in a fitted outfit, her golden hair flowing in the wind, and her waist was so slender it could be encircled by one hand.
"Long Xue'er, my uncle has already agreed to my request and even specially provided me with your training route, so I quickly caught up with him."
The man was quite handsome. He had a high nose, slightly curly short hair, was over 1.8 meters tall, and wore a well-tailored suit.
"So that's Long Xue'er," Wu Xiao thought, but then he looked at himself. His clothes were tattered, and his hair was a mess like a bird's nest. Wasn't he supposed to be here to save the protagonist? Now he looked like a complete villain. And a low-level henchman at that, not even worthy of being a major villain.
He wanted to go out and reunite with Long Xue'er, but he held back at the last moment before leaving.
It's like having your beloved right in front of you, still so radiant and charming, while you yourself have become an elderly person over fifty, with feelings in your heart, but you dare not see her.
Then listen to what people say, "The Gas family, they grew up together, childhood sweethearts..." How can you tell them that?
"Could it be that I was sent by the Lord of the Universe to save you, that our lives are intertwined, and that I am the creator of this world?"
I guess they'll just think I'm a fool.
"This is too difficult," Wu Xiao thought. "If this were a magical beast, I could just charge in and fight it myself. But in this situation, it's clearly making things difficult for me. This is ridiculous."
"Achoo!" The Lord of the Universe sneezed while he was enjoying the scenery with Yiyun. "Who's thinking about me?" the Lord of the Universe wondered to himself.
I'm going to risk my reputation by "faking illness." Wu Xiao has no other choice. I hope he won't be exposed.
"Cough, cough, cough, hello, can you tell me where this is, beautiful lady and gentleman?" Wu Xiao hunched over, coughing as he walked, but still deliberately maintained aristocratic etiquette, since he positioned himself as a fallen, wounded nobleman.
This nobleman named Rowan seemed eager to demonstrate his good manners to Long Xue'er, and hurried over to take care of Wu Xiao.
Wu Xiao looked at Luo Wen and thought, "She hasn't even said anything, why are you so anxious like a wild boar?"
"Cough cough, no, no need," Wu Xiao quickly declined his offer.
Just then, a clear voice rang out: "This is the Aya Highlands in the far north snowfield. Where are you going?"
"Oh, I was training in the snowfields when I encountered a pack of snowfield wolves and a Yeti tribe. As a result, I was exhausted and injured. I want to return to Belan City," Wu Xiao replied.
"The snowfield wolf pack and the snowman tribe, these creatures can hurt you, and you still come to the snowfield to train?" Rowan's tone suddenly became frivolous.
"Luo Wen," Long Xue'er called out. "You're injured now and don't have much ability to protect yourself in the snowfield. Why don't you come with us?" Long Xue'er said gently.
"Xue'er!" Luo Wen was anxious. He still wanted something to happen between him and Long Xue'er on their way home. How could he not be anxious when someone interfered at this time?
Long Xue'er glanced at her coldly and added, "Also, don't call me Xue'er anymore, we're not familiar with each other."
Wu Xiao felt incredibly satisfied; the sycophant had gained nothing.
"Thank you for your help," he said, and began climbing up the slope.
"Xue'er, have you forgotten? We're still in trouble right now," Luo Wen said again, trying to persuade her.
Long Xue'er's expression suddenly turned a little ugly. Luo Wen had said that they were still in big trouble—they had been targeted by a fourth-tier peak Xuanbing Snake.
While the Ice Serpent may not be the strongest among peak fourth-tier magical beasts, it is certainly the most dangerous. This is because the Ice Serpent's stealth ability is too strong; often, by the time you discover it, you're already trapped beneath its venomous fangs.
Long Xue'er knew the situation was quite critical, so she quickly explained to Wu Xiao and asked if he still intended to travel with her. How could Wu Xiao possibly give up such a wonderful opportunity? Besides, if Long Xue'er were to die, wouldn't he be doomed too?
"It's alright. Although I'm injured, I'll still have some fighting strength after I recover. Maybe I can even help you," Wu Xiao said righteously.
Luo Wen can't stand Wu Xiao no matter what he does now, but you can't blame him. Anyone would be annoyed if their private meeting was disturbed.
He immediately retorted sarcastically, "You're helping? You're lucky you didn't drag us down by encountering someone who can get hurt by both snow wolves and snow monsters."
Wu Xiao appeared meek and submissive on the surface, but inside he was overjoyed. This child was just too adorable! Didn't he see the murderous glare Long Xue'er was giving him?
It seems that it's not that being a simp is doomed, but rather that you might be simping the wrong way. Rowan perfectly exemplifies what it means to be straightforward.
"Wu Xiao, let's go," Long Xue'er said, turning to leave without looking back. Suddenly remembering that Wu Xiao was still injured, she quickly ran over to support him.
Wu Xiao was secretly thrilled. He kept saying no, but his arm just wouldn't stay in Luo Wen's arms. He even glanced back at Luo Wen meaningfully.
Rowan stood there, unsure whether to leave or chase after him, but in the end he gritted his teeth and gave chase.
...
"Hey, why is Wu Xiao's novel being updated?"
A woman was sitting in a high-class office in Chang'an City.
Her beautiful long hair was casually draped over her shoulders, her figure was absolutely stunning, and her short skirt that didn't go past her knees, combined with her beautiful feet, made her an absolute stunner.
Her name is Zhang Yuqiu. She was Wu Xiao's former editor, but because Wu Xiao's books were all abandoned in the end, she gave up after urging him many times without success.
Unexpectedly, she suddenly discovered today that Wu Xiao's novel had been updated again, and she happily picked up the phone and dialed Wu Xiao's number.
"Sorry, the number you dialed has been blocked... beep beep beep."
The phone call couldn't get through.
At this moment, Wu Xiao, who was in the arms of a beauty, could not have imagined that his actions in the world of the book would actually affect the real world, and that his novel, which he had abandoned for many years, would start updating again.
Luo Wen was furious just looking at Wu Xiao, especially since Wu Xiao was acting so shamelessly. He was pressed tightly against Long Xue'er's body, occasionally rubbing against her.
"Xue'er, let me help Wu Xiao," Luo Wen finally realized and knew how to avoid the problem.
Wu Xiao wouldn't let Luo Wen help him, and he proactively said to Long Xue'er, "Put me down, I'm much better now, I can walk by myself, thank you."
Suddenly, Long Xue'er shouted, "Watch out!"
Suddenly, a huge snake head shot out from the nearby mountain like lightning. Thanks to Long Xue'er's warning, otherwise another one of them would have met with misfortune today.
Of the three of them, two were over level 30, one was a Soul Battle Venerable, one was a Soul Law Venerable, and the other, Wu Xiao, was only a Great Soul Master.
Although the Xuanbing Serpent and the two of them are both fourth-tier, the combat power of humans and magical beasts is vastly different. As can be seen from the previous encounters of Long Xue'er and Luo Wen, two Soul Masters could only struggle to keep up with fourth-tier magical beasts.
“Let’s split up and run!” Rowan shouted.
Wu Xiao cursed inwardly, "That bastard, I knew he was no good. If they had split up, the Xuanbing Serpent would have definitely chased after me, the weakest one."
"Don't split up and run, or it will pick us off one by one, especially since it has been chasing us all the way."
Upon hearing this, Wu Xiao breathed a sigh of relief. If they really split up, with his cultivation as a Great Soul Master, he might not be able to escape the mouth of the Xuanbing Serpent today.
Even so, this is still a fierce battle for them, and a slight misstep could lead to their demise.
After all, that was a peak fourth-tier Xuanbing Serpent. Even a Soul Sect expert who had just entered level forty would inevitably face a fierce battle, let alone the three children who had been wandering in the snowfield for many days.
What's even more terrifying is that there's also Rowan, who has ulterior motives, which adds even more risk to their little group.
"Watch out!" Long Xue'er shouted.
Fourth-tier magical beasts are clearly much smarter than third-tier magical beasts, and have even learned to use the terrain to launch attacks.
The Ice Serpent swung its thick tail with force, and with a "bang," the mountain peak next to it snapped off and crashed down.
Luo Wen was lost in thought, his attention wandering at such a crucial moment.
"Idiot!" Wu Xiao cursed under his breath. With no other choice, he lunged forward and rolled dozens of meters to the side with Luo Wen in his arms, barely managing to avoid the falling half of the mountain.
However, the Ice Serpent certainly wouldn't give up so easily.
With a sharp hiss, a large swarm of dark green poisonous creatures rushed towards them.
"Ice Barrier!" Long Xue'er arrived just in time, and her "Ice Barrier" barely slowed down the spread of the poisonous fog.
"Hurry up and get out of here! This beast is trying to force us into the valley!" Long Xue'er didn't dare to speak loudly, afraid of inhaling the poisonous fog. Wherever the fog reached, all the plants quickly withered, demonstrating the ferocity of the poison.
Rowan snapped out of his reverie, raised his hand, and cast a War Aura on everyone, increasing their resilience and various attributes. "You all step back a bit, I'll draw it away, and you take the opportunity to rush out." Rowan had clearly made a decision during his earlier contemplation.
"Chain of Ice Arrows!" Seeing that the Xuanbing Serpent was about to pounce again, Long Xue'er hurriedly cast a spell.
The Xuanbing Serpent was enormous, but its movements were surprisingly agile. Its body coiled up, and the giant serpent raised its head several meters high. With a slight twist to the right, it easily dodged Long Xue'er's 'Chain of Ice Arrows'.
The enormous snake head lunged at the group again, its mouth emitting a putrid, stench that immediately made them dizzy and disoriented.
"This is bad. If we continue like this, even if the Ice Serpent doesn't kill us, we'll die from its poisonous mist sooner or later."
"Let's all rush out together," Wu Xiao said decisively.
After retreating more than a hundred meters, the Xuanbing Serpent finally exhausted the power it had used to spring up, and its enormous head slowly sank down.
Wu Xiao's eyes lit up. He performed a nimble somersault in the air, then transformed into a streak of light and charged directly towards the Xuanbing Serpent.
"Wu Xiao!" Long Xue'er shouted nervously.
"You guys hurry up and leave," Wu Xiao wasn't being reckless. After the Xuanbing Snake used up all its strength to raise its head, there was a gap in its defense. If he could seize the opportunity, he wouldn't only avoid injury, but he might even be able to escape.
In addition, he deeply understands that if you want to integrate into a group, you have to show your value; otherwise, no matter what, you will not be recognized by others.
Immediately afterwards, the 'Heavenly Thunder Blade' in Wu Xiao's hand emitted a cyan blade light.
'Heavenly Thunder Piercing Slash'
Wu Xiao slashed forcefully at the head of the Xuanbing Serpent.
"Bang, sizzle sizzle..."
A piercing sound rang out. This was a Spirit-Rank Heavenly Thunder Blade! Despite its sharpness, the Xuanbing Serpent's mirror-like scales remained unbreakable.
The cyan blade struck the ice serpent, merely leaving a long trail of sparks and a faint mark.
Although he had expected this scene, Wu Xiao still couldn't help but tremble: This peak fourth-tier Xuanbing Serpent was truly terrifying!
Perhaps it was the pain in his head, but the Xuanbing Snake let out a piercing shriek, like the sound of two smooth pieces of iron colliding and rubbing against each other, which sent chills down one's spine.
Immediately afterwards, the Xuanbing Serpent's mountain-sized head made a sharp turn in the air and lunged at Wu Xiao.
Instantly, the enormous head generated a powerful gust of wind, sweeping in like a storm.
"Damn it."
Wu Xiao's face flashed with anger. Although the Xuanbing Snake was huge, it was very agile and cunning.
As it lunged at him, its thick, powerful tail was also raised high, slamming once more against the nearby mountain peak, sending boulders tumbling down and blocking Wu Xiao's retreat.
Left with no other choice, Wu Xiao used the giant mountain as leverage to leap into the air, intending to detour around the mountain and then take the opportunity to escape.
The Xuanbing Serpent followed closely behind, its massive body unleashing tremendous power. Its body, which was over ten feet long, actually caught up with him, its gaping maw charging straight at Wu Xiao.
Looking back, the Ice Serpent was less than twenty or thirty meters away, and its speed was not slowing down at all.
It was about to fall into the snake's belly.
"Judgment of Light!" At the crucial moment, Rowan rushed out. He was originally a heavily armored warrior, and his golden greatsword slammed into the head of the Xuanbing Serpent, causing blood to splatter everywhere. As expected, the Soul Master is still stronger.
Seeing this, Wu Xiao shouted at Long Xue'er, "Attack his mouth!"
Long Xue'er immediately understood his meaning. The poisonous mist attack from the Xuanbing Serpent was too powerful, directly causing their combat strength to drop sharply and greatly limiting their performance. Without the poisonous mist, their chances of winning would be much greater.
"Rowan, control it!" Long Xue'er shouted.
Rowan understood and immediately followed up with a 'War Stomp'. The Ice Serpent had just been severely injured by Rowan and was still in pain when Rowan used 'War Stomp'.
The Ice Serpent felt a shockwave rushing towards its head, and with a "bang," its head, which it had just raised, was shaken back down.
"Ice Shackles," Long Xue'er chanted, and a huge ice monument suddenly appeared in the air and slammed down with a loud bang.
The Xuanbing Serpent lost countless scales on its head, and Wu Xiao seized the opportunity.
"Heavenly Thunder Slash"
A bluish-green blade of light pierced towards the already severely damaged head of the Xuanbing Serpent.
"hiss……",
A neighing sound echoed through the valley.
The three of them collapsed to the ground; it was far too dangerous. If Wu Xiao hadn't acted decisively and lured the Xuanbing Snake, they might have all become the snake's dinner today.
"Ding! First kill of a Tier 4 magical beast, experience points +5000."
Wu Xiao immediately perked up. After all, that was 5,000 experience points! If he were to kill those low-level magical beasts on the snowfield, it would take him forever.
Never mind, let's try again. Wu Xiao gritted his teeth. He refused to believe that he would fail to draw anything this time.
"Use 5000 experience points to participate in the treasure hunt?" It's that annoying synthesized voice again.
"Yes," Wu Xiao said through gritted teeth. He was really afraid that this time he would get another "thank you for participating," which would make him truly despondent.
"Job change certificate, job change certificate, job change certificate..." Wu Xiao prayed in his heart. Lord of the Universe, please give me some face. My strength is too weak now. I promised to help Long Xue'er, but it seems like I am the one being helped.
Well, actually, I feel that being kept by a sugar daddy or sugar mama better reflects one's current situation.
"Congratulations, you have obtained a job change certificate. Would you like to use it immediately?"
"Yes!" Wu Xiao suddenly jumped up and yelled. He noticed the strange looks Long Xue'er and Luo Wen were giving him. Wu Xiao waved his hand sheepishly, indicating he was alright.
"Use it, definitely use it, use it immediately, use it right away!" At this moment, Wu Xiao was like a child who had just received a lollipop, afraid that the job change certificate would be suddenly snatched away.
"Sorry, this cannot be used; your level is insufficient."
Well, surprises are like blue skies and clear skies, suddenly followed by a storm. You have to be strong yourself to succeed, Wu Xiao sighed deeply.
After resting for a while, Long Xue'er suggested that they set off immediately.
After a series of tough battles, everyone is in very poor condition. Their immediate priority is to go home and rest.
One of the key issues that made it so difficult for them to deal with this fourth-tier Xuanbing Snake was that Long Xue'er was only at the peak of the Great Soul Master level before coming to the snowfield, but she unexpectedly broke through after entering the snowfield.
Although she has broken through, she has not yet learned higher-level spells. The only one she has is the 'Ice Shackles,' which she obtained before coming here in case she was afraid of breaking through and needed to prepare for the future.
However, as can be seen from the actual battle just now, even with her current level and proficiency, it is still quite troublesome to execute.
Luo Wen also broke through not long ago and needs to go home to consolidate his progress for a while.
...
The three of them had been walking for several days when they sat down to rest by the campfire.
At this moment, Long Xue'er suddenly spoke up: "Hey, Brother Mu, why did you go to the depths of the snowfield alone? You should know that there are many high-level magical beasts here. Even ordinary Soul Emperor experts may be at risk of perishing."
Wu Xiao was speechless again. "Can I say I came to find you myself?" he thought. He then retorted, "But why did you, a girl, come to such a dangerous place?"
Long Xue'er smiled sheepishly: "I ran away secretly. I originally planned to train on the outskirts of the snowfield and look for an opportunity to break through."
But who knew that we would encounter that fourth-tier Xuanbing Serpent, and with nowhere to go, we had no choice but to run into the depths of the snowfield.” He quickly explained, “I have a tracking device on me. Rowan went to our house, and then he came after us.”
"Oh, oh," Wu Xiao nodded thoughtfully.
He actually knew all of this, since he was the one who created Long Xue'er and Luo Wen. He even had the wicked idea that Long Xue'er and Luo Wen could never be together. I wonder what Luo Wen's expression would be when he found out.
However, the most urgent task now is to find an identity for myself and a reasonable reason to stay by Long Xue'er's side, so that it will be easier for me to contact her and help her in the future. But given the current situation, it's not really certain who I should help.
Luo Wen then asked, "Brother Mu, where is your home? How could your father feel comfortable letting you come out alone?"
"Why is this unlucky kid so annoying?" Wu Xiao complained.
"Oh, my family was originally a fallen noble family in the Silver Plain Empire. Because of the war between the Silver Plain Empire and the Azure Flame Empire, my family happened to be located on the border, resulting in the destruction of my family and the death of my people. Now I can only wander in your country."
As for coming to the far north snowfield, it's because I've longed for snowfields since I was a child. I originally planned to wander around the outskirts, but I accidentally entered a valley, encountered a blizzard, got lost, and somehow ended up in the heart of the snowfield.
Luo Wen didn't seem to mind, but Long Xue'er, who was standing to the side, was bursting with maternal love and immediately said, "Brother Mu, if you don't mind, come home with me. I'll show you the scenery of the North."
Upon hearing this, Wu Xiao thought, "I've been waiting for you to say that," and was about to reply when Luo Wen interrupted, "How can I let you take him home? What would that make me? Listen to me, let Brother Mu come home with me. I guarantee he'll be treated perfectly."
Wu Xiao felt an urge to punch this guy. Why was he everywhere? It was so annoying! Yet, he couldn't really find anything wrong with him to refute him.
Long Xue'er thought for a moment and said, "That's fine, but I'll hold you responsible if you don't take good care of us. Besides, your house is quite close to ours, so I can come to you if there's nothing wrong."
Upon hearing this, Luo Wen was naturally overjoyed.
Neither of them gave Wu Xiao a chance to speak before deciding where he would go.
Well, anyway, I'm quite close to Long Xue'er and have many opportunities to interact with her. I'll slowly seek a breakthrough later.
And so, they returned to the most famous city in the North—the Demon-Slaying Pass. As its name suggests, this city existed to fight against the orcs further north. The northern border, where the orcs resided, was located in the northern part of the entire human empire.
The entire world is divided into four major empires: the Silver Plains Empire, the Azure Flame Empire, the Free Federation, and the Thousand Dragons Union.
The Demon-Slaying Pass is a city in the northern part of the Free Federation. Normally, the four great empires are constantly arguing and fighting, but when the orcs knock on the gate, no one dares to be negligent and they will definitely join forces to fight back.
Because no one wants to relive the tragedy of five hundred years ago. Five hundred years ago, the orcs breached the gates and marched south. At that time, the various duchies fought their own battles, completely disregarding the lives of their neighbors.
The original seven principalities were shattered, the population of the entire continent decreased by more than 50%, and three countries were destroyed by orcs.
Ultimately, thanks to the divine intervention of Merlin, after twenty years of arduous struggle, the people of the continent fought a fierce battle and finally drove the orcs back to the northern frontier.
The current Silver Plains Empire, Azure Flame Empire, Free Federation, and Thousand Dragons Union were established on the basis of the four remaining duchies from that time.
The so-called far northern snowfield, although called the far north, is actually just a plateau in the northern part of the Free Alliance. Due to its high altitude and year-round snow cover, and because it is the farthest distance that most people can reach, it has long been called the far northern snowfield.
The truly northernmost snow-covered land is the territory of the orcs, and people dare not easily set foot there.
"Halt! Hand over your travel permit!" Just as they reached the city gate, a tall, burly young man blocked their path. In this world, there exists something similar to an ID card, serving as proof of identity, called a travel permit.
Wu Xiao was dumbfounded. He was from out of town, so he didn't have any travel permits.
After Long Xue'er and Luo Wen checked the travel permits, they turned to look at Wu Xiao with questioning expressions.
"Oh, I lost my travel permit during the battle with the monster," Wu Xiao said without changing his expression.
But the young man remained completely businesslike, and before Wu Xiao could say anything, Luo Wen immediately became angry.
He, the dignified young master of the Luo family, was actually blocked by an unknown nobody, and right in front of Long Xue'er no less. He had never been so humiliated before, and his usual spoiled brat behavior resurfaced as he cursed, "Get out! Go and call your team leader!"
The young man was also suspicious. The three people in front of him did seem to be from a family; the man was quite imposing, and the woman was even more graceful. But no matter how good their demeanor, their tattered clothes couldn't hide it. As the saying goes, "Clothes make the man," but these three were dressed in ragged clothes and didn't seem like it at all.
After a while, the team leader arrived, frowned as he looked at the three people from afar, and said, "What kind of young masters are they? Beat them up and kick them out of the city..."
Before he could finish speaking, he slapped the young man who had delivered the message hard across the face, then immediately ran off, shouting as he ran, "So it's Young Master Luo! I was blind to your greatness! I was blind to your greatness! It's like the flood washed away the Dragon King's temple!"
Upon closer inspection, the eldest daughter of the Long family's expression changed.
Of the three major families in Jumo City, he had offended two of them. Although he didn't recognize the handsome young man next to him, he must be someone important to be able to walk with the eldest young master of the Luo family and the eldest young lady of the Long family.
"Alright, you should go now. Send a travel document to the Luo family tomorrow." After saying that, she turned and left. Luo Wen wanted to say something, but seeing Long Xue'er's eyes, he reluctantly shut his mouth.
"Brother Mu, why don't you stay here for the next few days? I'll go back and check on my family first," Long Xue'er said.
"Yes, I feel at ease staying with Brother Luo," Wu Xiao replied.
Wow, this is so grand! Wu Xiao felt like Grandma Liu visiting the Grand View Garden when he entered the Luo Mansion.
Although it's located in the north, the courtyard has the feel of a water town in southern China. A hot spring, its source unknown, flows through the ground, and the various plants in the courtyard seem to be in the height of summer, brimming with vitality.
Just as he was engrossed in watching, a voice suddenly reached his ears. "Father, I'm back. This is a friend I made during my training," Luo Wen said respectfully to a middle-aged man. Upon hearing this, Wu Xiao quickly returned the greeting respectfully, "Greetings, Uncle."
The middle-aged man's face remained completely still; he seemed to squeeze out a sound through his nose: "Hmm." Then he walked away without turning his head.
Wu Xiao looked embarrassed, and Luo Wen quickly said, "Don't mind it, my father has always been like that, you'll get used to it."
No matter how much Wu Xiao thought about it, he could only agree, "It's nothing, it's nothing."
"Let's go to the front hall for dinner first. I'll have the servants arrange your accommodations," Rowan said.
"Hmm," Wu Xiao's voice was somewhat hesitant.
However, given Rowan's carefree nature, he didn't notice anything amiss.
Well, they really are rich! They have all kinds of food, most of which Wu Xiao has never seen before. There are also two people serving him while he eats, which makes Wu Xiao extremely uncomfortable. He has never been treated like this before.
After finishing their meal, Luo Wen led Wu Xiao to the small courtyard that had been arranged for him, and then left.
Wu Xiao looked at the system notification and was speechless. This was something he really couldn't afford to be careless about.
Suddenly, time and space seemed to distort before their eyes, revealing the figures of two people.
"Did you see the mission?" the Lord of the Universe asked without any politeness.
"I saw it," Wu Xiao replied irritably. He had just risked his life to get back from the snowy plains, and now he was being asked to go to the martial arts world to save Huang Rong. "Isn't there Guo Jing?" Wu Xiao retorted.
The Lord of the Universe rolled his eyes. "You still have the nerve to say that? You wrote half of your book, 'Wandering in the World of Martial Arts,' and then suddenly stopped writing it. As the plot unfolded, Guo Jing was just killed, and you quickly took advantage of his remaining strength to impersonate him."
"What about this side?" Wu Xiao was helpless. He had many unfinished novels, and who knew which one was waiting for him.
"Just tell me you have something to do, that's all. Hurry up, I'll control the flow of time, and I'll come pick you up in five days."
After saying that, he turned around and saw that the two had disappeared.
"What kind of attitude is that?" Wu Xiao complained.
A few days passed peacefully, during which Long Xue'er visited a few times and led him around the city. "Xue'er, Luo Wen," the group had become quite familiar with each other over the days, and their conversations had become much more natural.
"I'm leaving tomorrow. I want to explore more while I'm still young." Long Xue'er and Luo Wen immediately urged, "Did we not entertain you well these past few days, or is there something wrong? Tell us and we'll definitely help you."
"It's okay, I'm just going out for a walk. Don't worry, I'll be back in a few days," Wu Xiao said firmly.
Seeing that Wu Xiao was determined to leave, the two did not try to stop him.
"Let's go to a restaurant tonight, it's my treat, we won't leave until we're drunk." Luo Wen still acted like a spoiled brat.
"Hmm," Long Xue'er said, surprisingly not refusing.
...
"Ah," Wu Xiao opened his eyes and it was already noon the next day.
"Hey, get up now," Yiyun said fiercely from the side, looking like a little tiger.
Seeing himself lying naked on the bed, Wu Xiao quickly put on his clothes.
"Are you ready?" the Lord of the Universe asked.
“Okay,” Wu Xiao replied.
"They've left."
"Guo Jing, what's wrong? You're finally awake... I told you not to push yourself so hard, but you really are an idiot... You're so stupid, you even knocked yourself unconscious while practicing martial arts."
"...Stop daydreaming, get up and go home!" The girl's chattering voice came from beside him, giggling as she patted his head as if she had seen the funniest thing in the world.
Wu Xiao stared blankly at the girl. He had never heard this language before, yet he could understand every word she said.
This was a young girl dressed in a fur coat and wearing a fur hat. She looked only fourteen or fifteen years old, but she spoke to Wu Xiao in a condescending manner, giving him a lecture.
Wu Xiao thought to himself, "Am I not Guo Jing? Who is he? The plot shouldn't be like this."
Her attire was somewhat comical; the white fur inside her fur coat peeked out from the collar, making her look just like Snow White from the movie. Her delicate, fair face was flawless, except for her young age; she was truly a stunning beauty.
But at this moment, Wu Xiao was in no mood to appreciate beautiful women.
"Could there be a mistake?" Wu Xiao muttered to himself.
"What did you say?" the little girl asked, puzzled.
"It's nothing," Wu Xiao said.
Are you...are you angry?
"I didn't mean to scold you, it's just... it's just... hehe... you're really so stupid... don't be angry, okay? We have to go back, it's so far from home, the wolves will come and eat you up!" The girl said, shaking Wu Xiao's shoulder.
Wu Xiao had no choice but to look at the girl and stammer in her language, "You... what did you call me? Guo Jing... I'm Guo Jing?"
Wu Xiao couldn't help but admire his own genius in "languages," having learned a "foreign language" this way. The girl reached out and tapped him on the head, laughing and scolding, "Did you knock yourself silly again? Of course you're Guo Jing, silly Guo Jing..." The girl spoke as she laughed, and Lin Hai's mind went blank. It took him a while to come to his senses, pointing to himself, then to the girl, "I... am Guo Jing, then... who are you?"
“Haha…you…you…” The girl finally couldn’t help but burst into laughter, “This is really hilarious! I never thought you’d learn to joke…haha…haha…you’re the silly Guo Jing…of course I’m the most beautiful Hua Zheng, haha, I’m going to tell everyone that Guo Jing has learned to joke too!”
Wu Xiao was dumbfounded, thinking to himself, "Is this really funny? I am Guo Jing, and she is Hua Zheng?"
I came here to save Huang Rong, so how did I end up involving Hua Zheng?
"I can speak Mongolian? That's not just not funny, it's downright ridiculous!"
He couldn't believe it; could there really be a mistake?
Pointing at Hua Zheng, he said, "Are you really Hua Zheng? Are you Genghis Khan's daughter, Hua Zheng?"
Hua Zheng jumped up and grabbed Lin Hai's hand, saying, "Silly boy, of course I'm Hua Zheng, the most beautiful Hua Zheng! I'm the daughter of Temujin Khan. Genghis Khan? That's a nice name, but I've never heard of him... Go back quickly, your mother is waiting for you!"
"Wait, Hua Zheng... what time is it? Is this the Mongolian grasslands?" Wu Xiao still couldn't believe it. He grabbed Hua Zheng's hand and didn't even think about whether it was appropriate for a grown man to hold a young girl he had just met so tightly.
Fortunately, Guo Jing has always spoken incoherently and is somewhat slow-witted; he doesn't understand even after being asked about something many times.
Although today was a bit unusual, Hua Zheng thought he had just exhausted himself from practicing martial arts and didn't care much. She just said impatiently, "My silly brother, can't you look at the sky? It's almost dark now, why are you asking what time it is?"
This isn't the Mongolian grasslands, is it some kind of Jiangnan region? You're hopelessly stupid, sigh." At first, Hua Zheng was all serious, but seeing Guo Jing's silly appearance, she pretended to sigh like Guo Jing's master, but couldn't help but laugh.
"Hua Zheng, what year is it this year?" Wu Xiao asked uncertainly.
Hua Zheng was stunned. She reached out her small hand and touched Wu Xiao's forehead, asking in confusion, "Guo Jing, are you really stupid? Didn't you say that Master told you this year is the Year of the Monkey? Why are you asking me now?"
"Damn it, what monkey year or horse year? Who knows which year the monkey year is?" he hurriedly said. "I'm not talking about that. Hua Zheng, how old are you this year?"
Wu Xiao said uncertainly, because he remembered that Guo Jing and Hua Zheng were not much different in age, while Hua Zheng in front of him was clearly a young girl.
"I'm fourteen years old this year, only two years younger than you, you haven't forgotten, have you? Don't tell me you don't know how old you are!"
Looking at the laughing girl in front of him, Guo Jing pretended to be silly and said, "Hua Zheng, I don't know how I fell down just now, and my head is still a little dizzy. Can you tell me what happened? How did I end up lying here asleep?"
Wu Xiao made up a random excuse to distract Hua Zheng.
Wu Xiao wanted to curse. Wasn't he supposed to be here to rescue Huang Rong? How did he end up on the vast Inner Mongolian grasslands? Looking at the horsewhip beside him, he wondered if the Lord of the Universe had sent him here to learn how to lasso a horse.
The scariest thing is that he's only sixteen years old. If he were to go and save Huang Rong, she'd probably kill him, this arrogant little boy, before he even gets to save her.
As soon as Wu Xiao finished asking the question, Hua Zheng, who was about to stop laughing, burst into uncontrollable laughter again.
She picked up a black whip that was over ten feet long from the ground, pointed it at him and said, "How dare you say that! Guo Jing, don't you remember? You've been waving this whip around here since this morning, and you keep hitting yourself. Look at the whip marks all over your head. Humph, people will think I'm bullying you... You've been lying on the ground asleep for over an hour."
A whip? Martial arts training? You were knocked unconscious by your own whip while practicing martial arts? Good heavens! Are you kidding me?
He thought he was transforming into the legendary hero Guo Jing, saving the day when the building was about to collapse. But he ended up becoming a mini-Guo Jing, knocking himself unconscious while practicing with his whip. Could anything be more absurd?
...
Coming to his senses, he quickly told Hua Zheng, "I'm alright now. It's getting dark, let's hurry home."
Hua Zheng looked up and saw that it was getting late. Suddenly, she blushed and said, "Brother Jing, my mother made butter tea today. Why don't you come to my house for dinner?"
Wu Xiao thought to himself, "My brain is completely muddled right now. How could I possibly go to your house for dinner? What kind of conscience do you have?" So he said, "No, I'll go find my master first and come find you tomorrow. I'll be going now."
Wu Xiao walked to a secluded spot near the flock of sheep and opened the system panel. There was no customer service available; wasn't this just blatantly trying to scam me?
"Lord of the Universe, Lord of the Universe!" Wu Xiao shouted to the sky.
"Jing'er, what are you shouting about? Didn't I tell you to practice your skills properly? Why are you slacking off here again?"
Wu Xiao turned around and saw a middle-aged Taoist priest with a long beard striding towards him in the distance. Wu Xiao thought for a moment, recalling the martial arts novels he had read. Ma Yu, the most important teacher in Guo Jing's life. Ma Yu was one of the Seven Masters of Quanzhen, and it was he who taught Guo Jing the breathing techniques, the internal energy cultivation method of the Quanzhen School. It was precisely because Guo Jing studied the internal energy cultivation method of the Quanzhen School for two years that he laid a solid foundation for learning the Eighteen Subduing Dragon Palms and the Nine Yin Manual later on.
"Master," Wu Xiao quickly got back into his groove, "Why are you here? I've been practicing all day and I'm just taking a break now."
"Oh," Ma Yu was a very charitable person, and upon hearing this, he didn't pursue the matter further.
"Then you should go back quickly, I have things to do," Ma Yu said, then turned and left.
Wu Xiao stood there blankly, wondering what to do now. Should he wait until he grew up? That would be worse than killing him.
...
In contrast, the Lord of the Universe and Yiyun are currently enjoying the sea breeze and sunshine on the beach in Hawaii, living a very pleasant life.
"Do you think that kid can complete the mission this time? I have a feeling he's not very reliable," the Lord of the Universe said, turning to Yiyun.
Yiyun frowned, her cute little nose pointing up, looking displeased. "Why bring him up? He's just a loser. I really don't know why he's the chosen one," she said, clearly still remembering what Wu Xiao had done last time.
The Lord of the Universe spoke up: "However, this time it might not be so easy for him. Rescuing Huang Rong is one thing, but the key is that with such a close relationship between Guo Jing and Huang Rong, it's hard to guarantee that something unexpected won't happen again."
Suddenly, the Lord of the Universe turned pale. "Oh no, it seems I've run into trouble again."
"What's wrong?" Yiyun asked quickly upon seeing this.
"I forgot. Because he couldn't get away before, I deliberately slowed down the flow of time a lot. When I sent him there just now, I didn't look carefully and just stuffed him into the wormhole. I don't know what state he is in now or how he is doing."
I'm embarrassed to say this in the universe.
"You... how could you do this again? You're so irresponsible! Go see him right now!" Yiyun stomped her feet in anger. Ultimately, she was still a young girl at heart. Although she disliked Wu Xiao, it was just that she didn't like him. When it came to matters of life and death, she still cared deeply.
“Let’s go, let’s go,” the Lord of the Universe hurriedly replied.
Wu Xiao squatted on the ground, a blade of grass dangling from his mouth, idly waving his hand. He had already given up. What kind of person was he? He was supposed to be the Lord of the Universe, a god-like figure, how could he be so unreliable?
Suddenly, a white light appeared before their eyes, revealing the figures of the Lord of the Universe and Yiyun.
"What, you sensed something was wrong and are at it again?" Wu Xiao's tone was extremely calm, even a little cold. This wasn't surprising; during their last training in the snowy plains, he had nearly perished in the jaws of wolves because of the Lord of the Universe, and now it was happening again. It was utterly speechless.
The Lord of the Universe felt a pang of embarrassment upon hearing Wu Xiao's tone. He had been the Lord of the Universe for hundreds of epochs, living a life of tranquility, until this unexpected incident occurred. He was also somewhat unaccustomed to it.
"Well, it definitely won't happen again next time." The Lord of the Universe gave an awkward laugh.
"Alright, let's go... Wait a minute, what impact will my departure have on Guo Jing?" Wu Xiao suddenly thought of this serious question.
"No, you are just at a certain point in time. After you leave, I will push the timeline back to before you came into this world, and then the development of this world will return to its original trajectory," the Lord of the Universe explained.
"Oh, then that's all, let's go." Wu Xiao said.
After rescuing the brothers Da Wu and Xiao Wu, as well as Yang Guo, from Li Mochou and injuring Ouyang Feng, Guo Jing and Huang Rong prepared to return to Peach Blossom Island.
Unexpectedly, on the way, Da Wu and Xiao Wu caught a cold due to excessive fright and had a persistent high fever. The couple then discussed that Huang Rong would take their daughter Guo Fu, Da Wu, Xiao Wu, and the two eagles to travel ahead and return to Peach Blossom Island.
Yang Guo stayed with Guo Jing and Ke Zhen'e, so that even if Li Mochou came looking for them, the children would be safe.
Guo Jing kept Yang Guo by his side for two reasons, one being that Yang Guo was the son of an old friend.
On the other hand, he also hoped to pass on all his martial arts skills to him. But little did he know that the 14-year-old Yang Guo was exceptionally intelligent and had no good feelings towards Uncle Guo, who had injured his adoptive father Ouyang Feng. Otherwise, he wouldn't have helped Ouyang Feng scare away Ke Zhen'e at the Iron Spear Temple.
That day, taking advantage of Guo Jing and Ke Zhen'e's inattention, he secretly slipped out of the inn and went to the Iron Spear Temple to see Ouyang Feng.
"Father, I brought you some steamed buns." Yang Guo took the steamed buns out of his bundle and placed them next to the large bell, but heard heavy breathing coming from inside, which subsided after a long while.
"I never expected that person to be so young, yet his skills have improved to such an extent!" Although Ouyang Feng felt that Guo Jing was very familiar, he couldn't remember who he was. "Father, are you alright?" Yang Guo asked.
Ouyang Feng shook his head: "Although that person's martial arts are high, he can't do anything to me, but... this is really hard to swallow!"
Yang Guo thought for a moment and said, "Father, your skill with poison is so high, why don't you give me a packet of poison and I'll help you get rid of this anger?"
Ouyang Feng nodded and said, "Good son, you don't need to take any risks. Help me get the bundle from the corner, and I'll give you some pills to strengthen your body."
Yang Guo took the bundle and heard Ouyang Feng say, "There are three Fire Dragon Pills in that small white bottle. They can cure the remaining poison from Li Mochou's needles. You should take them quickly."
Upon hearing this, Yang Guo swallowed the pill, but found a small blue bottle in his bundle with three words written on it: "Heart-Eating Powder".
Thinking that my godfather's bundle contained only antidote and poison, I decided to take this Heart-Eating Powder and give some to Uncle Guo and that old blind man. I didn't care if it was antidote or poison; I just wanted to make them suffer for a while!
When Yang Guo returned to the inn, he immediately poured the Heart-Eating Powder into two cups of tea, then took one bowl to Guo Jing's room: "Uncle Guo, Guo'er has brought you tea."
Guo Jing was healing his injuries when he heard Yang Guo speak. He quickly withdrew his internal energy and said to Yang Guo with a smile, "Guo'er, Uncle Guo is fine. I'll teach you kung fu in the future." As he spoke, he drank the bowl of tea that Yang Guo had brought him in one gulp.
Little did Yang Guo know that this Heart-Eating Powder was not only a poison, but a rare and deadly poison. It was something that Ouyang Feng had accidentally obtained when he stumbled into a dangerous place, and it was even more potent than the infamous Arsenic.
Seeing that Guo Jing had drunk the medicinal tea, Yang Guo found it amusing and left the room, intending to check on him later for any unusual reactions. Upon returning to his own room, he immediately saw Ke Zhen'e's tall figure blocking the doorway.
"Where have you been?" Ke Zhen glared fiercely at Yang Guo.
Although he was blind, his years of cultivation still gave him an imposing presence. Yang Guo casually told a lie and got away with it. Ke Zhen'e snorted, knowing full well that Yang Guo was lying.
But this little rascal is cunning, and I doubt he'll tell the truth.
Upon seeing this, Yang Guo immediately picked up another cup of tea containing the Heart-Eating Powder: "Eunuch Ke, please have some tea and rest for a while."
Although Ke Zhen'e didn't like this kid, he couldn't imagine what was so special about the tea, so he took it and said to Yang Guo, "It's getting late, and we have to travel tomorrow, so you should go to sleep now."
Although Yang Guo was extremely unwilling, he dared not say anything. He could only wash his feet, wipe his body, and then go to bed.
Ke Zhen'e had been traveling for several days, and even though he was young and strong, he was exhausted. After washing up, he went to bed and remembered the tea that Yang Guo had just handed him. He was about to drink it when he noticed a small insect had fallen in. Helpless, he put it down and soon fell asleep.
After drinking the tea, Guo Jing immediately felt extremely sleepy. Before he could even realize that he might have been poisoned, he collapsed.
Little did Yang Guo know that because of his petty act of revenge, Uncle Guo, who had been so devoted to him, had lost his life, and in his place was another unfamiliar soul—Wu Xiao.
When Wu Xiao opened his eyes, it was already the next morning. He didn't show anything wrong; after all, practice makes perfect, and with his understanding of this world, he easily immersed himself in his role.
"Ding! A side quest in the martial arts world has been activated: Rescue Huang Rong. Completing the quest grants +20 skill points."
The most urgent task now is to contact Huang Rong as soon as possible. Guo Jing was unexpectedly killed by Yang Guo, but they still don't know what danger Huang Rong is in.
As evening fell, the three arrived at a market town. Yang Guo was starving, so Guo Jing and Ke Zhen'e had no choice but to find an inn to rest. Judging by the time, even if they rode at full speed, they would still arrive at Peach Blossom Island a few days late.
Unable to contact Huang Rong, Wu Xiao suddenly remembered that the Beggars' Sect was the largest sect in the world. He thought it best to have a few Beggars' Sect disciples send a message to Huang Rong via carrier pigeon. With that thought, Guo Jing walked out of the inn and found two ragged beggars lying by the wall not far away.
Upon closer inspection, Wu Xiao noticed that although the two beggars had dark complexions, they were strong and muscular, indicating they possessed martial arts skills. He realized that most beggars who knew martial arts were likely members of the Beggars' Sect. Wu Xiao then stepped forward and bowed, asking, "May I ask which branch you two belong to?"
The two beggars glanced at Wu Xiao, then remained lying on the ground: "We're just begging for food, we don't care about any branch sects."
Wu Xiao thought to himself, "It seems they don't believe I won't reveal my identity." So he drew a circle with his left index finger and tapped his right hand three times. This was the secret hand gesture used by the Beggars' Sect leader to send messages.
The two beggars immediately changed color and kowtowed, saying, "We were unaware of the arrival of our leader, and have offended the great hero Guo Jing!"
Wu Xiaowei found it strange: "How do you know I am Guo Jing?" The man with the long face among the two said: "The only people the gang leader can send messages to are the gang leader and Elder Jiudai. You are a heroic and skilled martial artist. You are the gang leader's husband, the great hero Guo Jing!"
Wu Xiao smiled and said, "No need for formalities." He asked the two to send a message to Huang Rong via carrier pigeon and also asked them to buy some food. A moment later, the two finished their business and brought Wu Xiao a large bag of beef and a jar of wine. Wu Xiao thanked them and took the things back to the inn.
Upon seeing the food, Yang Guo immediately pounced, grabbed a piece of beef, and devoured it. Ke Zhen'e, who always enjoyed drinking, exclaimed upon smelling the aroma, "This is twenty-year-old Daughter's Red wine! Haha!"
He poured himself a cup and drank it all in one gulp, then poured another cup for Guo Jing: "You should try some too." Guo Jing had grown up in Mongolia since childhood and had a good capacity for alcohol. The two of them then drank most of a jar of wine with beef.
Yang Guo wasn't interested in alcohol. After eating about half a pound of beef, he felt full. His stomach rumbled a few times, and he pulled up his pants, saying, "Uncle Guo, Eunuch Ke, I'm going to relieve myself. I'll be right back." With that, he ran out of the room.
Guo and Ke continued drinking. Suddenly, Ke Zhen'e felt a blur before his eyes and his head felt heavy. He asked in surprise, "How come I'm already drunk after only a few sips of wine?" Guo Jing also felt a tightness in his chest. When he tried to circulate his internal energy, he couldn't get it up. In alarm, he realized he had been tricked: "Master, the wine is poisoned!"
Ke Zhen'e was shocked and tried to stand up, but his body was limp and he had no strength at all. Wu Xiao struggled to stand up, wanting to take the Nine-Flower Jade Dew Pill from the bundle next to him, but his legs gave way and he collapsed to the ground.
"Hahahaha, no matter if one of you is a world-renowned hero, and the other is a seasoned veteran more cunning than a fox, you still fell for my daughter's trick!"
Just as the two men collapsed from poisoning, three men broke in through the window. Two of them were the beggars Guo Jing had just met, while the other man had a fair complexion and a robust build.
Guo Jing looked closely and realized it was Elder Liang, who had been expelled from the Beggars' Sect 10 years ago! He was so anxious that he couldn't catch his breath and fainted to the ground.
Elder Liang kicked the unconscious Guo Jing and Ke Zhen'e on the ground and ordered the two beggars, "Take them away quickly, there's still a little brat here!" At this moment, Yang Guo had already noticed the abnormality in the room and hid outside the door, not daring to breathe.
After searching for a while, the three of them worried that Guo Jing, with his profound inner strength, might wake up, so they had no choice but to put the two of them into a sack and break the window to leave!
Wu Xiao groggily opened his eyes and found himself with his hands tied to the headboard of a large bed, his legs spread apart and tied to the bed legs. He tried to circulate his internal energy, but found it completely empty, as if he had no energy left at all. To his horror, he saw that his master, Ke Zhen'e, was also tied to another bed, still unconscious.
"Where is this?" Wu Xiao looked up and saw several people sitting in the brightly lit hall, the one in the lead being Elder Liang, who had drugged him!
"Traitor!" Wu Xiao cursed through gritted teeth, "How dare you poison someone!" Elder Liang laughed heartily, "It was your own carelessness, Master Guo. Besides, you drink without precautions, and you just drink whatever others give you. What can be done about it?"
Wu Xiao glared angrily, seeing Elder Liang's sinister expression and the ambiguous smiles on the faces of those around him. He couldn't help but feel uneasy: "What exactly is your purpose in harming me?!"
Elder Liang laughed and said, "Back then, you prevented me from becoming the leader of the Beggars' Sect. We should settle that score sometime." At that moment, a beggar in black rushed out from behind him, flashed to Guo Jing's side, and slapped him twice across the face: "Don't think you're so great just because you're a hero. I can hit you like this, and you wouldn't dare to fight back!"
Wu Xiao spoke up, "Things have come to this point. If you spare the two of us, I will have my wife, Huang Rong, relinquish her position as leader of the Beggars' Sect, and I swear I will never seek revenge. What do you say?"
Elder Liang laughed loudly, "Huang Rong? She can barely protect herself, yet she still has the mind to ask her to save you. You should give up that idea as soon as possible. I have already contacted Ouyang Xiu to kill her."
Wu Xiao thought to himself: Sure enough... He sensed something was wrong the moment he saw those two Beggar Clan disciples. He had been on guard, using his internal energy to force the wine to one place beforehand, just to prevent being ambushed. Pretending to be poisoned was just a way to find out Huang Rong's condition.
With a "whoosh," Wu Xiao spat out a mouthful of wine sword.
Elder Liang was shocked, “You…”.
Although he had forced out the poisoned wine, Wu Xiao's martial arts skills, though only at 60% of their former level, were more than enough to deal with Elder Liang and the others. He threw a punch, and a gust of wind swept towards Elder Liang.
Although Elder Liang was already on guard, he still couldn't defend against Wu Xiao's palm strike. With a "crack," several of his ribs were broken, and blood gushed from his mouth.
The beggar in black and his companions were terrified at the sight and fled without a second thought. Wu Xiao leaped forward and kicked Elder Liang twice, striking him so hard that his eyes widened and he instantly died.
Wu Xiao wanted to chase after the black-clad beggar and his companions, to kill the two henchmen and prevent them from alerting him. But seeing Ke Zhen'e lying unconscious on the ground, he helplessly stopped. After sitting down beside Ke Zhen'e and meditating for a while, Wu Xiao let out a long roar, his inner strength fully restored.
...
"Why isn't Wu Xiao answering his phone?" a chubby boy asked, frowning. "Could he have eloped with that woman?"
This man is named Li Datou, also known as Li Zhengfei, and is Wu Xiao's best friend. The two grew up together, and since Wu Xiao's parents passed away, Li Datou has often stayed at Wu Xiao's house.
"Hey, Yunxi, where did your Wu Xiao go?" Li Datou asked casually after answering the phone.
"What do you mean 'my Wu Xiao'? What does he have to do with me?" The girl who answered the phone blushed and said angrily.
"Alright, alright, what's there to hide in front of me? By the way, have you seen him these past few days? I've been trying to call him but can't get through. I thought he was with you," Li Datou asked.
“No, I called him a few days ago but couldn’t get through. I thought something had happened to him. He hasn’t called me back these past few days either. We made plans to go shopping together last week, but he didn’t reply. I thought he stood me up. Do you think something might have happened to him?” He Yunxi also realized that something seemed wrong and said anxiously.
"It's okay, it's okay. I saw him a couple of days ago. Don't worry, I'll go to his house to check on him," Li Datou quickly reassured her, not wanting her to worry too much.
Meanwhile, on Wu Xiao's side, after he saw through Elder Liang's scheme and learned about Huang Rong's situation, he suddenly realized there was another very important problem. He couldn't catch up with Huang Rong and her group.
Moreover, Ke Zhen'e is still unconscious, and Yang Guo is nowhere to be found. Since the other party has this intention, Elder Liang alone certainly wouldn't dare to take the risk of killing him and Huang Rong and seizing the position of Beggar Clan leader; there might be other plans.
Given Wu Xiao's interpretation of the original plot in the book, even the Mongols might be involved. He can't leave Ke Zhen'e and Yang Guo here and go alone.
Forget it, we'll have to wait for Ke Zhen'e to wake up first.
Huang Rong, along with Da Wu, Xiao Wu, and Guo Fu, were on their way to Peach Blossom Island. Da Wu's fever, which had finally subsided, returned in the morning. This greatly worried Huang Rong. Left with no other option, the group had to stop in a small town.
She first led Da Wu to the clinic, and while taking the children to eat, she suddenly felt as if someone was behind her. Looking around, she saw nothing unusual, but she was certain something was wrong. This was a feeling she had developed over many years of experience.
If she were alone, she wouldn't be afraid at all. After all, she had been wandering the martial arts world since she was a child and had encountered many dangers. Now, as the leader of the Beggars' Sect, she really didn't take ordinary tricks seriously.
But now she's raising several children alone, and Da Wu is running a high fever. If she encounters danger, she can leave, but if the children are in any danger, she'll be in big trouble.
Ke Zhen'e slowly woke up at this moment. "What happened?" he asked Wu Xiao, swaying unsteadily.
Wu Xiao was speechless for a moment: "...Master, you've drunk too much." He then explained the whole story: "The most important thing now is that Huang Rong and the children may be in danger."
Just then, Yang Guo returned: "Uncle Guo, Eunuch Ke, are you alright? When I came back, I saw that you had been captured, so I quickly went to find someone to help you."
"Who are we supposed to chase after?" Wu Xiao immediately understood the problem. "Who are you, a little kid, going to ask for help?"
"I..." Yang Guo realized that he might have let something slip.
Wu Xiao kept staring at him.
Yang Guo was still just a child, so he could only say, "I'm going to find my Master Ouyang."
Before Wu Xiao could speak, Ke Zhen'e interrupted, "You're still going to find that old poisoner Ouyang Feng?" and raised his hand to strike.
Wu Xiao quickly stopped Ke Zhen'e: "Master, don't be anxious. Guo'er, you said you were going to find Ouyang Feng, where is he now?" Because Elder Liang said they had contacted Ouyang Feng to kill Huang Rong, and now that they knew Ouyang Feng's whereabouts, he couldn't help but feel overjoyed.
"Didn't Ouyang Feng lose his memory? How did they contact him? We just injured him a few days ago. It shouldn't be possible," Ke Zhen asked suspiciously.
Yang Guo hurriedly spoke up: "That's right, how could my master possibly hurt your aunt? I saw him last night, and he was still healing. Besides, my master's memory hasn't returned yet, so how could he possibly hurt your aunt?"
"What? You saw him last night?" Wu Xiao was also surprised.
"Where is he? Quickly take us to him."
"I don't know either. I just saw you being captured by those people. I went to find my master to rescue you, but I couldn't find him," Yang Guo explained.
"Could it be that Ouyang Feng is faking amnesia?"
"Let's not think about it now. Since we haven't found Ouyang Feng, let's hurry up and find Huang Rong," Ke Zhen'e said.
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