Upon hearing that a dying man had dared to curse him, the Lesser Demon King flew into a rage. With a roar, he leapt forward, raising a club as thick as a bowl and swung it viciously at Xin Xiaoqi.
His grotesque pig-like face was twisted with ferocity. Even his two short tusks seemed to bristle with killing intent.
Xin Xiaoqi, lying on the ground, groaned in pain. Ignoring his injuries, he summoned the tiny bit of inner energy he had just gathered in his dantian.
With a loud "PAH!", his left palm slammed against the ground, and his body spun like a windmill from the sheer force.
His right hand wielded the grey sword, its blade glowing with a cold, venomous light, sweeping straight toward the Lesser Demon King's lower body.
The Demon King hadn't expected the seemingly half-dead Xin Xiaoqi to still be capable of such a strike!
Startled into alertness, the Demon King—knowing well how sharp the grey sword was—hurriedly leapt backward. Yet just moments earlier, he had underestimated his opponent and moved in too close.
Though his right foot pulled away in time, his left foot lagged behind.
In that blink of an eye, a shout echoed—Xin Xiaoqi was struck by the Demon King's club and sent flying.
At the same time, a sharp "shhk" was heard—the grey sword had sliced clean through the Demon King's left leg, severing it neatly at the calf.
Xin Xiaoqi saw it happen and burst into laughter despite his pain—but before the laughter ended, he passed out cold.
The Demon King howled in agony, furious beyond measure. "If I don't kill you today, I'm no demon!"
Just as he was about to finish Xin Xiaoqi off, a vast and ancient aura locked onto him, one so immense that it seemed to shake the entire Demon Mountain.
Terrified, the Demon King suddenly remembered—this was the territory of the Mosquito Dragon.
"Great Lord, please forgive me! I didn't mean to trespass into your domain. I'll leave right away!"
Without waiting for a reply, he turned and fled, not even bothering to retrieve his severed leg.
No sooner had he left than Wen Qingya strolled up leisurely to Xin Xiaoqi, looked over his injuries, and said softly, "Looks like you're seriously hurt this time. That 'Twenty-Five True Body' of yours really is something—even those wolf demons struggled against it. But why do I feel like I've become your nurse again?"
She dragged him back to the cave, stripped off his tattered bathrobe, and began examining his wounds.
Just as she was about to apply some herbs, she discovered that the wounds left by the ape demon had already started to heal on their own—some minor cuts were nearly gone. Even the punctures made by the wolf claws had stopped bleeding.
Wen Qingya marveled silently at the wonders of the "Twenty-Five True Body." Even her main body couldn't regenerate this fast at this stage of cultivation!
Upon probing his dantian, she found that Xin Xiaoqi had unknowingly opened up the meridians in his hands and feet during the battle, with his qi flowing steadily within. He was only short of opening the trunk and head channels to complete the full cycle.
She sighed. "It's only been a few days—comparing people really is infuriating. This guy's cultivation speed is ridiculous!"
Now it looked like she'd have to become his chef too and make him something to eat.
What she didn't know was that during Xin Xiaoqi's battle with the wolf pack, not only was she watching—two others, Miyue and Dian Huihui, had also been observing from afar.
Oddly enough, it was Xin Xiaoqi's bathrobe that caught their attention.
As they secretly analyzed his fighting style, they also speculated about his relationship with Wen Qingya and his true identity.
After Wen Qingya left, Dian Huihui whispered to Miyue, "That robe looks strange. The style is similar to ours, but the material is… odd. Also, people in this world are said to be quite conservative, avoiding physical contact between men and women, but this guy acts unusually natural—almost too familiar."
Miyue nodded in agreement. "True. His actions don't match the legends of this world's people. If he were a lecher, his eyes wouldn't be so… pure. You and I both lost much of our power after crossing the boundary—we must stay cautious."
Dian Huihui gave a thoughtful nod, and with a wave of her hand, the golden armor she wore transformed into a flowing white robe. "He might be like us. His fighting style is crude, more like a warrior's than a cultivator's. Very weak—but he has a knightly spirit, doesn't back down."
Miyue's cloth armor shimmered and transformed into a white robe as well. "You want to follow them out of this cursed forest, don't you? But that black-clad woman is powerful—we should be careful."
"Don't worry, sister. I can feel it—nothing will go wrong. You should trust my sixth sense."
Miyue didn't reply, but the golden-horned deer at her side gave a quiet snort.
Meanwhile, Xin Xiaoqi was dreaming.
In the dream, a woman in black robes, a veil, and a wide-brimmed hat stood before him. He blinked in confusion. "Isn't that Fairy Qingya?"
Just as he was about to greet her, the woman said, "You are me, and I am you. Usually, your qi is too active to see me, but now that you're seriously injured, we've merged."
"Who are you?" Xin Xiaoqi asked.
Before he could get an answer, the woman lunged at him—and suddenly, a cultivation technique filled his mind: The Thirty-Six Surging Strikes.
At the same time, her clear voice rang in his head:"Yin and yang, combined with movement and technique. Used stealthily, it's ghostly; used boldly, it's righteous. Combined, they're deadly. These thirty-six strikes... can be stacked."
Xin Xiaoqi stared, stunned. "Wait—thirty-six? But you only showed me eighteen—eighteen yin, eighteen yang?"
The woman nodded. "Correct. Not bad."
He narrowed his eyes suspiciously. "Didn't you say we were the same person?"
She replied cryptically, "We are, and we aren't. Now watch closely—I'll demonstrate."
She moved—fast as lightning—reciting:
"First Strike: Subtle Entry.Second: Dust Evasion.Third: Bridge Lure.Fourth: Reflecting Moon.Fifth: Hidden Heaven.Sixth: Displacement.Seventh: Explosive Trigger.Eighth: Sky Piercer.Ninth: Dense Net.Tenth: Fulfillment.Eleventh: Spirit Draw.Twelfth: World Creation.Thirteenth: Illusion Weave.Fourteenth: Return Flow.Fifteenth: Dao Evolution.Sixteenth: Effortless.Seventeenth: Origin Return.Eighteenth: Complete Annihilation."
Her body flickered, filling the air with countless afterimages of piercing strikes.
Xin Xiaoqi watched closely. Perhaps it was the beating he had taken from the Demon King—but something within him was awakening.
Just as he was trying to memorize the forms, the woman said, "No need to force it. This whole sequence will be etched into your mind shortly."
"Then why didn't you say so earlier?" he grumbled.
"Will this help me beat the Demon King?" he asked hopefully.
She replied coolly, "I don't know who that is. But with these moves, I once roamed the primordial wilderness. As for you—you're still weak. This is just potential. Even the first strike requires the Spirit Training Realm."
Xin Xiaoqi slumped in disappointment. Just as he was about to ask what the Spirit Training Realm was, the woman said, "I'm fading. There's also a technique called the 'Primordial Source Sutra.' Study it well. Farewell—forever."
And with that, she vanished.
Xin Xiaoqi opened his eyes wide, stunned and speechless. He had a thousand questions—but no one to ask.