Convinced and Won Over

Another corpse had long since been waiting for Miao Jiuqiang in the desert.

Although Miao Jiuqiang forcibly twisted his body in midair and raised his defenses, unleashing his power to the absolute limit, he was still swallowed by the white radiance.

Fu Jinyu flapped her blade-like wings, transforming into a streak of black light as she continued her close-quarters assault on Miao Jiuqiang.

With the Demon Guard’s damage reflection on top of Miao Jiuqiang’s own attacks, blood began to trickle from the corner of Fu Jinyu’s mouth as well.

Yet her attacks did not hesitate in the slightest. From beginning to end, she met Miao Jiuqiang head-on.

The power unleashed by both sides repeatedly tore through the air. The sand filling the sky barely had a chance to fall before the explosions from their battle blasted it upward again.

Miao Jiuqiang continuously blocked Fu Jinyu’s blade attacks, his body retreating again and again through the air.

Whoosh!

Suddenly, the corpse controlled by Xu Mu landed behind Miao Jiuqiang once more.

The white spear in its hand thrust forward with tremendous force.

Miao Jiuqiang hurriedly moved to block it. He used all his strength to seize the spear, but at that same moment, Fu Jinyu’s blades came crashing down.

Slash, slash, slash…

The Demon Guard’s armor was completely cleaved apart, and more than a dozen deep, bone-exposing wounds appeared across Miao Jiuqiang’s back. Blood gushed out in torrents.

Bang!

Fu Jinyu then kicked Miao Jiuqiang from the sky all the way down to the ground.

The two corpses descended with him and came to a stop beside Xu Mu.

“Even without your help, I could have defeated him. It would only have been a little troublesome.”

Fu Jinyu crossed her arms and spoke in an indifferent tone.

“Of course I know you could have handled him, but I don’t want to waste time.”

Xu Mu smiled. “I know exactly how strong you are.”

[Affection +10]

Fu Jinyu slightly raised her chin, but she understood the situation clearly in her heart.

As expected of the ancient enemy of the Heavenly Yao Clan. Since ancient times, they had been constantly fighting the Jiuli Clan.

The Jiuli Clan truly felt different from the other races.

Just a few days ago, she had fought against Xiangteng, who was also at the Third Tier.

At the same level, the Miao Jiuqiang before her was far stronger than Xiangteng.

Fu Jinyu felt that even if she could win, it would only be a hard-fought victory.

Meanwhile, Li Jiao, who had been trying to escape, could not find an exit. After seeing even Miao Jiuqiang defeated, he seemed to have aged several decades in an instant.

His gaze swept over everyone present. If he could take someone hostage, perhaps he could still escape.

Xu Mu was definitely out of the question.

Fu Jinyu? Miao Wentian?

In the end, his gaze settled on the obscure Chen Xuan, who was only at the early Transcendent stage.

However, when Li Jiao looked in Chen Xuan’s direction, he saw Chen Xuan approaching Xu Mu while holding a bloodstained woodcutter’s knife.

Behind him lay a corpse that had been hacked so badly it was almost unrecognizable.

“Damn it!”

Li Jiao roared in fury. Just what kind of monsters were these people?

Xu Mu was one thing, but why could this previously unknown young man kill someone at the second level of the Boundary-Breaking Realm despite being only at the early Transcendent stage?

Had second-level cultivators become this worthless now?

Li Chenshuang gave Li Jiao no time to react and continued attacking him.

“Ah!”

Li Jiao clenched his fist and punched toward Li Chenshuang.

Bang!

Li Chenshuang’s body had completely transformed into molten lava. Li Jiao’s fist, along with his entire body, passed straight through her form.

By then, Li Jiao was covered in lava.

Boom, boom, boom…

The lava erupted violently, explosions ravaging Li Jiao’s body and blasting him down onto the desert.

“Stop! I admit defeat!”

Li Jiao raised both hands and shouted.

Hearing this, the lava covering Li Chenshuang’s body slowly melted back into her form, and she descended from the sky.

“Brother Mu, I’m genuinely convinced. We’re both at the early Transcendent stage, and our opponents were both at the second level. You killed yours so effortlessly, but I nearly died.”

Although Chen Xuan had long been wholeheartedly convinced of Xu Mu’s superiority, this time he had fully acknowledged the gap between them.

In the past, he had always had an excuse: Xu Mu was stronger because his cultivation level was higher.

But now, the two of them were at the same level, and their opponents had been at the same level as well.

Xu Mu had killed his opponent with ease, while Chen Xuan had paid a heavy price.

“The main difference is in our cultivation techniques.”

Xu Mu smiled.

Upon hearing that the battle was over, Miao Wentian and Batu, who had still been fighting in the distance, also separated.

Miao Wentian had held a slight advantage, but both men were covered in wounds.

Batu retreated and moved to Li Jiao’s side.

As for Miao Jiuqiang, the chief of the Third Tribe, he was still lying on the ground, gasping heavily.

With every breath he took, the wounds across his back split open and rose and fell.

“Li Chenshuang, winners and losers are decided by strength. I have nothing to say. But I didn’t lose to you this time—I only underestimated Xu Mu. Without Xu Mu, I would have been the victor!”

Although Li Jiao had already admitted defeat, his expression remained unchanged.

“I can die, but I beg you to spare my granddaughter. She is innocent. I can make her swear that she will never seek revenge against you in the future.”

That was the reason he had surrendered. He was not someone who feared death.

If he fought to the bitter end, his granddaughter most likely would not survive either.

But if he surrendered and accepted death, then given Li Chenshuang’s temperament, she might be willing to spare Li Peijun.

“Grandfather! No!”

Tears burst from Li Peijun’s eyes. Knowing that her grandfather still cared about her, the gloom in her heart vanished completely.

She discovered that she seemed to have regained feeling in all four limbs.

Gritting her teeth, she struggled toward Xu Mu.

Her body left a deep trail across the desert.

“Chief, we know we were wrong! Please spare my grandfather—I’m begging you! We won’t dare do it again!”

Li Peijun pleaded through her tears.

Xu Mu did not say anything. This was, after all, their own affair.

Li Chenshuang looked at each of them in turn before turning her gaze toward Miao Wentian in the distance.

“Commander, what do you think I should do?”

Miao Wentian pondered for a long while before shaking his head.

“It’s still best for the chief to decide.”

Li Chenshuang hesitated for a moment, then raised her hand. Two black Gu insects appeared in her palm.

Li Jiao’s expression changed slightly when he saw them.

“Parasitic Gu?”

“That’s right. As long as you accept my Parasitic Gu, I’ll spare your lives for now and take you to find the Old Ancestor. Let him decide whether you live or die.”

Li Chenshuang spoke calmly.

“If he wants you to live, I’ll retrieve the Parasitic Gu.”

Li Jiao drew a deep breath.

“As a chief, you can’t be indecisive. Only then can you establish a firm foothold.”

“And yet I still defeated you.”

Li Chenshuang’s expression remained composed.

Li Jiao’s body stiffened, and then he gave a bitter laugh.

That was indeed the truth.

If Li Chenshuang had not possessed such a temperament, she probably would never have been able to befriend someone like Xu Mu.

Perhaps in the end, he would have been the victor instead.

“Come on!”

Li Jiao stretched out his hand.

“Whether I live or die, let the Old Ancestor decide.”

A black Gu insect landed in his palm. It immediately bit through his skin and burrowed into his body.

Li Chenshuang then walked toward Miao Jiuqiang in the distance.

“What about you? Which path will you choose?”