A figure dressed in a disciple's robe, embroidered with the emblem of Rising Sun Peak, suddenly appeared in his line of sight.
The man was in his thirties, with a hooked nose and triangular eyes, giving him a naturally menacing appearance. His lips curled slightly, making his face even more sinister.
His cultivation level was not low either, at the fifth level of the Qi Refining stage.
At this moment, he was holding a dark green longbow, chasing a few people fleeing ahead.
Locking his gaze on the remaining five, he channeled his True Essence into the longbow in his hand.
"Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh..."
The longbow flashed with light, and five arrows formed from True Essence shot out.
Sensing the danger approaching from behind, Zhu Hanwei reacted the fastest, pushing off a nearby tree with a powerful kick, lunging forward.
"Whoosh"—an arrow grazed his calf, embedding itself in the tree beside him.
Zhu Hanwei winced in pain, landing not far from Su Shi'er.
The others weren't so lucky; before they could react, they were pierced by the light arrows and fell to the ground, dead.
Seeing only one person left, the hooked-nose man didn't shoot again but instead sneered and slowly walked up to Zhu Hanwei.
"You've got quick reflexes, kid, but prey should have the awareness of prey!"
"How should I kill you?"
The hooked-nose man raised his hand to his chin, a playful expression on his face.
Zhu Hanwei's calf was injured, leaving him unable to run. Turning back to see the hooked-nose man approaching, he trembled with fear.
"Senior Brother, I've already given you my storage bag! We're both disciples of the Cloud Song Sect, please... please spare me."
Gathering his courage, Zhu Hanwei pleaded urgently.
"Oh? Spare you, huh... You're quite clever, Little Chubby, and very cooperative. But with no talent, why come to cultivate? Isn't it just courting death?"
"Yes, yes, Senior Brother is right. I'll go back down the mountain and never cultivate again!" Zhu Hanwei knelt on the ground, begging for mercy repeatedly.
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The trial's brutality far exceeded his imagination, casting a deep shadow over him.
Now, he had only one thought: to survive.
"Go back? Haha, too bad... I can't find a reason to let you go!"
Seeing hope rise in Zhu Hanwei's eyes, the hooked-nose man sneered coldly, his longbow glowing as he aimed an arrow at Zhu Hanwei, shattering his hope.
Before joining the Cloud Song Sect, he was a notorious bandit. During a robbery, he encountered a severely injured cultivator and became a rogue cultivator. Later, by chance, he joined the Cloud Song Sect and became a disciple of Rising Sun Peak.
For years, he appeared kind and friendly within the peak, but secretly killed many fellow disciples, amassing numerous treasures.
For him, the joy of killing lay in torturing, watching his victims die in despair, which brought him pleasure.
"You... you're a demon."
"What you're doing will bring retribution sooner or later!"
"What nonsense cultivation, nonsense trial, killing each other—are you immortals or demons?"
Zhu Hanwei's heart sank into despair, collapsing to the ground, shouting hoarsely.
"Scream, scream! That's what prey should do! Too bad, even if you scream your lungs out today, no one will come to save you."
The hooked-nose man grinned, his smile growing more radiant.
With that, he pulled the bowstring hard.
True Essence transformed into a light arrow, shooting straight at Zhu Hanwei's forehead.
Zhu Hanwei sat paralyzed on the ground, his voice cut off, mouth agape, face filled with fear and despair.
"Bang!"
At the critical moment, a sword light flashed, blocking the light arrow.
"Stop!"
A loud shout followed, and Su Shi'er burst out from the bushes.
The others had died too quickly for Su Shi'er to save them, nor did he intend to.
But Zhu Hanwei was different; they came from the same place, were fellow townsmen and sect members. Moreover, if he hadn't traded for two martial arts manuals from Zhu Hanwei, he might not have been able to defeat that servant disciple and the sword-wielding youth.
For both personal and logical reasons, he had every reason to intervene.
The sudden turn of events startled both Zhu Hanwei and the hooked-nose man.
Hearing someone coming to help, Zhu Hanwei was overjoyed, quickly turning to look at the newcomer.
"Senior Brother Shi'er?!"
But upon seeing it was Su Shi'er, his face instantly fell, filled with unspeakable disappointment.
In his eyes, Su Shi'er was only at the third level of the Qi Refining stage. He couldn't imagine any chance of victory against the hooked-nose man.
The hope that had just risen was instantly dashed again. Zhu Hanwei was utterly desperate.
No, I... I definitely can't escape. But Shi'er came to save me out of kindness; I can't drag him down!
Gritting his teeth, he shouted urgently, "Senior Brother Shi'er, run! You're no match for him, run! When you return home, take care of my father, he's the mayor of the town!"
"Haha, a kid at the third level of Qi Refining, daring to stand up for someone? Don't you think it's too late to run now?"
"Since you're here, become my new prey!"
Seeing Su Shi'er's cultivation level, the hooked-nose man sneered, as if seeing a new toy, his eyes burning with even more fervor.
"Prey?" Su Shi'er sneered coldly.
As soon as he spoke, his figure flickered and disappeared from sight.
With Phantom Steps, he reappeared behind the hooked-nose man.
The White Mist Sword in hand, its light flashed as he mercilessly slashed at the opponent.
The Minor Zhou Tian Concealment Technique he used was so effective that even Shen Miaoyin, the Peak Lord of Heavenly Melody Peak, couldn't see through it, let alone this guy.
He showed himself as having the third level of Qi Refining to lower the opponent's guard, precisely for this moment.
"Something's wrong, you're not just at the third level of Qi Refining, you cunning brat!"
The crisis from behind sent a shiver down his spine, making him shudder.
In the nick of time, he tossed a black bead into the air.
The bead spun rapidly, and a sinister black wind howled, enveloping him.
Zhu Hanwei, sitting on the ground, was shocked by Su Shi'er's speed and decisive action. Seeing the hooked-nose man throw out the black bead, he urgently shouted a warning.
"Shi'er, be careful, that treasure can corrode Ritual Artifacts."
"An hour ago, he used that treasure to trap and kill a Senior Brother at the sixth level of Qi Refining."
Corrode Ritual Artifacts?
Trap and kill at Qi Refining level six?!
Su Shi'er was startled. Before he could fully understand, he felt his White Mist Sword sink, as if cutting into a swamp.
Realizing his attack was blocked, he knew it was impossible to kill the opponent by surprise.
Without hesitation, he flung a fireball, withdrew the White Mist Sword, and quickly distanced himself from the hooked-nose man.
Glancing at the White Mist Sword, he finally understood what Zhu Hanwei meant by corroding Ritual Artifacts.
The White Mist Sword, blown by the sinister wind, had become rusty and pitted, its glow dim and dull. A few more hits, and it would surely be ruined.
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