Jasmine frowned but didn't say anything. Aware this was in regard to what he said before, coming back around at the worst time. Maybe a small bit at what people perceived as a tryst between the three, that being Chu Xue, Victoria, and herself.
"Are you willing to risk everyone's life for this?" Chu Xue got ahold of himself as he stared back defiantly. "My personal matters do not concern you and are not something you mention overall so carelessly."
"I risk nothing in this matter." Leroy shrugged as he could feel the strength of those coming around was not at a level he had to concern himself with overall. "Ah, they are here already. Damn."
10 Foundation Establishment Rank I martial artists appeared. It was way more than a standard patrol squad and was better organized than the locals. They made their demands quick not wanting any mishaps.
"We don't need them all, just brother Chu Xue forcefully!" The leader yelled. "Be careful of the North King's daughter!" Despite the deepness of his words implication a bit of concern was pointed out when mentioning the North king's Daughter.
"Bye-bye." Leroy said mockingly as he hands started to push out with spinning flames inside the space. His arms then spread out as he did a simple spin doing a rotation that matched his Flamme Vortex Core. All of his qi going out in one motion.
*FWoosshh!* A Flame Tornado composed of lighting and booming like thunder echoed through the area instantly as it formed.
"Whew!" He dropped exhausted as it left a throbbing sensation that fixed an internal itch. "First time I used this much qi at once and weirdly like this I think."
*Woosh!* The flame didn't grow more than 200 feet after rapidly taking shape. Contained by the lighting around it that moved, the pressure was what imitated the sound of thunder. Inside the force of thunder carried on to a deafening crescendo that burst apart pieces of dirt. Caught completely off guard, the assailants were swept inside it before they could dodge away.
"Ahhhh!" One of the weaker killers screamed. He died almost instantly as the pressure from the thunder blew his lungs out followed by his skin getting scorched off.
The others not being so lucky for being stronger.
Two were blown away and sent throughout the forest. Burn marks all over and missing arms from the explosions ejecting them out. Tang Bo shot off with his weapon in pursuit to finish them both off. Xiao Mei was about to go and help her husband but she remembered how upset he was from what happened before. She opted to stay back with Jing Lin watching over Leroy.
Jing Lin was slightly shocked by the brutal move that in her opinion came out of nowhere. She did catch a slight movement that cause her to go back on guard. A little brat having to conceal their own killing intent that was not directed at those that were about to attack.
"Insane." Chu Xue muttered as he contained his anger. But seeing the toll it took on Leroy, he could tell it was something not available for rapid use. Too many witnesses were around for him to make a move, however. 'The drawback is way too much to use against a cultivator one one-on-one.'
In a matter of moments, the attack was finished but not after exploding a little more and almost setting a portion of the forest on fire. Xiao Mei moved over to collect the remains. Tang Bo came back with the other two hanging from his weapon as he did not touch them just in case.
Leroy pretended to check them over before he set them all on fire. Stashing the bodies in his Flame Vortex Core as quickly as he could once they entered the Internal Space. His core still spinning from the taxation on his body earlier but he was already able to fight with his physical body alone.
'The moment I drew on my body and Icebeast Martial Arts I was fine, but the Flame Vortex Core was pretty depleted and the Flamelighting Dantian. How much power would be unleashed if I used of what I had and understood the technique to its fullest?'
"We can't get anything from ashes." Chu Xue mumbled his disappointment. 'They had to have something on them to deliver to me. I recognized most of them as members of Brother Pin Feng's group.'
"They had nothing important on them. Besides, you all were in such a rush to take them on anyway, not like you would have been able to get anything during the battle." Leroy was already focusing on other matters such as who else was around. Like using Spatial Sense to speed up the refinement process and to pick up any movements. "Neither you or Jasmine made a move though... how odd."
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"Next time you can keep them all to yourself." Xiao Mei said cheekily. "Friends shouldn't bring assassins to friends. Oh, wait... they were your friends and didn't plan on hurting the princess. How weird is that?"
"Sounds like the Rebels have not all been taken care of and they planned on attacking a government official. Imagine that." Jing Lin frowned at the implications of what that would do to the Lght Lion-ice family.
"Who do you think you are!" Jasmine stepped forward wanting to fight. Chu Xue oddly enough stopped her. "Jasmine.."
"Shouldn't you be on house arrest?" Tang Bo's face scrunched up. He was actually just trying to get them both to leave. Ready to get back to his training but not with them near Leroy who as far as he knew was still weakened from that technique. 'Honestly do not trust them.'
"Let's go." Chu Xue walked off. Jasmine looked pensive staring between the group and him. "We should be careful around certain people anyway." The comment not going well with Jing Lin at all. But she didn't say a word as turned to her. "He might try to get close to you Princess Jasmine as he has been searching for a woman to marry into."
"Caa! Caaa!" Spotter started jumping around. Its size increased as qi erupted from its body. After cultivating constantly for the last few weeks and eating a chunk of the resources in the Internal Space, it made a breakthrough. "Caaawww!"
With a shout, it calmed down. Stepping directly into the Nascent Soul Realm. Leroy gave a check of his Internal Space to see if he was missing anything. And it was as he guessed a lot of the flame glass he was preparing with different Formations and Lighting Liquid was gone with most of the Qi Stones for later.
He wanted nothing more than to cook the big bird up and eat it. Maybe that way he would find out what the hell it ate from the nest before as well as what happened with the other Demon Birds whom Nun Clarissa said came back after a particular hunt really messed up.
"Well, congratulations to you." Xiao Mei and Jing Li said together. Very proud of the beast's achievements.
"Yeah... ate a lot of my resources." Leroy ruffled the feathers a little, very hard as he suppressed his killing intent. Annoyed but grateful for another stronger combatant on his side. "Need to push my understanding of that Beast Manual more. Speech has to be in there somewhere."
"Coo." Spotter nudged his head a little. Urging him to go and rest but not which just this bit of display. "Words.. are.. hard.. go ... rest." The garbled words were barely made out and carried on QI emissions for the most part.
"Aww he's worried about you." Xiao Mei smiled at them. "You should take some time to rest a day or two.. Going non-stop is dangerous. Besides, Tang Bo can keep watch while Jing Lin and I search the area acting as Deputies to make sure everyone is compliant. I am sure we can find something to make up for the loss of resources."
"That does sound like a plan." Leroy stopped the idea of practicing as he thought about something else that needed to be done. "We need to go into town and pick some stuff up and do some hiring for what you plan next."
"That is true." Tang Bo turned away with Spotter shrinking to the size of a regular bird. It perched on his shoulder. "Hmm need to go and check those mines still. So let's do it in one quick swoop."
With a new Nascent Soul Realm Demon Beast even if its bloodline was inferior it still was higher in Realm than most of them. The problem was if anyone wanted to steal it away or worse.
"Be careful you two." Xiao Mei gave Tang Bo a kiss before separating. Aware she needed to gain her confidence back after what happened to the two of them. Jing Lin seemed to be capable of helping with that department. "I will pick up some more clothes for us as well."
Leroy and Tang Bo sprinted from the area to head back to Town. It didn't take long for them at all to come across a few more Rebels who were hiding out and trying to escape but they also came into contact with a few Tang Family members.
Unlike Tang Bo who hesitated to kill them, Leroy had no such restraint as he struck hard and fast with just his physical body. With Spotter releasing its Nascent Soul Realm cultivation to apply pressure, the clean-up was even faster to prevent anyone from spotting them.
As for the two ladies.
"I know a good place that has a few protection Formations and better Qi. Enough that we won't have to worry about being surprised. A few cultivation materials I have left should go well for us if we use them just right." Jing Lin led the way around a few of the islands when they moved out. "How long have you two been married by the way?"
"Only a little while." Xiao Mei answered with a bitter smile. "Besides Leroy, the only family I have left may just be my husband and those mixed in with Victoria' Family. I was just an a member of the lower family at the beginning of the year back at the Akademy. Almost died when the rebels attacked my group.. but I pushed on and Leroy has been a great help to me. My Family just rose in rank when all this happened with the Tang Family trying to kill me and my husband."
"Oh.." Jing Lin frowned at that admission for several reasons she had trouble conveying. ".. more reason for us to get stronger then. For the inevitable rebellion that will happen full scale in the Empire."
The two talked as they moved. Unable to detect they were watched by a powerful cultivator. One who took notice of Leroy's use of Qi that matched one who had been in her prison and for its destructive qualities for the last few days.
The woman was one of myth and legend, one by the name of Chu Hao Yu. An eccentric oddball 20,000+ old woman if you believe the ancient scriptures and rumors. After escaping her prison she headed over after feeling the powerful qi fluctuations earlier from Leroy and Tang Bo once more now.
Covered in mist made of various liquid vapors mostly, her veil did not obscure the frown on her face when she didn't spot them anywhere. Heading back she went back to an entrance of her prison to gather anything else before she departed. But there she found two that barely interested her anymore.
With Xiao Mei and Jing Lin the only hints of the weird qi due to the traces from Leroy within the items he gave them coming off their body she started to make some plans to see what else her unintentional prisonbreaker could do.