Volume 1, Chapter 19: The Mysterious Girl

On the road away from the Holy Land, a group of twelve Black Martial Guards from the Duanmu family appeared once again. Clad in black armor and radiating an imposing aura, they spurred their swift horses in pursuit of the Xu family party.

Every member of this detachment sent by the Duanmu family was a powerhouse at the Martial King realm. Such a lineup, viewed across the vast East Wasteland, was comparable to that of a first-rate aristocratic clan. Furthermore, they carried an array of specialized Spirit-grade weapons to handle any complex situation they might encounter. The Black Martial Guards were renowned for their successful assassinations.

"Split up at the fork ahead," the leader of the Black Martial Guards commanded. "We cannot let the Xu family’s rearguard discover our movements."

"Yes!" the others replied in unison, displaying rigid discipline.

However, no sooner had the Black Martial Guards left the crossroads a few miles from the Profound Heaven Holy Land than an old man and a young woman suddenly emerged to block their path.

The young woman wore a red dress, her figure alluring and her features delicate. The old man, by contrast, was hunched over, clutching a wooden staff like a candle flickering in the wind.

"Those who block our path shall die!" the leader of the Black Martial Guards roared, charging forward on horseback.

The young woman simply raised her hand to reveal the bells on her wrist and gave them a light shake. The horses were instantly spooked and bolted in panic, while the Black Martial Guards were suddenly struck by dizziness and blurred vision.

In the next instant, the old man with the staff flicked his hand, manifesting dozens of blades of spiritual energy. Though the Black Martial Guards attempted to defend themselves, their heads were severed one by one, thumping to the ground.

The woman crossed her arms, pushing up her chest. "The Duanmu family really cannot handle losing. To be defeated in the life-and-death arena in front of everyone and then send assassins—how shameful."

The old man with the staff stepped forward to loot the bodies, retrieving weapons, spirit stones, and medicinal pills. He did not keep anything for himself, handing it all over to the woman.

"Young Miss, what shall we do next?"

"Let’s see how Xu Que handles this crisis. He claimed he would defeat the Saint of the Profound Heaven Holy Land in half a month. If he can actually pull that off... well, perhaps I can report back."

As they spoke, the pair dissolved into a plume of smoke and vanished on the spot.

When the news reached the Duanmu family, Duanmu Ci was deeply shocked.

"Impossible!" Duanmu Ci could not fathom it. "Who could it be? The Si family? But our scouts have been monitoring the Si family's movements, and they haven't made a move."

"Reporting to the Clan Head, there were no signs of a struggle at the scene. My subordinates suspect the Black Martial Guards were dispatched in an instant."

"Instantly killed? Without a sound?"

Duanmu Ci’s expression turned grim. Not only had the Xu family produced the Dragon Map, but they were also secretly killing his clan's elite assassins one after another.

"What kind of heritage does the Xu family truly possess?" Duanmu Ci felt a sense of unease. The Black Martial Guards he had sent were truly his clan's elite. Duanmu Xiong had always been the least promising of his sons, but the amount of manpower and resources invested in avenging him had become excessive. As the Clan Head, Duanmu Ci could not help but consider whether to continue.

"Send another group of Black Martial Guards. This time, feign pursuit of the Xu family, but the real goal is to lure out the big fish behind them."

***

The next day, a torrential rain fell on the wilderness road to Shengjing. The old man and the young woman walked along the muddy path; miraculously, the rain distorted around their bodies, leaving them completely dry.

"Gee-up!"

Suddenly, five Black Martial Guards from the Duanmu family galloped toward them from behind.

"Be alert."

Upon spotting the pair, the Black Martial Guards immediately grew wary. They did not show any carelessness just because the two looked harmless; after all, the previous two batches of guards had died without a sound.

The young girl seemed annoyed. "Tsk, tsk, tsk. The Duanmu family really won't give up. They insist on hounding the Xu family. I wanted to go back to Shengjing to join in the fun."

The leader of the Black Martial Guards heard the girl’s muttering and immediately understood: these two must be the top-tier experts backing the Xu family.

"The two of you, our Duanmu family has no grievances with you. Why do you keep killing our Black Martial Guards?"

Suddenly, the girl raised her hand, and spiritual energy erupted. The temperature of the surrounding space spiked instantly, and the cold rain falling on the Black Martial Guards began to boil. Even their heavy armor could not withstand the sudden change in temperature.

The leader of the Black Martial Guards was horrified. "Spiritual fire boiling the heavens? This is... Aaaah!"

The men were scalded and severely wounded in the boiling rain. However, the girl did not deliver the killing blow, allowing the guards to flee back.

The old man with the staff asked, "Young Miss, why did you let them go?"

The girl scoffed, "I don't want to squat on this road waiting for Duanmu assassins anymore. Let a few survivors go back so they know how strong we are. Don't worry, no secrets will be leaked."

***

Meanwhile, having returned to Shengjing, Xu Que was heavy-hearted.

"Clan Head," he asked, "does our Xu family have some mysterious patron behind us?"

"Why does the Young Master ask?" the Second Elder countered.

"The Duanmu family’s Black Martial Guards have been found dead on the road while tracking us again. Did the Elders take action?"

"Certainly not. Weren't we escorting you back?"

"Then who could it be?"

"This..." Everyone looked to the Clan Head.

Xu Beixuan wore an awkward expression; how would he know? He said, "Xu Que, our Xu family's greatest reliance is this Dragon Map. It can hold its own against anyone below the Martial Emperor level. It is a treasure your father gifted the family years ago. There is no one else."

Si Yuan added, "It is hard to say. Sometimes, it might just be a matter of shared goals rather than genuine assistance. They might even be using the Xu family."

Xu Que understood this logic. Seeing the Clan Head dispatch people to investigate, he said no more and went back to his room to cultivate.

Early the next morning, Xu Que woke up. He had to decide which sect to join today; otherwise, he would not be able to participate in the East Wasteland inter-sect competition in half a month.

This competition had a history. Deep in the East Wasteland lay a mysterious secret realm that opened every two years, with a very specific age restriction for entry: anyone under twenty could enter and exit at will to seize the treasures within. In the past, various sects and Holy Lands had fought rivers of blood over this realm. Eventually, a rule was formed: each sect would send ten people to compete for the entry spots.

These ten were always the best among their peers. Xu Que was at a slight disadvantage because he was only eighteen and had practiced for one year less. However, with the Heaven-Refining Gourd, his cultivation had caught up. Yet, without a sect backing him, he could not enter the realm.

He needed to enter the East Wasteland secret realm to obtain more rare treasures. Especially after refining various materials over the past few days, Xu Que discovered that spiritual plants yielded the highest energy—even better than refined medicinal pills. The secret realm was filled with such plants and seeds. If he could bring back saplings for the Xu family to cultivate, he would never have to worry about resources again. Spirit stones were fine, but as currency, they needed to be saved for other uses.

As Xu Que walked into the garden, a servant ran up to him. "Young Master, the other three Holy Lands and the six major sects have all replied."

Xu Que was delighted; he had sent out applications to them just yesterday. But after reading the contents, his brow furrowed. He had been rejected by all of them.

"What is going on?" Xu Que muttered. "With my strength, there is no reason not to be accepted."

The servant said, "Young Master, I fear the Profound Heaven Holy Land is spreading rumors about you. They claim you are a lecher who went on a killing spree after failing to woo Zhu Yanran. That is how it is being spread everywhere."

Xu Que frowned, noticing the servant’s bruised face. "How did you get injured?"

"Those story-telling scoundrels were spreading lies about you, so I couldn't help but beat one of them up. I won, though, please don't worry, Young Master."

Xu Que smiled, pulled out fifty spirit stones, and said, "A reward for you."

"Thank you, Young Master."

Xu Que threw the rejection letters away. A fire burned in his heart. These sects and Holy Lands were clearly colluding to bar him from entry—if that was the case, he was going to go regardless!