Qin Mingâs eyes widened as waves of astonishment surged within him.
"Fellow Daoist Lin!"
No matter how he tried, he couldnât imagine that the person who effortlessly slew Foundation Establishment Elders like fragile chickens...
...was none other than his old neighbor, Lin Zixiao.
From the moment before that Spirit Feather Sect Foundation Establishment cultivatorâs death, the last words he shouted...
...revealed that the person was indeed the notorious outlaw jointly wanted by the Spirit Feather Sect and the Golden Cloud Valley.
"Fellow Daoist Qin, how have you been?" Lin Zixiao greeted Qin Ming with a leisurely smile.
Even after slaying a Foundation Establishment cultivator, he remained as calm as ever.
Qin Ming did not lower his guard just because the person before him was Lin Zixiao.
After all, the other party had killed so many without batting an eyelid.
He could strike at any moment without warning.
Moreover, it was clear he came here for Qin Ming, willing to massacre for a purpose.
"Ha ha, Lin... Elder Lin." Qin Ming forced a strained smile.
He was somewhat bewildered, encountering such a sudden situation for the first time, his mind racing.
But.
Qin Ming had absolute confidence in the spell leaf in his hand, engraved with Huangfu Qiiâs most powerful strike.
Even someone as terrifying as Lin Zixiao probably couldnât withstand it.
His tense heart settled a little.
"Fellow Daoist Qin, your talent in spirit plants is truly exceptional; youâve grown a Tier Two Spirit Plant so quickly." Lin Zixiao glanced at Qin Mingâs spirit field and spoke calmly.
Unable to gauge the otherâs intentions, Qin Ming responded cautiously, "Ha ha, just a small trick, nothing worth mentioning. Itâs far inferior to Elder Linâs Tier Two Array Mastery."
With that said.
Lin Zixiao squinted, examining Qin Ming up and down, seemingly trying to discover something.
A massive Foundation Establishment Spiritual Pressure pressed towards Qin Ming.
Qin Ming circulated his True Qi Blood Spirit, easily resisting the otherâs oppressive aura, maintaining a composed demeanor.
"Oh?" Lin Zixiao, looking down at Qin Ming from above, showed a hint of surprise in his eyes, "Such a strong Body Refining Technique is truly unexpected, Fellow Daoist Qin."
"Speaking of surprises, Elder Lin is the one whoâs more unexpected, isnât it?"
"Neither Spirit Feather Sect nor Golden Cloud Valley could have imagined that the person theyâve been trying hard to hunt is right under their noses." Qin Ming replied while his mind turned fast.
The commotion in the spirit field should have alerted Spirit Feather Sectâs reinforcements heading here.
He just needed to buy some time.
Lin Zixiaoâs lips curved slightly, as if heâd seen through Qin Mingâs plan.
"Fellow Daoist Qin, we are old acquaintances, so letâs skip the useless chit-chat. Iâve come specifically to see you this time."
"Has Fellow Daoist Feng visited you at the market?"
"To be honest, if I hadnât exposed myself early to cover Fellow Daoist Feng, I wouldnât have to come looking for you in such a guise."
Qin Ming instinctively felt startled, his mind roughly grasping Lin Zixiaoâs purpose.
"Thatâs right, Fellow Daoist Feng did come to see me once."
He speculated that Lin Zixiao had secretly investigated Fengg Yuanâs whereabouts, which was why he confidently sought him out.
There was no point in hiding it now.
Upon hearing this, Lin Zixiao smiled and asked directly, "Since thatâs the case... did Fellow Daoist Feng give you something?"
"For instance... something like this."
With those words, he revealed a dragon-shaped token in his spotless hand.
Upon closer inspection, it looked exactly like the one Fengg Yuan had.
Qin Ming had anticipated that this thing would be a hot potato, and now it seemed he was right.
After pondering for a moment, Qin Ming directly and candidly replied, "Fellow Daoist Feng indeed had the intention to trade the token with me."
"However, considering my limited strength and knowing the significant implications of this item, I knew it wasnât something a mere Qi Cultivation Novice like me could handle."
"So, I did not agree to his terms."
"Nor did I accept the token."
Upon hearing this, Lin Zixiaoâs expression flickered as he scrutinized Qin Mingâs honest demeanor, seemingly without lying.
The reason given by the other party made sense too.
"Oh? Really?"
"Iâm a bit uneasy, would you let me search your body?"
Qin Mingâs heart skipped a beat at the suggestion; his eyes flickered as he refused, "Elder Lin, I must decline such a request."
With that, he tightened his grip on the purple spell leaf, ready to use it and flee at any time.
Hearing Qin Mingâs decisive reply, Lin Zixiaoâs expression shifted several times.
He never expected.
Even faced with someone of the Foundation Establishment stage, Qin Ming showed no fear.
For a moment, he couldnât fathom the otherâs intentions.
Lin Zixiao thought of something, suddenly lifting the token in his hand and casting a spell onto it.
The dragon-shaped token emitted a golden light that enveloped Qin Ming, accompanied by a resonant hum.
Roar~
Qin Ming panicked and attempted to dodge, but found the light falling on him caused no harm.
In a few breaths.
The golden light receded like the tide, returning to the token in Lin Zixiaoâs hand.
"Ha ha! So it wasnât on you; it seems I misunderstood Fellow Daoist Qin." Lin Zixiaoâs smile reappeared as he remarked meaningfully to Qin Ming, "Since thatâs the case, I wonât disturb you any longer. I hope we meet again one day."
After speaking, Lin Zixiao put on a Buddha Mask, casually beckoned, and collected some Array Chess pieces into his hand.
The dark clouds covering the spirit field dispersed instantly.
After that.
He gave Qin Ming a deep look before turning into a shadow, disappearing into the sky.
"Whew~"
"That was really dangerous!"
"Never imagined my everyday neighbor would be the top outlaw!"
This incident served as a wake-up call for him.
In the Cultivation Realm, one should never easily trust anyone.
Qin Ming wiped the sweat from his forehead, breathing a sigh of relief.
At this point.
The Spirit Plant Masters in the spirit field, who had narrowly escaped, trembled as they emerged.
They only saw a black-robed Evil Cultivator wreaking havoc.
The subsequent conversation between Lin Zixiao and Qin Ming was blocked by the array, so they saw nothing.
...
The mask-wearing Lin Zixiao streaked through the air as a black escape light, stopping by a hidden mountain ravine.
Behind a huge boulder.
A Foundation Establishment Elder from Spirit Feather Sect slowly emerged, wearing a puzzled expression, and questioned Lin Zixiao, "Why did you let that boy go?"
"Killing him should have been easy for you, shouldnât it?"
Demonic Qi surged from Lin Zixiao, exuding a formidable aura that forced the Foundation Establishment Elder to retreat several steps.
"Do I need you to tell me how to do my job?"
The Spirit Feather Sect Elder staggered to steady himself, his face pale, not daring to say more.
After a moment of silence.
Lin Zixiao solemnly spoke, "Do you think I didnât want to?"
"Fellow Daoist Qin indeed surprised me as well this time!"
"Now, even I canât see through him anymore."
The Spirit Feather Sect Elder was greatly shocked, showing disbelief, "How could that be?"
"Heâs at most a Qi Cultivation Stage Spirit Plant Master."
Lin Zixiao originally had no intention of explaining further, but he was intrigued enough to say:
"Heh! I have an artifact that can forewarn danger."
"Just now, it warned me that if I attacked him, I would be the first to die."
"He must have something up his sleeve."
"Itâs becoming more and more interesting."
Upon hearing this, the Spirit Feather Sect Elder appeared thoughtful, evidently still somewhat skeptical.
His eyes flickered uncertainly, internally speculating.
âLin Zixiao and that boy have had a connection, saying such nonsense, surely just being soft-hearted.â
After which, they chatted briefly.
Then each quietly went their separate ways.