Chapter Thirty-Five: Who Else?

“They’re here.”

Noticing the footsteps behind him on the narrow path, Shen Qingyun’s lips curved in a faint smile as he turned to look. Several figures emerged slowly from beneath the shadow of the trees, and leading them, of course, was Wu Xier.

Wu Xier spotted Shen Qingyun at a glance, and recognizing his face, she immediately understood. Yet she was still puzzled—how had Shen Qingyun managed to best so many Foundation Establishment cultivators?

“Senior Sister Wu.”

Seeing Wu Xier, Shen Qingyun smiled lightly. “I didn’t expect you to bring so many people, Senior Sister. I’m truly flattered.”

Wu Xier’s expression remained unchanged as she cut straight to the point. “Are you here to help him reclaim his dignity?”

Shen Qingyun shook his head. “That’s true, but it’s not on his behalf.”

Wu Xier frowned. “Then whose behalf are you on?”

“A fool’s.”

Shen Qingyun glanced at Ling Xiao, who stood to the side almost invisible, and smiled faintly. “A hopelessly good-natured fool.”

“Then I won’t bother asking who it is.” Wu Xier’s voice turned cold. “You laid hands on my followers. I can’t let this go.”

“However, since you know him, I’ll give you a chance. Apologize to them. If they forgive you, I’ll let you go.”

Shen Qingyun’s brow arched—it was only now he was certain there was some story between her and Ling Xiao.

“Them? Do they deserve it?” Shen Qingyun sneered.

Do they deserve an apology from me, Shen Qingyun? Or rather, could they even bear the weight of my apology?

“Then you’ll have to suffer a little before you’re willing to apologize.” At Wu Xier’s words, four of her followers stepped forward, their gazes cold as they stared at Shen Qingyun.

“If you want to get close to Senior Brother Shen, you’ll have to go through me first!”

At that moment, the silent Ling Xiao suddenly spoke.

Wu Xier’s gaze sharpened; she hadn’t anticipated, nor had she noticed, that Ling Xiao was here.

“Didn’t you say you weren’t helping him?” Wu Xier shifted her gaze from Ling Xiao to Shen Qingyun.

“I said the one I’m here to help isn’t him, but I never said he wasn’t here,” Shen Qingyun replied.

Wu Xier snorted. “Twisting words. Ladies, please.” The latter half was directed at her four female disciples.

At her command, they all smiled faintly. One of them even glanced at Ling Xiao and said with a laugh, “No problem, he’s just a useless wretch—it’s just a bit more trouble, that’s all.”

Clearly, she knew a thing or two about Ling Xiao’s situation.

“Don’t be careless. Though I crippled him once, for him to catch up so quickly means he can’t be underestimated,” Wu Xier secretly warned.

“Understood…” The woman nodded, signaling that she knew.

Seeing her so confident, Wu Xier said no more, though a hint of worry flickered in her eyes as she watched Ling Xiao. This version of Ling Xiao awakened distant memories in her heart.

She hadn’t seen Ling Xiao like this in a very long time.

A sigh stirred in Wu Xier’s heart.

The defeat in Ling Xiao’s eyes faded, replaced by a steady resolve. He stood there like a pillar holding up the sky.

The four female disciples exchanged glances and nodded, encircling Ling Xiao.

In an instant, one of them moved, a fragrant breeze announcing her swift approach as her hand thrust toward Ling Xiao’s face.

A surge of fighting spirit flashed in Ling Xiao’s eyes. He threw a punch to meet her attack. An unseen force rippled outward. The woman’s expression turned grave, and in a flash, she retreated.

In raw strength, Ling Xiao was clearly well above her.

“Fuping, are you alright?”

As she landed, the other three disciples hurried to her side and asked quietly.

Fuping rubbed her wrist and shook her head, her voice tense. “I’m fine. His strength is well beyond ours!”

The woman to her left said gravely, “Then let’s go together!”

“Alright!”

With that, the four of them charged at Ling Xiao like arrows loosed from a bow.

“Well done!”

Ling Xiao shouted, and instead of shrinking before four opponents, his fighting spirit only blazed brighter.

Shen Qingyun watched him battle the four women. His movements were seasoned and quick, and even against all four, he wasn’t at a disadvantage. This, Shen Qingyun thought, was how Ling Xiao was truly meant to be.

Thud…thud…thud…thud.

Four dull sounds rang out in quick succession.

Their teamwork was flawless, never missing an opportunity. Each landed a punch; four fists in a row struck Ling Xiao’s chest, forcing him back several steps. He was clearly struggling.

Four against one—it was only natural that Ling Xiao began to lose ground.

Yet Ling Xiao showed not a trace of fear. Steadying himself, he curled his lips in a cold smile and charged again.

“Don’t get bogged down in close combat—use your spells!” Fuping barked as Ling Xiao came at them as if unscathed.

“Alright!”

At her command, brown, blue, green, and red lights shimmered around them—earth, water, wind, fire. Of the seven spiritual roots, they had mastered four.

Wu Xier saw this and her expression shifted slightly. The Beast Illusion Technique of the Leaning Bamboo Peak—these women wielded it with remarkable skill.

By channeling their spiritual power into the form of a fierce beast, they could strike with all their might. Such was the Beast Illusion Technique.

As a brown bear, a blue python, a green eagle, and a red wolf manifested, their roars seemed to fill the air. Ling Xiao’s eyes glinted with seriousness, but above all, with fighting spirit.

“Spells, is it? Let me see what you’ve got!”

Ling Xiao let out a low growl, stamped the ground, and swung his fist at the approaching spiritual beasts.

His punch landed with the weight of a mountain.

Thud—

The green eagle in front was shattered by a single blow! Three more punches followed, and the other three illusory beasts dissipated in turn.

A mid-Foundation Establishment cultivator like Ling Xiao—his power was truly terrifying!

Shen Qingyun hadn’t expected Ling Xiao’s physical strength to be so overwhelming; it almost made him think Ling Xiao specialized in body cultivation.

Wu Xier watched with calm eyes—seeing Ling Xiao like this brought her no surprise. In fact, a trace of nostalgia flickered in her gaze.

“Again! He took the full force of our combined attack and couldn’t be unscathed!”

Casting spells took time, and Ling Xiao seized the opening perfectly. In a flash, he was upon them, his broad hand sweeping them aside with brutal force.

Knocking them away, Ling Xiao strode back, placing himself squarely between Shen Qingyun and Wu Xier. His voice was low and steady. “Who else?”

Wu Xier glanced at her disciples. Though they could still fight, there was little point now. She signaled for them to stop. They heard her order and, though unwilling, could only comply. The four of them had barely unleashed their full power before being swept aside by Ling Xiao.

It wasn’t that Ling Xiao was overwhelmingly powerful, but his strength was monstrous—there was nothing exaggerated about calling him a beast. When they were struck, they’d felt with crystal clarity just how vast the gap was; even working together, they were no match for him in brute strength.

Wu Xier stepped forward, her gaze calm yet tinged with a trace of lingering affection. She spoke softly, “This is how you used to be.”