Edited by RED

At this moment, in the mansion of Rivulet City’s Helian Clan, Helian Liang was accommodating Mirrorlink’s number two cultivation school, Glacial Ambuscade Pavilion. He was overwhelmed by the favor shown by them looking to his third-rate clan, even though all he did was to attend to their basic needs. The Glacial Ambuscade Pavilion hadn’t asked them to do anything of importance. Yet, Helian Liang was joyously compliant with them. After all, successfully making a connection with such a top cultivation school would bolster their standing in Rivulet City.

Similarly, another great clan of Rivulet City, the Liang Clan, was receiving the presence of the Abyssal Beast School. Liang Renqing, too, took them in as very important guests.

------

On another front, Xu Qi was stealthily making his way toward Mt Burning Cloud. He couldn’t fathom exactly what kind of treasure would appear on Mt Burning Cloud, and thought to scout ahead.

However, he felt the presence of numerous experts concealing their auras in the mountains just as he arrived at the outskirts of Mt Burning Cloud. Although he had expected the top cultivation schools to set up camps beforehand, he hadn’t thought they would amount to such large numbers. Not to mention, there were many Spirit realm experts, too!

Xu Qi quickly concealed his own aura. He retreated to somewhere out of sight and began pondering how to enter the mountains.

Oh, right, I almost forgot about my baby. I’ll test its strength when it turns dark, Xu Qi thought, as the treasure he was carrying suddenly came to his mind. He immediately became excited at the prospect.

Xu Qi remained here waiting, concealing his aura until night had fallen before using his technique. The rainbow wings hidden inside his back immediately spread out, revealing themselves.

“Five Elements Wings, let me witness your wondrousness,” Xu Qi muttered, rubbed the wings behind him.

As he used his technique, rainbow energy began to appear on his wings, and slowly enveloped the entirety of Xu Qi’s body.

Xu Qi leapt up, his head facing down and yelled “Open!” His body melded into the ground when he descended, disappearing from the surface. However, he slipped back up in the next moment, his body still covered by a layer of rainbow energy, looking incredibly excited.

“Not bad, but it’s too dark down there; I couldn’t see anything, and couldn’t tell the direction,” Xu Qi commented to himself. He was a bit resentful over the fact that he couldn’t discern his orientation underground.

He looked in Mt Burning Cloud’s direction. Xu Qi estimated the distance to it and operated the Five Elements Wings, going underground once more and beginning his blind journey forward.

---

When Xu Qi traversed the estimated distance, he slowly peeked his head above ground to scout. Just as his head showed, he was surprised to discover a purple light, and an immediate sense of danger followed.

Xu Qi felt something off and immediately melded into the ground again. As he disappeared from sight, two streaking red aura arrows landed where his head was just a moment ago. Although Xu Qi managed to avoid a direct hit, he was injured by the shockwaves from the two powerful arrow-shaped auras. Xu Qi spat out two mouthfuls of blood and cursed out inwardly, then immediately retreated from there.

Three silhouettes dressed in green robes stood where Xu Qi’s head had showed above ground. Two of them held a bow in their hand, while the third stood straight with his hands clasped to his back; all three of them had their appearances concealed.

“Hmm? I definitely felt a presence here; did I imagine it?” the leftmost green-robed man bowman asked, confused.

“Yeah, I felt a strange aura here, too. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have shot that arrow,” the similarly clad archer on the right agreed.

“Alright, it doesn’t hurt to be a little more alert. Now that the treasure is about to be born into this world, all we have to do is to complete our missions; don’t think too much about other matters,” the one with his hands behind him said in an authoritative voice.

The two holding bows shut their mouths immediately upon hearing such, and gave him slight nods.

The authoritative green-robed man slowly turned to look at the area emitting purple light, gradually falling into deep thought.

------

As Xu Qi was injured, he directly traversed through the ground for a very long distance before coming out for the sake of safety. Right when he returned to the surface, he threw up another mouthful of blood.

“Godsdamnit, I didn’t expect to suffer a loss without gaining anything. I haven’t even gotten a clear look and I’ve already suffered an injury. Who exactly are those people?” Xu Qi grumbled.

Xu Qi turned to look at Mt Burning Cloud in the distance, his brow furrowed. It seemed there was no hope of him obtaining the treasure in there. From the strength of the one who injured him earlier, it would prove to be difficult to even steal a glance! In the end, Xu Qi had still underestimated the strength of the top cultivation schools in this world.

He raised his hand, wiping away the blood at the corner of his mouth. Xu Qi cursed as he forcefully endured the pain in his body, utilizing his movement technique and dashed toward Godsward Villa.

On the way, Xu Qi kept recalling the few moments when he got hurt. He had unexpectedly gotten injured just by the aura’s blast alone. What kind of strength did the person possess?! However, what he didn’t know was that he had, yet again, underestimated the strength of those who ambushed him. Earlier, he was hit by two experts’ attack simultaneously. That kind of attack would have at least crippled an ordinary Spirit realm cultivator, if not killed them. He was already considered lucky to have gotten away with this kind of injury.

Xu Qi returned to the villa pressing on his chest, staggering. This was the first time he suffered such a serious injury; what luck.

He found his way to the underground institution with much difficulty, before blacking out and falling to the ground unconscious.

---

After an unknown amount of time, Xu Qi gradually opened his eyes. Right when he did, what appeared in his sight was a fully bearded dark face.

“Heck, a ghost!” Xu Qi punched out without taking a second look.

“Ouch! Young Master, why would you hit me the moment you wake up?” a familiar voice called out.

Xu Qi rubbed his eyes with his other hand, then took a good look at the dark ghost he punched to the ground. Upon identifying the person, he slowly retracted his fist and scratched his head embarrassedly, saying, “Oh, it’s you, Chen Yong. I thought you were a ghost; why did you stick so close to this young master?”

The one who suffered a punch needlessly was none other than the chief of the Xu Clan guardsmen, Chen Yong. He kept himself to the rear mountain cavern all the time and was heading to the institution to pick up something when he discovered Xu Qi unconscious in the main hall of the underground institution. He hurriedly carried him to this hidden room to nurse him.

Unexpectedly, Chen Yong was tending to his young master’s injuries when he woke up and suddenly suckerpunched him.

“My kindness has gone unrewarded, Young Master. I was worried about your injury and was contemplating whether to notify the Chief Housekeeper seeing as you weren’t showing any signs of regaining consciousness after a long while. I was punched just as I was thinking,” Chen Yong complained, rubbing his nose.

“Um, alright, I’m fine. It’s just some minor injuries, I can recuperate by myself. Also, don’t tell anyone about my injury today,” Xu Qi instructed. He didn’t wish for others to know that he was injured.

Chen Yong understood Xu Qi’s intentions. He nodded fractionally, then asked, “Young Master, given your strength, how did you get injured and fall unconscious? What kind of expert did you run into?”

Xu Qi gave him a wry smile and said, “Ah, Chen Yong, what if I told you I didn't even get to see what the person looked like? Do you believe me? This young master was like a frog in a well, underestimating the world. To think that one mountain towers over another.”

“Ah? Even young master couldn't get a good look at the one who injured you? How ridiculously strong is that person?!” Chen Yong was immediately stumped by Xu Qi’s confession.

Xu Qi ignored what Chen Yong said. Instead, he kept mumbling, “One mountain towers over another.. One mountain towers over another..! That's right, since I have no way of entering Mt Burning Cloud now, why not create a commotion on the adjacent mountain to lure them over!?”

Thinking up to there, Xu Qi immediately clapped his hands reflexively, startling Chen Yong.

“Chen Yong, go bring me Laoyao’s group of seven to this hidden room. I have something important to deal with right now! Quickly!” Xu Qi urged him.

Chen Yong immediately nodded and turned to leave.

“Since you people from top famous schools are so overbearing, how could I let you leave so easily!?” Xu Qi muttered, the corners of his mouth forming a sly grin.

---

Not long after, Chen Yong brought Laoyao’s group, also known as Xu Clan’s “Never forget your roots, no matter the situation1”, to the hidden room Xu Qi was in.

Xu Qi walked to them. He straightened the attire of each of them and patted their shoulders.

He said, “I’m arranging for the seven of you to commence your missions today; you will be departing with me directly in just a while. Save the trouble of bidding farewell to your siblings. I don’t want you all getting emotional. After I send you to the mountains, keep in mind that..” Xu Qi explained the entire plan to the seven in great detail. Before sending them on their way, he got them to change into tattered clothing, turning them into little beggars.

------

The next day, Xu Qi led seven little beggars in tattered clothes to a desolate mountaintop not far from Mt Burning Cloud, standing next to a tree.

Xu Qi wasn’t feeling very pleasant in his heart as he watched them. He went to each of them and gave them a hug, unwilling to part with them. When it was Laoyao’s turn to be hugged, he whispered something soft into Xu Qi’s ear.

The latter blanked for a moment, then tears fell uncontrollably from his cheeks. He gently caressed Laoyao’s face and wiped the tears off his own, then forced a smile and stood next to the tree.

Xu Qi cycled his cultivation, forcefully enduring his injuries, and emitted some rainbow energy. It enveloped the tree before him. Then, Xu Qi bellowed out, releasing all the rainbow energy he could muster within him, causing a rainbow pillar of energy to immediately shoot to the skies!

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