Chapter 31: Because of the Wind, Wrinkled

Xu Qing frowned and turned around.

A large swarm of small jellyfish, numbering over a hundred, came whistling from the canyon entrance, rushing towards the guards and young men and women. Their expressions changed drastically. They immediately fought back, especially the few guards, who desperately tried to block them.

The older youth Xu Qing had noticed earlier, whose spiritual energy fluctuations indicated the seventh layer of Qi Condensation, attacked with a burst of radiant light. However, there were too many jellyfish, and they seemed resistant to spells; when spells landed on them, the damage was significantly reduced. Despite this, they were incredibly fast, attacked sharply, and coordinated flexibly, causing seven or eight casualties in the canyon in an instant.

A youth, whose once opulent clothes were now tattered, showed despair in his eyes. The moment a jellyfish lunged at him, he scrambled backward, crying out for help to his friend at the seventh layer of Qi Condensation.

"Young Master Bo, save me!"

As he spoke, a ray of radiant light whistled forward, landing in front of him and momentarily blocking the jellyfish, allowing the youth to narrowly escape the danger, still shaken.

Although Xu Qing was quite far away, some jellyfish still targeted him. Three of them whistled towards him, about to penetrate his body as usual.

The next instant, a cold glint flashed in Xu Qing's eyes. He raised his right hand and threw a punch. With a loud bang, his fist landed on a jellyfish's body. The jellyfish trembled violently, unable to withstand the impact, and immediately shattered into pieces.

Xu Qing didn't pause. The next moment, a dagger appeared in his left hand, and with a flash, he closed in on the other two jellyfish. His speed was faster than the jellyfish, and his body was more agile. In the blink of an eye, after he moved through them, the bodies of the two jellyfish suddenly split in half.

Most of the young men and women fighting the jellyfish witnessed this scene. Their minds shaken, they instinctively moved closer to him. The continuous slaying of three jellyfish caused the other jellyfish to open their eerie eyes and instantly lunge at Xu Qing. This time, more than ten approached.

Xu Qing's expression remained calm. Instead of retreating, he lunged forward, becoming a blur as he approached. The dagger in his hand emitted a dazzling cold light, and wherever he passed, jellyfish shattered with popping sounds. As they died, a large amount of strange matter spread, causing most of the vegetation in the canyon, including Xu Qing's herb garden, to instantly turn blackish-green. As for the injured guards, their faces were also tainted by the strange matter.

Seeing his canyon turn into this, Xu Qing's eyes filled with intense killing intent. He charged out again, even faster this time. Wherever he went, his dagger flashed, and jellyfish shattered. But he soon frowned; under the strange matter's corrosion, the dagger in his hand gradually couldn't withstand the impact and began to crack.

Xu Qing had no time to feel regret. With a flick of his hand, he held an iron skewer, which he used to repeatedly slash through several jellyfish, also scattering poison powder during the process. Although these jellyfish had considerable resistance to poison, and the surrounding poison powder couldn't immediately affect them, Xu Qing didn't give up. Here, the poison's purpose wasn't just to kill, but also to neutralize the scent.

As for weapons, Xu Qing also had a drawback; his iron skewer had strong penetrative power, but it wasn't as good at slashing as a dagger. Just then, a low cry came from behind Xu Qing.

"Friend, use my sword!"

As the words were spoken, a sword emitting a cold gleam was thrown from behind Xu Qing. He caught it with a backhanded grab, and out of the corner of his eye, he saw that the person who gave him the sword was the youth known as Young Master Bo.

Xu Qing said nothing. As soon as he held the longsword, he immediately felt its extraordinary quality. With a swing, a sharp, cold light immediately emanated from the sword. Although he didn't know how to use a sword, its sharpness alone allowed Xu Qing to instantly cut open seven or eight jellyfish.

As more and more jellyfish corpses accumulated on the ground, Xu Qing's body became stained with the blue blood they emitted. The three surviving guards and the young men and women were now all behind Xu Qing, watching the scene. Everyone's heart pounded, and their eyes were filled with horror and disbelief.

"Too... too strong!"

"He's a body refiner. What layer of body refining is this? Could it be Grand Completion?!!"

"His spiritual energy fluctuations don't look like it; it seems to be around the fifth or sixth layer."

"Cultivation level isn't important; what matters is this person's ruthlessness." The guards and young men and women were deeply shaken at that moment, astounded by Xu Qing's actions.

Even Young Master Bo gasped, and the young woman in the crowd felt her heart pound faster. Sensing Xu Qing's terrifying presence, she abandoned all her previous schemes. In Xu Qing, she sensed the same aura as those in her family who were called monsters. Every one of those family monsters had countless killings under their belt, and she would instinctively feel fear whenever she saw them. Now, the young man before her gave her the exact same feeling.

She didn't want to provoke someone like that. Especially since her mission was now complete, having lured a large number of jellyfish. Whether the people from her sect could successfully obtain what they wanted from the jellyfish lair deep within the jungle was no longer her concern. After all, the danger this time had also exceeded her expectations. So, she reached into her pocket with her right hand and retrieved a jade slip—a talisman treasure used for teleportation. This was her ultimate reliance.

Just as she hesitated whether to crush it, there was a roar from the canyon entrance. Dozens more jellyfish squeezed out, swarming densely and rushing forward. This scene made her no longer hesitate. She immediately crushed the teleportation jade slip in her hand, and her figure vanished instantly. Her departure left her companions beside her with complex expressions.

Xu Qing paid no attention to this. He stared at the approaching jellyfish, calculating the time. Standing there, his internal qi and blood suddenly erupted. He opened his mouth towards the nearing jellyfish and let out a roar. As his qi and blood expanded and the Sea Mountain Art circulated, a monstrous phantom immediately materialized behind him. Like him, it let out a roar. The phantom was grotesque, with a single horn on its head and an entirely black body, as if it had crawled out of the underworld. Its eyes subtly flickered with purple light, making it look eerie and astonishing. Its roar was silent, yet combined with Xu Qing's shout, it seemed to possess astonishing deterrence, causing the lunging jellyfish to pause. All their eyes opened wide, staring fixedly at Xu Qing.

It wasn't just the jellyfish that were intimidated; the young men and women behind Xu Qing also turned pale in that instant. As they looked at the phantom behind Xu Qing, their eyes narrowed.

"Qi and Blood forming a phantom!!"

"This... this is... this is a phenomenon that only appears when body refining reaches Grand Completion!!"

A profound sense of terror surged within them. The jellyfish also clearly sensed Xu Qing's ferocity. Moreover, his poison was now taking effect, dispelling the scent of the centipede blood that permeated the canyon from the group. So, after a tense standoff, the jellyfish slowly retreated and swiftly departed through the entrance.

Watching the jellyfish depart, Xu Qing also breathed a sigh of relief. He turned around and coldly looked at the group of young men and women. His gaze focused on where the glove-wearing girl had been. She wasn't there. Xu Qing narrowed his eyes.

At the same time, as his gaze swept over them, several girls among the group were so frightened they started crying. Indeed, Xu Qing at this moment appeared incredibly sinister. Under the moonlight, his body was covered in blue blood, and the coldness in his eyes made him seem as if he had emerged from the underworld. Combined with the monstrous phantom behind him, he was like a vengeful ghost!

Only the youth named Bo managed to suppress his inner awe and cupped his hands towards Xu Qing.

"I am Bo Yun-dong. Thank you, friend, for your assistance. We will surely repay this great kindness!"

As if noticing where Xu Qing had just looked, Bo Yun-dong took a deep breath and explained. "The one who teleported away was Li Ruo-lin. Her family excels in formations, so her life-saving item was a teleportation talisman, making it convenient for her to escape danger at any time."

"You don't have one?" Xu Qing looked at Bo Yun-dong.

Bo Yun-dong gave a wry smile, and the young men and women beside him also fell silent. "Although we come from prominent families in Purple Earth, we are not from the direct lineage. It's merely a superficial glamour."

Xu Qing nodded and tossed the sword in his hand to Bo Yun-dong. Amidst the thanks from the other young men and women, he looked at Bo Yun-dong and suddenly asked, "What relation is Master Bo to you?"

"He's my third grand-uncle." Bo Yun-dong was momentarily stunned. After answering, he asked, "Do you know my third grand-uncle?"

Xu Qing gave him a deep look, nodded without speaking, then turned to gaze at the canyon entrance, and checked the sky.

"The strange matter here is dense; it's not safe to stay long. I'll escort you out of here."

After speaking, Xu Qing walked towards the canyon entrance. Bo Yun-dong hesitated for a moment, then gritted his teeth and followed. The other young men and women also knew the risks and followed suit.

Thus, the group of youths exited the canyon and sped towards the edge of the jungle under the cover of night. Although they had been in disarray against the jellyfish, every one of them possessed cultivation. After this life-and-death experience, it was also a transformation for them. So, on the night journey, few spoke. They all silently followed Xu Qing. Even the few girls who were exhausted gritted their teeth and persevered. In this manner, the group traveled through the night.

Finally, at dawn, they saw the world beyond the jungle's edge in the distance. Waves of excitement surged within them, and their tired bodies seemed to find renewed strength. From a distance, whistling sounds could be heard.

Xu Qing immediately looked over with caution and saw three figures whistling through the sky. They were precisely the powerful figures accompanying the young men and women. Xu Qing's previous judgment was correct; it was indeed they who had lured away the largest jellyfish. They had clearly suffered some casualties. Upon their arrival, amidst the excited explanations of the young men and women, they gave Xu Qing a deep look.

Xu Qing remained vigilant, maintaining a certain distance from them, and subtly held poison powder in his hand. The three powerful figures did not approach Xu Qing. Instead, they nodded to him, then led the way. Although it seemed not far from the outside world, it was still nearly midday when the group finally emerged.

The moment the young men and women stepped out of the jungle and into the outside world, the survivors could no longer suppress their excitement. Many of them burst into tears. Xu Qing was the last to emerge. He watched them from a distance, saying nothing.

Soon, the young men and women, led by Bo Yun-dong, approached Xu Qing. After sincerely cupping their hands in thanks, they all stated their names.

"Our training expedition here was a last-minute decision. We don't have anything valuable left on us; it was all used up in the forbidden zone. Moreover, the strange matter in our bodies is dense, so we need to quickly return to Purple Earth via a nearby city's teleportation array. We won't forget this great kindness. This sword, it's for you."

Bo Yun-dong bowed deeply and left his sword. Xu Qing watched the group walk away, then picked up the sharp sword. The sword was entirely dark blue, emitting a cold glint. Although it had slain many jellyfish and been tainted by strange matter, it remained undamaged. Just looking at it, one could feel its icy coldness; it was considered a top-tier treasure.

Although it was somewhat long and not as convenient as a dagger, Xu Qing had found it reasonably handy before. So, he wrapped it in burlap, concealing its sharpness, and carried it on his back. After checking the sky, Xu Qing walked towards the camp. He planned to go back and buy a few daggers, then in a few days, after the jellyfish swarm inside completely disappeared, he would return to the forbidden zone.

After noon, as the afternoon sun cast its lazy rays, Xu Qing arrived at the camp. However, after taking only a few steps inside, Xu Qing frowned slightly; he felt something was off about the camp... There were some strangers in the camp. The scavengers around him had strange expressions upon seeing him. One of them, whom he had saved before, seemed to want to speak but hesitated upon seeing Xu Qing. Although he said nothing, he subtly pointed in the direction of Xu Qing's residence.

Xu Qing's heart sank. While observing his surroundings, he quickened his pace. When he reached his dwelling, he immediately noticed many eyes coldly staring at him from all directions. From their attire, Xu Qing immediately recognized the owners of these gazes: they were all guards from the Camp Lord's Mansion! At the alley entrance not far away, the Three-Mustache under the Camp Lord gave him a sinister smile.

Xu Qing narrowed his eyes and pushed open the courtyard gate. He saw Cross, sitting there with a pale and grim expression, and Luan Ya beside him, seemingly severely injured and weak. The moment Xu Qing entered, both of them abruptly looked at him.

"Kid, Captain Lei... something happened." Cross's right hand was crudely bandaged and still trembling. Seeing Xu Qing, he spoke in a low voice, then coughed violently, spitting out a mouthful of blood.

These words struck Xu Qing like a bolt of lightning, echoing with a rumble. His heart instantly tensed, and his breathing became rapid. His heartbeat involuntarily quickened, and his body stiffened slightly. A terrible premonition exploded within him, transforming into an intensely dark and terrifying aura that uncontrollably surged from Xu Qing's body. The surrounding temperature seemed to grow chillingly cold.

"What happened?" Amidst the chilling cold, an even more bone-piercingly cold voice, tinged with a tremor, came from Xu Qing's lips.