The system spirit watched the one-sided battle, and shook its head. [Beauty Qiao, I feel like you’re quite short-tempered recently.]

Gu Xiqiao glanced at Bao Xinyi who was lying unconscious on the ground, and kicked her a few times. When she confirmed there was no response, she returned to the river. “It’s your imagination, I’m just getting rid of things that are harmful to the villagers.”

She looked to see that Su Wen was gradually coming around, and she left with a peace of mind.

Gu Xiqiao was throwing the entire matter of the mountains issue to Tang Qinghong to settle, and since it was caused by him anyway, she didn’t feel too guilty about it.

Tang Qinghong was fishing Su Wen out of the water with a slightly resigned expression on his face. “You’re really something.”

“I didn’t even realize anything.” Su Wen’s face was still flushed, and he punched the ground with his fist, “It just happened suddenly, and I still don’t understand how I was tricked. Don’t let me see her face ever again!”

“I didn’t want any of you to get involved in this initially… Jia Wei is still in the cave. I’ll take Bao Xinyi away,” Tang Qinghong said, sighing. “I’ll explain the matter to you later. For now, just take Jia Wei back.”

The two exchanged a few more words, and Tang Qinghong left.

***

Returning to Gu Xiqiao’s yard, he was about to head upstairs to look for Gu Xiqiao, but found the door to be locked tight. Tang Qinghong stood outside the door, thinking about how it was likely that she was avoiding him deliberately. Knowing that she definitely thought that he had overstepped his boundaries, he knew there was nothing else he could have done.

But seeing the rough way that Gu Xiqiao had treated Su Wen in the afternoon, Tang Qinghong felt that she treated him relatively more gently compared to that. It was most probably due to his relationship with Tang Yanling.

His room was very simple, a table, a bed, a computer, and a diagram that seemed to be the Eight Trigram on the middle of the floor.

Tang Qinghong first walked around the Eight Trigram diagram, and after making sure there was nothing unusual, he turned on the computer. He logged into the exclusive forum that was available in the ancient martial arts world, and started to report to the moderator on the incident today, and the more recent strange happenings. He hesitated a little on the option of whether he needed assistance, but ultimately decided before clicking on ’No’.

The people from the ancient martial arts world were different from ordinary people. In today’s era, the people who learn ancient martial arts were few and far between, but there were many things in the world that were impossible for normal people to solve, and it required someone from the ancient martial arts world to handle it. Therefore, there was a forum that was moderated by the ancient martial arts world, with the intention to manage the martial artists. The tasks that they took on could be exchanged for points, and the points could be exchanged for treasures or money that would benefit them.

The ones behind the Huaguo Forum are the three major ancient martial arts families that remain, and that was also the reason why no one dared to cause any problems on site. However, the three major families were not very concerned with small matters such as this, only the smaller, less known martial artists who were lacking resources would choose to complete the tasks in order to gain points and exchange items.

Tang Qinghong was not concerned about the points or treasures, what he was concerned about was the moderator behind the forum. No matter how arrogant he was, he knew that he couldn’t measure up to the person who had been sitting on the top of the Ranking List for the ten consecutive years. But now, the opportunity was present, if he had enough points, he would be able to enter the Jiang family’s legacy base!

Tang Qinghong was even more determined in his decision, that person had risen to the top of the Ranking List after he had exited the legacy base, and everyone started speculating that there was some big secret in the Jiang family’s legacy base. No matter what happens, he needed to try going in at least once to see for himself.

The qualifying competition that was held once every three years was about to begin, he didn’t have much time remaining.

Taking a deep breath, he glanced at the Eight Trigram diagram on the floor, and felt even more anxious after counting the days. The best time to move would be two days from now.

He had found the solution to the problem, and had recovered at least 50% of his chi. He didn’t need to look very hard for the solution anyway, there were many formations and spells on the forum specifically used to deal with vengeful spirits. Most of these formations were left there by the moderator, and they were very practical. There were many comments left by the people who have used it, and all of them were full of praise, just that certain amount of points needed to be used to exchange for it.

He had gone into the city to buy the necessary items for the formations a few days ago, and also happened to run into Gu Xiqiao who had just returned.

After so many thoughts, Tang Qinghong finally got ready for bed. He had been patrolling the mountain area to ensure that nothing would go wrong, and had covered all his bases.

If it wasn’t for Gu Xiqiao returning here, the villagers would have all moved away. But now that she was here, it wouldn’t be hard to arrange an isolation array with her abilities. Otherwise, the villagers would need to be evacuated and leave this area to become purgatory. However, he didn’t want that to happen, and that would be the last resort.

***

For the past two days, Gu Xiqiao had not come out from her room at all, and the door remained tightly locked. Shi Tou was also obedient, not bothering her.

Tang Qinghong hesitated as he looked at the closed door, wondering if he should knock on it or not.

Just when he was still pondering about it, the door opened by itself.

Gu Xiqiao stretched her arms upwards lazily, after several days (years) of not seeing the sun, she felt like it had been a lifetime since she had come out. When she noticed Tang Qinghong, she shocked him by giving him a warm smile. “Morning.”

“…morning.”

Her eyes were sparkling and clear, while her skin was smooth and flawless, coupled with the beautiful smile on her face, Tang Qinghong was stunned for at least two minutes in the early morning by her beauty.

When he finally came to, she had already gone downstairs.

Tang Qinghong immediately followed after her, Su Wen was dealing with Jia Wei’s affairs, and he hadn’t returned for a few days, so there were only the two of them in the house. “I’ve counted and today is the best day to move.”

“Sure.” Gu Xiqiao nodded, not asking further. After spending so much time in the virtual space, her ancient martial arts skill had successfully advanced. “I’m going to take care of something first, wait for me to come back.”

Li Yanmei’s house was just beside hers, and she didn’t want them to be dragged into this, so she asked Li Yanmei to take them out to town for the day.

When she returned, Tang Qinghong was ready. He was standing in the middle of the yard, measuring the positions, and there were many things on the stone table.

Gu Xiqiao closed the door quietly, she didn’t know what the hell he was doing.

“I will bait the thing out from underground, while you seal off the yard to avoid any accidents from happening to the other people,” Tang Qinghong said as he looked at the sun in the sky, before turning to give Gu Xiqiao a grave look. “I don’t know exactly what it is underground, so if I can’t handle it, you have to strengthen the formation while I get help.”

He squeezed the jade charm in his hand.

“I will,” Gu Xiqiao said, and gestured with both her hands. Eight pieces of jade appeared around her body, her chi surging out in an instant.

Tang Qinghong looked up to observe the whirlpool of energy circulating in the air, and he looked at Gu Xiqiao with an unreadable expression. Living in the same age as all these monsters, it was really one surprise after another. “It’s just been a few days, you’ve advanced?!”

“I feared that I wouldn’t be able to beat this thing,” Gu Xiqiao said, and with just a thought in her mind, the jade was divided into many pieces, scattering across the yard, “And so I advanced.”

Just as she said that, the space in the yard was distorted for a moment, and a dense mist filled the area. Tang Qinghong was still stuck on the words that Gu Xiqiao had said, she advanced because she was afraid she couldn’t beat it? Did she think that advancing was as simple as eating or drinking, that you could have it when you want it? Unlike them, who could only advance their level when the opportunities were presented to them, or when they had a chance to obtain a treasure to assist them?

For the first time, he experienced the feeling of jealousy. “Don’t say anymore.”

Having said that, he looked at the space around him, astonishment on his face. “Is this Small Universe? A self-contained space?”

“That’s right, so stop talking and let’s get started!” Gu Xiqiao stepped aside, leaving the field to him.

’System, I feel that something bad will happen.’ She thought as she watched Tang Qinghong’s movement without blinking.

[Don’t worry, Beauty Qiao. You’ve learned so much in the virtual space, it will definitely be of use. If not, you just need to wait for Jiang Shuxuan to come.]

Tang Qinghong’s expression was solemn. After arranging everything, the ground beneath them started to tremble, wisps of black smoke leaking out continuously, and the air got heavier to the point it was hard to breathe. “Careful.”

He stood in front of Gu Xiqiao, gathering a concentrated amount of chi into a small football size ball on his palm. The black chi in front of them continued to twist and turn, until a black bird appeared, and then the black mist gradually faded.

The black bird seemed to still be asleep, and at first glance, it looked like an ordinary black crow. It was trapped in Tang Qinghong’s formation, and looked to be harmless.

[Beauty Qiao! Hurry! The Slumber formation and the Nine Palace Eight Trigram array! This is a phoenix that has been growing inside the malicious aura since it was born!] The system spirit exclaimed in horror suddenly. [You absolutely cannot let it escape! Tang Qinghong is right, if it gets out, this entire place will become purgatory on earth!]

The moment the system spirit had spoken, Gu Xiqiao had started drawing the pattern with her hands. The Slumber formation was one that she had learned recently, while the Nine Palace Eight Trigram was during the time she was kidnapped. When the two formations were interlinked, the entire space would be sealed off. She would then be the core, and as long as she doesn’t fall, nothing would be able to escape this place!

The eyes of the black bird opened suddenly, and it spread its wings to take flight. Tang Qinghong bit his lips as he strengthened his own formations, throwing the ball of chi in the bird’s direction at the same time.

With a resounding ’bang’, the bird slowed down its movements. After the mass of chi had impacted, there were only a few feathers that were blown off, while the rest of it remained unscathed. The black bird turned its head slowly, staring at Tang Qinghong with its blood-red eyes, and then it opened its mouth to spit out a stream of scorching black flames.

Tang Qinghong didn’t have any information on the bird’s abilities, and a thick layer of chi appeared in front of him, serving as a shield. The flames were obstructed by the layer of chi, but it was also spreading slowly to the side.

“It’s a phoenix, you can’t charge headfirst into this without a plan!” Gu Xiqiao said as she walked to his side with a grim expression on her face. If she pushed herself hard enough, she could probably find a way to handle it. However, she wasn’t alone here, and there were a lot of ordinary people around here that she couldn’t just ignore.

Gu Xiqiao received the solution from the system spirit, and she turned to Tang Qinghong. “Buy me some time, at least ten minutes, I’ve got a way to handle it.”

“Leave it to me,” Tang Qinghong said, concentrating on dealing with the bird.

No matter what, he was still a descendent from an ancient martial arts family, and naturally had various protection tools on him. He wouldn’t feel any grieve from using them.

Now that she was free, Gu Xiqiao took the bamboo tube out from her inventory, which immediately floated in the air. She started drawing patterns in the air with both hands, her complexion getting paler, and the corners of her lips slowly leaking blood, her hair whipping around even without the presence of the wind. Fair face, black hair, red blood, the beauty of the image she was displaying was simply breathtaking.

“Out of the way!” Gu Xiqiao exclaimed after ten minutes.

Tang Qinghong retreated to her side, reaching his hand out to throw another ball of energy. He had sustained quite a lot of injuries, there were ashes and dirt on his face, and even his clothes had been singed. He had initially thought it was just a mass of vengeful spirits, who would have expected a fully formed phoenix!

***

In the office of the N City base, the man sitting on the sofa reading a book paused in his actions, the paper crane on his shoulder dropped its head suddenly, instantly disintegrating.

Jiang Shuxuan stood up, his eyes wide and alarmed. He quickly walked to the window, looking out in the distance towards the north where a surging mass of profound energy could be seen, looking exactly the same as the last time he saw it. His lips pursed tightly, his lean fingers gripping the jade that hung on his neck. In the next moment, he disappeared.

Yin Shaoyuan, who just opened the door: …sometimes I really feel this person just likes to show off! Show off!

***

Baixing Village was a calm sight, and no one was aware of the intense battle that was ongoing in the small courtyard.

Gu Xiqiao had already reached the last part of her array, but she was also serving as the core of the formations that she had previously drawn up, and her chi was depleted. If this went on, neither of them would win this battle. Blood rushed out from her throat, flowing down the corner of her mouth, and she wiped at it subconsciously.

“Even though I really didn’t want to use this trick, you’re such an annoyance.” Gu Xiqiao focused her chi that she was using to protect the center, staring unblinkingly at the phoenix that started to feel a stab of fear. Her lips stretched into a smile, her pale lips red with blood which gave a terrifying sight.

Her eyes were starting to dim, and everything was gradually getting blurry. However, she was Gu Xiqiao, someone who could stand tall during the toughest times, and she couldn’t fall.

There was a gust of wind that blew past her ear, and Gu Xiqiao struggled to keep her eyes open. Before she could see clearly, her eyes were covered by another hand, and then, nothingness.

“Forcing her to this extent, you’re really something else,” A deep voice rumbled, completely devoid of emotion.

A figure appeared suddenly in the space, his figure was tall and elegant, a pair of bottomless onyx eyes on his delicate face, his entire person was shrouded in an icy snow aura, making it hard for people to meet his eyes.

He looked at the burning small bird like he was looking at dirt, and he reached out to grab the bird in his palm. If he exerted a little force, it would disappear immediately, “And so, you will disappear.”

Tang Qinghong, who was lying at the side, finally snapped out of his daze, “Wait, that’s a phoenix!”

“I’ll deal with you later.” A clear voice sounded out, and although it was said in a flat tone, Tang Qinghong shivered slightly from it.

Jiang Shuxuan ignored him then, raising his hand slightly, a blade of ice and frost appeared in it. He drove it through the bird, pinning it to the ground. The blood-red eyes of the bird slowly returned to a more normal color, and it opened its mouth, a trace of human emotions in its sluggish eyes, “My lord, please spare my life!”

“She exhausted her powers in order to preserve you, I’ll spare you for the moment,” Jiang Shuxuan said, his eyes that were trained on the small bird were full of displeasure, “If she’s hurt in any way, I will make sure you burn till nothing but ashes is left!”

Indifferent eyes swept towards the vengeful spirit with a half-formed human shape, the other half still within the bamboo tube that belonged to Gu Xiqiao. If he had been even a second late, she would have burned up the remainder of her life to seal it back.

Raising his hand slightly, pieces of sharp icicles appeared on his fingertips.

Boom!

Boom!

Boom!

The vengeful spirit, including the bamboo tube that was floating in the air, everything was reduced to smoke. “Why would you keep these things that will harm you?”

He lowered his head, the beautiful face with vividly clear eyes that should have been filled with life were closed tightly, her lips were stained with blood, and her face was as pale as paper. Her slender brows were knitted together, and even in her unconscious state, she was not at peace.

Jiang Shuxuan was outraged, the icicles appearing at his fingertips once again, and the eyes of the bird, who was pinned to the ground, widened in horror.

The shards pierced through its left wing, fresh blood spraying out from the wounds.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep