Yi Xiao''s temperament was considered outstanding among her peers in cultivation, yet even with all the demons surrounding her, she couldn''t help but feel nervous. She knew that both she and Qin Yun had very little true essence left, and they were merely trying to intimidate these demons.


    "Is he not nervous at all? Not even a little anxious?" Yi Xiao glanced at Qin Yun, who was walking calmly beside her. At this moment, Qin Yun walked with ease, even casually scanning the demons around them as though he were a hunter eyeing his prey, causing the demons to tremble with fear one by one.


    Yi Xiao noticed a distinct difference between Qin Yun and her fellow disciples.


    Her fellow disciples, who were able to join one of the three great Daoist holy lands, the ‘Shenxiao Sect,’ were either highly gifted individuals chosen by powerful masters from the sects or top-tier scions of distinguished families. They naturally had a certain arrogance as disciples of a holy land.


    But Qin Yun—before arriving at Cangya Mountain—seemed like an ordinary disciple of a top-tier sect. Yet, in the face of life and death, he displayed this extraordinary boldness! This made Yi Xiao admire him deeply.


    "Maybe it’s the result of his three years of training on the northern border," Yi Xiao thought to herself.


    The two walked side by side, getting farther and farther from Cangya Mountain.


    The White Tiger Demon, flying high in the sky, was watching them from a distance, gnashing its teeth in anger, but it didn''t pursue them.


    "In a place like Guangling County, I run into two disciples of top-tier sects! One can perform the Sky Thunder Technique, which is understandable, but the other, a swordsman, is so powerful! His flying sword is at least a seventh-grade magic weapon! This is outrageous," the White Tiger Demon thought to itself, looking at its left arm. Its claw was gone, and the axe it had lost was a major blow. Finding enough rare materials to forge another one would be difficult.


    Some materials were nearly impossible to buy, even with gold and silver.


    For example, Starsteel was under imperial control! The ‘Cold Essence Spiritual Liquid,’ which Qin Yun had urgently needed earlier, could only be found deep beneath the Northern Sea, and it was extremely rare. Even cultivators who specialized in underwater cultivation could hardly find it; it was only gathered by chance during long-term dives. Deliberately searching for it wasn’t worthwhile.


    The rarer the material, the more difficult it was to obtain.


    Take the ‘Thousand-Year Ice Jade Fruit,’ for example—though it had a price, it was difficult to buy. The county magistrate had paid a heavy price to invite Qin Yun, Yi Xiao, and Jia Huairen to pick it, and the task was perilous. Without Qin Yun and Yi Xiao’s strength, they would never have obtained the spiritual fruit.


    "I need to think of a way to retrieve my axe," the White Tiger Demon muttered to itself. "But how? Senior Water God is stronger than I am, but he''s too reckless and can''t stray far from the rivers. None of the other disciples dare to enter the county town either."


    "Could it be that my axe is truly gone? No, no, no! I must find Senior Water God. I’ve taken such a big loss—he can''t just watch idly by!"


    The White Tiger Demon immediately changed course and flew toward the Misty Lake Gorge. It first retrieved its personal belongings from its residence there, such as its favorite paintings and incense burners, before heading toward the Water God’s residence.


    The other demons that had gathered around, seeing the White Tiger Demon fly away, all let out a sigh of relief.


    "Where did such powerful cultivators come from? The Sky Thunder just now frightened me to my core, and even the White Tiger King was stunned by it."


    "The swordsman is even more powerful! He was evenly matched with the White Tiger King before. After the White Tiger King was struck by the Sky Thunder, the swordsman severed one of his claws and took his axe."


    "That’s right, it’s incredible! We surrounded them with so many demons, but not one of us could even touch his clothes. Anyone who got too close was killed. Over sixty of our own died in the blink of an eye. It’s terrifying, absolutely terrifying."


    "Where did such powerful cultivators come from in Guangling County?"


    The demons around were in a flurry of discussion.A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.


    "They’re from Guangling County! I know that swordsman. He’s Qin Yun, the second son of the Qin family in Guangling County. I heard that during the recent Flower Queen selection in Guangling County, one of the three magic servants created by the Water God killed a demon bull that could easily withstand a demon-slaying crossbow. But Qin Yun just cut it down with one sword."


    "Even the White Tiger King was injured by him. A demon bull is nothing!"


    "Is he from Guangling County? This is bad news. We need to stay alert. If we see this Qin Yun, we’d better stay away. A joint attack from all of us would be a death sentence."


    "What about the female cultivator? That Palm Thunder was incredibly powerful! We couldn’t dodge it—if it hit, you’d be dead."


    "I don’t know. A beautiful cultivator like her would have been well-known if she were from Guangling County. She must be a passing cultivator from elsewhere."


    "Outsiders are fine. Outsiders are fine."


    The demons muttered to each other, then gradually dispersed in small groups as they noticed other demons rushing toward them.


    "Let’s go back," some demons called out to those who were leaving.


    "Back? Didn’t the horn of Cangya Mountain just sound?" the arriving demons wondered.


    "It’s over," the departing demons responded.


    "You’re lucky. You didn’t meet those terrifying people."


    "Who were those terrifying people?"


    The demons chatted in groups about the epic battle that had just taken place, a battle the likes of which had not been seen on Cangya Mountain in many years. From this day onward, the legends of Qin Yun and Yi Xiao, the male and female pair, began to spread among the demons of Cangya Mountain and would soon reach all the demons in Guangling County.


    ……


    Qin Yun and Yi Xiao were quickly making their way down the mountain together.


    "Yi Xiao, I see you''re not interested in the tiger’s claw, but this big axe is a fine weapon," Qin Yun said. "Once we get back to Guangling County, we can split the axe in half."


    Qin Yun had already set his sights on this great axe.


    It was an invaluable treasure for cultivating his personal flying sword. Weighing a staggering 1,800 jin and made mostly of precious materials like metal, it was perfect for absorbing into his flying sword. Along with the Cold Essence Spiritual Liquid he had previously acquired... his personal flying sword now had a real chance of reaching the level of a seventh-grade magic weapon after being refined. Though, he wouldn''t need all of it—1,800 jin was too much for him.


    "Split it in half?" Yi Xiao glanced at it and smiled. "No need."


    "No need?" Qin Yun was taken aback.


    As a top-tier sect disciple, she wasn’t interested in such treasures?


    "I am a disciple of the Yi Clan of Kunlun Prefecture, and I don''t lack treasures," Yi Xiao explained.


    Qin Yun was startled upon hearing this.


    Even if Yi Xiao was a disciple of a holy land, it wouldn’t be unusual. After all, holy lands were fair and wouldn’t pour all their resources into just one disciple.


    But the Yi Clan of Kunlun Prefecture was different! It was one of the wealthiest and most powerful clans in the world, and even having one member of the younger generation enter a holy land was considered extraordinary. Having two was simply lucky. Such a family naturally provided immense resources and support to their descendants.


    The Yi Clan’s power in Kunlun Prefecture was nearly unmatched, and they had even received imperial titles as foreign kings.


    "Kunlun Prefecture’s Yi Clan?" Qin Yun laughed and looked at Yi Xiao. "Alright then, I’ll shamelessly accept it. But hearing that you''re from Kunlun Prefecture’s Yi Clan really surprised me."


    "Why, Qin Yun? You can remain calm even in the face of life and death, but now you’re surprised?" Yi Xiao teased, glancing at Qin Yun.


    Yi Xiao''s playful look made Qin Yun’s heart flutter.


    "I’m just surprised," Qin Yun said, calming himself.


    At the foot of Cangya Mountain.


    The county magistrate and his entourage of hundreds were waiting here. Even the county magistrate himself had gotten off his carriage and was anxiously gazing at the distant mountain range.


    The county magistrate stood for a moment, swaying slightly. His age was catching up with him.


    "Father, please go inside the carriage and wait," Wen Chong said, supporting his father.


    "It’s fine."


    The county magistrate raised his head and silently gazed ahead.


    If Qin Yun and Yi Xiao failed and died, both the Shenxiao Sect and the Yi Clan of Kunlun Prefecture would not easily let it go.


    And, most importantly, there was the spiritual fruit that could extend his life by twenty years...


    "Someone’s coming!" Captain Fang suddenly said.


    "Who? Qin Yun and Yi Xiao are coming down?" The county magistrate quickly walked over.


    Captain Fang, being a high-level cultivator in the Xiantian Void Dan realm, could clearly see from a distance that someone was hurrying down the mountain. It was Jia Huairen, his clothes torn and looking disheveled.


    Jia Huairen was panicked, his mind still filled with


    the image of Qin Yun battling the White Tiger Demon and the hundreds of demons chasing them, while Uncle Qian desperately tried to block them. While escaping, Jia Huairen had seen many demons rushing toward Misty Lake Gorge, making loud movements. Though careful, he managed to escape.


    But during his journey, he had still fought twice—killing one demon and wounding another. Since the demons had all been rushing toward Misty Lake Gorge, no one had specifically targeted him.


    "Get out of here, get out of Cangya Mountain." Jia Huairen’s sole thought was to escape this terrifying den of demons.


    He jumped down, landing on a large rock, then leaped three more times until he reached the base of the mountain. From there, he could see a large group of people, including the county magistrate, Wen Chong, Captain Fang, and others, all staring at him.


    "County Magistrate!" Jia Huairen felt a wave of relief. Finally, he was safe! But then, he became anxious again, as he was the only one who had escaped.


    Captain Fang shouted, "Jia Huairen, hurry over here."


    Jia Huairen didn’t hesitate and rushed over.


    "Greetings, County Magistrate, Captain Fang." Jia Huairen quickly bowed.


    The county magistrate looked at Jia Huairen, who was ragged and covered in dirt. "You’re the only one who made it out? Where are Qin Yun and Yi Xiao? What about your demon servants?"