Chapter 21: The Ring Grandma’s Peculiar Catchphrase

The White Tiger Mystic Lord was stunned.

She had only just settled down to rest inside the ring’s space, and before long the commotion outside jolted her awake.

Still half-drowsy, she swept her divine sense outward—only to jolt nearly wide awake.

Somehow, outside there was a whole crowd of people, their killing intent unrestrained, all directed straight at Luo Jiutian.

Startled, the White Tiger Mystic Lord leapt out of the ring’s space.

“Brat, what on earth have you done? How did you manage to provoke so many enemies at once?”

Her reaction wasn’t without reason.

When she first met Luo Jiutian, she had probed him and found his aptitude mediocre, without any special physique. At best, if thrown into some sect, he might muddle along as an outer disciple.

But now, with only a late Foundation Establishment cultivation, facing so many opponents of equal strength, the situation was nothing short of ten deaths, no life.

Luo Jiutian, who had been in a tense standoff with his foes, caught sight of her out of the corner of his eye and froze.

At the moment, she stood with her arms folded, no overt anger in her expression, yet her presence pressed like a mountain—not at all someone to be trifled with.

Luo Jiutian was dumbfounded.
“Senior, why did you come out?”

He glanced toward Luo Chen and the others, but their expressions hadn’t changed in the slightest—as if they hadn’t noticed the White Tiger Mystic Lord at all.

“Stop looking.”
Her sharp eyes pinned him.
“To all but the ring’s master, thou shalt not perceive me.”

Luo Jiutian sent a hurried voice transmission:
“Senior, can you maybe not use words like ‘thou’ and ‘shalt’? It… sounds really awkward.”

Her brows furrowed.
“Brat, you find my speech archaic? Would you like me to change my tongue?”

“No, it’s just… it feels a little out of place.”

“Mere mortal parlance is unworthy of me.”

“…Senior is right.”

“Hmph.”

Though her tone was fierce, she wasn’t truly angry.

She retracted her gaze, her expression turning solemn.
“Enough nonsense. My soul is still unstable. If I force myself to act now, not only will I fail to aid you, I may very well scatter on the spot.”

Luo Jiutian nodded outwardly, but inside remained calm.

In truth, this scene wasn’t a real problem for him.

If it truly came to blows, he was confident he could deal with them all within the span of a stick of incense.

Even Luo Chen—at worst he’d just take a bit more effort.

But the real issue wasn’t can I win—it was it worth it.

If the fight got too big, cleaning up afterward would be extremely troublesome.

And more importantly, he still hadn’t drained Luo Chen’s fortune value. If he killed him outright, that would be a massive loss.

What he needed was a way to remove these pests without leaving traces, avoid having suspicion fall on him, and ideally even dump the blame back on Luo Chen.

That required the right opportunity.

Just as Luo Jiutian pondered, the White Tiger Mystic Lord’s voice rang in his mind:
“Brat, southwest lies a Misty Forest. Within, both sight and divine sense are hindered. With my guidance, you can easily shake them off.”

His eyes flickered.

Across from him, Luo Chen grew cold-faced.
“What’s wrong, Brother Jiutian? Still haven’t thought it through? Don’t tell me you believe stalling will save you?”

Su Xinyuan gave a mocking laugh.
“Don’t tell me he’s scared stiff already?”

Several Luo clan disciples followed up:
“What are you waiting for? The Young Master is giving you a chance—be grateful!”

“Don’t think anyone can protect you. If you don’t wise up today, the consequences are on your own head!”

The chain of jeers and threats only wound the tension tighter.

Luo Jiutian stared at them, White Tiger Mystic Lords and Li Zhongjie’s words flashing through his mind—then suddenly, inspiration struck.

Wasn’t this the perfect opening?

In that instant, a flawless plan unfurled in his head.

Luo Jiutian secretly sent a message:
“Senior, guide me.”

Without hesitation, he stepped down hard, his figure flickering—and in a blink, he shot away.

“Stop him!” Luo Chen was the first to react, bellowing sharply.

He surged with full force, chasing after.

Su Zimo, Su Xinyuan, and the others all launched skyward in pursuit.

But Luo Jiutian’s speed shattered their expectations.

One moment he was before them—
The next instant, he had flashed dozens of zhang away.

They hadn’t even seen how he moved; their eyes merely blurred, and he was gone.

“H-how—”

“What kind of explosive speed is that?!”

The farther they chased, the more shocked they grew.

In their minds, even if Luo Jiutian could beat Luo Chen one-on-one, against so many equals, he couldn’t possibly stir up much trouble.

But what they were witnessing now shattered all of those assumptions.

Su Zimo’s brows are knitted tight.
A strange unease welled in his chest.

It felt like… he’d provoked someone he absolutely shouldn’t have.

But quickly, he dismissed the thought.

No matter how strong one man was, he had limits.

If Luo Jiutian truly could face them all, why would he flee?

Forcing himself not to dwell on it, Su Zimo pushed his speed faster.

On the other side, the White Tiger Mystic Lord herself was astonished.

At first she had chosen this boy because he had once shown her kindness, and his temperament was steady.

As for his actual strength, she hadn’t placed much hope—after all, she had long since probed him.

But now, clearly, she had underestimated him.

“Brat.” She couldn’t resist asking, “This footwork of yours… where did it come from?”

Still racing forward, Luo Jiutian replied curtly, “An old friend taught me.”

She gave a quiet snort, not pressing further.

Such a movement technique wasn’t something just anyone could teach, much less anyone could master.

Since he didn’t wish to say, she wouldn’t force it.

Before long, the trees ahead thickened, mist curling low, until a natural wall of heavy fog loomed before them.

“We’ve arrived.” the White Tiger Mystic Lord reminded, “This is the Misty Forest.”

Luo Jiutian nodded, not slowing, plunging straight in.

The mist swirled, swallowing his figure whole, leaving only silence behind.

Moments later, his pursuers arrived.

They gathered at the forest’s edge, staring into the fog-shrouded woods, hesitant.

“This place—Misty Forest, right? I heard once inside, the divine sense is useless.”

“If he hides in there, we’ll have a hard time finding him.”

“The problem is, if we go in and scatter, what if Luo Jiutian picks us off one by one?”

“But if we don’t go, and he escapes, what then?”

Just a few exchanges, and division spread through the group, their faces uneasy.

Luo Yuanshan and Luo Yan stood quietly at the back, still saying nothing.

Su Zimo closed his folding fan, staring at the fog with growing heaviness.

In the center, Su Xinyuan’s gaze turned to Luo Chen, faint expectation in her eyes.

Gradually, everyone’s eyes settled on him.

The whole group fell silent—wordlessly handing him the right to decide.

Under their gaze, Luo Chen slowly lifted his head.

That feeling—of being relied on, of commanding the situation—filled him with a swelling satisfaction.

He stepped forward, raising his hand in a calm gesture of reassurance, as if to say everything was firmly under his control…