Chapter 43: The First Miracle Beyond Qingshui Village

“A dragon?!”

Yan Xiongsha felt his soul and body freeze the instant he saw the white dragon on the ground.

In a flash, he forcibly suppressed his mind, ignoring everything else, only wanting to take advantage of the fact that the white dragon hadn’t spotted him yet to flee and hide.

He lunged toward a farmhouse, but in mid-air, his body froze and became immobile, leaving Yan Xiongsha to stare forward in terror.

He watched as the villagers, who had been filled with extreme panic moments ago, looked up at the sky with joy and surprise.

“Run!”

The remaining bandits before Qing Qishan lost their minds, running backward like madmen.

However, one after another, they followed in Yan Xiongsha’s footsteps, their bodies stiffening and unable to move a muscle.

Thud, thud, thud.

Subsequently, their bodies collapsed to the ground one after another.

And the villagers of Hongtian Village looked up at the sky, watching the white dragon soaring in the air.

They fell to their knees one after another, unable to contain their joy.

“The Dragon God has manifested! The Dragon God truly has manifested!”

“Thank you, Lord Dragon, for saving our lives!”

Some emotionally overwhelmed villagers couldn’t restrain themselves, weeping aloud.

“There really is a dragon,” Qing Hongxiu covered her mouth.

“A dragon! A dragon! A dragon!” Her two children charged out of the house, pointing at the dragon in the sky and shouting.

Qing Hongxiu hurried forward, grabbing them and pulling them down to kowtow to the white dragon above.

“Your Highness, the Dragon God,” Qing Qishan bowed respectfully, paying homage to the white dragon in the sky.

In truth, the shock in his heart was no less than that of the villagers of Hongtian Village.

He hadn’t been certain whether he could truly invoke the Dragon God, feeling extremely anxious earlier—what if His Highness didn’t appear?

Yet in the end, the Dragon God had truly manifested.

In that instant, the emotion and invigoration in his heart made his soul tremble.

The Dragon God was truly willing to protect His believers, and as He had promised, He was willing to protect all living beings and all things.

In that instant, Qing Qishan gained a deeply etched realization of the Dragon God’s teachings.

He suddenly felt that spreading the Dragon God’s teachings was a sacred task, and being able to join it made him feel immensely honored.

Qing Qishan prayed devoutly to the white dragon in the sky, and in that moment, his entire aura became completely different.

Previously, he had been somewhat lost regarding the promotion of the dragon’s teachings; he had done it because the priest had instructed them to, and he had simply felt it was his duty.

But in this moment, he finally understood why he needed to do it, and the significance it carried, now truly wanting to do it from the bottom of his heart.

A massive sense of mission erupted from the depths of Qing Qishan’s heart, and he wanted to travel to every place he could reach to spread the Dragon God’s teachings, offering help to all who needed it.

Thud.

Just then, a heavy object tumbled before Qing Qishan; it was Yan Xiongsha. All the other bandits were dead, with only him remaining alive.

Qing Qishan’s mind gained a sudden realization, understanding why His Highness had spared this man.

At this moment, he looked back at the sky, finding that the white dragon’s figure had already begun to gradually dissipate.

Qing Qishan quickly shouted to the white dragon in the sky, “Your Highness, another group of bandits is currently heading toward Qingshui Village! Please warn the Temple Priest!”

The white dragon nodded, then completely transformed into a brilliant white light and vanished into the sky.

“Your Highness, please do not leave!”

The villagers of Hongtian Village were thrown into panic, calling out loudly.

They still had many matters to ask for the Dragon God’s help with, needing His Highness to protect them.

However, no matter how they called out, the white dragon’s silhouette ultimately vanished completely.

“Villagers of Hongtian Village,” Qing Qishan’s grand voice echoed over the village, “His Highness the Dragon God currently resides in Qingshui Village, and His temple stands at the entrance of our village. If you wish to pay homage to the Qingshui Dragon God, you may visit Qingshui Village at any time.”

“For now, please do not panic; treat the injured villagers first,” Qing Qishan said loudly.

This was what the priest had taught them: spreading the dragon’s teachings was important, but saving lives came first, and in this moment, he gained an even deeper realization of those words.

With Qing Qishan’s assistance, the people of Hongtian Village quickly set to work.

Fortunately, because Qing Qishan had charged out immediately when the bandits attacked, the villagers had either hidden inside their houses or taken cover in dark places without being discovered.

And the bandits’ priority hadn’t been killing, but rather blocking the entrances of the village to prevent escape, and since they intended to plunder everything, they hadn’t set fire to the village.

Because of this, only a few villagers had been injured by blades, with no casualties.

Everyone was overjoyed; had it not been for Qing Qishan, no one knew what would have happened this time.

While Qing Qishan was assisting the people of Hongtian Village, Xi Yu opened his eyes in the Qingshui Dragon God Temple on the other side.

[Fate Connection: +3,122]

Xi Yu’s eyes turned bright red; the value had increased by so much all at once this time.

However, Xi Yu felt at ease now; it seemed saving lives was indeed effective, which gave him rapid confidence.

Only, now a group of bandits wanted to attack Qingshui Village.

Xi Yu pondered for a moment; with Hongtian Village and Qingshui Village under attack simultaneously, it seemed the bandits’ target was quite large.

Shaking his head, he began to notify Qing Li.

Qingshui Village wasn’t far from the Dragon God Temple currently, and with his current power, he could notify the village without transforming into the white dragon.

***

Qing Li’s family hadn’t slept yet.

When Qing Qishan’s group left the village, they had been somewhat worried, and their mental state was currently quite good, leaving them with no desire to sleep.

Furthermore, no one could bear to light a lamp, so the family sat in the dark talking.

Calling it dark wasn’t entirely accurate; usually, at this hour, it would be pitch black. But now, although things still appeared somewhat unclear, they could see each other’s positions clearly, and even where items were placed in the house.

This made them feel even more moved by the dragon’s power bestowed upon them.

Just then, a voice drifted into the ears of Qing Li and his family.

“A group of bandits is approaching. Village Head Qing Li, please lead the villagers to prepare defenses.”

“Is that… the Temple Priest’s voice?” Qing Li and his family exclaimed in surprise.

“It is the Temple Priest,” Qing Li said quickly.

Hearing that bandits were about to appear, his heart leaped, and his family grew tense as well—a long-standing, instinctive reaction.

However, sensing the fierce power within his body, Qing Li quickly came to his senses.

Currently, he felt he could kill an ox with a single punch, and he wondered if the bandits’ bodies were durable enough. And it wasn’t just him; the entire village was this powerful now.

He couldn’t help but feel that these bandits coming to raid their village had lost their minds!

Suddenly, a surge of excitement and anticipation welled up in Qing Li’s heart. He stood up quickly and said to his family, “Go notify everyone in the village to prepare!”

“Understood, Father!”

Qing Li’s three sons rushed out of the house.

In truth, there was no need for them to shout; many in the village had heard Xi Yu’s words and had already gotten out of bed.

Hardly anyone was sleeping at this hour, and everyone rushed out.

Compared to the older generation who harbored dread toward bandits, the teenagers aged thirteen or fourteen were fearless like newborn calves. Thinking that the Dragon God was right beside them, and that every one of them had been blessed by His Highness, they felt no fear whatsoever.

Thus, they excitedly looked for tools in their homes; some picked up large stones outside their doors, while others grabbed massive logs meant for firewood. To them, these items were no different from toys now.

In no time, the villagers gathered near the entrance of the village.

“Where are the bandits?” the young boys looked outside the village with excitement.

A few young girls followed behind them, some carrying baskets to gather stones along the way, while others held large stones like the boys. The grandparents of the village had also come out, but after searching for a long time, they couldn’t find anything suitable, as the stones had all been gathered by the children.

Although no torches were lit, the villagers could see most things in the dark clearly.

Currently, the wilderness outside was empty.

“What’s the rush?” Qing Li looked at their eager expressions, his face darkening. They were acting so reckless; fortunately, the Lord Dragon was right here, otherwise they would surely suffer in the future.

“The Temple Priest surely received a warning from His Highness. The bandits are likely on the road right now, and it’ll take a while for them to arrive. We just need to wait,” he hid the two round stones in his hands without showing a trace.

“We’ll split into two groups: one group will guard the Dragon God Temple so they don’t disturb the deity, and the other group will guard the village entrance so they don’t ruin the village,” Qing Li said softly. “When you see them, throw stones at them from a distance. Don’t harbor any reservations, and don’t charge over. Blades have no eyes, and if anyone acts stupidly, I’ll beat him to death upon my return.”

“Yes!” the villagers responded with excitement.

Qing Li selected thirty-odd villagers to remain in the village and then hurried to the Dragon God Temple, with someone pulling up an arm-thick small tree along the way.

***

“Temple Priest.”

Xi Yu was waiting for them at the entrance, and Qing Li and his men bowed quickly upon seeing him.

“Come in and wait. They still have a while before they arrive,” Xi Yu invited them inside.

He attached significant importance to this matter; it was, after all, their first battle since he arrived in Qingshui Village. He didn’t plan on intervening in this battle, letting the villagers handle it themselves, which would serve to build their confidence.

To be safe, he used the white dragon’s power to monitor the bandits continuously.

Thus, every once in a while, he reported the bandits’ location, keeping all the villagers informed.

However, the bandits were far too slow, dragging their feet until close to midnight to reach Qingshui Village, which made the villagers somewhat impatient.

‘With this kind of efficiency, they actually dare to be bandits?’

Thus, taking advantage of this time, the villagers gathered all the stones they could find in the village, giving each person enough to throw dozens of times.

Regardless of their generation, everyone had a pile of stones beside their hands.

Even several eight- or nine-year-old children were the same.

When Xi Yu gave his final notification, the villagers saw a long line of torches approaching Qingshui Village from afar, and everyone immediately began to prepare.

To secure an advantageous position, many villagers simply climbed onto the trees near the village entrance.

Qing Shuishi was a clever little fellow, slipping out of the village quietly while no one was paying attention. But he didn’t dare climb a tree, fearing his parents would discover him, so he hid behind a large stone.

Currently, a dozen stones were placed behind him as well.

Although he was small, he already knew what bandits were—villains who killed and burned—and one could absolutely not show mercy to such villains.

“Men, Qingshui Village is just ahead! Charge! Leave no one alive today, and we’ll sleep in the village later!” a haughty voice roared.

They had rested on the road earlier specifically to save their strength for killing, and at this hour, the villagers of Qingshui Village would surely be asleep, allowing them to catch them completely off guard. With that, he led the bandits toward the village on the mountain.

“Kill!” The bandits lacked sufficient grain and were currently starving, waiting to slaughter everyone in Qingshui Village before cooking on the mountain.

However, halfway through their charge, the bandits noticed something was off; they faintly saw a colossal building.

Drawing closer, they realized the building was actually a colossal stone palace.

This kind of house wasn’t something ordinary farmers could afford to build.

They hadn’t heard of Qingshui Village having such a wealthy family.

However, they had no time to think further, directly sending a portion of their men to charge over. Many of them smiled wide, believing they had caught a fat sheep.

***

“Villagers, throw them for me!”

At the village entrance, seeing the bandits approaching, Qing Li’s eldest son felt a surge of excitement. Seeing the bandits were only a hundred steps away, he roared and threw a stone at one of them.

They could see clearly in the dark, and since the bandits were all carrying torches, they were exceptionally prominent targets; he was confident he wouldn’t miss.

Thud.

Then he missed, hitting the arm of the bandit behind his intended target.

“Ahhh!” A shrill wail soared into the sky.

And this sound triggered a chain reaction, as a rain of stones pelted down upon the bandits, and screams erupted in a chorus.

The bandits of the Lihu Stronghold hadn’t expected such a sudden turn of events, leaving them stunned.

Many bandits watched as the person beside them was struck by a flying stone, their flesh instantly exploding. Some fell to the ground, motionless, while others clutched their arms or legs, shrieking in agony.

Although the stones lacked precision, there were simply too many of them.

Almost every bandit was hit, and in an instant, the remaining bandits lost their minds with terror, fleeing like madmen. Yet they hadn’t even seen the shadow of their enemy; the area ahead was pitch black, and they had no idea where they were hiding.

One bandit scrambled forward, hiding behind a large stone, which indeed allowed him to avoid the stones.

To his surprise, a small child was hidden behind the stone.

The bandit was overjoyed, feeling that heaven never sealed all ways out; as long as he captured this child and used him to threaten Qingshui Village, he would surely survive.

‘Dammit!’

He cursed in his heart—what on earth was going on? Qingshui Village seemed completely prepared, and most terrifyingly, their strength was horrific; to throw such heavy stones from so far away, were they even human? It felt more terrifying than bows and arrows.

Once he escaped this time, he would stay far away, never returning to this terrifying place.

With that thought, he reached out to grab the child.

Then he saw the child pick up a stone from behind him, smashing it toward his head.

The bandit instinctively raised his hand to block, inwardly mocking himself—how strong could a small child be?

Thud.

Then he clutched his crotch, letting out a shrill shriek.

Qing Shuishi had been terrified; he had intended to hit the bandit’s stomach, but because he was small, his aim had been off, striking the wrong spot.

Seeing the bandit’s state, he thought he had killed the man, and scared out of his wits, he ran back to the village crying.

Upon returning to the village, he was caught and given a thorough beating by his terrified father.

Still, the little fellow had done well, single-handedly resolving a bandit, even if the bandit’s end was quite tragic.

The effect of the stone attack was overwhelming, and the bandits charging up the mountain were completely wiped out.

***

On the other side, the bandits charging into the Qingshui Dragon God Temple fared much better.

Qing Li and his men didn’t dare soil the temple, so they didn’t use heavy force; the villager who had brought the small tree swept it through their ranks.

In no time, the bandits lay on the ground wailing.

They looked in terror at the man holding the small tree, unable to imagine that tiny Qingshui Village harbored such a terrifying figure—this was on the level of a god of war in the army; who could withstand him?

What kind of place was this, to harbor such a powerful individual?

Resolving these bandits so easily left Qing Li and his men unable to believe it.

Since when were bandits so fragile?

“You can question them later about the location of their stronghold; perhaps we can harvest a batch of grain,” Xi Yu walked out from the side hall, looking at Qing Li and his men with a smile.

“Temple Priest.” Qing Li and the others bowed quickly, their eyes brightening.

They had never considered Xi Yu’s idea, but thinking about it now, it seemed entirely feasible.

“Temple Priest, should we report this to the government?” a villager couldn’t help but ask.

“You decide for yourselves,” Xi Yu waved his hand, returning to the side hall.

“We won’t report it,” Qing Li pondered for a moment, then said coldly.

If they had connections in the court, reporting this might yield rewards, but without connections, it would only bring trouble. Although they were protected by the Lord Dragon now, avoiding unnecessary trouble was better, as lives had been lost, after all.

As long as the matter didn’t leave Qingshui Village, no one would ever know.

“Pass the order: no one is permitted to speak of tonight’s events,” Qing Li said solemnly.

“Yes, Village Head.”

Qing Li then looked at the bandits on the ground, his eyes gleaming.

“Bring them back to the village first, and then have the village clean up the bodies at the entrance overnight,” Qing Li’s lips bore a cold smile.

***

On the other side, the people of Hongtian Village acted almost identically to Qingshui Village.

They all thought that avoiding trouble was best; otherwise, reporting the matter might bring endless disasters.

The people of Hongtian Village dug a deep pit overnight and buried all the bodies.

Only the Grand Leader of the Lihu Stronghold remained alive.

He was temporarily imprisoned in the village, having lost all ability to resist after being captured by the Lord Dragon.

Qing Qishan stayed in Hongtian Village for the night.

The village arranged a quiet house for him.

Early the next morning, the villagers came to invite Qing Qishan to breakfast.

There were eggs and thick porridge, and Qing Qishan didn’t stand on ceremony, eating every bit.

“Qishan, can you tell us about the Lord Dragon today?” the village head of Hongtian Village led the villagers, looking at Qing Qishan expectantly.

The entire Hongtian Village hadn’t been able to calm down all night; many hadn’t slept at all, eager to see Qing Qishan early in the morning.

“Of course. The Lord Dragon’s teaching is to save all beings and all things; I intended to spread His name so everyone can receive His protection,” Qing Qishan said solemnly.

His words instantly filled everyone in Hongtian Village with deep respect.

“Everyone, the Lord Dragon is a true deity; He loves all living beings, and anyone free of sin can become His believer. And becoming a believer of the Lord Dragon guarantees His protection and His blessing,” Qing Qishan said with a grand voice.

“Everyone knows that in our Qingshui Village, every single person is protected by the Lord Dragon, and almost every single person has received His blessing. Currently, we all possess the dragon power bestowed by the Lord Dragon, not only enjoying health, but possessing extraordinary power. Everyone, please look.”

With that, Qing Qishan held a nearby table with one hand, and then pressed his other thumb gently against it.

Sibilance—

In an instant, the people of Hongtian Village were stunned as they watched a thumb imprint visibly form on the wooden table.

“Brother Qishan, please introduce us! We want to become believers of the Lord Dragon!” the villagers of Hongtian Village asked eagerly.

“Everyone, do not be in a rush. Since you’ve already seen the Lord Dragon’s true form, becoming His believer merely requires sincerity in your heart; no introduction from me is needed. But if your heart lacks sincerity, no amount of smooth talk will work,” Qing Qishan smiled.

“And if you wish to visit Qingshui Village to pay homage to the Lord Dragon, you may travel there freely, though the Lord Dragon prefers quiet, so if there is no business, it is best not to disturb Him.”

“If you encounter trouble in the future, or see other innocent people in danger, you may call upon the Lord Dragon for protection. Today, I shall teach you how to invoke the Dragon God, and whether you can become His believer can be tested in the future. If you successfully invoke the Lord Dragon in the future, you may also spread His teachings to others, and doing so will surely earn you His blessing.”

Straightaway, Qing Qishan tirelessly taught the method of invoking the Dragon God to the villagers of Hongtian Village.

Seeing that most people had learned it, he didn’t delay further, picking up Yan Xiongsha and taking his leave.

“Everyone, no need to see me off; I have one final word for you. If you become true believers, you may receive the dragon power bestowed by the Lord Dragon in the future. But if you possess divine power, you must absolutely not use it to cause chaos under the heavens. Otherwise, you will surely be rejected by the Dragon God, and regret will be too late then; I hope you all act wisely.”

With that, Qing Qishan’s figure vanished from everyone’s view.

“Qishan is no longer an ordinary man,” the village head of Hongtian Village couldn’t help but sigh upon seeing this.

“Village Head, are we still going to Qingshui Village to pay homage to the Lord Dragon?” a villager asked.

“Of course we are going,” the village head looked forward expectantly. “We are facing a drought currently, and I thought our crops wouldn’t survive, leading to famine. Now that the Dragon God has manifested, He might be our only hope of survival. We shall head to the Qingshui Dragon God Temple to pay homage, begging Him to save us.”

With his declaration, half of Hongtian Village went wild.

To demonstrate their sincerity, at least a third of the village prepared to travel to Qingshui Village. Fortunately, Qingshui Village wasn’t far, and since bandits had attacked last night, they felt traveling in a large group was safer.

Qing Hongxiu was also able to take this opportunity to visit her family.

Thus, a procession of over a hundred people prepared and set out for Qingshui Village immediately, so they could return by afternoon.

***

Eager to travel, Qing Hongxiu gritted her teeth along the way, finally arriving at Qingshui Village before noon.

Rounding a mountain pass, a colossal, magnificent stone palace appeared before them.

The people of Hongtian Village were stunned—this was the Qingshui Dragon God Temple.

A sense of reverence rose in their hearts, and for a moment, no one dared step inside. With anxious excitement, they sent word to invite Qing Li down the mountain, and under his guidance, they met the temple priest Xi Yu before paying homage to the Qingshui Dragon God.

Subsequently, the people of Hongtian Village boldly requested rain from the Dragon God.

“Praying for rain again?” Xi Yu couldn’t help but be surprised.

He had received more than one request for rain today.

The fifteen people who had departed with Qing Qishan each had their own harvests today, but they all faced one problem: water scarcity everywhere. The people in other places were half-doubting, but still hoped the Dragon God would manifest to grant rain and offer them hope of survival.

Xi Yu attached significant importance to this matter; regardless of the Fate Connection value, he couldn’t remain indifferent when lives were at stake.

The people of Hongtian Village prayed before the Dragon God for a long time, but the Dragon God showed no manifestation, causing their hearts to sink.

However, Xi Yu stepped forward and said, “His Highness the Dragon God already knows of this matter, and currently He has traveled across the land to inspect the drought. You need not worry, and please return home first. Within three days, the Dragon God will surely respond.”

“Yes,” the people of Hongtian Village looked at each other, and after paying respects to the statue, they bowed to Xi Yu and departed with anxiety.

Whether the Dragon God would grant rain was unknown.

Now they could only wait for three days to pass.

***

“Village Head Qing Li.”

Once they departed, Xi Yu called Qing Li over. “The Dragon God Temple will not receive guests for these three days. I am about to assist the Lord Dragon in inspecting the drought across various regions. I will return in three days; please look after things here.”

“Yes, Temple Priest,” Qing Li responded respectfully.

His heart was deeply shaken; the priest could actually assist the Lord Dragon, so how powerful must his supernatural abilities be? Their priest was indeed extraordinary.

Once everyone left, Xi Yu closed the gates of the Dragon God Temple.

Then, he pondered the matter of the drought seriously.

Initially, when Qingshui Village prayed for rain, he hadn’t thought much of it, but now both Hongtian Village and other locations were requesting rain, letting him know that the water scarcity was not limited to one area, but covered a vast region.

He knew very well the severity of this issue.

Once water scarcity caused drought, it would likely lead to massive loss of life.

Only, he currently didn’t know the full extent of this drought, nor what caused it. If it was natural, it would be fine, but if it was caused by external forces, it would be difficult to resolve. Xi Yu didn’t plan on delaying, intending to see for himself.

Since he knew of this matter, he would do his best.

Subsequently, Xi Yu transformed into the small white dragon and soared into the sky.

This time, his size was very small, making it difficult for anyone to notice him.

Xi Yu first circled the region centered around Qingshui Village, finding that water scarcity extended far beyond their area.

Almost all ponds and rivers had completely dried up.

He continued to fly further out, growing increasingly shocked as he flew.

The drought was far more severe than he imagined; after flying for an entire hour, the area affected by the drought still hadn’t ended. Aside from a few major lakes, almost all riverbeds had cracked completely. Some areas had even formed refugee tides; not only did they lack water for crops, but they lacked even drinking water.

It was foreseeable that if this continued, a disaster wave affecting countless areas was about to erupt.

***

Finally, Xi Yu flew to the east before stopping; further ahead was the area occupied by the giant black tree, which was also where the largest ocean of this bowl-shaped world lay.

Currently, Xi Yu was certain that this drought was absolutely not natural.

He discovered that the water vapor in the atmosphere was far too low, making it difficult for a rainstorm to fall with such moisture levels.

However, the moisture seemed to be restricted above the ocean, depriving the natural water cycle of flow.

This made Xi Yu ponder: why did his region happen to lack a powerful existence like the giant black tree?

Across the entire bowl-shaped world, his current region corresponded to the northwest.

Other places had obvious powerful existences, yet this area seemed unexceptional, which was somewhat peculiar.

Looking at it now, there had to be some secret he didn’t know.

Could the powerful existence of this region be concealing its aura intentionally? Or was the current drought related to it?

He didn’t dwell on it further, nor did he continue flying toward the ocean surface.

Instead, he turned and flew toward the west.

After flying for a while, he stopped, discovering a battle occurring below.

Flying along the way, Xi Yu had realized that although his region lacked terrifying existences like the giant black tree, it held many entities possessing supernatural power.

Only, the vast majority were below A-class; he hadn’t encountered a single A-class expert yet.

The combat system of this world was completely different from Kun Star’s, and entirely unlike the Food Sequence system.

The cultivation system here actually closely resembled the sword immortal system from ancient Middle Continent legends.

Seeing the battle, Xi Yu stopped, drawing a cloud to conceal himself before approaching the combatants.

The two opposing sides had no intention of communicating, using extremely powerful attacks to take each other’s lives.

Both sides were human, and their strength was far from weak—both were B-class equivalents, flying through the air.

One side held only three people, wearing gray robes and carrying strange auras that felt somewhat familiar to Xi Yu. He quickly realized their aura was somewhat similar to the giant black tree he had fought earlier.

The other side held seven people—three men and four women—all young.

They operated flying swords from Middle Continent legends, attacking the three gray-robed men.

Seven sword lights crossed paths with fierce killing intent, filling the atmosphere with a sharp pressure.

However, the three gray-robed men held bizarre weapons that blocked all seven flying swords, even suppressing the aura of the seven young cultivators.

Although the young cultivators appeared to have a stronger presence, they were actually at a disadvantage.

Currently, several young cultivators were sweating, clearly suffering.

Clang.

At that moment, a blue-robed youth paused, and the flying sword he was controlling to strike a gray-robed man slowed down instantly.

The gray-robed man was overjoyed, chanting under his breath, and the next moment, he slapped his wooden bucket weapon, shouting at the youth’s sword, “Absorb!”

A black light surged from the bucket, coiling toward the flying sword.

The youth wanted to control his sword to dodge, but was too late.

The other six young cultivators moved to support the blue-robed youth upon seeing this, but were intercepted by the remaining two gray-robed men.

Psh.

The black light struck the flying sword, and the blue-robed youth shivered, his face turning pale. Ultimately, his sword lost control and was dragged into the wooden bucket by the black light.

BOOM.

Just then, the white-robed youth leading the group grabbed a purple jade pendant on his chest, and in an instant, a powerful force radiated outward from him.

Not only were the three gray-robed men forced back, but the other young cultivators and their flying swords were also carried backward.

The sword caught in the black light fell toward the ground under the impact.

“Junior brothers and sisters, leave quickly! Report to our master and uncles!”

Suddenly, that powerful force flowed back into the youth’s body, surging his aura several-fold in an instant, making him approach A-class.

“Senior Brother!” the young cultivators wept in the distance.

“Do not act like children!” the white-robed youth barked.

He reached out to catch the blue-robed youth’s sword, then waved his hand backward, sending a powerful force that carried the other six away. Ultimately, they looked at him, gritted their teeth, and fled rapidly.

“Die!”

The next moment, the white-robed youth didn’t look at them, slashing his sword toward the three gray-robed men. At this moment, his flying sword expanded more than threefold, its power alarming the gray-robed men.

“Move back first; his power boost won’t last long!” a gray-robed man finally spoke.

Then they scattered.

Two of the gray-robed men wanted to bypass him to pursue the others.

The youth’s sword missed, but the next moment, his sword split into two, slashing toward the two gray-robed men. This time, the flying swords moved with incredible speed, forcing the two to block head-on.

Thud.

A massive sonic boom echoed, and the two gray-robed men were forced back, appearing highly disheveled.

The youth’s face turned pale, blood seeping from his lips. Unfortunately, his power boost duration was limited, and his junior brothers and sisters couldn’t do the same, otherwise they might have been able to kill the three Golden Core cultivators of the Black Spirit Cult together.

Now, Jiang Shaomu could only fight to the death to create an opportunity for his junior brothers and sisters to escape safely.

He attacked the two gray-robed men frantically, ignoring everything else.

The final gray-robed man stood in the distance, showing no intention of helping.

Currently, Jiang Shaomu was in a state of frantic desperation, and anyone who stepped forward might be targeted with his full power; if he fought to the death, they might actually be dragged down with him.

Just then, one of the two gray-robed men slammed his wooden staff weapon against the flying sword, and as the sword trembled, he broke away.

He didn’t dare pursue the others now, as he had sensed Jiang Shaomu holding back earlier; had he pursued, Jiang Shaomu wouldn’t have minded switching his target to him.

In the end, only the gray-robed man with the wooden bucket was left to face Jiang Shaomu’s attacks alone.

Originally, Jiang Shaomu had been able to suppress two gray-robed men, and now that one had disengaged, his attacks grew increasingly sharp, two flying swords slashing at the bucket-holding man frantically.

Black light shot from the bucket again and again, wanting to block the swords.

However, the light grew increasingly dim.

“Dammit, help me!” the gray-robed man panicked, roaring at the two onlookers.

The two gray-robed men didn’t hesitate further, throwing their weapons at Jiang Shaomu.

Jiang Shaomu’s eyes filled with ferocity.

BOOM.

With a loud rumble, one of his flying swords exploded.

In an instant, an attack approaching the Nascent Soul level engulfed the bucket-holding man. The man tried his best to protect himself, wanting to escape the aftermath, but the next moment he felt his soul dissipate as a silver light pierced through his head.

Psh.

The sword pierced through his skull, the man’s body shivered, and all struggle ceased as he fell from the sky.

This sight terrified the remaining two gray-robed men, and their bodies halted instantly.

However, at that moment, a flush appeared on Jiang Shaomu’s face; his power boost duration had ended. His powerful aura dissipated, and he fell weakly from the sky.

“Brat, die for me!” The two gray-robed men, driven to rage by embarrassment, threw their weapons at the white-robed youth once more, never imagining Jiang Shaomu would be so decisive.

Jiang Shaomu closed his eyes, awaiting death.

However, after a moment, the expected pain didn’t arrive; instead, his falling body was caught by someone in mid-air.

Jiang Shaomu opened his eyes and saw a small white dragon holding a wooden staff and a wooden jar in its claws, looking at him with curiosity.

On the other side, the two gray-robed men looked at them in terror, but their bodies flew toward the small white dragon and Jiang Shaomu uncontrollably.

Jiang Shaomu blinked, appearing a bit dazed.

Suddenly, his eyes widened.

A small white dragon?

This was the divine dragon that had suppressed the Black Demon Cult?!

Then he saw the divine dragon turn to look at him, appearing quite satisfied.

“Hello, my believer.”

‘What?’ Jiang Shaomu was completely dumbfounded.

‘I’m your what?’

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