Jun Changxiao decisively fired the gun, but the muzzle shifted from the injured martial cultivator’s head to aim at his crotch. The bullet shot directly into the grass between his legs, creating a fingernail-sized hole.
“Friend.”
His face darkened as he said: “My temper isn’t good. Don’t toy with me.”
As he spoke, he raised the AK-47, and the muzzle wasn’t placed at his head but at the other party’s crotch—exactly centered, perfectly aligned!
“Gulp!”
The injured martial cultivator swallowed his saliva. Not only did cold air rise up his spine, but his groin area also felt cold. His voice trembled: “Friend… friend, I… my Spirit Stone is natural… one can equal several!”
“Natural?”
Jun Changxiao was quite surprised, saying: “Take it out and let me see.”
For the sake of his family jewels’ future lineage, the injured martial cultivator hurriedly took out the Spirit Stone from his spatial ring.
Jun Changxiao took it and communicated slightly with the Spirit Stone’s interior through his intent, detecting that the spiritual energy gathered inside was very pure.
Correct.
It was a natural Spirit Stone.
Jun Changxiao looked at him suspiciously: “Only one?”
The injured martial cultivator’s face was full of bitterness: “Friend… friend, do you think I still dare to lie now?”
“Squelch!”
Suddenly, a dagger plunged into his thigh.
His expression froze. When he felt the pain transmit, he screamed ‘Ah’ in agony.
“Swish!”
Jun Changxiao pulled the dagger back out.
“Sizzle sizzle!”
Blood spurted out like a fountain, and the injured martial cultivator’s face grew increasingly twisted.
He was already injured, and now it was adding insult to injury!
Jun Changxiao wiped the bloodied dagger on his clothes, saying: “I think you’re not being honest. To suffer less torment, you’d better hand over the remaining nine hundred ninety-nine Spirit Stones.”
That face had no expression, like a demon from hell.
It was hard to imagine this would be the Iron Bones Sect Master who occasionally showed a bit of playfulness when interacting with his disciples!
“I… I really don’t have any more…”
“Squelch!”
Without another word, Jun Changxiao stabbed his other thigh.
“Ahhh—”
The injured martial cultivator screamed in agony again.
“Swish!”
Jun Changxiao pulled out the dagger, raised his arm, and pressed it against his neck, saying: “Since you don’t have any, use your life to pay my fee.”
The blade contacted his skin and made an indentation.
Even penetrating just a few millimeters, a thin red line appeared, with blood slowly seeping out.
The injured martial cultivator’s heart suddenly pounded wildly. A strong premonition of death surged into his consciousness sea, making him no longer dare to lie: “I… I still have… still have some!”
Jun Changxiao withdrew the dagger: “Take them out.”
“Huff… huff…”
The injured martial cultivator breathed heavily.
After a moment, grimacing in pain, he said: “I… I found a Spirit Stone vein deep in the mountain forest… there are many Spirit Stones inside. I… I can take you to find it!”
“Is that so?”
Jun Changxiao’s eyes lit up.
Taking out one natural Spirit Stone had made him suspicious. After some threats and intimidation, the truth had indeed been revealed.
“If I’m not mistaken.”
Jun Changxiao said: “The Demon-Penetrating Hall people were pursuing you to obtain the location of the Spirit Stone vein?”
The injured martial cultivator endured the pain: “Correct.”
“Qingyang.”
Jun Changxiao stood up: “Treat this guy’s wounds. Don’t let him die.”
“Yes.”
Li Qingyang quickly walked over, took out wound medicine and bandages from his spatial ring, and began efficiently bandaging.
During this time, Jun Changxiao incinerated the piled-up corpses with Exquisite Fire.
After all, it was a fifth-rate evil sect. If they knew he was the one who killed their people, it would definitely bring trouble, so destroying the evidence was very important.
…
The dark mountain forest that Jun Changxiao and his group had arrived at was Black Demon Forest.
To be precise.
Black Demon Forest was only part of the Black Demon Mountain Range.
The Black Demon Mountain Range spanned many commanderies as a super-large mountain range. Huayang Commandery’s Ten Thousand Beasts Mountain Range wasn’t even one-tenth its size.
Although the Black Demon Mountain Range was occupied by many fierce beasts, except for a few areas, overall it wasn’t too dangerous.
This minority included the Black Demon Forest where Jun Changxiao currently was.
It was said that fierce beasts comparable to Martial Sect level could be seen everywhere in the depths, and the terrain was extremely complex. Even if a Martial King entered, he could easily become lost within.
The injured martial cultivator was called Ren Shan.
He was a sixth-rank Martial Master rogue cultivator. He and several companions had entered Black Demon Forest and discovered a cave, then courageously went inside and found an unmined Spirit Stone vein.
This had excited them tremendously.
However, when preparing to go collect Spirit Stones a second time, somehow they were tracked by the Demon-Penetrating Hall people.
In their urgency, he and several companions headed toward the unknown deep regions, only to tragically encounter fierce beasts comparable to Martial Sect level.
In the end, Ren Shan escaped while three companions became food.
Surviving great danger should bring great fortune, but just after escaping danger, he encountered the Demon-Penetrating Hall people again, was severely wounded while fleeing, which led to the scene of meeting Jun Changxiao outside the forest.
After learning what happened, Jiang Xie shook his head: “You’re really quite unlucky.”
Ren Shan sat behind Xiao Zuiji, covered in bandages, his face full of bitterness: “Now I understand what it means: ‘The common man is innocent, but possessing a treasure brings guilt.'”
If he hadn’t accidentally discovered the Spirit Stone vein, if he hadn’t excavated the Spirit Stones inside, he and his companions definitely wouldn’t have encountered danger, and it wouldn’t have come down to just himself remaining.
“Stop lamenting.”
Jun Changxiao said: “Lead the way quickly.”
He had no interest in hearing sad stories. He only cared about the Spirit Stone vein existing deep in the mountain forest.
However.
Jun Changxiao also had doubts in his heart.
The appearance of a Spirit Stone vein represented spiritual energy revival.
How come others hadn’t discovered it, yet several rogue cultivators had stumbled upon it by accident?
When he entered Black Demon Forest and saw the surroundings filled with dense miasma, he realized—it wasn’t that no one had discovered it, but rather this naturally formed environment was sufficient to conceal the heaven-born anomaly.
“Young friend!”
After entering, Ren Shan said warily: “The depths contain mid-level eighth and ninth rank fierce beasts, and there are quite a few high-level first and second rank fierce beasts as well. We must advance carefully.”
“Don’t worry.”
Jun Changxiao said: “With us here, even if a Spirit Beast comes, we can handle it.”
He could have such great confidence because Jiang Xie was following along.
Recalling how this group had just wildly sprayed with those strange hidden weapons and completely annihilated the Demon-Penetrating Hall evil cultivators, Jiang Shan gradually relaxed his vigilance and began searching for the route to the Spirit Stone vein based on memory.
…
“Roar—”
Boom!
Deep in Black Demon Forest, a fierce beast comparable to a sixth-rank Martial Master had just leaped out from hiding when Xiao Zuiji directly killed it with a single punch, conveniently extracting its crystal core and skin.
Ren Shan thought in amazement: “So these people not only rely on that special hidden weapon—their strength is also extremely powerful!”
His courage grew even greater.
As long as he identified the location, he would unhesitatingly proceed.
One hour later.
Ren Shan led Jun Changxiao and the others to stop at a mountain collapse area. In the lower depression was a cave opening.
“Sect Master.”
Jiang Xie transmitted his voice: “The miasma in this area is very dense. My spiritual sense is restricted.”
Jun Changxiao became even more aware of why no one had discovered the Spirit Stone vein.
First, spiritual sense was restricted. Second, the terrain was truly too complex. To walk to this place, one could only rely on stumbling upon it by chance!
“Young friend.”
Ren Shan pointed at the cave opening ahead: “Inside here is where the Spirit Stone vein is hidden.”
Jun Changxiao said: “You go down first.”
“…”
Ren Shan shook his head and crawled inside dragging his injured body.
When everyone followed inside, they didn’t see any trace of him. The surrounding visible area was full of intricate and complex tunnel openings.
“Sect Master!”
Li Qingyang said: “That guy ran away!”
“Hmph.”
Jun Changxiao gave a cold laugh: “This Seat knew long ago that guy wasn’t a fuel-efficient lamp.”
The System added: “So you still let him run away.”