Whoosh whoosh whoosh…

The black wind surged like tidal waves from within the cave. As soon as Jian Chou entered, she could feel the obvious resistance.

However, at this moment in Black Wind Cave, apart from Jian Chou, there was no second person, so she had no concerns. Without raising any protective light barrier, she charged straight into the cave.

One foot, three feet, five feet…

The black wind rushing at her did not affect Jian Chou’s body. Her forward speed was even considerably faster than when five people had been together earlier.

This feeling of advancing against the wind made Jian Chou feel exhilarated.

Almost in the blink of an eye, she could already vaguely see where she had left her inscription.

At this moment, the wind was sharp as blades.

Different from ordinary times, Black Wind Cave’s intense activity had caused the blade-like black wind that could normally only be seen at the hundred-foot mark to appear early.

Caught off guard, Jian Chou only heard a “rip” by her ear—

Still maintaining a certain forward speed, Jian Chou looked at the hundred-foot wall only three feet away from her and finally stopped.

She looked down at her sleeve with an almost rigid motion.

The section of sleeve cut off by the wind blade had long been swept away by the black wind to who knows where. With the deep blue sleeve robe’s protection gone, Jian Chou’s pale wrist was immediately exposed.

“Swoosh…”

The violent black wind brought forth more wind blades, arranged in a whole line, immediately slashing across different parts of Jian Chou’s body.

Thus…

That nightmare-like sound rang out again.

“Rip…”

Standing in the fierce black wind, Jian Chou’s originally intact clothing instantly became strips of torn cloth!

Fair skin was exposed, then cut by wind blades one after another, leaving trails of bright red.

However, the wounds weren’t large, and they even closed automatically quite quickly, leaving only faint traces.

The only tragic sight was that set of clothing…

The reluctant expression on Fudao Shanren’s face when he gave her the clothes, his tearful appearance, reappeared in Jian Chou’s mind.

“Little Jian Chou, look at you—after joining the sect, you haven’t found any prettier clothes to wear. Consider this outfit a gift from your master. Sigh, this was made from Yin-Yang spider silk back then. You can’t find more than a few pieces in all Nineteen Continents. Impervious to water and fire, proof against blades and spears. With this outfit when traveling, you’ll surely be much safer… just take it, take it…”

Though he said this, Fudao Shanren’s hands gripped it tightly.

At the time, Jian Chou had to tug for a long while before pulling this garment from his hands.

Impervious to water and fire?

Proof against blades and spears?

Looking at her clothing that kept being shredded by the appearing wind blades, seeing more and more of her snow-white skin exposed, Jian Chou finally couldn’t bear it anymore!

Just in this short time, she was already no different from being stripped naked!

How dare such a useless thing claim to be proof against blades and spears?!

How dare he grip it so long like a treasure, unwilling to let go?

Perhaps the only thing she could be grateful for at this moment was that during this time, there was no second person in Black Wind Cave. Otherwise, if someone saw her…

Jian Chou couldn’t help covering her forehead with her hand, the corner of her mouth twitching violently.

Why did she, who had always been well-mannered, now want to curse?

“This is going to kill me!”

“Achoo!”

One hundred sixty li northeast of Yashan, outside a village, beside a broad river, a slovenly old man holding a wine gourd in his left hand and a chicken leg in his right, sniffled for a long time. Standing on the bridge, he finally couldn’t help but sneeze.

Not far away, a strong man casting nets to catch fish trembled, nearly letting a school of fish escape. He immediately turned back, and upon seeing Fudao Shanren, his face lit up with joy: “Fu, Fudao Elder!”

This sneeze from Fudao Shanren nearly made him fall into the river.

He barely managed to shake his legs and steady himself. Looking up at the strong man, he waved his hand: “Old Hei, it’s fine, it’s fine, it’s me, it’s me…”

“What happened to you? Are you alright?”

Rough hands like palm fans hung the fishing net on a wooden post at the bridge head and came forward.

“It’s nothing, nothing. Just don’t know which little brat is cursing me behind my back.” Fudao Shanren rubbed his nose and walked over. Seeing the fish jumping in the net, he couldn’t help drooling. “Ah, today’s harvest isn’t bad either.”

“Haha, it’s quite good. Since you’re here today, Elder, you must sit properly in our village. Everyone misses you so much. Some time ago, Senior Zhao from the Executive Hall also came to teach the children reading, writing, and cultivation. He said you’d be coming around recently, but we didn’t believe it.”

The strong man led the way, talking and laughing with Fudao Shanren while shouting toward the village: “Everyone, come out and see, Fudao Elder is here! Fudao Elder is here!”

In the village nestled among green mountains and clear waters, every household’s door opened at this moment. Many people excitedly poked their heads out, cheering the moment they saw Fudao Shanren.

A small child wearing a red bellyband and bare white bottom rushed out and hugged Fudao Shanren’s thigh: “Grandpa Fudao, Grandpa Fudao, I want to see the big tree, want to see the big tree!”

“Good, good, good…”

Fudao Shanren good-naturedly agreed, his face glowing red, unusually spirited.

The strong man picked up the child, coaxed him a few words, and also spoke with a smile: “You’re not in a hurry to leave this time, right? I’ll have my wife cook you a few dishes, and we’ll prepare a couple of the fish we just caught.”

“Great!”

Hearing about food, Fudao Shanren nearly squinted with joy.

He looked around, seeing that everyone was well. Just as he was about to ask something, his sleeve suddenly moved.

He made a sound of surprise and took out a jade slip—it was from Yan Chensha, whom he had recently dispatched.

What matter did he have?

Fudao Shanren asked in a relaxed tone: “Chensha, what’s wrong?”

On the other end of the jade slip, Yan Chensha was traveling through the air with his hands behind his back, looking extremely elegant.

At this moment, no one noticed he was communicating with someone.

Hearing Fudao Shanren’s question, he replied: “Senior Granduncle is in trouble. The Jianzhu Sect says Senior Granduncle killed a female cultivator from their sect and is gathering people to pursue Senior Sister at Black Wind Cave. I’m currently heading to Black Wind Cave with Junior Brother Qi and another Jianzhu Sect disciple. Grand Master Uncle, what should we do now?”

Hearing this, Fudao Shanren’s eyes widened: “Your Senior Granduncle Jian Chou really fought the Jianzhu Sect to the death and even drew blood, killing someone?”

“…It’s all what the Jianzhu Sect claims.”

Yan Chensha couldn’t help wanting to facepalm. Why was Fudao Grand Master Uncle’s focus always different from ordinary people?

“Hehe…”

Fudao Shanren proudly raised his eyebrows.

“Normally, only Golden Core cultivators can draw blood in killing. This girl Jian Chou truly lives up to being my disciple, never taking the ordinary path! Whether it was your Senior Granduncle who did it or not, does that matter? Does it matter? Your master has praised you many times in front of me. This time, you understand what I mean. Do well, do it beautifully, don’t bring shame to our Yashan!”

“…”

Do well?

Do it beautifully?

You think I understand your meaning?

Understand my ass.

Yan Chensha felt somewhat collapsed inside. Just as he was about to transmit again to ask clearly.

Unexpectedly, the jade slip went dark—Fudao Shanren had happily cut off their connection!

Dizzy!

Ahead, Shang Liufan saw Black Wind Cave approaching and couldn’t help but frequently look back at Yan Chensha.

Yan Chensha naturally noticed such gazes and very politely nodded to Shang Liufan with a kind smile, while cursing Fudao Shanren’s unreliability in his heart.

With a flick of his wrist, the jade slip disappeared, and a spirit pearl appeared.

It seemed he still had to ask the truly reliable one.

“Master Uncle Qu, disciple Chensha has matters to consult.”

The spirit pearl flashed with light, unnoticed by anyone.

Far away on the isolated island in the human realm, within the hidden realm of Qingfeng Nunnery.

Qu Zhengfeng, floating in the void, looked at the high cliffs on both sides and the rusted iron chains crisscrossing between them. His brow slightly furrowed as a transmission spirit pearl appeared in his palm.

Wind, thunder, and rain signals manifest externally; jade slip transmissions are formless; transmission spirit pearls can cross realms.

Generally, hidden realms of modest level share the same laws as the entire Nineteen Continents, so communication with the outside world is possible.

Now, this action by Qu Zhengfeng indicated someone was transmitting to him.

Xie Buchen, also standing in the void, stopped and looked at Qu Zhengfeng and the spirit pearl in his hand.

As Qu Zhengfeng pointed his finger, Yan Chensha’s words appeared in his mind. While replying, he said to Xie Buchen, “Some minor matter among junior disciples.”

“No problem.”

Xie Buchen didn’t mind at all.

He was about to withdraw his gaze when, unexpectedly, at that moment, Qu Zhengfeng’s calm expression that had barely changed since entering Qingfeng Nunnery’s hidden realm showed a moment of gloom.

Xie Buchen caught it at a glance.

Qu Zhengfeng lowered his eyes, toying with the transmission spirit pearl in his hand, a trace of interest passing through his eyes.

Senior Sister seemed to have encountered trouble again…

Still, the ill-intentioned Jianzhu Sect.

Since that was the case, why not use protecting Senior Sister as an excuse to do some bad things?

Qu Zhengfeng slightly narrowed his eyes, smiled like spring mountains, and used the spirit pearl to reply a few words to Yan Chensha.

On Medicine Gathering Peak, Yan Chensha stared at the transmission spirit pearl, somewhat unable to believe his ears…

In front of Black Wind Cave, Zhao Yunbin stared at the cave entrance with surging black wind, almost wanting to laugh aloud.

So stupid!

She had re-entered Black Wind Cave at such a time—did she think she could hide?

Catching a turtle in a jar was the most fun!

Black Wind Cave was at its most terrifying right now. She didn’t believe Jian Chou could stay long.

A huge array disc suddenly appeared in her hand. Zhao Yunbin directly slammed a great array in front of Black Wind Cave!

“Slap!”

The array disc shattered, and the great array immediately manifested!

This was a “confinement” array she had spent three hundred spirit stones to obtain years ago. Though expensive enough to make her heart bleed, this array was quite sophisticated with tremendous power, able to last at least ten days!

Zhao Yunbin truly didn’t believe it.

Could a mere late Foundation Establishment cultivator stay in Black Wind Cave for ten days?

Wishful thinking!

Once Jian Chou came out, she would immediately be trapped by this great array.

When Xu Lan’er’s sect members arrived, would they still worry about Jian Chou not dying at their hands?

The more Zhao Yunbin thought about it, the more pleased she became, finally unable to help but burst into laughter.

The laughter, swept up by the wind, was truly sinister.

However, no matter how loud the laughter, it couldn’t reach inside Black Wind Cave.

Jian Chou walked past the hundred-foot wall expressionlessly and continued forward another fifty feet.

At this moment, the black wind in Black Wind Cave already carried tremendous destructive power. The spiritual power in Jian Chou’s body could no longer be externally released. Even the Liwai Mirror’s glazed golden light was scattered by the black wind, forcing Jian Chou to put both feet on the ground and walk forward step by step.

This immediately slowed her speed.

Moreover, the wind blades began growing larger.

Initially, each wind blade was as thin as a needle, then gradually became like small knives, each slash leaving Jian Chou bloody.

At one hundred fifty feet, Jian Chou could see that these wind blades were each like daggers!

She could hardly imagine—from one hundred to five hundred feet were all wind blades. How large would the later wind blades be? Or what other changes might occur?

The surrounding stone walls were now only one zhang high, growing narrower and narrower.

The patterns on the stone walls became strange.

The protruding areas had many small holes, with wind blowing through them, creating mournful sounds.

Jian Chou was too exhausted to verify whether these were indeed walls full of wind-swallowing stones, because the density of wind blades already made her scalp tingle.

The further forward, the denser they became.

Jian Chou was already like someone fished from bloody water, with what hung on her body no longer a garment but strips of torn cloth.

If she completed body refinement and returned to Yashan, Jian Chou swore—

No matter if Fudao Shanren was her master or benefactor, she would drag him out for a beating first!

Too much of a scam!

If there were a second person present now, seeing Jian Chou’s state, they’d probably ben’t to help wipe away a nosebleed.

Jian Chou struggled to raise a few patches of white light, barely covering her body to avoid being too unseemly.

Swoosh!

Another wind blade slashed toward her!

Jian Chou quickly dodged sideways, only getting her cheek cut, with another blood mark appearing.

She couldn’t help looking ahead—endless darkness, continuously sloping downward. Who knew what lay ahead?

With a long sigh, gritting her teeth, she rested briefly, then stepped forward again!

This time, no more stopping, no more dodging!

Letting wind blade after wind blade slash her flesh, letting blood flow freely, dyeing her entire body red!

One step, one step, another step!

One hundred fifty feet passed in a flash.

One hundred sixty feet, one hundred seventy feet!

…

Swoosh!

The wind blades were now like long knives!

This time, this wind blade cut deep into Jian Chou’s shoulder, blood flowing freely, cutting to the bone!

She tilted her head slightly and found a white mark left on her shoulder.

For the first time, a wind blade could leave traces on her bones.

Jian Chou couldn’t help stopping, looking ahead.

On the stone wall, a broken sword was embedded, with countless inscriptions appearing on the stone wall.

The largest and most prominent was still from the person who had left the hundred-foot marker earlier.

“Reaching this point, another hundred feet, strength exhausted and unable, fear cannot explore further for those who come after, alas.”

Jian Chou couldn’t help but guess that this must be the person who had left a long sword as a marker on the hundred-foot wall earlier.

It seemed they had reached their limit here and were preparing to give up.

She couldn’t help sighing inwardly—this Black Wind Cave truly wasn’t something everyone could challenge.

Besides this line of text, the other small characters weren’t as lively as before the hundred-foot wall, where so much had been written. There were only scattered, sparse dozen or so characters.

Jian Chou struggled to move her body, pressing against the cave wall’s edge.

This was a trick she had discovered during her journey—the wind force was strongest in the center of Black Wind Cave, but along the stone wall edges, it was much gentler.

She came here for body refinement, so naturally didn’t need to take shortcuts. But when strength was exhausted and rest was needed, this spot against the stone wall naturally became a shelter.

Just during the process of moving over, Jian Chou suffered three to five more sharp pains!

Swoosh swoosh swoosh!

All wind blades!

The moment they struck her body, countless blood flowers bloomed.

On the two-hundred-foot wall, small characters were arranged.

“Able to walk two hundred feet, sufficient! Chongxiao Sect’s Zhao Jiu.”

“Black Wind Cave’s black wind is truly a scoundrel!”

“Hahaha, brother was also stripped of clothes, right? This humble one is Golden Core middle stage, with a Mo Light Robe that can block seventy percent of attacks from same-level cultivators. Now it’s like torn rags, my heart bleeds!”

Looking down at her own torn and tattered clothes, Jian Chou suddenly felt she wasn’t alone.

If everyone were suffering, she felt somewhat more balanced.

“Of all places, the black wind could cut, why cut down there? Shameless!”

“Curious where the person to the right got cut…”

“Same as right.”

After reading this, Jian Chou had nothing to say.

Fortunately, the next line had no one continuing this topic.

“You all suck! This master fights bare-chested, completely unharmed—the black wind cannot harm even a hair!”

“Another fake monk—a bald donkey from Western Sea Chan Sect? A bald donkey from Snowy Region Esoteric Sect?”

“Bald donkey bald donkey, all donkeys under heaven, why make distinctions? Jingyang Palace’s Young Master Ruhua.”

…

Chan Sect and Esoteric Sect shared the same origin, but calling oneself “this master” probably wasn’t from these two schools?

Jian Chou wasn’t very clear, only feeling…

What the hell was Young Master Ruhua?

“Two hundred feet, bearing over three hundred wind blade wounds, still have strength remaining.”

“This old man crawled here vomiting blood just to carve one line: the person to the right is Dragon Gate’s Zhou Chengjiang!”

…

Seeing this line, Jian Chou’s mouth twitched.

Crawling to two hundred feet just to carve characters, exposing that the person ahead was Zhou Chengjiang—what tremendous willpower was that?

A scene immediately appeared in her mind of someone covered in blood carving characters on the stone wall…

In that instant, Jian Chou only wanted to say: admirable!

She shook her head, just thinking whether she should carve characters, when looking down, she suddenly discovered that further to the left, there were a few more small characters.

“Two hundred feet, like walking on flat ground, like bathing in spring breeze. Body refining in Black Wind Cave is quite boring.”

…

Body refining in Black Wind Cave?

This writing was concise and powerful, yet showed an iron-hook silver-stroke flavor, quite vigorous.

Jian Chou couldn’t help narrowing her eyes, immediately guessing something, just finding this line annoying.

For a moment, she was too lazy to explain. She directly drew a big X below it and carved her comment: You annoy me.