Chapter 719 704: Chu Qingcheng's Peculiarity

While Shen Lang fought the Rock Demon Lord, over two hundred disciples from the five major sects, including the Profound Dao Sect, were cleaning up the battlefield in the Dragon Bone Wilderness on the first level of the Yumu Cave Blessed Land.

Bone Two and Bone Three stood stationed to the north and south, Bone Sabers in hand. They were so imposing that no one dared to meet their gaze.

The hundred-odd Martial Artists from the White Bone Hall were trussed up and tossed on the ground, completely ignored.

This group of Demon Martial Artists, who would normally kill without batting an eye, were now as docile as sheep. Not a single one of them dared to act out.

In truth, they had no choice in the matter. After a lashing from Nalan Ziyun's Locking Chain, they were all left with broken tendons and fractured bones, barely clinging to life. They were only breathing out, with no strength left to breathe in.

By a gurgling stream, Chu Qingcheng had his arms around the shoulders of several members of the Blood Wing Demon Sect, acting as chummy as if they were old comrades-in-arms.

Meanwhile, Bone Three stood to the side, vigorously sharpening his Bone Saber, which produced a sharp, ear-piercing sound.

The members of the Blood Wing Demon Sect kept glancing at Bone Three, a bitter taste filling their mouths, yet they had to maintain their forced smiles.

"Follow this stream straight ahead," Chu Qingcheng said to the people from the Blood Wing Demon Sect, gesturing forward with a brilliant smile. "Once you reach a waterfall, head north. Just keep walking, and you'll find the path out of the Dragon Bone Wilderness."

The group from the Blood Wing Demon Sect cupped their fists in gratitude. "Many thanks for the directions, Brother Chu! We are eternally grateful. We'll meet again!"

A smile on his face, Chu Qingcheng watched them until they disappeared from sight.

Chen Tianci walked up to Chu Qingcheng with a blade of grass dangling from his mouth. "The Blood Wing Demon Sect is our ally. Isn't it a bit wrong to treat them like this? You just sent them straight into a Demon Beast Nest. Out of those dozen or so people, I doubt more than a few will make it out alive. Even if we weren't allies, there's no need to make enemies, is there?"

Chu Qingcheng's smile widened. "Whenever someone asks me for directions, I just point randomly. First, because I have no idea where I'm going myself. And second, I want to teach people a lesson... Don't trust handsome strangers!"

"Besides, I only pointed the way. They didn't have to take it."

Chen Tianci immediately broke out in a cold sweat.

'This guy... He had Bone Three sharpening his Bone Saber right next to them and then says they didn't have to go.'

'If the people from the Blood Wing Demon Sect had dared to refuse, they probably would have been killed on the spot. How could they possibly disobey him?'

Just then, Nalan Ziyun walked over and said, "Demonic Cultivators are treacherous and unfaithful. What good is a verbal agreement? This so-called alliance only exists because we are the enemies of their enemy."

"You saw it yourself. When we were in crisis, the people from the Blood Wing Demon Sect just stood by and watched the show. From beginning to end, they never once thought of lending a hand."

"It was only when Bone Three appeared that they saw the tables had turned and pretentiously came over to 'help.' If Bone Three hadn't shown up, I'm certain that our greatest threat later on wouldn't have been the White Bone Hall, but those people from the Blood Wing Demon Sect!"

"Sending them to the Demon Beast Nest to lure out that pack of Demon Beasts is already an act of great mercy."

Shen Jianfeng poked his head over and said, "She's right!"

Chu Qingcheng glanced at Shen Jianfeng and did a double take. "How did you get beaten into a pig's head? Now that we've caught these guys, go get your revenge."

If he hadn't said anything, it would have been fine, but the moment he did, all of Shen Jianfeng's pent-up grievances erupted. Snot and tears streamed down his face as he roared with overwhelming resentment, "Re... Revenge for what?! It wasn't them who beat me, it was Shang Xiaoran and Su Rong!"

"Of all the people to imitate, you had to learn from Tian Hao? What happened, did you peek at someone bathing? You really deserved a beating!" Chu Qingcheng said, then turned to leave.

Shen Jianfeng grabbed him and whispered, "No, that's not it! Those two girls said I was a man one moment and a woman the next! They said I was possessed by a ghost and just started beating me senseless without another word... Waaah, they beat me so bad!"

"Er, if they're the ones who beat you up, there's nothing I can do to help... I'm off to find my own happiness." Chu Qingcheng's expression suddenly changed, and as if he desperately needed the latrine, he hurried away.

In the central area, Yan Qi had a White Bone Hall Martial Artist lifted by the collar. "Damn it, is this all you have in your Sumeru Ring? Where did you hide all your Spirit Stones and Elixir Pills? Speak up! If you don't, I'll knock you out!"

As he spoke, Yan Qi smashed a fist into the man's head, knocking him out cold.

Tian Hao, Zhan Wuji, and the others all stared at Yan Qi.

Yan Qi shrugged and spread his hands. "Don't look at me. It's not that I'm strong, he was just weak."

Everyone: "..."

While things were chaotic over there, Chu Qingcheng was frantically plunging into the jungle, not caring which path he took.

Such meter-high bushes were rare in the Dragon Bone Wilderness, which now came in handy for Chu Qingcheng.

The scoundrel peeked around, found a spot, and was about to squat down.

"Stand up!"

Before Chu Qingcheng could even squat, a cold voice sounded from behind him. "Stop pretending. Are you trying to hide from me?"

Xue Shiyin appeared out of thin air outside the bushes, her hands behind her back, her stern gaze fixed on Chu Qingcheng.

Poor Chu Qingcheng. As fast as his reaction was, he still hadn't managed to squat down in time.

If he had managed to squat, it would have been truly awkward for Xue Shiyin to appear.

"Um... nature calls, you can't just stop a man from..." Chu Qingcheng said with a pained expression as he reluctantly and slowly walked out.

The moment he stepped out of the bushes, Chu Qingcheng looked up at the sky and immediately put on an exaggerated expression. "Look at this, a storm's about to hit! We need to find a cave to take shelter... I'll go find one now."

The usually calm and suave Chu Qingcheng seemed terrified of Xue Shiyin. His words were becoming incoherent as he turned, ready to run.

"Stop." Xue Shiyin's single, indifferent word was enough to halt Chu Qingcheng in his tracks.

Chu Qingcheng hung his head, seemingly not daring to look at Xue Shiyin.

Beads of cold sweat rolled down his cheeks. Chu Qingcheng, a man who had never known the meaning of nervousness, was now feeling an indescribable tension!

Seeing him like this, Xue Shiyin's suspicion grew. She said coolly, "Ever since I appeared before the people of the Profound Dao Sect, you have been avoiding me. Are you afraid of me?"

Chu Qingcheng gave a bitter laugh. "I'm afraid of anyone whose Cultivation is much higher than mine. Isn't that normal?"

Xue Shiyin shot him a cold glance. "Then tell me, why is it that the very first time I saw you, an uncontrollable Killing Intent rose up within me?"

Chu Qingcheng's body stiffened, and a flash of pain crossed his eyes.

After a long moment, Chu Qingcheng suddenly started laughing, once again regaining his usual suave demeanor. "Senior, we have never met, yet you feel Killing Intent upon seeing me. That's highly unusual. Perhaps..."

"Perhaps what?" Xue Shiyin asked.

Chu Qingcheng smiled. "Perhaps I bear a slight resemblance to one of your enemies... or someone you dislike."

"Impossible. Among all the people I know, no one has such a punchable face." Xue Shiyin fell silent.

'A punchable face...' Chu Qingcheng subconsciously touched his cheek.

At that moment, Xue Shiyin was slowly circling him, her Divine Thought blanketing his body, which made Chu Qingcheng shudder.

But after scanning him for a long time, Xue Shiyin found nothing unusual.

The Chu Qingcheng before her had a Cultivation of only the Spirit Martial Realm Ninth Heaven. His bone age was also twenty-three, and there were no signs of Possession whatsoever.

'How strange.' Finding nothing amiss only made Xue Shiyin more suspicious.

'For a mere Spirit Martial Realm cultivator to be able to detect the arrival of a Quasi-Emperor Martial Realm powerhouse like herself... It was simply absurd!'

Because the past few times Xue Shiyin had appeared before the group from the Profound Dao Sect, Chu Qingcheng had always managed to hide himself away at just the right moment. This time, if Xue Shiyin had been half a beat slower, she probably would have had to turn around and leave empty-handed.

'This can't possibly be a coincidence... Never mind. Xiaolang's business is more important. I'll investigate this later.' Xue Shiyin glanced at the horizon, and with a flicker of her form, she prepared to leave.

"Huh? Wait a second!" Seeing her about to leave, Chu Qingcheng acted on impulse, suddenly reaching out and grabbing Xue Shiyin's left wrist.

Xue Shiyin's expression changed abruptly. "How dare you!"

Following her sharp cry, Xue Shiyin subconsciously struck out at Chu Qingcheng with her right palm!

The palm strike seemed soft and powerless, but how could a blow from a Quasi-Emperor Martial Realm expert be ordinary? Even if the Chu Qingcheng before her were made of Copper Skin and Iron Bones, he would likely be slapped into a pile of mush!

WHOOSH!

In a flash, Chu Qingcheng, who had been holding Xue Shiyin's wrist, vanished from the spot and reappeared behind her.

"Eh?!" Xue Shiyin's gaze turned even colder. "You really were hiding your Cultivation!"

Although that palm strike had been casual and she hadn't intended to kill Chu Qingcheng, the speed of a Quasi-Emperor Martial Realm powerhouse was incredible. For her to not even touch the corner of his robes—Xue Shiyin's shock was immense!

"Just who are you?!"

As she turned, Xue Shiyin's unparalleled pressure enveloped Chu Qingcheng, and her vast, chilling Divine Thought locked onto him completely.

Chu Qingcheng's face was a mask of misery as he waved his hands frantically. "Wait, don't attack! Just listen to me for a second..."

In that instant, the Divine Sword Celestial Cry glowed with an eerie light, its tip less than an inch from Chu Qingcheng's neck!

Xue Shiyin's voice was even colder than before. "If you can't give me a clear explanation, I don't care if Xiaolang considers you his brother. I will make you spill your blood on this very spot!"

"I will not allow any threat to exist around him!"

Chu Qingcheng gave a bitter laugh. "Please, don't be so tense. With my meager Cultivation, even if I wanted to do something, what could I possibly accomplish? How am I qualified to threaten Xiaolang?"

Xue Shiyin didn't speak. In fact, her Divine Thought had already swept over Chu Qingcheng multiple times.

But no matter how she checked, he was, through and through, a Spirit Martial Realm Ninth Heaven Martial Artist.

Moreover, his physical strength was consistent with the Spirit Martial Realm Ninth Heaven, merely a cut above an ordinary martial artist of that level. It was impossible that he was hiding his Cultivation.

And yet, a Spirit Martial Realm Martial Artist had dodged a strike from a Quasi-Emperor Martial Realm expert. It was the kind of thing no one would believe if they heard about it, but it had happened right before her very eyes. She couldn't help but be shocked.

Chu Qingcheng glanced at the longsword before him and sighed. "Dodging that palm of yours isn't that big of a deal. It's because I've cultivated a miraculous Step Technique. It's that simple."

As soon as the words left his lips, Chu Qingcheng left a series of afterimages in his original spot, moving to Xue Shiyin's left side right before her eyes.

And this time, Xue Shiyin saw it clearly... When Chu Qingcheng moved, there was no significant leakage of Spiritual Power. He relied solely on the miraculous nature of his Step Technique.

Seeing this, the look on Xue Shiyin's face softened slightly.

However, just as she was about to withdraw her longsword, another sentence from Chu Qingcheng made her beautiful face drain of all color!

"You must have also sensed that something is unusual about this Yumu Cave Blessed Land, and you've detected the many powerful auras that have appeared on the Third Floor. That's why you want to go help Xiaolang, isn't it?" Chu Qingcheng said leisurely.

A sharp light flashed in Xue Shiyin's eyes, and the tip of the Divine Sword Celestial Cry in her hand once again pointed at Chu Qingcheng's neck. "Even I can barely detect those powerful auras, yet you know about them so clearly. And you still dare to say there's nothing wrong with you?"