Chapter 17 (1/2)

The heads of the silent pair, roused from their stupor, raised curiously. It was Shangguan Yan who was talking in her sleep. They shared a quick chuckle. The deep-asleep Shangguan Yan continued, “Bite him, Xiao Hei! Yes! That is it! Bite him! He who is so stingy that even forbids me from touching his zither…”

Xiao Chen’s face fell, did she even dream of sicking her vermins on him? He rose to his feet and straggled to the sleeping Prince Qi. He took off the already half-removed robe from the asleep prince and draped it over Shangguan Yan.

The following morning, Xiao Chen found himself awaken by the cacophony of clamorous bickerings.

“Wake up, you two pigs! Where is my clothing? Who had removed my clothing! Argh!”

“Argh! Whose clothes are these! They are filthy! Take them off me at once!”

“Ah! Please, my lady! No spiders, please! It is not I who have left them there!”

“Argh! Not me either! Help, Senior Sister Luo!”

“Please calm down, Junior Brothers! Argh, no! Don’t throw the spiders here!”

Xiao Chen rubbed his eyes and yawned. He said, “So much vim and verve so early in the morning. Do you intend to hail for the demons who might be up this early? Damn! Whose shoe is this thrown at me!”

Hence, Prince Qi wore a robe so badly tattered and Prince Yan a shoe which had been cloven in half. The two wailed as they scampered out of the cave, crying about their predicament of being beggar-like.

Prince Zhao had long foreseen the calamity and had long fled outside.

Hours later, Xiao Chen followed some footsteps, presumably left by wild beasts, and found a shrubbery that has several sparkling beads hanging on its boughs. These are the Octarine Cores, which he had already collected some before by using similar methods.

“You’ve found another one! You’re great, Senior Brother Xiao!” The three princes rushed over to him with joy. Noticing that something was wrong, Xiao Chen’s brows puckered with suspicion. “You three, come back at once!” Xiao Chen barked.

But the three princes were filled with a rapturous fervor that they could barely hear Xiao Chen’s distressed warning.

The sky around them darkened suddenly. Prince Zhao mumbled, “What is this? The sky is dark suddenly? It’s beginning to rain!”

But Prince Qi’s legs were on the verge of giving way as he poked at Prince Zhao’s shoulder and gestured him to look above. The latter’s head looked up, only to find a huge bear with the size of a small mountain looming over them. Its jaws were wide opened like a tunnel; its saliva dripping hungrily from its mouth…

“Fly, you fools!” Xiao Chen leaped forth with the speed of a lightning bolt, using his Immortal-override Steps to reach before the three princes in the blink of an eye. He swiftly swung his arms and whisked them off into safety.

“ROAR!” The gigantic bear slammed its paw down furiously. Its razor-sharp claws could even put a blade to shame. Xiao Chen felt a gust of strong wind striking him face-first. Every shred of flesh on his face was screaming in pain, prodding his reflexes to react as he, too, struck towards the incoming blow with his palm. There came a sudden ringing in his ears as the two forces collide, followed by a terrible bang. Dust and dirt were tossed into the air and the trees shook. Xiao Chen could not maintain his steadiness and was thrown backward for meters.

But the gigantic bear was not only strong; it was extremely fast as well. Without waiting for him to fall on the ground, it had lunged forward at him, its claws well-prepared to tear him into shreds alive.

“Careful, Junior Brother!”

Luo Shanyang began chanting incantations; the sword in her grasp turned into a flash of green light that shot out of her hand and charged at the bear, piercing its right shoulder, leaving a spurt of blood in its wake.

“ROAR!” Enraged, the gigantic bear made a swipe at Xiao Chen, who had just dropped to the ground. He immediately mustered all his True Energy and attacked with both his palms. Two golden silhouettes in the semblance of dragons spewed from his arms, surging at his enemy. The Dragon Roar Palm struck true, hitting directly upon the bear. Yet, it seemed to have done him no harm.

“Get back, Junior Brother!”

Luo Shangyan cried to Xiao Chen as she channeled more speed, directing her green sword up into the air which then rained a hail of auric blades down at the monster. The Sword Qi projectiles skewered through the bear, its furry torso becoming wet with blood. Fearful of the pain of death, it turned on its heels and fled.

Xiao Chen’s face had gone pale. Panting hard for breath, he had completely exhausted his True Energy after using three successive Cyan Dragon Roars. Luo Shangyan hurried over to help him, saying, “Are you hurt, Junior Brother Xiao?”

Xiao Chen only shook his head. He asked, “Why couldn’t I damage the monster?”

“That is a monster in the form of a gigantic bear. It has the power of Lv 4 Qi Refining Realm, and its defensive capabilities are the highest in all Lv 4 Qi Refining Realm monsters.”

Xiao Chen nodded as he finally understood. “Is it so…” He was, nevertheless, a Cultivator with only the power of Lv 1 Qi Refining Realm. There was hardly any way he could do anything against an enemy of Lv 4.

The three princes behind them were already frightened to the verge of wetting their pants. Just then, a voice came from not far away, “What a coincidence. I’ve found some more Octarine Cores.”

Xiao Chen looked over. It was Mo Yu who was leading a band of more than twenty followers. Xiao Chen knew that he must have sensed their battle with the monster and had come to see if he could pillage or plunder anything. His formidable strength and the sheer number of his group made him an opponent to be avoided now. Xiao Chen feigned a thin smile, “Ah! It is Senior Brother Mo Yu. The monster had just been driven off by me and Senior Sister. Feel free to collect these Cores. We already have enough for ourselves.”

Mo Yu face darkened, having sensed that Xiao Chen was mocking him. He had wanted to defeat Xiao Chen in the contest for the Octarine Cores as a pretense. But Xiao Chen had effortlessly evaded conflict with him.

Just then, Prince Qi rushed from behind. Xiao Chen immediately held up and arm to keep him in place and whispered to him, “This person is powerful.”

Instead, Prince Zhao, too, came from behind and roared, “Impudent fools! Do you know who we are?”

“Ah?” Mo Yu responded as he picked an Octarine Core, “Three… worthless wretches surely?” But he had not waited until he finished; with a few flicks of his fingers, he sent a Sword Qi bolt that struck into the ground, causing a crevice to split open and squirted a spurt of mud into Luo Shangyan.

“Be careful, True Disciple of the Sect Leader.”