“Did I hear that right? A mere First Heaven peak cultivator, where do you get the confidence to judge my Brother Ximen like that?”
Cai Weiwei was furious, finding Ling Xiao’s arrogance absurd.
“I said before, mere shallow sea giant lizards, why fear them? Just kill them!” Ximen Bo sheathed his sword, brimming with pride.
“His actions are annoying, but his strength is undeniable.”
“Right, defeating two shallow sea giant lizards so easily at peak Four Symbols Heaven, few at his level could match that.”
“At the same cultivation, many factors affect combat power, soul strength, physical prowess, martial technique grade. Ximen Bo is a standout.”
Though many disapproved of him provoking the lizards, the crowd praised his strength.
A strong man commands respect anywhere.
Several lovely women gazed at Ximen Bo with adoring eyes, wishing he were theirs.
“Since this brother cleared the lizards, let’s move on,” the first mate said, glancing at Ximen Bo with a fleeting sneer no one noticed.
The group pressed forward, the tense atmosphere eased by the earlier fight.
Ximen Bo became the talk of the crowd, hailed as a hero.
In his thirties, with top-tier cultivation and strength among them, he naturally drew attention.
He looked to Leng Mei and Ling Xiao, hoping for admiration, but was disappointed.
They were talking, seemingly about something unrelated to him, standing close, discussing private matters.
This irked him further.
He couldn’t fathom why, despite his dazzling display, Leng Mei preferred Ling Xiao.
Initially, he planned to use Ling Xiao to get closer to her, but now saw him as a major obstacle.
Without removing Ling Xiao, he’d never get alone time with her.
“Everyone, be careful!”
Nearing their destination, a light appeared ahead.
At first, they thought it was artificial, but the first mate’s shout revealed it was fear leeches.
Unlike ordinary leeches, these were as large as adult rats, with terrifying blood-sucking abilities.
Worst, they could pierce a Heavenly Human Realm cultivator’s protective Tianyuan energy in moments, draining their inner force and blood.
One or two weren’t a huge threat, but thousands, gleaming with metallic sheen, were a disaster for those below Four Symbols Heaven.
Even Four Symbols Heaven cultivators risked death.
“Chance!” Ximen Bo’s heart leapt at the sight.
Even he feared these swarms, let alone Ling Xiao, a mere First Heaven cultivator.
Though soft and easily crushed, fear leeches were nearly unkillable, splitting into smaller, equally deadly ones if a fragment survived.
Heavenly Human Realm cultivators typically avoided them.
Ximen Bo rushed forward, standing before Leng Mei, saying righteously, “Leng Mei, with me here, you’ve nothing to fear.”
The first mate hurriedly pulled an item from his storage ring and threw it.
It was an array stone, familiar to Ling Xiao.
It formed a strange vortex, sucking in most of the leeches.
But many still bypassed it, charging the group.
“Ah!”
In moments, dozens of the hundreds of martial artists died, their bodies shrivelled like sun-dried raisins.
Ximen Bo stood before Leng Mei, but as the leeches approached, he dodged, grabbing her to escape, leaving Ling Xiao to face the swarm.
“Run, I can’t hold them!” he said, feigning distress, “Brother Ling, escape too!”
But his smirk betrayed his true hope, Ling Xiao’s death.
To his fury, Leng Mei stayed, choosing to fight and die with Ling Xiao rather than flee.
Behind her, beautiful plum blossoms bloomed, turning into petals that shot out, felling many leeches.
Struck by these petals, the leeches rotted instantly, unable to regenerate.
Ximen Bo was both angry and surprised.
Angry that Leng Mei would die with Ling Xiao, surprised at her greater-than-expected strength.
But it didn’t matter.
Her strength meant she wouldn’t die, perfect as long as Ling Xiao did.
Yet, looking at Ling Xiao, his jaw nearly dropped.
Ling Xiao stood unmoving, radiating strange red sunlight. Any leech touching it was scorched to ash instantly.
In moments, over a hundred leeches perished, like moths to a flame, seeking their own doom.
“Damn, I underestimated him!” Ximen Bo’s vicious plan, risking Leng Mei’s disdain, failed instantly, making him seethe.
“Brother Ximen, that Ling Xiao’s tougher than we thought, those lights on him are odd,” Cai Weiwei said nervously.
“I’m not blind,” Ximen Bo snapped, “No matter, just some cheap tricks. His cultivation is far below mine, he’s no match. This defence stops leeches, but against me, it’s nothing!”
