Chapter 373: Familiar Face – 【Xiling Combatant】

Words : 1420 Updated : Oct 9th, 2025

Chapter 373: Familiar Face – 【Xiling Combatant】 The battle finally ended amidst Wang Shouyi’s repeated cries of “Stop fighting, all of you!” Li Buyi and the three fellow Ascenders who came with him were all beaten black and blue by Li Qingran alone. Li Buyi, who was the first to be sent flying, never even climbed back out of the heap of beast corpses. Only at the very end did he crawl out, covered in dirt and ash. Whether he was actually knocked out or just faking it, no one could say. “Master, your disciple followed your instructions and just gave them a casual beating—I didn’t go for the kill,” Li Qingran reported with a touch of pride as she hovered around Chen Huaian. “You haven’t even commented on my sword skills yet! I just mastered this move, you know~” “Mm, not bad. But don’t get cocky—you’ve only reached Sword Form Three…” “I know!” Li Qingran cut in smoothly. “Master is a super genius who’s mastered the Green Lotus Sword Manual, while I’ve still got a long way to go. But hey, every journey starts with one step~” “Hmph, as long as you understand.” Chen Huaian rubbed his nose. He was a little embarrassed… Sure, he had mastered more sword techniques, but that was thanks to the Yuan Sovereign Dao Body. Besides, his cultivation level was still a whole major realm above Li Qingran’s. So in front of her, he didn’t say much. The more you talk, the more you risk slipping up—better to maintain the image of a high and mighty expert. Wang Shouyi had already met Li Qingran before. Even so, seeing her strength again was still a shock. The first time he met her, she was already stronger than him. Back then, he felt an overwhelming pressure. Now that his strength had grown, that pressure hadn’t lessened one bit—he was sure he still wasn’t her match. As for Hakyryu, he was downright despairing. It was already impressive enough that a Divine Transformation stage elder referred to the boss as "Patriarch." Now, this Mid Golden Core disciple not only wielded formidable sword techniques but also radiated divine brilliance all over—obviously a top-tier prodigy. The boss’s prestige just kept climbing… After all, only a top-tier powerhouse could take in a prodigy like her as a disciple. Otherwise, how would they teach her anything? “Brother Wang, look at this mess,” Chen Huaian shook his head and sighed apologetically. “Your senior brother must’ve had something to discuss with you. As the host, I should’ve treated him to a meal. Instead, I ended up treating him to a sword… Your Kunlun Immortal Palace folks are pretty understanding—I trust you won’t go reporting this to Her Eminence?” Wang Shouyi: “…” He knew for a fact Li Buyi would absolutely go report it. The guy was narrow-minded. He wouldn’t just report—he’d exaggerate everything. He’d probably describe Senior Chen and his beast as heinous criminals. But all he could do now was force a smile and say: “Please rest assured, Senior. I’ll explain everything to Her Eminence. She’s wise and values fairness. She won’t take my senior brother’s side of the story at face value.” “That’s good to hear, that’s good.” Chen Huaian smiled warmly. Having someone on the inside made things a lot easier. Saved him from unnecessary headaches. Li Buyi might stir up trouble later, but as long as Wang Shouyi had his back, everything would be fine. After all, his main approach right now was to stay low-key and avoid major conflict with Ascender factions. “Oh right, Senior, I actually came to invite you to join the counterattack on the Demon-Locking Tower.” Worried that Chen Huaian might refuse, Wang Shouyi was just about to list all the benefits… But he noticed Chen Huaian and Li Qingran’s eyes suddenly sparkle. Even the beast between them—Hakyryu—had its eyes lit up. Three pairs of glowing eyes turned toward him, making him pause mid-sentence. “Uh…” Wang Shouyi asked tentatively, “You… want to join?!” “Slaying demons and evil—this is the duty of cultivators.” Chen Huaian lowered his brow, cleared his throat, and clasped his hands behind his back in an exaggeratedly formal stance. “As the Governor of the Exorcist Division, This Venerable One’s duty is to eliminate monsters, protect justice across the land, bring peace to the people. Naturally, I must go. However…” Yes, this was the perfect speech. He could already feel Li Qingran’s worshipful gaze. He glanced at Hakyryu beside him, a little hesitant. Honestly, he really wanted to ride Hakyryu there. Because riding Hakyryu with Li Qingran on board was like driving a Lamborghini with a goddess in the passenger seat—the ultimate power move. In the world of cultivators, this was what made a man king of kings. Hakyryu looked pitifully at Chen Huaian. [Boss, I’m begging you!] Hakyryu’s voice rang out in Chen Huaian’s mind. “You really want to go?” [The world is so big—I want to see it!] “…Fine.” Chen Huaian made up his mind and turned to Wang Shouyi. “This beast of mine could be a great help—how about I bring it along?” As he spoke, he gave Hakyryu’s head a good rub and added with a grin: “Look how obedient it is. With me around, it won’t hurt anyone. Besides, I’ve got my disciple here too. She’s Mid Golden Core—definitely enough to keep this dumb cat in check.” “Er…” Wang Shouyi hesitated. They were organizing Ascenders to slay demons—and now they were bringing a big demon with them? That didn’t really add up… Hakyryu licked its paw and meowed at Wang Shouyi. Wang Shouyi: “…” He gritted his teeth and made a snap decision. “Alright, but Senior, you and your disciple must keep a close watch on it… There’ll be a lot of Ascenders attacking the Demon-Locking Tower. That thing’s strength is already enough to threaten 90% of them. If it appears, everyone’s going to take notice.” He did feel uneasy about bringing Hakyryu along—it was against protocol and full of risk. But since it was a personal request from a senior… Handling Her Eminence and the other Ascenders would fall to him. That was his job as the junior. Little did he know… This decision would bring him endless, unimaginable trouble in the future. The Demon-Locking Tower closest to the Exorcist Division in C Province was located in the Qinling Mountains. Wang Shouyi didn’t sleep a wink that night, busy coordinating everything. To accommodate Chen Huaian, he completely revised the original plan, even reassigning some Ascenders from distant locations to C Province. He also prepared a flying vessel just for Chen Huaian. Sure, Chen could fly on his own, but the others in the Exorcist Division couldn’t. And the vessel was faster anyway. The next morning. After breakfast, Chen Huaian and Li Qingran boarded the vessel and waited with the C Province Exorcist Division team for the other Ascenders to arrive. Hakyryu had transformed into a little black kitten and was sprawled lazily on a table. Meanwhile, Chen Huaian and Li Qingran sat quietly in a corner, sharing some cake. “Master, this—this is so good!” Li Qingran nibbled delicately, but her fingers moved with lightning speed. Noticing Chen Huaian staring at her, her cheeks turned pink, but she couldn’t stop munching the sweet, soft fluff. She mumbled around a mouthful: “Master, I think I understand now why you like this world so much… the food here is amazing!” “That’s part of it.” Chen Huaian chuckled. The way she ate cake looked exactly like a little hamster. It was a pity her current form was just an avatar brought over by Spirit Roam Beyond the Void. Otherwise, he’d definitely reach over and squish those chubby cheeks. Once you’ve done it once, it’s easy to do it again. He thought this would be a peaceful morning. Once all the Ascenders arrived, they’d take the vessel to the Demon-Locking Tower. But unexpectedly, a voice piped up nearby. “Tsk tsk. What kind of bumpkin is this? Never had cake before? Don’t tell me you came from some village before the Spiritual Revival?” Chen Huaian raised an eyebrow. It had been a long time since he heard such a grating, snarky tone. Ever since becoming Governor of the Exorcist Division, those fly-like buzzing noises had vanished from his life. He turned his head toward the voice. And saw someone very familiar.

Chapter 373: Familiar Face – 【Xiling Combatant】

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