"My soul injury is still too severe."

On the other side.

In a cave within the forest.

Gu Xiu murmured to himself, his face pale.

At this moment, he looked extremely disheveled, his robes soaked with sweat, and his entire aura was weak to the extreme.

He had just endured a torment.

The torment of a soul injury!

Five hundred years of battles in the Forbidden Land had left Gu Xiu's soul with an irreparable Dao injury.

For the past three years since his return, Gu Xiu occasionally suffered from the flare-ups of his injury, the pain unbearable, and each time he could only grit his teeth and endure.

Although the nameless ancient tome had previously transformed into butterflies to heal his wounds, it only repaired his physical body.

The soul injury remained unhealed.

Just now, while traversing the forest, his injury suddenly flared up again. He could only hastily find a cave to hide and endure the pain.

Now that the pain had subsided, Gu Xiu still felt a lingering fear.

"Luckily, I've left the sect. It's only flared up twice in such a long time, unlike before at Zhuo Peak, where it happened every three to five days."

"My Little Junior Brother is truly formidable..."

Gu Xiu's soul injury was difficult to heal, but with some caution, it wouldn't flare up every few days.

All of this.

Was because Jiang Xun had tampered with the place where Gu Xiu lived.

This grudge.

Gu Xiu hadn't forgotten!

Collecting his thoughts, Gu Xiu changed into a new set of clothes: "I must head to Yunxiao City as soon as possible to seize that opportunity!"

Setting off once more!

It had been five days since Gu Xiu encountered Ye Hongling, and during these five days, he had been traveling along the edge of the forest.

At this pace, if he sped up, he should reach Yunxiao City in at most a month.

However, after traveling for another half day, Gu Xiu suddenly frowned.

Ahead of him lay a scene of devastation.

Numerous trees and bushes were destroyed, and even the rocks bore signs of damage, with faint traces of spiritual energy lingering around.

The ground was also stained with blood and footprints.

"It seems a highly skilled cultivator was ambushed, and the attackers likely used poison. It looks like the skilled cultivator managed to escape."

Based on the scene, Gu Xiu made a guess.

Cultivator battles were never a good thing for a rogue cultivator.

After some thought, Gu Xiu decided to change his route.

He chose a more roundabout path that should avoid danger.

The cultivation world is never short of dangers.

As a rogue cultivator, one must be aware of their status. Meddling in others' affairs only brings trouble, and acting recklessly without sufficient strength can lead to one's demise.

However...

Sometimes, even when you try to avoid trouble, it follows you like a shadow.

Not long after, a breeze carried a faint scent of blood.

This made Gu Xiu frown.

Just as he was about to change direction again, he heard a somewhat familiar voice:

"Wait! Help me!"

Gu Xiu turned his head and saw Ye Hongling, the female war god of Tiance Mansion he had met a few days ago, hiding in a thicket, covered in blood.

In just a few days.

Ye Hongling's condition had clearly worsened, with beads of sweat on her forehead, her face as pale as paper, and her internal energy in complete disarray.

Seeing Gu Xiu, Ye Hongling said, "You found me after all, Daoist friend, can you help me?"

"No," Gu Xiu shook his head.

Ye Hongling was taken aback and then asked, "Why?"

"I'm just an ordinary rogue cultivator. I don't know you, nor do I want to know you. I don't wish to invite unnecessary trouble."

Gu Xiu's response was straightforward.

Ye Hongling was a bit stunned, not knowing how to argue, and could only smile wryly:

"Since you're a rogue cultivator, you must lack resources. If you help me, I'll reward you, okay?"

Gu Xiu thought for a moment and shook his head, "No."

"Why not?"

"Your strength is far greater than mine. If you can't solve your problem, it's beyond my capability to help."

Gu Xiu shook his head again and turned to leave.

Ye Hongling watched his back, biting her lip. Though disappointed, she understood.

His cultivation level was indeed not high, and it was reasonable not to want to get involved.

However...

Just as Ye Hongling was about to despair, Gu Xiu returned. Ignoring Ye Hongling's surprised gaze, he directly asked:

"What benefits will you give me?"

"Eight hundred Spirit Stones and some pills!"

"No, the risk is too high. Is your life worth only that many Spirit Stones?"

"I... I only have that many Spirit Stones..." Ye Hongling was a bit embarrassed:

"And I just need you to guard me. I've been poisoned and need to detoxify quickly. During this process, I need someone to guard me."

"If it's not enough, you can name your price. Once it's safe, I'll compensate you with Spirit Stones afterward."

Facing Ye Hongling's hopeful gaze, Gu Xiu nodded:

"Alright, eight hundred Spirit Stones, give them to me now."

"You..." Ye Hongling was stunned.

This white-haired rogue cultivator, when she first met him, seemed special, with an air of elegance and the demeanor of a recluse.

But she never expected...

How could he be like this?

Despite her complaints, Ye Hongling quickly took out a Storage Ring and tossed it over:

"All my Spirit Stones are in there!"

Gu Xiu took it and scanned it with his spiritual sense.

Indeed, there were eight hundred Spirit Stones inside, along with two bottles of basic Spirit Recovery Pills.

Seeing his serious demeanor, Ye Hongling asked sourly, "Didn't you say you didn't want to get involved? Why did you change your mind suddenly?"

"Because I'm already involved," Gu Xiu shook his head and said:

"Your pursuers have already caught up."

Ye Hongling: ???

Gu Xiu added, "I either have to fight my way out or keep moving forward, but I'll definitely be discovered. No matter what, I can't shake off the trouble."

Ye Hongling: !!!

So...

You're not suddenly being kind, but because you see no way to stay out of it, you came back?

Wait!

Ye Hongling suddenly realized, "Then why do you still want my Spirit Stones?"

"If I don't earn, it's a waste. If I can't avoid the trouble, I might as well earn a bit," Gu Xiu replied again.

Very straightforward, very honest.

Not a bit of deceit.

But hearing this, Ye Hongling felt a bit hurt.

This guy.

He's just taking advantage of the situation, squeezing every last bit out of it?

While Ye Hongling was thinking this, Gu Xiu had already approached her: "Can you walk? If so, let's move quickly."

"I can."

Ye Hongling collected her thoughts. Though a bit frustrated with Gu Xiu's opportunism, the situation was urgent, and it wasn't the time to dwell on it.

Immediately, the two began to weave through the forest.

Ye Hongling was a bit puzzled.

Because, following this, Gu Xiu led her through the forest seemingly at random. Even though there was no sign of people, nor could they sense anyone.

Yet, Gu Xiu would occasionally stop and then change direction.

And along the way, they circled in the forest for two hours.

"What are we doing?" Ye Hongling asked, confused.

Gu Xiu didn't glance at her, remaining vigilant of their surroundings, and replied, "Your pursuers are close. We must be cautious to avoid them."

This...

Ye Hongling was puzzled.

Looking around, all she saw were dense forests, nothing else, not even a hint of other people's presence.

How did Gu Xiu detect others?

Naturally, she wouldn't know that although Gu Xiu couldn't sense others, he had his own methods.

His greatest method was his natural affinity with the Heaven and Earth Dao Rhythm around him.

This was an ability he gained after comprehending the Heavenly Talisman Script. Though primarily used in the Talisman Dao, it also allowed him to detect danger to some extent.

This was why Gu Xiu had been safe while traversing the forest for five days.

Initially, he hadn't detected Ye Hongling because she used special concealment techniques, and Gu Xiu had been wary of greater dangers.

After leading Ye Hongling until midnight, Gu Xiu stopped: "We're surrounded. Unless we break through, we can't get out."

"How much time do we have?" Ye Hongling asked.

Gu Xiu sensed the Heaven and Earth Dao Rhythm: "Here, at most two hours before we encounter someone."

Two hours?

Ye Hongling took a deep breath: "I want to heal, first treat the poison."

"Very well."

Gu Xiu nodded, then led Ye Hongling to a relatively hidden cave: "Here will do."

"Alright!"

Ye Hongling nodded. Although she still didn't understand how Gu Xiu was so certain, now wasn't the time to ponder.

Following Gu Xiu for half a day without encountering danger was proof enough.

The most important thing now was to heal.

As Ye Hongling began to meditate and take medicine to expel the poison, Gu Xiu also took out two Spirit Stones, holding them in his palm, slowly absorbing the spiritual power within.

Compared to five days ago, Gu Xiu's cultivation had improved slightly. Though he had been on the move, he hadn't neglected to cultivate during his spare time.

For a moment.

The cave fell silent.

The silence lasted for less than two hours before both of them suddenly opened their eyes, exchanged glances, and then looked towards the cave entrance.

Someone was coming!

Sure enough, soon after, voices were heard outside:

"What's going on, where did that woman go?"

"I don't know, she definitely ran this way, and there are traces of another person along the way."

"They should be nearby, search carefully!"

After a brief discussion, three cultivators spread out and began searching the area carefully.

Ye Hongling's face darkened.

She had underestimated the poison within her. Even with nearly two hours of full effort to expel it, the poison clung like a leech.

Impossible to detoxify in a short time!

Just then, a presence gradually approached, causing Ye Hongling to hold her breath, sneaking a glance at Gu Xiu beside her.

She saw Gu Xiu sitting cross-legged, a wooden stick on his lap, expressionless.

Theft is never good, try looking at [ pawread dot com ].

The footsteps grew closer.

Ye Hongling had already quietly gripped her spear, ready to fight at any moment.

But just as the person was about to reach the cave.

They suddenly stopped.

Then turned and left.

Ye Hongling quietly exhaled, glancing again at Gu Xiu, who remained unmoving, expressionless.

This person...

Such a calm demeanor!

But then, Gu Xiu's voice suddenly reached her ears:

"Can you still fight at full strength?"

"If I don't care about the consequences, I can fight at full strength twice," Ye Hongling replied.

Gu Xiu pondered:

"Twice?"

"Once will suffice."

Hmm?

Ye Hongling was puzzled, thinking the person had left, so why was Gu Xiu asking this?

But then, Gu Xiu suddenly stood up.

Then.

He stepped towards the cave entrance.