Gu Xiu's steps were unusually light as he took a few strides to the entrance of the cave, but he didn't step out directly. Instead, he stood quietly in place. In his hand, he still held the wooden stick he had picked up and never used.

At this moment, with his back to Ye Hongling, his white hair scattered, under the moonlight, he appeared somewhat... aloof? For some reason, the word suddenly popped into Ye Hongling's mind. She found herself increasingly curious about Gu Xiu. They hadn't interacted much, and this was only their second meeting. Yet every time she saw Gu Xiu, he seemed to exude an extraordinary aura.

"I remember your name is Ye Hongling, right?" Gu Xiu suddenly spoke.

Huh?

Ye Hongling was taken aback, but then she heard Gu Xiu speak again, "When I call your name later, strike at me with all your might."

"What???" Ye Hongling was puzzled, "At you?"

"Yes."

"But..."

"Just do as I say, remember?"

"I... remember."

She was still a bit hesitant, but under Gu Xiu's calm demeanor, an inexplicable trust arose in Ye Hongling's heart. It was strange. Clearly, Gu Xiu was just a small Qi Refining 3rd Level cultivator, yet in his presence, she subconsciously overlooked his cultivation level.

"Since the three of you are here, come in," Gu Xiu suddenly called out loudly.

Hmm?

Ye Hongling was startled, a wave of shock surged in her heart. It was only when Gu Xiu spoke that she realized the three extremely faint presences had somehow appeared outside the cave!

The person from before had clearly noticed something was wrong but had retreated without alerting them, only to secretly call for reinforcements! Unable to help herself, Ye Hongling glanced at Gu Xiu in surprise.

How... did he do it?

At this moment, voices came from outside the cave:

"So there really is another person, and he's with that wretched woman. You guys sure know how to hide, making us search for so long."

"Kid, you have some skills, hiding at Qi Refining 3rd Level for so long."

"But it's a pity, having seen this woman, you can't escape death. Blame your bad luck."

From her position, Ye Hongling couldn't see the three people outside the cave, but she could sense the danger. She clearly perceived that the three outside were not weak! One was at Qi Refining Great Perfection, and the other two were at Qi Refining 7th Layer!

And Gu Xiu? He was only at Qi Refining 3rd Level! This was not just a numerical advantage, but also a crushing difference in strength!

However...

Facing these three who clearly could overpower him, Gu Xiu remained calm, seemingly unaffected by them. He asked plainly:

"Who wants to come in first?"

"Or..."

"All together?"

His words were devoid of any fluctuation, yet this calmness made the three outside the cave hesitant. They couldn't possibly be intimidated by Gu Xiu; the real reason was the presence of Ye Hongling inside. This woman's strength was formidable. If not for being poisoned, she could easily kill them. Even now, with her poisoned, the three were unsure.

But those who dared to come for Ye Hongling couldn't remain indecisive forever. Soon, footsteps approached, and judging by the aura, it was one of the Qi Refining 7th Layer cultivators. The person was cautious, stepping carefully.

Ye Hongling's heart sank, gripping her spear, ready to strike as soon as the opponent entered the cave. Closer! Closer! She could even see the opponent's shadow now. However, the person remained cautious, hesitating at the entrance.

The next second, the person suddenly accelerated, rushing into the cave! Ye Hongling was extremely tense, ready to act in haste. But the next second...

"Thud!"

The person suddenly fell headfirst to the ground, rolling forward a couple of times due to the momentum. When they stopped, Ye Hongling gasped. This person... was dead!!!

A hole had appeared in the person's heart, pierced through by a sword, extinguishing their life instantly! Abruptly, Ye Hongling looked up at Gu Xiu. Yet Gu Xiu remained quietly standing at the cave entrance, holding the wooden stick, motionless.

If not for the blood dripping from the stick, Ye Hongling might have doubted if it was Gu Xiu's doing. Because she hadn't seen how Gu Xiu did it! She hadn't even sensed any spiritual energy fluctuation from him at the moment of attack!

This was a Qi Refining 7th Layer cultivator, already considered late-stage Qi Refining. And Gu Xiu? Just a small cultivator at Qi Refining 3rd Level, theoretically, the opponent should have been able to crush Gu Xiu instantly. How could they be killed so inexplicably by this white-haired rogue cultivator?

How did he do it?

While Ye Hongling was in shock, the two outside the cave also realized something was wrong with their companion who had entered. Their aura was slightly chaotic.

"That woman is indeed inside!"

"She attacked!"

"You go, she can't manage another strike, go in and kill her!"

The conversation reached them, and soon another Qi Refining 7th Layer cultivator cautiously approached the cave. Ye Hongling focused again. But this time, her gaze was on Gu Xiu, wanting to see how he did it.

This second cultivator moved even slower. But no matter how slow, they eventually reached the cave entrance. Ye Hongling couldn't help but focus her mind again.

And then...

The second person suddenly accelerated towards the cave! Ye Hongling held her breath, wanting to see Gu Xiu act. But...

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At that moment, Gu Xiu suddenly shouted:

"Ye Hongling!"

Ye Hongling didn't understand why Gu Xiu called her to act now, but she knew her chances were limited. Without hesitation, she threw her spear towards Gu Xiu!

In the instant the spear left her hand, Ye Hongling suddenly understood why Gu Xiu called her to act. Because the Qi Refining 7th Layer was just a decoy! The Qi Refining Great Perfection cultivator, who was supposed to be the main force, had taken advantage of the distraction to rush in!

As the opponent entered the cave, Gu Xiu stepped back. When the spear arrived, the Qi Refining Great Perfection cultivator seemed to walk right into it. Ye Hongling's strength was indeed formidable, and the cultivator, aside from a flash of horror and fear on their face, had no chance to resist.

"Bang!"

The next second, the opponent was pinned against the cave wall by Ye Hongling's spear! This... what kind of calculation was this? To judge so precisely?

Ye Hongling was incredulous, but when she turned her head, she was suddenly stunned. Where was Gu Xiu? The Gu Xiu who had just stepped back half a step without acting was now nowhere to be seen.

When Ye Hongling realized, she saw Gu Xiu stepping back into the cave, the wooden stick in his hand still dripping blood. This... the Qi Refining 7th Layer cultivator outside... were they dead???

As this question surfaced, Ye Hongling's pupils shrank. Because she saw that in Gu Xiu's other hand, there was an unfamiliar storage bag! Moreover, after entering the cave, he immediately began searching the storage bags on the other two corpses!

This... he killed them just like that? He went out and killed the Qi Refining 7th Layer cultivator outside? That wasn't like cutting Chinese cabbage, was it? How could they die without a sound?

Ye Hongling was utterly shocked. As a prodigy of Tiance Mansion, she had seen instances of the weak defeating the strong. But... defeating the strong so effortlessly was unheard of!

"Don't just stand there, this is only one group. If we want to break out, we need to leave immediately!" Gu Xiu's voice came.

Ye Hongling was momentarily dazed, then quickly reacted, forcing her weak body to stand. Pulling out her spear, Ye Hongling also saw the Qi Refining 7th Layer cultivator outside, who hadn't even had a chance to enter the cave. Like the first person, their heart had a hole pierced through.

Looking back at the other two corpses in the cave, Ye Hongling suddenly felt a sense of absurdity. Since when were cultivators so easy to kill???