Chapter Thirty-One: Starpoint Manor
Shi Qi opened the Azure Cloud Umbrella, and from its canopy downward, a verdant green barrier formed, enclosing Shi Qi at its center.
Clang, clang, clang!
Yuan Chenglu’s golden soldiers struck the umbrella’s shield, but it did not budge in the slightest.
A few breaths later, the golden soldiers dispersed and the umbrella’s shield faded away on its own. The umbrella remained unharmed, though it appeared a shade dimmer.
“What a marvelous artifact!” Yuan Chenglu shouted, stepping into the void. He conjured a long blade from thin air and slashed toward Shi Qi.
Shi Qi folded the umbrella and used it to block the attack, the handle meeting the blade in a thunderous clash.
Unable to withstand the immense force transmitted through her hands, Shi Qi’s legs buckled. Though she remained standing, the ground beneath her gave way, leaving a pit where she stood.
Shi Qi sensed trouble. She had already fired two Water Spirit Pills and tangled with Yuan Chenglu for so long; despite her demon core’s unending supply of true energy, she knew she would be defeated if this battle continued.
After all, her opponent was a cultivator at the Nascent Soul level, a whole stage above her own.
Shi Qi thought: It’s time to retreat—knowing the gap between myself and a Nascent Soul cultivator is enough.
With that resolve, she shouted, gathering true energy in her hand, and sent a stream of water flying toward Yuan Chenglu in midair.
“Binding Spell! Water Tornado!”
A spiraling stream shot out from her fingertips, winding around Yuan Chenglu.
“Ice!”
Instantly, the water froze, binding Yuan Chenglu in ice—the very trick Shi Qi had just used to snare the tiger.
But Shi Qi knew she could not hold Yuan Chenglu for long. As soon as her attack landed, she retreated two steps and reached into her robe, intending to retrieve something from her Universe Pouch.
At that moment, a fragrant breeze swept from the nearby woods. A verdant green illusion shot out from the forest, swept Shi Qi up, and whisked her off to the side, the entire process taking less than two breaths.
Meanwhile, the ice tornado barely held Yuan Chenglu. With a surge of true energy, he shattered the icy bonds with a thunderous crack.
By the time he regained his bearings, Shi Qi had vanished without a trace.
“Uncle!” Yuan He approached.
“That little thief has many tricks,” Yuan Chenglu sighed. “He’er, let’s return to the manor and recuperate. We’ll find another chance to dispose of that thief.”
“Yes, Uncle,” Yuan He replied respectfully. He followed Yuan Chenglu as they soared into the sky toward Point Star Manor, paying no heed to the corpses of the man and woman nearby.
Meanwhile, on Shi Qi’s side—
Su Xiaomo’s legs moved so swiftly they left afterimages, dragging Shi Qi along in a frantic dash, shouting as she ran.
“Run, run, run!”
Shi Qi: “Stop, stop, stop!”
Su Xiaomo: “Run, run, run!”
Shi Qi: “Stop, stop, stop... Hmm? Why does this feel so familiar? This isn’t good...”
Sure enough, a resounding crash echoed.
Su Xiaomo smashed into the mountain wall, leaving a human-shaped hole.
Shi Qi, a head taller than Su Xiaomo, didn’t land atop her, but instead crashed directly into the rock face. Both collapsed to the ground.
“Ouch.”
“Ouch.”
They rose together, sitting on the ground.
Su Xiaomo muttered, “Where are we?”
Shi Qi rubbed her head, “How should I know... Hmm?”
Shi Qi frowned and pressed her index finger to her lips, signaling Su Xiaomo to keep quiet.
Su Xiaomo, confused, asked, “Hand on your mouth? What’s that mean? Whistle? But I can’t make it sound.”
Shi Qi hurried forward and covered Su Xiaomo’s mouth with her hand.
Gurgle... gurgle...
Just as Shi Qi muffled her, strange noises drifted from nearby.
Shi Qi thought: Sounds like some creature snoring in its sleep.
With that in mind, she pulled Su Xiaomo along, the two of them flying up the mountain wall, stopping at the summit.
Shi Qi peered out, Su Xiaomo following suit. The two looked like thieves, eyes wide and round as they gazed outward.
On a mountain peak a mile away, a white tiger lay outside a cave, basking in the sun and snoring.
This white tiger was not the brown one Shi Qi had just fought. It was nearly ten meters long, pure white, twice the size of the previous tiger. Its black-and-white stripes were thick as steel whips, its tail robust, and atop its head the character for “king” marked it as fierce and majestic.
The previous one was at most five hundred years cultivated, but this was a genuine millennium-old demon beast.
Suddenly, a sound sliced through the air. Shi Qi quickly pulled Su Xiaomo beneath a giant boulder.
The noise grew closer. Shi Qi peeked out—it was the very tiger she had just battled!
The tiger spread its wings and flew swiftly through the sky, soon landing beside the giant white tiger that was napping.
The white tiger, hearing the commotion, slowly opened its eyes.
“Roar!”
“Roar!”
The two tigers roared at each other, conversing in their own way.
Su Xiaomo: “Big brother, what are they saying?”
Shi Qi: “Hmm... who knows? The smaller one is probably complaining.”
Su Xiaomo asked, “Could there be more tigers?”
Shi Qi pondered for a moment, then replied, “Probably not. Normally, tigers are solitary creatures. Within a radius of dozens of miles, there should only be one. But now, these two are together... most likely...”
Su Xiaomo: “Most likely what?”
Shi Qi rolled her eyes, calculated the season, and said, “It’s spring now, so most likely it’s the season for love—after all, demon beasts are still beasts.”
Su Xiaomo: “What’s ‘the season for love’?”
Shi Qi: “...Guess.”
Roar!
The giant white tiger opened its enormous jaws and roared at the sky, seemingly enraged.
Shi Qi’s eyes flashed with an idea. He took Su Xiaomo’s hand, and together they retreated quietly, descending the mountain wall.
Su Xiaomo: “Big brother, where are we going next?”
Shi Qi’s lips curled into a smile: “Let’s go, time to scout the place!”
With that, Shi Qi pulled out a map from his Universe Bag, studied it for a while, then signaled to Su Xiaomo. The two flew off in a chosen direction.
-------------------------------------
Meanwhile, at Point Star Manor—
Yuan Chenglu and Yuan He returned one after another.
Point Star Manor stood atop a small spiritual mountain at the edge of Yongzhou, nestled by mountains and waters, in an idyllic setting.
The master of the manor was Yuan Chengtian, a Nascent Soul cultivator. There were two Nascent Soul cultivators in the manor—the other being Yuan Chengtian’s elder brother, Yuan Chenglu, who had just crossed swords with Shi Qi and was also Yuan He’s uncle.
Aside from Yuan Chengtian’s wife and other womenfolk, the manor housed dozens of disciples and servants, their cultivation ranging from Foundation Establishment to Golden Core.
Point Star Manor was a minor cultivation sect in all twelve provinces, and even in Yongzhou, it was just a small manor. Yet within a thousand miles of Yongzhou’s border, a manor boasting two Nascent Soul cultivators was not easily provoked.
Major sects had no interest in interfering, and minor factions couldn’t afford to offend them. Thus, Point Star Manor was able to walk unhindered throughout the region.