Volume 10, Chapter 678 – She Doesn’t Seem Very Smart

The person tightly wrapped up from head to toe was, of course, Qi Huang.

The reason Qi Huang wanted the Heaven-Mending Crystal was twofold. First, she was curious about what made it so special that even the mighty Immortal Alliance’s leader coveted it. Second, she had a vague feeling that this thing was somehow connected to the blood tears on her face, especially since it had just triggered a “resonance”.

Though Qi Huang wanted it badly, she didn’t appear very threatening at all. Even with gloves on, her hand looked small and delicate.

Cao Hong’s expression shifted slightly as he quietly took two steps back. He hadn’t sensed Qi Huang’s approach at all. That meant one of two things: either she was unimaginably fast, or she had used Heaven-Deceiving Water to mask her presence. Either possibility was troublesome.

“Who are you?”

The other members of the Immortal Alliance immediately drew their swords and glared angrily at Qi Huang. Truly, ignorance breeds fearlessness.

“What? The Heaven-Mending Crystal? That treasure is actually in that Cao fellow’s hands?”

Jin Ze’s surprised voice rang out just then; he clearly recognized it.

“Father, what’s the Heaven-Mending Crystal?” Jin Xue asked curiously from beside him.

Qi Huang ignored the Immortal Alliance disciples and walked forward like an overly curious child, joining in: “Yeah, yeah, what’s the Heaven-Mending Crystal? Give me a quick science lesson.”

The Immortal Alliance disciples froze on the spot, unsure what to do.

Cao Hong seized the chance to sweep Qi Huang with his Divine Sense, but he detected nothing at all. He breathed a slight sigh of relief. This confirmed that she had indeed used Heaven-Deceiving Water or wore special clothes woven from Nine Nether Demon Cat fur. That would explain why he hadn’t noticed her earlier.

‘Hah, just like sticking a rooster’s feather on a crow’s head to pretend to be a phoenix. Even if you’ve doused yourself in Heaven-Deceiving Water, that doesn’t mean you’re actually a Heavenly Tribulation Realm expert.’

Cao Hong sneered inwardly. After all, he’d encountered clowns before who used Heaven-Deceiving Water to fake being peak experts.

Jin Ze and his daughter were so frightened they kept retreating, but with nowhere left to run, they had no choice but to answer honestly: “The Heaven-Mending Crystal is an ancient stone used by immortals to patch up the heavens. Some fragments were lost and eventually found their way into the cultivation world. It possesses an incredibly powerful regenerative ability. Not only can it heal external injuries, but it can also restore broken bodies. Whether it’s a severed finger, a missing arm, or even a whole section of the body, as long as you drink the water it dissolves into, it can regrow completely. It’s considered the number-one healing treasure in the cultivation world.”

“What? It can restore broken bodies? Are you serious?”

Rеαⅾ οո ΚatRеαⅾіոgСаfе

Qi Huang trembled all over with excitement. Wasn’t that exactly what she had always dreamed of? Back then, her master Hu Bing had lost an arm and several fingers to the Severed Immortal Sect for her sake, ending his cultivation path. It was a regret she’d never been able to let go of. With this, everything could be perfectly fixed.

“Ab… Absolutely true.”

Jin Ze shuddered again and quickly pulled his daughter back further.

“Haha! What a wonderful night! Everyone, please allow me to dance!”

Qi Huang was so happy that she immediately broke into an awkward little dance, something she had learned from her adoptive father, Cheng Yuan.

“Who is this person? She doesn’t seem very smart,” Shen Yuan muttered from the side, pointing at Qi Huang.

“Indeed, her mental state looks identical to Junior Sister’s doppelgänger,” Ruan Lingyu assessed.

“Could it be… that it’s actually her?” Yun Fei guessed, making the few senior and junior sisters glance toward Cheng Hongling.

Cheng Hongling’s lips twitched, but she forced herself to maintain a cold, aloof expression.

Qi Huang impatiently stepped up to Cao Hong and held out her hand. “Hand over the Heaven-Mending Crystal. Right now. Immediately!”

“Who exactly are you?”

Cao Hong’s eyes were filled with murderous intent. In this world, aside from his parents, no one had ever dared speak to him like this, not even the Immortal Alliance’s leader.

“That’s none of your business. Either you hand me the Heaven-Mending Crystal, or you hand me your life.”

Qi Huang’s tone was sharp and domineering. At this moment, not even heaven itself could stop her from getting what she wanted.

“My heavens, did I hear that right? She’s threatening the Immortal Alliance’s vice leader?”

Reaԁ οո КatReаⅾiոɡСаfе

“Yeah, Cao Hong is one of the few Heavenly Tribulation Realm experts in the entire cultivation world! Where does she get the guts?”

“Maybe she doesn’t even know who he is. What an idiot. If she angers him, we’re all dead.”

Among the baits’ group, some people had already started wailing.

“How dare you! Threatening the Immortal Alliance’s vice leader, you must have a death wish!”

Elder Kang exploded with fury. With a flick of his Divine Sense, his sword shot out, whistling sharply through the air as it aimed straight for Qi Huang.

Elder Kang stepped forward partly to save himself. If he didn’t show bravery now, he’d surely be punished later for cowardice.

Qi Huang didn’t move an inch. The sword stopped, hovering just a foot in front of her chest. Only then did she turn her head slightly to glance at him.

Elder Kang froze, then gritted his teeth and poured even more Divine Sense into his blade, trying to force it closer, but it was like pushing against a mountain. It wouldn’t budge at all.

“Hmph!”

Qi Huang let out a cold snort, and Elder Kang’s sword vanished before everyone’s eyes.

People blinked in confusion, then heard Elder Kang scream. They turned instinctively, only to see him staring down blankly at his chest. A gaping hole the size of a fist had appeared there. Shredded flesh and bloody fragments of his organs tumbled down from it in sticky, gruesome clumps.

Elder Kang toppled backward, his face still frozen in disbelief. He’d just wanted to show off by bullying the weak… but he’d squeezed the wrong fruit. Instead of showing off, he’d thrown his life away.

“Wah!”

Everyone gasped. Seeing Qi Huang effortlessly kill Elder Kang in an instant, both the baits and the Immortal Alliance disciples stumbled back in terror.

“You dare kill under my nose? You’re courting death—”

Cao Hong roared, summoning a broad, imposing sword into his hand with his Divine Sense. Unfortunately for him, it would never be used.

Rеaⅾ оո КаtRеaԁіոgCafе

Qi Huang struck first. Her figure vanished, moving faster than the eye could follow. She had used her mid-Heavenly Tribulation Realm Divine Sense in that attack, there was no way he could dodge.

And indeed, before Cao Hong could even finish his threat, the sharp tip of her sword was already pressing against his throat.

“Courting death, you say?” Qi Huang teased.

“This… this is impossible!”

Cao Hong was stunned. He had thought she was just pretending to be a Heavenly Tribulation expert by using Heaven-Deceiving Water. Who would have thought her speed would be so terrifying? She had completely caught him off guard.

“What the hell am I seeing? Vice Leader Cao was subdued in a single move?!”

The surrounding onlookers were dumbfounded. The Immortal Alliance elders and disciples were all trembling, edging backward cautiously.

“She’s too strong… She’s just as powerful as Junior Sister’s doppelgänger,” Ruan Lingyu whispered in the corner.

“Yeah… but since when does mental illness boost your cultivation?” Yun Fei muttered, trying to analyze.

“Senior sisters, aren’t you afraid others will overhear you?” Miao Xiang asked timidly.

“What do you mean senior sisters? You should call us cousin-sisters, we’re from the same Wenren clan,” Yun Fei corrected quickly.

“I’ll count to three. Hand over the Heaven-Mending Crystal, or you die. One…”

Qi Huang’s voice rang out in the silence, sharp and impatient.

Cao Hong’s face twisted with hesitation. If he gave in now, it wouldn’t just be losing the Heaven-Mending Crystal, it would be losing all of his dignity as the Immortal Alliance’s vice leader.

But Qi Huang wasn’t going to give him time to deliberate.

Rеaⅾ оո КαtReаdiոɡCafе

“Three!”

“I’ll give it! I’ll give it!”

Cao Hong panicked instantly, fumbling to retrieve the Heaven-Mending Crystal from his spatial ring.

Qi Huang snatched it immediately and tucked it into her own ring without ceremony. Then she added, “And the spatial ring containing Zhao Ming and his daughter. Hand that over too.”

Cao Hong had no choice but to obey.

Only after securing the rings did Qi Huang relax slightly. She wasn’t a robber who took everything she saw. She intended to use the Heaven-Mending Crystal, but she’d still need the owner’s consent later.

“Senior… I’ve fulfilled all your requests. Could you… let us off now?” Cao Hong asked cautiously.

Qi Huang glanced around. The most troublesome issue now was the families of the baits. If she left them here, the Immortal Alliance would surely slaughter them the moment she was gone.

After some thought, she decided she had to save them. Partly because she couldn’t stand by and watch innocents die, and partly because she hoped these people would expose the Immortal Alliance’s crimes later.

At first, Qi Huang considered letting the families slip away during the chaos. But then she realized that wouldn’t work. First, if they fled, the Immortal Alliance would definitely send people after them. Second, even if they somehow survived, they’d almost certainly come back later to rescue the captured baits, and she’d end up having to save them again. She didn’t have time for that.

After a brief pause, Qi Huang made her decision. Her Divine Sense burst out, forming hundreds of invisible tendrils that instantly wrapped around all the baits’ family members, dragging them straight into one of her largest spatial rings. This way, she could save them and avoid unnecessary complications.

“Father!”

“Daddy!”

“Big Brother!”

The baits didn’t know Qi Huang’s true identity. When they saw their loved ones suddenly seized, they immediately burst into anxious cries.