41: Chapter 41: Straight to the Point

In the mine cave, the atmosphere froze.

Hearing Xiao Yuan's "debt collection" remark, Scarface and the other three were stunned at first, then laughed out of extreme anger.

"Debt collection? Just by you, a Qi Condensation 4th Layer trash?" The Seductive Female Cultivator sneered shrilly, "You were lucky to take advantage of us a year ago, but you won't have such good luck today!"

The Short and Thin Man said sinisterly, "Boss, stop talking nonsense with him. This brat definitely has a lot of Spirit Stones on him. Let's slaughter him and split them together!"

Scarface stared at Xiao Yuan, killing intent surging in his eyes.

For more than a year, the four of them hadn't been wasting their time.

Plundering and fighting in the mineral veins, their cultivation levels had all improved. He himself had even touched the threshold of the Half-step Foundation Establishment.

Four Qi Condensation 9th Layers, with one of them at Half-step Foundation Establishment, besieging a "Qi Condensation 4th Layer"?

They could win with their eyes closed!

"Since you are courting death—" Scarface vibrated his long saber, saber qi surging wildly, "Then I'll grant your wish!"

"Kill!"

Four figures lunged at Xiao Yuan at the same time!

Saber light, sword shadows, stone spikes, and Talismans intertwined into a net of death.

Su Li, standing beside Xiao Yuan, constricted her pupils and instinctively wanted to draw her sword to help—

But before she could make a move, she saw a scene she would never forget in her life.

Xiao Yuan didn't even draw his sword.

He simply raised his right hand, pressed his fingers together like a sword, and slashed through the air.

"Gale Chasing Shadow—Wild Dance."

Hum!

Dozens of cyan sword beams suddenly lit up in the mine cave!

Those sword beams were too fast to see their trajectory; only a series of "chi chi chi" piercing sounds through the air could be heard.

The four people who lunged forward froze in unison.

Scarface's long saber stopped in mid-air, only three inches away from Xiao Yuan's forehead.

The Seductive Female Cultivator's stone spikes shattered into powder in front of Xiao Yuan.

The Short and Thin Man's Talisman hadn't even been activated before it was torn to shreds by the sword beams.

The pretty female cultivator's hands hung down limply.

One second.

Two seconds.

Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud!

Four corpses fell to the ground at the same time.

A tiny blood hole had appeared between each person's eyebrows, piercing through the back of the head.

Until their death, their faces still retained a ferocious, greedy, and... unbelievable astonishment.

Fast.

Too fast.

From the moment the four made their move until they all died, it was less than three breaths of time in total.

Su Li's hand holding the sword trembled slightly.

Looking at the four corpses on the ground, and then looking at the young man with worn cyan robes and a faint smile, a chill rose from her back.

A year ago, she had heard about a "Qi Condensation 4th Layer" in the mineral veins counter-killing two Qi Condensation 9th Layers, and at that time she just took it as a rumor.

Now she believed it.

Moreover, the person in front of her was... more than ten times terrifying than the rumors.

Xiao Yuan flicked his fingers and muttered, "Half-step Foundation Establishment? Is that it?"

He had never tested his own strength before, and he didn't expect that after his Breakthrough to the Qi Condensation 9th Layer, slaughtering Qi Condensation 9th Layers would be like butchering dogs~

He squatted down and skillfully began looting the corpses—Storage Pouch, Magical Artifact, Medicinal Pill, not a single thing was left behind.

After finishing all this, he stood up and looked at Su Li, who was still in shock.

"Miss Su," Xiao Yuan said with a smile, "This mineral vein... split half of it with me, how about that?"

Su Li's body trembled.

She gripped the sword hilt tightly, her nails almost embedding into her flesh.

Split half?

This was the mineral vein she discovered, her hope of escaping this ghost place!

But...

She looked at the four corpses on the ground, and then looked at the young man in front of her who smiled so harmlessly.

Resist? Could she win against him?

She had personally experienced the strength of those four people just now. Picking out any single one of them, she would need to go through a lot of trouble to win. If the four joined forces, she would undoubtedly die.

But this young man killed them like slaughtering chickens.

"I..." Su Li gritted her teeth, her voice dry, "This mineral vein... I'll give all of it to you."

She loosened her sword hilt, took half a step back, and made way for the Spirit Stone mine behind her.

Although Xiao Yuan said he only wanted half, who knew if he really wanted half or wanted all of it?! Or was he looking for an opportunity to kill her as well.

"Consider it... repaying your saving grace."

When she said these words, her heart felt like it was being cut by a knife. But reason told her—life was more important than Spirit Stones.

Xiao Yuan was somewhat surprised.

He had originally thought this woman would struggle, bargain, or even fight to the death.

He didn't expect her to be so straightforward.

"Interesting..." He smiled, shook his head, and said, "I said half, so it's half."

Xiao Yuan had no intention of bullying others with power, not to mention that he actually wanted to talk about cooperation with this woman.

Spirit Stones were good, but losing a big advantage for a small profit wouldn't be worth it.

After speaking, he walked up to the Spirit Stone mine and raised his hand to press it out in the air.

Swish swish—

About half of the raw Spirit Stone ores detached from the rock wall, turned into a torrent that surged toward him, and disappeared in front of him.

The remaining half was still embedded there, sparkling brightly.

Su Li was stunned.

Re—really only wants half?

"The rest is yours." Xiao Yuan clapped his hands, turned to look at her, and said, "Right, let me ask you something."

"What?"

"Are you willing to follow me?"

Su Li: "……?"

Xiao Yuan added, "The mineral veins of Spirit Stones found in the future can all be split half with you. In addition—"

He paused and said in a calm tone:

"If you are willing to Dual Cultivation with me, I can help you improve your cultivation and let you resolve the obsession in your heart."

He didn't talk nonsense and went straight to the point right off the bat. After all, the time left for him was not much.

Cultivating feelings, gradually entering a good state and whatnot, he didn't want to do that. It was better to be direct! Willing is willing, unwilling is unwilling!

Su Li: "！！！"

She was dazed at first, and then a wave of anger rushed straight to the top of her head!

Dual Cultivation?!

This bastard turned out to be just like those men who wanted to take advantage of her! That bit of gratitude just now instantly vanished into thin air, replaced by thick vigilance and disgust.

She stared fiercely at Xiao Yuan, her hand pressing onto the sword hilt again.

If it weren't for the fact that she couldn't beat him, she would want to stab him with a sword right now!

Seeing her appearance like a "bristling cat", Xiao Yuan smiled.

"Unwilling? Then forget it."

He turned around and left without any hesitation.

Walking a few steps away, he stopped again and said without looking back:

"If you change your mind, you can come find me. I guarantee—as long as you are willing, within a year, I can help you gather all the unpaid Spirit Stones, help you leave the mineral vein, and even let your cultivation Breakthrough to the Half-step Foundation Establishment."

"Think about it carefully."

After speaking, he raised his foot and left, his figure quickly submerging into the depths of the mine tunnel.

Su Li stood in place, her mind a bit messy.

What's... going on with this person?

Saying he wanted Dual Cultivation, saying it so straightforwardly like a dissolute scoundrel.

But he left right after saying it, without any intention of forcing her. If he really forced her, she would have no power to resist at all.

Even... giving a condition she couldn't refuse.

Leaving the mineral vein.

Breakthrough to the Half-step Foundation Establishment.

These two promises tempted her like poison.

She had endured in this ghost place for five years, and the mining time limit had piled up to sixteen years, she had long been desperate. Defending the mineral vein with her life just now was only supported by a trace of unwillingness.

But now, someone told her: Cooperate with me, and you can get out.

Su Li looked at the direction where Xiao Yuan disappeared, and then looked at the remaining half of the Spirit Stone mine behind her.

Gritted her teeth.

"Wait!"