8: Get

In an instant, corpses lay strewn across the ground, dismembered bodies splattering everywhere.

It was literally splattering everywhere; with a flick of its finger, the monster tore bodies apart, their internal organs spilling out.

It seemed to dislike internal organs, so it removed them, only consuming the Physical Body.

Even… the bodies of the two Ma family members couldn't escape their fate, both swallowed by the monster.

Xu Sanyan lowered his head in thought. Given Ma Tianqing's feelings for his fourth uncle, he would never have allowed the monster to eat his fourth uncle's body, which led to one conclusion.

Ma Tianqing had lost his emotions, or rather, he couldn't completely control the monster.

But judging by Ma Tianqing's calm expression, the possibility of him having lost his emotions was higher.

No wonder Master Ma preferred to lead the charge himself during the previous battle, rather than letting Ma Tianqing act.

So this thing didn't differentiate between friend and foe; once summoned, no matter who you were, it would eat you without hesitation. If the Ma family members died at Ma Tianqing's hands, what kind of psychological damage would that inflict on the child?

It seemed Master Ma not only valued the child's physical health but also his mental well-being, truly a thorough consideration.

After the monster had eaten its fill, it leaped into the black mist behind Ma Tianqing and vanished, and the black mist gradually dissipated.

Ma Tianqing's body went limp and he collapsed to the ground, falling into a coma. It seemed this method was a great burden on him as well.

Xu Sanyan quickly got up and ran towards the courtyard, but someone was faster than him.

Tang Huanhuan!

She flipped over the wall, landed in front of Ma Tianqing, fumbled around in his embrace, pulled out a small booklet, tucked it into her own clothes, and then stared intently at Xu Sanyan.

Xu Sanyan placed his finger on the hilt of his saber, a smile on his face, but no hint of amusement in his eyes. “Are you planning to keep it all to yourself, Third Sister?”

Tang Huanhuan smiled brightly, “What are you talking about, Fourth Brother? Didn't we agree to comprehend it together? How could Third Sister keep it all to herself?”

“That's excellent then. How about keeping the Cultivation Technique with me?” Xu Sanyan slowly drew his long saber.

Tang Huanhuan shook her head, “That's not right. It would be more secure if it were with me.”

“Heh, Third Sister's current behavior makes it hard for this younger brother to feel at ease…” Xu Sanyan shifted his feet slightly.

With such immense profit before them, there was no longer any affection between them.

Although they had just had a deep conversation last night, it didn't affect today's struggle in the slightest.

“You're not my match, you know,” Tang Huanhuan warned, staring into his eyes.

With the item already in hand, she didn't want to engage in a meaningless fight. If Xu Sanyan could wisely retreat, that would be for the best.

In her heart, she truly had no intention of sharing the Cultivation Technique with Xu Sanyan.

“Hmph, whether I'm your match or not, we'll only know after a fight.”

Xu Sanyan wasted no more words. With a flick of his wrist, his long saber instantly unsheathed, and his figure flickered in the yellow sand, moving incredibly fast.

Tang Huanhuan's expression tightened. She drew her saber to block, and the moment their long sabers collided, she felt an immense force transfer through her blade, forcing her to retreat a few steps.

“You've had a Breakthrough?!” Tang Huanhuan exclaimed in shock.

Just a few days ago, when they sparred, he wasn't her match, but now, he had already surpassed her.

“Just a stroke of luck.”

Xu Sanyan moved, his arm bending, and a sharp blade swept upwards from below, intending to disembowel her.

Tang Huanhuan shifted her feet, rapidly retreating, while simultaneously throwing her scabbard to obstruct Xu Sanyan's vision.

Xu Sanyan squinted to prevent the wind and sand from affecting his vision, slightly sidestepped to avoid the scabbard, and then delivered a fierce kick that landed squarely on the side of her long saber.

“Bang!”

Tang Huanhuan continuously retreated, her heart filled with shock. This was more than just a slight improvement; at this rate, she was certainly no match for him.

The two exchanged three more moves, then Tang Huanhuan suddenly roared, “Don't move! If you come any closer, I'll tear it up!”

Tang Huanhuan was filled with helplessness. She could only pull out the Cultivation Technique and feign destroying it, hoping to gain a sliver of opportunity.

“Why is Third Sister doing this? If you just hand over the Cultivation Technique to me, wouldn't it be wonderful for us to comprehend it together?” Xu Sanyan slowly approached, looking for an opening.

“I said, don't move!”

Tang Huanhuan roared, her face contorted in a grimace, forcing Xu Sanyan to halt his steps.

“Let me leave, and I'll give it to you after I've read it. How about that?” Tang Huanhuan suggested a terrible idea.

Xu Sanyan didn't reply, just stared at her silently.

Tang Huanhuan also knew that he wouldn't agree to such a condition, so she said, “I'll go inside and make a copy. We each take one, how about that?”

Xu Sanyan pondered for a moment, then slowly nodded, “Alright, but I want the one in your hand.”

“Okay.”

Tang Huanhuan agreed. She knew that if she didn't agree to this demand, Xu Sanyan would definitely not let her leave.

So, the two found paper and a brush. Tang Huanhuan began copying in the hall, while Xu Sanyan stood not far away and asked, “Are you sure this Cultivation Technique is authentic?”

Tang Huanhuan shook her head, “I'm not sure.”

Xu Sanyan looked at Ma Tianqing, hesitating whether to kill him.

If the Cultivation Technique had problems, then Ma Tianqing would be the only one who knew the correct Cultivation Technique. After a moment of thought, he decided to spare his life for now.

Ma Tianqing's life was far less important than the Cultivation Technique. It wouldn't be too late to kill him after he confirmed the Cultivation Technique's authenticity.

After a while, Tang Huanhuan stopped writing and looked up at Xu Sanyan, who was five meters away. “Here's the Cultivation Technique. How about you let me live, considering our past relationship?”

Xu Sanyan nodded, “With the Cultivation Technique, why would I bother killing you?”

Tang Huanhuan nodded, “Let me walk a hundred paces, then I'll give you the Cultivation Technique.”

“Alright.”

Xu Sanyan didn't hesitate; a hundred paces was something he could cover in five breaths.

Tang Huanhuan walked out of the grand residence. After a hundred paces, she threw the Cultivation Technique towards the side courtyard wall, then turned and ran.

Xu Sanyan moved swiftly, giving chase. He flipped over the wall, picked up the Cultivation Technique, and it was indeed the original.

By the time he returned to the long street, Tang Huanhuan was nowhere to be seen.

“Heh, she runs fast.”

Xu Sanyan shook his head. He hadn't truly intended to spare Tang Huanhuan's life, but he didn't necessarily have to kill her either. Since she had vanished, there was no need to pursue her relentlessly, as he already had the Cultivation Technique.

This was also Tang Huanhuan's cleverness; she knew that if she gave him a handwritten copy, Xu Sanyan would never let it go.

Returning to the Ma family compound, Xu Sanyan lifted Ma Tianqing and turned to leave. He found an empty room, searched Ma Tianqing thoroughly, and then found a cloth pouch in his sleeve.

He opened it and saw two crystal-clear Spirit Stones lying quietly inside.

“Could this be… Spirit Stones?”

Xu Sanyan murmured to himself, a hint of excitement in his eyes. He tucked them into his clothes first, then searched carefully again, finding only some gold, silver, and other mundane items that were useless to him.

He eagerly opened the Cultivation Technique, only to see eight large characters written on it:

“The Supreme Truth and Serenity Scripture of Eliminating Illusion and Attaining Reality”

Xu Sanyan frowned and pulled out another Cultivation Technique from his clothes. This was the one he had found on Liu Hong, the second leader. Comparing the two, they were identical.

He opened it and checked. Fortunately, the content was different. It seemed this fake Cultivation Technique had been prepared long ago.