9: Chapter 9 Rescuing Duanmu Hongdie

Just as Xiang Tian lifted his foot to turn and leave, a figure suddenly streaked through the air—it was Duanmu Hongdie, who had been sent flying by the Black-veined Leopard once again.

The Black-veined Leopard approached with heavy, thundering footsteps, its bloody maw revealing bared fangs, and its front claws raised high; it looked as if it were about to crush Duanmu Hongdie into smithereens.

"Sigh! My heart is still too soft."

Xiang Tian clicked his tongue, ultimately unable to harden his heart. With a flash of movement, he rushed to Duanmu Hongdie's side, bent down to scoop her up in his arms, and turned to run.

"Bang!"

The Black-veined Leopard's claws slammed heavily into the ground, instantly gouging out a hole half a person deep.

"You... why did you save me?" Duanmu Hongdie lay in Xiang Tian's arms, her breathing weak.

She had previously been plotting to take Xiang Tian's Legacy and had even pursued him relentlessly; logically, Xiang Tian should have hated her.

"What other reason could there be?" Xiang Tian rushed forward without looking back. "It would be a pity to see a beauty like you torn apart by a Spirit Beast."

"Roar!"

Seeing its prey escape, the Black-veined Leopard was thoroughly enraged, letting out a deafening roar as it bounded after them, its every step causing the ground to tremble slightly.

"I, this Senior Sister, have always been clear about grievances and gratitude." Duanmu Hongdie shifted her position in his arms. "You saved me; whatever reward you want, as long as I can do it, I can give it to you."

"Oh? Are you sure about that?" Xiang Tian halted his pace and turned his head to look at her.

"Naturally." Duanmu Hongdie nodded. "What do you want? Is it Spirit Stones, or a Cultivation Technique?"

"I want your virgin body." Xiang Tian's tone was frivolous, though he held no expectations in his heart; a strong woman like Duanmu Hongdie likely lost her so-called 'purity' long ago.

"You... you scoundrel!" Duanmu Hongdie's cheeks instantly flushed red, both angry and anxious. "Can't you make a serious request?"

"What? You don't have one?" Xiang Tian raised an eyebrow and continued running while holding her. "Then once we reach a safe place, we'll part ways. I trust Senior Sister Duanmu isn't an ungrateful person and won't still be thinking about snatching my Legacy, right?"

He was too busy watching the road to notice the look in Duanmu Hongdie's eyes dim. "Is that how you see me? I was indeed wrong to try and take your Legacy, but I had my reasons..."

"Even with reasons, you shouldn't snatch other people's things." Xiang Tian interrupted her. "Hurry and find a safe place; I don't want to be chased by a Spirit Beast forever."

"If you truly want it... once we reach a safe place, I will satisfy you." Duanmu Hongdie suddenly spoke, her voice as faint as a mosquito, her eyes red.

"You really have it?" Xiang Tian was stunned.

"Stop talking nonsense! The Spirit Beast is about to catch up!" Duanmu Hongdie urged.

Xiang Tian didn't ask any more questions, instead calling out in his mind: "System, is there anything that can deal with this Spirit Beast?"

[Can't you check the shop yourself?]

Xiang Tian quickly opened the System shop and immediately saw the 'Missile' icon. "One missile for 10 points, bought!"

Gritting his teeth, he exchanged for the missile and turned to throw it at the pursuing Black-veined Leopard.

Before the Black-veined Leopard could react, the missile exploded beside it.

"Boom!"

A massive explosion rang out.

"Damn! It didn't die from that?"

After the smoke and dust cleared, Xiang Tian was dumbfounded.

Although the Black-veined Leopard had been blown to pieces and was covered in blood, it still wasn't dead and was struggling to continue the chase.

Fortunately, it had lost two legs, so its speed was greatly reduced, and Xiang Tian soon left it behind.

Two hours later, Xiang Tian carried Duanmu Hongdie into a hidden cave.

"Damn, finally got rid of it." He placed Duanmu Hongdie on the ground and wiped the sweat from his forehead. "You rest here first; I'm leaving."

With that, he turned to leave, but his wrist was suddenly grabbed by Duanmu Hongdie.

"You're injured like this, what else do you want to do?" Xiang Tian raised an eyebrow.

Duanmu Hongdie looked up, her Face flushed, her eyes unusually firm. "Didn't you want my virgin body? I will grant your wish."

She had been struggling with this decision in her heart for a long time while Xiang Tian was carrying her.

"Ah? You're not joking, are you?" Xiang Tian was stunned. "I was just saying it casually; you took it seriously?"

"I never joke." As Duanmu Hongdie spoke, she suddenly reached out and unbuttoned her clothes. One piece, two pieces... soon she had stripped herself completely bare.

Her perfect body was even more voluptuous and alluring than Xiahou Yu's.

Xiang Tian felt his whole body heating up, his throat tightening.

He was no saint; faced with such temptation, he couldn't refuse.

"You offered yourself, so don't regret it later." Xiang Tian stripped off his own clothes in a flash.

"Wait!" Duanmu Hongdie suddenly spoke. "I'm still injured, I'm afraid I can't do strenuous exercise..."

"Don't worry, I have a way." Xiang Tian took some herbs out of his Storage Pouch and handed them to her mouth. "This is hehuan grass; it can both heal wounds and... help with the mood."

Duanmu Hongdie hesitated for a moment, then opened her mouth to take the hehuan grass, chewing it a few times before swallowing.

"To think you'd hide such an herb; it seems you're not a decent person either." She chided him, though her cheeks flushed even redder.

The effect of the hehuan grass quickly took hold; the wounds on Duanmu Hongdie's body began to heal at a visible rate, her body grew hot, and her breathing became increasingly rapid.

She suddenly rolled over, pinning Xiang Tian beneath her, her eyes unfocused. "Let this Senior Sister see exactly how much ability you have."

For the next while, sounds of flushed, breathless gasps constantly echoed within the cave, lasting for a full half-day.

"Xiang Tian... how are you so strong?" Duanmu Hongdie lay limp in Xiang Tian's arms, her breathing weak.

Xiang Tian smiled without answering; he wouldn't tell her that he had borrowed the power of the Golden Lotus.

"Are you... really not planning to continue this with me?" Xiang Tian asked softly.

"No." Duanmu Hongdie shook her head. "You already have a Genius fiancée; what we had can only be considered a fleeting romance. Goodbye."

She struggled to rise from his arms and began to put on her clothes. "It's for the best; from now on, we owe each other nothing."

Her movements while dressing were somewhat clumsy, and when she left, her legs were weak, causing her to almost fall to the ground.

"You have no strength left; why not recover for a while longer?" Xiang Tian reached out to steady her.

"No need!" Duanmu Hongdie slapped his hand away and walked stubbornly toward the cave entrance, her back staggering slightly.

"What a stubborn woman." Xiang Tian shook his head helplessly, his gaze landing on the mat on the ground, where a faint trace of red remained.

He looked within himself and was pleasantly surprised to find that his cultivation had improved by another level, reaching the Peak of the Qi Condensation Realm!

"It seems saving her wasn't in vain." Xiang Tian's lips curled up; he stood up, dressed, and quietly followed behind Duanmu Hongdie.

He didn't want to pester her; he was just worried she might run into danger again. Besides, the direction Duanmu Hongdie was heading happened to align with the direction he sensed Bai Yu in, so it was on his way.

One hour later.

"Roar!"

A Spirit Beast blocked Duanmu Hongdie's path.

"Get out of the way!"

Instead of moving, the Spirit Beast swiped at her with a claw.

Just as it was about to strike her.

A fast golden shadow flashed by, and the Spirit Beast's claws were cleanly severed.

"Roar~"

The Spirit Beast let out a painful cry.

Immediately after, its head was pierced through.

"Bang!"

The Spirit Beast collapsed in front of Duanmu Hongdie.

"Who is it?" Her question went unanswered.

"Don't be sneaky over there; I've found you."

The direction she shouted in had nothing to do with where Xiang Tian was.

Xiang Tian rolled his eyes in the shadows; this woman was quite good at bluffing.

Half an incense stick of time later.

Duanmu Hongdie continued on her way, with Xiang Tian following behind.

"With my current strength, it shouldn't be a problem to squeeze into the top ten of the Spirit Beast hunting rankings, right?" Xiang Tian calculated in his heart as he walked, not paying attention to the road.

"Bang!"

He accidentally slammed into a large tree, wincing in pain. "Ouch!"

This cry of pain didn't attract the attention of Duanmu Hongdie not far away, but it did startle a group of nearby Cultivators.

"That is... Xiang Tian?" A Cultivator pointed at him, his tone excited.

"I've found Xiang Tian! Quickly notify the others!"

"Hurry and capture him! Don't let him run away!"

Soon, a group of Cultivators surrounded Xiang Tian, holding weapons in their hands, their eyes filled with greed.

Duanmu Hongdie, who was ahead, heard the commotion and finally stopped, turning to look behind her.

When she saw Xiang Tian surrounded by the crowd, her eyebrows furrowed slightly: Was this kid following her? Or did they just happen to meet?

At this moment, Xiang Tian was surrounded by more than a dozen people, with no way to escape.

"Xiang Tian, for the sake of Senior Sister Xiahou, if you voluntarily hand over the Legacy, we can let you leave alive." A leading Cultivator spoke, his tone threatening.

"Right! Be sensible, don't make it difficult for us!"

"Xiang Tian, you simply cannot handle the Legacy! Better hand it over to us, and it might save your life!"

"Now everyone in the Secret Realm knows you possess the Legacy; even if you escape today, you won't escape tomorrow!"

Everyone chimed in one after another.