236: Pretend and run away

Unlike his preference for crushing opponents with absolute power, Xiao Xiao was more like a born Great Master of combat.

She possessed extraordinary combat talent from birth, always able to flexibly utilize her strength and speed in battle, maximizing her advantages, and often displaying power far exceeding her own cultivation.

While others could at most unleash seventy to eighty percent of their full power, she could unleash one hundred and twenty percent of her power.

More importantly, she seemed to be born with the ability to control the rhythm of battle.

She would seize the initiative, forcing her enemies into a passive state, making it difficult for them to break free from her rhythm.

This was something many old monsters with rich combat experience found difficult to achieve.

“Brother, where’s the gift you mentioned?”

Xiao Xiao squinted her eyes, revealing two shallow, adorable dimples on her face.

“Don’t worry, it’s already prepared.”

Wu Ning tapped her forehead and took out a brocade box, handing it to her. “Open it and see.”

Xiao Xiao eagerly lifted the lid of the brocade box, revealing a pair of exquisitely delicate and small moon-white gloves inside, adorned with beautiful silver runes. The fingertips were exposed, as the gloves were fingerless.

“This is…”

“These are combat gloves I forged for you. They are soft yet indestructible, capable of multiplying your strength and punching speed, while also protecting your hands.”

“This pair of combat gloves is a growth-type Magic Treasure. I added some special Materials to them, so their potential is very high. After you perform a blood-bond recognition, you can freely change their form, style, and color. When not in use, they can be hidden within your body, and with a thought, you can wear them instantly when needed.”

Wu Ning explained with a smile.

Xiao Xiao’s eyes lit up. She immediately performed a blood-bond recognition, and then with a thought, the gloves automatically appeared on her hands.

After putting them on, she felt no discomfort; they were like an extension of her senses, a part of herself.

Boom!

Xiao Xiao unleashed a powerful punch, immediately realizing that her strength had been enhanced by several times after passing through the gloves, and her punching speed was much faster than before, as if directly ignoring spatial resistance.

Unlike other Immortal Artifacts, this pair of combat gloves did not require active input of Immortal Qi to unleash their power; they were more like a pair of power amplifiers.

There was no need to consciously infuse Immortal Qi into them; one simply had to punch.

“Wow, what a treasure! It’s perfect for me!”

Xiao Xiao instantly fell in love with this pair of combat gloves, as they perfectly suited her fighting style.

Wu Ning revealed a complex smile, unsure if this was right or wrong. A cute girl with such a brutal fighting style felt a bit off.

Whoosh!

The Grey-robed Old Man flashed and appeared beside them. He discreetly glanced at Wu Ning, then showed a benevolent smile: “Little girl, congratulations on winning the top spot at this year’s Prodigy Grand Assembly. This is the reward for first place, a High Grade Immortal Artifact—the Clear Wind Sword!”

The old man raised his hand, and a cyan longsword appeared in his grasp, radiating immortal light, its sharpness contained. It was indeed a High Grade Immortal Sword, but barely so.

Among High Grade Immortal Swords, it could only be considered ordinary.

However, for an assembly of this level, a High Grade Immortal Sword as a first-place reward was already quite good.

These small and medium-sized forces did not have deep foundations and were not wealthy; even Heavenly Immortals only used High Grade Immortal Artifacts.

Moreover, the Prodigy Grand Assembly was held once every thousand years. If the rewards offered were too valuable, they simply couldn’t afford it.

At the same time, this level of reward also prevented Prodigies from major forces from specifically coming to disrupt the event and claim rewards.

But this year, it seemed to have failed.

Who would have thought that Xiao Xiao would lose interest with just one glance?

She already had too many Immortal Artifacts and Magic Treasures on her, and now that she had received a satisfactory pair of combat gloves, how could she still care for an ordinary Clear Wind Sword?

Immortal Artifacts of this level were something the elders in her clan would feel embarrassed to present as gifts.

“I just wanted to get first place. I don’t need the reward. You can take it back and give it to others.”

Xiao Xiao waved her hand grandly.

She had only participated in the assembly on a whim, not for the rewards.

The old man was slightly stunned. To refuse a High Grade Immortal Artifact that was already in hand, how vast must one’s family fortune be to be so generous?

Can’t afford to provoke, can’t afford to provoke.

“Since that’s the case, then I’ll thank you on behalf of the others. Little girl, I must take my leave. If you need anything, you can come directly to me.”

The old man cupped his hands and smiled, then flashed away.

“Brother, let’s go.”

Xiao Xiao glanced at the Prodigies still vying for rankings on the Heavenly Stairway, suddenly feeling bored.

She and they seemed to belong to different worlds; winning against them didn’t seem to be anything to be happy about.

“Alright, Changling Immortal Domain is vast, so let’s go explore other places.”

Wu Ning smiled faintly and led her away directly.

Above the Heavenly Stairway.

Lin Feiyu and the others also noticed their departure, their moods somewhat complex.

It felt as if someone they yearned for, someone they regarded as their lifelong love, was easily obtained by another, only to be discarded like a worn-out shoe!

“Damn it! I’m going to other small places in the future, specifically to beat up those small Geniuses, and then run away after showing off!”

Lin Feiyu said indignantly.

“Count me in. Only by showing off can I soothe my wounded heart now.”

Xiao Yi’s face was bitter, feeling greatly disheartened.

The others rolled their eyes at his words.

Specifically running to small places to show off was simply too low-class.

…

After leaving White Emperor City, Wu Ning took Xiao Xiao on a journey to other places.

The Immortal Domain was vast, and while the Wu Clan stood high, there were indeed many charming sceneries and interesting things in the lower realms.

But at the same time, it was also full of darkness and sin.

In just one year, Xiao Xiao witnessed the darkest and most realistic side of the world.

There were powerful Cultivators who set traps, disguised as Secret Realms of Opportunity, luring countless people to rush in, throwing themselves into the net.

There were evil Cultivators who wantonly massacred cities, using the blood essence of millions of Cultivators as nourishment for their own cultivation.

There were Cultivators who, when faced with danger, mercilessly swung their butcher’s knives at their Spirit Beast companions, who had shared life and death with them, just to gain a sliver of a chance at survival.

There were also heartless individuals who, to prove their Dao of Ruthlessness, personally slaughtered their entire family of hundreds, including their beloved wife and infant still in swaddling clothes.

Even more, there were Dao Companions who had walked hand in hand for tens of thousands of years, overcoming various life-and-death challenges together, only to turn against each other for a treasure, wishing to kill each other with the most cruel and malicious methods.

Witnessing these dark deeds firsthand, Xiao Xiao’s mood became incredibly low.

Wu Ning did not offer comfort but instead took her to an inconspicuous life-bearing star.

In the Great Wilderness, there was a remote village performing a living sacrifice.