14: Chapter 14 is so flat!

After spending a night at an inn in Jiuling City, Ling Hao and his group set off on their journey back to the Sect.

On the small path, Qin Zhaoxue and the three women followed silently behind Ling Hao, exchanging glances, all filled with uncertainty about the Sect they were about to join.

Suddenly, Ling Hao turned his head and looked toward a dense forest to the right.

A woman holding a longsword dashed out of the forest in a panic, pursued by two men emitting the aura of the first level of Qi Refining.

"Stop! You killed a Disciple of my Shuimu Pavilion and still think you can run?"

One of the men shouted sternly.

The woman was fast, but she was clearly injured, her movements somewhat staggering.

"Quick! Fellow Daoist ahead, please help me stop her! I am Zou Guochang, an Inner Sect Disciple of Shuimu Pavilion!"

Seeing Ling Hao's group, the burly man running in front immediately shouted in Ling Hao's direction, announcing his name in an attempt to recruit help.

The thin man behind him even went as far as to threaten:

"If you know what's good for you, help us!"

Ling Hao frowned and stopped in his tracks. Qin Zhaoxue and the others behind him also stopped.

The sword-wielding woman had also rushed close by now; she looked at Ling Hao warily, her gaze sharp.

Against one person at the first level of Qi Refining, she might still have a chance, but against two, she could only flee in panic. If another were added, she feared she would meet her end here today.

The two pursuers arrived immediately after. The man who called himself Zou Guochang sneered at the woman:

"Hmph, you killed two Outer Sect Disciples of my Shuimu Pavilion. Today, having run into me and Junior Brother Wu, you're dead!"

Wu Ziwei's gaze swept over Ling Hao. Seeing Ling Hao's fine clothing, he figured there must be many good things on him. With a shift in his thoughts, he arrogantly commanded Ling Hao:

"Hey! You, come and lend a hand too! Once we take her down, you'll get your share of the benefits!"

Ling Hao ignored him, his gaze falling on the sword-wielding woman with a hint of surprise.

The woman wore a set of black martial attire stained with dirt and soaked with large patches of dark blood.

Her figure was slender, her flat chest heaving violently. Her face was so pale it was almost transparent, and a trace of blood seemed to linger at the corner of her mouth. She exuded an air of fragile vulnerability.

However, her hands gripping the sword hilt were as steady as a rock, and her gaze was cold and sharp without a hint of cowardice, like a peerless blade hidden within a fragile glass box.

"You are..."

Yes! Ling Hao recognized her! A few months ago on the outskirts of Tianyuan Mountain, he had seen this woman from a distance! At that time, with only an ordinary iron sword, she had fiercely fought a tiger Yao Beast equivalent to the Early Stage of Qi Refining!

The tiger Yao Beast's claws had torn gruesome wounds on her shoulders and back, blood instantly staining her black clothes red.

Despite the intense pain, she hadn't even let out a groan. Her brows were tightly furrowed, and her eyes were as fierce as a wounded lone wolf. Seizing a momentary opportunity, she used a near-suicidal method to precisely thrust her longsword into the tiger Yao Beast's eye socket!

A Mortal woman without a shred of spiritual power fluctuations could actually kill a Yao Beast relying solely on pure will, precise skill, and a ruthlessness that almost disregarded pain?

That scene had left an extremely deep impression on Ling Hao!

Ling Hao's murmur caused the two pursuers to misunderstand instantly.

Zou Guochang's face darkened:

"Hmph, so you know each other? Then you can go on your way together! Junior Brother Wu, move!"

Before his voice had even faded, Zou Guochang performed a hand seal: "Water Sword Art!"

Beside him, Wu Ziwei also sneered and threw out a Fireball Talisman!

Qin Zhaoxue and the three female Disciples behind her looked at these two with eyes full of pity. They had seen the Sect Master's strength at the fourth level of Qi Refining!

Ling Hao didn't even lift his eyelids as he casually threw out two Grade One Talismans.

"Puchi!"

"Zila!"

Two flashes of light streaked past, and the opponent's water sword and fireball were instantly neutralized! The faces of the two Shuimu Pavilion Disciples turned pale, and cold sweat began to pour down.

Had they... kicked a steel plate? Just as they were about to throw out some harsh words to bolster their courage, they were choked into silence by Ling Hao's next move.

Ling Hao calmly pulled out a thick stack of Talismans from his Storage Pouch and distributed them to Qin Zhaoxue and the three Disciples:

"Take these! You've all reached the Qi Induction Stage, so you should be able to barely use Talismans, right? Come on, pelt them for all you're worth! Don't be stingy!"

Everyone present except Ling Hao, including the sword-wielding woman Du Yuqing, gasped in shock!

Hiss—! This... just how many Talismans is that?!

A thick stack! Did he rob a Talisman shop or loot some Sect's treasury?

In fact, these were all the results of Ling Hao teaching Chi Wanhe for half a month.

Qin Zhaoxue and the three women held the stack of shimmering Talismans, their hands shaking slightly.

So many Grade One Talismans? Is this really the kind of foundation a normal Grade One Sect should have? Just what kind of place... had they joined?

"Why are you dazing? Throw them!"

Ling Hao urged. Only then did the four women snap back to their senses, their gazes simultaneously turning toward the two Shuimu Pavilion Disciples.

That look made Zou Guochang and Wu Ziwei feel a chill running down their spines!

"Boom boom boom!" "Crack!"

Although Qin Zhaoxue and the others were only at the Qi Induction Stage and the power of the Grade One Talismans they activated was limited, they more than made up for it with sheer quantity!

Fireballs, ice spikes, wind blades... a chaotic mess of Spells pelted them relentlessly! The two Shuimu Pavilion Disciples were blasted until they wailed like ghosts and howled like wolves, scurrying away with their heads in their hands!

They wanted to run? Ling Hao's figure blurred, and he immediately blocked their path!

The two from Shuimu Pavilion were filled with immense regret!

The other side did have good things, but there were just too many of them; they weren't fortunate enough to enjoy them!

"Senior, spare our lives! Spare us! We were blind to have offended you, elder!"

Zou Guochang howled while dodging.

"We were wrong, we were wrong! We won't dare do it again! Please show mercy!" Wu Ziwei was even streaming with tears and snot.

The sword-wielding woman didn't leave; she stood silently to the side, watching this spectacular scene of "Talisman carpet-bombing," a hint of envy flashing deep in her eyes.

"Alright, alright! Stop! If you keep blasting, they'll really turn to ash!"

Ling Hao had to shout several times before he could get Qin Zhaoxue and the other three, who had become somewhat addicted to the throwing, to stop.

Although triggering a Talisman only required a bit of Spiritual Qi, all four women were at the Qi Induction Stage. After such a prolonged bombardment, the Spiritual Qi in their bodies was almost completely exhausted.

Every one of them was dripping with sweat, their faces flushed red, but their eyes were bright and sparkling, filled with excitement and novelty.

Who would have thought that one day they would be able to use Talismans to beat Qi Refinement Stage "Immortals" to a pulp?

And the two Shuimu Pavilion Disciples probably never imagined they would one day be pelted to death with Talismans by people at the Qi Induction Stage.

"Sect... Sect Master."

Qin Zhaoxue and the other three looked at the many Talismans still left in their hands and reluctantly handed them back to Ling Hao.

Ling Hao waved his hand dismissively:

"Keep them. Consider it a welcoming gift; they'll be useful later."

The four women were momentarily stunned, then overjoyed! So many Grade One Talismans, given away just like that?

They looked at each other, seeing the same thought in each other's eyes: joining the Moonshadow Sect might be the best decision they had ever made in their lives!

At this time, Du Yuqing silently walked to the two charred corpses and nimbly searched them, stripping away everything of value.

Her movements of squatting and standing were incredibly fluid, showing no sign of her severe injuries or weakness.

Qin Zhaoxue and the others immediately looked at Ling Hao. These were their spoils of war!

Ling Hao shook his head slightly, signaling them to stay calm. Du Yuqing brought everything, along with a small, worn-out cloth bag of her own that looked very old and was even stained with some blood, and held them out before Ling Hao:

"Thank you, Benefactor, for saving my life. Du Yuqing has no way to repay you, so please... accept these."

"Ling Hao, Sect Master of Moon Shadow Sect."

Ling Hao looked at the woman before him, her gaze stubborn and her posture as upright as bamboo, his eyes sweeping over her flat chest.

"Are you interested in joining my Sect?"

Du Yuqing's lips moved slightly, her eyes darkening for a moment, but in the end, she silently pushed everything forward again.

"You don't want to?"

Du Yuqing shook her head bitterly, her voice carrying deep exhaustion and helplessness:

"Benefactor's kindness is appreciated, but Yu Qing... can only decline. I am but a Mortal without any Spiritual Roots; entering an Immortal Sect... is nothing but a pipe dream."

She paused, as if enduring sharp pain somewhere in her body, yet her tone remained calm and steady.

"In these years... wandering the roads and living on the edge of a blade, I've grown accustomed to it. I dare not hope for more."

With that, she cupped her fists toward Ling Hao, indifferent to the pain it caused her injuries. She then turned around, and after a few nimble leaps, her figure disappeared into the depths of the dim forest.

"No Spiritual Root? Yet she can fight a Cultivator at the first level of Qi Refining."

Ling Hao watched that lonely and stubborn back, muttering to himself.

"This will and perseverance are top-notch."

"I wonder if there are any cultivation techniques in the Scripture Pavilion for people without Spiritual Roots; otherwise, it would be a bit of a waste..."

"Hmm, and also, she's really flat..."