The Price of Power

Jiaofeng soared through the air, carrying Luo Yingkong as they gave chase. Their speed surpassed even that of the spirit boat, outpacing it by a significant margin.

As they rapidly closed the distance, Luo Yingkong swiftly produced her large sniper rifle. She used her divine sense to assist her aim, sending a chilling sensation down Senior Uncle Zhang’s spine. In a desperate move, he bit his finger, letting two drops of vital blood fall onto his flying boat.

The flying boat instantly transformed from a vibrant green to a fiery red. Its speed surged dramatically, making it exceedingly difficult for Jiaofeng to keep pace, even at his full might.

“Can we get a little closer?”

The distance was considerable, and aiming accurately while in flight proved challenging. Luo Yingkong had no confidence in her ability to land a shot.

“No, his flying boat is too fast. We’ll be shaken off soon.” Even with furious wingbeats, Jiaofeng could only eke out a negligible increase in speed.

“We absolutely cannot let him escape. Otherwise, I won’t be able to return to the sect, and those spiritual herbs I invested will be for naught.”

“Not being able to return to the sect is a minor issue. You might even be hunted down,” Jiaofeng remarked, shaking his head nonchalantly. “But it’s fine; haven’t I also been pursued by human cultivators? Given that you saved me, I’ll escape with you.”

“That’s easy for you to say. I left a drop of my vital blood and a Cloud Soul Lamp in the sect. They know my location; there’s no escaping.”

Luo Yingkong’s brows furrowed in worry.

“Then what do you intend to do, Fellow Daoist?” Jiaofeng inquired.

“Put me down. I should be able to catch up…”

“I can’t even catch him. It’s useless no matter how fast you run on the ground. The terrain is rugged, with mountains and rocks blocking the way…”

“No problem.”

“Uh… alright then.”

Seeing her determined expression, Jiaofeng flew closer to the ground. Luo Yingkong chanted an incantation, and suddenly, her eyes turned crimson.

Her petite body began to bulge with veins, even around her eye sockets, resembling a furious transformation. This created a stark, adorable contrast with her usual charming appearance.

This was the Muscle Gate Art she had learned from Wu Yuan, which amplified her physical attributes severalfold. She wore enchanted boots and had affixed several Thousand-Mile Talismans, exhausting her entire supply. Not content, she added a few more Thousand-Catty Talismans to ensure sufficient lower body strength.

“Haste!”

She let out a soft cry and leaped to the ground. The force from her feet was so immense that Jiaofeng was jolted downwards, his belly scraping the earth as he tumbled several times.

“Ugh… Fellow Daoist Luo, couldn’t you have been a little gentler?” Jiaofeng shook his head, only to realize Luo Yingkong had vanished.

Her speed now approached that of sound as she visibly bounded over mountains and rocks. Senior Uncle Zhang glanced back at the sky, and finding no trace of the Ink Flood Dragon, he breathed a sigh of relief.

Just then, a bullet pierced through the bottom of his flying boat. The massive projectile tore a large hole in the hull, causing its speed to plummet instantly.

“What’s going on?!” He looked down to see Luo Yingkong standing atop a peak ahead, aiming her sniper rifle directly at his flying boat.

‘This is uncanny! How did that wretched girl get ahead of me?’

Another bullet tore through the air. He had no time to ponder, swiftly summoning his massive cauldron to block it. He had witnessed its power earlier; if it could penetrate a spirit boat, it would certainly be fatal if it struck him.

“Boom!”

The bullet struck the giant cauldron with a dull thud. A white mark appeared on the cauldron’s surface, and it vibrated violently. Although he had blocked it, cold sweat streamed down Senior Uncle Zhang’s forehead. His flying boat was damaged, its speed was decreasing, and it was slowly descending.

“Hmph! A mere Qi Condensation cultivator dares to be so arrogant? Watch as I annihilate you!”

He manipulated his ancient bell, which flew above Luo Yingkong’s head, expanded, and then instantly enveloped her.

Luo Yingkong’s eyes sharpened, and the Muscle Gate Art circulated to its peak. Her arms suddenly rose, her hands gripping the small bell, holding it aloft.

Her feet sank into the earth, yet she managed to withstand the ancient bell’s suppressive force. Senior Uncle Zhang’s face was etched with surprise. He had assumed Luo Yingkong’s ranged artifacts were formidable, but he had not expected her physical body to be so powerful. She could even resist a magical treasure with her bare hands!

“What are you looking at?”

Jiaofeng suddenly flew out from behind him, biting Senior Uncle Zhang’s waist and tearing him into pieces mid-air.

The ancient bell, now without an operator, instantly lost its spiritual essence, shrinking into a miniature bell that Luo Yingkong caught.

“It’s been a long time since I last tasted a human cultivator. How nostalgic.” Jiaofeng transformed into his human form and landed, tossing Senior Uncle Zhang’s storage bag to her.

“Uh… Brother Jiaofeng, even if you don’t use this artifact, spirit stones would still be useful to you, wouldn’t they?” Luo Yingkong held the storage bag, feeling somewhat at a loss.

“I’ve decided. I will acknowledge Fellow Daoist Luo as my master.” He then threw his Vital Soul Tablet to Luo Yingkong.

“This… Brother Jiaofeng, have you considered this carefully? My cultivation is still very low, and my aptitude is ordinary. I might not have the resources to support you.”

Jiaofeng let out a sigh, gazing at the setting sun. “My race is far from here. Leaving my master means enemies everywhere. Meeting Fellow Daoist Luo again must be fate.”

“Moreover… you’re so easily deceived. You definitely wouldn’t last long without me, would you?” He smirked, a hint of teasing in his tone.

“Although I do not understand human hearts, I will be cautious.”

“Oh? This is cautious? You didn’t even notice the Vital Soul Tablet I gave you was fake and just put it away?” Jiaofeng produced another Vital Soul Tablet, shaking it in his hand.

“This…” Luo Yingkong was about to speak when a wave of weakness instantly washed over her. Her body went limp, and she began to fall backward as the side effects of the Muscle Gate Art set in.

“Hey! Fellow Daoist Luo!” Jiaofeng quickly caught her, taking out several pills and feeding them to her.

“I’m fine, just weak. Brother Jiaofeng, go back and find that rogue cultivator. Don’t let him get away.” Luo Yingkong spoke feebly, her eyelids drooping, longing only for sleep.

“You rest first. I’ll handle things from here.”

When Luo Yingkong awoke again, she felt a pervasive soreness throughout her body. She was lying on Jiaofeng’s back, the whistling wind rushing past her ears. She struggled to sit up, then urgently asked,

“Brother Jiaofeng, we’re already at the border of Wu Kingdom. Did that rogue cultivator escape?!”

“You’re awake. He’s down there.”

Li Yao was bound with ropes, suspended beneath Jiaofeng, his face pale from the wind.

“You slept for a day and a night. We’re almost at Hidden Forest Mountain. You’ll have to walk the rest of the way yourself later.”

“Hmm, let’s stop and rest for two days first. Returning so quickly might be unwise.”

After recuperating in the wilderness for two days, Luo Yingkong regained her strength. She placed Jiaofeng into her spirit beast bag and, pulling Li Yao with a rope, returned to Hidden Forest Mountain.

At the sect’s Affairs Hall, Luo Yingkong handed Li Yao over to an elder.

“You must be the new disciple, correct? This mission was excellent. To capture a fourteenth-layer Qi Condensation cultivator while only at the ninth layer is outstanding performance. As a reward, you are permitted to browse the cultivation techniques in the Scripture Pavilion for two hours.”

“Two hours…” Luo Yingkong’s eyelids twitched.

“What? Is that too little? You couldn’t buy two hours for two thousand spirit stones,” the elder of the Affairs Hall said with a hint of annoyance.

“Yes… Thank you, Senior. Then I shall take my leave.” Luo Yingkong considered her excellent memory at the moment; she could certainly memorize a few books in two hours, so she didn’t argue.

“Girl, wait.”

“Senior, is there anything else?” Luo Yingkong paused, feeling a chill.

“A few days ago, Senior Uncle Zhang, who guarded the main hall, had his Vital Soul Lamp extinguished. I know he also went to Lu Kingdom. Did you happen to see him?” The elder stared intently at Luo Yingkong.

“Senior Uncle Zhang’s Vital Soul Lamp extinguished? This junior did not encounter him. When I first joined, he even gave me a necklace, and I haven’t had a chance to thank him…”

Luo Yingkong’s lie showed no flaw. Even Jiaofeng, in her spirit beast bag, silently applauded her performance. Li Yao had had a portion of his memory erased by Jiaofeng earlier, so he remembered nothing of what had transpired.

“You may go then.” The elder nodded.

There were few cultivators near Lu Kingdom, so suspicion could only fall on Luo Yingkong, who was there at the same time. However, as a ninth-layer Qi Condensation cultivator, it was impossible for her to threaten Senior Uncle Zhang. The elder simply assumed he had been killed by a demonic beast.