The Protector’s Stand

“Roar!”

A thunderous roar shook heaven and earth. The Human-Faced Owl had clearly sensed the humans approaching. It let out an enraged cry and unleashed its counterattack.

In an instant, the sky darkened. The sun and moon seemed to lose their light, and the ground trembled as if the end of the world had come. Amidst the swirling dust and chaos, the faint, sharp shouts of a woman echoed through the gale.

But Yuan Xing did not hide as Xiao Siyu had instructed. Instead, he found a high mountain peak and observed the battle from a distance, carefully watching her every move.

About an hour later, a piercing, miserable screech rang out, and the massive body of the Human-Faced Owl crashed to the ground. Xiao Siyu descended unsteadily from the air. When her feet touched the earth, she stumbled, nearly falling over.

It was clear she had reached the absolute limit of her strength. Yuan Xing, having witnessed her full power, felt a sense of reassurance.

“Not bad, not bad. Truly impressive.”

Yuan Xing revealed himself, walking toward Xiao Siyu while clapping in praise. Since his goal of testing her had been achieved, it was time to give credit where it was due.

“Heh… ha… I… I told you I was strong…” Xiao Siyu was half-crouching, hands on the ground, panting heavily. She rested for a moment before slowly forcing herself to stand.

But at that moment, a bolt of lightning shot from the shadows, aimed directly at her back.

Yuan Xing was faster. With a thought, the small sword hidden in his robe flew out instantly, intercepting the lightning and diverting the energy into the ground beside her.

Xiao Siyu was startled and quickly spun around.

“What?” A man’s puzzled voice sounded from behind a screen of flying sand.

The attacker hadn’t noticed Yuan Xing’s subtle intervention. He assumed Xiao Siyu still had enough strength left to deflect his lightning and was surprised by her resilience. Xiao Siyu, on the other hand, thought the attacker had simply missed. She breathed a sigh of relief; if she had been hit while completely exhausted and off-guard, she would have been killed instantly.

But even after “dodging” the first strike, she knew the situation was dire. She recognized the man stepping out from the dust.

On a nearby hilltop stood a rough-looking man, his fingers still twisted into the hand seal he had used for the attack. It was Lei Lie—the victor of the tavern brawl, and the man Xiao Siyu had robbed to kidnap Yuan Xing.

She hadn’t expected him to be persistent enough to track them all the way into the valley.

Lei Lie was at the Late-stage of Qi Refining, the same level as Xiao Siyu. In a fair fight, they were evenly matched. But now, Xiao Siyu was drained, her spiritual power nearly depleted. She was no match for him.

As for Yuan Xing, he was “only” at the Initial-stage of Qi Refining. Theoretically, he had no reason to intervene. No matter which side won, the victor would still need his Spirit Tracking Talisman to find the treasure. He was safe regardless of who survived.

“Heh, I was wondering who would be foolish enough to fight a Human-Faced Owl head-on. So it was you two. ‘To find something by chance after searching far and wide,’ isn’t that the saying? Haha!”

Lei Lie laughed loudly, walking forward with the air of a predator who had already won. He was confident. Even though Xiao Siyu had “deflected” his sneak attack, those strikes relied on surprise rather than raw power. It was normal for her to survive one.

But in a real confrontation, the exhausted woman would crumble.

He raised his hand again, forming a new seal. Threads of lightning began to crackle and dance around his fingers. This was a charged attack; he intended to break through her defenses and end her in one blow.

But in the next moment, his hand stopped, and his brow furrowed. A figure had stepped directly in front of Xiao Siyu.

It was Yuan Xing.

The move stunned Lei Lie, and even Xiao Siyu was speechless, staring blankly at Yuan Xing’s back.

“What is the meaning of this? Do you want to die with her?” Lei Lie asked coldly.

“No. I just think taking advantage of someone in their moment of weakness is incredibly despicable,” Yuan Xing said lightly.

“Despicable? Haha!” Lei Lie laughed until he nearly choked. “You really are a mortal who has just stepped onto the path of cultivation. You still cling to mortal sentiment. ‘Despicable’? That’s a compliment. Most people in this world can’t even master the art of being despicable.”

“I don’t care about your philosophy. You can’t touch her,” Yuan Xing countered.

“Heh.” Lei Lie’s eyes turned fierce. “And what if I insist?”

“Then…” Yuan Xing shrugged. “Even if you kill her, I won’t cooperate with you. You’ll never find what you’re looking for.”

“Don’t play games with me.” Lei Lie’s voice dropped to a low growl. “You’re here for the Morning and Evening Dew. You wouldn’t fight that owl for no reason; the Spirit Realm must be nearby. Now that I know the location, your ‘cooperation’ isn’t strictly necessary. Since you want to play the hero, die together!”

He completed his hand seal. Dark clouds gathered instantly above Yuan Xing’s head, and blinding lightning converged. This was a high-level lightning technique—at this range, an ordinary person would be reduced to ash.

Since things had come to this, Yuan Xing prepared to drop his act. He twitched his fingers, and the small sword in his bosom trembled, ready to strike.

But just as he was about to move, he felt a sudden tightness around his waist. He looked down to see Xiao Siyu hugging him from behind. Her colorful silk artifact whipped around them both, coiling tightly like a cocoon. With a sudden whoosh, it launched them into the sky.

Boom!

A bolt of lightning slammed into the spot where they had been standing, turning the earth into scorched glass.

“Trying to run?” Lei Lie snorted, leaping into the air to give chase.

The sky darkened as night fell over Storm Valley. The winds grew even more violent after sunset, and visibility dropped to near zero. In these conditions, even seasoned cultivators didn’t dare travel.

For Xiao Siyu, the darkness was a blessing. It gave her a chance to rest and temporarily lose Lei Lie. After a frantic chase, she finally found a secluded cave to hide in. She needed to recover her strength tonight, or tomorrow would be her last day.

After entering the cave, she performed a quick sweep for monsters, set up a simple defensive formation at the entrance, and immediately sat down to meditate.

“Do you want some water?”

Yuan Xing’s voice drifted over. Xiao Siyu opened her eyes to see him pulling a flask from his Storage Bag.

“No need. I have my own,” Xiao Siyu said, shaking her head. Even though her opinion of Yuan Xing had improved drastically, she still wouldn’t accept food or drink from anyone.

Minutes ago, Yuan Xing had risked his life to stand between her and Lei Lie. Theoretically, there was no logical reason for him to do so. He was a stranger to her, and his survival was guaranteed regardless of who won the fight.

In this world, even sworn brothers betrayed each other for a handful of spirit stones. For a stranger to risk death for her without any visible gain was unheard of. Her first instinct was to suspect an ulterior motive.

But then, Lei Lie’s taunt echoed in her mind: ‘You really are a mortal who has just stepped into cultivation. You still remember mortal ways…’

That was it. Yuan Xing was only at the Initial-stage of Qi Refining. He was still “too human.” He hadn’t yet been fully consumed by the cold, selfish logic of the Immortal Gene. He still viewed “partnership” through the lens of mortal loyalty.

Understanding this, her wariness softened—not into romance, but into a rare sense of ease. Yuan Xing was “safe” because he was still “flawed” by mortal emotion.

But even so, she wouldn’t drink his water.

Ingesting something provided by another was the ultimate vulnerability. Protective Qi only shielded the exterior of the body; the internal organs were soft and defenseless. If the water was poisoned, she would be finished.