Chapter 82

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Chapter 82: Enemies on a Narrow Path

Over the span of a day and a night, Yi Qianmo had slain nearly ten spirit beasts. Among them, eight were fourth-level beasts, and two were fifth-level beasts.

The battles were relentless but rewarding. From the fourth-level spirit beasts alone, he gained 320 points, while the two fifth-level spirit beasts added another 100 points. In total, Yi Qianmo had amassed 420 points—an impressive achievement for just the first day, with a third of the time already gone. He had reached nearly half his target.

However, this success came with a price. Yi Qianmo was now facing a critical issue: his spiritual power was almost entirely depleted.

With only the minimal spiritual power required to sustain the Pure Spirit Fire restriction, his veins were otherwise completely drained. At this moment, even a confrontation with a third-level spirit beast could prove fatal.

“If Old Bai hadn’t swallowed the spirit stone, I wouldn’t be in such a sorry state now,” Yi Qianmo thought with a bitter smile.

The spiritual energy in the Yanshan Mountains was abundant, but it would take at least half a month to fully restore his strength. By then, it would be too late to compete in the big exam. Furthermore, the royal family controlled these hunting grounds, and access was restricted.

Though he had many valuable spirit herbs, using them raw would be wasteful. Without a pill furnace, crafting high-level pills like the Body Origin Fixing Pill was impossible.

“I underestimated this big exam and didn’t prepare adequately,” Yi Qianmo admitted to himself.

The exam had drawn cultivators from across the Yan Kingdom—talented individuals who, like Xu Zhou, might be hiding their true strength.

As Yi Qianmo brooded over his predicament, the sounds of fierce combat reached his ears. His eyes lit up, and he hurried toward the commotion.

In the distance, he spotted three cultivators battling a fifth-level Green-haired Monkey. Though all three were at the fifth level of the Qi Refining Stage, they were struggling. The Green-haired Monkey was gravely injured, but it was only a matter of time before they overpowered it.

Among the three, Yi Qianmo recognized Guan Shanqing, a familiar face from Tianyuan Academy. The other two were strangers to him. As the battle raged, Guan Shanqing proved to be the strongest among the trio, but even he was visibly fatigued.

After half an hour, the Green-haired Monkey let out a final, anguished cry and collapsed. The three cultivators, now battered and bruised, took a moment to rest. Guan Shanqing, severely injured, sat down and began to recover with the aid of a spirit stone.

Yi Qianmo turned to leave. Despite the lack of rules in this exam, he had no desire to steal someone else’s hard-earned victory.

Just as he moved away, Guan Shanqing’s angry voice rang out.

“What are you doing?”

Yi Qianmo turned back to see the other two cultivators suddenly attacking and subduing Guan Shanqing. One of them stomped on his chest while the other rifled through his belongings.

“We don’t want to share with you,” one of the cultivators sneered. “Especially since you’re so naive.”

Guan Shanqing, his face pale, protested, “Didn’t we agree to split the spoils evenly?”

“Share? Hah!” The other cultivator laughed cruelly. “The examiner made it clear—there are no rules here. This is survival of the fittest!”

Ignoring Guan Shanqing’s pleas, they tore the storage bag from his possession. One of them examined its contents with a grin.

“A storage bag! Who would’ve thought this low-level cultivator had something so valuable?”

“That’s an ancestral treasure of my Guan family! You can’t—” Guan Shanqing’s words were cut off by a brutal stomp to his chest, leaving him coughing up blood.

“Why not just kill him?” one of them suggested. “He tested positive for golden spiritual light. He’s dangerous.”

“There’s no need,” the other replied coldly. “Without his spirit stones, he’s as good as dead. He’ll be eaten alive by the beasts.”

Despair filled Guan Shanqing’s eyes. He had come to Tianyuan Academy carrying the hopes of his family. Without the storage bag and spirit stones, he would not only fail but also doom his loved ones.

“You can keep the bag,” Guan Shanqing rasped. “Just… leave the ancestral treasure.”

His plea was met with another vicious kick. The two cultivators laughed as they walked away, leaving him lying motionless.

Yi Qianmo, watching from a distance, sighed deeply. He hadn’t wanted to interfere, especially in his weakened state. But Guan Shanqing’s plight reminded him too much of his own struggles.

Just as Guan Shanqing slipped into unconsciousness, Yi Qianmo stepped forward.

“Stop right there!”

The two cultivators turned, their faces filled with surprise. Seeing Yi Qianmo, they exchanged glances before sneering.

“And who are you?” one of them mocked.

“I won’t repeat myself,” Yi Qianmo said coldly. “Leave the storage bag, and I’ll let you go.”

The two burst into laughter.

“You? A third-level Qi Refining cultivator dares to threaten us?” one sneered.

“Do you even know who we are?” the other asked. “We’re disciples of Xu Zhou from the Lianshan Sect.”

Yi Qianmo’s eyes narrowed. “So you’re Xu Zhou’s dogs,” he said.

The cultivators’ expressions darkened.

“You could’ve walked away,” one of them growled. “But since you’re here, we’ll take care of you for our senior brother.”

Yi Qianmo didn’t reply. Instead, he drew his sword in a swift motion.

“Clang!”

The blade shimmered in the dim light, cutting through the air with deadly precision.

“You talk too much,” Yi Qianmo said, gripping the storage bag in one hand.

A head rolled to the ground.