Chapter 23: Wounding Huang Hanxiao with a Talisman Treasure — The Hunter Hunts His Prey
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Sun Bingcheng was gone for half an hour, and still hadn’t returned.
Yu Xian’s brow furrowed deeply—something felt off.
Even Liu Xue could no longer sit still. He sprang to his feet:
“That bastard Sun Bingcheng didn’t go off to secretly dig up the Blazing Sun Essence Jade, did he!?”
Yu Xian’s eyes narrowed. That… was entirely possible.
After all, the human heart is unpredictable.
If Sun Bingcheng wanted to monopolize the fortune, he might’ve rushed to the mine himself, trying to extract the Essence Jade Yu Xian had “discovered”!
The problem was… that Essence Jade was a lie Yu Xian had made up.
Even if Sun Bingcheng tried to find it, he wouldn’t get anything.
“We need to check right away!”
Liu Xue, visibly anxious, hurried out the door.
Yu Xian followed with a grim expression. This unexpected move had completely disrupted his plan.
If it truly went off-track, he might have no choice but to kill Liu Xue and Sun Bingcheng first, then think of another way to lure Huang Hanxiao.
But the moment Yu Xian stepped outside, his tense expression melted into calm.
He looked toward the teleportation array in the distance and smiled.
Looks like Sun Bingcheng didn’t have the guts to act on his own.
He had indeed gone to get Huang Hanxiao—just took a while to return.
“Look! Senior Brother Huang is here!”
Yu Xian’s expression shifted to excitement and urgency as he ran toward the teleportation array.
Liu Xue’s face fell into disappointment but followed nonetheless.
From the array, Huang Hanxiao and Sun Bingcheng stepped out—immediately spotting the eager Yu Xian rushing toward them.
“Senior Brother Huang! I’m sure you’ve heard—I found Blazing Sun Essence Jade! I’m certain of it!”
Yu Xian approached with a fawning, eager expression.
“You’re quite thoughtful,”
Huang Hanxiao replied coolly, eyes glinting with calculation.
“So what does this Essence Jade look like? Its luster? Color? Describe it in detail.”
Descriptions in the Hundred Mines Record were vague. To truly verify a stone’s identity, firsthand detail was key.
But Yu Xian had actually seen one—he had even excavated it once.
So he described its size, color, glow, and properties with absolute precision.
The more Huang Hanxiao listened, the more his eyes burned with greed.
He’s telling the truth. This kid really found a piece of Essence Jade!
Looking at Yu Xian’s flattering manner, Huang concluded the boy clearly understood the stakes—offending him could mean death. Instead, he had chosen to report the treasure to gain favor and protection.
Clever kid… but too bad. That treasure on you—I must have it. And you… must die.
In fact, Huang had already planned to come deal with Yu Xian today or the next. Yu Xian showing up just saved him the trouble.
“Hahaha, good!”
Huang concealed the chill in his gaze and broke into a delighted smile:
“Well done! I like disciples who follow the rules. Yu Xian! Once we retrieve the Essence Jade, you’ll be the third manager of the Blazing Sun Mine!”
“Thank you, Senior Brother Huang!”
Yu Xian bowed deeply with joy.
Liu Xue and Sun Bingcheng’s faces turned sour, like they’d swallowed a fly, but they still forced congratulatory smiles:
“Congratulations, Junior Brother Yu…”
“Lead the way to the Essence Jade!”
Huang gestured with a smile.
“Yes!”
Yu Xian responded cheerfully and began walking toward the abandoned mine 130 li away.
Huang Hanxiao followed with gleaming eyes. A double win! Today, he’d take the Essence Jade… and Yu Xian’s life.
He was sure Yu Xian possessed some mysterious treasure that allowed him to detect Blazing Sun ores. There was no way a rookie could be so lucky—not in two separate abandoned mines.
Such treasure, even if not as powerful as those used by Nascent Soul elders, would still be invaluable. It would be a limitless source of wealth.
With it, his Foundation Establishment breakthrough would be guaranteed!
Liu Xue and Sun Bingcheng followed as well. They still believed that, at the very least, they could earn a few dozen spirit stones from the find.
Yu Xian walked at a steady pace, sometimes hopping along as if in a great mood—completely unaware of the looming danger behind him.
Huang Hanxiao smiled wickedly from behind. If not for the Essence Jade, he’d have already killed Yu Xian.
The mine was large. Without Yu Xian to guide him, finding the supposed treasure would take hours.
Let the boy live for a few more incense sticks’ time…
After about half an hour, the abandoned mine came into view.
At the entrance, Yu Xian turned with a grin:
“Senior Brother Huang, fellow brothers—this tunnel is long and twisty like a maze. Stick close or you might get lost!”
Then he stepped inside.
Huang looked at the wide tunnel mouth and hesitated slightly but followed.
What’s a fifteen-year-old brat going to do? Even if he has some skill—so what?
Liu Xue and Sun Bingcheng followed without suspicion. They still believed Yu Xian would soon be Huang’s favored lackey.
Sunlight only penetrated a few meters into the tunnel. Beyond that, it was dark.
But cultivators had far sharper vision than mortals. This darkness posed no real obstacle.
That’s why the moment Huang stepped in, he clearly saw Yu Xian ahead—turned around, face expressionless, one hand raised and pointing right at him!
An earth-shattering, bone-chilling sense of death surged through Huang Hanxiao’s entire being.
From Yu Xian’s hand, a wave-like slash roared forward—accompanied by a tearing howl that cracked the air itself.
Void Splitting Technique!
—A spell strike from an early-Golden Core expert: Elder Quan Dao!
“You damn brat!?”
Huang Hanxiao’s pupils shrank in terror.
Without hesitation, he activated the defensive talisman hanging around his neck—a spell also crafted by an early-Golden Core expert.
He was far more cautious than Zhao Mulin had been. He never took that talisman off, and now it burst forth with protective power!
A golden barrier enveloped his entire body.
BOOM!
The might of the Void Splitting Technique—beyond what Yu Xian could usually fathom—exploded in the tunnel.
The entire mountain shook.
The shockwave cracked and splintered the tunnel walls, spreading out hundreds of meters, threatening collapse.
Liu Xue and Sun Bingcheng, standing too close, were blasted backward, coughing blood, unconscious and possibly dead.
As for Huang Hanxiao—he had taken the full brunt of the strike.
His golden shield shattered.
Even among Golden Core stage cultivators, there were differences in power—and Quan Dao had been among the stronger ones.
Huang Hanxiao’s talisman only blocked 80–90% of the blow before breaking.
He spat a mouthful of blood and flew backward, rolling across the cave floor.
The residual energy surged toward Yu Xian, shattering his Earth Shield Technique and forcing him back several steps, his face pale.
But Yu Xian endured it.
His eyes flashed with killing intent. With a flick of his hand, he summoned his second trump card—
Golden Light Slash
—A talisman crafted by a powerful late-Foundation Establishment cultivator!
Though Yu Xian had launched a surprise attack, Huang Hanxiao’s reaction had been fast, and his talisman equally matched. So he wasn’t dead yet.
Must finish him now!
If Huang escaped, Yu Xian would never have a place in the entire Baiyun Sect again.
He activated his Wind Movement Technique and dashed out of the smoking tunnel.
Outside, he saw Liu Xue and Sun Bingcheng lying unconscious on the ground.
Huang Hanxiao was nowhere to be seen!
“Damn it!”
Yu Xian cursed and drew a mid-grade sword. Without hesitation, he stabbed Liu Xue and Sun Bingcheng through the heart, ensuring they wouldn’t rise again.
Then he followed the blood trail into the forest.
He had been a hunter for years—well-trained by the village’s old hunters.
Huang Hanxiao, now gravely wounded and fleeing, left a clear trail despite his caution.
He could not escape.
Yu Xian’s eyes turned icy—like a true hunter tracking down a wounded beast.
