THDP Ch 113 Part 1 – Besieged (I)
December 13, 2022December 11, 2022By koffeam
Meng Qi stared in the direction Xu Zijun pointed. There, beneath the blanket of brilliant starlights, an array of coldly gleaming sword aura flashed flamboyantly in the night sky, just like falling stars.
—Worthy of the name Xingluo!
“Maybe the Pavilion Master also saw the firework signal just now.” Xu Zijun said to Meng Qi. “He is going in that direction.”
“Alright.” Qin Xiumo said. Although his cultivation base was not the highest, he was the most dependable when it came to making decisions or giving instruction, and everyone was used to him taking the lead. “What are we going to do now?”
“I want to go and check on the situation there.” Meng Qi said decisively.
“I’m going with her.” Chu Tianfeng’s reply came almost immediately.
“Since it’s someone Meng Qiqi knows, I also think we should go,” Li Che said. “If the firework signal was really released by Third Miss Xue, we can’t just sit back and ignore it.”
“The possibility of Xue Jinwen is high. I’m going too.” Su Junmo followed. “Besides, I’m not staying here and doing nothing if you guys are going.” Most importantly, there were not in a million chances he would allow himself to take a separate way from Meng Qi, especially not in Starfallen Sea.
“Me too, me too!” Sikong Xing said, “Meng Qiqi, I’m with you wherever!”
Finally, everyone’s eyes fell onto Xue Chengxuan. “In any case, I have no ability to get out of Starfallen Sea by myself.” He paused, cupped his hands, and continued, “Although I had no idea why my younger sister suddenly appeared in Starfallen Sea, I have to thank you on her behalf.”
Finished speaking, Xue Chengxuan’s eyes fell on Meng Qi’s face. He and the rest of the group were indeed here to save her, but the amount of trust everyone had in her was somewhat unexpected to him. She was the only one who claimed that the firework was a signal sent by his third sister, yet no one doubted her.
And the status of these people was not low. Qin Xiumo and Chu Tianfeng were two young geniuses whose names were well-known among the elites in Three Thousand Worlds, while Su Junmo and Sikong Xing were part of the nobility in the Demon Realm. Yet, the four of them followed Meng Qi unconditionally. There was also the treasured disciple of the head of Canglang Academy, a well-known medical sect in the Southern Realm famous both for their medicine and their aloofness to world affairs.
Xue Chengxuan squinted his eyes and stared thoughtfully at Meng Qi’s profile. The innate trust these people showed in Meng Qi seemed to almost defy common sense. Such strong unity, provided by the existence of a single girl, should normally be impossible…
Xue Chengxuan lowered his gaze and looked at his own hand as he fell into deeper contemplation. In fact, he knew it was not impossible. That day on the Apricot Forest, he saw with his own eyes how Meng Qi was the only one who rushed forward without hesitation, fulfilling her duty as a medical cultivator even as everyone else on the scene was just standing still, busy throwing responsibilities to others as they let themselves crippled by needless cautions.
At the time, he was equally attracted by Meng Qi’s unwavering resolve, resulting in his impulse to stuff the blood moon into her hand without a second thought.
“Let’s go.” Qin Xiumo nodded slightly. He glanced at Meng Qi and said, “Meng Qiqi, you are with me.”
“Okay.” Meng Qi nodded. She took out her silver medical knife and held it ready in her hand as she walked to Qin Xiumo’s side.
With a soft clang, Qin Xiumo and Xu Zijun’s natal long sword appeared simultaneously and floated midair. Meng Qi’s gaze fell on Qin Xiumo’s sword. As a double cultivator of sword and spell, Qin Xiumo’s natal sword exuded a strange and mysterious aura. Seeing Meng Qi’s curious gaze, Qin Xiumo’s lips suddenly raised up, “The peak of the fourth realm.”
“Amazing!” Meng Qi praised. Qin Xiumo was still at the Nascent Soul stage. For someone in his cultivation base to be able to produce a sword spirit and even raise it to the fourth realm was almost unheard of. Needless to say, this achievement put Qin Xiumo on the pedestal of a young genius sword cultivator.
As if to prove his words, Qin Xiumo clicked his fingers and sent the sword forward as if cutting into the curtain of the night sky. If Meng Qi hadn’t seen the sword making a start, she would have hardly been able to see where it had gone.
Meng Qi’s heart moved slightly, and the next moment, she found her whole body suddenly warmed. A flame circled around her, forming a blob of gradually transparent light. Meng Qi turned around and saw Chu Tianfeng smiling at her.
Sikong Xing was the next to make a move. She activated a spell with her hands, conjuring a black shadow that jumped and sank into the earth ahead. This was one of Sikong Xing’s unique skills. The girl was proficient not only in defense but also reconnaissance. The shadow was actually black water, able to move underground and explore the situation secretly.
Xue Chengxuan and Li Che followed behind Sikong Xing and Chu Tianfeng, and the last was Su Junmo. However, he stood about 1.5 meters behind them, a too inconvenient distance to talk and chat. Seeing this, Meng Qi couldn’t hold back her smile. The talkative fox must be very uncomfortable now, having no chance to unleash his never-end chattering desire. His closed mouth was probably feeling a bit sour now.
Meng Qi moved her gaze away from Su Junmo and looked forward. The members of this group had only known each other for a short time but already shared a strong tacit understanding, undoubtedly cultivated by everything they had gone through together in this Starfallen Sea.
Meng Qi couldn’t fathom how many battles and how much dangers her friends had experienced in the last few days. Her eyes narrowed slightly, and the thought that they had done so much for her filled her heart with gentle warmth. Meng Qi flipped her left hand, revealing several profound-grade spirit stones. She knew that the lethality of her medical knife was almost nonexistent in Starfallen Sea, and what she would rely on to defend against enemies must be arrays.
Upon seeing the glowing objects in Meng Qi’s hands, Qin Xiumo squinted his eyes slightly. “Profound-grade spirit stones?” He asked.
“Yeah.” Meng Qi nodded.
The group quickly approached the place where the firework signal was lit. Luckily, they did not encounter any beasts after passing through the open space where they were besieged by snow fang bees. The lack of dangers was probably because the bees were dangerous enough that no creatures in the vicinity dared to enter their territory. All the way, Meng Qi stayed closely behind Qin Xiumo. She knew her own limit and thus was very obedient and cautious.
After passing through the open space, the group passed through two small hills. Meng Qi had just walked out of the valley when Xu Zijun’s natal sword suddenly glided forward with a swish, almost brushing against her cheek.
A sharp shriek sounded, similar to the sound a rooster made when choked, which came from a black bug around the size of Meng Qi’s fingers. Cut in two by Xu Zijun’s sword, the bug fell to the ground — its legs were still twitching.
“It’s a golden thread beetle.” Meng Qi looked down and said.
