Chapter 52: Only the Strong Survive

"One arrow breaks—" Lu Wei hadn't even finished his joke when the sky went dark.

"…"

"There aren't any stars either!" Wen Jinge was muttering when she was suddenly knocked to the ground. "What are you doing!"

"Don't move!" Lu Wei sounded nervous. Just a moment ago, he had nearly been swept up into the sky. "Was the force you used to shoot the cave last time the same as this?"

"It was even stronger; I borrowed the power of the heavens." Wen Jinge turned around and pinned him to the ground. Having Lu Wei protect her was less effective than her protecting him—she had no intention of being swept into the sky.

Wind and sand whipped overhead, startling the birds and beasts in the forest into terrified flight. Blood rain fell from the sky, and the heavens resembled a giant black vortex, echoing with terrifying howls.

When the chaos finally subsided, Wen Jinge opened her eyes.

To prevent her clothes from being soiled when the barrier broke, she'd draped a bedsheet over herself. Lu Wei had no comment on this; he was only interested in her strength.

It was one thing for others to misjudge, but he would not mistake fish eyes for pearls.

That arrow just now—Wen Jinge's mind had remained unchanged; she hadn't even used her profound energy. That was simply the lethality this body naturally possessed.

Yet she was clearly only at the ninth rank. But what ninth rank practitioner could so casually unleash such a deadly move with a mere wave of the hand?

"There's nothing else on you suppressing your cultivation?"

"Nothing," Wen Jinge answered as she tied on his veil, then suddenly remembered something. "Did he faint from fright?"

"He didn't faint," Lu Wei replied, failing to understand her dark sense of humor. "But he's scared senseless."

"Give me back my prayer beads! Every use drops my rank a few levels. If I play with you a few more times, I'm afraid all my ranks will be gone…" She looked at the beads on both their wrists, then added another string for herself. "A perfect six."

"Your rank goes down, but your strength goes up?" Lu Wei mused, glancing again at what was in her mind, uneasy. "Is it awake?"

"You've figured it out?"

"You're going backwards," he said, pointing to the sky. "There wasn't even a trace of immortal aura just now."

"Hmm?"

"You're going against the heavens. Perhaps in the past—you know, perhaps—you were already so powerful that even those above were wary of you. Your strength was enough, yet you didn't ascend. What are you waiting for?"

"The end of the world?" Wen Jinge replied at random, but Lu Wei was clearly serious. "Don't be nervous! I just like to play. I have no intention of destroying the world, but…"

She still hadn't tossed the bedsheet aside. Blood rain continued to fall from the sky, so Wen Jinge layered another barrier above her. She looked at the feathers drifting in the air. "Tell me, was it a mistake to come in here looking for a mount?"

Day broke.

The beauty of the Formless Illusion Realm was gone.

It felt like surviving a flood, a hurricane, a tsunami, an earthquake… All the prehistoric disasters had just rehearsed here.

Giant trees lay uprooted, roots exposed to the sky, lake water gurgling across the ground, mingling with the blood rain from above. It was no different from a slaughterhouse, reeking of blood and rot.

The area where Wen Jinge stood was untouched, whether because her barrier was large enough or because it was the site of a sealed demon realm entrance, she did not know.

It was clean all around them.

"Am I short on money?"

"Very," Lu Wei replied. The storage pouch of spirit stones was down to single digits.

"Monster cores can be sold for money, right?"

A sudden sense of foreboding came over him.

"I'll send you out. You go find them, and we'll dig up monster cores together."

Lu Wei: …

Was there anything Wen Jinge would be too embarrassed to do?

"Alright, Master, I'll go call them right away."

"Are you afraid of losing face?"

Qiao Yu stood silently, knowing his master was waiting for the Grandmaster, but since the Grandmaster wasn't coming up, there was nothing he could do.

He glanced around; there wasn't even a tree for him to knock himself out against.

"Fine! Then we'll go out together." Wen Jinge gave Qiao Yu's clothes a once-over. This version of the flying fish robe was a bit form-fitting, and on Qiao Yu, it looked especially snug. "You've grown taller and gained weight. The food on the mountain must be good!"

"Yes, it’s the special meals Senior Brother makes for me," he admitted bashfully.

As for who that Senior Brother was, it could only be the one standing before him—sharp-tongued but soft-hearted.

"When you have spare time, have Liang Si prepare a few more sets for you. This is just the age for growing—don't short-change yourself."

"And the other junior brothers and sisters on the mountain?"

"Those who’ve undergone marrow cleansing are different from the naturally gifted. As for your little junior sister, someone of royal blood has a foundation sturdier than any of you."

"I see…" Suddenly, as if realizing something, he asked in surprise, "Did Junior Brother Yang undergo marrow cleansing too?"

"Did I say he did?"

"You implied it," Lu Wei interjected. "Don't you remember?"

"Hmm. Could I have known him before?" Wen Jinge wondered if she was being overly sensitive. "Liang Si only started following me in recent years—if I’d known him before, Liang Si shouldn't fail to recognize him."

"Did that one come up just now?"

"No." Both paused. Wen Jinge slapped her own forehead. "I understand now—these are memories from before, awakening in me."

"Perhaps." Lu Wei kept studying her, thinking what a money-grubber she was. He kindly reminded, "Are you sure you’ll be able to come back in once you leave?"

"What's wrong with coming in to tidy up?" she asked. "If they enjoy cleaning up after themselves, I couldn't be happier."

Once again, Lu Wei was left speechless.

So was Elder Qiushui, who stood outside the barrier wearing a gentle, courteous smile. "Immortal Wen."

"Hehehe, hello there!" Wen Jinge replied cheerfully, looking quite approachable. "I just took a stroll inside—the scenery is lovely! Hahaha! Is there something you need?"

"Just remember to clean up after yourself," Elder Qiushui replied with a smile, as if nothing could surprise him.

…This wasn't what she'd expected!

"The barrier is solid. If you're short on money, feel free to come again."

Was Elder Qiushui actually smiling as he spoke? Was he being sarcastic?

"This way, the younger generation will be motivated to replenish supplies, and the disciples will be willing to apply themselves in their training."

Wen Jinge was speechless.

"But Immortal Wen need not trouble herself with these matters."

"Hmm?"

"Your disciple just made a splash on Wind and Thunder Peak. Not only did he defeat the chief disciple under the Mountain Immortal’s tutelage, he also won a hefty sum of money. The younger generation is truly impressive!"

Wen Jinge stood dumbfounded at the barrier. She understood every word—so why did it make no sense when put together?

After the elder left, Wen Jinge tugged at Lu Wei's sleeve. "Did he just say my disciple won money at Wind and Thunder Peak?"

"That's right!" Lu Wei replied, half exasperated, half indignant. "Was I not clear enough? I was talking about Wanzhang Peak—"

"Excellent!" Wen Jinge clapped her hands, encouraging him. "Now I believe you really have turned over a new leaf. Alright, I'm off to check my results."

Lu Wei was puzzled. "What results?"

"Drawing talismans? It's simple! Master says practice makes perfect. The more you practice, the harder it is not to master it."

"I didn't cheat! That was just probability. If Senior Sister Lu isn't hasty, she'll spot the traps. Then I can't win."

"What is probability? Master explained it. If you master mathematics, physics, and chemistry, you can travel the world without fear. I don't get it yet—I'm still learning."

"What else did Master teach? Master said, in a showdown, you can't be timid—only the strong survive. Strength is a matter of mindset, not ability. Those who fear no rumors are the true strong."