Chapter 59: Prelude to the Veil of the Secret Realm

Lin Liu used a stone to knock out a Spirit-Binding cultivator with a single blow. Lin Xiuxiu merely smiled. Along the way, she had gradually become more cheerful, and at this moment, she said, "This child has possessed immense strength since he was little. When I first found him, he looked to be only five or six years old, but his strength already surpassed mine."

Was it merely a matter of having great strength? A mighty Spirit-Binding cultivator who could command heaven and earth had been ambushed by a mere child—just hearing about it was enough to provoke laughter. If the Immortal Spirit Realm had newspapers, this incident would undoubtedly become front-page news.

Liu Erhei lay on the ground. The stone had shattered into pieces, and aside from a scattering of stone debris on his head, the man lying there was completely unharmed. Had Lin Liu not given him a few kicks, one would genuinely have thought this person had deliberately fallen to the ground just to feign death.

Looking first at the hanging-by-a-thread Hou Baiyu, Zhao Qingzhi grabbed a handful of miscellaneous items. Wu Yue even spotted a section of vine among them, randomly ground up a couple of stones, mixed them with a small packet of powder, and shoved the chaotic concoction unceremoniously into Hou Baiyu's mouth.

Just like that, Hou Baiyu slowly regained consciousness, executed a nimble carp-kip to his feet, and promptly collapsed onto the ground. Still, he managed to crawl back up quickly. First, he cast a glance at the unconscious Liu Erhei, letting out a sigh of relief, and then he sensed that something was amiss with his own body.

"This is Ascending Immortal Powder, used to stimulate the mind," Zhao Qingzhi explained. Upon hearing those three words, Hou Baiyu's lips trembled as he tried to say something. "Otherwise, there was no way we could just leave you here," Zhao Qingzhi added righteously.

Li Wenzhang chimed in, "Precisely so. Leaving Brother Hou behind here would simply be indefensible. This Ascending Immortal Powder is worth a thousand pieces of gold; why is Brother Hou making such an expression? It looks as though you've just swallowed a fly."

Hou Baiyu gritted his teeth and snarled, "I swallowed a whole handful of flies! Who doesn't know that this Ascending Immortal Powder stimulates the soul and mind? I feel fine right now, but when my injuries are compounded a moment later, how could I possibly survive?"

"Even mortals charge interest when lending money, let alone healing such injuries?" Li Wenzhang joked. "Drink your wine and be merry for today, caring not for tomorrow."

"Rest assured. I used the maximum dosage. It will sustain you for at least five days," Zhao Qingzhi said hastily, seemingly trying to offer reassurance, only to make the impending worries weigh even heavier.

Facing his so-called "saviors," Hou Baiyu could not bring himself to hurl vicious abuses, yet he could feel every cell in his body buzzing with hyperactivity. Inexplicably, the thought of extreme misery giving way to joy crossed his mind. By the same logic, would he still have a way to survive in a few days?

At this thought, Hou Baiyu could not help but glance at the second culprit. The man named Wu Yue was actually locking eyes with him—the thickness of this man's skin was truly astounding! Yet Hou Baiyu didn't dare to actually do anything to Wu Yue, simply because the disparity in their strength was too vast. Still, Wu Yue offered an explanation, speaking calmly and with a hint of dissatisfaction, "I didn't expect you to be so utterly useless."

Useless? This single sentence struck Hou Baiyu's chest like a heavy hammer, pounding once, twice, three times, until he suddenly felt the world go dark before his eyes. Hou Baiyu let out a cold snort by way of response. In truth, his mood wasn't quite as abyssal as he thought; he found himself despicably entertaining a single comforting thought: at least he didn't have to fear being abandoned.

Sneaking a glance at Liu Erhei, Hou Baiyu asked, "How should we deal with this person? Shall we kill him?" As he spoke, Hou Baiyu cautiously used the corner of his eye to observe Liu Erhei, whose twin finger-strikes had left too deep an impression on him. The flesh and bone where those fingers had struck were fused entirely into a paste, yet it didn't hurt in the slightest. See? That was just how formidable the Ascending Immortal Powder was.

"It won't be easy to kill him," Li Wenzhang said, leaning down to check Liu Erhei's breathing before shaking his head. "He has merely fainted. If any of us harbor murderous intent, he will wake up instantly."

"If worse comes to worst, I'll hit him with another stone!" Lin Liu said loudly, eager to show off his prowess. "I'll use more force this time!"

"What?" Hou Baiyu, dosed up on Ascending Immortal Powder, felt his mind operating with unusual clarity. "What did he say?"

The others nodded. Lin Xiuxiu smiled and, taking the trouble to explain once more, said, "This child has possessed immense strength since he was little."

Truly immense.

The others had already gotten over their shock, but now it was Hou Baiyu's turn. He looked at the young boy with an undisguised, blazing intensity in his eyes. Innate divine strength! Without even needing to check his physical foundation, one could tell these people were blessed with exceptional aptitude; the boy might even be a once-in-a-century or once-in-a-millennium prodigy.

Faced with such an intensely burning gaze, the youth swallowed hard and retreated two steps in fear. Along the journey, he had heard plenty of tales about the outside world, including rumors that certain men preferred the company of other men. They had even praised him, saying he looked naturally attractive to men—specifically, to other men.

After a brief moment, however, Hou Baiyu abandoned the idea; he was in no condition to take on a disciple at the moment. Dwelling on his present misery was a far more pressing matter. As for the method Lin Liu had suggested, everyone knew it was a trick that could work once, but never twice.

"Are we just going to let him go like this?" Yu Fu suddenly chimed in, looking indignant.

The others let out light gasps of surprise; these words certainly didn't sound like something Yu Fu would say. With a vicious expression, Yu Fu continued, "To beat a dog, one must still consider its master." The look of gratitude frozen on Hou Baiyu's face immediately twisted into furious rage.

Apart from letting Hou Baiyu land a couple of kicks to vent his frustration, there was truly nothing else they could do. The agonizing sensation of having a grievance one could not avenge was utterly exasperating. Clinging to the mindset that a gentleman takes ten years to exact his revenge, Hou Baiyu reluctantly rummaged through Liu Erhei's belongings, managing to scavenge a few items.

First was a worn-out, thumbed-through book of legends and tales, the kind commonly sold on the shelves of bookstores in any bustling alley. Next came a money pouch—after all, even cultivators needed currency these days. Then came two spiritual beads: a Dust-Repelling Bead and a Wind-Shielding Bead. One kept clothing impeccably clean and neat, while the other kept the living quarters free of mosquitoes, ants, and vermin. Both were essential items for high-ranking cultivators and commanded a hefty price.

In truth, true treasures would never be discovered so easily; even without storage bags or similar items, everyone had their own unique hiding spots. The better items were usually swallowed directly into the stomach—which was indeed an excellent hiding place.

Soon, however, an unexpected windfall appeared: a black bagua divination compass, fashioned in the standard style of a genuine treasure. Hou Baiyu's eyes lit up. Could this count as compensation?

If Liu Erhei were awake right now, he would surely have smiled faintly and said, "Yes. But it is compensation for me. Forged with the full might of Black Cloud Stronghold to create the fastest flying talisman in the Immortal Spirit Realm."

Naturally, it required an infusion of spiritual power. Hou Baiyu's mind stirred, and his spiritual energy flowed like threads. This wasn't praise; it was sheer helplessness. Although his mind received sensations of a fully intact body, his physical form was actually severely injured. Hou Baiyu dejectedly abandoned the thought. In truth, his meridians were screaming in agony, but the marvelous efficacy of the Ascending Immortal Powder still made Hou Baiyu feel rather buoyant.

Stuffing the treasure into his bosom, he prepared to inspect Liu Erhei's clothing further, only to find that the others had already walked away. Could they have been frightened by his ghastly expression just now? Had they never seen someone loot a body before? Hou Baiyu patted his bald head, gave Liu Erhei one last kick, and finally set off to catch up.

Then, his footsteps froze. Hou Baiyu couldn't quite fathom why he was bothering to chase after them.

*Dammit,* Hou Baiyu cursed inexplicably, before breaking into a brisk stride to catch up with the group ahead.

Suddenly, a deafening roar echoed through Tiger Mountain.