Volume 3 Chapter 71: Awakening (Part 1)

In the sky, a group of Jiuhua elders and high-ranking demons quietly watched the competition below. Although they considered the skills of those competing insignificant, the danger and intensity of the battle made them anxious. As Number 4 fell, a series of clear breaths could be heard.

Especially those Jiuhua elders who had taken the "Sky Spiritual Pill," the outcome of this bet was closely tied to their lives, leaving them deeply concerned.

The moment Xu Qingfan was hit by the poisonous sand, both Li Xuhan and Xiao Huazhe couldn’t help but move slightly as if to rescue him. After all, they shared a deep bond with Xu Qingfan. To Li Xuhan, Xu Qingfan was the only friend he had besides Zhang Hualing in the past forty years. To Xiao Huazhe, Xu Qingfan was his only disciple-nephew in this world.

However, Zhang Xusheng, who had been indifferent, casually stepped forward and blocked their path.

"Brother Li, where are you planning to go?"

Zhang Xusheng looked at Li Xuhan and asked with a gentle smile.

Both Li Xuhan and Xiao Huazhe paused, not taking another step. After all, the outcome of this competition concerned the future of both Jiuhua Mountain and Penance Valley. Intervening recklessly was unwise, not knowing how Zhang Xusheng might react. If Zhang Xusheng decided to cancel the bet, it could lead to widespread anger.

In truth, Li Xuhan originally disagreed with this bet. Firstly, like Zhang Hualing, he suspected Zhang Xusheng had ulterior motives and felt it was unwise to delay. In his view, any cost to kill Zhang Xusheng early was worth it. Secondly, he doubted Xu Qingfan and the others could defeat Zhang Xusheng’s men to win this bet. Those three Sethrak were clearly Zhang Xusheng’s elite fighters, and although they might not have reached the Condensed Core Stage, they were not far off, making the bet a likely loss.

However, Li Xuhan eventually agreed to Zhang Xusheng’s proposal, partly because he held a faint hope that if Xu Qingfan and the others won, his Jiuhua faction wouldn’t suffer great losses in this disaster, and also because he considered the thoughts of Venerable Deaf Mute Blind, knowing that Venerable Deaf Mute Blind needed this competition to make Zhang Xusheng reveal which cultivators in Penance Valley followed him.

Now, with all the Jiuhua elders knowing the details of the bet, there was no way to stop it from proceeding without disheartening all the Jiuhua elders.

So at this moment, although Li Xuhan and Xiao Huazhe were worried about Xu Qingfan’s situation, after a brief hesitation, they stepped back. At this time, they thought there might be no choice but to sacrifice Xu Qingfan.

Watching Xu Qingfan’s face gradually darken, Li Xuhan sighed slightly. Remembering his interactions with Xu Qingfan over the decades, Li Xuhan thought apologetically, "Qingfan, don’t blame me; I must consider the overall situation. At this moment, you can only rely on yourself."

Meanwhile, Zhang Hualing, standing behind Li Xuhan, had much simpler thoughts; at this moment, he was merely pondering what Zhang Xusheng aimed to gain by setting up this bet.

To him, although Xu Qingfan, Jin Qinghan, and Lv Qingshang were elite disciples of Jiuhua, they were insignificant compared to Jiuhua’s future. Moreover, even though he valued Xu Qingfan, Xu Qingfan’s safety could not overly concern him compared to geniuses like Jin Qinghan and Lv Qingshang, who largely represented Jiuhua’s future.

So, after a slight hesitation, Zhang Hualing asked Zhang Xusheng, "Martial Uncle Zhang, both sides have lost one person so far, appearing to be a tie. If it remains tied till the end, how should we settle this bet?"

Zhang Xusheng smiled gently and said, "Number 4 is my creation, not easily defeated. And that kid Xu Qingfan doesn’t seem like he’ll go down easily either; the competition is far from over, how can there be a draw? However, they both indeed seem unable to continue fighting. But, if it ends in a draw, we’ll consider it my loss."

Saying this, Zhang Xusheng shook his head slightly and said softly, "Number 4 is always so arrogant and underestimates opponents; it’s good for him to suffer some setbacks. If he can’t change this bad habit through this harsh lesson, then I have no reason to keep him."

When they heard Zhang Xusheng’s earlier words, everyone was briefly taken aback, clearly not understanding what he meant. However, their perception of him grew increasingly enigmatic. After hearing Zhang Xusheng’s later remarks, they couldn’t help but feel a chill in their hearts. It was evident that for Zhang Xusheng, subordinates like Number 4 would be ruthlessly discarded if he was displeased, showing no mercy.

…

In front of the Jiuhua Hall, after seeing Number 4 fall, the disciples watching cheered loudly, yet there were still some who worried, clearly concerned about how to deal with the remaining two Sethrak.

Although there were many Jiuhua disciples present, not many could participate in such a high-level battle.

After a brief relaxation, Jin Qinghan and Lv Qingshang’s expressions once again grew serious. They began observing the other two Snake Guards across from them, also waiting for Xu Qingfan’s next instructions.

After experiencing so many ups and downs, even though Jin Qinghan was stronger than Xu Qingfan, and Lv Qingshang was Xu Qingfan’s senior, the two had unconsciously become accustomed to following Xu Qingfan’s lead, as he rarely disappointed them.

Strangely, in the face of Number 4’s death, apart from a slight sigh from the Sethrak with many protruding bumps on his body, the other two Sethrak showed no further reaction, merely gazing softly at Number 4’s fallen body, as if waiting for something.

At this moment, Xu Qingfan was also maintaining the posture he had at the end of the battle, his body not moving at all, as if under a binding spell.

Initially, Jin Qinghan and Lv Qingshang thought Xu Qingfan was mourning Number 4’s death, lost in his thoughts. But after a long time had passed and Xu Qingfan still hadn’t moved, they realized something was wrong. Jin Qinghan tentatively called out softly, "Senior Brother Xu, are you okay?"

Xu Qingfan seemed to react slowly at that moment, and it took him a long time to respond. He turned around slowly to look at Jin Qinghan and Lv Qingshang.

Upon seeing Xu Qingfan’s appearance, Jin Qinghan and Lv Qingshang were shocked and filled with fear, so much so that they couldn’t utter a word.

Xu Qingfan’s face was now covered in a deep black color except for his head. The blackness was spreading rapidly over his body, visible to the naked eye. His facial wounds were beginning to fester, making him look even more terrifying than the demons under Zhang Xusheng.

Earlier, because Number 4 had conjured a sandstorm barrier, Jin Qinghan and Lv Qingshang did not notice Number 4 spitting poisonous sand at Xu Qingfan.

"Senior Brother Xu!"

Jin Qinghan finally responded, rushing to Xu Qingfan’s side. He reached out to support Xu Qingfan, but Xu Qingfan shook his head slightly and moved his body to avoid Jin Qinghan’s outstretched hand.

"Senior Brother Xu?!"

Seeing Xu Qingfan’s action, Jin Qinghan became even more anxious. His usually cold expression was now twisted with concern, showing how much he cared for Xu Qingfan.

At last, Xu Qingfan spoke, his voice hoarse and slightly delayed, as if his tongue and throat were difficult to control.

"Junior Brother Jin, don’t touch me. I’ve been poisoned by the Xuansha Snake’s venomous sand. The poison has spread all over my body, and a single touch could contaminate you too."

As he spoke, Xu Qingfan waved his arm in front of Jin Qinghan. To Jin Qinghan’s shock, Xu Qingfan’s arm was already covered in black.

At that moment, Lv Qingshang also approached Xu Qingfan. Hearing Xu Qingfan’s words, he was taken aback and quickly took out a jade bottle from his pocket, urgently saying to Xu Qingfan, "Junior Brother Xu, I have an antidote here. Take it quickly; it might help."

Xu Qingfan shook his head and softly said, "I’ve already taken the medicine. The poison won’t endanger my life for a while, so don’t worry. However, in my current state, I can’t assist you with the remaining two Sethrak. Be extra cautious when handling them."

Just as he realized he was hit by the poisonous sand, Xu Qingfan took out the detoxifying elixir from Medicine King Valley and swallowed an entire bottle without hesitation, focusing his effort on channeling the medicine’s power.

Nonetheless, Xu Qingfan didn’t anticipate the Xuansha Snake’s venomous sand to be this potent. Within moments, the poison had spread all over his body. He could only muster his Spirit Qi and the antidote’s power to protect his brain, unable to manage anything else.

You must know that a body poisoned can be cured, but if the brain is poisoned, even if cured, the person might become an idiot.

Because of this, all of Xu Qingfan’s Spirit Qi was focused on his brain. He dared not use any spells, thus couldn’t be relied upon in the fight against the remaining two Sethrak for a while.

Jin Qinghan and Lv Qingshang were about to say something when a gentle voice suddenly sounded beside them, "Martial Uncle Xu, please go aside to expel the poison in peace. We will assist Martial Uncle Jin and Martial Uncle Lü with the enemy here. Everything should be fine for the moment."

Xu Qingfan and the other two turned their heads and found that Li Yuhan and Sheng Yushan had somehow arrived beside them, now watching Xu Qingfan with concern.

Seeing it was Li Yuhan and Sheng Yushan, Jin Qinghan and Lv Qingshang frowned, as they were mindful of these two being direct disciples of Zhou Huahai. In fact, the reason they hadn’t acted earlier was due to the awkwardness of their own identities, and seeing the urgency of the situation, they stepped forward to volunteer.

But Xu Qingfan trusted them greatly, knowing their characters would not betray Jiuhua at this time, and among the Jiuhua disciples, only they had the strength to fight those two Sethrak. So, he nodded and said, "I’m counting on you."

After speaking, Xu Qingfan forced himself to stand up, ignoring the worried looks from Jin Qinghan and the others, and slowly walked towards the back. However, his strength seemed completely eroded by the poison, making even walking extremely difficult. His numb body couldn’t maintain balance, and he wobbled as he walked, almost falling several times.

Watching Xu Qingfan in this state, Jin Qinghan and the others realized his condition was dire. Though anxious, they were unable to help and knew the priority was to confront the enemy. After seeing Xu Qingfan off with concern, the four turned to solemnly face the two Sethrak, quietly waiting for the battle to begin.

In fact, Xu Qingfan was secretly worried about his condition. Although he protected his brain from the poison’s invasion, he could no longer use his Spirit Qi or expel the toxin from his body. If the poisoning lasted too long, the venom would reach his bones and become impossible to remove.

Xu Qingfan was also deeply concerned for Jin Qinghan and the others’ safety. Their previous victory over Number 4 owed much to Xu Qingfan’s strategy, Number 4’s arrogance, and their luck, but even so, Number 4 fought them to a standstill, showing clear superiority at times.

Now, the remaining two Sethrak might not have acted yet for unknown reasons, but once they did, they would surely not make the same mistake as Number 4. Although Li Yuhan and Sheng Yushan were powerful, they might not be enough, and Xu Qingfan couldn’t help but worry as he was unable to fight.

"Ah… if only Junior Brother Feng were awake right now."

Xu Qingfan sighed quietly.

Suddenly, Xu Qingfan’s eyes lit up as if he had remembered something, and without hesitation, he sat cross-legged on the ground and began to meditate.

At the same time, a Sethrak, known as Number 33, suddenly spoke coldly, "What’s going on with Number 4? Is he still not ready?"

As Number 33’s voice faded, Number 4, who had been lying on the ground weakly, suddenly gave a slight shudder and then struggled to stand up.

As he slowly stood, the blue scales on his body gradually fell away, and his appearance slowly returned to a human form. When Number 4 fully stood up, his original snake-like features had completely vanished, and he looked like an ordinary person.

All the disciples of Jiuhua present recognized this person’s appearance.

"Wang Qingjun! It’s you! So, you are Number 4!"

"Wang Qingjun! You’re still alive!"

Upon seeing Number 4’s human form, Jin Qinghan and Lv Qingshang were shocked and spoke in unison.

The appearance of Number 4 at this moment is exactly the same as Wang Qingjun, who once fought alongside Xu Qingfan and others on Huandao Island!