Chapter 596 Wicked Scoundrel! Wicked Scoundrel! Wicked Scoun

hua University was lagging far behind in score. Each player was seething with anger, and Little Six's defensive actions towards Hao Ren were somewhat excessive as well.His arm violently collided into...Chapter 596: Rogue, Rogue, Rogue!

The mist gradually dissipated. The forty cultivators at the Condensation stage, who were anxiously observing the situation inside the large barrier, finally saw the figures of their fellow disciples through layer upon layer of fog.

Mo Lianshan was the first to retreat outwards. The forty cultivators guarding outside the barrier quickly made an opening for Mo Lianshan to exit from within.

The present Mo Lianshan had his robe completely ruined, a hole about half the size of a fist punched into his right hand, and over ten wounds on his legs. His fourth-stage Snow Lion was also bleeding profusely.

Given that he was already at the late stage of Condensation, this was how severely injured he was. The other disciples who managed to escape one by one from inside the barrier were even worse off.

This wasn't an illusory array but a killing formation!

The cultivators at the early stage of Condensation,僥倖逃得性命，都心有餘悸。像他們這種結丹期修士，隻要金丹不損，問題還不是很大。Those who narrowly escaped with their lives still felt terrified. For them, as long as their Golden Core wasn't damaged, it wasn’t a huge problem.

Mo Lianshan grunted deeply but didn’t dare to rashly enter again. This formation truly wasn’t something cultivators at the Condensation stage could break; if they wanted to dismantle this array, they would have to rely on cultivators at the Nascent Soul stage!

However, he couldn't understand why there was such a formidable array in the Fifth Heavenly Layer. Indeed, Mystic Peak lived up to its reputation!

In situations like just now, if the cultivators inside Mystic Peak wanted to put them to death, they could have done so completely!

"They are indeed still afraid of us Tian Shan Sect," Mo Lianshan waved his hand. "Let’s set up an array here and attack at midnight."

He flew to a rock far away and sat cross-legged, restoring his injuries.

The remaining cultivators at the Condensation stage all had somewhat awkward expressions. The cultivators inside Mystic Peak spared them their lives, but Mo Lianshan saw this as the cultivators inside fearing the prestige of Tian Shan Sect and not daring to truly create enmity with them. Thus, he prepared to attack again in the middle of the night.

It was already difficult enough to cultivate to the Condensation stage. They these cultivators really didn't dare take further risks; if they truly angered the cultivators inside, their lives would be at stake.

The other cultivators who hadn’t entered just now also had rather awkward expressions. If Mo Lianshan was going to launch an attack in the middle of the night, it might just mean that this group of cultivators who hadn’t entered earlier would have to charge forward, but this array was practically a legendary Annihilation Formation—wasn't charging into it suicide…

Seeing those cultivators evacuate, Xie Yujia in the valley let out a small sigh of relief.

Herself already weak from her physical condition, she had just expended large amounts of spiritual energy and instantly felt dizzy, collapsing softly into Hao Ren’s arms.

Hao Ren supported her body, lightly pinched her wrist to find that her pulse was normal. He knew that it was simply a temporary bout of weakness and there were no serious consequences.

Ordinary Xie Yujia had rosy cheeks and looked very healthy, but at the moment she looked extremely pale, giving off a kind of special delicate beauty.

The arms under her short-knit sweater were slender, their skin as translucent as jade from arm to finger tip, folded neatly on her belly.

Her rolled-up jeans exposed two smooth little legs that accentuated the straightness of her legs. Paired with her white sports shoes, she looked especially attractive.

Hao Ren looked up and saw that the cultivators from Tian Shan Sect didn’t charge in anymore, then reached out to pick Xie Yujia up before flying her back into her cave abode.

Zhao Yanzi was more seriously injured than Xie Yujia. She gritted her silver teeth as she slowly recovered.

Seeing Hao Ren carrying Xie Yujia fly in, she didn’t show any signs of jealousy; instead, there was a hint of concern in her eyes.

Sensing the color in her gaze, Hao Ren proactively said, "She’s fine. She just fainted."

"Oh..." Zhao Yanzi simply said "oh," but Hao Ren clearly saw a sense of relief in her eyes.

In times of adversity, true feelings come out. Being trapped in the valley seems to have improved their relationship, thought Hao Ren.

He didn't know that Xie Yujia had been severely injured while saving Zhao Yanzi and now Zhao Yanzi felt guilty about how she had treated Xie Yujia before.

In Xie Yujia’s cave dwelling, there was only one stone bed. Hao Ren held Xie Yujia in his arms and saw Duan Yao lying on the stone bed tied up like a zongzi (sticky rice dumpling). He picked her up and placed her on the floor at the foot of the bed.

Duan Yao sat on the cold floor, angrily staring at Hao Ren.

Hao Ren didn't really care about what she thought. He gently laid Xie Yujia down on the stone bed and took out a Qi replenishment pill, carefully putting it in her mouth.

Duan Yao sat by the foot of the bed, watching Hao Ren attentively doing these things up close. She was slightly surprised.

Generally speaking, if they were dual cultivation partners, there would be some care between them, but for a "concubine," their status was almost like that of a disciple—only the concubine served tea and water to her master, not vice versa.

Even those female cultivators who had reached the Core Formation stage and were considered high-ranking in their sects would still have to look up to a Venerable Master if they became his concubine.

Sensing Duan Yao's sideways gaze, Hao Ren turned his head slightly and looked at her too.

Duan Yao was thinking about the relationship between dual cultivation partners and concubines. When she saw Hao Ren glance over, her face flushed a bit, then she glared fiercely at him.

Hao Ren pulled out a strip of cloth and wound it around Duan Yao's head to cover her eyes.

"Mph! Mph!"

Duan Yao immediately twisted her shoulders in resistance.

This scoundrel, this thief, this bad person! Although she couldn't speak out loud, she fiercely resisted within her heart.

However, after wriggling for a while and finding that Hao Ren didn’t touch her but with her eyes covered, unable to see the situation in the cave dwelling, she froze, becoming uneasy.

In fact, Hao Ren paid no attention to her at all; he was just uncomfortable being stared at by her, so he had covered her eyes.

Sitting beside the bed, Hao Ren grasped Xie Yujia's right hand and infused a thread of pure spirit energy into it. Since Xie Yujia practiced the Five Elements Life-and-Death Talisman and was also a Five Elements cultivator, Hao Ren could directly infuse her with pure spirit energy without needing conversion.

Xie Yujia’s icy right hand gradually warmed up as Hao Ren felt her cultivation method begin to slowly circulate. He then withdrew his hand.

Turning around, Hao Ren saw Zhao Yanzi looking at him with big eyes in confusion. Her silly expression was like someone seeing others eating candy but not daring to ask for some themselves due to shyness.

Maintaining impartiality... Hao Ren turned and sat across from Zhao Yanzi, taking her small hand.

Zhao Yanzi gently pulled back but immediately stopped struggling.

Hao Ren infused a steady stream of pure water attribute spirit energy through Zhao Yanzi’s wrist, gradually into her body.

With the loss of her dragon pearl and after regaining cultivation through Breathing Techniques, Zhao Yanzi now had a pure Water Attribute "Heavenly Spirit Root" constitution. If placed in any sect above the Fifth Heaven Realm, she would be fiercely contested over as a promising disciple. If admitted into one—perhaps even their elders might fight to claim her.

Zhao Yanzi saw Hao Ren carefully infusing spirit energy for her and blushed slightly. Thinking about how she thought of Hao Ren during her moment of greatest danger made her heart feel soft and fragile.

"Let me see your injuries," Hao Ren said softly as he undid Zhao Yanzi's clothes near her shoulders.

Zhao Yanzi's face turned red, but Hao Ren had already pulled her collar to the right and was looking at the skin on her shoulders, inside and out.

The broken bones that she had been hit with had been set back in place by Xie Yujia, who also wrapped bandages around them. Some medicinal powder had been sprinkled over the wounds; it could be said that the treatment was quite meticulous under such emergency circumstances.

Hao Ren glanced at Duan Yao's feet at the foot of the bed and noticed that she had already knocked off the cloth covering her eyes, rubbing against the stone bed. She was staring at Hao Ren with her dark eyes wide open.

Duan Yao felt a bit uncomfortable seeing Hao Ren being so considerate to Zhao Yanzi. Zhao Yanzi was her arch-rival, and Hao Ren was her心目中的“賊子”。但看到郝仁為趙焰紫檢查傷口的樣子，她心裡產生了一絲小小的疑惑和妒忌。

"You've been quite badly injured," Hao Ren said softly as his palm gently rested on Zhao Yanzi's shoulder. Water and wood elemental forces had a certain healing effect, slowly seeping into the wound to complement the effects of the medicinal pills.

Zhao Yanzi was bound with several strips of cloth around her shoulders; beyond them were smooth skin. She felt odd as Hao Ren held her warm hand but did not struggle free.

"Humph!"

Duan Yao, sitting by the bed, grunted softly through her nose.

"It's okay now, just rest a bit," said Hao Ren as he pulled Zhao Yanzi's collar back into place.

Seeing them being tender to each other, Duan Yao’s pink cheeks were filled with anger. When she saw Hao Ren looking at her, she immediately turned away.

In the realm of cultivation, victory and defeat determined everything. Zhao Yanzi and Xie Yujia had lower realms than hers but still captured her; there was nothing to say about it.

If this rogue did anything improper, she would sever her meridians and die!

Although... such a death would be extremely painful. If the spiritual energy were insufficient, one might even prefer death over such an existence...

Just as she was holding her breath, suddenly her bound wrists were touched.

Anxiously turning around, she saw Hao Ren reaching out and grabbing her delicate hand.

"Ugh! Ugh!" Duan Yao's mouth was stuffed with cloth; unable to cry for help, the fear in her eyes was evident.

Though she struggled fiercely, her wrists were held by Hao Ren’s fingers.

A stream of pure elemental forces flowed from Hao Ren’s palm into her arm.

Duan Yao was shocked; suddenly she felt that this kind of pure spiritual energy could only be experienced during the Great Perfection-stage Uncle Zun’s healing and nourishment of bloodlines. That was when he used incredibly pure fire-elemental spiritual energy to treat him! But the rogue infused her body with equally pure but quintessential elemental forces!

Duan Yao stared at Hao Ren in astonishment, her attitude instantly changing.

This “rogue” is actually so powerful!

In her surprise, she forgot to struggle and simply stared blankly at Hao Ren. In the past, this bad guy’s realm was just late-stage Core Formation, slightly higher than hers—yet if she had equipped with Heavenly Mountain Sect's法寶and功法，她不應該輸給他太多。

But now, the purity of Hao Ren's spiritual energy almost surpassed that which a Core Formation cultivator could possess!

Duanyao stared at Hao Ren and suddenly suspected that he was a Nascent Soul cultivator.

Some Nascent Soul cultivators, if they encounter mishaps in their cultivation or are secretly attacked by equally powerful enemies who are also Nascent Souls, will fall back to the Core Formation stage. Duanyao had never seen such cases but knew that it could happen.

A Nascent Soul cultivator who falls back from the Nascent Soul stage has to re-cultivate to form a new soul embryo, but due to their previous attainment of the Nascent Soul level, their cultivation speed is very fast and the purity of their spirit energy remains at the quality of the Nascent Soul stage...

Could it be... this "thief" is actually a Nascent Soul cultivator... He's hiding on the fifth layer of heaven to evade his enemies’ pursuit...

However… A Nascent Soul cultivator like him, with youthful looks, Duanyao had almost never seen before.

Hao Ren didn't know that in just a few seconds while he was probing Duanyao's spirit energy situation, so many thoughts flashed through her mind.

Seeing Duanyao staring at him intently, Hao Ren felt uneasy. The serious expression on Duanyao’s face and her pitch-black eyes were actually rather interesting.

"Humph!" Pretending to be fierce, Hao Ren suddenly withdrew his spirit energy.

"Ah..." As Hao Ren's spirit energy was abruptly withdrawn from her meridians, it felt as if a knife had cut through her body. Duanyao trembled all over with pain and screamed while biting on the cloth strip in her mouth.

She glared angrily at Hao Ren and suddenly thought that even if he were a Nascent Soul cultivator, she shouldn't revere him!

Hao Ren stood up and looked at her coldly.

He knew that Zhao Ranzi was somewhat willful in certain ways, but ultimately Duanyao was more ruthless. At their first encounter, simply because of a slight verbal disagreement, Duanyao had used a fifth-stage Snow Lion to bully Zhao Ranzi and Little White, brandishing the sword she held and slashing without hesitation—had it not been for Hao Ren's quick action, Zhao Ranzi might have been seriously injured, and Little White would have been snatched away.

During that time in the valley, Zhao Ranzi had still intended to play with her a bit, but Duanyao was always ready to use lethal moves. She stabbed the dagger directly at Zhao Ranzi's heart.

The sudden withdrawal of spirit energy caused Duanyao extreme pain because Zhao Ranzi’s shoulder was almost broken by her actions; similarly, Xie Yujia had nearly lost her life.

This slight punishment didn’t even count as a punishment. For cultivators above the fifth layer of heaven, if they fall into their enemies' hands and have their souls and bones extracted, that would be considered light treatment!

Hao Ren reached out to remove the cloth strip from Duanyao’s mouth.

He had just checked Duanyao's attributes and found she was a Fire attribute體質 (constitution), with an extremely pure single attribute, which is known as "Heavenly Spiritual Root"—the same type of constitution Zhao Ranzi possessed, both being the best for cultivation.

"Wicked thief! The Heavenly Mountain Sect will definitely tear you to pieces!" Duanyao suddenly took a deep breath and started cursing Hao Ren without holding back.

Now she hated Hao Ren and Zhao Ranzi to the bone. Not only had they taken her cultivation methods and sword, but also captured her. With her background in the Heavenly Mountain Sect, who would dare to treat her like this

The act of taking her cultivation method alone was enough for Hao Ren's group to be obliterated!

Once her senior brothers launched an attack, all three of them—Hao Ren’s team—would be apprehended and thrown into the Heavenly Prison where they would face eternal darkness.

Life above the fifth layer of heaven was fundamentally a world of vendettas; any act of stealing treasure is worth taking another's life! Zhao Ranzi just wanted to take her things and upset her but never imagined that she would become the first victim on Duanyao’s list of those targeted for death!

"Once my great-grand-uncle comes out of seclusion, he will wipe you all out!" Duanyao glared fiercely at Hao Ren.

It didn't matter if Hao Ren was merely a Nascent Soul cultivator who had fallen back to the Core Formation stage and was hiding from his enemies on the fifth layer; even a genuine Nascent Soul cultivator wouldn’t be able to defeat her great-grand-uncle, who is at the pinnacle of the Nascent Soul realm!

However, Zhao Ranzi—she would not let her great-grand-uncle take action and wanted to settle this personally!uspicious—did Hao Ren and Xie Yujia also take evening walks like thisAt this thought, she felt an unnamed anger well up inside her.Little White walked in front of them, sometimes running ahead several...