"Achoo!"
In the Pure Void Realm, night had fully descended. Within the green hills, the air was damp and chilling. Thus, Jiang Sheng and the others had lit a campfire and sat around it.
"Brother Jiang, please eat something. You won't be able to last like this," a youth named Mu Bei said, offering Jiang Sheng a freshly roasted leg of a demon beast. His expression was one of worry as he urged him.
"I won't eat," Jiang Sheng replied, hugging his knees and shifting his gaze blankly away.
"Brother Mu Xu's death has nothing to do with you. He willingly stayed behind to cover our retreat. You don't have to blame yourself like this!" Mu Bei moved with Jiang Sheng, continuing to console him.
Unexpectedly, upon hearing this, Jiang Sheng suddenly turned his head, grabbed Mu Bei by the collar, and roared with his hoarse voice, "Even if Brother Mu Xu willingly stayed behind, his death is connected to me! I don't allow you to say that!"
Mu Bei turned pale with fright at the sudden outburst. The others immediately stepped forward to separate the two.
"Brother Jiang Sheng, let go of Mu Bei quickly. He means well!" a young man said with a hint of helplessness. "I know you're not feeling well, but you have to face reality. We're still in the competition, and figuring out how to advance to the next round is the top priority. We can't possibly not participate in the Ten Thousand Races Assembly just because of one person's death."
"Indeed, I shouldn't have participated in the Ten Thousand Races Assembly. If I hadn't, Brother Mu Xu wouldn't have met his end," Jiang Sheng said, collapsing onto the ground with vacant eyes and weak limbs.
Seeing him like this, the others exchanged glances, then sighed with a sense of helplessness.
"It seems there's really no way," the young man who had spoken earlier sighed. He then looked at the others and asked, "What do we do? We can't let one person hold us all back."
"That's right, that's right. We haven't hunted any demons all afternoon, and my rank has already fallen outside the top three hundred thousand," Mu Bei said with a distressed expression. "If I can't advance to the next round, my family's shop will be repossessed by the Gold and Silver Merchant House!"
"Me too. If I don't advance, the sect will expel me from Shang Yue Peak, and I'll never have a chance to be taken in by an elder of the Supreme Dao!" another youth chimed in.
The situations of the others were similar. After a session of shared woes, their gazes towards Jiang Sheng became complex.
Initially, they had gathered together, with Jiang Sheng at the head, intending to latch onto his powerful backing.
But in the end, they not only failed to secure his support but nearly lost their lives. If that were all, they could have started anew. But who could have imagined Jiang Sheng would fall into such despair?
What could be done now?
"Brother Jiang Sheng, if you continue like this, we brothers will have to part ways with you," a youth named Liu Hao said, cupping his sword in a salute. "We still need to hunt demons and advance to the next round. We bid you farewell."
With that, Liu Hao prepared to leave with his men. However, at this moment, Jiang Sheng, who had been silent, spoke.
"Give me three days. I promise I can recover," Jiang Sheng said, slowly sitting up from the ground, his voice hoarse. "I'm not someone who can't withstand setbacks. It's just that you might understand the significance of Brother Mu Xu's existence to me and to the Jiang family."
"However, it's fine. I will adjust my state as soon as possible. After all, I still need to participate in the Ten Thousand Races Assembly."
"But in your current state, it's indeed hard for us to be convinced," Liu Hao said, bowing again. Clearly, he no longer trusted Jiang Sheng.
"Yes, let alone waiting three days for you, the points we've lost just in this half-day alone, who knows how we'll make them up!" a young girl, who had been the best protected in their group, said with a roll of her eyes, clearly displeased.
As soon as she spoke, a flicker of something akin to cunning appeared in Liu Hao's eyes. He then looked at the others, noticing the same glint in their eyes.
Making up for lost points was actually quite simple.
There, right before them, was someone who had killed some demons and earned hundreds of points in the first round.
This person was currently very weak, possessing no ability to resist.
Liu Hao and the others exchanged glances. No words were spoken, yet they understood each other's intentions.
Thus, their expressions gradually shifted from complaint to insidiousness.
Qi Lan, who was leisurely devouring meat nearby, took in the entire scene. He had long guessed what was about to happen, but he had no intention of intervening.
The reason was simple: Jiang Sheng's appearance had caused him to waste a golden opportunity to overthrow Qi Ye and make a comeback in the Qi family. It was already good of him not to add insult to injury; there was no reason for him to save Jiang Sheng.
"What are you trying to do?" Jiang Sheng asked silently as the group surrounded him.
"Brother Jiang, we're just here to collect our debts," Liu Hao said, a faint smile playing on his lips. "At the beginning, you promised that we would hunt demons with you, and everyone would get many points. But now, the outcome doesn't seem to be that way."
"Therefore, we think it's necessary for you to settle the points for the time you've wasted for us before we leave."
"Mu Bei, do you think so too?" Jiang Sheng looked up at the youth who had first offered him meat.
Because he was the youngest and weakest, Jiang Sheng had saved Mu Bei several times during the escape from the Gray Bear Demon.
Even though Mu Bei might not have died if Jiang Sheng hadn't helped, he would have been severely injured, leading to immediate elimination.
"Brother Jiang, I... I just want to advance to the third round... I will definitely compensate you in the future!" Mu Bei said, lowering his head in shame.
Seeing this, Jiang Sheng's gaze swept over everyone. He then nodded silently and used his jade slip to transfer three hundred points, dividing them equally among the six.
"Take it. Don't let me see you again," Jiang Sheng said, waving his hand weakly.
Three hundred points was almost all he had. He had only four hundred in total. After giving up so much, his ranking plummeted drastically, falling to the very end, near three hundred and twenty thousand.
Even so, Liu Hao remained unsatisfied.
"Three hundred points, it seems like a lot, but divided among six of us, it's only fifty per person, the score of just one second-stage great demon," Liu Hao shook his head and said to Jiang Sheng with a smile, counting on his fingers. "With my abilities, Liu Hao, I can earn at least two hundred points in half a day."
"Young Master Jiang, giving me only fifty, aren't you looking down on me, Liu, too much?"
Hearing this, Jiang Sheng's expression turned cold. "Liu Hao, you're only at the Upper Stage of the Second Stage. Do you really believe you can earn two hundred points in an afternoon?"
"Killing a peak second-stage great demon only gives fifty points. You should think about that!"
"Can I or not, do you have the right to refuse now?" Liu Hao's face contorted as he took a step forward, his power surging, and instantly knocked Jiang Sheng to the ground. "Hand over your remaining one hundred points, and I'll spare your life!"
"Liu Hao, you've gone too far!" Mu Bei couldn't stand it anymore and rushed forward to grab Liu Hao's arm. However, Liu Hao simply flung him aside, glaring fiercely and shouting, "Get out of the way! If you push me too far, I'll rob you too!"
Mu Bei clenched his fists in defiance upon hearing this. But then he remembered that he had only recently broken through to the Lower Stage of the Second Stage, while Liu Hao was already a cultivator at the Upper Stage of the Second Stage. His face immediately turned pale.
There was indeed a gap in their strength. Or rather, his advancement to the second round was already due to a great deal of luck.
"Forget it, I'll give it to you. Don't hurt him," Jiang Sheng coughed, transferring the last hundred points from his jade slip to Liu Hao. He then forced himself to sit up and took a healing pill.
"That's more like it," Liu Hao said, grinning triumphantly as his points soared.
Including his initial points, he now had four hundred and fifty. His rank was one hundred and sixty-seven thousand. With a little more effort, he had a good chance of advancing to the third round.
"Let's go," Liu Hao said, casting one last glance at Jiang Sheng, then at Qi Lan who was eating meat nearby. He then prepared to lead his group away, intending to hunt demons in a safer location.
"Where do you think you're going?"
But just then, a lazy male voice echoed through the space.
Immediately after, a group of unfamiliar, powerful cultivators wearing strange attire swarmed out from the surrounding jungle, their numbers overwhelming, instantly surrounding them.
"Who are you? What do you want?!" Liu Hao and the other five backed into each other, releasing their powers outwards and asking with fierce expressions.
"What do we want? You know that perfectly well yourself," the leader of the group said, holding an iron-ringed broadsword. He grinned maliciously as he pointed at Liu Hao. "Kid, I see you have good potential. I'll give you a chance to join us."
"But the price is that you have to hand over all your points."
Upon hearing this, Liu Hao's face instantly turned deathly pale. Hand over all his points? How long would it take him to make up for such losses!
"These points are what I earned through my own efforts. Don't you dare lay your hands on them!" Liu Hao shouted, his voice laced with false bravado.
"Good, you've got guts. What about the rest of you?" the man asked with a sinister grin, looking at Mu Bei and the others. "Hand them over now, and you can avoid some physical suffering."
"If I really have to act, there are no eyes on my sword or blade. If you get injured, like a broken arm or leg, it could affect the upcoming competition. That would be far too costly."
As he spoke, the resolve of the others, who had initially harbored some resistance, crumbled significantly.
"If the green hills remain, there'll be wood to burn. Brother Hao, there are too many of them, and they all seem quite strong. We should just hand them over!" a slightly plump man said fearfully. He didn't want to get injured here and be eliminated inexplicably.
If that happened, he would face severe punishment when he returned to his sect!
"A bunch of cowards." Liu Hao watched the approaching group, his face pale as he gathered his power, ready to flee at any moment.
But at that instant, the young man holding the broadsword suddenly charged forward with lightning speed. He instantly severed Liu Hao's ribs with the flat of his blade, and the others swarmed him, subduing Liu Hao and his companions in moments.
This was because, apart from Liu Hao himself, none of the others had any real intention of resisting.
"Well, well, four hundred and fifty points. You're quite loaded, kid!" the young man with the iron-ringed broadsword said with satisfaction, snatching all of Liu Hao's points.
Liu Hao, pinned beneath him, glared with bloodshot eyes, clenching his teeth but daring not to say anything more.
Because through the brief exchange just now, he understood the vast difference between himself and the other party. This young man with the iron-ringed broadsword was definitely on the same level as their former leader, Jiang Sheng. He was no match for him!
"Boss, there's another one over there." At this point, the others had also completed their plundering. After a simple distribution, smiles adorned all their faces. Naturally, Qi Lan, who was quietly eating meat on the side, was discovered.
The leader, the young man, glanced at Qi Lan with a flicker of surprise in his eyes. Then, he walked towards him with a smile.
"Brother, may I ask your name?"
He asked Qi Lan, but Qi Lan did not respond. He merely glanced at the youth indifferently before continuing to eat his meat.
He ate, and the group watched, none of them making a move. After a long while, Qi Lan finished eating and slowly stood up.
"I don't want trouble. There are too many of you, so I can't rob you, but you also can't rob me. So, you should leave," Qi Lan said to the young man.
"Oh, really?" the young man with the iron-ringed broadsword said with a sinister smile. He then snapped his fingers, and the other cultivators around him instantly formed a formation, surrounding Qi Lan.
"You don't really think I've been standing here for half a day watching you eat meat, do you?"
"Hand over your points, or die!"
...