Chapter 31: Look behind you again?

The trio’s formation resembled a “州” shape, with Wang Ling’er and Wang Rui locked in a face-to-face embrace.

Wang Zongyao, meanwhile, chimed in, “Ling’er, look behind you!”

“Who’s there?!” Wang Ling’er, heightened by adrenaline, instantly locked onto a faint presence lurking in the nearby bushes.

Xie Qiyang no longer hid, stepping gracefully from the shadows.

Her silver hair cascaded like a waterfall, her skin radiant as snow, flawless and unblemished, devoid of her earlier dishevelment. Her ethereal aura was otherworldly, like a celestial fairy untouched by mortal dust.

After consuming the Azure Dragon Fruit, her vitality had reached its peak, a subtle glow shimmering around her.

Wang Zongyao and Wang Rui froze, their eyes filled with awe, their movements halting.

Only when Wang Ling’er shot them a venomous glare did they snap back, hastily lowering their heads to hide their flustered expressions.

Wang Ling’er stared daggers at Xie Qiyang’s breathtakingly perfect face, her own radiating killing intent. Her voice was ice-cold: “Tch, that old fool fed the snake, and you escaped unscathed? You’ve got some tough luck.”

Wang Zongyao, sensing Wang Ling’er’s displeasure and fearing she’d kick him out of their “arrangement,” bared his teeth at Xie Qiyang to make amends: “Exactly! You wench, you…”

Wang Rui, distracted and awkward in his compromising position—Wang Ling’er practically pressed against him—struggled to focus. Despite their clothes, being watched made him uneasy.

Wang Zongyao’s nostrils flared, catching a faint, alluring fragrance. He blurted, “Wait, Ling’er, she… smells so good…”

Wang Ling’er’s face twisted with disdain, her voice dripping with sarcasm: “What? Got a thing for her, softie? Go on, run to her side, you three-second weakling.”

“No, Ling’er, you’ve got it wrong!” Wang Zongyao sweated, panicked. This woman’s transcendent aura was untouchable—angering Ling’er would cost him his “backseat.” He quickly clarified, “I meant the scent—she smells like the Azure Dragon Fruit.”

“Azure Dragon Fruit?!”

Wang Ling’er’s eyes turned bloodshot, her breathing heavy.

How could she not want it?! Its ability to solidify foundations and mend origins was enough to make countless cultivators fight to the death. Priceless and rare.

Such resources were monopolized by lofty clans, accessible only to their top prodigies. For a side-branch nobody like her, even a glimpse was a luxury.

And that terrifying snake guarding it? Even Wang Hong, a Divine Treasury Realm cultivator, could only injure it by self-destructing. The three of them, mere Acquired Realm cultivators, wouldn’t even fill its teeth!

Greed overpowered reason and caution. Pointing at Xie Qiyang, Wang Ling’er’s voice turned shrill with excitement: “Hand over the Azure Dragon Fruit, wench! Be smart, and we three might spare you today.”

Outnumbering her, she tried to intimidate, aiming to squeeze every last bit of value from this woman.

Imperial Jiang Clan? Nonsense! She didn’t buy Wang Hong’s drivel. That old lecher was clearly smitten by her beauty, wanting to hog the fruit. Now he’s dead—who’s protecting you?

Wang Ling’er smirked triumphantly, but the expected panic didn’t come. Instead, the silver-haired “fairy” showed a faint, playful smile, as if a scheme had succeeded?

That smile sent a jolt of unease through Wang Ling’er.

“Oh? You want the Azure Dragon Fruit?” Xie Qiyang’s voice was clear and melodious. She slowly opened her jade-like palm, revealing… a shriveled, spiritless fruit core.

“Here, take it.” With a flick of her finger, she sent the worthless core straight at Wang Ling’er.

Wang Ling’er instinctively caught it, feeling its dry, lifeless texture.

“You!!” Realizing she’d been played, her face contorted. “You ate it, you little wench?”

“Those who trick others get tricked in return.” Xie Qiyang’s teasing tone cut off Wang Ling’er’s roar. Before her words settled, she turned into a silver streak, shooting into the forest depths.

The moment her figure vanished—

BOOM—!!!

A deafening roar erupted behind. Ancient trees, thick as several people, snapped like straws, collapsing in waves. A vile, nauseating stench swept over, engulfing Wang Ling’er’s trio!

“…So foul!” Wang Ling’er gagged, her face pale, cursing instinctively. She finally understood.

This wench, after snagging the prize, led disaster their way! Using the core’s lingering scent, she drew the enraged, injured snake to them.

“Chase her! Catch that wench!” Wang Ling’er shrieked, her voice warped with venom. “Even if we die today, she’s going down with us! She won’t get away with this!”

Wang Rui, terrified, tried to run with Wang Ling’er clinging to him. Their awkward, entwined posture slowed them drastically.

The bone-chilling hiss was right behind.

The vibrant, terrifying snake wasn’t slithering—it was gliding low, inches off the ground.

Its massive body smashed through trees and rocks effortlessly.

Its bloodied, scale-shattered head, blasted by Wang Hong’s explosion, locked onto the direction the core’s scent vanished.

“Useless! Run faster!!” Wang Ling’er, scared witless, lost all composure, frantically hitting Wang Rui. “You’re always a weakling, and now you’re still so pathetic! I was blind to let you touch me! Faster, catch that wench!!”

The trio and snake staged a desperate chase through the forest. Wang Ling’er’s curses—interrupted perhaps by Wang Rui’s vigorous movements—mingled with his heavy panting and the snake’s destructive rampage.

Meanwhile, the silver-haired figure ahead had long left them in the dust.

“Don’t you want this, beast? Take it.” Wang Ling’er, in a flash of wit, hurled the core in the opposite direction, hoping to buy distance.

But the snake ignored it, as if determined to make them its meal.