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Chapter 177 Little Jiang? No, we call her Sister Jiang now (2 words, update 45)

Fang Qingyu's body, which had completely lost consciousness, was caught steadily by Qin Hui and Lü Chen, and Jiang Wei, who was on their backs, was also carefully untied.

In chaos.

A dark blue figure had silently appeared beside Fang Qingyu without anyone noticing.

It was the old man who descended from the sky and killed the flesh-and-blood monster with a single blow.

Yan Shouzhen, the master of Longyuan Pavilion.

He crouched down, his withered fingers moving swiftly and precisely like eagle claws to Fang Qingyu's bloodied wrist, touching it only briefly before separating.

Those deep, ancient well-like eyes swept over Fang Qingyu's broken body.

His brow furrowed almost imperceptibly for a moment, then relaxed again.

“It’s not subtlety,” Yan Shouzhen’s voice was not loud, but it clearly pierced through the noise and astonishment of the scene, with an undeniable certainty, “It’s profound understanding.”

Upon hearing this, Zhao Qiming, Su Wanqing, Zheng Xiaohai, Chen Tiejun, and others who were listening intently couldn't help but twitch at the corners of their mouths.

Profound knowledge?!
Even if he breaks through to the Profound Realm in the heat of battle, so what?
That's only the first tier, third realm!

A first-tier martial artist, dragging his severely injured and dying body, smashed the head of a second-tier chosen one.

This explanation is practically meaningless!
Instead, their eyes widened in horror and disbelief as they looked at the rotten, mud-like corpse of Sikong Zhen on the ground.

This completely overturned their understanding of power levels!

Yan Shouzhen didn't seem to intend to explain the difference between "entering the subtle" and "understanding the profound" in Fang Qingyu.

With a flick of his wrist, a round, red pill the size of a longan, radiating a warm, jade-like luster, appeared in his palm.

With lightning speed, he pried open Fang Qingyu's tightly clenched teeth, flicked his finger, and the pill transformed into a warm current that slid into Fang Qingyu's throat.

The moment the pill entered the stomach.

Fang Qingyu's originally faint, almost nonexistent breath was visibly calmed down a little. Although it was still extremely weak, the death aura that had completely dissipated was forcibly suppressed.

"Alright, hurry up and send him out," Yan Shouzhen stood up, his tone calm but carrying an undeniable urgency, "If we delay any longer, this kid will really be finished."

"Yes! Yes! Thank you, boss!"

Qin Hui and Qi Hao suddenly realized what was happening and dared not hesitate for a moment.

The two carefully lifted Fang Qingyu, and Qi Hao gently held the unconscious Jiang Wei in his arms. Surrounded by several medical team members, they ran as fast as they could towards the force field exit.

Hearing how the two addressed the old man, Zhao Qiming's lips twitched.

He quickly wiped the cold sweat and blood from his forehead, dragged his weary body, and respectfully walked up to Yan Shouzheng, bowing deeply: "Zhao Qiming of the Songdu Branch, on behalf of the entire Songdu City, thanks Pavilion Master Yan for saving our lives! If it weren't for your timely arrival..."

Yan Shouzhen casually waved his hand, interrupting Zhao Qiming's words of thanks.

His gaze did not linger on Zhao Qiming, but instead rose slightly and looked towards the dim sky.

Everyone instinctively followed his gaze.

High in the sky, another figure appeared out of nowhere!
The figure was moving at an extremely fast speed, swooping down from the sky.

What's even more eye-catching is that he was carrying an enormous, bulging sack!
It seems like something is still wriggling and struggling inside the sack?
boom!
With a muffled thud, a figure landed heavily, kicking up a cloud of dust.

The newcomer was a middle-aged man with a well-proportioned build, a resolute face, and a restrained yet subtly imposing presence, like a mountain.

He casually tossed the huge sack at Zhao Qiming's feet.

"Elder Yan." The middle-aged man nodded slightly to Yan Shouzhen, his voice steady and powerful.

"Hmm," Yan Shouzheng responded.

The middle-aged man then looked at Zhao Qiming, who was staring in astonishment, and spoke calmly, as if he had only dropped a bag of ordinary goods: "Zhao Qiming from the Songdu Branch? These are some 'big fish' that Chuangsheng Technology has been lurking in the three surrounding cities, along with a few mid-level leaders responsible for receiving them. Caught red-handed, handle them properly and make sure to extract every last bit of intelligence."

Zhao Qiming looked at the still-wriggling sack at his feet, then at the unfathomable figure in front of him who could carry seven or eight living people and fly, and instantly understood the other party's identity.

Another martial arts master!
Overwhelmed with shock, he straightened his back and saluted respectfully: "Yes! I will obey the orders of the Martial Saint! I will not fail you!"

The middle-aged man nodded and said no more.

With a light touch of his toes on the ground, he soared into the sky as if weightless, transforming into a streak of light and disappearing into the thick clouds in an instant, leaving behind a sea of ​​admiring and envious gazes from the crowd.

Martial Saint!

A true flight!
This is a symbol of reaching the third level of martial arts mastery!

Su Wanqing, Zheng Xiaohai, and Chen Tiejun all revealed a deep longing in their eyes.

Yan Shouzhen withdrew his gaze and looked at Zhao Qiming, Su Wanqing, Wei Banmeng and the others, and asked, "Alright, now who can tell me what exactly happened deep in the Songdu Pit? From the time you were trapped, to this kid," he pointed in the direction Fang Qingyu was carried away, "...and the monster I killed, as well as that traitor, and the snake you mentioned."

Zhao Qiming immediately stepped forward and gave a concise report on the changes in the pit, the rampage of the spirits, the communication disruption, the modification of the martial artist trap, the appearance of the red-headed white-bodied beast, and the fact that the four powerful individuals were trapped in the core area.

It also emphasized the crucial role played by Fang Qingyu's team in the exploration and rescue efforts.

Su Wanqing then added details about being trapped in the core area, the terror of the molting-level life ghost "Rotten Nest Monarch", and the key to their escape.

It was Fang Qingyu's earth-shattering slash that cleaved through the horde of corpses, coupled with Jiang Wei's precise destruction of the prison's force field, that broke the stalemate.

His words revealed that he held Fang Qingyu and Jiang Wei in extremely high regard.

Wei Banmeng then recounted from her perspective how Fang Qingyu deduced that the Earth God's Chosen One was the traitor, how she helped him break through and deliver the message, the perilous encounter their team faced with the Peng Snake while guarding the node, and Fang Qingyu's final "obsession" with something on the Crimson-Headed White-Body Beast.

The narrative is cold and concise, but when Fang Qingyu is mentioned tracking Peng She alone, his tone carries a subtle complexity.

Yan Shouzhen listened quietly, his face expressionless, only occasionally fidgeting with his fingers inside his sleeve.

When I heard "red-headed, white-bodied beast".

Those usually calm and even eyes flickered slightly.

"So you mean," Yan Shouzhen slowly began, his gaze sweeping over everyone, "that besides that molting-level 'Rotten Nest Monarch,' there should be another 'Red-Headed, White-Body' ghost that you call its target? The one that kid wanted to skin and tear apart?"

“Yes, Master!” Wei Banmeng nodded immediately, her tone extremely serious. “That monster had a unique form, with a crimson head covered in thick scales, but its body was deathly pale. Its strength was terrifying, far exceeding that of an ordinary peak Transcendent Realm cultivator; it was practically comparable to a second-tier cultivator! We witnessed it devour a modified martial artist at the peak Transcendent Realm in one gulp! Fang Qingyu ultimately went to track it down.”

"Hmm." Yan Shouzhen responded without asking any further questions, simply saying, "Please wait a moment."

Before he finished speaking, he vanished from the spot as if he had merged into the air!

It was so fast that even second-tier experts like Su Wanqing and Zheng Xiaohai could only catch a fleeting afterimage!
The group looked at each other, still not quite understanding.

Boom——! ! !
In less than ten seconds!
A nearby rock wall, which had collapsed on a large scale due to an intense battle, suddenly exploded open, piled with huge rubble!

Amidst the flying debris, an enormous, pale white snake-like body, over twenty meters long, was forcefully "thrown" out of the ground by an immense force and crashed heavily in front of everyone!

The heavy snake body landed, causing the ground to tremble slightly.

That iconic, deathly pale body, covered with some broken crimson-gold scales, with a messy severed neck, was none other than the Peng Snake that made everyone tremble at the mere mention of its name!

Yan Shouzhen's figure reappeared silently in the same spot, like a ghost, without a speck of dust on his robes.

"Is this the snake you were talking about?" he asked calmly.

"Yes! That's it!"

Almost everyone Wei Banmeng had met spoke in unison, their tone utterly certain.

Its distinctive white snake body is unforgettable once you've seen it!

Looking at the enormous and ferocious corpse of the Peng snake on the ground, and considering that Yan Shouzhen had gone down and come back up in less than ten seconds, everyone looked at Yan Shouzhen with shock and almost fanatical worship!

too strong!
That's simply divine skill! He instantly killed that terrifying flesh and blood behemoth with a single blow as he descended from the sky!

Now, this terrifying beast, hidden deep underground and appearing and disappearing mysteriously, instilling fear and despair in countless people, has been so casually dragged out and tossed on the ground like trash!
Is this the strength of the Dragon Abyss Pavilion Master, a top martial saint of this era?!

However, facing the undisguised admiration in everyone's eyes, Yan Shouzhen simply waved his hand calmly, his gaze falling on Peng She's huge severed neck wound, his brows furrowing slightly, as if he were carefully discerning something.

"I didn't kill him."

Yan Shouzhen said calmly, his tone carrying a hint of playfulness and inquiry.

"Huh?" Everyone was taken aback.

Yan Shouzhen pointed to the hideous and terrifying huge wound on the severed neck of the snake and slowly said, "This fatal wound, along with the violent energy remaining inside the snake's body, indicates that the person who struck used a knife, along with extremely domineering flames and a peculiar stagnation field technique. Although the method was crude and barbaric, the ruthlessness of wanting to perish together with the attacker was evident."

At this point, Yan Shouzhen paused, his gaze turning towards the direction where Fang Qingyu had been carried away, a faint smile seemingly curving his lips.

"It must have been that kid who did it."

Consciousness felt like it was sinking in cold, viscous ink, constantly sinking and struggling to rise.

The intense pain felt like countless red-hot steel needles piercing from the depths of his limbs, bones, and internal organs, reminding Fang Qingyu of the countless wounds plaguing his body.

A thought, like a bolt of lightning, suddenly cleaved through the chaotic darkness!

Is that bastard dead?!

This thought, imbued with deep-seated hatred and an almost obsessive certainty, instantly seized Fang Qingyu's entire mind!

It startled him!
"Uh"

A suppressed groan of pain escaped from deep within his throat.

With great difficulty, Fang Qingyu opened his heavy eyelids a crack, and the blinding white light made him squint instinctively.

The distinctive smell of disinfectant mixed with a faint herbal fragrance filled my nostrils.

White walls, bright overhead lights, a soft, thin blanket covering me, and an IV line connected to my arm. This is... a hospital?

The nerves that had been stretched to the limit suddenly relaxed after confirming that they were in a safe environment.

Fang Qingyu let out a silent breath, relaxed his body, and lay back down on the soft pillow.

It's safe now. That bastard must be dead; he probably smashed his own head open.
Just then, the door of the ward was gently pushed open.

Fang Qingyu subconsciously looked up.

Qi Hao peeked in, his face showing a cautious inquiry.

However, when Fang Qingyu's gaze fell on Qi Hao's face, he was completely stunned!

beard?!
Qi Hao had unexpectedly grown a thick, slightly messy beard on his chin!

Combined with his young face, it looked particularly strange and incongruous.

Immediately afterwards, Qin Hui, Lao Qiao, and Lü Chen also filed in.

When Fang Qingyu saw their faces clearly, his pupils dilated instantly!

Qin Hui's temples had even been tinged with a few noticeable strands of gray!
Old Joe's forehead now has several deep wrinkles! Even Lu Chen, who always looks the youngest, has fine crow's feet at the corners of his eyes!

A chill instantly shot from the soles of Fang Qingyu's feet to the top of his head!
How long was I unconscious?!

One year? Two years? Or longer?!

Why have they all aged so much?!

Fang Qingyu's heart suddenly raced, and a huge panic gripped him.

Jiang Wei! How is Jiang Wei?!
"Qingzi! You're awake?!" Qi Hao's face lit up with immense joy when he saw Fang Qingyu open his eyes, and he rushed to the bedside.

However, when Fang Qingyu's bewildered and deeply panicked gaze swept across their faces, Qi Hao's joy suddenly froze, followed by a burst of uncontrollable laughter:

"Pfft—Hahahahahahaha!!!!"

He laughed so hard he almost fell over, even exaggerating by pounding his thighs, tears welling up in his eyes.

While laughing, he suddenly raised his hand, grabbed the thick "sideburns" on his chin, and pulled hard!
"His-"

That whole tuft of beard was ripped off!
Qi Hao's smooth chin was revealed!

"Hahahaha! I knew it! I knew Qingzi would fall for it!!" Qi Hao held up the fake mustache, laughing like a child who had pulled off a prank. "How about that? Scared out of your wits? Did you think you'd slept for ten or eight years?"

Qin Hui and Lao Qiao couldn't hold back any longer either. Seeing Fang Qingyu's bewildered expression, they couldn't help but laugh.

Qin Hui shook his head with a smile, casually wiping away the gray hair dye he had deliberately applied to his temples. Old Qiao rubbed his forehead, realizing that those "wrinkles" were actually makeup. Lü Chen also smiled and wiped away the "crow's feet" at the corners of his eyes.

Fang Qingyu: "."

He stared blankly at the dramatic scene before him, then at the fake beard in Qi Hao's hand, and then at Qin Hui and the other two who had returned to normal. He remained stunned for several seconds.

A huge sense of speechlessness mixed with the complex emotions of surviving a disaster and seeing his bad friend welled up in his heart.

Fang Qingyu's lips twitched, and finally rolled his eyes in annoyance. He had been sitting up slightly in shock, but he lay back down heavily, closed his eyes, and couldn't be bothered with these clowns.

"Hey, hey, hey! Stop playing dead, Qingzi!" Qi Hao plopped down on the edge of the bed, a smug look on his face. "You're still not happy? You left us all at the camp and went down to play the hero all by yourself. What were you thinking when you were being a lone hero? Huh? Did you think about how we felt? Did you think about how scared we were?"

Fang Qingyu kept his eyes closed and didn't say a word.

Qi Hao's words touched a nerve of guilt in his heart.

The situation was urgent at the time, and I didn't think much about it; I was just thinking about not letting them go down there to their deaths.

But now, having survived the ordeal, seeing these mischievous friends standing before me, all alive and kicking despite their pranks, a warm feeling, indescribable, quietly washed over me.

However, now is not the time to be sentimental.

An even more important name instantly came to mind.

Fang Qingyu suddenly opened his eyes again, his gaze sharp as he looked at Qi Hao: "Where's Xiao Jiang? How is Jiang Wei?" His voice was a little hoarse from weakness, but the urgency in it was undeniable.

The laughter in the ward vanished instantly.

The smiles on Qin Hui, Qi Hao, and the other three froze, and they exchanged complicated glances.

The atmosphere in the ward suddenly became somewhat heavy.

Fang Qingyu's heart sank!
Could it be?

"Xiao Jiang is fine." Qi Hao's playful smile completely disappeared, and his tone became serious. "Don't worry, she's alright. She woke up even earlier than you. She's recovering very quickly. She can eat and drink now and is full of energy."

Upon hearing this, Fang Qingyu's tense nerves relaxed slightly.

It's good that you're alright.
"Well..." Qi Hao scratched his head, seemingly finding it difficult to speak, carefully choosing his words, "...it's just that something...isn't right."

Something's wrong?
Fang Qingyu's heart, which had just settled, tightened again. He frowned and asked, "What's wrong? Where are you injured? Or is it a lingering effect?"

Qin Hui sighed, stepped forward, and with a strange expression on his face—a mixture of awe, helplessness, and a touch of grievance—he answered Fang Qingyu's question for Qi Hao with a wry smile:

"Qingzi, Xiao Jiang... oh no, now we all have to change how we address her."

Qin Hui paused, seemingly getting used to the form of address, before speaking in a somewhat dreamlike tone:
"Sister Jiang, you are now a third-level cultist in the first realm."

(End of this chapter)