You call this the way of the sword?

Yang Qingfeng had anticipated the ambush outside, but Dong Guangnian surprised him.

"Senior Brother Dong, what brings you here?"

Landing in front of Dong Guangnian, Yang Qingfeng asked curiously, "What did you mean by ambush, Senior Brother?"

Dong Guangnian had initially only suspected, but upon hearing this, he couldn't help but ask in a low voice, "That young master of the Sun family died in the secret realm, did you kill him?"

"kill?"

Yang Qingfeng pointed to himself and chuckled, "Senior brother, I'm a new recruit this year. Do you believe I've killed someone?"

"Yeah, that kid Sun Longwen's been around for two years and he's already level 19, while you're only level 10..."

Dong Guangnian was halfway through his sentence when he suddenly stared blankly at the information above Yang Qingfeng's head.

Yang Qingfeng, Kendo, Level 14

Dong Guangnian rubbed his eyes, looked again, and frowned deeply: "I believe you."

Yang Qingfeng looked up and glanced at it, then casually opened his attribute panel, hiding his level. "Now?"

Dong Guangnian's eyes twitched violently; he felt there was no escaping it—this kid was the one who killed him.

He took a deep breath and pulled out a teleportation crystal: "Here, crush this to return to the base."

"The Sun family is currently blocking the outside of the secret area, wanting to know who caused the ghost soldiers to riot. From what they've said, Sun Wenlong died because of the ghost soldiers."

Yang Qingfeng pondered for a moment and said, "If you give me the item, what will you use, Senior Brother?"

Dong Guangnian laughed and said, "I've been staying outside the whole time. They know it wasn't me. Besides... you're alive and kicking right now, so we probably don't need this thing anymore."

Dong Guangnian laughed heartily, but Yang Qingfeng could still tell that he had some regrets.

Despite having already made it into the core town, they still missed out on the Heart of the Ghost King. For these rogue cultivators, this was not only a missed opportunity to acquire a treasure, but it also affected their future cultivation.

Yang Qingfeng took the teleportation crystal and said jokingly, "Senior brother, you don't know this, but I'm actually trapped here. The ghost soldier riot has nothing to do with me."

"Oh right, there's no one else in this secret realm. It wasn't you, it was me, okay?"

Dong Guangnian curled his lip in disdain, then waved his hand, urging everyone to hurry up and leave. "The Sun family won't care if it's you or not. They'll deal with you as soon as you get out of here alive."

Yang Qingfeng smiled, took out a Ghost King's Heart and tossed it over: "My teacher taught me that it is impolite not to reciprocate. Senior brother protected me this time, so you deserve this."

After saying that, Yang Qingfeng crushed the teleportation crystal and disappeared.

"..."

Dong Guangnian stared at the Heart of the Ghost King for a long time with a complex expression.

He said he didn't come here for the Ghost King's Heart because he didn't want to admit it, but now that he actually has the Ghost King's Heart, he's actually reluctant to use it.

"Why…"

"You have no substance but want to save face? What are you thinking?"

"Remember this kindness, and we'll repay it someday!"

Dong Guangnian put away the Ghost King's Heart, glanced in the direction of the town, and suddenly had an idea. He quickly ran over to check, but as soon as he passed through the mountains, he saw more mountains in front of him.

Looking around, the core town was shrouded in thick black mist.

Outside the town, the area was stained with blood and flesh, and piles of dismembered corpses formed a terrifying inferno.

Faced with this scene, Dong Guangming froze on the spot, his face ashen. The Sun family cultivators who arrived later were also terrified and their legs went weak. They dared not ask who had done it.

…………

Canyon outpost.

The teleportation array flickered with light.

Yang Qingfeng had just stepped out when he heard a delicate cry.

"Brother Qingfeng!"

Accompanied by a sweet and soft fragrance, Qiao Wanyi jumped in front of her.

"Brother Qingfeng, it really is you! What a coincidence!"

Qiao Wanyi is 168 cm tall, only one head shorter than Yang Qingfeng.

Moreover, she suddenly got very close, her beautiful eyes sparkling, which was quite stunning.

Yang Qingfeng could even see how he looked in her eyes.

[Qiao Wanyi, Waterway, Level 9]

"That's quite a coincidence. How was your journey? Was it smooth?"

Yang Qingfeng unconsciously raised the corners of his mouth, revealing a slight smile.

"It didn't go well, but it's okay."

Qiao Wanyi looked at Yang Qingfeng with delight and said playfully, "Running into Brother Qingfeng means our luck is about to change!"

"It's your luck that's changing, not mine."

Qiao Lie suddenly appeared, looking like a ghost with a gloomy face.

Yang Qingfeng looked behind Qiao Lie and realized that the exchange was right next to the teleportation array.

[Qiao Lie, Crimson Fire Path, Level 9]

"Damn, where are you looking?"

Qiao Lie reached out and pressed Yang Qingfeng's head down, glaring at him and saying, "I'm the one talking to you!"

With a snap, Qiao Wanyi instantly slapped his hand away, coldly saying, "You're a piece of trash who can't even muster any magic power, you have no right to speak to Brother Qingfeng, get lost!"

"You, you!" Qiao Lie glared and clutched his chest, so angry that his breasts ached on the spot.

Since arriving in the canyon, the monsters have all been at least level 8, with higher defense and more health, and some even have fire resistance, which is really going to kill him.

Even so, in order to help his sister level up, he even rolled up his sleeves and rushed up to fight the monster in close combat, just to add a little more damage. But what did this damn guy say?

waste?

roll?

what?

Yang Qingfeng looked at him with amusement, "What trouble have you encountered?"

"It's none of your business, you..."

Qiao Lie was about to explode, but Qiao Wanyi glared at him, so he shut his mouth.

Qiao Wanyi immediately switched back to her radiant smile and said softly, "Brother Qingfeng, don't worry about him, this is for you."

She pulled out a small, exquisite bottle. "This is a Qi-Gathering Pill; it can help you quickly restore your mana. It's just a low-grade pill, not worth much!"

This time, Qiao Lie didn't stop him. He just snorted and said, "Take it and use it. What I have, you have too. That's fair. Don't make excuses later when your level is lower than mine."

Yang Qingfeng then took the bottle, thought for a moment, and took out two pieces of equipment, handing them to Qiao Wanyi: "These are the Wolf King Bone Club and the Crimson Mane Cloak, both of which mainly increase stamina, so your brother can tank the monsters and take a few more beatings."

Qiao Wanyi initially wanted to tell him to keep it for himself, but upon hearing that the item was actually for Qiao Lie, she was somewhat reluctant, yet still accepted it: "Thank you, Brother Qingfeng. Did Brother Qingfeng defeat Kongwu Peak?"

"Yes, we've fought it."

Yang Qingfeng had just nodded when Qiao Lie asked suspiciously, "You've already won? You only left an hour earlier than us. What level are you?"

He then glanced at Yang Qingfeng's information and sneered, "Hiding your level, are you trying to scare me or something?"

Yang Qingfeng had originally intended to tell the truth, but upon hearing this, he fell silent.

Qiao Wanyi noticed something amiss and leaned closer to whisper, "Brother Qingfeng, what level are you?"

Yang Qingfeng whispered even more, "Don't tell him I'm almost level 15."

"Really?"

Qiao Wanyi's beautiful eyes widened, and her pretty face flushed with excitement. "Brother Qingfeng, you're so amazing! Wow, Senior Brother, I'll call you Senior Brother from now on!"

"What is Senior Brother...?" Yang Qingfeng was both amused and exasperated.

Seeing the two whispering to each other right in front of him, Qiao Lie's eyes twitched violently, and his fists clenched so tightly they cracked: "Hey, there's a ring in the stronghold, why don't we go up there and have a chat?"

As soon as he finished speaking, Qiao Wanyi burst out laughing, a soft, smug laugh that came as she covered her mouth, while looking down at Qiao Lie with a teasing gaze.

It's as if it's saying, "Oh, who is this? What makes them worthy of comparing themselves to my brother Qingfeng?"

Qiao Lie understood her gaze, and suddenly realized something. He frowned and said, "You came out before me, so it's normal that your level is higher. Don't be so smug. I won't unleash my full power until I reach level 10. We'll see who comes out on top then."

Qiao Wanyi rolled her eyes playfully, then gently tugged at Yang Qingfeng's sleeve, saying somewhat dejectedly, "Brother Qingfeng, then I can't play dungeons with you. You have to work hard and try to become this year's top scholar!"

"Him?" Qiao Lie chuckled and looked away, then his brows furrowed deeper, a sense of unease creeping over him. "Are you done talking? If you're done, leave. Go level up!"

Qiao Wanyi's eyes immediately turned resentful, and she couldn't take her steps when she looked at Yang Qingfeng. Just then, Yun Sheng walked out of the exchange...