Cataclysm: The Enhancement Warlock's Rebirth

The white mist dissipated, and a figure approached.

Jiang Xiao emerged from the thick fog, the dark green liquid still dripping from his Tang sword.

"Young Master Jiang!"

"Brother Jiang!"

Song Zizhe and the others, who were being driven ahead, looked delighted and shouted in unison.

The burly man Qin Xun sized up Jiang Xiao, his gaze falling on the Tang sword, his eyes slightly sharp.

The blood of the red beetle is pale green, while the blade of the other party is covered with a viscous, dark green liquid.

This person killed something else in the fog!

Qin Xun stepped forward and spoke first: "Brother, my name is Qin Xun. These extraordinary individuals are my companions—Tang Yuanzhou, Pan Qiaoyun, and my younger sister, Qin Zhi'en."

Tang Yuanzhou's eyes were unfriendly, but he also took the initiative to dissipate the flames in his hands.

The pebble just now flew through the air at an extremely fast speed.

If it weren't for Brother Qin's quick reaction and his hand blocking it, I would definitely have suffered a hidden loss.

Moreover, he noticed that Qin Ge's hand trembled slightly when he took the pebble.

This person does indeed have some skill.

Pan Qiaoyun's eyes lit up, and she took the initiative to come closer: "Handsome, my name is Pan Qiaoyun, and I'm single."

Qin Zhi'en looked wary and remained silent.

Jiang Xiao ignored Qin Xun and the others' greetings.

His gaze fell on the palm print on Song Zizhe's face and the charred clothes on his back, and his eyes grew cold.

"I heard you've been in the foggy area for a long time. Everyone was worried about your safety and was preparing to come in to look for you. It's good that you're alright."

Qin Xun spoke eloquently.

Those who don't know the situation might think the two have a very close relationship.

Unfortunately, Jiang Xiao just wouldn't respond.

The atmosphere in the room suddenly became heavy.

Song Zizhe was good at reading people and knew that his boss was angry. He smiled at Jiang Xiao, shook his head, and indicated that he was fine.

He broke the silence: "Boss, did we encounter any danger in the fog?"

"We've encountered a new type of insectoid beast, and it's quite powerful. I've already dealt with it once, but we should still be careful," Jiang Xiao finally spoke.

The somber atmosphere around us eased slightly.

Qin Xun took the words to heart and silently increased his vigilance.

He tossed the blood essence back to Jiang Xiao: "There was a small conflict just now. My brother has a bad temper and hurt your people. He'll make it up to you when we get out."

The words were neither too harsh nor too soft, giving him a way out.

Jiang Xiao reached out and took it, feeling the force within, realizing that the other party was demonstrating their strength.

He didn't reply, but instead gave the order: "Ordinary people in the middle, extraordinary people on the outside, defensive formation, stick together."

He took direct command of the entire team, and it all happened so naturally.

"Handsome guy, you're always thinking about them? You're lucky to be working for you."

Pan Qiaoyun approached and offered a flattering remark.

Seeing that Jiang Xiao was in command and that his own people were even going over to fawn over him, Tang Yuanzhou became even more displeased.

He looked at Qin Xun, wanting him to say a few words.

The latter, however, showed no objection. Instead, he asked, "Brother, what kind of insect or beast did you encounter in the fog? Describe its characteristics so we can have a better understanding."

Jiang Xiao was prepared to borrow their escort for this journey, and without holding back, he briefly explained the characteristics of the Fog Walkers and their ability to hide and ambush.

Upon hearing this, everyone immediately looked warily at the surrounding white mist, fearing that the insect beasts might launch a sneak attack.

Qiao Xin was even more nervous.

She knew Jiang Xiao's strength; even he said he was a dangerous existence, and that he would definitely be fatal to her.

She quickly separated some strands of hair and wrapped them around her heart and neck to protect them.

Qin Xun's expression changed upon seeing this scene.

He pondered for a moment and said, "As Brother Jiang said, let's hurry and get through this white fog."

"Brother Qin?" Tang Yuanzhou asked in confusion, lowering his voice, "You really want to protect this bunch of burdens?"

"that's all."

Qin Xun made his decision, his tone leaving no room for argument.

Qin Zhi'en didn't say anything. Following his brother's instructions, he silently walked to the side of the group and took charge of guarding.

Pan Qiaoyun then moved closer to Jiang Xiao, trying to get closer to him.

Tang Yuanzhou had no choice but to comply.

He walked over to Song Zizhe, and the two exchanged a glance.

Tang Yuanzhou's eyes held a warning and disdain, while Song Zizhe lowered his head and did not respond.

The group moved forward through the white fog.

Jiang Xiao pulled Lu Wanwan to his side and took her hand.

Lu Wanwan felt a burning sensation from the other person's palm and struggled to move.

"What are you doing?" she asked softly. "I called you just now because one of our people was being bullied. Don't... overthink it."

She spoke haltingly.

I don't know why, but the moment I saw him, I felt inexplicably at ease.

As soon as the words left her mouth, she realized her mistake and immediately ducked back, acting like a quail.

"Don't move! Stay by my side."

Jiang Xiao didn't let go; instead, she gripped it even tighter.

He walked back and forth in the fog, taking down three fogwalkers, but was unsure if there were any more hidden.

Seeing his serious expression, Lu Wanwan didn't say anything more and obediently let him lead her away.

Pan Qiaoyun saw the two holding hands from behind and felt very unhappy.

But looking at Jiang Xiao's cold face again, and thinking of the indifferent look she had given him when they first met, he felt his heart race for no reason.

So annoying!

He's so good-looking!

But it seems he already has a girlfriend, what should I do?

She felt she could try to win him over: "Young man, what's your name? How old are you? What did you do before?"

"Shut up if you don't want to die, and watch your surroundings," Jiang Xiao warned.

Pan Qiaoyun glanced at their tightly clasped hands and shut her mouth in annoyance.

The group walked quietly for a while.

Tang Yuanzhou began to mutter under his breath, "We can't move fast with them. Do we have to be so cautious?"

Qin Xun was also getting anxious.

They risked their lives to follow the pillar of light, deducing that it was the appearance of a rare treasure.

But if we delay too long, we risk losing out to someone else.

Soon, his heart calmed down again.

A corpse appeared ahead, belonging to a species he had never seen before.

Half-human, half-insect, its chest was cut diagonally, almost split in two.

Qin Xun squatted down and examined it carefully, a hint of apprehension flashing in his eyes.

He stood up and asked, "Brother Jiang, is this the Mist Walker you mentioned?"

Jiang Xiao nodded.

He used his knife to cut off two bone spikes from the Mist Walker's body and threw them to Song Zizhe: "Share them, use them as weapons. There are two more pairs later."

Song Zizhe took the bone spur, weighed it in his hand, and found it to be quite heavy.

The tip is very sharp; with some time to work on it, it could be a pretty good weapon!

Tang Yuanzhou snorted, conjured a long whip of flame, and lashed it at the corpse of the Mist Walker.

The corpse was charred black, and its silvery-white scales were cracked open.

"Its defense is even worse than a red beetle, I can kill it too." He turned and urged, "Let's hurry up and get going, stop dawdling."

Jiang Xiao surprisingly didn't object: "Speed ​​up your pace."

Seeing Jiang Xiao back down, Tang Yuanzhou felt he had the upper hand and scoffed lightly.

The team continued onward.

They collected two more Mistwalker corpses along the way.

Fortunately, we didn't encounter any ambushes along the way, and we didn't even run into many red beetles.

Fifteen minutes later, the group finally emerged from the white fog.

"They're finally out!"

Someone breathed a sigh of relief.

Before me lay an empty street, bathed in moonlight, which suddenly opened up my view.

Everyone felt a huge weight lifted off their shoulders.

Just then, Jiang Xiao suddenly drew his sword and slashed at Tang Yuanzhou.

Qin Xun reacted the fastest, his body instantly covered in dense scales as he tried to stop him.

But Jiang Xiao was faster; the knife was already at his body.

Tang Yuanzhou didn't react until the blade was right in front of him, and his pupils shrank sharply.

He roared and hastily summoned flames to attack Jiang Xiao's face.

But Jiang Xiao immediately dodged after landing a successful attack.

"cough--"

Blood foam spilled from the corner of Tang Yuanzhou's mouth.

He looked down and saw that his chest had been cut diagonally from his collarbone to his waist, the flesh rolled up and blood gushing out.

A tiger's roar exploded.

Qin Zhi'en transformed into a white tiger with piercing eyes, its four paws on the ground, its fur standing on end, assuming an attack stance and glaring angrily at Jiang Xiao.

The changes came so fast that no one had time to react.

Song Zizhe clenched his fists, his blood rushing to his head, and the wound on his back began to bleed again due to his excitement.

He quickly called out, "Sister Xin!"

Qiao Xin was a beat slow to react; her hair instantly solidified into steel cables, and she stood beside Jiang Xiao.

"Brother Jiang, what do you mean by this?!"

Qin Xun questioned sharply, his entire face covered in scales, making him look like a humanoid beast.

Tang Yuanzhou collapsed to the ground, spitting out blood and foam. He tried to stop the bleeding by covering his wound with his hand, but it was no use.

He looked at Qin Xun, his eyes filled with a desperate desire to survive.

Jiang Xiao remained expressionless and said calmly, "No one who touches my people will escape unscathed."

Having been reborn, he cannot tolerate any injustice.

Tang Yuanzhou ran right into the line of fire, but his blood served as a catalyst to unite the people, making the team easier to lead.

"Brother... Gu... I..."

Tang Yuanzhou mumbled incoherently, looking at Jiang Xiao with resentment, then at Qin Xun.

Qin Xun understood his meaning; he wanted Qin Xun to avenge him.

He looked at Jiang Xiao, gritted his teeth, remained silent for a few seconds, and whispered, "Have a safe journey."

Tang Yuanzhou stared wide-eyed, gripping Qin Xun's sleeve tightly, his face full of confusion.

Qin Xun reached out and covered his eyes, then squeezed his throat with his fingertips until it broke.

Deep down, he didn't really think much of Tang Yuanzhou either.

Instead of thinking about how to make a living in chaotic times, he thinks about women all day long.

Strengthening ourselves is the right path!

Once you've truly established yourself, what kind of woman can't you have?

Given Tang Yuanzhou's personality, he'll get himself into trouble sooner or later.

The two had only known each other for a few days, and he had always treated the other as a pawn to be discarded, so there was no affection between them.

Qin Xun threw the body to the ground and said in a deep voice:

"The man who injured your men is dead. We're even now!"

-

-

In a noodle shop.

The hot water in the pot was bubbling away.

A few pieces of bread were broken into pieces and thrown in, along with some salt and sauce. Everyone sat around in a circle and ate with loud slurping.

After leaving the white fog area, Jiang Xiao and his group encountered three waves of insect swarms and were exhausted.

It's so comforting to be able to eat something hot right now.

Jiang Xiao leaned against the door frame, holding a bowl of hot soup in her hand, and slowly sipped it.

Song Zizhe walked over and reported in a low voice: "Liu Hongwei was bitten on the foot by a red beetle and will have difficulty moving for a short time. Ge Bing's arm was accidentally injured by a teammate and needs to be stitched up immediately."

"We'll find a nearby residential area to settle them in later. You don't need to follow them," Jiang Xiao said. "The insect infestation is getting increasingly fierce, so you need to recruit people as soon as possible and be prepared."

Song Zizhe looked troubled: "If the team doubles in size, the food we bring will only last for three days."

"I'll handle it," Jiang Xiao said. "You just need to focus on recruiting and making sure the hiring process is done properly."

"Understood," Song Zizhe replied.

He did not thank Jiang Xiao for standing up for him earlier.

Because he understood that was not what the other party wanted to see.

The best way to repay someone is to do practical work and complete the tasks assigned to you.

He had barely left when Qiao Xin came over again.

She lowered her voice and gossiped, "That Pan Qiaoyun, she looks at you with such a clingy gaze. Young Master Jiang, why don't you try to recruit her into the team?"

Lu Wanwan unconsciously slowed down her chewing speed and secretly glanced over here.

Jiang Xiao's eyelids twitched: "Let her join the team, like a piece of chewing gum sticking to you?"

Qiao Xin nodded: "That's true, she is indeed a bit long-winded."

After saying that, he glanced at Lu Wanwan and smiled, "Our Wanwan is the best. She's beautiful, well-behaved, and sensible. She doesn't make a fuss."

Jiang Xiao glanced at her sideways: "Are you bored?"

Qiao Xin stuck out her tongue.

As they spent more time together, her fear of Jiang Xiao lessened considerably.

Jiang Xiaodao's previous slashing of Tang Yuanzhou had indeed startled her.

But when I came to my senses, I felt secretly pleased, as if even my mammary glands had been unblocked.

Jiang Xiao instructed her, "Settle these people in, then Lu Wanwan and I will go to the light pillar first."

"Mission accomplished!"

Qiao Xin smiled and gave a salute.

Jiang Xiao waved his hand, finished the hot soup in the bowl, and was about to leave.

A group of people walked towards them from a distance.

Jiang Xiao squinted.

The group that arrived was led by Qin Xun and his companions, along with an unfamiliar face—a man in his thirties with a small braid and carrying a large iron hammer on his back.

Pan Qiaoyun waved to him from afar: "Handsome, we meet again!"

Our own men immediately took up their weapons and stood ready for battle.

Qin Xun told his companions to stop at a distance, and walked over alone to the noodle shop.

He looked at Jiang Xiao and gave a wry smile: "Brother, perhaps we'll have to continue our cooperation."

Jiang Xiao had a guess in mind, but asked calmly, "Really? What happened?"

"altar!"

"Beneath that pillar of light is the altar the system mentioned earlier!"

Qin Xun, somewhat excited, continued to explain, "The points earned from killing insects can be exchanged for extraordinary items at the altar to enhance our strength!"

"Unfortunately, the altar has already been occupied by two groups. They have eight superhumans and a large number of subordinates, and they are not allowing anyone to get close."

"Anyone else who wants to use the altar must either pay with blood essence or offer sufficient resources!"

By the end, Qin Xun was filled with righteous indignation.

Jiang Xiao understood.

In the past, after the major powers occupied the altar, they all had dedicated guards, and others had to pay a fee to use it.

He had guessed this would happen on his way here.

After such a long delay, it's probably not going to be easy to get close.

Although he knew their intentions, Jiang Xiao casually replied, "First come, first served. Just pay the fee as they said, isn't that enough?"

Qin Xun stared into his eyes: "Brother Jiang, are you willing to hand it over? Are you willing to do so?"

He had just learned from another extraordinary individual that there was a chance that the Red Beetle contained Blood Soul.

But I can't possibly spend the time collecting those things myself.

Moreover, this behavior is tantamount to aiding the enemy.

If the other side continues to expand its advantage by relying on this income, then using the altar will only come at a greater cost.

He was indignant and, together with several other extraordinary individuals who had arrived, attempted to force their way in.

However, the enemy outnumbered them and had extraordinary items in hand, so they were no match for them.

After thinking it over, Jiang Xiao was the first person he thought of.

He was certain that, given Jiang Xiao's personality, he would definitely not be willing to pay the entrance fee.

"How do we cooperate?" Jiang Xiao asked.

Qin Xun clenched his fist, which was covered with fine scales: "Unite with more extraordinary beings to put pressure on them and force them to cancel the tribute rule."

Jiang Xiao shook her head.

Qin Xun frowned.

He knew Jiang Xiaoqiang, but he definitely couldn't take on all eight of them alone.

He didn't understand why they disagreed with the plan.

"I think their idea is really good, really."

Jiang Xiao shifted his gaze from the beam of light to Qin Xun's face, his tone calm yet tinged with amusement.

"So why don't we take their place?"

……