"Why say so much to him, Big Brother? He is just a kid at the Qi Condensation Seventh Layer. How could he possibly stand against the two of us?"

"So he got lucky and blocked the Shadow Arrow. How many protective treasures like that can he have? Kill them, and everything they own is ours!"

Cloud Fiend looked kindly, but spoke readily of murder.

Gu Changhuan watched with interest as one threatened and the other played peacemaker. There was no telling what he was thinking.

"Second Brother, we only want their money. The sickly bastard who hurt you is dead. We have no quarrel with this young fellow. Why kill him?"

Black Fiend went on.

"Hmph, that depends on whether these two know what is good for them!"

Cloud Fiend seemed swayed by his brother's words.

"Kid, you heard him. Just obediently hand over your Storage Bags, and the two of us can spare your lives."

Black Fiend looked directly at Gu Changhuan and Zhao Pin'er.

Seeing that the attackers did not seem entirely intent on killing them, and hearing that they would be spared simply by surrendering their belongings, Zhao Pin'er hesitated visibly for a moment.

However, Gu Changhuan merely looked at the two men, casting an indifferent glance toward the still-burning campfire without giving an answer.

When Gu Changhuan remained silent, Cloud Fiend brandished his weapon.

"Ungrateful brat. We're wasting our breath."

Seeing that Cloud Fiend was truly about to strike, Zhao Pin'er panicked and cried out, "Fellow Daoists, wait! We are willing to hand over our Storage Bags! Just spare our lives!"

Her face had turned pale, and she quickly agreed to their demands, looking thoroughly terrified. She hastened to untie the Storage Bag from her waist and tossed it across the clearing.

Gu Changhuan gave an ambiguous half-smile.

"Fellow Daoist Wang, what are you still hesitating for? If we do not give them the Storage Bags, we will die here! Once life is gone, nothing is left!"

She dared not mention the ancient cave abode outright, so she could only hint at what awaited them.

When he still hesitated, her eyes reddened and tears spilled down her cheeks.

"I beg you, Fellow Daoist Wang! Just give them the bags! I do not want to die..."

She broke down into soft sobs.

"I was simply thinking..."

For a moment, the sight of the weeping beauty stirred his pity.

"Thinking about what? What could possibly matter more than our lives?"

Zhao Pin'er choked out through her tears.

Gu Changhuan smiled faintly, his meaning obscure. Before Zhao Pin'er could speak further, he suddenly retrieved the Azure Cloud Sword from his Storage Bag and thrust it straight at her.

The seemingly fragile, tearful Zhao Pin'er dodged the lethal thrust with astonishing agility.

But they were too close together, and Gu Changhuan's thrust was too fast. The movement art she had learned saved her life, but his sword still pierced her arm.

"Not a bad movement technique."

Gu Changhuan raised an eyebrow and swept his sword upward, severing her arm.

"Little Sister!"

"You dare, brat!"

Seeing the sudden attack, the Black Cloud Twin Fiends roared in fury and charged straight at Gu Changhuan.

Zhao Pin'er widened her eyes in disbelief, the delicate sorrow on her face twisting into a mask of agony and fury.

"When did you find out?"

"When? Does that matter? You asked what I was thinking. I was thinking what a pity it would be for a beauty like you to die out here without even a grave."

As he spoke, Gu Changhuan fully executed his Light Body Technique, slipping past the charging brothers to appear directly behind Zhao Pin'er. With a swift kick, he sent her flying toward the approaching pair.

Zhao Pin'er let out a sharp cry of pain, her spine seemingly fractured by the force.

Black Fiend hurried forward to catch her, laying her down gently on a patch of open ground.

"Brat! You dare harm my sister-I will tear you limb from limb!"

Unless a limb-restoring spiritual medicine could reattach her severed arm, Zhao Pin'er would probably never break through again. She would remain in early Qi Condensation for the rest of her life.

"Brother! I think my back is broken! Kill him for me!"

Unable to move, she cried out in terror and anger.

Gu Changhuan had no interest in arguing. He tapped the Spirit Beast Pouch at his waist and called Mo Lin out.

Mo Lin had been sleeping soundly in the pouch. Suddenly called out and confronted with three strangers, it reared up, alert and wary.

As expected of a mutated Demon Beast, Mo Lin had already reached the fifth layer of Qi Condensation. It had hardly grown, though, and was still just over half a meter long. The Fiends had not expected Gu Changhuan to have help. When Mo Lin fixed its gaze on Black Fiend, he felt like a mortal facing a wild beast. Cold sweat covered his back.

Cloud Fiend felt the same chilling pressure. Staring at Gu Changhuan, a sudden urge to retreat gripped him, for the youth's true background remained completely unfathomable.

First a protective treasure, then seeing through Zhao Pin'er, and now a spirit pet at middle Qi Condensation. And that movement art! It looked like the ordinary Light Body Technique, so why was it so fast?

Seeing them waver, Gu Changhuan pointed his sword at Black Fiend and taunted him.

"What? Weren't you eager for revenge just a moment ago? Losing your nerve already? Frightened of a mere snake-are you even a man?"

Provoked beyond measure, Black Fiend roared and poured every ounce of his Spiritual Power into his greatsword, intending to crush Gu Changhuan with a single devastating blow.

Cloud Fiend stayed where he was, secretly gathering Spiritual Power as though preparing a secret art. There was something unsettling about the boy's smile. He had seen through Zhao Pin'er and still looked utterly confident. Perhaps he had a way out prepared. Better not rush in.

Gu Changhuan stood calmly with the Azure Cloud Sword in hand, his other hand tucked behind his back, watching the charging Black Fiend with visible mockery.

Seeing that his target refused to budge, Black Fiend felt a surge of elation, but that triumph vanished almost instantly.

"What is happening? Why can't I circulate my Spiritual Power? Second Brother, save me!"

Black Fiend cried out in sudden terror.

Gu Changhuan brought his other hand forward and threw the two Golden Blade Talismans he had already activated.

Instantly, the talismans erupted into multiple golden blade projections. Deprived of Spiritual Power, Black Fiend could not evade the onslaught and was forced to raise his heavy sword in a desperate, clumsy defense.

"Second Brother, please save my brother!"

Zhao Pin'er screamed from the ground.

It had happened too fast for Cloud Fiend to react before Black Fiend was caught. Seeing the cold gleam of the golden blades and the greatsword on the verge of breaking, he began to think of fleeing.

Three breaths later, the greatsword shattered. A golden blade pierced Black Fiend's chest, and he fell. The talismans still had power left. By the time it ran out, his body had been hacked to pieces.

Only Cloud Fiend was left.

"Impressive, Fellow Daoist Wang. A pity my elder brother died without knowing what killed him."

Cloud Fiend's expression was cold and grim.